Do You Really Need It?

Book excerpt: Decisions, decisions... Whether you're considering the latest tech or a new car, a destination wedding or buying a house, this runaway #1 Quebec bestseller says it all comes down to just one question: do you really need it? This common-sense guide by a CPA and journalist combines a fresh approach with sound advice and a good dose of humour--proving that having the right attitude to money is one of the keys to happiness. Do you need it? Do you really need it? Pierre-Yves McSween applies this simple question to all the decisions that have a direct effect on our bank accounts. Do You Really Need It? holds up a mirror to our life choices and their consequences. McSween questions our spending habits and assumptions, stressing the need for a fresh outlook on building financial flexibility. Mixing sound advice with humour and a touch of philosophy, McSween looks at some forty different topics, questioning what you Really Need: credit cards, brand-name products, a new car (or a used one), marriage, kids, life insurance, RRSPs and TFSAs, vacations, a will. In each chapter McSween makes his case and ends with his summary of whether you do, in fact, REALLY need it. Do You Really Need It? covers money matters with zero BS and no holds barred, offering clever strategies for you to question consumerist impulses and fill in your financial knowledge gaps. McSween seeks first to define the behaviour of a responsible citizen; and then to show readers how to achieve a little more freedom in their lives--something they really, truly need.