The Real Cost of Living: Making the Best Choices for You, Your Life, and Your Money

Flustered by your finances? Afraid of making the wrong decision? The former host of CNBC's On the Money, and a personal finance expert, Ulrich wisely points out that our financial choices are often less about money and more about the intangibles that we want: happiness, security, domestic peace. The only way to make an educated decision is to have all the factors—conscious and unconscious, financial and psychological—laid out before us. Using callers to her show as examples, Ulrich presents the pros and cons—the "real costs"—of buying a home, marrying and divorcing, having a family, pursuing higher education, starting your own company, incurring credit card debt, investing, and indulging in the most common American vices: eating poorly or excessively, smoking, driving recklessly. In a firm but sympathetic voice, Ulrich takes the guesswork and fear out of major money decisions. A must-read for anyone eager to make sense of their financial lives. (Jan.)