15 Best Financial Literacy Books For Australians
No matter if you’re just starting or already know a lot, there’s always more to learn about money.
The best books about money will show you how to take care of it and give you helpful tips to make smart choices.
When it comes to your money, you want the best advice. That’s why we’ve put together a list of 15 great books you should read.
Try reading one or more of these books if you want to get better at handling money, make smarter choices about saving and spending, and learn how to invest so you can have more freedom in the future.
1. The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape
The Barefoot Investor is a simple and easy-to-follow book about taking charge of your money. It was written by an Australian farm boy who worked hard to become successful.
The book teaches a clear plan to pay off debt, enjoy life now, and retire without worrying about money.
Scott Pape is one of Australia’s most trusted money experts. His book has sold over a million copies!
Even though he grew up on a farm, Pape dreamed of getting rich through the stock market. But things didn’t go as planned. He ended up moving back to the farm and now uses the idea of simple living to explain how people should manage their money.
The book breaks down money management into three steps: planting (starting good habits), growing (building wealth), and harvesting (enjoying financial freedom).
Pape gives both easy tips and creative advice. If you’re new to managing money, this book is a great place to start!
2. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
This book will help you think differently about money and teach you the basics of building a wealthy and independent life.
It tells the story of a boy who has two dads, one rich and one poor. Through their different views on money, he learns important lessons about how to manage it.
Even if you haven’t read many books about money, you’ve probably heard of this one!
Some people have criticised it for being bold in its ideas, but it does a great job of inspiring readers to take action.
The book is based on the real-life experiences of the author, Robert Kiyosaki. He learned two very different ways of handling money—one from his own dad and the other from his best friend’s dad.
The lessons in this book cover things like how to think about money, the basics of budgeting and investing, and how to make your money work for you instead of the other way around.
By the time you finish reading, you might even find that managing money can be fun.
3. She’s On The Money By Victoria Devine
Victoria Devine is a top financial advisor who has changed the way young people think about money.
Love eating avocado toast on a Saturday? Go ahead and enjoy it! Why? Because this book teaches you how to manage your money while still saving for big goals—like buying a house.
She’s on the Money shows you that you can be financially independent without giving up the little things that make life fun.
This book helps readers learn how to budget, save money, start investing, and build a strong financial future.
With a background in psychology, Victoria Devine explains how people’s habits affect their spending and teaches you how to create good money habits that will last.
It’s a mix of financial advice and psychology that helps you understand why you spend the way you do—and how to make smarter choices.
Packed with real-life success stories, ‘She’s On The Money’ inspires readers to take control of their money and feel confident about their financial future!
4. The Millionaire Next Door By Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
What do millionaires have in common? What surprising habits helped them become rich? ‘The Millionaire Next Door’ by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko answers these questions and more.
This book breaks the common myths about rich people. It shows that many millionaires don’t live in huge mansions or spend money on fancy things. Instead, they live simple lives, make smart investments, and value their independence more than luxury.
One of the best books about money, this book explains the habits that help millionaires grow their wealth. For example, 95% of them invest in the stock market!
It’s a great reminder that being smart with money and staying disciplined is what makes people wealthy, not spending a lot on an expensive lifestyle.
5. The Richest Man In Babylon By George Samuel Clason
George S. Clason’s ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ is a classic book about money that everyone should read if they want to learn how to manage their finances.
The book shares important lessons about saving, investing, and avoiding debt through exciting stories set in ancient Babylon.
Clason’s advice is easy to understand and follow, making tricky money topics simple.
The smart lessons in this book have helped many people build wealth and gain financial freedom, making it one of the best books for learning about money.
6. Money: Master The Game By Tony Robbins
This book is all about how to manage money and invest wisely. Tony Robbins interviewed over 50 billionaires, Nobel Prize winners, and money experts to create a simple seven-step plan to help people become financially independent.
The main idea? Set up a system that saves and invests money automatically. That way, even regular people can make money while they sleep and slowly build their own “money machine.”
The book explains seven easy steps to take control of your money, pay off debt, and grow your wealth. It also breaks down how the stock market, bonds, and mutual funds work in a way that’s easy to understand.
Robbins also talks about how to protect your money using insurance, estate planning, and smart retirement strategies. He explains why it’s important to start saving early, put as much as possible into retirement accounts, and choose the best ways to invest for the future.
7. The Total Money Makeover By Dave Ramsey
This book challenges the way people usually think about money and spending and encourages readers to take action to improve their finances.
Dave Ramsey shares a simple seven-step plan to help people feel more secure with money and eventually become financially independent. These steps include making a budget, paying off debt, saving for emergencies, and investing for the future.
One of the key ideas is the “snowball” approach for paying off debt, start with the smallest debt first, no matter the interest rate, and work your way up.
The book also suggests starting with a small emergency fund and slowly growing it to cover 3–6 months of expenses. After paying off debt and saving for emergencies, the focus should be on long-term investments while avoiding risky money moves.
It also talks about important topics like insurance and planning for the future.
8. Broke Millennial By Erin Lowry
This book is for young adults in their twenties and thirties who are struggling with money. It gives a step-by-step guide to help them go from feeling stressed about money to feeling in control.
It covers important topics like credit card debt, investing, and budgeting, but also dives into real-life money challenges. These include understanding your feelings about money, handling student loans without too much stress, budgeting for fun activities, and being open about money with your partner.
The book helps you figure out if you see money as something temporary or something to build a future with. It also gives advice on how to split bills fairly and how to be honest with your partner about debt.
9. I Will Teach You To Be Rich By Ramit Sethi
This book is a guide to saving money automatically so you can spend on the things you love, without feeling guilty.
Back in 2004, Ramit Sethi started a blog in his college dorm. He first made a few dollars selling an ebook, but once he saw how much money he could make online, he went all in.
Fifteen years later, his company, GrowthLab, makes millions every year from online courses.
His book, a New York Times bestseller, teaches you how to save money in different parts of your life, enjoy the things that make you happy, and set up your retirement savings, all in a way that’s easy to follow.
And the best part? His advice comes from real experience.
10. Your Money Or Your Life By Joseph R. Dominguez and Vicki Robin
This book is a step-by-step guide to help people take control of their money, understand their spending habits, and learn how to use their money wisely. It teaches that being smart with money isn’t just about saving—it’s about making sure your money helps you reach your life goals. The book explains how to cut down on things you don’t really need, save and invest more, and think about money in a way that brings more meaning to life instead of feeling trapped by it.
It shows how to see money in a new way and avoid buying things just because everyone else does. Readers will learn how to track their income and spending, create a budget to manage their money, and save and invest to build wealth over time. The book also encourages people to set personal goals and make money work for them while recognising that time is just as valuable as money. By following these lessons, readers can build a better financial future while focusing on what truly matters in life.
11. Making Money Made Simple By Noel Whittaker
Noel Whittaker is one of the world’s top experts on personal finance. He is a bestselling author, an expert in money and investing, a radio host, a newspaper writer, and a public speaker.
His book ‘Making Money Made Simple’ became a huge success in Australia and was even named one of the 100 Most Influential Books of the Twentieth Century. First published in 1987, it has been updated 23 times to stay relevant. It covers all the basics of money, investing, borrowing, and personal finance in a way that’s easy to understand.
If you’re going to read just one book about money, this is a great choice. As the title says, ‘Making Money Made Simple’ breaks everything down into clear, simple steps so anyone can follow along and learn how to handle their finances.
12. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
This book teaches the idea of value investing, which is about making steady profits over a long time.
Instead of worrying about what the stock market is doing right now, value investors focus on choosing companies that are truly worth a lot, even if their stock prices are low.
Some people say this is the best book ever written about investing. It is based on lessons that Warren Buffett learned from his teacher, Benjamin Graham.
Buffett discovered that smart investors look for companies with strong business foundations and buy their stocks when they are cheaper than they should be.
Then, they simply wait. Over time, the true value of those companies will show, and investors can make a good profit.
13. Think And Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill
The book ‘Think And Grow Rich’ was created after 20 years of research on more than 500 successful people. It is one of the best books for learning about money and success.
This book shares the 13 most common habits of wealthy and successful people. Even though it was written a long time ago, its advice is still just as useful today.
Napoleon Hill was asked by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie to interview rich and successful people to find out what made them thrive. After years of research, Hill published the book in 1937, and it has sold over 70 million copies since then.
This book isn’t just about money it’s about how to think big, set goals, and take action to achieve success in life.
14. The Psychology Of Money By Morgan Housel
Morgan Housel’s ‘The Psychology Of Money’ is a must-read for anyone who wants to get better at handling money. This book explains how feelings and habits often affect financial choices more than actual knowledge does.
Through interesting stories and simple advice, Housel teaches important lessons about wealth, greed, and happiness. He makes tricky money topics easy to understand.
One of the best books for learning about money, ‘The Psychology of Money’ shows why patience, humility, and self-awareness are key to building a stable and successful financial future.
15. The Automatic Millionaire By David Bach
‘The Automatic Millionaire’ is a simple plan to grow your money without needing to follow strict budgets, make tiny payments, or constantly move money around. Instead, it lays out clear, step-by-step instructions to help you build wealth automatically.
When David Bach was seven years old, his grandmother took him to McDonald’s, not just for a meal, but to teach him a lesson. She told him that there are three types of people: those who eat at McDonald’s, those who work there, and those who invest in McDonald’s.
That lesson stuck with him. Years later, he became a vice president at Morgan Stanley, one of the biggest financial companies. Today, he writes books and runs a consulting business, helping people take control of their money.
Seven of his books have become New York Times bestsellers, but ‘The Automatic Millionaire’ is the most practical guide for anyone who wants to build wealth the easy way.
Summary
We believe these are some of the best books ever written about money, and they can help you take control of your finances and your future.
These books will give you a strong understanding of how money works, but if you want to learn even more, talking to an expert at MN8 Wealth can take your knowledge to the next level.
Start learning today and feel more confident and in control of your money and future investments!
