I can’t remember saving up for anything.

Very recently, I still thought saving is something that some people do, but that I don’t, and that’s okay. Because surely modern life has proved that if you just make enough money, you don’t need to worry about that. (Despite ample evidence to the contrary.)

Then I read “The Millionaire Next Door,” by Thomas Stanley. The book reads like a cudgel to the head, but sometimes that’s what it takes. Its essence is simple: Savers build wealth; spenders don’t.

But to borrow a line from Julie Powell, author of the Julie & Julia (Child) blog and book: Simple doesn’t necessarily equal easy.

I started reading more books, looking for a road map to said wealth. This took a little while, because I decided I’d get them all through the library (my 14-digit library account number, unlike my bank account, I know by heart) before I committed to buying any — and then, in the spirit of this project, used.

So I’m using MP Dunleavey’s “Money Can Buy Happiness,” (music to the ears of a spendthrift), David Bach’s “Smart Couples Finish Rich,” and Barbara O’Neill’s straight-up “Saving on a Shoestring.” (Coming: a book list.)

And also, one long-neglected copy of Beth Kobliner’s “Get a Financial Life,” copyright 1996.

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Tags:   Barbara O'Neill · Beth Kobliner · David Bach · Millionaire Next Door · MP Dunleavey · Saving · wealth3 Comments