David Bach writes a great financial how-to book. And the “Automatic  Millionaire” is arguably his best (it’s also the only one of his that I’ve read, so I’m biased). When you’re lost in a sea of debt or just wondering how to make that dream home come true, check out his simple tips for financial success.His key theory is that when you make it “automatic” through direct deposit or whatever, you forget about it. We waste so much money on chai tea lattes, downloading iTunes, etc. that we quickly lose track of where it all goes. He isn’t a fan of the budgeting system (I actually am, but I still think it’s a good book) so he gives lots of techniques to avoid the monthly budget. This book isn’t likely to make you rich but it’s got some sound advice and ideas for anyone who struggles with finances. If you’re REALLY struggling financially, try to sign up for a Dave Ramsey course called “Financial Peace University”. It’s usually offered by churches and gives you (and your spouse) 12 weeks to meet with others in your same situation and work through basic principals. The huge advantage of “Financial Peace” is that there’s accountability in a group setting. I never had to show my budget or financial info to anyone, but we did talk about whether we did it, how easy/hard it was and what in particular we were suffering with on a week by week basis. If you have kids, get “The Automatic Millionaire” and show them the chart early on in the book that demonstrates what can happen when you set aside money and let it earn interest over 40 or 50 years. It’s amazing and well worth sharing with your children. 

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