This is my complete summary and review of Money Drunk, Money Sober by Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan, 90 Days to Financial Freedom.
I first heard of this book in a coaching program by Jim Fortin in 2020.
Purchasing the book back then, first on Kindle, I couldn’t even finish week one of the 90-day plan, because it raised too much discomfort.
Fast-forward to today, and with the physical copy in hand, I can say this book has shifted my ideas and mindset around money on a profound level.
This will be a book I revisit on a weekly basis until I am financially free.
WIll it take 90 days? Who knows? But I will follow it to the letter until it works.
My Money Drunk Story
I have been a money drunk my whole life and I didn’t even know it until I picked up this book.
My story surounding money can be summed up in one word:
Chaotic.
From a very young age, I felt a strong desire for money, because it seemed like a forbiden treasure.
I would watch movies like Aladin and envision myself as the street rat himself, although, thankfully, I’ve never been homeless.
Starting part time work at the ripe age of 13, I got a taste of what it was like to have my own money, but I immediately fell into a common slippery slope.
As soon as I got money, I would spend it immediately.
In fact, I would know how I was going to spend my money before I even earned it.
It wasn’t long before I got my first loan at 18, because I was already in debt.
Then a credit card and another loan… and another credit card, then another loan.
You get the picture.
It’s been 25 years since getting my first job and I’m still in debt and more broke than ever.
But even I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
In the last two years, I’ve made more money than the combined five years prior.
And even though I’m in the money drunk category, most of what I have earned in the last two years I’ve invested into myself.
Hundreds of books, and thousands of pounds spent on courses, seeking answers to my years of endless suffering of mental health and stuggles with money.
This article is one of many book reviews I plan to share in the hopes that my journey to financial freedom inspires you to join me.
Money Drunk Money Sober Summary
I’ve broken down the main sections of the book with a summary of it’s main lessons and my own personal takeaways.
The Problem
I think the best way to reveal bad news is to rip off the band aid quickly.
So here it is:
Being a money drunk is an addiction to money. When I first started reading the book in 2020, I didn’t quite understand what it meant by addiction.
But since giving up alcohol in December 2020, then reading the book “Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Control Alcohol” six months later, I understand addiction in a totally new light.
Simply put, a money drunk is someone with a dysfunctional relationship with money.
I can’t believe I missed it from the title of the book, “Money Drunk, Money Sober”
But part of the problem with addiction is the lack of awareness.
The dysfunctional behaviours we form are coping mechanisms from the pain we feel inside.
And those behaviours, no matter what they look like, allow us to turn a blind eye from the pain and numb us into oblivion.
I knew a long time ago that habit was a poweful tool people use to reach success.
But, I never realised just how powerful habit (or addiction) was to keep us stuck.
Well, this book aims to break these patterns and take you from Money Drunk to Money Sober.
Types of Money Drunks
There are five types of Money Drunks outlined in the book.
Which one’s do you see yourself in?
- The Comulsive Spender – Do you buy things and hide them?
- The Big Deal Chaser – Do you refuse to watch your nmoney because one big deal is going to make everything alright?
- The Maintenance Money Drunk – Is the pay the only thing you like about your job?
- The Poverty Addict – Do you feel morally superior to people with money?
- The Cash Codependent – Are you afraid to say no to your partner about money?
The ones that resonate with me most are The Comulsive Spender and The Big Deal Chaser. My addiction with spending at such an early age was short lived.
I then seeked ways in which I would be able to keep this habit up, by becoming addicted to chasing the next big “money making idea.”
All I achieved was more financial debt and a deficit in self worth.
It’s time for a change.
The Solution
The solution is a 90-day step by step plan to financial freedom.
Or 12 weeks of specific instructions and lessons that “Arrests money drunk behaviour, examines its extent, and initiates rapid solution.”
Weeks 1-4 are about awareness. It’s about taking inventory and raising your awareness of the habits that have been formed. There is no judging involved, on time to reflect.
These initial weeks are sometimes the hardest, but if you can get through them, you start feeling the tension wear off.
Weeks 5-9 are about acceptance. You’l start accepting the situation and taking responsibility for becoming Money Sober.
Weeks 9-12 are about taking action. In these last weeks, you devise a plan for the future and gain confidence that you can develop better habits around money.
In the last chapter titled “Vision”, you’ll begin to learn how to appreciate yourself and gain insights into the road ahead.
Conclusion
I am yet to finish the 90-day plan laid out in this book, but after reading through it several times, taking notes, and summarising the main points in this article, I can see how incredibly powerful it will be.
I’m already noticing myself naturally thinking and operaing differently around money.
Once I’ve made substancial progress, I’ll update this post with the details.
Untill then, you can join my email list to get regular updates of my journey to financial freedom.
