8 books to read to help change your mindset and relationship with money

Chances are, if you came across this article and were intrigued enough to click it, you might be looking to improve your relationship with money. Maybe you’re in a state of feeling like you don’t have enough money. Or maybe you’ve got money and are looking for the confidence to use it. Even if your financial situation is good you might not know what opportunities exist to make your good financial situation great.

Getting comfortable with money and shifting self-limiting beliefs may make a difference between feeling stuck and thriving.

Money may not end your problems and can’t buy happiness. But getting good with money can help make some of life’s most significant burdens feel much more manageable. If your relationship with money could use a bit of a reset here are a few finance-centric reads that will help reshape your money mindset. 

8 books to read to help improve your relationship with money

Get Good With Money: 10 Simple Steps To Becoming Financially Whole by Tiffany Aliche 

When people talk about feeling “whole” they’re usually referring to spiritual and mental well-being. Get Good With Money author Tiffany Aliche dives into the 10-step process that helped her climb out of a “financial hole.” After the mishaps of a recession and misguidance from a shady financial advisor, Aliche found herself struggling. Not only does financial educator and “budgetnista” Tiffany share her recipe for financial success, but she also includes helpful resources. The worksheets, checklists, and advice included in her book help readers learn by doing.

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero 

New York Times called this “a cheerful manifesto on removing obstacles between yourself and the income of your dreams.” And that’s probably the best way to describe it. It was written as a follow-up to the NYT times bestseller, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. Author Jen Sincero uses her humor and sharp wit to shift how readers view their relationship with money.  She has plenty to teach about fully tapping into your earning potential. She was able to do so herself.

Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill published Think and Grow Rich during the great depression and now it’s required reading material for anyone looking to improve their relationship with money. Since 1937, folks have flocked to Napoleon Hill’s teachings of Andrew Carnegie’s tried and true 13-step formula for making money. Hill touches on everything from desire, “the starting point of all achievement.”

How to Invest $50-$5,000 10e: The Small Investor’s Step-by-Step Plan for Low-Risk Investing in Today’s Economy by Nancy Dunn

When you don’t have money management skills, investing can feel completely out of reach. Trusted financial advisor Nancy Dunn wrote this book to challenge that self-limiting belief. She offers advice on investing to readers of all experience levels. From selecting the best bank account to breaking down more complicated things such as mutual funds and stocks, Dunn meets readers where they are. And helps them get better acquainted with the concept of investing.

The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom: Build Wealth, Retire Early, and Live the Life of Your Dreams by Paris Woods

It’s no secret that marginalized communities have a historically complicated relationship with money. In communities where simply talking about money is taboo, it’s hard to dig in deeper sometimes. Discussing generational wealth, avoiding financial traps, and designing a life of your dreams can be rare conversations. Author Paris Woods has had her own financial struggles to work through. She created this relatable guide geared explicitly towards helping Black women of any age become their best financial selves. The shift in the conversation surrounding money starts here, one financial journey at a time. 

Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School?: 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By by Cary Siegel

“Why didn’t they teach me this in school?” is a question many of us have asked while facing our finances head-on. If you reflect on what you learned in school and wondered why it didn’t include the basics of finances, your sentiments are heard and addressed in this candid read. This one a great starting point for someone who has little to no knowledge of how to manage money.

The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel

“…In the real world, people don’t make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at the dinner table, or in a meeting room, where personal history, your own unique view of the world, ego, pride, marketing, and odd incentives are scrambled together.” If you’re a fan of learning from other people’s experiences, you’ll love Morgan Housel’s approach. Housel takes a deep dive into the intersection of money and psychology through sharing short stories. Each one is rooted in exploring why we spend money the way we do. And why we harbor certain feelings towards it.

Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together by Erin Lowry

If you like your education with a side of entertainment, you won’t regret adding this book to your reading list. This book asks some hard questions. Like, “Do you treat money like a tinder date or as marriage?” That’s just one of the thought-provoking questions this read forces us to explore. All in hopes of going from living “paycheck to paycheck” to thriving as “financial badasses.” 

Changing the money mindset one read at a time

But, changing your relationship with money won’t be an overnight adjustment. It can happen with a little bit of work. The books on this list can help you get there and in no time you might find your mindset has changed.