Bad with Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together

Written by Gaby Dunn

Narrated by Gaby Dunn

“Humorous and forthright...[Gaby] Dunn makes facing money issues seem not only palatable but possibly even fun....Dunn’s book delivers.” —Publishers Weekly

The beloved writer-comedian expands on his popular podcast with an engaging and empowering financial literacy book for Millennials and Gen Z.

In the first episode of his Bad With Money podcast, Gaby Dunn asked patrons at a coffee shop two questions: First, what’s your favorite sex position? Everyone was game to answer, even the barista. Then, she asked how much money was in their bank accounts. People were aghast. “That’s a very personal question,” they insisted. And therein lies the problem.

Dunn argues that our inability to speak honestly about money is our #1 barrier to understanding it, leading us to feel alone, ashamed, and anxious. In Bad With Money, he reveals the systemic reasons behind our struggles with personal finance, demystifying how to choose an insurance plan, sign up for a credit card, or take out student loans. With a mix of humor, relatable storytelling, and genuine advice, Dunn breaks down essential life skills like budgeting, freelancing, and handling dating and money.

Even a topic as dry as personal finance becomes engaging, accessible, and downright funny in Dunn’s hands, as he combines insight and real talk to help readers take charge of their financial future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781508277453

Gaby Dunn

Gaby Dunn (he/they) is a bestselling author, journalist, television writer, actor, and LGBTQ activist living in Los Angeles. His podcast Bad With Money was named one of the top ten podcasts of 2016 by The New York Times. Along with his comedy partner Allison Raskin, Gaby stars in, writes, and produces the YouTube channel Just Between Us, which has been viewed over 140 million times. Their 2017 novel I Hate Everyone But You was a New York Times bestseller.

Reviews for Bad with Money

[miguel flores · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved how Gaby spoke about the struggles and finances at a level that doesn't require an advanced degree. Her struggles, were and are my struggles; and I assume most of the readers's struggles as well. It's a never ending journey, as a father of 4, it's not easy. As I listened to this book, I worked on my "side hustle" gig to supplement my income to pay off medical debt and to be able to save for a family vacation. Before coming across this book on Scribd, I wasn't familiar with Gaby but now I am a fan and will be checking out her podcast. Kudos on the success and keep fighting the good fight!

[elliott cennetoglu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

grateful for this refreshing look at the system in which olive personal finances exist.

[Jennifer Boudreau · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it. Brought some great points up to research more!

[Sarah Ovink · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I’ve been a Gaby Dunn fan for years and have always appreciated their hard-hitting yet fun approach. This book is a great financial primer, and you should consider giving it to your favorite Gen Z friend or family member, particularly if they are queer and/or a member of another group historically left out of money talk. Entertaining and educational, and I love the way Gaby’s voice and audio performance bring the book to life.

[kim · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Great book for a high school student or anyone with no financial education.

[darius w · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely amazing great read highly recommended please read this book

[Lupita Carrillo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great book to listen to that’s funny current and educational. Definitely a book I will recommend to younger and older friends

[Christa J Seeley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting book with a lot of good advice but would be more helpful to someone in a younger demographic - late teens and early to mid-twenties.

[jonerthon-437513 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Also a book that delivers what the title promises, albeit with good humor and a set of informal lessons on self-help finance informed by the author's life. She notes how her career as a television writer and podcaster yields good but infrequent money and how that changed her approach to finances, as well as how her childhood informed the habits associated with money, good and bad. A decent option for young adults to learn how earning and saving changes by life stage, too.

[daumari · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Did not mark as much of my progress on here, and also I haven't been reading as much because of a job change and Animal Crossing taking up much of my time in the last month, unfortunately.

I've watched Gaby Dunn's videos in the past but have not listened to her similarly named podcast "Bad with Money" though it sounds like this is the physical distillation of lessons learned over several seasons. Dunn takes an autobiographical tack, on her and her family's financial history and how it influenced what "money script" (how we perceive money, spending and saving it, etc.) she has. She applies this to what steps should be considered/taken when at various ages/life situations, like high school jobs, applying for schools, medical debt, etc. This feels aimed at both younger audiences still in school and also our peer group (despite pejorative thinking, Millennials are mostly late twenties/thirties/early forties, and because we started our adult lives in the 2008 financial crisis, we simply don't have access to the same savings potential that prior generations had). Bad with Money is an approachable take on introductions to financial literacy because the system is complex and there's a lot of bad/clueless advice out there from people who try to generalize patterns from their own perspectives to everybody. Personal anecdote may be too much for some readers, but as emphasized in the beginning of the book, financial advice should be contextualized, and it's illuminating when family members are interviewed (prioritizing memories and snappishness no matter the price tag even if it created future problems, for example)

In a capitalist system, money is tied to everything (health, housing, food, transportation etc.) so it's important to be cognizant of the strings even while recognizing that the system is shitty at taking care of its citizens.