I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)

This is my favorite book that I return to over and over again. It is the one I gift the most frequently to friends, family, and recent grads. From my own experience, I disagree about this book not being for people under 20 (while simultaneously agreeing, so let me explain). I read most of the book when I was 18 as an undergrad and revisited a couple time till I graduated college and got my teaching credential at 25. I both read and scanned, sometimes without fully comprehending and without being able to implement, well, really any of the recommendations. And yet, the guidance was still super useful because I didn't make financially unsavvy decisions that would delay my being able to set up a savvy, automated financial system upon graduation and earning an income. For example, I saw a lot of my peers making decisions such as buying a new car upon receiving their first paycheck or two because they could afford the payments (or even prior to graduation) - the payments that would put their fixed costs at 90% of their income and cause them to live paycheck-to-paycheck with a ton of stress!! This book gave me the vague and general understanding of what I was going to try to set up before I had the means to do so, before I was even earning a real income. It helped me determine and sort out my financial values and figure out how I wanted to live my life. It helped me choose a financially responsible spouse who also read the book. Ramit's guidance helped us arrive at similar financial values and systems from the start. We're so glad we have the tools to talk about money without stress. We've had many friends speak to us about how they have such a hard time talking about money with their partners because the partner just shuts down about it. We sympathize, and as a result of their transparency about their own struggles, we don't take for granted how empowered we are because of this book. (And how brilliant of Ramit to supplement with his podcast of the same title to listen to couples have these conversations) The book is easy(ish) to follow. I would recommend just accepting that you won't understand everything the first time through, but I realized later that I understood more than I thought and rereading sections really helped. I love the way it is organized into "weeks." Each "week" has steps that are actionable and gave me *the* guide to set up my finances. What's great is you can sort of "pause" at certain weeks when it takes longer to set up what you need to. For example, I graduated with about $4,000 in credit card debt. I read on so I know what was coming, but I had to pause after Weeks 1-3 as I prioritized paying off that CC debt (which I did within 4 months). I was able to create a debt payoff plan: I chose to use my student loan grace period to pay off the CC aggressively, then start paying off my student loan debt with minimum payments while building up the funds to open my Roth IRA at Vanguard, and so on. I automated everything and literally one day looked at my Roth and was like, "How did I get so much money?!" And that's on a teacher's and adjunct university lecturer's low pay! I'm not kidding when I say it's almost like it happened by accident - I set up everything immediately after college graduation and never felt like my life was limited or lacking from putting aside money each month. I was able to determine which order to pay things and how to allocate my paycheck. I've been able to keep my fixed costs low and build up a nest egg so I am under little financial stress, even through my periods of low pay and job insecurity. I just can't say enough good things. Read it now even if you can't implement. Read it even if it doesn't make sense to you (yet!). It's so worth it.

This is one of those rare personal finance books I actually keep coming back to. Whenever I have a question about money, whether it's optimizing my credit cards, thinking through investments, or just needing a reality check, I flip through it for a refresher. It's practical in a way most finance books aren't. What I appreciate most is how clear Ramit's advice is. He doesn't just tell you what to do, he explains why it matters and walks you through the reasoning. No confusing jargon, no vague platitudes, just actionable steps you can actually take. And here's the thing: he's not trying to sell you anything. No affiliate links for investment platforms, no pitch for his courses buried in the chapters. It's just solid, honest advice from someone who wants you to get your money right. I've sent this book to all my younger family members. If someone I care about is just starting to think seriously about their finances, this is the book I want them to read first. It builds the foundation they need without overwhelming them. If you're looking for a straightforward guide that you'll reference for years, not just read once and forget, this is it.

This book is a great encapsulation of the core principles necessary to build a Rich Life, and what that means to you specifically. Obviously the financial management strategies themselves are why you would pick up something like this book, but what was refreshing and somewhat counter intuitive for a book with this title was the focus on NOT obsessing over spreadsheets, extreme frugality, and depravation until some lofty future time when you finally “made it” and can actually spend on things you want. The author uses humor and entertaining analogies to highlight the value of spending on things you care about and bring you joy, while still taking meaningful steps to set yourself up for future financial stability and success. There are no fancy or convoluted schemes to follow, just solid, straightforward, immediately actionable plans on how to start or redirect your journey to financial independence, and once you do so, enjoy life as Ramit says “outside the spreadsheet.” This was a great read and a phenomenal resource for anyone interested in taking control of their financial future and ensuring long term success, while still living their best Rich Life in the present.

This book will get you to a solid 95% solution if you implement Ramit’s key steps. You’ll do better than almost everyone. How do I know? I’m nearly 57 and learned all his methods in other places along the way. As I read it, I found it to basically be a checklist of the many things I have done in my life to create a solid, stable life for me and my family. I do have more complex questions now (concentrated portfolio positions, special needs trusts), but very few people have those issues. I will say, though: one thing that should be included is that the easiest way to manage costs for a wedding is to understand that there is a price per person. You can dramatically vary expenses by adjusting those two things. Example: we chose between Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Maryland for our wedding. We ended up choosing Ohio. Prices there were far less than prices in two of the other locations and it was easier to plan because one of us lived there. And that meant that we did not have to limit the number of people we invited. Instead, we got to invite everyone we care about and have a three day party. It was great. And also: I still have the spreadsheet and could look up exactly how much we spent. We were under budget, so we got to ask the florist to really go crazy with the flowers. Looking back on it, I might have instead hired some cleaners for the house, but we didn’t think of that until years later.

I’ve been waited for quite long since there was trouble during the shipping. However, I was quite happy since the seller gave me fast response. After I received the book, I am so disappointed with the quality of the book! It’s so bad , as you can see in the video!

El libro me ha parecido practico y útil, al principio al estar en inglés y que su primer tema trata el tema de las tarjetas de créditos y deudas me hizo pensar que tal vez tratase otra realidad social distinta a la mas común en España (ya que los estadounidenses tienen fama de abusar de las tarjetas de crédito y generar un monton de deuda), pero a la vez te anima a usar las tarjetas de crédito si esta ofrece buenas ventajas y siempre mantenerte en unos limites que a su vez hace que mejore tu puntuación crediticia (que en un futuro puede sernos beneficiosos a la hora de hipotecarnos). Empieza desde el consejo intentar saldar la mayor parte de las deudas, emplear el dinero de forma practica pudiendo disfrutar de parte de el y termina dando consejos útiles para invertir y automatizar el proceso, pero por lo general la lectura es amena y practica, Ramit Sethi quizás emplee algún coloquialismo que dificulte la comprensión para los no nativos, pero el mensaje general resulta fácil de entender. Se lo recomendaría a toda aquella persona que tiene poco control sobre sus ingresos y gastos y quiere poner un poco orden, empezar a invertir de forma sensata y sin calentarse mucho la cabeza. Como dice, el mejor momento para invertir y sacar mas partido a tu dinero es ahora.

Ramit is a lifesaver. This book is a gem. I specialy loved its ton. Must read book, for sure. You will learn so much stuff.

Not sure why there's so much criticism for this book when it's perfect for complete beginners (usually high school age folks) to personal finance. It teaches you the very basics which is still valuable information especially if you grow up in a family where talking about money is treated as taboo. After reading this book, I was able to ask specific questions about personal finance with my dad and actually ended up learning a lot more in depth about how the household finances were run through structuring my questions with the terminology I learned from this book. I have taught a workshop on personal finance based on the concepts in this book to high school aged folks to prepare them for university/college or other forms of higher education during a summer internship as well. Which helped them at least be introduced to these personal finance terms as schools rarely teach this material. 3 years after initially reading this book, it's still something I highly recommend to my friends looking to understand how to get a handle on their own finances, along with the budgeting app YNAB. Just simply getting hung up on the term "rich" does a disservice to yourself and others, as the point of this book was to define what "rich" looks like to YOU. Not the standard "make a lot of money and you'll be happy" definition of it. The goal is to make your current finances work for you and to set up your current self for success by avoiding debt traps and investing in yourself.

This is the book that finally got me to stop just thinking about managing my money and actually start doing it. The tone is like a no-nonsense friend who tells you to stop overcomplicating things : it's a bit cheeky, but it works. I finally automated my savings and finally opened a retirement account. It’s not about getting rich quick; it’s about building rich habits without the guilt or complexity. If you're ready to take action, this is your push.