Best Books to Improve Your Money Mindset | My Debt Epiphany (2024)

Have you ever felt like you were doing your best to make progress with your finances but not really getting any sustainable results? Over the years, I wasted a ton of time stressing out about money, chasing after money, and inflicting painful budgeting tactics on myself and my family…that didn’t even work.

At the end of the day, my relationship with money didn’t get better and my situation didn’t improve much. I realized what I really needed to work on was my mindset. Mindset comes before money – hence why money mindset books are the best! It’s your thoughts and feelings that create your actions and results.

Don’t believe me. Think about everything you have and do today from your job and your hobbies to your home. All of these things existed in your mind first. It started with a thought, feeling, and a belief. I spent a long time still having a poverty mindset from when I had a super low income.

I’m not that person anymore so I can’t keep those same thoughts and feelings that I used to have when it came to managing money. Without the proper mindset, you can’t get far with your personal finances. Luckily, it’s not hard to change your mindset around. One of the easiest ways is by reading books.

I’ve been reading a lot more books lately and each month I give myself a theme. Last month was personal development, this month is personal finance, and next month will be self-care.

Here are 5 of the best books to improve your money mindset. I’ve personally been reading these money mindset books and they’ve helped a ton!

1. Overcoming Underearning

I listened to this book on a road trip over spring break and it was super eye-opening. I spent most of my adult life so far as an underearner and I didn’t realize how much that had tied into my identity.

Barbara Stanny explains how underearners are self-saboteurs who don’t live up to their earnings potential. They tend to live paycheck to paycheck and have a high tolerance for low pay. Right off the bat, this sounded like me and a lot of people I surrounded myself with.

At one point, I claimed I really wanted to earn more money and I was tired of having a low income. Whenever the opportunity came around to earn more, I never took it and became comfortable with my mediocre situation and being an underearner.

In this book, Barbara teaches that underearning is a self-imposed condition and can be turned around. She includes stories and testimonies from everyday women who have taken her workshop, Overcoming Underearning. This book includes 5 essential steps to start declaring your worth and earning more to match your potential.

2. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

I actually read Secrets of the Millionaire Mind last year but may read it again because I love it so much. T. Harv Eker really goes deep in this book when sharing how the rich think vs. how poor people think.

In one chapter, he mentions that we all have a ‘money blueprint’ which is basically a collection of thoughts and experiences (usually from childhood) that determine our feelings and actions surrounding money. A person’s money blueprint can determine how hard they’ll work and how much income they will make throughout their lifetime.

When Harv mentioned that some people will never earn more than what they’re currently making due to their money blueprint, that just blew my mind. In fact, he claims that he can use this information to predict someone’s financial future in just 5 minutes. This book isn’t all just about making money, though.

In part 2, readers get to learn how the wealthy actually think and this insight can help you in many other areas of your life as you search for fulfillment.

3. 4 Financial Languages

4 Financial Languages is a newer book that I’m actually still reading. It’s written by Tarra Jackson and reveals some pretty interesting secrets when it comes to communicating about money. I’ve made it known that my husband and I weren’t always on the same financial page and it still takes some work and effort for us to manage money well together.

This book reveals that there are 4 main financial languages just like love languages. Most people are drawn to one, but can have multiple financial languages and money management habits which are referred to as ‘dialects’ in the book.

I love how this book teaches you how to identify your top financial language and learn how to communicate with your partner in their financial language.

Related:How To Get Your Spouse On Board With Budgeting

4. Your Money or Your Life

I’ve heard great things about Your Money or Your Life, but I’ve never actually read it for myself so I decided to give it a try this month. This book puts the ‘time is money’ mantra in very literal terms. It clearly reveals the fact that everything we do with money is a tradeoff. It’s important to determine what you want your money to do for you early on.

Do you want to spend your whole life trading your time for money and buying “stuff” that literally costs hours of your life? Probably not! This book is geared toward people who are seeking financial independence, but it offers tons of insight and tips comes to determining your American Dream, being honest about what makes you feel fulfilled, and valuing your energy as well as your time.

I like how the book is broken down into 9 chapters for the 9 steps the author provides on transforming your relationship with money and achieving financial independence.

5. Worthy

Worthy is one of the best books to improve your money mindset. It was written by Nancy Levin and it’s all about increasing your self worth so you can grow your net worth. This book is so raw and gets real about how lack of self-worth can cause serious money problems. For starters, when we feel we aren’t good enough, it often leads to the fear that we are undeserving or will never have enough.

The book unmasks the fact that money is often a source of anxiety for some people and the state of our net worth has a direct connection to how we feel about ourselves. Worthy does include a 10-step plan for readers which includes some great stories and thought-provoking questions.

I love books that include steps, plans, etc. because it’s easy to follow along and ensure you get results. That’s what improving your mindset is all about.

Bonus Book

6. Mindset Over Money

I wroteMindset Over Moneybecause throughout my financial journey I learned the importance of having a strong money mindset for financial success and I really want to help others who struggle with this now.

In the book I share all of my best mindset tips to help you build a new relationship with money and grow your confidence around earning it, saving it and spending it. It’s a complete guide that will shift the way you look at money and help set you up for a rich and abundant mindset, which is needed to level up in your finances.

And because I love books with steps and plans, I included actionable steps and examples that dive deep into what mindset is, how to overcome limiting beliefs, the truth about earning money and SO much more.

Final Thoughts

These 5 best books to improve your money mindset books only scratch the surface but they are some great reads if you’re looking for a serious change in your life. If you feel you don’t have a lot of time to read, consider trying out Audible and downloading audiobook versions of these books.

I’ve been an Audible member for two years now and I absolutely love it. I can listen to books when I’m in the car, doing chores around the house, or exercising. Plus Audible often has deals and promotions on books. New members can get a free book and 30-day trial to try it out.

What’s your favorite personal finance book?