Janet’s Book Nook

I know that when summer hits people start to think about way to get their finances in order. It seems that getting the kids back to school reeks havoc on our finances and everyone starts to consider that their must be a better way to make it. Well I have done a lot of research on this and I am always trying out new things. There are several good books out there that can help get you on the right track.

The very first thing that I always suggest is to check with your church and see if they offer a class on finances. Many of them are based on biblical principles of living debt free and are very good at helping to get a budget in order and pay down the debts. Most of the time they are free or cost only the price of the books or reference materials needed to take the class. In my church they do the Crown Financial Class and I have spoken to many couples who have had their lives changed by this class and its principles. It is taught at church communities all over he country so if your church doesn’t offer it you can research to see if one near you does.

What if you don’t want to take a class and just want to read books to do it? There are some really good ones and it really depends on the approach you want to take. Here are a few that I have either read or heard great things about:

Suze Orman- Suze has several different books that are themed for certain groups of people. She has The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, Young, Fabulous and Broke, and Women & Money. I have read Women & Money and you would be amazed at how many mistakes women make without even realizing they were do so. I also have her FICO Kit which was a real eye opener. I have always kept and eye on my scores but this really helped me to see where the problems were and what I needed to do to fix them. I also found that the reporting agencies are not the most accurate people in the world and so it is my responsibility to make sure they are reporting my information accurately.

Dave Ramsey: Total Money Makeover: A proven plan for financial fitness. I haven’t read this one because I do watch his show often and he justs rubs me the wrong way. I have heard amazing things about his program though and I have had many people tell me that they are now living debt free because of his program. I know that it is based on an envelope system and cash that works well with other people. This would be dangerous for me because I can’t hold on to cash when it is there. I work much better with my debit card and a budget. Like I said, it is an amazing program for some people.

Mary Hunt: Live Your Life for Half Price and Debt-Proof Living. I haven’t read her books yet but I do often read her site and her newsletter. She is more along the lines of cutting back on expenses and finding ways to live life cheaper. I have seen some amazing ideas on her site and I highly recommend for those who just don’t have enough money to cover their needs.

I hope that these books will give you guys some place to start from. There are a million resources on line for helping to reduce debt and to cut back on expenses. Some people really love to coupon shop and have made a job out of saving money and getting their grocery bills as low as they can while still feeding their families well. If you guys have any reference materials you have read that would fall in any of these categories please feel free to let me know about them and I might just read and review them too. Enjoy!