Dave Ramsey Birthday Cake
I am a book lover. Whenever I’ve had a problem in this life, I’ve turned to books. Whether it be a distraction or a solution, I can usually find help in a book.
This week I wanted to share a handful of personal finance books that I’ve enjoyed reading and/or have helped us get our financial house in order.
Please note: This post does include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through those links, I am paid a small amount in way of advertising fees.
Books to Help You Save Money
Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy – I picked this book up in the grocery store (of all places!) over sixteen years ago. I was newly pregnant. My husband and I were planning for me to stay home when the baby came. I found this book, originally subtitled, Living on One-Income in a Two-Income Economy, and devoured it.
That year before taking the plunge I started putting many of McCoy’s tips into practice. This was my Bible for frugal living. I reread it every year for about a decade. I sold it in a garage sale at one point; I had the book memorized. I bought the current edition a few years ago and found that it had not been updated much. I still have the book memorized.
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – Fast forward twelve years and we found ourselves in a heap of debt, despite our best intentions and frugal ways. I listened to the Dave Ramsey podcast faithfully for at least a year while we were climbing out of the hole. I waited patiently for a copy of The Total Money Makeover to arrive from the library since we really couldn’t afford to buy a copy. I read it in less than a week.
We followed the plan outlined in this book to establish a short-term emergency fund, pay off our debts, and build a long-term emergency fund. I can say it works. We paid off $18K in 18 months. It was dang hard, but so worth it.
The Money-Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine – Right on the heels of reading Dave’s book, I had the opportunity to meet Crystal. Crystal was my personal finance coach for awhile when we both lived in Kansas City and my family was digging out of debt. My best garage sale EVER was thanks to her savvy ways and companionship. Crystal puts that same enthusiasm to help others into her book.
If you don’t have a clue how to pinch a penny or aren’t sure where to start, this book is for you.
All in Good Time: When to Save, Stock Up, and Schedule Everything for Your Home by Tara Kuczykowski with Mandi Ehman – I’m a fair amount older than most of the young moms I meet on the internet. When I was newly married I looked to homemaking icons like Emilie Barnes, Donna Otto, and Sandra Felton. Their kids were grown 20 years ago when I was just starting out.
This book as well as the next one are what I call the new generation of savvy, frugal homemakers. In All in Good Time, Tara and Mandi, present a compendium of household tasks and supplies as well as the best time of year to purchase them. Since I love stocking up on a good sale for something I know I’ll need and use later, I consider this a great resource.
The Good Life for Less by Amy Allen Clark – Likewise, Amy falls into the camp of hip, up-and-coming homemakers who know how to make things happen. Amy’s debt story is similar to ours. She and her husband worked hard and cut expenses in order to make a better life for their family. This book is chock-full of practical ideas to help you save some coin and still enjoy a rich life.
Bundle of the Week’s Frugal Living Package - I love the ebook bundles that Bundle of the Week puts together. They are a great bargain for readers. At only $7.40, you get all these ebooks:
- Become a Frugali$ta in 30 Days by Susan Heid
- Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne Simpson
- Advanced Penny Pinching by Tabitha Philen
- From Debtor to Better by Barry Myers
- Coupon Quick Start Guide by Angela Newsom
From Garbage to Gourmet by Carrie Isaac – Carrie always surprises me with the money-saving resources she puts together. Years ago, I was blown away at her Grocery University, a great audio series to help you save money on food costs. I thought I knew everything there was to know about couponing, but she taught this old dog a few new tricks.
In her latest book, Carrie presents an amazing catalog of ingredients, how to buy them, how to store them, and how to use them so they don’t go bad. The book is based on saving less by wasting less. I love the concept. When you consider that Americans waste an average of 25% of the food they purchase, that means we could each cut our grocery bills down by a fourth just by using what we have! My guess is that you’ll more than save the purchase price of this ebook. It’s available on pdf and on kindle.
What’s a favorite money book of YOURS?
This is Frugal Friday. In an effort to make these weekly financial discussions more interactive, I’m no longer posting a link-up. Feel free to leave a link in the comments. But better yet, chat with us on today’s topic.
Disclosure: This post does include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through those links, I am paid a small amount in way of advertising fees.
Books to Help You Save Money (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.
Ever heard of The Whole 30? It's a nutritional reset and restricted diet to help you heal your body and help you determine which foods might be giving you trouble. I started about a week ago and am daily blogging my experience eating dairy-, soy-, grain-, sugar-, and alcohol-free. And it's not too bad. Need some encouragement to try an elimination diet? You can follow my progress here.