How did your financial picture get to be what it is today? Here are several of the best resources to help you examine and transform your relationship with money. These are more than just tips on budgeting and reducing debt and spending. The books, web sites and software will help you understand how your time, money and the environment are related and how to use your life energy wisely.
Books
1. Your Money or Your Life - Classic book by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. YMOYL will help you understand the value of your time and figure out what your real hourly wage is. Comprehensive and life changing.
2. Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow - If you hate what you’re doing for a living, it’s time to make some changes. This book by Marsha Sinetar will help you find the courage to follow your dream.
3. The Simple Living Guide - by Janet Luhrs. A must-read book on voluntary simplicity and achieving overall balance.
Web Sites
1. Financial Integrity - Established by Joe Dominguez, Vicki Robin and others as The New Roadmap Foundation. This is a nonprofit that offers a detailed program with free downloadable program guides and other materials to help you understand your money and spending and make some changes.
2. The Simple Living Network - A site chock full of resources on simple living, such as study groups, newsletters, SimpleRadio, and discussion groups.
Software
You Need a Budget - I tried Microsoft Money, Quicken, Excel spreadsheets, and other methods for keeping a budget, and they just don’t work. I was delighted when I found YNAB and have been using it since. Rather than trying to estimate what your next month’s income and expenditures are, YNAB uses your last month’s numbers. It’s a system that will give you a buffer and an entire program and forum that will educate and support you. You can read my review of YNAB and the chat I had with its founder over at Lifehack.
Photo credit: FreeWine.
Tags: debt, green, money, software, voluntary simplicity
