Best Budgeting Books – Top 10 Picks For Managing Your Money

Although budgeting seems like a straightforward concept, many people have trouble keeping track of their finances and setting a reasonable budget for themselves. Even more, it can be hard to figure out which budgeting strategies are best for you to implement, since so many different pieces of advice are out there.

That said, learning how to budget is one of the most important aspects of money management. Once you make a plan and set a budget for yourself, you’ll be able to spend more on the things you love, save more money, and plan for the future. That’s why we’ve gathered up a list of the best budgeting books, so you can learn everything you need to know for how to manage your money.

Best Budgeting Books

Below are the top 10 books on budgeting to help you create a financial plan for yourself, identify your top priorities, and quickly pay off debt. 

1. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey’s all-time bestselling book explains how to deal with a mountain of debt by enacting a proven budgeting plan. The first step? Stop normalizing debt and take control of your finances. Since 2013, the average credit card debt among Americans has increased by 18.5%, according to The Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

While debt increases, Ramsey will teach you how you can eliminate debt forever by implementing small habits. He even includes a 7-step plan on building your financial future and believing that you deserve financial freedom. 

Later on, he debunks the myths about money and debt in our modern society and explains why they’ve been holding us back from becoming rich. He’ll teach you how to set up an emergency fund, invest for your retirement, and take control of debt to reach true financial independence. After all, this is what budgeting is all about. 

2. Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry 

Praised by The Washington Post, Broke Millennial teaches readers how to stop scraping by and get their financial life together. When you’re let off into the workforce in your early 20s, the idea of budgeting and finances can seem both confusing and daunting. Luckily, author Erin Lowry is here to teach you how to take control of your money and be smart with your spending.

This step-by-step guide will teach you how to go from broke to financially free. Instead of just explaining the basics of budgeting, saving, and investing, Lowry makes money management interesting. In this, you’ll learn about what to do when you and your crew can’t afford to split the bill evenly, how to manage student loans while reducing anxiety, and much more. 

3. The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach

In Bach’s 4th book about the secrets of acquiring wealth, he begins with a compelling story about a low-income American couple that goes from less than $55,000 per year to over $1 million in savings, debt-free. He dives deep into the reasons that you cannot get rich with only a budget, and the importance of setting up an automatic budget plan to pay for your lifestyle. He explains how this automatic payment plan sets you up for the future, pays for the present, and puts you on the path of financial independence. 

Later, Bach analyzes the mindset of getting rich, and why willpower in regards to spending will always have more impact than creating a flimsy budget. His main claim: being interested in money is more important than making money. 

All in all, The Automatic Millionaire is the go-to book for securing your financial future. David Bach gives you all the tools you need, from websites to phone numbers, to create an effective budget and financial plan. 

4. Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties by Beth Kobliner 

Get a Financial Life is the 4th edition of the New York Times best-seller and guide for younger adults in a world where personal finance is of growing importance. Now more than ever, people in their 20s and 30s require financial guidance since the modern-day education system lacks such instruction. According to a study done by The National Endowment for Financial Education, only 24% of millennials possess basic financial literacy. Thanks to Kobliner, you now have the perfect book to read right out of high school and college to set you up for financial success. 

This book covers it all: from setting a reasonable budget to making diverse investments, you’ll be able to plan for specific future financial goals and earn a steady income along the way. 

5. The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley  

The Millionaire Next Door explains the simple spending and saving habits of the rich that most ignore. Stanley explains how these habits lead to more cash in the bank and how you can implement them into your own life. He also explains the effectiveness of good money habits and teaches you how to avoid critical mistakes on your way to financial independence. 

This book is not only action-oriented but also thought-oriented, as it explains how millionaires think about money differently. Further, Stanley debunks the myths about the rich. While rich people appear to live the most extravagant lifestyles and spend the most, it’s doing the opposite that got them to be rich in the first place. 

After reading this book, you’ll be determined to manage your finances, budget wisely, and invest in things you know. Financial freedom is more important than a wealthy status, and a healthy bank account is key to a healthy life. 

6. How to Manage Your Money When You Don’t Have Any by Erik Wecks 

Written for Americans who struggle to make money on a daily basis, How to Manage Your Money When You Don’t Have Any provides a respectful look into the various realities within our modern economy. In this, Wecks provides an easy-to-follow path toward financial stability that you can cater to your lifestyle.

In even the most financially strapped households, this book will open your eyes and give you hope. Instead of focusing on wealth creation, this book focuses on how you can make the most out of your current income, no matter the circumstances.

7. The Everything Budgeting Book by Tere Stouffer 

The Everything Budgeting Book contains practical advice for spending less, increasing savings, and having more money for the things you really want. In this helpful guide, you’ll learn how to make every dollar count and prepare for your financial future. Stouffer explains how to save on everyday expenses, how to prepare for unexpected events, and how to use worksheets to keep all of your finances in order.

Whether you’re saving for a new house or simply looking to improve your budgeting skills, this book will get you closer to those financial goals. By the end, you’ll be able to balance your checkbook, avoid pre-payday panic, and start enjoying wealth that you never knew you had. 

8. The Latte Factor by David Bach 

The Latte Factor is all about why you don’t have to be rich to live rich. In this #1 best-selling book, author David Bach explains how to make your dreams come true despite your current financial situation. In this heartwarming parable, he goes into motivating personal stories about people who have gone from financially struggling to financial freedom.

You’ll also learn about Bach’s three secrets to financial freedom, and how easy shifts in your everyday routine will ultimately transform your life. 

9. I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Author Ramit Sethi is the creator of both blog and book: I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Sethi is one of the most well-known finance gurus of the 21st century and a New York Times best-seller. 

This book helps you earn more, save more, and live an affluent lifestyle. According to Spend Me Not, 58% of Americans have less than $1,000 in their savings. Thankfully, Sethi guides you in creating income streams that allow you to make money on autopilot and introduces you to the joy of being able to spend guilt-free on the things you enjoy. In this step-by-step process toward taking control of your finances, Sethi emphasizes that since anybody can become rich, all readers can take these actionable steps. 

Ultimately, I Will Teach You to Be Rich will teach you how to take responsibility for your finances, eliminate your harmful habits, and take control of your money. 

10. You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham

You Need a Budget provides a proven system to break the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle, get out of debt, and live the life you want. This indispensable guide will teach you how to transform your relationship with money and guide yourself back to your true priorities. 

By the end of this book, you’ll feel in full control of your life and your finances. You’ll know how to age your money, roll with the punches, and identify your priorities. 

Final Thoughts: Budgeting

The budgeting books above not only provide firsthand advice from financial experts, but motivate readers to set a financial plan by explaining the budgeting stories of success. Once you identify your priorities, set a budget, and save more, you’ll realize that you don’t have to be rich to enjoy an abundant lifestyle.