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Books. Is there any more lovely gift than a book? I think not. Not only is a good book a source of knowledge and/or entertainment, many books now are designed so beautifully that they could be displayed as art on their own. Nothing says I have my ish together like a well-curated bookshelf.
Now that I’ve gone on a minor book-related tirade, we come to the point of this post. One type of book I almost never see on peoples’ shelves are personal finance books. This surprises me for one basic reason:
There is basically nothing else that will impact your life greater than learning about personal finance.
But, learning about personal finance is no easy task if you are trying to muddle through on your own and hope for the best. Fortunately, many incredibly smart and dedicated people have gone before us and laid out some amazing paths for you to follow to make the process much easier than it would be stumbling on by yourself.
Top Personal Finance Books: Learning The Easy Way
All Your Worth – Elizabeth Warren & Amelia Warren Tyagi
Yes, that Elizabeth Warren back before she became Presidential candidate. All Your Worth was one of the very first finance books I ever read and is still a favorite. Best known for introducing the “balanced” method of budgeting your money (also known as the 50/30/20 method), this book is all about the basics of reaching financial stability.
Although the examples are a little dated (it first came out in 2006) they are based on solid principles that have stood the test of time. For what it’s worth, it’s the first book I recommend whenever asked for suggestions from my friends and family.
Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
Rich Dad Poor Dad is a classic in the personal finance world. A great book covering the money lessons Kiyosaki learned from watching his two dads. His real father “poor dad” struggled financially while his friend’s “rich dad” thrived.
To illustrate some of his points, Kiyosaki takes the stories of well-known business founders like Charles Schwab and Ray Kroc and makes them relatable to your life situation.
Unlike All Your Worth, Rich Dad Poor Dad isn’t as concerned with how you’re budgeting your money. It is more concerned with changing your mindset about the purpose of money and how it should be utilized. You will come away with a much better handle of how financial systems work and how to put that knowledge to your own benefit.
I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Ramit Sethi
This book is such a fun read! Sethi does an amazing job of explaining everything in simple terms that anyone could understand regardless of how much or little they know about personal finance. Somewhat of an outlier in the finance world, I Will Teach You to Be Rich focuses on maximizing the “big wins” in your finances rather than focusing on cutting out everyday luxuries like lattes.
In the second edition of his book, Sethi makes a point of showing that you can reach your definition of a Rich Life in many different ways. A slow and traditional path or a fast FIRE path depending on your preferences. All in all a fantastic book for anyone who doesn’t quite feel like they’ve “made it” financially.
For more of a peek into Ramit Sethi and his style of writing, he also blogs regularly at iwillteachyoutoberich.com and is very active on Instagram and Twitter.
Your Money or Your Life – Vicki Robins
As a sort of counterpoint to I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Your Money or Your Life focuses heavily on frugality and intentional minimalism to reduce both your financial needs and your impact on the planet. Widely considered to be one of the most influential books ever written about personal finance, it is listed as an inspiration to many personal finance authors to come after.
This is the book for you if sustainable living is your financial end goal. Indeed, it is highly recommended reading by some of the biggest names in the sustainable living world right now such as Mr. Money Mustache and Grant Sabatier of Millennial Money
Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need – Grant Sabatier
Speaking of Grant Sabatier, he has recently released his own personal finance book! Although I haven’t had the pleasure of reading this book myself (yet!) it has already received some stellar reviews on Amazon. It has also been endorsed by some pretty big names in the personal finance world including J.D Roth of Get Rich Slowly, Chris Guillebeau of The $100 Startup, and the above mentioned Vicki Robins.
Final Words Personal Finance Books and You
Personal finance is just that, personal. It can be hard to find information that fits your situation exactly. The best advice I can give you is to not get bogged down with choice. Pick one of the personal finance books I listed above and try out some of their suggestions.
The most important step you can take is deciding you can do better and then going for it. If it doesn’t feel right then you can always look for another way that suits your life better. Simply trying will always get you farther than standing still because you don’t want to make a mistake.
Go be adventurous! You’ll thank yourself in the future when you’ve reached the life of your dreams.
Other Recommended Books Reviewed:
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