7 Great Personal Finance Books That Actually Helped Me Figure Out Money
Start with these reads to help lessen your anxiety and refresh your routine.
The past year has been rough on the average American’s wallet. Despite experts claiming that the country’s actually doing just fine, reports of mass layoffs, sky-high consumer prices, and stagnant wages reflect the immense strain on the bottom of the K-shaped economy. It’s hard not to feel hopeless when money anxiety takes over, when you want to take control of your financial life but aren’t sure where to start.
Thankfully, many great personal finance books speak to the real-life money struggles women face. Instead of offering unreasonable maxims like cutting out lattes and living off rice and beans, these books help readers reexamine their relationship with money and form a financial practice that sustains their ideal life. Read on for a list of must-read books to help you level up your finances, from gentle roadmaps on where to start to examinations of how to navigate our country’s flawed systems.
The first book in Erin Lowry’s landmark series celebrates its 10th birthday next year, but I’d argue it still holds up as a comprehensive, accessible primer to teach young women the money basics they didn't learn in school. And if you have some cash to spare, Lowry’s 2019 guide to investing has garnered just as much praise over the years.
This book from The Budgetnista offers a simple framework for both complete newbies and experienced planners to refresh their old money routine. It stands out thanks to Tiffany Aliche's honesty about the scams that ruined her financial life and her frank yet empathetic tips on building a financial baseline when you’re starting with debt.
I’m on Team Make Financial Advice As Accessible As Possible, and what’s more accessible than illustrations? Paco De Leon’s diagrams on topics like the Pyramid of Financial Awesomeness and the Saving Struggle make financial literacy as close to fun as it can be.
If systemic inequality makes you doubt you can have strong personal finances, don't worry—there are books for that too. Helaine Olen’s 2012 book Pound Foolish is for anyone who hopes to avoid the more exploitative practices of personal-finance gurus. For a more up-to-date read that offers policy solutions, check out John Y. Campbell and Tarun Ramadorai’s award-winning release.
This book is the antidote to the one-size-fits-all approaches touted by the biggest (traditionally white and male) names in personal finance. Ellyce Fulmore—who is queer and neurodivergent herself—acknowledges that not everyone has the same brain or background, and encourages readers to build a financial system that works for them, regardless of where a reader “should” be in life.
Ramit Sethi is known for his first book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich, but he’s also spent years advising couples through their complicated finances. His book is a great housewarming present for any couple you're close with who wants to avoid miscommunication as they blend their finances.
If thinking about money brings up shame or anxiety, then start your reading here. Morgan Housel bypasses traditional advice to help readers recognize and separate negative emotions from their money decisions. It doesn’t replace a financial therapist, but it is a step towards a clearer understanding of how emotion influences our finances.
