How you manage, spend, and invest your money can have a profound impact on your life, yet very few schools teach these important skills. Learning financial savvy can take a while, but the basics are fairly simple and never change. Here's where to get started.
The Richest Man in Babylon, by George S. Clason. The message of this 1926 book is that rich people are rich because they save their money and don't get into debt.
Your Money or Your Life, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. This book will change your relationship with money.
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, by Jack Bogle. This book is about index funds. Jack Bogle founded Vanguard and created index funds.
Consider where you find yourself as each phase requires a different strategy.
From nothing to something. This is where you live from paycheck to paycheck without any savings. Try to build a financial buffer of at least one month of expenses.
Gaining traction. Once you've saved at least one month of expenses, aim for saving six months of expenses.
Peace of mind. Put your money in a savings account and don't touch it. Everything else you save from now on is meant for investing.
Financial freedom. This is the stage where you have enough cash and investments to cover your cost of living.
Want to improve your financial situation? There is plenty of info out there - but much of it is bad. Learn about common money myths that could cost you.
Coupons are sold in lots to allow couponers to stock up on the best deals.
While coupons are great to save money, it does not make sense to spend on coupons in order to save. Coupons vary greatly by geographic location and store, and may not apply to your geographic area. Instead of buying coupons, get the Sunday paper for better ads, download an app or keep a coupon binder to stash extras.