Do you have a favorite book that you cherish and refer to time and again? I do. I have quite a few books that have changed my financial outlook for the better. If you need to get out of debt, save for your children’s education or your retirement, these are my favorite books and cookbooks that will save YOU lots of money.
The Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – I said it before and I will continue to say it: if you want a simple step by step system to get out of debt, get this book. If you are unfamiliar with Dave Ramsey, you can go to YouTube here and get a dose of Dave. Even better is the part of his YouTube channel where Dave’s fans come on to declare they are debt free. So inspiring to see. I am begging you to get this book, it will get you well on the path to financial freedom.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. This is another “bible” of mine that I have spoke about in other posts. Simply put: 959 pages of pure inspiration and saving motivation. This is another book that has tons of thrifty goodness, recipes, saving motivation and more. Here is a little background on the Dacyczyn family: They live in a gorgeous farmhouse in Maine paid for in cash. They have six children. They lived on less than $30000/year on her husband’s retired Navy salary. Oh and when the book was written, she did not work, except for writing the newsletters that are all in this book. Motivation at its finest.
Amish County Cookbook-Volume 2 by Sue and Bob Miller. This book must be 15 years old, that’s how long I have had it. It is a compilation of delicious Amish recipes. I love Amish cookbooks so much. They never call for crazy expensive ingredients and most recipes don’t call for 100 ingredients. I own quite a few Amish cookbooks but this one is my favorite.
A Beginner’s Guide to Investing – Ivy Bytes. I always was curious about investing ever since I seen a teenager become a millionaire through investing on an Oprah show years ago. She made it sound so easy and I tried to understand it by reading articles online. That didn’t help me. At all. So a couple years back, I found A Beginner’s Guide to Investing. It outlines the basics of what you need to know for retirement investing. It is definitely a beginner’s book and at 100 pages, it is not laden with useless mumbo jumbo.
365 Ways to Live Cheap by Trent Hamm. This is another oldie but goodie. There are lots of useful tips for reducing utility bills, saving money cooking tips and a lot more. This is definitely a book for a beginner that’s just beginning their frugal journey.
Family Feasts for $75 A Week by Mary Ostyn. I remember when I first got this book years ago. I thought to myself ‘how can a family of this size eat for so little each week’? At the time we spent way more than $75 per week and I wished we could reduce our spending to $75/week. And just this week, our food bill was just $35 for our family with over 50 meals on the menu! This book is full of delicious recipes. Don’t laugh but our favorite is the Sweet and Sour Hot Dog Stir Fry over Pineapple Lime Rice. If you are interested, the recipe for the pineapple lime rice that we use is right here.
Do you have books that have changed your life for the better? What are they?
Mindy L Shelton says
Richest man in Babylon by George classon. This book changed my perspective which changed my life.
Proverbs, I read every day. I think it was not an accident that there are 31 chapters by the wisest man who ever lived.
Love your list!