Family Matters Guest Blog5 min readAugust 13, 2021

Money Matters at Your Library: Popular Reads on Personal Finance

A MoneySmart Guest Blog

Your public library is an incredible resource for free information and entertainment. You can borrow books, movies, magazines and video games, use the computers and WiFi, enjoy a concert, or simply meet up with a friend. The library has something for everyone.

Libraries are also budget-friendly with expert staff to help you with any question you have. You don’t need to worry if you are a few days late returning your items, too. Winnipeg Public Library, and many other public libraries, no longer charge overdue fines!

Looking for recent reading on personal finance? You’re not alone. Some of the most popular books that have been published are about personal financial planning. Here are some current hot titles:

Wealthing Like Rabbits by Robert Brown covers key introductory personal finance topics for Canadians with humour. Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money takes a conversational approach to money principles and behaviour through 19 short stories.


Shift into OverDrive

Winnipeg Public Library’s OverDrive service has eBooks on the basics of budgeting to learning about investing to employment and business resources. Download eBooks, magazines and eAudiobooks for free with your library membership. A few notable titles available to borrow:

Gail Vaz-Oxlade is a continuing Canadian favourite for her simple, straight-forward talk on money such as Money Rules. Her book Easy Money is a great primer on wants, needs, saving and spending (also available as a book club kit at the library!).

Author Cait Flanders’ memoir the year of less explores a year of minimalism in her quest to get out of debt. Get Good with Money by Tiffany Aliche, the “Budgetnista” is a practical book of advice on planning to weather financial storms and addresses the emotional side of money.

National income programs created to help Canadians through COVID-19 sparked renewed conversations on guaranteed incomes to address poverty, including Evelyn Forget’s Basic Income for Canadians: from the COVID-19 emergency to financial security for all.

Also in 2021, Canadian Kelley Keehn updated her introduction to personal finance Talk Money to Me to include the challenges of saving and spending during COVID and other times of economic uncertainty.

 

For the Kids!

Looking for ways to start the conversation on financial literacy with your family? These books will help kids learn to be money smart:

Even the youngest family members can join in with books about counting and basic math such as Count It! Fun with Counting and Comparing by Rachel First.

Caregivers and kids alike will enjoy the vivid illustrations while learning the value of money with the picture book You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime by Harriet Ziefert. In this story, a young boy learns about earning, saving and spending choices as he shops for his favourite toys.

For great tips and strategies on learning about money for families check out Money Minded Families: How to Raise Financially Well Children by Stephanie Mackara and Make Your Kid a Financial Genius (even if you’re not) by Beth Kobliner.

Need further suggestions?

You can find more recommendations and search our online catalogue at Winnipeg.ca/library. Or, contact your public library in person, online or by phone. We’re here to help – no charge!

 

Kathleen Williams
Administrative Coordinator of Adult Programming & Outreach
Winnipeg Public Library

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