Why should you read books about investing and money management if you have no money to invest or manage?
It seems a little silly to read about investing when you’re lucky enough to be able to build a basic emergency fund or maybe even pay off consumer debt.
Here is why you should do it anyways: So you can prepare yourself for the future.
Am I so convinced that investing will someday be in your future? Yes. Yes, I am.
Why? Because you are already reading this blog. If you are taking the time to read an article about personal finance, that means that you are interested in actually taking control of your finance.
Now, I may be naïve or hopelessly optimistic, but I believe that one day, we (and I include myself in that) will one day be in a better position financially than I am today.
It may be soon; it may be in 50 years; it may be after I have some lower points in my financial roller coaster. But that day will come. And when it comes, I will be ready and prepared! That’s just the type of person I am.
Just like I encourage you to be ready for when times get worse (by saving NOW and building a robust emergency fund), I encourage you to be ready for when times get better.
If doing that involves reading some books, then by all means: Let’s do it!
I would not be worth my salt as a personal finance blogger if I didn’t recommend that you check these books out of the library first. Libraries are awesome and a great way to get free books. You can even get e-books from the library and download them straight onto a Kindle. If you can’t get those, then definitely try to buy used ones. I can’t remember the last time I bought a new book! If you can, use my Amazon links to place your order. It’s a real help to me.
So I turned to the great people of #PF Twitter (That’s personal finance Twitter for the uninitiated. Follow me on Twitter, and I’ll introduce you to some great folks in that community!), and I posed the following question:
“Best personal finance/investing book?”
Pretty simple question.
These are some of the responses I got:
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5 Great Personal Finance and Investing Books:
Do you want to make money, or Do you just want to fool around? By John D. Spooner
(recommended by @SmallIvy_SI)
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! By Robert T. Kiyosaki
(recommended by @ShelbyGrosch)
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
(Recommended by @10YearTarget)
Broke Millennial Takes On Investing: A Beginner’s Guide to Leveling Up Your Money by Erin Lowry
(Recommended by @kbout11)
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
(Recommended by @misterash13)
Happy Reading!
A Dime Saved
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.
The first key is to educate yourself.
Absolutely!
I love this thought process! We often stop ourselves from taking action out of a lack of knowledge. Yet, by reading personal finance books, we are slowly changing what we hear on the tapes in our heads. This helps us to alter our mindset and we begin to see more of the opportunities that were always there.
I was initially only able to invest $5 per week in my 401(k), but knew I needed to start after reading personal finance books/blogs. That practice helped me to eventually max out my contributions, even though I started out thinking I didn’t have enough income to save anything.
Now, I’m interested in learning about real estate. I don’t have the money to become a landlord, but the idea appeals to me and by learning more, it will help me figure out if I can make it happen.