How to Adult: Personal Finance for the Real World

"How to Adult: Personal Finance for the Real World" is a must-have resource for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of personal finance with confidence. As a high school financial literacy teacher, I’ve found this book to be an invaluable tool in the classroom. Its clear, engaging style breaks down challenging topics like budgeting, saving, credit, and investing into digestible pieces that resonate with young adults.Beyond the classroom, I gift this book to high school graduates, knowing it will serve as a practical guide during their transition into adulthood. The relatable examples and actionable advice empower readers to take control of their financial futures.This book isn’t just about numbers—it’s about fostering confidence, responsibility, and a proactive mindset toward money management. If you’re looking for a resource to educate and inspire, "How to Adult" is the gold standard.

Jake Cousineau’s How to Adult is a must-read for young adults looking to master personal finance. With clear, engaging language, it breaks down essential topics like budgeting, investing, taxes, and insurance. The book’s relatable analogies and real-world examples make complex financial concepts easy to understand.Designed for high school grads and college students, it provides actionable steps to build financial confidence. Cousineau’s teaching background shines through, making this a practical and enjoyable guide to financial independence.Verdict: A highly recommended, no-nonsense introduction to personal finance!

I ordered this book to use as a resource for high school students. It has such great information for young adults, is written in a way they understand, and I am able to use it to build curriculum around many of the topics covered in this book. I just put in another bulk order for other members of my financial education team and for gifts for my graduating high school tellers.

Let's be real--unless you are a numbers enthusiast, learning about things like 401(K)s and life insurance can be a bit of a snooze-fest. Luckily, "How to Adult" is written in a clear, concise, and relatable way that makes the material approachable for anyone, adult or teen. I especially appreciate the "Personal Connections" sections (in which the author shares real-world, personal stories about the concepts in each chapter that add relevance) and the "Key Takeaways" (basically, a tl;dr for each chapter). As a Gen Xer who had student debt before anybody told me how interest worked, I wish this book had been around when I was a teen! My 17-year-old son and I read it together, and he is already putting the info to good use. I enjoyed it enough that I have placed a bulk order to use with my high school students next year!

Great book I hope-not delivered yet!

Buy this book! If you or your child/niece/nephew/grandchild/cousin/friend need some knowledge on finances this is the book for you! It seems like no one ever teaches or understand what to do with their money especially young people. If you don't fully grasp how to manage your money, like many younger adults today, this book will give you real life examples and is highly relatable to the times. The cost of living is so high and kids these days seem to think making $16 an hour will pay all the bills and they will have extra money....yeah in the real world it will not, if you are truly on your own and paying for all things adults do. This book was written in 2021--which was important to me as I am trying to get a 19 year old to read this and to prepare for his future. Concepts are easily explained with real life examples such as paying rent, buying Starbucks every day, how much it costs monthly for a car with insurance and gas, selecting a college, and how interest works. Some parts took the words right out of my mouth and I was cheering since I have been saying them for years! I really hope this helps my boyfriend's son that is now navigating how to adult. Heck, I am actually really frugal and great with finances...the question "is it a need or a want?" runs through my head all the time as it was ingrained in my brain from a very young age and I even liked this book! Buy it, buy 2 or 3, give it to any teen or high school graduate, college kid, adult struggling with money! The knowledge in this book may get through to them if you can not.Knowing the author is a teacher I give him an A+. Buy this book, you won't regret it. I bought two copies so my boyfriend and I could read it and I could gift it to his son.

Hi! My sons are 19 and 21, and I was looking for a book to speak their language on the financial principles that their dad and I have applied to our family finances. THIS IS THE BOOK!!! So far I have purchased nine copies, and I am planning to purchase many more to give to college students. Also, the financial principles are a tremendous refresher for anyone of any age to read. Your financial decisions and spending choices of your 20s will impact how you live in your 50s and beyond. 😃Read it!! It will positively change your life and your children’s and grandchildren’s lives and others!

Great gift for a young person beginning life on their own. Practical info to help them start out on the right foot financially.