Money Matters with The Glamorous Housewife

Hi kittens! I have been noticing on many of your blogs, that your New Year's resolution was to start saving money. I think that is a wonderful idea, and I would like to recommend some wonderful books that have helped me get my finances in order. I started to become interested in finance when I was about 21, and got serious about it around age 27. I have read hundreds of finance and business books (I consider it a hobby), so here are the books I found to be the most helpful:

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

This book changed my life. I saw this guy named Robert Kiyosaki on Oprah many years ago and decided his book 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' sounded interesting. So I picked it up, read it in like two days, and have never looked back. RDPD is more of a philosophy of money rather then a 'how-to' book. Mr Kiyosaki will turn everything you have been taught about money on its head and get you to really think about how you want to spend the rest of your life: working to make someone else financially free, or working to make yourself financially free.

The second book I would recommend is


Smart Women Finish Rich

I read this book and loved it because it gives you a step by step guide into figuring out your finances. I found it very clear and very empowering once I had my finances in order.

Next on the list:

9 Steps to Financial Freedom

Suze Orman is amazing. You have probably all seen her on Oprah and on her own show, but her books are totally worth buying (or, if you are really being financially good, you can check them out at the library). This book was interesting because it gets you to look at your feelings about money, namely fear. I was very afraid of my own finances. I sort of felt like ignorance was bliss when it came to my savings and spending, but what I realized is I actually felt very scared about trying to figure out my finances because I really knew nothing about them. Once I started to learn about money and how it worked, I became less afraid and then, after I had everything in order, I actually felt empowered.



Last but not least we have Mint. Mint isn't a book, it is a website and an app for your phone that lets you have access to all of your accounts in one place, AND it helps you keep track of your spending. It even alerts you if you go over your 'budget' (which you get to set). I have only ONE app on my iphone that didn't already come with it, and it is MINT! It has helped me in so many situations. I usually use it to check my bank balance, but sometimes I have needed it to see if a check has cleared, or what my last few purchases were. The app is free, and I love it.

So there you have it- three books and an app to help you get started on becoming financially literate and organized by the end of 2010. Let me know if any of you actually take my advice and read any of these books, or, if you have any books you would like to recommend.