It’s been 15 years since Brandon Brumage graduated from Bridgeport High School.  In that time, he has earned a degree in Advertising from WVU, worked in the Information Technology field, graduated from nursing school and is completed the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists program, and met the woman of his dreams. Between the wedding budgeting, student loans and setting up financial accounts, they realized that, despite their years of education, they knew very little about personal finance.

 

“I made it through high school, two undergraduate degrees and a master’s degree without ever taking a single class on personal finance,” said Brumage.  “Realizing that, I stared reading more and more on the topics of savings, debt management, retirement accounts, and taxes.”

 

It was his wife who first suggested that they write a book on what they had learned so that all the information could be found in one place. That book, Strugglehood: A Practical Guide to Financial Situations No One Bothered Teaching Us,is now available to purchase.

 

“We began researching and creating outlines in January 2018 and dedicated all our spare time to this project,” said Brumage.  “I created a questionnaire that was sent to teachers throughout the country to examine how personal finance was taught in various institutions.  I also looked into financial literacy rankings for the U.S. and examined what the countries ranked ahead of us are doing in their schools.”

 

The Brumages ultimately decided to create a book that features five basic concepts that they felt all young adults should know: how to budget and save money, understanding credit and debt management, paying off or refinancing student loans, planning for retirement, and understanding basic tax concepts.

 

“For me, a major selling point of Strugglehood is the fact that I don’t have any financial background,” Brumage said.  “We made the book casual and concise to appeal to young adults and we included our own personal experience and humorous mistakes we have made.”

 

The book was officially published on July 14, 2018 and the ebook version is currently listed as #1 new release in the financial accounting category on Amazon.  The book is also available in paperback and both versions are exclusively for sale on Amazon.

 

While the book was being edited, Brumage decided to also create a blog about personal finance to go along with the book.  The blog is full of helpful tips and tricks to everyday finances and includes links to the book as well.  It can be found at https://strugglehood.com.

 

“I had a blast writing this book and although my name appears on the cover, my wife was my partner through the entire process,” Brumage said.  “I plan to write more books in the future and I welcome feedback and inquiries via Amazon review or through emailing me at brandon@strugglehood.com.”