What’s the most useful thing to someone at any stage of their lives?
I’d argue that it’s a book, maybe the best financial independence books?
Our society is built on the backs of everyone who came before us. When the time comes, future generations will build their empires on what we leave behind. But it’s not grand cities or wads of cash that help the people who come after us. It’s knowledge. And humanity has always left behind its knowledge in books.
Why Read Books On Financial Freedom?
A book of life lessons lets the reader skip having to formulate and learn new lessons themselves. Some of the best life lessons talk about how to navigate the world.
Hundreds of years ago, that might have been the best way to handle a farm. Today? Let’s be honest with ourselves. It’s about money. So in these days, having the best financial independence books in your library is probably the best way to live your own life, avoid debt, and beat the wealth game.
Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley
How much money does your neighbor have? They’re driving a secondhand car, so probably not much, right?
Well, they probably won’t tell you. But outside of the 0.01%-ers out there, you might be living next to a multimillionaire. Financial independence doesn’t come from having all the money in the world. Rather, it’s about learning to spend wisely. That means two things: living within your means and putting your money in places where it grows. You’ll need another income stream too — that might be house hacking, or you could choose to invest wisely.
So ask yourself: did they get that used car because they couldn’t afford anything else, or was it a deliberate and strategic financial choice?
Simple Path to Wealth by J. L. Collins
Let’s take a closer look at what what making your money grow means from JL Collins.
I had always been intimidated by the stock market. I mean, who hasn’t heard stories of people who invested in stocks, dumped money into index funds, and later lost everything?
But there’s more to the stock market than dropping cash on something. It’s about strategy, and J. L. Collins’ showcases strategies that significantly simplified my investment approach and eliminated the stress of trying to pick individual stocks or time the market — all the while showing me how to make passive income. And another thing he says that’s critical: don’t spend more than you earn. It’s easy to forget that. So don’t overcomplicate things: take the simple path to wealth.
Richest Man in Babylon by Samuel Clason
Sometimes, wisdom is timeless. Whether you’re an ancient person in Babylon or a modern day office worker, here’s something about financial freedom that’s held true since time immemorial: pay yourself first.
This book is filled with parables that, although they weren’t actually written by someone from Babylon, would be sage advice for anyone across the breadth of human history. And reading these stories about personal finance changed the way I saw my finances. This book changed my life. It’s a classic for a reason, and I’d strongly recommend it to any young people interested in making more money.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Now here’s a controversial one. “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” came under a lot of scrutiny some years ago, but ultimately, one of the most important things to know about everyone who’s reached financial independence is that they learned to think for themselves.
So when it comes to this one — read it, and question what you’ve learned both from the book and outside it. I pulled a lot of valuable lessons about real estate investing from it, along with a new understanding of the mindset I should have on my financial journey.
Set for Life by Scott Trench
Is there really any proven path to financial freedom? Short answer: yes.
Long answer? It involves aggressively saving what you earn from your active income. Drastically reduce your living expenses, save a good chunk of your income, and help create a financial buffer for both emergencies and for growing your money. Always, always spend within your means.
There’s more to it than that, of course. So if you want the full answer on how to achieve financial independence: pick up Set for Life.
And honestly, I feel like I am best friends with Scott already. I’ve probably listened to over 500+ hours of their interviews from the Bigger Pocket Money show. That being said, his 4 levers of financial independence is a proven path for those who are just starting out, especially those just out of college.
I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Seti
And after all that, we come to the last book on the list. Definitely not the least — if anything, it might be my favorite. I Will Teach You To Be Rich points out something that cuts to the heart of why financial independence is so easy for some people yet so difficult for other people: psychology.
How you think about money drastically changes how you spend it. So find out how you should be thinking about money from Ramit Seti.
Picking The Right Financial Independence Books
So here’s great book after great book, all promising success using the wisdom of entrepreneurs from the past few decades to almost a hundred years ago. The times change, but the lessons on financial independence remain the same.
So if you’re looking to maximize your assets and make millions, this blog analyzed books that might be worth it to take a seat with a cup of tea (or coffee, I won’t judge), and spend the afternoon with your nose in a book.
