Get Your Money Right By Kembala Evans – Book Review

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It can be easy to read a book offering personal finance advice and expect to see the same recycled information such as budget worksheets, money envelopes, and debt snowball plans.  As I read “Get Your Money Right: The 7 Keys to Unlocking a Better Financial Future” by Kembala Evans, I expected more of the same, and I was thankfully incorrect in my assumption.

Not that the book does not offer familiar advice, but Kembala’s means of delivery offers much more than regular personal finance fare.

Kembala Evans: A Voice of Reason and Guidance

The author is a coach and motivator, and that certainly shines through in her writing.  I was trying to find a good way of describing her way of communicating (I tend to think in pictures or situations), and Kembala had the perfect example in a scenario she shares in her book.

She explained that one day on the subway a total stranger decided to ask her a financial question, and while she was speaking with this woman, a group of people gradually became drawn into the conversation with a lively Q and A taking place her whole 45-minute ride.

This is EXACTLY the picture in my head – a scenario with a lot of voices speaking, but slowly and surely the whole room starts gravitating to the singular voice that makes the most sense.  Kembala Evans is that voice.  She skillfully balances a very detailed, professional approach to financial matters, while inspiring her reader to act.

Get Your Money Right

From the first few pages it becomes apparent that this book is not just about a plan to get out of debt, it’s about the mindset of the person behind the monetary decisions.

Many Americans are still in debt, still living from paycheck to paycheck – or worse, living on credit to get by.  There are many reasons we got to this point, but the fact is, we are HERE and we need to do something to get ourselves out of this mess.   

Get Your Money Right is not another system.  It is a practical look at what we all face on a day-to-day basis in regards to money, the mistakes we make, and how, by well-informed decisions and actions, we can take every aspect of our financial life and make it work toward our goals.

This book paves that path by taking the reader by the hand, giving them the courage to move out of their current situation, and providing them with the primary tools they’ll need to make sure they never go back to a debt-ridden life again.

As far as motivation, Kembala gives: examples from her own life, words of wisdom, case studies, inspiring quotes, and success stories.  These are seamlessly weaved throughout each chapter to help cement the reader’s resolution to change.

The chapters also give basic instruction on budgeting, saving, goal mapping, and credit wisdom.  Along these lines, Kembala is extremely specific in her coaching and advice.  She does not just say, “open up a savings account”, but she discusses the different savings options, goes over important financial vocabulary you may encounter, and gives you a website where you can compare interest rates!  With every nugget given, there is great care taken to allow the reader to feel secure in the next step.

What I appreciated in her communication is that her attention to detail is in no way condescending; it is more of a testament to her proficiency, and her care that her readers succeed.  She repeatedly provides phone numbers, websites, and names resources so the reader can grow in their financial education and understanding.

My Overall Impression

As you can probably tell so far, I am really excited about this book.  One of the reasons is that as I was reading I could begin to picture people in my life that would respond well to it.  There are many books out there that one could read, but people are drawn to a ‘voice’ (eg. Some people love Dave Ramsey’s aggressive, “in your face” approach).

I think Kembala’s book, with its motivational style, coupled with her obvious expertise, and its “no-excuse” care and detail, makes it one that the most finance-leery person may be willing to read, and hopefully utilize to change their situation.

One of my favorite things about reading this book is that it made me want to recheck and reinforce things that I am ALREADY doing!  For example, in the section on ‘Watch Where Your Money Goes… Literally’, I had to fight the urge to put the book down and start calculating the most recent pay stub to make sure every penny taken out was correct.  It really is that motivating 😀

The only part about the book that I did not particularly like was the “Develop the Mindset” chapter.  While I agree that it is necessary to have the right mindset to achieve any goal, I don’t personally prescribe to the idea of positive thinking and the power of words to the extent the author presents them.  Although this is the case, I think Kembala does a fine job of explaining her beliefs on the subject, and presents the reader with common ground where it is clear that having the right mindset and a positive outlook is essential to successfully achieving goals.

Get Your Money Right drives home the fact that caring about your money does show care about yourself.  When we neglect our finances, and put ourselves in debt bondage, it speaks volumes about our priorities in terms of our own lives, our families, and our futures.

Although we may all know people that are afraid to look at their finances, I am sure those same people care about the future of their families.  I think those people should get a copy of this book, it may just be the thing to get them over that hurdle. It’s that good.

Kembala Evans is the Founder of KP Evans Financial, a personal finance education and coaching firm focused on educating, motivating, and empowering people to take control of their financial futures. She has a bachelor of business administration in marketing and management from the University of Miami. Kembala also has 12 years of business consulting experience working at Accenture. As an experienced executive, she managed multi-million dollar programs and worked with many Fortune 500 clients to improve their business performance. She left Accenture to pursue her passion for helping everyday people improve their personal finances.

Tipping Etiquette: Why Do We Pay Tips for Certain Services?

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Many people are searching for sensible answers when it comes to the subject of tipping etiquette. Since this is a personal finance website, I’m sure you click on this article expecting to see a list of reasons why we should tip; or at the very least, a list of suggested tips by profession. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am just asking a question that I have wondered since I was a kid.

Tipping Etiquette Gone Wild

A Meal to Remember:

During our honeymoon in Mexico a few years ago (wow, it’s been about 5 years – where does the time go?) my wife and I were attacked by a two-man Mariachi band (accordion and bass) at a restaurant. They were going around to the tables singing and playing badly. Eventually, they made their way to our table and began to sing and play badly (did you think they were going to improve by the time they got to us?). mariachi photo credit: Foxtongue

We pretty much ignored them and figured that they were the best that the restaurant could afford to hire. Once they were finished, we expected them to move on to the next victim table, but instead the leader stopped and looked at me and said, “WE PLAY FOR TEEPS!”  😯 (that’s “tips” for all of you non-Mariachi speakers – for those who don’t know me, I like to imitate people occasionally) and held out his hand.

I can’t remember exactly what I gave him, but I’m sure it was the lowest denomination that Mexico has ever seen (based on my memory of the look of disgust that was on his face)! I guess I wasn’t following proper tipping etiquette.

Why Does Tipping Etiquette Force Us To Reward Bad Service?

Because the restaurant was too cheap to pay this “band” a living wage, and they had to survive on teeps! Why does tipping etiquette force us to pay certain service providers tips? I mean, I’m used to hearing all of the common reasons, such as:

  • Many waiters earn less than the minimum wage, and a large part of their income is derived from tips.
  • A waiter may be required to tip other coworkers (bartenders, busboys, etc), regardless of if they receive a tip.
  • To show gratitude for good or great service.
  • To encourage the employee to continue their good service.
  • Hairdressers and barbers rent their booths/chairs.
  • The cab driver got you to your destination in one piece.
  • Blah, blah, blah Etc, etc, etc

So…even after hearing those arguments, I still have the same question. Why am I expected to pay someone a tip? Why am I expected to supplement a cheap employer who pays their workers $4/hr, and then forces that employee to supplement their underpaid coworkers? Why should I pay extra because someone does their job? Shouldn’t someone work hard for the pay that they agreed to?

Tipping Etiquette Helps To Supplement Low Wages?

If it’s a matter of supplementing a low income, there is a much better way to handle this. The employer can just pay a fair wage to all workers and, IF NECESSARY, charge a slightly higher price for their product/service. A restaurant should not expect their customers to pay a fair price for their meal & service, and then pay a 15 – 20% surcharge because they (the restaurant) are too cheap to pay a living wage to the waiters!

The argument about rewarding/assuring good service falls short in my mind as well. A paying customer should receive good service automatically. Good service should not be a reward for a high tip, nor should terrible service be the punishment for a low one. And if it is truly about “gratuity” then it shouldn’t be automatically included with any meals – and you certainly shouldn’t be arrested for not paying a tip!!!

It’s to the point now where a waiter will give terrible service, and the customers are still discussing how much of a tip to leave! This is insane! Most people pay tips out of guilt – we know that it is an expectation and we feel like cheap jerks if we don’t!

The customer is already paying for the good or service and will many times reward good service with repeat business. If I enjoy the food at a particular restaurant, or the cleanliness and service of a hotel, then I will make it a point to visit that establishment as often as my budget allows.

A Better Alternative To Tipping Etiquette

I believe that the employer should just pay a fair wage to their employees. I also believe that great service is rewarded by both a positive report to the manager/owner (so that the employee benefits) and repeat business (so that the owner benefits). This way the employee earns real money and also has the opportunity for raises, bonuses and promotions – based on all of the good reports from satisfied customers.

Also, the business would have a repeat customer that is glad to spend their money in their establishment – because they are satisfied with the product and level of service. This sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Before I get a ton of angry comments and emails, let me explain a few things:

  • I DO pay tips for good service.
  • I pay EXCELLENT tips for excellent service. I have paid tips of between 75 and 100% on a number of occasions (usually on smaller bills, of course).
  • While I believe that waiters should be paid a fair wage, I realize that it is not their fault that our current system is illogical.
  • My tips are based solely on service – I DO NOT CARE that a waiter is underpaid – bad service = NO TIP!!!

So after thinking this matter over, I still don’t like the idea of tips and I think there is a better way!

photo credit: bradleygee

Reader Questions:

  1. What are your feelings about tipping etiquette?
  2. Would you be willing to pay a little more for the service so that the employees can be paid a fair wage?
  3. If you are in the service industry, do you treat customers better when they tip?