Financial freedom eludes many. But by reading books on the topic, you can begin your journey to financial freedom.
If you dream of being financially independent, these financial freedom books will teach you the basics of wealth building and help you avoid the common financial traps many of us fall into.
Top 6 Financial Freedom Books
1. The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
Working hard is not the problem. Working hard and getting nowhere—that’s the problem.
If you’re thinking about getting your financial life in order, this is an excellent book to start with.
Told in the form of short stories and parables, The Richest Man in Babylon will teach you how to acquire money, keep it, and make it work for you.
You’ll learn that wealth building is a journey and that to truly become wealthy, you must understand the laws of money.
Key lessons/What’s in it for you:
- A portion of all you earn is yours to keep
- Seven cures for financial problems
- Understanding the role of good luck in your financial life
- Choosing wisdom/learning over money
- The five laws of making and keeping money
- How to avoid carrying the financial burdens of others
- Protecting your future through insurance, savings, and investments
- How to overcome debts while building your wealth
- The crucial role of work in your financial life
Who this book is for:
- This financial freedom book is ideal for anyone at the beginning of their financial independence journey.
- But it’s still a great and fun read for those familiar with personal finance ideas.
2. The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins
This financial freedom book will teach you simple strategies for building wealth.
It’ll teach you to start thinking of money in terms of what you can earn and covers all aspects of personal finance, from saving to investing to climbing out of debt.
The book’s main lessons can be summarized by the following rules: spend less than you earn, invest the surplus, and avoid debt.
Also, the book focuses on long-term investing and wealth building, and primarily discusses index funds, stocks, and bonds.
Key lessons/What’s in it for you:
- Saving a significant portion of your income as a way to sustainably build wealth
- Staying out of debt
- Embracing Jack Bogle’s indexing lessons
- The three considerations for choosing an investment strategy: the investment stage of your life, your acceptable risk level, and your investment time frame
- Three tools for building your wealth portfolio: stocks, bonds, and cash
- How to get to the ultimate goal of spending 4% of your assets per year
Who this book is for:
- The Simple Path is geared toward those who are interested in growing their wealth through a high savings rate and investments.
- If you earn a reasonable income and still feel stuck financially, this book should give you ideas and options for improving your situation.
3. The Art of Money Getting by PT Barnum
A classic financial freedom book, The Art of Money Getting offers timeless rules for making money.
Although originally published in 1880, the book still offers valuable advice that applies to our modern era.
Key lessons/What’s in it for you:
- The first rule of financial freedom is economy—spending less than you earn (have your necessities/comforts but minimize the luxuries).
- The second is to select a career that plays to your strengths/natural inclinations.
- The third is to choose a location that fits your lifestyle/career choice.
- The fourth is to avoid getting into debt.
- The fifth is to persevere and be self-reliant.
- The sixth is to focus on your craft or business with all your might.
- The seventh is to acquire the best tools/human resources.
Who this book is for:
- The Art of Money Getting is for anyone who loves reading classics and doesn’t mind reading a short, sweet book on the basics of personal finance.
4. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
The Psychology of Money is a gem that’ll change how you think about money.
Its premise is that doing well with money has little to do with your intelligence but a lot to do with your behavior.
Written in a fun, engaging style, the book offers 20 lessons for improving your relationship with money.
Key lessons/What’s in it for you:
- We all view money differently because of our personal experiences.
- All outcomes in life are guided by forces outside individual effort.
- Develop a sense of enough.
- You don’t need tremendous effort to create remarkable results.
- Getting money and keeping it are two separate skills.
- Nobody makes the best decisions every time, but you can make wrong decisions half the time and still manage to build a fortune.
- Control over your time is the highest dividend money pays.
- Kindness, humility, and empathy will bring you more respect than an expensive lifestyle.
- Wealth is what you don’t see.
Who this book is for:
- This financial freedom book is excellent for anyone looking to understand the psychological side of money.
5. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Rich Dad Poor Dad focuses on how to gain more money-making assets while reducing money-draining liabilities.
The book explores two ways of thinking about money and investing (from a rich mindset and a poor mindset) and shows you how to make your money work for you instead of working for your money.
Key lessons/What’s in it for you:
- The difference between a liability and an asset
- How to teach your kids about money
- How to set yourself up for financial freedom
- How to get out of bad debt, gain control over your financial situation, and actually start investing in assets to secure your future
Who this book is for:
- This financial freedom book is for anyone starting their financial journey or those looking for a refresher on the basics of financial freedom.
6. How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne
Although not a typical financial freedom book, How I Found Freedom offers several ideas and options for gaining freedom in all aspects of your life.
The book focuses on methods that you have complete control over and aims to help you live your life on your terms.
Key lessons/What’s in it for you:
- How to be free without changing the world
- How to avoid the common traps in life
- Freedom from the government, social restrictions, bad relationships, and business problems
- Allowing others to be free is the key to your freedom
Who this book is for:
- This personal freedom book is ideal for anyone looking for ideas on how to live life as they desire.
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