Comments on: What I Read to Keep Up on Personal Finance

By: joanie

joanie — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:53:26 +0000

Trent, I hope you are aware that you can access articles online remotely, from your local library website? If you pay taxes to a local library in Iowa(?) you will most likely be able to get a password to get thousands of magazines online with full-text. You don’t mention this, so maybe you have discussed it before. This is Imperative for the average person to know and lots of people don’t know this. I am really impressed with your columns.

By: ML

ML — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:14:31 +0000

Trent,

You mention, “I can read pretty fast.” Was this learned, if so how, or just a natural gift?

Keep up the good work.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:15:47 +0000

Trent,

Thanks for the links. You might also want to consider subscribing to the Financial Times paper or at least visit their web site from time to time at http://www.ft.com.

I think they provide an unbiased account of global economic issues that may help with personal finance as well.

Eric

By: 1WineDude

1WineDude — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:22:20 +0000

And you don’t read 1WineDude.com…!???!!?

Egads!!! ;-)

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:12:57 +0000

I don’t think it’s good to read so much. It’s better to read fewer, better books. You would do better, for example, to use some of that three hours to teach yourself Greek and read Homer.

By: TParkerson

TParkerson — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:02:52 +0000

Great post Trent…sometimes, something totally off of the PF radar is good to remind us to stretch our brains.

The greatest President we ever had (IMHO), Teddy Roosevelt, reportedly read a book every day to stretch his grey matter…he’s my hero and I’m trying to get to that level of voracity! One of my favorite sayings is “so many books, so little time!”.

For Frugal Dad, and also Trent, since I know you both have young children…one way to insure reading time is to teach your young to read, read, read! My first hubby and I made a concerted effort to make sure our son knew the importance and indeed, the joy of reading. Our son could pick up any of the hundreds of books in the house and we would help him read it. As his skill grew, we started stretching our collection to include his areas of interest. (I know, that’s slightly more than the few books Trent keeps on his self and yes, I have had to move them three times now!) I am extremely proud of the fact that my son, who is a senior in high school this year, reads at a post-graduate college level. And, I never worry about reading time…he “respects the book”.

Anyway, thanks for all you do, Trent. You do put yourself, and your family, out there for us all to see…brave, very brave!

Hope everyone has a joyous day…get a good book to read in the sunshine today!! Nothing better! Time’

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:13:25 +0000

FYI about the Economist. The entire edition is free online. There is no reason to pay the $150 a year for a subscription. On a website partially about frugality, that should be noted. I’d certainly cancel an Economist subscription, get the same content online over making my own detergent.

By: Nate

Nate — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:31:49 +0000

I really enjoy the Economist as well. My other favorite is the Financial Times, for keeping track of business and financial trends and general news from around the world.

By: clint

clint — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:30:27 +0000

“Reading is the means by to become educated…School is not education…School keeps us from the real education…Don’t let School get in the way of your education…” quote from my grandmother on reading and educating.

Great post trent! Keep your education alive.

Clint Lawton

http://www.a-debt-free-life.com

P.S. I learn more each day from reading good books than all the school classes I have ever taken on money and personal finance.

By: Glblguy

Glblguy — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:29:24 +0000

Wow Trent, thanks so much. Truly honored to be listed and included among such great blogs.

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:02:29 +0000

Trent, thanks for being a Frugal Dad reader! You’ve highlighted a few of my favorite sources as well, and The Simple Dollar has been on my blogroll since the first day I started blogging.

I would really like to boost my reading time, too, but continue to find competing priorities getting in the way. Once the kids are back and school, and the household returns to some sense of normalcy, I will start trying to carve out more time for reading.

By: Dude

Dude — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:51:15 +0000

Wow, between the hundreds of finance books, all the PF blogs you read and your frugal approach to life, you must be a millionaire by now. Perhaps even a billionaire. Can you give us an update on how rich you’ve become by reading, writing, and practicing frugality along with reading all the things you do for the past couple of years?

By: Stop Getting Cheated

Stop Getting Cheated — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:13:58 +0000

Trent, that’s a lot of reading. I think the quality that sets you apart from other bloggers/writers is your ability to process complicated financial information, relate it to honest experiences in your personal journey, and express it in a way that is easy for us to understand.

I’ve had The Economist recommended to me previously, but have never really been drawn to it. Since you see value in it, I will give it an honest shot. I stopped reading MONEY 16 years ago after investing in some stocks by their “experts” and having them all tank big time. Now I do my own research.

Great post. I admire your skills and tenacity.

By: tiffanie

tiffanie — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:41:13 +0000

Hey Trent! I was just reading my newest issue of Woman’s Day magazine and saw you featured in their article on how to save money grocery shopping. I was so excited to see it because I have only been reading your blog for about a month, and it was neat to recognize one of my inspirations in a magazine! I quickly pointed it out to my husband and he thought it was pretty cool, too. :) Just thought I’d share.

By: Recritique.com

Recritique.com — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:42:16 +0000

Some of the best advice I ever recieved is make sure you check who you are taking advice from. Investigate and don’t just assume that because someone is on such or such a show that they are credible. Like don’t take advice about being self employed from someone who is not self employed even if it is a CEO of a company. If the CEO is employed by the company they are not self employed.

Thanks for the article.

Robyn
Recritique.com
Restaurant Coupons, Freebies and More.

By: Sent

Sent — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:04:37 +0000

I read the section “Challenging fiction and nonfiction of all kinds” and whisper to myself “How does he read so much!” then I continue on for the answer lol

By: KC

KC — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:39:49 +0000

We read many of the same things. However, I’ve quit taking Smart Money. It just doesn’t speak to me – a little too high end. It was easily the least favorite of the big three.

I’ve been on the fence about the Economist, but after your glowing accolade I might just take it for a year and see. I’m more concerned about the time it takes to read it more than content.

Also I’ve trimmed back my personal finance blogs. The political season makes it much easier. I’m finding some people take too rigid of a political stance and seem to be very argumentative towards their readers. I’m all about being open to debate and free thought from all sides of the argument – not judgemental. So I’ve trimmed a few back that sided on the “I’m right, and your wrong” camp. My advice to bloggers who want a wide reader base – stay away from politics and controversial issues. It’s one thing to generate discussion – its another to show that you are taking sides.

By: Anne K

Anne K — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:39:36 +0000

Thanks, Trent, I’ve been wondering where I can read more about personal finance. I tend to shy away from magazines but have recently found Inc. which helps me to dream about where my small business can go. ‘Read voraciously’ is a quote from somewhere that I try to follow. The amount of reading you do is about the same as mine, and now I don’t feel like I’m the only one. Recently I’ve been reading about how to decorate more cheaply and about gardening- we’re buying a house. Most of what I read on those topics is found on the internet via StumbleUpon.

By: Ryan @ Smarter Wealth

Ryan @ Smarter Wealth — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:33:30 +0000

I run an entrepreneurs blog and I find that as I read other’s blogs and as I read books that I get most of my ideas as a bounce off from other people’s ideas. If I stop reading then my creativity often stops flowing. But the more I read the more I can give to my readers in the form of ideas and posts.
I like how you take aside time to just read material related to your blog. I think it is a great idea and I think I will start doing this (but maybe starting with 15 minutes per day instead of 3-5 hours per day) because I do not have as much time as you to do it full time.

Thanks for this post it was really inspiring and truthfully I can relate a lot because I run a blog similar and anyone who reads this post should take the advice and run with it.
Cheers

By: Tyler @Dividend Money

Tyler @Dividend Money — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:24:09 +0000

Hi Trent,
I read most of the same sources myself – aside from a couple of the blogs that you linked to.
Do you find that since you have become self employed that you are able to consume more information?
Thanks for a great list of links.
-Tyler