The 9 Best Personal Finance Books for Women in Their 20s and 30s

I believe the best time for women to read personal finance books and learn about money is in their 20s and 30s.

Your 20s and 30s are decades full of transitions that impact your finances and can determine the trajectory for later on. My 20s were full of trial and error when it came to my finances. I graduated undergrad with a lot of student loan debt. This deterred me from going to grad school and paying it off was my main financial priority.

While living within your means and paying off debt are important, there’s so much more to financial wellness. Your mindset, relationships, and career earning potential can greatly impact your finances. And, financial education can be complex and layered.

Many of us, myself included, are learning this stuff on our own. I’ve found books to be some of the most helpful resources in improving my finances.

These books helped me pay off debt, negotiate more money at work, and scale my own business to earn more. Here are the best personal finance books for women looking to work on their finances.

9 Personal Finance Books for Women in Their 20s and 30s

1. I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

This book is like personal finance 101. It teaches you how to understand your finances and how to start investing. There’s also an emphasis on determining what living a “rich life” means to you. It’s a great read for anyone looking to pay more attention to their finances.

2. Get Good with Money: Ten Simple Steps to Becoming Financially Whole by Tiffany Aliche

Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche is truly the GOAT when it comes to financial advice. If you’ve experienced money trauma, are looking to build better financial habits, or want to make peace with money, this book is a great pick for you. It’s clear, easy to follow, and gives you tangible steps to improve your financial well-being.

3. Worthy: Boost Your Self-Worth to Grow Your Net Worth by Nancy Levin

Finance meets mindfulness in this book by Nancy Levin. Worthy encourages you to look at the ways your self-worth has impacted your financial situation. This book takes you through guided exercises to help you build a better relationship with your money. After going through the exercises in this book, I noticed my financial situation began improving. I think the journal prompts in the book really helped.

4. We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers

Though it’s more about business than personal finance, it’s a great read for anyone. Author Rachel Rodgers drops so many gems throughout the book that will encourage you to expand your money mindset. Learning from a Black woman who overcame financial mistakes to become a self-made millionaire is inspiring, even if entrepreneurship isn’t something you’re interested in.

5. The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom: Build Wealth, Retire Early, and Live the Life of Your Dreams by Paris Woods

Do you have financial goals you want to hit, but aren’t sure how to get started? The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom can help you work towards those goals. This book covers debt repayment, paying for school without debt, and achieving financial independence early. It’s a particularly great read for women in their 20s who want a solid financial foundation.

6. You Are A Badass At Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero

Mindset work is a major part of improving your financial well-being and this is the OG money mindset book. Author Jen Sincero shows you how to improve your money mindset and move through money fears, which is key to bringing in and properly managing more money.

7. Overcoming Underearning: A Simple Guide to A Richer Life by Barbara Stanny

While budgeting is great, many people simply need to earn more money to reach their financial goals. This is a great book for helping you understand and break through your financial plateaus and start earning more.

8. The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and A Rich, Free Life by JL Collins

Let’s say you’re feeling alright financially. You’re working towards paying off debt and are pretty comfortable. Moving towards wealth-building is an entirely different ball game. This book outlines simple steps you can take to increase your assets and build wealth for the long term, which is a very different skill set than budgeting and is equally (if not more) important.

9. Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth by Deepak Chopra

We love yoga around here, and this book meets us at the intersection of financial well-being and yogic principles. Abundance covers the inner work we can do in each energy center to feel more abundant, and peaceful.

What books or resources have been helpful to you in your financial wellness journey?

This post is about the best personal finance books for women in their 20s and 30s.