Let operation learn personal finance begin!
Sometimes, I find myself assuming that the average person knows the basics of personal finance. More and more, this assumption is proving to be wrong. Oftentimes, people just need to start learning the basics before they can make more important decisions. So, I’m going to turn back the wheel and go through what I did in the beginning years of my quest to soak up as much personal finance information as possible.
Looking back, my interest in personal finance was next to none. I was in high school and knew next to nothing about personal finance. Only once I hit college did personal finance play a role in my life. I found myself in charge of my own finances for the first time in my life and had the great responsibility of paying my way through college.
With the topic of personal finance literally thrown in front of my face, it was an immediate call to action. I’m going to share with you four simple, common sense steps I took to educate myself in the area of personal finance.
1- Start reading some finance books
My advice would be to head down to your local half-price bookstore and pick up some popular personal finance books. There’s literally thousands available to you. You should find some books that cover what I call, the “core” to your personal finance education. The core fundamentals include consumer credit, budgeting, insurance, investing, saving money, and retirement. Learn these core fundamentals and you will be set for life. The saying that says get back to basics rings true in personal finance. Get the basics down, and the rest of it will take care of itself. The key here is to learn the basic areas of personal finance. Now go get reading!
2- Subscribe to a couple personal finance blogs
This is probably the best decision I made in terms of educating myself in the area of personal finance. Find a couple personal finance blogs and subscribe to them. I first started out reading ChristianPF, PTMoney and MyMoneyBlog. I attribute much of my personal finance success to these blogs. Not only is it great information but it will inspire you to put your newly acquired information to good use.
3- Read the business/finance section of the newspaper
If you are not receiving a hard copy of your local newspaper, you need to do that pronto. Reading the financial section will help you understand what is going on around the world and will guide your investment decisions. It’s not enough to learn personal finance principles. You need to understand world finance and know what’s going on around the world. You won’t regret reading the newspaper. Not only is it relaxing, but the more you read, the smarter you can invest 🙂
4- Talk to people older and wiser than you
Find a mentor or a family member who has been around the block a few times. I learned SO MUCH from my Dad. He taught me how to manage my money and how to be responsible with it. He instilled in me the simple rule of not spending more than you earn. These types of people will educate you more than any college education. Go get coffee with these people or start emailing them. The sooner you do this, the sooner your personal finance life will be in order.
There you have it folks. Four simple steps any beginner can take to get their personal finances in order and start a personal finance education. See, it’s not that hard after all!
Follow Us!