Everyone has a different relationship with money and for many people that relationship is not easy. Whether you’re struggling to pay back your student loans, have debt to pay off or want to plan responsibly for your future, learning how to manage your money is an important skill. Luckily, there are plenty of beneficial books that you can add to your reading list to help you grab a hold of your finances. Here are a few of our favorite books to help you manage your money better.
The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke, Suze Orman
You might know Suze Orman best from Kristen Wiig’s Saturday Night Live impressions, but Orman is a New York Times best-selling author – and that counts for something! One of her many financial guides, The Money Book focuses on money basics for beginners. Orman explains the financial realities of your first job, credit scores, student loans, and more in her book. Even though this book is geared towards “Generation Broke,” the advice is applicable to everyone who’s trying to get a better handle on their spending.
The Armchair Economist, Steven E. Landsburg
Yes, yes, – we know economics and finance are not the same thing, but that’s one of the reasons that this book is such a good read. It’s important to know the role you and your personal finances play in the larger economy, and The Armchair Economist’s short essays are an easy way to learn basic economic principles. Landsburg grounds his writing in applicable examples (like how to split a dinner check with friends), and he even employs Simpsons references and newspaper articles to do so.
Debt-Free by 30, Jason Anthony and Karl Cluck
Written by two twenty-somethings, the financial advice in this book comes from the authors who, per the title, dug themselves out of massive debt before they hit the big 3-0. Anthony and Cluck are brutally honest with their writing, not only detailing the reasons they have debt, but also ways to live frugally with cheap date ideas, restaurant-worthy recipes, and online shopping tips. That way, once Debt-Free by 30 successfully gets you out of debt, you won’t fall back in!
Ask For It, Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
One of the most effective ways to manage money? Learn how to correctly ask for it. Authors Babcock and Laschever previously wrote Women Don’t Ask, a book that detailed the financial costs for women who don’t negotiate. To fix that problem, Babcock and Laschever gave us Ask for It, an excellent guide to salary negotiation. The book provides negotiation strategies that are comfortable to use and personal anecdotes to show how these tactics can be implemented in real life. Believe it or not, you can save up to half a million dollars by negotiating – what’s more financially savvy than holding on to that?
You’re So Money: Live Rich, Even When You’re Not, Farnoosh Toarbi
If you’re too stringent with your budget, treating yourself with a morning latte can make you feel guilty. It helps to have a financial guide who helps you focus on the positives – and who understands that it’s okay to live a little. Luckily for us, Toarbi is that guide and her funny, entertaining You’re So Money reminds you that you’re allowed to have it all. Designer jeans, beach vacations, a new Mercedes… you can live like you’re wealthy so long as you spend within your means. Toarbi’s book will help you learn to balance the lifestyle you dream of and the financial security that you actually need.
