85 books like The Complete Tightwad Gazette

The classic book on what happens when we dare to live differently: “I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life.”

Thoreau takes on the ordinary traps of daily life that humans so often fall into, and explores the spiritual costs of becoming human havings rather than human beings. This book contains everything: nature, philosophy, economics, a heady dose of DIY energy, and a reminder of how little it takes to live a very good life.

This book is solely responsible for hooking me on Stoic philosophy, prompting my deep exploration of practical aspects of life in my own book and, most importantly, the application of them to my daily life. William’s writing is easy to follow, and his advice is very practical. I’d advise you to start reading the book from chapter four; and then when you are done with the book, come back to the first three chapters.

Our nation’s most insightful—and readable—sociologist? Boston College’s Juliet Schorr has my vote.

Over the past quarter-century, Schor has probably done more than anyone else in the world to bring grand conceptual constructs like income distribution down to the nitty-gritty of daily life.

Her 1999  best-seller, The Overspent American, strikingly exposes how inequality unleashes a “competitive consumption” dynamic that has us consuming ever more and enjoying life ever less. And that dynamic poses more dangers today than ever before.

As Schor put it in an interview with her I did some years back, we have “no chance” at achieving ecological sustainability “with the kind of extreme income distribution” that we have today. 

Philosophies of simple living are often addressed primarily to the individuals who is seeking happiness. This is largely true, for instance, of both Epicureanism and Stoicism. How Much Is Enough? shows how the questions raised by such philosophies also bear on the economic policies and political culture of rich, modernized societies. The basic argument of the book is that it is foolish for these societies to strive for endless economic growth. They are already wealthy enough to provide the basic conditions of the good life for all their citizens, including a radical reduction in the hours that people need to work. But this isn't happening because capitalism continually inflames people's misguided desire for more stuff and higher status. So the machine just keeps on pointlessly creating desires while plutocrats keep creaming off the wealth of society which could otherwise be distributed more equitably and more rationally. The book offers a… show more.

Your Money or Your Life is like a cheat code for living. The authors cut through all the “shoulds” we place on money to ask this simple question: What do you really want from life? 

Once you have pinpointed the specific things that make you feel satisfied, alive, connected, contented, and energetic, you can easily let everything else go–and then your money decisions easily fall into place. You simply need to ask yourself if a financial decision supports the things you want most.

The lessons of this book are simple to understand, but not easy to implement. But getting into the habit of thinking more about your life energy than about money means you’re on your way.

The number one fear for women in divorce tends to be money, since a woman’s standard of living often falls significantly post-divorce. Barbara Stanny, a journalist and the daughter of H&R Block founder Richard Bloch, found herself in financial straits after her then-husband gambled away their money, left her with a massive tax bill, and fled the country. She had to learn to make and manage her own money to support her three children and has since become a financial educator. This book is critical for any woman who is worried about her finances in divorce. Stanny tackles both financial literacy and the psychology of money in this powerful and practical read.

This book – a copy is free at hathitrust.org – shows how some truths about money are eternal. 

It is the first personal finance guide written for women but its advice is still valid – ‘high interest is another name for bad security’ ‘Do not put all your money into one concern’ ‘the Broker [you employ] should be of high standing and respectability’ ‘place the money…in the bank at interest [or] put it into the Funds’. And it is a model of clear writing. I loved it.

This book helps readers become financially “whole” by providing practical guidance, dos and don’ts, and action items. One of my favorite parts about the book was the author’s discussion on insurance. Before reading this book, I found much of the conversation around the various insurances to be overwhelming, muddled, and quite “salesy.” In this book, the author breaks down the importance of determining your insurance needs, selecting the right policies for you, and understanding specifics about health, life, disability, and property insurance. I also enjoyed the author’s discussion on selecting financial professionals, including practical advice on choosing accountants, financial advisors, and estate planning attorneys. 

This book filled a much-needed gap on my personal finance bookshelf. Tanja Hester’s Wallet Activism is the first personal finance book I read that’s all about using our money for good - to create more of what we want to see in the world. While I have a lot to learn and do in my Wallet Activism journey, I left the book feeling empowered to make real change. 

Not only does Finance for the People offer a blend of practical personal finance tips while addressing the emotional side of money, but Paco adds over 50 illustrations to help drive her point home.

Any time a book can explain something in diverse ways–from metaphors or stories to graphics–I find them more approachable. Paco's book helps people think critically and compassionately about how their beliefs about money shape their financial choices.

This book mirrors so many of my beliefs about money, making it a frequent go-to recommendation anytime someone asks me for a personal finance resource.