Lapin - Rich bitch: a simple 12-step plan for getting your financial life together ... finally

To my former self,

who has finally stopped smiling and nodding.

And for all my Rich Bitches

the women who understand that

you dont have to be either to be both.

There are people who have money and then there are people who are rich.

COCO CHANEL

S o you picked up a book about money. You? Yes, you! Well, you didnt pick up just any book. You picked up the first finance book that... swears! And is written in plain English! Yes, its true. This. Is. Happening.

And I think I can guess why you picked this book up. You want control of your life and your finances; you want to live a rich life. Am I right? You want to understand the language of money. I thought so. Well, then, yes, youre in the right place. Dont freak out. Think of it as an adventure.

Remember reading those Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid? I loved them; still do (shh... dont tell). As you will find by the time you finish this book, Im a huge proponent of taking control of your own destinyyep, choosing your own adventurewhether in life, love or finance. There is no set way to do this; its all about what works for you.

In that spirit, while Ive set this up as a 12-step program, you can read this book and its 12 steps in whichever way you wantits your choice. Youre a big girl. In need of some serious budget reform? Start with Step 3, Your New LBD, and learn all about how a Little Budget Diary can keep you on track. About to have a panic attack because you are drowning in debt? Go to Step 6, Get That Monkey Off Your Back, to lose your debt load and keep it off. Jonesing to be your own boss? Step 8, Work It, Bitches, has you covered. Feel like youre never going to have enough money to retire? Head to Step 9, Aging Gracefully, and find out how to save for the long term without depriving yourself or sacrificing fun in the short term. Looking to take your hard-earned money to the next level? Yep, theres a step for that: Step 10, Make It Grow, Baby, Grow, where youll learn that investing just isnt that serious.

If youre in the market for a complete financial overhaul, Id suggest starting at the best place to start... you guessed it, Step 1. Thats where we take stock of your current financial situation (the real one, not the one youve told yourself is real). After that, Im going to guide you through setting up a badass savings plan, and then suggest some ways to maximize your money and your lifestyle now.

Ive broken this book up into steps, because its easier to digest that way. If you read it sequentially, each step builds on the last, but each step also stands on its own if you want to map out your own journey instead. After all, this is your book; you bought it. This is your life; you live it. Im just here to help you discover the one you want to get out of it.

However you choose to read this book, I do have one requirement: that you read the whole thing, even if out of order. Then I have a humble suggestion: that you keep it. It will never go out of style.

Maybe youre thinking, Hey, Lapin, I already know everything there is to know about money and living a rich life.

I doubt it. Chances are, other so-called financial experts have drilled all sorts of truisms into your head that might not be, well, true. Like: You should invest in a 401(k) or You should work toward buying a house, which I disagree with, mostly because nothing in finance is for everyone. Or, that you cant treat yourself to a latte while youre trying to get out of debt, which I also think is BS. (Much more on all these topics later.)

Its time to rethink convention and learn to think for yourself. Stop being brainwashed and start making financial decisions for you, for your own personal adventure.

Finally, before we get going, I need you to embrace one thing: being a Rich Bitch is good. It can be the ultimate source of power if you choose to make it yours. Its confidence in knowing your stuff, knowing what you want and grabbing it by the balls. Its time to get it together and get it all. Its time to be a Rich Bitch.

E very single story goes back to money. I learned that being in the news world for so long. If you want to get to the heart of any story, you just have to follow the money trail.

So, lets follow the money trail of your life.

Yes, that will take us through the nuts and bolts of hard-core personal finance. Of course. But it also means going down paths of topics like shacking up and taking care of yourself. Wait, say what, Lapin? Those arent money issues, you might be thinking. Well, sure, theyre just topics about men and wellness at first blush, but they are absolutely money topics, too. Actually, to me, those are the best kinds of money stories because you dont feel like you are talking about money. And thats how I like to talk about money: in a sneak-attack way, like mixing spinach into a chocolate brownie. You dont taste it, but you still get the nutrition.

Throughout our adventure together, dont forget why we are following the money trail. We want to get to the heart of your life story, the one you have lived so far and the one youll continue to write. So I will do a lot of storytelling: my money stories, your money stories, the ones that we can all relate to and link us all.

Its that simple: financial lessons are more easily digested through brownies and story time. Who said learning had to be boring? So here we go. Its time to learn everything about money that you need to know but dontor think you know but dont.

Now, before we start, let me make a confession: I wasnt always this confident.