Finance. It’s a topic many young women do not like to discuss. It either makes them uncomfortable or they just simply aren’t educated enough to converse about it. However, it is something so important to our success and well-being in life. It is a topic we all need to start talking about. In “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” Kiyosaki mentions that poor people are still poor because they refuse to talk about money. Talking about money opens us up to new ideas on how to make, manage, and grow wealth.

I have recently become fascinated by personal finance because of my friend Miki. She has opened me up to so many new ideas and books on the topic. It is so important to have friends who are open about these kinds of things and eager to share all of their knowledge. These are the kinds of friends that will help you grow and prosper. But more on this topic in another post.

I have 4 personal finance books for you that each serve a different purpose but are all so eye-opening and educational. Once you read them you will not be able to stop. Each book opens up a realm of new thoughts and ideas that will help change your outlook on money.

1. A book to change your money mindset

You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

This book is for anyone who views money as dirty or thinks they are undeserving of it. It is for those who grew up with a poor understanding of all the things money can do for us. If you think being rich is a bad thing and makes you an evil person, read this book. It will quickly change your negative thoughts about money into positive ones. Each chapter asks you different questions and fits your answers into a mantra that you can repeat to yourself every day. If you have a negative view about money then you will never be able to prosper financially. Before educating yourself on making your situation better, you have to change how you view your situation.

2. A book to change your viewpoint on wealth and how to grow it

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Are you a firm believer that working hard will make you money? Do you think moving up the corporate ladder is the key to your success? This book will explain to you exactly why this is the wrong way to think. If you want to build wealth you need to escape from what Kiyosaki calls the "rat race". He discusses the difference between assets and liabilities and how you need to ensure that your assets are being invested in order to pay for your liabilities. Kiyosaki gave me a whole new thinking process of where my income should be going, opening my mind to the idea of real estate and stock investments. I even enrolled myself in a real estate investment course on Udemy!

3. A book to introduce you to finance for women and why it's important

Money by Chelsea Fagan

This book is perfect for women that love cute graphics and want to make finance fun. It gives you a basic overview on the different aspects of your finances that you should reconsider and review in order to improve your financial situation. It doesn't use big words or fancy terms that you won't understand. The book even interviews successful females about how changing their finances have helped them succeed or how they reshaped the way they viewed money. I loved it because it was an easy read with beautiful pictures that made everything simple to understand.

4. A book that gives you actionable steps to improve your financial situation

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Last, but certainly not least, is the book that is the most actionable and will lead to the biggest change in your financial well-being. If you were to only read one book off this list, this would be the one. Each chapter discusses a different topic and represents a different week in a 6-week plan to improve your financial situation. Sethi makes it easy for everyone to put what they read into action by assigning a chapter a week and ending it with actual steps you can complete. If you listen to everything he tells you to do, you will be in the best financial shape of your life. The topics range from student loans to credit cards to IRAs to budgeting.

Don't just read this blog post and think about all the ways you could use these books to improve your finances. Click one of the links and purchase AT LEAST one of these on Amazon. It only takes one click!

These books will truly help set you in the right direction for your future. If you care about affording that house 5 years down the line, sending your kids to college, or (if you're like me) buying that Chanel handbag you've always lusted over, then read these books. The younger you are the easier it is to set yourself up for a successful financial future. Why wait 10 years from now and stress yourself out trying to fix all of the mistakes you made in your 20s when it could all be smooth sailing from here?

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