Personal Finance Books = Peanut Butter Cups

My name is ChouChou and I'm addicted to self-help finance books. Well that and peanut butter cups. Both provide such a sense of pure and instant gratification as I devour them. Both cost me money. Both leave me with a sense of feeling "full" after I am finished. I love them both. Tremendously. A lot.

I have just finished reading "The Five Lessons a Millionaire are Taught Me." This was an easy read. Straight forward and to the point. Just like peanut butter cups. I have a hard time weeding through complicated books on personal finance. Just tell me bluntly flat out what I need to do. The chocolate is on the outside, the peanut butter on the inside - clear, concise. Love it.

The book is broken into five lessons, thus the title. And all of the lessons are not anything new that we did not know before. But that's okay. Doesn't matter if I know it or have heard in the past the content because once I read it again it gets me motivated.

If we're honest, most of the things in these books really are rudimentary concepts that are common sense and easy to apply. However, because people like me with a household to manage, kids to home school, and a myriad of other things, I need a handbook where the information is compiled in one spot. If others want to do the work by all means let them. Face it - we're busy people and you can only pack so much into your brain. Having the information in other places helps.

So part of your overall strategy to live on less and pay down debt should include personal finance self help books. Why? Because the information is in one place. Because these people spend more time researching the very topics you need to know about, might even be experts in the subject, so you want good, clear consice information. Because you want to stay motivated. After I read a good personal finance book and am even more motivated about saving and immediately want to do some of the techniques that I have learned or "forgot" about. It keeps all of the information in front of me so that I can make sure that I am doing all that I possibly can to be an active participant in debt reduction and living lightly on the planet.

And somehow in the grand scheme of things, peanut butter cups do that too.

Debt and/or Savings Strategy Step #3: Read Self Help Personal Finance Books.