Broke Millennial book club questions

1. 1.

   Lowry discusses money scripts — the beliefs about money absorbed in childhood. What messages about money did you receive growing up, and how have they shaped your adult financial behavior?

2. 2.

   The book addresses the shame and embarrassment many young adults feel about their financial situation. How does that emotional dimension affect your ability to take practical action?

3. 3.

   Lowry recommends having specific conversations about money that most people avoid — with partners, with employers, with friends. Which of those conversations have you had, and which have you avoided?

4. 4.

   The student loan section covers different repayment strategies. If you have student debt, which approach are you using and have you actively evaluated whether it's optimal for your situation?

5. 5.

   What is your money script? Lowry identifies common ones: money is evil, money is security, money equals love, money equals status. Which resonates with your own history?

6. 6.

   The book is explicitly for people starting from scratch or recovering from bad habits. At what point does a reader outgrow the book, and what should they read next?

7. 7.

   Lowry argues that the financial basics — bank accounts, budgets, credit scores — are not taught in school and should be. Do you agree, and if so, what specifically should the curriculum cover?

8. 8.

   The negotiation chapter argues that most people underestimate the lifetime value of one salary negotiation. Have you ever negotiated your salary? What happened, and what would you do differently?

9. 9.

   The budget section suggests matching your budget to your actual lifestyle rather than an idealized one. How honest is your current budget about what you actually spend?

10. 10.

    Lowry notes that financial literacy discussions in the US often skip over the structural barriers (student debt, housing costs, stagnant wages) that affect young adults disproportionately. Does the book adequately address those structural issues?

11. 11.

    For which specific financial question in your life right now is this book most useful? And for which questions do you need a more advanced resource?

12. 12.

    The book's conversational, non-judgmental tone is deliberate. Does that approach make the content more effective, or does it sacrifice rigor for accessibility?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.