Book Review: Money Advice Round Up

I've been on a bit of a finance kick lately. I think it finally struck me that I'm almost 30 (ok, a year and a half to go, but still) and I have no idea if my finances are where they're supposed to be. I know that everyone's situation is different, but I figured I might as well smarten myself up a bit and see if I'm on the right path.

That being said, finance and finance books make me want to take a nap. I minored in business in college, and I still have no idea how I got through those classes because I didn't know what was going on half the time. So I've collected some books that are easy to understand, hilarious, or short to make the process easier.

I Will Teach You to be Rich - by Ramit Sethi
If you only ever read one finance related book, read this one. It's written for 20 and 30 year olds and is freaking hysterical. Better yet, listen to it as an audiobook. I got a copy from my library, and the audiobook is narrated by Ramit himself. I don't even know how to describe this book. It's brilliant, full of common sense that no one seems to listen to on their own, and he talks about punching stupid people in the face. He's like the male, Indian, more financially savvy version of myself, and it's phenomenal. He tells you exactly what you should do with your money, and none of this full budgeting or Starbucks deprivation. It's not so much teaching you to be rich as it is teaching good money management. And while this book is a few years old, the basics still apply today.

The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read - by Daniel R. Solin
Short, sweet, to the point. I know nothing about investing. This book teaches a tiny bit about investing. My favorite part about the book (one that I wish more books did) was the fact the author actually said go ahead and skip the next 5 chapters if you want to get to the good stuff. That's the kind of book I like,  one that tells you to skip the fluff and get right to the point.

The Richest Man in Babylon - by George S. Clason
I listened to this book on my commute and this is another one I would recommend as an audiobook. It gives financial advice in the form of tales from Babylon and ancient civilizations. Good advice on saving is still relevant, but I'm not sure if I would have been as interested in this book if I had been reading it. It was entertaining, but if I had to pick one book to read it would be I Will Teach You to be Rich.

The Millionaire Next Door - by Thomas J. Stanley
This was my least favorite of all the books. It just wasn't what I expected. It has very interesting information on the affluent in the country, they're not what you'd expect. While the information was interesting, the book was largely a collection of research data. While I didn't find it that helpful, my dad is a huge fan of this book. So to each their own.

So if you're looking to start reading some easy to understand financial books, hopefully this will help!