My Favorite Personal Finance Books (2024)

  • BYAnne Bogel
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My Favorite Personal Finance Books (1)

My Favorite Personal Finance Books (2)I’m booking it with Jessica this year, and February’sread isThe Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year, by Crystal Paine. I’m a fan of Crystal’s blog, Money Saving Mom, and this book does a good job of capturing the essence of what Crystal blogs about.

Crystal’s personal story is inspiring–she and her husband lived in a tiny basem*nt apartment on a teeny income when they were first married, and still managed to get him through law school without taking on any debt obligations. I started reading Money Saving Mom when they werehalfway towards their goal of paying cash for their first house. Andnow, Crystal is donating all the proceeds from her book to Compassion International! This woman is the real deal, and it shows on every page.

The content inThe Money Saving Mom’s Budget is top-notch; I just wish there were more of it! Somehow, it seems incomplete. I felt like I was reading the middle of a good book that was missing the beginning and ending.

My Favorite Personal Finance Books (3)That being said, this bookis anexcellent primer for anyone trying to plant their feet on firm financial ground, and great motivation for anyone who wants a reminder of why they want to live frugally in the first place. I think I’m pretty well-versed in the field of personal finance, but I still came away from this book with practical action points I need to follow through on, likerequesting a copy of my credit report to make sure everything is in order.

If you’d like to improve your personal financial outlook, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Crystal’s book (or one of the other finance books I mention below). We devote our time, energy and resources to the things that have our attention. If you want to improve your financial situation, focus your attention on your finances by reading a good book.

My Favorite Personal Finance Books:

George Clason, The Richest Man in Babylon. This was the first finance book I read, given to me by my dad. The advicecouldn’t be simpler, thoughthat doesn’t mean it’s easy to put it into practice.

Thomas Stanley, William Danko, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy. How does the typical millionaire live? Not that differently from everybody else. My dad gave me this book, too. (Notice a pattern yet?)

Dave Ramsey,The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness. Unlike Crystal Paine, Dave Ramsey made a wreck of his own personal finances early on his financial career. He turned his ship around, and made it his mission to teach other people how to get out of debt–and stay out. This is a great step-by-step guide to turning your own finances around, one baby step at a time.

And for those of you who prefer your financial advice short and snappy, Steve Martin and Amy Poehler have some words of wisdom to share with you: Don’t Buy Stuff You Can’t Afford.

What’s your favorite personal finance book?

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  1. February 3, 2012 at 7:30 am

    A couple of years ago we did a “Financial Freedom” dinner through our church and opened it up to people in the community (then offered follow-up classes). We showed that “Don’t Buy Things You Cannot Afford” video and everyone loved it! So, SO funny!!

    I agree with your take on the MSM book – slightly disappointed, yet I still came away encouraged to make some changes.

    Reply

  2. February 3, 2012 at 8:43 am

    I want to get a hold of a copy of Crystal’s book! I feel like I know a lot about personal finance too, but I love how Crystal challenges some of commonly-held beliefs, like that everyone has a mortgage. She really makes me think.

    Love TMM and The Millionaire Next Door. I recently read The Real Cost of Living by Carmen Wong Ulrich & it provided a really good breakdown about the various expenses you will incur by doing different things in life, like having a baby or buying a house.

    Reply

  3. February 3, 2012 at 9:14 am

    My brother in law is a Dave Ramsey consultant in Kansas City. (Stephen Stricklin, Wise Wealth, ) He has a radio show and swears by the Dave Ramsey stuff. Never read it myself though…much to his dismay. 🙂 Haven’t read Crystal’s book yet. Thanks for the take on it!!

    Reply

  4. Melissa says:

    February 3, 2012 at 9:50 am

    Thanks for the reading list. In these economical times, we can all use the help!

    Reply

  5. February 3, 2012 at 10:59 am

    That is a good list, but I’d add Tightwad Gazette to it. Lots of Big sisterly advice, something I like since I don’t have a big sister. LOL

    I just reviewed another great one: 7 Money Rules for Life by Mary Hunt. http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2012/01/review-7-money-rules-for-life-by-mary-hunt/

    Thanks for your take on the MSM book. If anyone is curious, they can get chapter 7 here for free: http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2012/01/free-chapter-from-the-money-saving-moms-budget/ and a free audio download of chapter 1 at the Money Saving Mom (offered yesterday).

    Annie Kate

    Reply

  6. February 3, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    This is great. I’m going to check out all those books. I have a couple of Dave Ramsey’s books. THey’re fabulous 🙂 🙂 🙂 Oh, and I’ve seen that SNL skit on saving money. It’s hysterically funny 🙂 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Reply

  7. deborah says:

    February 4, 2012 at 1:11 am

    I really want to read MSM’s book. It’s interesting to hear your opinion on it. I like Dave Ramsey’s book and the book with Amy Poehler has to be funny!

    Reply

    • deborah says:

      February 4, 2012 at 1:12 am

      that would be *skit with Amy Poehler

      Reply

  8. Sarah says:

    February 4, 2012 at 6:50 am

    I went through dave ramsey’s financial peace program (twice! Because once you’ve done it, you can go back as many times as you want for FREE!) and love it! It totally changed the way I handled my finances and I definitely agree that the total money makeover is a great read by Ramsey!
    Thanks for sharing the SNL skit – I’d never seen it. Hillarious! And yet there’s definitely truth to it…

    Reply

  9. bridget says:

    February 12, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    love that skit. i haven’t seen it. i also have read her blog pretty religiously so not everything was new but most of it i felt like was still a good read.

    Reply

  10. Barbara says:

    September 16, 2015 at 9:15 am

    “Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence,” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. This book will help you understand the true costs associated with many things in your life, including your job. (Take-away: You don’t make near as much money as you think you do.)

    Reply

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My Favorite Personal Finance Books (2024)

FAQs

What is personal finance answers? ›

According to Investopedia, “Personal finance defines all financial decisions and activities of an individual or household, including budgeting, insurance, mortgage planning, savings and retirement planning.” Understanding these terms can help you better control your funds and prepare for future financial success.

What is the #1 rule of personal finance? ›

#1 Don't Spend More Than You Make

When your bank balance is looking healthy after payday, it's easy to overspend and not be as careful. However, there are several issues at play that result in people relying on borrowing money, racking up debt and living way beyond their means.

What best explains why students should learn about personal finance? ›

Understanding concepts such as credit cards, bank accounts, interest rates, opportunity costs, debt management, compound interest, and budgets, for example, could help her students start saving and manage the student loans that they might rely on to fund their college education.

What are the 5 basics of personal finance? ›

There's plenty to learn about personal financial topics, but breaking them down can help simplify things. To start expanding your financial literacy, consider these five areas: budgeting, building and improving credit, saving, borrowing and repaying debt, and investing.

What is personal finance in simple words? ›

Personal finance, as a term, covers the concepts of managing your money, saving, and investing. It also includes banking, budgeting, mortgages, investments, insurance, retirement planning, and tax planning.

What are the 5 P's of finance? ›

The 5P's represent - People, Philosophy, Product, Process, Performance. In finance, the 5P's served as a rule-of-thumb guide for our evaluation of whether to invest in a particular fund - hedge funds or private equity funds in my context.

What is the 40 30 20 rule? ›

The most common way to use the 40-30-20-10 rule is to assign 40% of your income — after taxes — to necessities such as food and housing, 30% to discretionary spending, 20% to savings or paying off debt and 10% to charitable giving or meeting financial goals.

What is the golden rule of personal finance? ›

But you should also note that other experts recommend “the 36% rule,” which states that your debt-to-income ratio should never pass 36%. The golden ratio budget echoes the more widely known 50-30-20 budget that recommends spending 50% of your income on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings and debt.

Does reading financial books help? ›

Financial books can educate you on different investment opportunities, investment models, and the risks involved. This knowledge empowers business owners to invest in their business and other assets, and avoid pitfalls that lead to financial losses.

What are some mistakes Americans often make when it comes to money? ›

Not building emergency savings

About half of Americans have less than $500 in their savings account. Not having enough emergency savings can add to financial stress when unexpected expenses creep up. A depleted emergency fund typically leads to credit card charges when the inevitable emergency occurs.

How to manage money wisely? ›

7 Techniques to Manage Your Money Wisely
  1. Make a plan. Having a financial plan is about more than figuring out how much of your paycheck is left after the bills are paid. ...
  2. Save for the short term. ...
  3. Invest for the long term. ...
  4. Use credit wisely. ...
  5. Choose a reasonable rent or mortgage payment. ...
  6. Reward yourself. ...
  7. Don't stop learning.

Why isn't personal finance taught in school? ›

We don't have enough instructors to teach finance classes (see reason #1) Personal finance isn't part of the ACT or SAT – if it's not tested it's not taught. Education is up to the states, not the feds, and each state has different ideas. There isn't much agreement as to which finance concepts would be taught.

What is personal finance quizlet? ›

What is personal finance. all the decisions and activities of n individual regarding their money, including spending, saving, budgeting, ect.

What is personal financial statement explanation? ›

A personal financial statement is a spreadsheet that details the assets and liabilities of an individual, couple, or business at a specific point in time.

What do you learn in personal finance? ›

Personal finance basics include budgeting, saving, investing, managing debt, and understanding credit. Budgeting involves tracking income and expenses, setting financial goals, and making informed spending decisions.

What is the first step in personal finance? ›

1. Assess your financial situation and typical expenses. The first step is to look at your personal finances and lifestyle. Even if you're not where you'd like to be, be honest with yourself about the income you're currently generating, savings you've accumulated and your general spending habits.

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