Mastering the mechanics of personal finance management starts with the simplest lesson, one that you might’ve been acquainted with since the first time you spilled, smashed, or otherwise accidentally wasted anything of value. If you’re a miracle worker who has never shattered so much as a teacup, chances are you’re already (maybe a little too) well-versed in the fine arts of personal responsibility and self-discipline–both cornerstones, upon which teeters the glass house that is your capital.
Fail to ground and stabilize those stones, and even the luckiest of miracle workers will quickly learn how a glass house fares after slipping from precarious heights to uncertain depths. There is hope, however, and it’s in abundance. No matter how broken or pristine your current financial state may be, you can exercise responsibility, and grow self-discipline simply by utilizing the wisdom of the pros–people who succeeded before you, who recorded in books each insightful finance trick and hard-won money lesson just to help you learn. If you want to command your financial future, check out these 10 great books the pros have written on personal finance.
- “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi – Perfect for millennials looking to gain a financial foothold, this book is as concise and straightforward as it is genuinely entertaining.
- “The Complete Guide to Personal Finance: For Teenagers” by Tamsen Butler – Parents who want to teach their teens to manage funds might be wary of introducing tons of reading material. However, show them “The Complete Guide,” and soon, your teens could be teaching you.
- “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey – This friendly, informative work spent over two years atop the Times’ bestseller list and has been updated regularly since its initial release in 2003.
- “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman – Penned by a Nobel prize-winning economist, this book offers valuable revelations into what motivates our spending habits.
- “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez – “Your Money Or Your Life” doesn’t just offer financial advice, it presents insights into how money influences our goals, dreams and other aspects of our lives.
- “How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free” by Ernie Zelinski – By focusing less on quantitative factors, and more on developing and realizing a vision of your ideal retired life, Zelinski’s work distinguishes itself from run-of-the-mill retirement advice.
- “Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School?: 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By” by Cary Siegel – This is an informative guide which breaks down thick concepts into easily digestible lessons.
- “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason – This classic masterpiece presents the key tenants of money management in the form of simple parables.
- “Get a Financial Life” by Beth Kobliner – Great for readers in their twenties and thirties, Kobliner’s advice covers everything from the basics of health insurance to how to manage a 401K.
- “The Recovering Spender” by Lauren Greutman – If your spending has spiraled into debt, Greutman’s collection of tips will guide you back on a path to financial equilibrium.
Matt Sapaula 