Giveaway: New PF books.

I’m pretty much done with my holiday shopping. How is yours going? Here’s my suggestion for a potentially life-changing gift: books about personal finance.

On the face of it, this could seem dull. (“Gosh, thanks, auntie, for the book about money,” accompanied by an epic eyeroll.) But consider it a chance to give someone a shot at taking charge of their finances. For example: 

• A recent high school or college graduate who isn’t sure what they want with their life and has had little to no guidance on figuring out how money works
• A newly divorced friend, who needs help writing their new money story
• A relative whose livelihood was depleted (or outright destroyed) by issues beyond their control, such as serious illness or DOGE-related layoffs 

Or maybe that someone is you. Maybe you’ve realized your current money habits don’t allow much room for growth, or are outright unsustainable. But how do you know where to get advice? 

These books might change someone’s life:

CRUSH Your Money Goals: 25 Smart Money Habits to Save, Invest and Fast-Track Your Financial Freedom

This book by the delightful Bernadette Joy is signed by the author (on the back cover, because Bernadette does things her own way). She knows something about money issues, having earned an MBNA and also having “burned her debt” of $300,000. Tired of those “let me pick your brain” sessions that took up time and provided nothing in exchange, she started a podcast and then became a financial coach.

Not everyone can be that cool. But we can aspire!

She’s particularly dedicated to helping people understand the ways that “emotional and psychological aspects that impact financial behavior are overlooked and underestimated, particularly for women and underrepresented communities.” As the eighth child of Filipino immigrants, Joy is no stranger to hard work – but she wants to help readers direct that work ethic toward getting ahead, rather than just living paycheck to paycheck.

Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management

This book is a hoot, but it’s also filled with actionable advice. Emily Guy Birken is the author of four other books about money. Joe Saul-Sehy created and co-hosts the popular Stacking Benjamins podcast.

The two of them promise there will be no “avocado-toast shaming” or penny-wise/pound-foolish advice. You’ll be given a boatload of tools to help you rewrite your financial story, and the ongoing humor is the sugar that helps the money medicine go down. 

(Seriously: Check out Joe’s podcast, recorded live from his mom’s basement.)

Lean Learning: How to Achieve More By Learning Less

Former architect Pat Flynn is an author, entrepreneur, passive income expert, FinCon speaker and, lately, an influencer in the weird and wonderful world of Pokemon card collecting. He’s surprisingly humble for a multimillionaire, and his new book reveals a crucial mindset for the Internet era:

Action without information is chaos, but information without action is a waste. The key to unlocking our full potential lies in finding the perfect balance between the two.

As someone for whom over-researching is an avocation, I approve this message. Flynn’s book could help you take charge of figuring out what you need to know and learning it – but knowing when enough is enough.

This could apply to your finances, obviously. But it might also change a lot – or everything – about your life.

If you’re more of a listener than a reader these days, I’d like to point out a current Amazon promotion: three months of the Audible service for 99 cents a month. You can get new releases, older bestsellers, podcasts and more. Books/podcasts can take your mind off things while you commute, work out, clean the house or do yard chores.

After three months, the subscription will revert to its usual $14.95-per-month fee. (Disclosure: As an Amazon affiliate, I will receive a commission if you subscribe using my link.)

Win some books!

Want to change someone’s life, or maybe your own? A book can do that. There are several ways to enter to win one of these:

• Leave a general comment below (one per customer)
• Follow me via Feedly
• E-follow me by using the “get new posts by email” box at the top right of this page (towards the bottom of the page if you’re on mobile), or using the little green envelope icon at the end of this article)
• Sign up to follow me on Twitter
• Sign up to follow me on Facebook

Please leave a separate comment for each entry (e.g., “Follow you on Twitter” or “Subscribed by e-mail”).

The deadline to enter is 6 p.m. PST Sunday, Nov. 2. The first person to respond to my email gets their pick of the tomes; the second can choose from the other two, and the third will get what’s left. If I don’t hear back from the winners by 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, I will have the random number generator pull more names. 

Note: Due to the high cost of international shipping, this giveaway is limited to U.S. residents.