As the child of immigrant parents, I was raised on hard work and sacrifice. My parents did everything they could to build a better life here. They saved every penny, doing the best they could with the knowledge they had. But like many new to America’s financial system, they didn’t have access to the tools that build wealth—how to invest, buy property, or make money work for you. Instead, their savings sat in low-interest bank accounts—not because they didn’t care, but because no one ever showed them a different way. They also didn’t have access to the knowledge to make the best decisions.
Sometimes I think about how things might have turned out if they had that knowledge. How would life have looked—not just for them, but for me and future generations?
So, that’s where Beyond Personal Finance is going to help!
My own journey wasn’t all that different. I spent most of my twenties focused on the now—vacations, sneakers, clothes—without thinking much about my financial future. It wasn’t until my thirties that I really started learning how to budget, invest, and build a solid financial foundation. And once I started learning, the regret hit hard—missed opportunities, wasted time, and the realization that no one had taught me any of this when it really mattered.
As parents, we all want more for our kids. We want them to be smarter, stronger, and more prepared than we were. But let’s be honest—teaching kids about money can be tough. How do you break down complex topics like credit, budgeting, or investing in a way they’ll understand? How do you keep them engaged? How do you even find the time?
That’s why Beyond Personal Finance resonated with me so much. We were lucky to get a copy, and it’s been a game-changer for our family. We’ve gone through the first four chapters together, and it’s already sparked some of the best conversations I’ve ever had with my kids. It’s more than just a book—it’s an engaging, practical guide that gets kids thinking about real-life financial decisions early on. It’s the roadmap I wish I had decades ago.
*We received one year access to this to the Beyond Personal Finance Course and a small fee in exchange for this review of the product. However, the opinions expressed are solely our own.*
Every chapter has hands-on exercises that guide your kids through research, decision-making, and budgeting. If your child is on the younger side, you’ll probably need to help them through some of it—which, honestly, becomes a great bonding opportunity. Together we explored:
- Career paths and education choices
- Budgeting based on real salaries
- Buying vs. leasing a car
- Renting an apartment
What I love most about this book is how real it gets. Each chapter introduces a life scenario, often with a twist—just like real life. Whether it’s figuring out the cost of living alone, how to deal with student loans, or realizing how fast “fun money” disappears, it pushes kids to make thoughtful decisions and weigh the consequences.
And the best part? It opened the door for honest conversations in our home. This wasn’t just “read and move on.” I got to ask my kids why they made certain choices. I got to share my own stories—things I hadn’t talked about before.
Chapter 1: Careers & Education: I’ll be honest—this was my least favorite part of the journey. Not because of the content, but because it’s hard to sit two teens down and have them focus in the beginning. The video was great though—it broke down paths like trade schools, community college, and state vs. private college, and the potential costs and long-term effects of each decision.
There was an exercise on how expensive college really is which led to a great conversation. Is this an investment we want to make as a family—and why or why not? Does the profession they’re interested in offer an alternative path? And if they attend college, how will student loans affect their budget?
I also appreciated how the chapter covered other things we often overlook: location, job growth, benefits, hours, and how stable the career is in a downturn. I’d love to see this updated for the AI revolution—careers are changing fast.
There was also a personality-based questionnaire that matched them to career options. My son didn’t take it seriously at first (classic jokester), and the first result didn’t make sense. We did it again, and the second round gave us a better idea of what might be a good fit. My daughter, who tends to be more timid and thoughtful, took a long time answering. Watching your kids go through this can be a test of patience—so I recommend giving them some alone time. Still, it was a valuable lesson. In life, there’s time for play, but there’s also a time to focus and be intentional. Confidence and decision-making go hand-in-hand.
Chapter 2: Budgeting — after picking a career and estimating their starting salary, my kids had to build a real-world budget. And reality hit fast. Rent, utilities, groceries, entertainment—it added up quickly. They could understand why I yell “shut off the lights or AC if you are not using it”, as you have to pay for it.
They had to ask themselves real questions: Can I save enough? If I want to buy something that’s not in my budget, what sacrifices or cuts would I need to make?
It was fun, because they each had about $400 a month in discretionary spending after covering their bills, and we threw in the idea of buying a PS5 with remotes and games. A very practical scenario—since they’re both little gamers—but the challenge was: where would the money come from? How long would they need to save? What sacrifices would they choose to make?
My daughter, who’s a natural saver, decided to take her time and build up to it. My son, on the other hand, is clearly a spender—he opted to cut from his savings and his food budget. He looked at me and said, “Dad, I could live off tuna and crackers for a bit.” It was hilarious and eye-opening. Two kids in the same house, thinking so differently.
That led to more great questions: Can I afford this lifestyle I want? Do I need to make sacrifices? How much can I really save? These conversations turned into reflections—on my own past, the things I wish I had known, and how differently I might’ve done things. It also brought in an opportunity to explain as a parent, sometimes we want to get you what you may want, but expenses or making the decision whether it is really needed comes down to many things. The site has an excel sheet to calculate a budget but I made my kids use paper and pencil to write things out. I wanted them to work a little harder before using the sheet and I got to see their math skills at work. It also allowed me to write little notes on their paper. Long term, we will use that Excel sheet, but know that it is there, but we opted to start with pen and paper.
Chapter 3: Car Purchasing: I told them how I didn’t research or negotiate when I bought my first car. I didn’t know how to read ads or check market values. I ended up with a bad deal and a lot of regret. I did not know about Kelley Blue Book, and I did not know the importance of my credit score affecting my loan rate. Leasing felt like the easy choice, but the hidden fees and wear-and-tear penalties—especially with little kids around—made it more trouble than it was worth. I also did not have to feed the need to get the latest and greatest.
While going through the exercise, I told them I’ve learned to be okay with older cars. I showed them how buying a reliable car with low maintenance could save money in the long run, versus leasing something new every few years. That was a real moment for us to connect and learn. That’s also why we drive a Honda Minivan 😊
They had to go through a similar exercise—research a car, price it out, and see how fast their budget disappeared. My son wanted the cool-looking car (of course), but once we plugged it into his budget and saw what he could actually afford, reality set in. It’s not just about buying the car—it’s about what you could actually afford, gas, maintenance, and unexpected repairs.
He picked a cheap, older Audi and thought he was in the clear. His budget was clear, but then we added a plot twist: the transmission blew. We looked up the repair costs—and the repair was worth more than the car. We laughed, but the point stuck. Life happens and sometimes the choices we make have repercussions. Cheaper isn’t always better. Make and Models do matter. Foreign parts cost more too. A lot of things came up about this and while it can be overwhelming, I hope to have sparked interest in my son’s brain 😊
My daughter, on the other hand, played it safe with a Toyota Corolla. She saw what her brother went through and thought she was in the clear. We talked about how that was a reliable and low maintenance car. But even then, she realized most of her discretionary spending vanished. She wasn’t happy, and we talked about it: “Do you really need a car right now?” Just because your budget allows it, doesn’t mean it’s the right decision. As a parent, that moment hit home—sometimes we say no, and our kids don’t always get it. But this exercise helped her understand why I make some of the choices I do.
Chapter 4 Apartment Rental: This chapter introduces the basics of renting an apartment. It covers the importance of credit scores, reading the lease carefully, getting renter’s insurance, and making sure you have enough saved up for the upfront costs—security deposit, pet deposit (if you go that route), moving costs (you better have friends), and sometimes even last month’s rent.
There’s a lot of paperwork involved, and honestly, it can feel like you’re signing your life away. But it’s crucial to understand every document before signing anything. (Yes, I was staring directly at my son during this part—he tends to “speedrun” through anything with fine print.)
One of the best parts of this chapter is the twist: should you rent alone or with a roommate? That’s when the real conversations with my kids began. Roommates can make or break your renting experience. Splitting rent might sound like a great idea—until your roommate eats your cereal, never washes a dish, and suddenly vanishes on rent day.
So we talked about what makes a good roommate: someone respectful, clean, financially responsible, and ideally, someone who won’t steal your leftovers or your peace of mind. Set expectations and boundaries early—before you find yourself silently screaming every time they leave hair in the shower drain.
And don’t skip checking out the neighborhood. Visit during the day and at night. Look for signs of safety—or the lack of it. Inspect the apartment thoroughly, and document every scratch, stain, or mystery hole in the wall before moving in. Unless you want to be blamed for damage that was clearly there long before you were.
I opened up to my kids how I ran out of my house the first moment I got independence and how I regret it, as I could have used my home as a place to save and invest more money. I presented the idea to my kids to stay home longer while they worked to save more money for retirement or a house, but they would have to make sacrifices for freedom and space. It is something to put in their mind and think about the future.
I did love the Wheel of Fortune spin wheels that appeared in the section, which brought random plot twists. Some were good and some came with unexpected costs. This brought some dire variability to their plans and represents how life can be so dynamic at times, and it can be good or bad, unfortunately.
Chapter 5: Pets and Unit Checkpoint: This chapter was short and focused on pets. It included a worksheet that broke down the initial and ongoing costs of owning one. As a parent, I’m constantly bombarded with “Can we get a dog?” or “Can we have a cat?”—so this one hit home.
While the chapter didn’t go deep into the long-term financial commitment, I used it as a chance to explain to my kids that owning a pet is a big responsibility. It’s almost like having a child. First, you have to pay for the pet itself, then there’s food, supplies, vet visits, shots, pet securities, medications if they get sick, and even time. Pets get lonely, they need attention, and they’re not just something you can ignore when it’s inconvenient.
I asked them, “Are you going to leave your pet home all day while you go hang out with your friends? Do you think your pet’s going to be happy with that?” Then I showed them a few YouTube videos of the “little presents” pets tend to leave behind when they’re bored or anxious. That helped paint the picture.
We also talked about allergies—how some people can’t be around pets without getting itchy eyes or trouble breathing. It’s something a lot of people don’t think about until it becomes a problem….Finally, the most important lesson of all, don’t train your pets on wee wee pads.
This was a short but important lesson that tied in the emotional and financial responsibility of pet ownership. It gave us another great moment to reflect and talk about real-world priorities. Not only that, they saw how they had to budget for owning a pet. Can you afford it? Will you sacrifice time to take care of that pet?
For my kids, Beyond Personal Finance isn’t just another workbook—it’s a toolkit for life. It takes the hard-earned lessons of my past and wraps them into something that speaks directly to them. If knowledge is power, this book is one of the most powerful gifts I can give. I didn’t get this kind of guidance growing up—but I’m proud to give it to them now, with intention, honesty, and love. I’m really looking forward to the following sections:
- Credit Cards
- Marriage/Interests/Discussions around Divorce (if it gets there)
- Babies and Payroll
- Home Ownership
- Insurance
- Investments/Retirements
CHECK OUT BEYOND PERSONAL FINANCE HERE
Homelife with Us 