Beyond Getting By: The Financial Diet's Guide to Abundant and Intentional Living

by Holly Trantham, Lauren Ver Hage (Designer), Chelsea Fagan (Foreword)

A beautiful, full-color guide to living with money, not for money, packed with fun, tangible advice from the women behind The Financial Diet.

“Beyond Getting By will make you feel better, not worse, about your money and your life.”—Tiffany “the Budgetnista” Aliche, New York Times bestselling author of Get Good with Money

The girlboss came in many forms, and she struggled valiantly against our increasing exhaustion at her brand of pinkwashed-capitalism-as-liberation—but it’s time to put her to rest. Yes, money is essential to life, and managing it well can be the difference between freedom and constraint. But once you have enough, the focus should be on converting it into things that are meaningful to you: more time with the people you love, more creativity, more days to just vibe on the couch.

In Beyond Getting By, the women behind The Financial Diet teach you how to create (and pay for) a life you truly enjoy—and that you can be proud of. They show you how to push beyond what society tells you will make you happy to determine what you actually want, with specific advice and interactive exercises on

• how to define your own budget philosophy by no longer chasing fast fashion and instant gratification, instead allowing the unlikely duo of Sigmund Freud and Elizabeth Warren to guide your budgeting
• how the idea that we have equal opportunity is bullshit—and how to start a self-advocacy journal in order to kill it in that next raise negotiation
• how to stave off burnout by valuing your personal life with as much care as your career, in addition to figuring out the true worth of your time

Beyond Getting By is for the woman interested in a life where money is simply a tool and never a reflection of her worth. It’s for the woman who understands the limits of gamifying personal finance, and that following trends isn’t the same as creating a sustainable, wealth-generating plan for the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Finance, Self Help, Audiobook, Money, Personal Finance, Business

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2024

About the author

Holly Trantham is the creative director of The Financial Diet, where she has been talking about money on- and offline since 2016.

Reviews

[Mafalda Viana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of TFD and I suspect most people picking up this read will also be. I'm afraid that if you keep up with their content on youtube, the book won't add much to it. Don't get me wrong, it covers really interesting topics from the death of the girlboss era to how outdated the 40-hour work week is. But if you follow TFD, you've already heard all of this before. I guess I was hoping the book would go into a bit more detail and elaborate further. Not to mention it is written in a very similar format to their videos - which works great on camera - but not as well in a book format.

[taylor horan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect read as I evolve my relationship with money and ambition. It's a great read focused on living a life you life and not buying into a hustle culture to get there.

[Taylar Jade Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond Betting By is a grown up guide to finance that covers a little bit of everything that someone would need to know to get good with money—basic budgeting, investing, advocating for yourself in the workplace, etc. Where it sets itself apart from other personal finance books is the content that doesn’t cover finance topics directly, but addresses the systems and privileges around finances and why getting your finances in order is so important (the “abundance and intentional living” part of the full title).

The book acknowledges that finances are intensely personal and that everyone’s situation and goals will be different because of this, that women are often at a disadvantage when dealing with personal finance (and in other situations that directly impact finances), and it outlines strategies for women to make their world a little more equitable.

The reflection sections were great for taking the principles covered and helping me actually apply them. The exercises were new (to me, at least!) and genuinely engaged me. The reflection sections were my favorite part of this book!

I am giving it 4 stars because I would have loved more exercises about applying specific concepts and implementing changes in my life. Maybe a TFD workbook companion that expands the reflection sections and adds more content about applying concepts to your own life would be helpful here?

If anyone is surprised that the book is so woman-focused, then they are probably not familiar with The Financial Diet and its mission. Holly’s influence and voice in TFD content generally is evident from this book!

This book would make a great gift for a woman a few years out of college who is looking to take more control of her life, or anyone who is a known fan of TFD.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I loved most about this book was the way it puts personal finance into a larger social context. TFD does this better than most other personal finance books, blogs, etc., that I’ve read (a ton of them). For example, you’ll find thoughtful discussion of topics like working hours, fast fashion, poverty and class, manifesting, nepo babies, unions, tipping, and so on. Really helps offer perspective around our relationship with money. It also includes detailed discussion and practical tips in areas that will be highly relevant to the target audience - for example, student loan debt (Chapter 5) and sinking funds (Chapter 6). Also appreciate the encouragement to think more broadly about what truly drives happiness. Good discussion about societal factors relevant to women, work, and money (Chapters 8 - 11) as well as the falsehood of "manifesting" - and the alternative.

That said, it left me hungry for more specific advice about how to put important concepts into practice. Exercises and prompts were a bit broad and much of the advice boiled down to “it depends”, without then providing guidance on how to apply that advice based on individual factors, stages of life, financial situations, etc. For example, in Chapter 2 I like the discussion of shifting away from shame-based budgeting and the overview of the 50/30/20 budget concept. However, the author then overlays a new ego/superego/id framework on the 50/30/20, which seemed unnecessary and confusing. While the author discussed and explained each ego/superego/id category, this chapter would have benefitted from examples. Perhaps something like going through three examples of people with different financial or personal situations along with respective budgets to clarify how to put this into practice. The overall message I was left with was that this framework was fluid and depended on an individual’s situation and I didn't know exactly what to do with that. Another example of the high-level nature of the advice was the discussion in Chapter 4. Good upfront discussion about crypto and why you should avoid shiny objects in investing. However, from there, other than mentioning general categories of retirement savings and investment, practical advice about where to put your money was thin, and this is one of the most important places to focus for long-term financial health.

If I could, I would give 3.5 stars, as this book has a unique perspective relative to others in the personal finance space, and appreciate those topics being addressed.

[Marissa Allocca · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this book and took a lot from it. the author focuses on women and i think that really helped me to take a lot of the guilt off of reasonable spending rather than the finance-bro intense dont spend a dime invest all of your money type approach to personal finances. the author has a podcast and youtube channel and i will def be watching/listening, and honestly think i wouldve preferred that format to learn about most of these topics. if youre going to read this book i highly suggest getting a physical copy bc the digital copy had weird formatting

[Cassidy DeStefano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of practical financial advice and hard truths we all need to hear! Like not making work your full identity and not conflating boundaries with social isolation. Highly recommend picking it up for yourself and filling in the self guided prompts as you go like a workbook!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a huge fan and supporter of TFD since their first video popped up on my YouTube 6-7 years ago. I’ve watched nearly all their videos (sometimes multiple times) and they’ve definitely helped me think more deeply about my finances, and my career.

I finished reading this book in 2 days and enjoyed it thoroughly especially chapter 11 onwards. As a workaholic in the process of reassessing my relationship with work, I found those to be the most insightful chapters to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

[Kirstie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was curious about this book after seeing it at Indigo, so I put it on hold at the library.

I liked the beginning and the first couple chapters highlighting values-based decision making with a nod to intuitive eating and reflecting on having enough vs always seeking the next thing. What a fresh take! I thought I was really going to enjoy it! Sadly, there wasn’t much practical information on living out those values from a financial perspective ie resources to wear more sustainable clothing, charitable giving, investment strategies to divest from fossil fuels, etc....I think these things would fit really well with "intentional living."

The last 2/3 of the boom devolved into a series of rants on nepotism, Goop, The Kardashians, girl boss culture, and politics. And then there was a whole lot of back and forth on ways to make more money, but be content with what you have, and actually you don't really need to be proud of your work or enjoy the people you work with because life is about more than work. My goodness, the whiplash. This book had a lot of potential, but sadly it fizzled out pretty quick.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this cause it was recommended on Spotify, and I was excited that they have audiobooks now. I didn’t really learn anything new from this. And although I agreed with most of it, there were a couple errors I caught which confirmed that overall this book wasn’t well-researched and was more opinion based.

[Ayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book written by working women for working women.

Beyond Getting By is about embracing a more gracious money mindset after you have your foundation in place.

It asks how do you want to live once you have achieved your goals? What values do you want to live by?

It includes on-brand witty social commentary that advocates for a more balanced lifestyle and financially inclusive decision making.

It would have been nice if they more explicitly discussed trends and statistics to support their cases such as the Great Resignation, racial wealth gap, housing shortages, food deserts, and volunteerism. However, as stated in the book “just as this isn’t a parenting book, it also isn’t a relationship book.” There must be other books that discuss these topics in greater depth.

I hope the ebook is formatted with an equal degree of illustration as found in NetGalley’s digital copy #Libby

Overall it is a great companion piece to the first TFD book as readers continue along their financial journeys.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel-good guidelines for living an intentional life with enough.

I got this as a netgalley arc in exchange for an honest review. It's a quick read (3-5 hours) and gives lots of advice and exercises on how to identify what brings true meaning and joy to your life and how to cultivate those things.

The message is vehemently anti-hustle culture and rejects the #girlboss as an ideal that was ever going to truly serve us well. Instead, the author(s) focus on what we've learned from living through the career girl trials and the pandemic: you can only achieve so much happiness with an amount of money. You must figure out how to build a community that will last, identify activities (solo and collective) that can add a creative flavor to your days, and yes, still plan for a future while experiencing the present.

The ladies of TFD have our back, and their own. Their financial content is accessible and stimulating, and the same can be said about this newest book.

[Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED. Inspiring, thoughtful, and full of realistic action steps and beautifully narrated by the author(s). 10/10 would read again. I will be referring to this frequently!

[Morgan Rohbock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great workbook for those developing their philosophy around spending and saving or those who have done the basics and want to grow further to both plan how to spend money on fun things while saving up an emergency fund at the same time. This book makes key financial habits accessible and easier to commit to action, but may feel a bit basic for someone managing their 401k funds and playing the HSA investing game.

[Jan Tell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helps you look at things from a different viewpoint. It has you question thoughts in many of the books listed in my reading list: Shame-based budgeting, 50-30-20, and the popular “Happiness Threshold”. It also emphasizes things found in those same books: pay all our bills on time, don't go into debt funding your lifestyle, and invest in your long-term financial goals.
It's about learning to live abundantly in every aspect of your life. The title "Beyond Getting By” is where you focus on living your life - not just your budget.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to The Financial Diet and I listened to the audiobook version. Overall I felt like nothing was groundbreaking advice, but it did make me think about "fear-based" budgeting that another well-known financial advice author utilizes. I liked the metaphor of how to budget your money using psychology's id, ego, and superego. It was also nice that the author pointed out several times throughout the book that everyone's situation is different depending on income, meeting basic needs, and the cost of living in a specific city or region.

[Kimberly Donahue]

It’s very difficult for me to give a fair review to this book. I owe a lot to The Financial Diet. Most of what I know about personal finance I learned from them. I am proud to support the company. I didn’t need this book, however. I’ve been watching the channel since late high school and I feel like this book is a great compilation of their best talking points and lessons. I can’t say I learned much new from the book. This is a great guide if you’re not familiar with TFD or new to personal finance but if you’ve taken away anything from their channel, you are golden.

[Katie Landmesser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatable and timely read for those looking to evaluate their finances (and how many other aspects of our lives play into that). I loved the focus on abundance and the real world examples; a lot of this really resonated with me after living through the “girl boss” era and now reevaluating my priorities. I’d definitely recommend this book for women especially feeling a bit lost in how to navigate personal finance and make sense of the corporate world today.

[Lacey Parr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been gobbling up financial advice books lately. This one did not completely apply to me as it had a lot of career advice and I’m mostly a SAHM. It did have several good nuggets like creating a list of your values as related to spending and creating/maintaining a self advocacy journal that I took notes on. I appreciated the layout and the design of the book.

[Queezle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t disagree with these points it’s just that I thought a lot of them were very surface level. Felt more like several shorter essays mixed with a few interviews than a developed book. Not a bad read but didn’t really stick with me

[Sydney A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good financial book for someone trying to live a little better :) This book does lean to feminine audiences, though.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book randomly from the library last week, and it ended up being the exact book I needed in my life at this very moment! Firstly, it is so well written. It is humorous and flows in a way that makes perfect sense. It touches on areas of financial well-being that are surprising because they are bold ideas that suggest the reader take the initiative to change in ways I haven't read in other financial books and the ideas are not just floating out there but come with functional worksheets and even a power point so that the reader can make these ideas tangible. I am going to buy this book so that I can fill out the worksheets, and I am going to buy the book for each of my children who are in their 20s and who are just starting to navigate their careers and finances. I highly recommend this book, especially if you have found yourself in a more advantageous salary mark than in prior years, and you want to make sure you make the best of that moment. 5 stars!

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book if you want to learn about managing your finances and better understand how to make it in this capitalist world. Chelsea Fagan does the foreward and is the host of the YouTube channel The Financial Diet as well as their podcast, and that’s where I learned about this book from Holly. On their YouTube channel, they do video essays explaining capitalist systems and other money topics, so I knew I had to get this book. There are some parts of the book I don’t fully agree with, but that’s normal. It’s an amazing book everyone should read.

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one, really puts a lot of financial topics into a social context and puts the focus on what you want to do with your money and your "why" instead of straight up financial tips. Quick read, probably will reread soon and do the activities along with it.

[Chantale Onesi-Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this latest book from The Financial Diet, Holly Trantham gives us some real life strategies to manage money, get paid more at work, stop listening to the lies we tell ourselves, and learn how to truly value our time. Through sage advice and step-by-step exercises, Trantham helps readers gain the knowledge and insight necessary to fully advocate for oneself in the workplace and in life. Well researched and written, this text is a must have for anyone looking to better themselves financially and gain more security in their financial life.

Throughout the text, Trantham focuses on abundance and intention, which she stresses "are the most valuable [themes] when it comes to living a more fulfilling, happier life". Trantham shares practical advice for how to focus on these themes and build a bright future. Unlike other financial books that you may have read, this book focuses deeply on systemic issues that face each individual, as well as larger societal issues that are inescapable in modern-day American life. These issues inform the readers own journey to financial success and help navigate the difficult terrain leading to financial stability.

Lauren Ver Hage provides lovely illustrations throughout the text, giving the book a sense of whimsy and light-heartedness, even in the midst of some difficult topics. Finances are often uncomfortable to read (and talk) about, but the combination of practical advice and watercolor visuals helps to soften the content and help the reader maintain focus.

If you are looking for a book that will help you gain practical knowledge of how to move forward with your financial life, dispel shame-based budgeting myths, live abundantly rather than excessively, ditch FOMO, leave behind the girlboss attitude, and set some useful boundaries, look no further than Beyond Getting By, coming to you from Crown Currency, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, on 23 April 2024.

[Moria Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful women from The Financial Diet are back with some amazing advice on how to do more than JUST self-care, budgeting, working hard, etc. 'Beyond Getting By' dives into many meaningful and impactful areas that cover big parts of our lives, especially as women. This goes beyond 'how to be a good (x)', and specifies what a good (x) means to you, and then define how to accomplish that. Instead of covering budgeting, this book helps uncover why we spend where we do, including how to help when we hit those instant gratification moments and how important it is to avoid fast fashion in favor of curating the perfect quality and personal closet.

What I enjoyed most was that this book has workbook pages along the way for each chapter. This book will help rekindle sparks in parts of our lives where we are just tired and burnt out! I love that for all of the money discussions, there is no shame. This is a no-shame, no-judgement, do-it-for-you zone, and I am so here for it.


My takeaways from this book include setting a goal for myself to slow down more and think through the more meaningful details in the choices I make. I also need to follow the idea that it's important to push beyond societal trends and expectations and do more for me, while also being mindful of where to spend my money. One part discussed something that resonates with me fully because it happens a lot to me, and that's doing something that feels good now, but not thinking enough about how it can make a difference later. For example, that second quick lunch delivery order of the week could have been picked up to save money, or skipped altogether in favor of the financial goals I'm trying to achieve later.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book that...

-criticizes Dave Ramsey

-quips about Elon Musk's "child number 27 by girlfriend number 12"

-calls Tony Robbins a "fearmongering guru"

-refers to the Kardashian-Jenner business approach as "exploitative"

-explains that the author's husband doesn't resent legislation that provides less financially-privileged people with student loan debt relief "because he isn't an absolute jackass"

-is by women and geared toward women

-displays BIPOC inclusion throughout and highlights the struggles they face that white people don't

-bluntly calls out the failings of society and the government with regard to the dire financial situation in which younger people find ourselves

-acknowledges that one can't budget one's way out of a royally f*cked up system

-refuses to gloss over the fact that privilege factors heavily into many success stories

-emphasizes the importance of happiness, goals, and priorities beyond money

-offers practical, down-to-earth, and holistic life advice

...deserves a standing ovation!

[Mirja · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this book is absolutely gorgeous. From the cover to all the illustrations, absolute love. I can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy!

I've been a big fan of TFD for many years, and this book is no exception.

As it's core, Beyond Getting By is a book about finding balance in multiple aspects of life. Sometimes, it's so hard to make sense of all the information we absorb on a daily basis and I think Beyond Getting By does an awesome job of making sense of it all. It does so in a non-shaming way too.

I especially needed to hear the chapters about burnout and work. I've felt very burnt out recently and this book really got me thinking about what I want my life at work and outside of work to look like.

Highly recommended for anyone that wants to create a life they truly enjoy living. This one was truly a special book for me.

[Darling Little Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book found me at the right time. I have been following TFD throughout my 20s, and now that I'm in my 30s, I am ready for this next phase. Holly does a great job explaining how to enhance each part of your life. I appreciate her approach to thinking holistically about achieving the best quality of life instead of just focusing on numbers and finances. She provides insight you don't always find from other sources in the personal finance world. The review questions in every chapter also offer an extra step for readers to apply the lessons taught throughout the book to their own lives. I'm excited to start leveling up my life!

[Kylee Hagler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equal parts financial advice, social commentary, and self-reflection journal, Beyond Getting By is a helpful resource for anyone who has a solid knowledge foundation in personal finance and wants to take a more holistic view of wealth.

Ms. Trantham’s writing style is clear and approachable, and her observations are incisive and witty. The journal prompts are thought-provoking and I know I will find myself revisiting the questions in the future.

The illustrations and layout of the book are simply beautiful, and I can’t wait to have this one in print!






I was provided with a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[BookLoverGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! It is not just a finance book but about improving your life as a whole. This book emphasizes the importance of not letting finances take over your life. It teaches us how to live your life without facing burnout, have healthy work boundaries, progress in your career. I found the questions in the worksheet helpful for inner reflection. I made some positive life changes from those worksheets - as it helped me identify what I value in life, what I am missing, what needs more work, and what I am doing well. I recommend reading this! I got this book for free as I had the TFD membership but I would have bought it if not.