The Hip Girl's Handbook: For Home, Car, & Money Stuff

To a girl on her own for the first time, every small catastrophe is a threat to her burgeoning independence, even to her sense of identity and self. Corny as the title (and cover, fonts, and optimistic writing) may be, "The Hip Girl's Handbook for Home, Car, & Money Stuff" is a godsend and lifesaver. As a perpetually frazzled young woman who has been on her own for a couple years now, I can sincerely tell you that every new, horrifying experience in maintenance has been its own trauma worth calling the police department or landlord over (like the time I smelled gas, frantically called the fire department, and they laughed as they relit the pilot on my stove, for instance). But Jen Musselman and Patty DeGregori take the horror out of the inevitable, giving young women the power and knowledge to take on each catastrophe with a clear head. The book is arranged just as the title implies: the 'home' section talks about picking out a home, navigating the breaker box, and unclogging pipes--things no girl should have to turn to a repairman or neighbor for. The 'car' section lends comprehensive advice as to the maintenance and repair of every gal's automobile, as well as how to recover control of the car in times of enormous distress (and the section delegated to Road Tripping alone nearly one-ups Cameron Tuttle?s "Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road"). And lastly, the 'money' section pares down managing a checking account, as well as combating identity theft, into equally understandable, dare I say manageable, scenarios. Not two days after I'd purchased my own copy of the book, I bought one for my best friend; do the same for the gals in your life. This is the one book every girl should keep front-and-center. The information jam-packed into this smiley little reference book is outright empowering: knowing how to take on every circumstance, no matter how wee or how devastatingly harrowing, gives a young woman both the confidence to take matters into her own hands, and consequently the blessing of new independence.

This is a great buy for anyone out on their own for the first time, or for those of us who couldn't quite get it right the first time! Since reading it, I can now boast some stellar Hip Girl tire changing skills. And, just about the only thing clean in my apartment are the pipes which I now routinely tend to because of this book. My plumber boyfriend couldn't be more proud!

This book is fantastic! I am sending it for Christmas or birthday gifts to all of my married and single friends. It is so practical - especially the car tips - but also just a great book to read. There is definitely no book like this. Most helpful books are boring "how to" books - but not The Hip Girl's Handbook. These authors were able to include helpful information in a clever way so that this book is witty and fun to read. It also has an easy layout so I can reference what it is I am looking for pretty quickly. I just wish I had this book years ago when I was first on my own away at college. I would highly recommend this book for any woman (or even young woman) who is, or wants to be, independent!

This book is clever, funny and informative. I recommend it for anyone who is venturing out on their own for the first time, and even for those of us who are a bit older, but who still need to brush up on our auto knowledge etc. In a nutshell, it's great for all ages and easy to read.

I have two girl roommates. While fun, active, smart, stylish, and yes, hip, they don't know much about living on their own. Basically, I have to do EVERYTHING - from knocking the corrosion off their car batteries to advising on financial matters like what portfolio mix is right for the shoe-obsessed 20 something. I am glad to help, but I won't always be around. So this book is the answer to many of their questions. It doesn't hurt that it's fun to read and makes us ALL laugh at our common foibles.And it has had an added side benefit - it has given them the confidence to try their own solutions to unexpected challenges with confidence. Go ahead - flip tht breaker switch, gals!It is de riguer reading if you want to share a place with this former handyman, know it all.