Becoming more financially literate is important for anyone, but especially if you’re a migrant who needs to manage their finances in two countries and save up money to send home. Many people have the desire to become more financially aware but don’t know how to do it on their own. Like anything else, financial literacy is a skill that can be learned with enough time and patience. Whether your goal is to pick up more financial terminology or learn how to balance a budget, here are some resources you can use to help educate yourself about finances.
1. Books
If you really want to go in-depth and learn a lot on a specific financial topic, then books can really help you dive deep into learning. There are plenty of personal finance books for people with all levels of financial literacy, the important thing is just to get started with your reading. These are a few that are great to start out with:
- Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki
- Transforming Your Relationship With Money, by Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin
- I Will Teach You to Be Rich, by Ramit Sethi
- Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School?: 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live, by Cary Siegel
2. Podcasts
If you’re less of a reader and have some time on your daily commute to work, then podcasts can be a great way to pick up some personal finance knowledge on the go. Many finance podcasts bring on special guests who are experts in different financial fields, which means you can get a great introduction to a variety of topics just by listening for a few hours a week. Here are some podcasts we recommend:
- BiggerPockets Money
- So Money
- Money for the Rest of Us
- The Dave Ramsey Show
- The Clark Howard Podcast
3. Blogs
Blogs are another great way to get bite-sized tidbits of information that can help form your financial literacy. That being said, there are endless blogs online by everyone from companies to bloggers to your average person, so it’s important to make sure the blogs you’re reading are reliable. Here are a few that you can count on for financial information:
4. More Online Tools
Aside from books, podcasts, and blogs, there are endless online tools you can use to help improve your financial knowledge. While the resources suggested above are simple and accessible places to begin, there are ways to continue your financial education with additional resources, such as:
- Following financial experts on social media to remain active in the discourse of current financial events
- Relying on websites that provide you with several financial literacy tools, like blogs, forums, webinars, help centers
- Using apps that help you track your spending habits and budget so that you’re aware of your current financial health
- Taking online courses to help you gain more practical knowledge about finance to apply to your daily life
Final Word
There are many different ways to financially educate yourself. The best way to begin is simply choosing the resource you’re most comfortable with and start anywhere. For example, at Rewire, we have multiple resources that help migrants not only send money abroad but also learn more about managing money as a migrant and even network with other migrants to discuss more personal finance tips.
