7 More Personal Finance Books To Add To Our Bookshelves ASAP
The summer cool down is one of the perfect times of the year to download that book you've been wanting to read--just in time for fall. Especially when it comes to our finances. And, with the seemingly never-ending highs and lows on the impact of our normal routines--and budgets--in addition to so many other things, there's never been a better time than now to learn something new.
The good news is, there are numerous books out there for every stage of life and for every money goal, whether deciding to retire early, having those tough conversations with family about money, building generational wealth, or simply taking that leap in choosing to see money from a different point-of-view. But which truly speak to us?
According to Dr. Nicole Garner Scott, the exclusive xoTribe membership app's resident Money Coach, Black women may be bearing the brunt of this recession with our employment numbers dropping by 11 percent. But we refuse to allow this to affect our long-term goals--we can only pivot them, and continue, as she always lovingly says, "to put more intention behind the life cycle of our dollars."
So, here's a curated list of personal finance books you should add to your bookshelf ASAP: some personal faves and some highly-acclaimed. Happy reading!
*Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through our links, xoNecole may earn a small commission.
The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner's Guide to Getting Good with Money
The Financial Diet
The Financial Diet is the personal finance book for people who don't care about personal finance. Whether you're in need of an overspending detox, buried under student debt, or just trying to figure out how to live on an entry-level salary, The Financial Diet gives you tools to make a budget, understand investments, and deal with your credit. It's about everything―from the clothes you put in your closet, to your financial relationship habits, to the food you put in your kitchen (instead of ordering out again).
The One Week Budget: Learn to Create Your Money Management System in 7 Days or Less!
Amazon
In this book, The Budgetnista herself teaches you what took her years to learn. The One Week Budget is for anyone that wants to manage their day-to-day money without the day-to-day hassle. Does this sound like you? What are you waiting for? Read the book already!
Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
Amazon
At the center of this fully revised and updated edition, Suze presents an all-new Financial Empowerment Plan, designed to get you to a place of emotional and financial security as quickly as possible—because the most precious commodity women have is time.
The Money Manual: A Practical Money Guide to Help You Succeed on Your Financial Journey
Amazon
All you need is information designed for you that empowers you to take action. An Amazon Best Seller, The Money Manual was designed to help you cut through the clutter that often leads to feeling overwhelmed and anxious. It's time you move from financially insecure to secure.
You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth
Amazon
You Are a Badass at Making Money will launch you past the fears and stumbling blocks that have kept financial success beyond your reach. Drawing on her own transformation—over just a few years—from a woman living in a converted garage with tumbleweeds blowing through her bank account to a woman who travels the world in style, Jen Sincero channels the inimitable sass and practicality that made You Are a Badass an indomitable bestseller. She combines hilarious personal essays with bite-size, a-ha concepts that unlock earning potential and get real results.
The 10 Pillars of Wealth: Mind-Sets of the World's Richest People
Think like a multi-millionaire: leave the 9 to 5 behind. The world has led you to believe that financial freedom is not something you can willfully create in your life. You have been taught to view wealth as something that happens only to a lucky few who win a random business lottery or are blessed with unimaginable talent. The TRUTH is that creating excessive financial wealth does not come down to luck or talent. It comes down simply to your beliefs, understanding, and views--the ''pillars'' that reinforce your every action.
Smart Women Finish Rich
Amazon
Smart Women Finish Rich is one of the most popular financial books for women ever written. A perennial bestseller for over two decades, now Bach returns with a completely updated, expanded and revised edition, Smart Women Finish Rich, to address the new financial concerns and opportunities for today's women.
Have you joined our xoTribe? Join today for weekly substantial conversations from like-minded women seeking a fulfilling financial journey.
Featured image by Shutterstock
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy