All the Money in the World:
What the Happiest People Know
About Getting and Spending

“In this engaging and thought-provoking book, Laura Vanderkam explains how we can get the most happiness bang for our buck—right here and now, in the way we live our ordinary lives.”
—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

About the Book

All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending (Portfolio | Penguin; on sale March 1, 2012), demonstrates that we have more money than we think—enough, in fact, to create the lives we’ve always wanted but never thought we could have.  It is a practical and inspiring guide that shows how money can buy happiness, if we spend it wisely.

There’s no question that having more money may make our lives easier. But All the Money in the World shows how each of us can figure out better ways to use what we have to build the lives we want. Drawing on the latest happiness research as well as stories from real people who have reached fiscal fulfillment, this new book offers a contrarian approach that forces us to examine our own beliefs, goals, and values.

Press and Reviews

Click on a logo below to see press and reviews of All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending .

Vanderkam (168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, 2010, etc.), a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors, takes a fresh look at financial planning. The author debunks the traditional approach to budgeting in which fixed percentages are allocated to predetermined categories that prioritize the basics such as housing and food. According to Vanderkam, the trick to remaining financially solvent without sacrificing is not to scrimp and save on the small items—the lattes and occasional nights out. She offers a road map about how this might be accomplished and substantiates her claim that “the resources we already have or can obtain can do more for our happiness than we think.” A key tenet is that our happiness is not based on the accumulation of big-ticket items—diamond engagement rings, super-sized homes and cars—but on the accumulation of everyday pleasures, especially those activities we share with friends and family. Vanderkam provides thought-provoking examples of how it’s possible, even in a depressed economy, to explore new entrepreneurial opportunities to supplement income as an alternative to penny-pinching self-denial. She also warns of the pitfall inherent in saving for retirement—not only because of the effect that market volatility can have on a nest egg, but also the possibility of inflation. She suggests that it is better to find rewarding work than plan for early retirement, and warns of the dangers of becoming entrapped by the “hedonic treadmill” of increased expectations and spending more for less. Quirky, insightful and enjoyable—a welcome corrective to the typical advice from economists and financial managers steeped in the “dismal science.”

“All the Money in the World offers a total rethink on personal finance. Instead of prescribing the same-old hard-to-follow rules, Vanderkam encourages you to take your own values and goals into account when it comes to saving and spending. It is packed with creative ideas on how to get more, spend less, and most importantly, better use what you have. This book shows you that it’s not dollar signs that are standing in the way of what you want in life.”
—Adelaide Lancaster, author of The Big Enough Company: Creating a Business that Works for You and co-founder of In Good Company

“Bravo! Laura writes another thoroughly-researched and thought-provoking book! Whether you’re an extravagant spender, a frugal coupon-clipper, or anywhere in between, All the Money in the World will challenge your longheld financial beliefs and practices. This book is guaranteed to make you think long and hard about how to allocate your money to bring you true fulfillment.”
—Crystal Paine, author of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget and founder of MoneySavingMom.com

“With extensive research and rare insight, Laura Vanderkam reveals the financial mindset that can lead to lasting happiness.”
—Zac Bissonnette, author of Debt-Free U and How to Be Richer, Smarter, and Better-Looking than Your Parents

“If you have been awake for the last five years, then you know money is emotional. Most of the time we make these massively important decisions about how to earn it, spend it, and save it without pausing to think about how these decisions affect our lives. Laura Vanderkam brings a fresh dose of common sense to this madness by urging us to step back and reexamine the role money plays in our lives. Unlike most personal finance books, which leave you feeling stressed, All the Money in the World will empower you to live a truly richer life.”
—Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money