As I make progress towards becoming debt free, I am making it a priority to educate myself more about money. I want to have a better understanding of handling finances, financial mindsets and many other useful topics. My favourite way of doing this is reading. This is a part of my journey that I’m particularly keen to share with you as I believe you could get a lot of value from it. This month I would like to share the Meaningful Money Handbook.
Finance book of the month – The Meaningful Money Handbook
Published just one month ago, the Meaningful Money Handbook by Pete Matthew is brand new to the finance book world but it is already being received very well. The main reason for this is Pete’s approach to talking about money. He discusses everything in basic terms, ensuring that everyone can understand and absorb the information that he is sharing.
The book follows a structure of three main topics: Spend less than you earn and clear debt, Insure against disaster, Build up your savings and invest wisely. The intention is that if you follow the advice on these three topics in the order that they are shared you will ensure a secure financial future for yourself and your family.
Pete lays out all of this knowledge that he has gained over his years in the financial industry, all the while ensuring that you are taking a sensible approach to handling your money and doing things in the right order. Whether you’re at the beginning of your money journey and starting from zero, or have achieved debt freedom and are ready to delve into the realms of investment and security, this book has something for you.
What I love about Pete’s approach is that he breaks each topic into manageable chunks and then writes about them in a way that makes you feel like you’re chatting to a friend about money. There are no textbook style breakdowns or over the top inspirational speeches that seem to pop up in nearly every book nowadays. You don’t feel like you’re being lectured. It’s just straightforward advice.
Spend less than you earn for example, is broken down into subheadings such as budget, spending less, getting out of debt and so on. It’s not complicated. It’s a simple common sense approach. Even better, there is no judgement conveyed in the book. You’re facing a mountain of debt? OK, let’s fix that. This is exactly the sort of writing that I need. A style that makes me feel supported and encouraged.
The book’s layout also allows you to dip in and out as you make progress with your finances. Often it can be overwhelming to take on so much information at once, especially if you have little to know understanding of healthy money habits. Instead, taking on one point at a time can be a more digestible approach. Then you can return to the next step as you adopt new habits and find yourself making progress based on Pete’s advice.
You can find The Meaningful Money Handbook here on Amazon. (This is an affiliate link. I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to use it. Thank you!) Pete also has a podcast which I would definitely recommend, called the Meaningful Money Podcast.
I absolutely encourage you to begin reading (or listening to audiobooks) as part of your debt free journey. Not only do you learn something as a result, but it also allows you some time to switch off from your debt and all the other goings on in life and just focus on the book in hand.
You can read my previous Finance Book of the Month post here.
