Let’s talk books
I grew up with my father always reading financial and self-improvement books. He was quite obsessed with getting rich, and I don’t blame him he came from a third-world country. His family was so poor that he ate salt as a kid and almost died at a young age. His sister actually did pass away from eating salt. This might sound dramatic, but it’s our family’s reality. He always read to me his favorite parts of whatever book he was currently reading, while he made breakfast. So from a young age, I knew books were an important resource for self-growth and financial knowledge. I honestly never read any of the books when I was younger. I wasn’t in the right mindset, I was too young. But now I’ve found so much value and appreciation from knowing that I’m not the only person questioning their financial moves.
The talk before the journey
When I look back to when I first got serious about my finances I realized that I need to make more changes than I thought. I was super naive and always looked for a simple solution for every financial journey hiccup without realizing it. It took a lot of personal growth to see what I actually value and who I want to be. I realized that I don’t want to work super hard for stuff and then lose what I actually value plus the stuff. That seems redundant and not a useful way to spend my whole life, chasing things and people’s approval. So I just decided to take my future and myself a little more seriously, especially when it came to money. This journey isn’t easy and it involves a lot of tears and self-reflecting that “I F’ed up”. That’s needed to grow and I did it unapologetically because if I didn’t mess up how would I have learned anything?
I now feel super empowered and motivated to change into my best self and to love who I’m becoming. This means doing less of what I was doing and more of what I need to do. In my case a little less shopping and way more reading and learning. I want to share with you guys the books and conversations that I had with myself that got me on my financial journey.
Audiobooks
One of the easiest ways to consume books is through audiobooks. I currently have a subscription to Audible from Amazon. I’ve gotten into the habit of listening to audiobooks while doing mommy chores like washing dishes or folding clothes. Those are actually the best times for me to really digest what I am reading. While I’m folding bucket loads of laundry I realize that keeping my home clean isn’t just for me, the information I’m learning isn’t just for me. My whole family gains from me learning something new. As a mom, nothing is more motivating than giving your best to your kids and teaching them how to survive in the real world. That’s why I find an extra minute to put my headphone on and play an audiobook while doing my mommy chores.
Now for some, this might seem unrealistic to add a new expense to your bills. But as a mom, we quickly learn that multi-tasking is necessary if you’re going to get anything done at all. So on that note, I also cook, wash dishes, watch my kids, and listen to an audiobook while sipping on some wine. Yes, this is real mom life and I’m a pretty tired mom with little ME time. So a small expense is worth it when it comes to getting more done. So audiobooks have been a great way for me to consume the content I really need. I highly recommend audiobooks to anyone who doesn’t have much time to sit down and read a book. I know that it’s easier said than done to find the time, but this is actionable and realistic for everyone.
To Start the List:
- The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley
- The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
The Millionaire Next Door
So to start the list, I started with brainwashed the idea of how I viewed the Rich and Wealthy. I started with The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley. This book is a great read for those who don’t really know anyone who is truly wealthy or even knows the difference between rich and wealthy. I started erasing the image I had in my mind of what it looked like to make it. Now that I’m a mom I have even less ME time, so I opted for the audiobook version. So now that I re-hear it as a parent, I realize that I have a few things to be aware of when raising my kids. I want to put them in a good position and be a good role model for them as well. I don’t want to be one of those “Do as I say and not what I do” parents. This book is excellent to start shifting your mindset on wealth and the real-life journey you’re going to be on.
The Total Money Makeover
Now this book, I never even considered until my fiance told me about Dave Ramsey the author of The Total Money Makeover. This book will change how you view debt moving forward. Even if you want to go backward, the words and phrases in this book will haunt you in your dreams. I always thought that debt was a tool to use and that I would always be using debt to get what I want. You then start looking at your bills and notice that a big chunk of your money is going towards things you wanted and don’t really need. This sounds nice until you see that you’re in a hamster wheel of never-ending payment and no real savings. I completely get how we get into debt as a young person who needs a car, an education for your career path, and some other needs that you can’t afford. But as an adult-adult, I think we all get to a point to where those old debts are starting to haunt us. Especially when you get married, you want to buy a home, and start a family. All of those things cost a lot of money and adding more debt will get you denied for a home at that rate.
If you want to build yourself up for success this book is a must-read. The actual implementation isn’t very fun, but as someone who is kicking debt out of my life, it’s worth it. In the long run, I will have fewer bills and more money saved for my goals. So if that sounds good to you please do consider this book.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
This is one of my dad’s all-time favorite books and was the first book I recommended to my husband when we first meet. Rich Dad, Poor Dad was written by famous entrepreneur Robert Kiyosaki. This book really makes you change your mindset on how you view money in general. You rethink what you consider an asset (what you own) vs a liability (what you owe) plus a few other things like working for money. I think it’s a real mind wrister when you compare it to what you think you know. It’s not for everyone and I see how he might take the real estate game a little too far. But ignoring the excess and focusing on the money mindset this book is golden with timeless lessons.
In Conclusion
I would recommend reading these books in the order I presented for those who need to ease into their financial journey. Reading about investing before learning about savings can really mess you up financially. Getting a new image in your mind of what wealth looks like will make getting out of debt an easier transition in my opinion. Rich Dad, Poor Dad is more of a last but not least. I know a lot of us have been sold on getting rich quick and that can be damaging if you don’t have a good financial journey foundation and perception. These are some of my favorite financial journey books that have helped get on my journey of financial freedom and I would highly recommend them. Knowledge is power, my amigos.
