Those of us in our twenties have been called a lot of things by our elders, but never have we been referred to as “Generation Earn”.
Kimberly Palmer, senior editor at US News & World Report and author of the Alpha Consumer column, decided she was fed up with the negative labels associated with young professionals and wrote a book to debunk the myth!
Finally… an advocate for those of us on the other end of the perspective.
The Young Professional’s Guide to
Spending, Investing, and Giving Back
My interest piqued just from the table of contents. Broken into only three sections, the book still covers a wide spectrum of ideas, and current ones at that. Job Juggling, Not Your Parents’ Retirement, When Parents Are Landlords, Lessons in Modern Frugality, and The New Rules of Philanthropy to name a few.
Whether focusing on your primary career, looking to go out on your own, or just looking for some supplemental income, Job Juggling addresses all three. Since there’s only one person looking out for our careers (us), Kimberly stresses the “daily hustle” mindset like earning extra income from side projects or developing new skills within your job industry.
The same self-preservation spills into Not Your Parents’ Retirement as well. The chapter starts out at a youth summit on Capitol Hill about the doom and gloom future of Social Security. While the fears may not be warranted, we can all agree Kim’s title sums it up – this is not our parents’ retirement anymore. The saving and investing we do now will have a much larger impact on our future retirement years.
Admittedly, I let out a little groan seeing the Green Spending title. While my views are still shifting, overall I’m still put off with some people’s delirium to be green. But I have to give Kim credit, because she suggested some things you don’t see too often – using less energy (period… although she throws in the generic “use CFLs”) or drive smarter (not drive a hybrid).
While the book was good, I must admit the introduction really got me. If you pick up a copy of this book, don’t mindlessly skip to Chapter 1 – make sure to read through her well-written intro.
Originally I’d planned on meeting in person with Kimberly, which still may be a possibility. I’d had a few specific questions for her about the book and wanted to get the unfiltered version. Maybe those will find their way into a follow-up if the time comes.
So to sum it all up – Generation Earn represents those of us here on the personal finance blogs, continually working towards educating and improving ourselves, financially and elsewhere. While it didn’t feel like I financially “fit in” with my peers before starting this website, I’ve come to find a community who not only embraces the same beliefs, but are often better practitioners than me!
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