Not my first personal finance book, but the one that had the biggest impact on me was Your Money or Your Life. It taught me how to create a true budget and gave me hope that I could retire.
And to me - the book actually fell out of a bookcase in a large bookstore while I was trying to find something on personal finance - I took that as an omen, and was glad I did - changed my life.
Hi Nneka - very late reply, I know......but I refuse to live by the screen! There were a few takeaways from this book - learning just how much you spend, having a job, learning a better way to use your money and have a better quality of life, and about investing - although I didn't do exactly what the book said, as the Aussie financial system works a bit differently, but I now have a share portfolio that is quietly ticking away, increasing in value, and there when and if I really need a $$$ boost. I suggest you need to read the book yourself, as there's no really effective short-cut.
Just thinking of money as life energy and calculating the true expenditures of things like office clothes, commuting, etc was a whole new paradigm for me . I briefly followed her money tracking methods when I first read the book in late 2019, but I had a brutal realization this past summer that my spending had become more mindless and overall less intentional so I’ve restarted literally tracking every cent. it’s been amazing to see where money goes and how the expenses vs savings shakes out every month.
Yes your money or your life was very impactful to me too. It laid the foundation for not wanting to trade my precious life for money (only for money). The true cost of things.
Cait that bounce rate makes my brain explode. Amazing - and I can see why - because your writing is wonderful
I'm so excited to read these reviews! (Not just because you listed my book — this is a fantastic experiment, anyway!) I love the angle you're taking to learn how people talk about money in seemingly similar cultures around the world. This question has been on my mind as I wonder whether my book would have a chance at international publication (it's probably too specific to the U.S.). I'm adding these books to my TBR, and I look forward to your reviews :)
I'm so excited to *write* them! And to read yours ☺️ and that's an interesting question to be sitting with. My sense is that most personal finance books would contain *some amount of* information that only applies to readers in a specific country. And, there can still be something to gain from just reading/trying to learn how the author thinks. That's something I'll definitely consider, when writing the reviews! When I first got the idea to start reading books pub'd in the UK, I wasn't thinking that this would turn into some kind of cultural comparison... and, as soon as I started reading, I could see that my mind just naturally went there. 🙃
More than 20 years ago I was inspired by David Bach's Smart Women Finish Rich. In the past 5 years, I've learned the most from Paula Pant's podcast, Afford Anything: https://affordanything.com/, and the work on Shang Saavedra and her Instagram account, Save My Cents: https://savemycents.com/about/.
I'm very excited to follow along with you on this. I love the approach of exploring authors from different countries. Whenever I go to Italy and hear conversations about money, I can tell the culture around it is different and that is so incredibly fascinating! It has given me a lot to ponder.
Writing that out, I guess that might be something I am seeking this year within my own financial goals... perhaps developing my own culture around money and not being exclusively sucked in to the hustle of it all... 🩷🩷🩷
"...perhaps developing my own culture around money." Oh, hello! Now there's a thoughtful idea, friend. I'd be curious to hear what shape that takes, one day... ✨
My Dad also constantly talked about money and I credit him to the situation I'm in now (35, mortgage free owner of my own [small] home, relatively close to financial freedom [on my own terms]). He didn't specifically tell me to do anything, it was more listening to who he thought was impressive ('Look at this article, this woman saved half of everything she earned as a teenager and now she's got X amount!') and what he saw as his own problems (having a mortgage, having to be away from home to work as a long distance wagon [lorry/truck] driver). Oh, and the fact he didn't subscribe to social norms so I haven't minded doing things differently! That's huge when it comes to finances I think, because ultimately if you're not willing to behave differently to the norm you're going to end up in the norm. Looking forward to more from you on personal finance, it's a very intriguing topic and I'd love to know more about how the situation in the UK compares to Canada/the US.
Ok your comment has made me EXTRA excited to go for our first walk in the spring, friend! Our dad's sound very similar. Thank you for all you shared here. I'd love to hear more in a few months ☺️
What a gift to have a father that shared his wisdom with you. My parents were very private with their money and I found out later just how much they risked for my college education. I wish they had been open with me so that I could have played a bigger role.
Have to recommend Real Life Money by Clare Seal. She *started out* on a debt repayment journey, but now talks about how our emotional relationship to money impacts our ability to ‘use’ it like the tool it is.
She is, as am I! and I have definitely felt the frustration that books in this space are often US focussed - it takes a bit of work to translate the message... especially as cost of living is structurally different here, like the percentage of income typically spent on housing costs can be very different.
Also... having just dug out my copies it was her second book I was thinking of but I recalled the title of the first 🤦♀️ ....Five Steps to Financial Freedom is also worth a read!
Hands down the best personal finance (UK) book I've read is Pete Matthews 'The Meaningful Money Handbook'. Very very practical and if I'd had it ten or twenty years ago (I'm 45 now), it would have made me a richer woman today! He also has a podcast and a Youtube channel.
I like “I will teach you how to be rich” douche title for sure. But I like the message that Rich is what each person wants it to be. So the author encourages people to live their rich life. For me at the moment that might be being able to buy whatever book I want. But then I just cut back on the things that don’t make my life rich. Also he encourages people to think bigger and bigger on their rich lives. So many books seem to be about saving. This book along with other ideas focuses on spending and having fun while doing it responsibly.
I have always focused on cutting back, especially on the extras like coffees out. I have found that including these "treats" once in a while bring me joy especially when shared with others.
Yay, looking forward to the personal book reviews! I also like the goal you have set for yourself this year 👍🏼 A personal finance book that I read this past autumn and enjoyed was I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi. I may have mentioned this previously but his book made my brain finally understand a bit more about index funds and that is one thing I would like to learn even more about and then open one.
I will have to check this one out! Thanks. I haven't contributed to my 401K since I haven't been working. My son (22) just opened an index fund. I am grateful that this information is more accessible.
A million years ago (late 1980's), I read How to Survive Without a Salary by local author Charles Long. Not so much a book about how to handle money, it was instrumental in introducing me to a non-consumer, non-wage earner mindset. Later, when I took a writing class from Charles, he invited me to his home. I saw firsthand how comfortable and fulfilling life could be without depending on a paycheque. Changed my world.
He sounds really interesting, Sophia. Can you share any more info on him!? I found his book for sale online, but not sure if he has a website or anything... do you happen to know?
Sadly, I lost track of Charles sometime in the '90's. I heard a rumour that his wife Liz (also a contributor to the original Harrowsmith magazine) had health issues that necessitated moving from Lanark County in the Ottawa Valley back to Ottawa.
Charles wrote several books on the skills needed for self-sufficient living as well as short story fiction.
Other than sources for his books, I haven't found anything about him on the web. If you do find him, I'd love to hear.
The most impactful book I have read on financial literacy is Financial Fitness: the 47 principles of financial literacy. It doesn't fit your criteria because 1. It was written by 2 men Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward and 2. It is written by US authors though I have known readers from North American, South American, Australia, and Europe who have benefited from the information. As a result of what I learned I payed off all debt including my mortgage and my daughters' student loan debt from their undergraduate studies and have remained not only debt free but grown my resources for the last 8 years. I have acted as a guide for numerous women using this information and those who have implemented what they learn have experienced similar results.
Thank you, Rachel! And I'm open to reading books by men. I'll probably look for more in the UK, but always good to know which books are helping people in various countries!
Cait! As someone who went through this exact transition, I am so keen to see where this leads to. I was financially tied to Canada until I moved to the UK for a decade, and now live in Switzerland for four years. I’ve learned A LOT about how simplify and move your money around. One point that you need to consider is retirement and the pension systems you’re engaging in. I still haven’t found a good book / blog about this yet - What happens when you work in multiple countries, pay into multiple state systems and are not sure where you will ‘retire’. I’ve simplified what I can privately but this is a massive topic that deeply impacts expats! And something we need to be thinking about now as to not leave money on the table
Ohhhh trust me, friend... RETIREMENT IS ALL THAT'S ON MY MIND! I mean, I have short-term goals too... but retirement is something I truthfully hadn't thought about when I first decided to move over. I didn't know if I'd stay, right... but now that I know I want to be here, I NEED TO LEARN + MAKE A PLAN! I'll definitely share things along the way. (And would always welcome comments/emails about what you've learned too!)
I wish I had this forum when I was younger and thought about retirement sooner. I always thought I would retire at 65 and that was that. Now, I see others that have planned and retired early. A bit jealous, but it's not too late!
Definitely not too late! Personally, I'm not interested in the early retirement movement. I just want to feel as though I'm taking care of old lady Cait... setting her up, as best as I can!
Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey. I read that in 1999 or 2000 or sometime back then. And I listened to his radio show consistently. I think you may have read his book before but thought I would bring it up anyway. It strongly helped direct my life and now I am retired. I am not sure if Millionaire Next Door is a financial book but that was such a fun read. Thank you for your writing and thoughtful words.
Re:the lack of men on your book list—from someone who almost exclusively reads women on every topic, I’m tired of seeing subjects through the eyes of men. Why not become one of the go-to experts for writing about women’s finances in the UK? The challenges are so unique and you’re already invested (ha) in that subject.
I appreciate the suggestion! I also understand not finding resonance in content created by people who don't share/can't relate to your lived experience. It still feels important for me to have an understanding of what's being said on these topics across the board. And, when I look at *all* the content I consume, it's predominantly created by women.
Ooo and I forgot to add: there will be book giveaways throughout the year too! Yay! 🥳
Not my first personal finance book, but the one that had the biggest impact on me was Your Money or Your Life. It taught me how to create a true budget and gave me hope that I could retire.
Your money or your life was so eye-opening to me!
And to me - the book actually fell out of a bookcase in a large bookstore while I was trying to find something on personal finance - I took that as an omen, and was glad I did - changed my life.
Wow! #gottalovetheU
What was your biggest takeaway from it?
Hi Nneka - very late reply, I know......but I refuse to live by the screen! There were a few takeaways from this book - learning just how much you spend, having a job, learning a better way to use your money and have a better quality of life, and about investing - although I didn't do exactly what the book said, as the Aussie financial system works a bit differently, but I now have a share portfolio that is quietly ticking away, increasing in value, and there when and if I really need a $$$ boost. I suggest you need to read the book yourself, as there's no really effective short-cut.
Katie, those 3 questions got me the most streamlined and aligned spending plans I've ever created. Powerful stuff!
What was the most eye-opening for you?
Just thinking of money as life energy and calculating the true expenditures of things like office clothes, commuting, etc was a whole new paradigm for me . I briefly followed her money tracking methods when I first read the book in late 2019, but I had a brutal realization this past summer that my spending had become more mindless and overall less intentional so I’ve restarted literally tracking every cent. it’s been amazing to see where money goes and how the expenses vs savings shakes out every month.
That was an eye opener for me too. Along with my real wage.
Yes your money or your life was very impactful to me too. It laid the foundation for not wanting to trade my precious life for money (only for money). The true cost of things.
Cait that bounce rate makes my brain explode. Amazing - and I can see why - because your writing is wonderful
That's sweet of you to say, thank you friend! It honestly blew my mind too. And I think the highest it went up to was 6%...
I'm so excited to read these reviews! (Not just because you listed my book — this is a fantastic experiment, anyway!) I love the angle you're taking to learn how people talk about money in seemingly similar cultures around the world. This question has been on my mind as I wonder whether my book would have a chance at international publication (it's probably too specific to the U.S.). I'm adding these books to my TBR, and I look forward to your reviews :)
I'm so excited to *write* them! And to read yours ☺️ and that's an interesting question to be sitting with. My sense is that most personal finance books would contain *some amount of* information that only applies to readers in a specific country. And, there can still be something to gain from just reading/trying to learn how the author thinks. That's something I'll definitely consider, when writing the reviews! When I first got the idea to start reading books pub'd in the UK, I wasn't thinking that this would turn into some kind of cultural comparison... and, as soon as I started reading, I could see that my mind just naturally went there. 🙃
More than 20 years ago I was inspired by David Bach's Smart Women Finish Rich. In the past 5 years, I've learned the most from Paula Pant's podcast, Afford Anything: https://affordanything.com/, and the work on Shang Saavedra and her Instagram account, Save My Cents: https://savemycents.com/about/.
Hi friend!
I'm very excited to follow along with you on this. I love the approach of exploring authors from different countries. Whenever I go to Italy and hear conversations about money, I can tell the culture around it is different and that is so incredibly fascinating! It has given me a lot to ponder.
Writing that out, I guess that might be something I am seeking this year within my own financial goals... perhaps developing my own culture around money and not being exclusively sucked in to the hustle of it all... 🩷🩷🩷
"...perhaps developing my own culture around money." Oh, hello! Now there's a thoughtful idea, friend. I'd be curious to hear what shape that takes, one day... ✨
My Dad also constantly talked about money and I credit him to the situation I'm in now (35, mortgage free owner of my own [small] home, relatively close to financial freedom [on my own terms]). He didn't specifically tell me to do anything, it was more listening to who he thought was impressive ('Look at this article, this woman saved half of everything she earned as a teenager and now she's got X amount!') and what he saw as his own problems (having a mortgage, having to be away from home to work as a long distance wagon [lorry/truck] driver). Oh, and the fact he didn't subscribe to social norms so I haven't minded doing things differently! That's huge when it comes to finances I think, because ultimately if you're not willing to behave differently to the norm you're going to end up in the norm. Looking forward to more from you on personal finance, it's a very intriguing topic and I'd love to know more about how the situation in the UK compares to Canada/the US.
Ok your comment has made me EXTRA excited to go for our first walk in the spring, friend! Our dad's sound very similar. Thank you for all you shared here. I'd love to hear more in a few months ☺️
What a gift to have a father that shared his wisdom with you. My parents were very private with their money and I found out later just how much they risked for my college education. I wish they had been open with me so that I could have played a bigger role.
I highly recommend "Money Out Loud" by Berna Anat, a US author. I think the say she approaches money from a POC perspective is quite refreshing.
Have to recommend Real Life Money by Clare Seal. She *started out* on a debt repayment journey, but now talks about how our emotional relationship to money impacts our ability to ‘use’ it like the tool it is.
I've seen her books before. And she's British! Thanks, Cat ☺️
She is, as am I! and I have definitely felt the frustration that books in this space are often US focussed - it takes a bit of work to translate the message... especially as cost of living is structurally different here, like the percentage of income typically spent on housing costs can be very different.
Also... having just dug out my copies it was her second book I was thinking of but I recalled the title of the first 🤦♀️ ....Five Steps to Financial Freedom is also worth a read!
Haha, it happens! Thank you for taking the time to come back and share!
I honestly never thought about the resources being written biased for a country. Thanks for noting that.
Hands down the best personal finance (UK) book I've read is Pete Matthews 'The Meaningful Money Handbook'. Very very practical and if I'd had it ten or twenty years ago (I'm 45 now), it would have made me a richer woman today! He also has a podcast and a Youtube channel.
Just opened a new tab with his YouTube channel! Thanks, Susan!
I like “I will teach you how to be rich” douche title for sure. But I like the message that Rich is what each person wants it to be. So the author encourages people to live their rich life. For me at the moment that might be being able to buy whatever book I want. But then I just cut back on the things that don’t make my life rich. Also he encourages people to think bigger and bigger on their rich lives. So many books seem to be about saving. This book along with other ideas focuses on spending and having fun while doing it responsibly.
I've seen Ramit speak a few times but still haven't read the book. His Netflix special is great tho, if you haven't seen it yet!
Oh I watched it the day it came out! I loved they used real numbers.
I have always focused on cutting back, especially on the extras like coffees out. I have found that including these "treats" once in a while bring me joy especially when shared with others.
Yay, looking forward to the personal book reviews! I also like the goal you have set for yourself this year 👍🏼 A personal finance book that I read this past autumn and enjoyed was I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi. I may have mentioned this previously but his book made my brain finally understand a bit more about index funds and that is one thing I would like to learn even more about and then open one.
I will have to check this one out! Thanks. I haven't contributed to my 401K since I haven't been working. My son (22) just opened an index fund. I am grateful that this information is more accessible.
A million years ago (late 1980's), I read How to Survive Without a Salary by local author Charles Long. Not so much a book about how to handle money, it was instrumental in introducing me to a non-consumer, non-wage earner mindset. Later, when I took a writing class from Charles, he invited me to his home. I saw firsthand how comfortable and fulfilling life could be without depending on a paycheque. Changed my world.
He sounds really interesting, Sophia. Can you share any more info on him!? I found his book for sale online, but not sure if he has a website or anything... do you happen to know?
Sadly, I lost track of Charles sometime in the '90's. I heard a rumour that his wife Liz (also a contributor to the original Harrowsmith magazine) had health issues that necessitated moving from Lanark County in the Ottawa Valley back to Ottawa.
Charles wrote several books on the skills needed for self-sufficient living as well as short story fiction.
Other than sources for his books, I haven't found anything about him on the web. If you do find him, I'd love to hear.
The most impactful book I have read on financial literacy is Financial Fitness: the 47 principles of financial literacy. It doesn't fit your criteria because 1. It was written by 2 men Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward and 2. It is written by US authors though I have known readers from North American, South American, Australia, and Europe who have benefited from the information. As a result of what I learned I payed off all debt including my mortgage and my daughters' student loan debt from their undergraduate studies and have remained not only debt free but grown my resources for the last 8 years. I have acted as a guide for numerous women using this information and those who have implemented what they learn have experienced similar results.
Thank you, Rachel! And I'm open to reading books by men. I'll probably look for more in the UK, but always good to know which books are helping people in various countries!
Cait! As someone who went through this exact transition, I am so keen to see where this leads to. I was financially tied to Canada until I moved to the UK for a decade, and now live in Switzerland for four years. I’ve learned A LOT about how simplify and move your money around. One point that you need to consider is retirement and the pension systems you’re engaging in. I still haven’t found a good book / blog about this yet - What happens when you work in multiple countries, pay into multiple state systems and are not sure where you will ‘retire’. I’ve simplified what I can privately but this is a massive topic that deeply impacts expats! And something we need to be thinking about now as to not leave money on the table
Ohhhh trust me, friend... RETIREMENT IS ALL THAT'S ON MY MIND! I mean, I have short-term goals too... but retirement is something I truthfully hadn't thought about when I first decided to move over. I didn't know if I'd stay, right... but now that I know I want to be here, I NEED TO LEARN + MAKE A PLAN! I'll definitely share things along the way. (And would always welcome comments/emails about what you've learned too!)
I wish I had this forum when I was younger and thought about retirement sooner. I always thought I would retire at 65 and that was that. Now, I see others that have planned and retired early. A bit jealous, but it's not too late!
Definitely not too late! Personally, I'm not interested in the early retirement movement. I just want to feel as though I'm taking care of old lady Cait... setting her up, as best as I can!
Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey. I read that in 1999 or 2000 or sometime back then. And I listened to his radio show consistently. I think you may have read his book before but thought I would bring it up anyway. It strongly helped direct my life and now I am retired. I am not sure if Millionaire Next Door is a financial book but that was such a fun read. Thank you for your writing and thoughtful words.
Re:the lack of men on your book list—from someone who almost exclusively reads women on every topic, I’m tired of seeing subjects through the eyes of men. Why not become one of the go-to experts for writing about women’s finances in the UK? The challenges are so unique and you’re already invested (ha) in that subject.
I appreciate the suggestion! I also understand not finding resonance in content created by people who don't share/can't relate to your lived experience. It still feels important for me to have an understanding of what's being said on these topics across the board. And, when I look at *all* the content I consume, it's predominantly created by women.