“Debt-Free Living” by Larry Burkett is an interesting and informative book about making decisions that will help you get out of debt and to stay debt free. The book was original published and so the numbers he uses in example budgets seems surprisingly low, but other than that it is a great book to read or recommend to someone who is ready to make a change.
Burkett briefly describes the concept of credit and how it began again after the Great Depression. He also talks about how the government fuels the use of credit because it helps to boost the economy. He talks about this in the first section of the book. He then goes on to give three example scenarios of how people found themselves in debt.
In the second part of the book Burkett shows how the couples are able to get out of debt. He also uses the Bible to support the principles that he bases his money decisions on. He spends time telling the story of the couples, but then has a chapter after each that explains the concepts that the characters needed to master. The situations address most of the reasons why people end up in debt.
The final section of the book explains how credit works. It also talks about how to get yourself out of debt, and the tools, which are available for you to use. He even discusses bankruptcy, though he is against bankruptcy. You will want to review the bankruptcy laws elsewhere, since they have just recently changed.
This book is well written and informative. It does have a decidedly Christian slant, and if that would bother you, you may not want to read the book. I would recommend this book for people who are in debt and at point where they are ready to change. It is a book that focuses on changing habits and situations, so that you can begin to live debt free.
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