Here are the recommended list of finance books:

• All Your Worth. Someone may hate this book at first. But this book will sure have a huge impact on helping you find a balanced financial life. The idea of Balanced Money Formula is originated here.
• The Complete Tightwad Gazette. This book is a monster — almost 1000 pages of ideas on how to live well for less. Amy Dacyczyn was the Queen of Cheap twenty years ago, and her legacy remains strong. If you want to know how to get the best deal on groceries, how to shop for clothes, and how to reuse anything, then pick up this book. It’s a treasure trove of ideas.
• Debt is Slavery. Not many people have heard of this slim self-published book. That’s too bad. Michael Mihalik does a fantastic job of explaining a handful of basic financial concepts, and his advice is sound. This is the perfect book for a young adult who doesn’t know where to start.
• The Four Pillars of Investing. It can also be replaced this book on the list with Jeremy Siegel’s Stocks for the Long Run. Book The Four Pillars of Investing can be a go-to book for reminding yourself why adopting index funds as the main investment strategy. This book covers investment theory, history, and psychology, as well as the business of investing.
• The Incredible Secret Money Machine. It may be long out of print, but The Incredible Secret Money Machine is a terrific book about building “money machines”, businesses or products that keep producing nickels year after year.
• Work Less, Live More. Bob Clyatt’s book on early- and semi-retirement may be on lots of people's favorite list. It’s sensible, comprehensive, and inspirational. He includes a big section on smart investing, and offers ideas for how to pursue your passions once you’ve stopped working full-time.
• You Can Negotiate Anything. It was a toss-up whether to include this or Negotiating Your Salary . The latter is outstanding, and it is recommended highly to anyone who is applying for a job or asking for a raise. Herb Cohen’s book is chosen because it covers a wider range of topics. And it’s entertaining!
• Your Money and Your Brain. It’s a great book. Jason Zweig covers the latest research into how money affects our behavior. There are a lot of interesting books out there about the psychology of personal finance, but this is the most comprehensive.
• Your Money or Your Life. This book has influenced thousands of people — including me. The book includes advice about getting out of debt, living frugally, and seeking financial independence. But what most of us remember is that it helped make money less abstract, helped us see how it was directly related to time.
• Your Money: The Missing Manual. It’s a great resource, getting to the heart of a broad range of topics. Plus, The author has done his best to point to other books and websites readers can use to get more information.

Most of books are written by a writer, so recommendation basing on authors will also help us to read more books. One friend of J.D. Roth gave a guest post, talk about recommended authors. It seemed that this friend focused a lot on index funding, so the recommended authors are almost experts on index fund. And here are the recommended list of authors:

• John Bogle
  Like Malkiel, Bogle advocated indexing before indexing was cool. He founded the Vanguard Group of mutual funds in 1974 (after getting fired from another job — talk about making the most of adversity!), and created the first index fund available to individual investors in 1975 (institutional index funds had been tried a few years earlier). People at The Motley Fool like Bogle so much, they named a room after him. After he gave a speech to a company a year or so ago, he received a standing ovation. To learn about investing from one of the smartest and most ethical people around, read Common Sense on Mutual Funds or The Little Book of Common Sense Investing. To learn a bit about Bogle’s life, his life lessons, and why he thinks today’s financial-services industry fails investors, read Enough.
• Eric Tyson
  Tyson pens many of the financial books in the For Dummies series. All of them are good. If you’re new to financial stuff in general, start with Personal Finance for Dummies. Also, lots of people love the Guru Watch area of his website, which digs deep into the track records of financial pundits.
• William Bernstein
  Bernstein’s The Four Pillars of Investing is on the above book list, and it is worthy of a second trecommendation. If you’re looking for an investing expert who also holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and an M.D. and practiced neurology, Bernstein’s your man. The Investor’s Manifesto might be more accessible for those newer to investing. He’s also written excellent books on economic history.
• Richard Ferri
  Ferri defends index investing like the Marine fighter pilot he once was. His All About Asset Allocation is an excellent primer on the pros and cons of various types of investments and how to put them all together. If you want to learn more about exchange-traded funds, check out The ETF Book. Also, Ferri’s firm, Portfolio Solutions, charges just about the lowest management fees (0.25% a year) you’ll find, though there is a $500-per-quarter minimum charge.
• Larry Swedroe
  Perhaps the only person who can match Rick Ferri’s zealotry about indexing is Larry Swedroe. He’s written or co-written a series of “The Only Guide…” books, the most recent being The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need for the Right Financial Plan. All the “Only Guide” books are worth reading (as are Swedroe’s other books), but the one that deserves special highlighting is The Only Guide to a Winning Bond Strategy You’ll Ever Need because there are so few good books out there about bonds. Swedroe also has an excellent blog on MoneyWatch.com.
• Bill Schultheis
  If you’re looking for simplicity in investing and a little more personality in the writing, Bill Schultheis is the author for you. The New Coffeehouse Investor is about as readable, entertaining, and inspiring as an investment book gets.
• David Swensen
  In the world of institutional investing, David Swensen is a rock star. He has managed Yale’s endowment for 25 years, with spectacular results. He’s written just one book for individual investors, Unconventional Success. The interesting thing about this book is, Swenson set out hoping to highlight the best mutual funds and fund families for the average schmo. However, the more research he did, the more he realized that almost all fund families suffer from an insurmountable conflict of interest: Their drive for profits encourages them to keep expenses high, which in the end hurts investor returns. Swensen concludes that he can only recommend two companies: Vanguard and TIAA-CREF.
• Roger Gibson
  For a more technical book written for financial professionals, check out Roger Gibson’s Asset Allocation: Balancing Financial Risk. To get a taste of the subject matter, read “The Rewards of Multiple-Asset-Class Investing” [PDF] from the Journal of Financial Planning. While I have this book at the end of this list, Gibson’s work has probably had the biggest influence on me as a financial writer. Plus, he’s a really nice guy.

So what is your favorite books or authors on finance and investing? Have you read these books or do you know these authors? Is there anything you want to share with us?

1. Get a Second Job

A second job can be an excellent way to earn extra money if you have the time and energy. Why have a second job?

• To pay off your debt
• To build up your savings
• To get more experience
• To ease into a career transition

2.  Become a consultant

“Consulting” may sound intimidating. It’s really just a fancy word for someone who trades their knowledge and expertise for pay. Every time you make a suggestion, recommend a process, draw up a plan or manage a process, you’re using consulting skills. To get into consulting, you just need to find someone who can use your expertise.

Read more advice about how to become a consultant.

3. Earn money from your hobbies

Usually your hobbies cost you a lot of money. Is there a way to turn your hobby into a money-making proposition? Even if you make just a little cash, you can help offset your costs. So try to earn some money from your hobbies. For examples:'

• Selling digital photos
• Binding books and printing buttons
• Mystery shopping and belly dancing

And there are some more ways that you can use your hobbies to bring you wealth, try to search over the Internet to find the way that fits you.

4. Make money online

People are spending more and more money online. So there are more and more chances that you can make money online. For example, you can write blogs, and earn some bucks from advertisement. And you can open an online store and sell stuffs. Here’s a list of 10 ways to make money online from Web Worker Daily.

5. Sell stuff

You may have lots of stuffs in your closet. Think about it that how long has passed since you last used it? Or do you still want to own it? You can sell those things which you do not need any more to get some extra money.

• Sell your most valuable items on eBay.
• Consider selling certain specialty items to specific stores: sell your used CDs to a music store, your used Nintendo stuff to a game store, etc.
• Use Craigslist to sell bulky items, or to get rid of stuff that just won’t sell.
• Hold a garage sale to purge everything else.

Use your extra money wisely!

Don't thing that those extra money are extra. Money are the same. Spend money on what you really need. Keep spending money wisely!

Here are some methods for you.

1. Track every penny you spend
   The authors of Your Money or Your Life admonish readers to “keep track of every cent that comes into or goes out of your life.”
   You can track your spending on paper or online. But make sure that you stick with it and make it a habit.
2. Develop a budget
   According to The Millionaire Next Door, budgeting is one thing that sets the wealthy apart from the rest of us — 55% of millionaires keep a budget.
   Even you are not millionaire now, budgeting still help you mastering your money. There is a saying: "Spend less than you earn". At least your earning is your budget. Or you may fall into debts. If you want saving money. You need a budget that have some money left.
3. Optimize your accounts
   To optimize your accounts:
   • Open an online high-yield savings account.
   • Choose a rewards checking account.
   • Use a rewards credit card.

   A tip: When optimizing your banks and credit cards, consider using multiple accounts at each institution.

4. Start an emergency fund
   Life is full of dangerous things. Something bad may happen in an unknown date. If you have no emergency fund, you may need high-interest debts to overcome it. So starting an emergence fund may also help you saving money.
   You can starting it by saving some bucks, and then add $20 or $50 more to your account ever time you get paid.
5. Get out of debt
   Debt is the enemy of good. But if you have the mental discipline, you still save money by paying down those high-interest debts:
   1. Order your debts from lowest balance to highest balance.
   2. Designate a certain amount of money to pay toward debts each month.
   3. Pay the minimum payment on all debts except the one with the lowest balance.
   4. Throw every other penny at the debt with the lowest balance.
   5. When that debt is gone, do not alter the monthly amount used to pay debts, but throw all you can at the debt with the next-lowest balance.
6. Fund your retirement
   Everyone will get old. And funding your retirement earlier will help you have a better life later. You can start buying stocks for your retirement. Take advantage of any employer-matched opportunities, such as a 401(k). Also consider starting a Roth IRA.
7. Automate your finances
   Automate your finances, so you won't forget to do something. And you can have more time to earn extra money or enjoy your life.
   One advantage of automation would be: when pay your bills and do your saving and investing automatically, it’s easy to tell how much you have left over to spend at the end of each month!
8. Earn extra money
   There are lots of ways to earn extra money, for examples:
   • Ask for a raise
   • Take a second job
   • Use your hobbies
   • Volunteer for medical research
   • Sell things on eBay or Craigslist
     
9. Educate yourself
   Knowledge is power. Personal finance doesn’t have to be a mystery. Subscribe to personal finance blogs. And you can also visit your public library. Borrow money books and self-development manuals.

From the above, taking control of your finance seems to need lots of work. But that is not true, one simple solution would be setting a specific data as your personal "money day". And you can do all your money-related jobs in that day. And don't forget to reflect on money mastering skills.

You can do it and good life is there not far away.

If you are responsible, a credit card can be both convenient and efficient for you. Credit card can help you saving money, not saving too much money, but maybe 1% or so. And it also gives you a bonus: by using it, it helps you for a paperless personal finance management.

So, how to choose a credit card?

It is all based on your living styles:

• If you are are someone who revolves a balance credit card debt, focus on cards that offer low interest rates (especially on balance transfers) — and put a stop to new charges.
• If you pay your balance in full every month, find a credit card with no annual fees and a solid cash rewards program.
• Some credit card users have special needs. If you spend a lot on gas, consider a gas credit card that gives added rewards on auto expenses. If you travel a lot, look for a card with rewards for flights and lodging.

And it’s also important that you understand the different aspects of the credit card application.

• An annual percentage rate of 11% or less on purchases.
• Low rates on other loans, such as cash advances or balance transfers. (If you’re doing a balance transfer, find a card that offers 0% APR, at least for a year.)
• Reasonable penalty terms. Find the penalty rate (or default rate), and follow the asterisk to see what triggers it.
• Finance charges that are not computed using two-cycle billing. (Two-cycle billing sucks.)
• No annual fee.

Don’t choose a card just because it offers a sign-up bonus or because it gives you a discount at your favorite store. Read the terms and conditions. Understand the card’s limitations. Remember: your goal is to pick a tool, like a vacuum cleaner. You’re not looking for a one-time bonus, but a long-term relationship you can live with.

And here is a category which may help searching and deciding which credit card fits you:

• Best Low Interest Rate Cards
• Best Cash Back Cards
• Best Travel Miles Cards
• Best Reward Points Cards
• Best “Impaired/No Credit” Credit Cards
• Most Innovative Credit Card and Programs

You need to search or compare all credit cards available in your country to decide to apply which credit cards. You should spend some times on it. It is worthy in long term.

Remember: Please read any offer thoroughly before applying. And please, do not sign up for a credit card if you’re not certain you can handle the responsibility.

If you choose to use credit cards, make a commitment to use them responsibly.

So what is the exact goal of financial freedom?

Maybe your answer is simple: earn enough money for rest of our life. That is right. Another deeper answer would be: "Earn enough money for the rest of our life, so we have free time to do anything, especially do those things that we are interested in and we are talented in."

So here we mention two other things: our time and our talent. Now we split financial freedom into

• Money freedom
• Time freedom
• Talent freedom

So our goal is to achieve money freedom, time freedom and talent freedom. We need to learn how to earn and spend money, how to master our time and how to discover and use our talents.

Today, I read an articlen "Personal Finance – Three Personal Finance Guidelines For Achieving Financial Freedom". It introduces a concept of "powerspending". Powerspending means keeping track of all your financial transactions by writing them down, going through the list every week and asking whether these transactions put values on yourself or not. The author list three guildelines:

• First Step to Financial Freedom: Powerspending of Money
  Question being asked: "Am I spending money in a way that adds value to my life or to someone else’s?"
• Second Step to Financial Freedom: Powerspending of Time
  Question: "Are you using your time to do things which will add economic value to your life instead of things which simply waste time?"
• Third Step to Financial Freedom: Powerspending of Your Talents
  Question: "Are your using your talents in a way that they add value to your life instead of to someone else’s ?"

The author suggests people taking inventory of their spending when it comes to money, time and talent and begin focusing on Powerspending those resources towards building their  own financial freedom.

One thing that I disagree with the author is that money, time, talent powerspending should not be listed in "first step, second step and third step". In my opinions, if you can not achieve money freedom right now, you can try to achieve time freedom or talent freedom. You may achieve time freedom first or achieve talent freedom first. The order of freedom achievement is not important in fact.

So, we have our financial freedom goal: earn enough money so that we can spend our free time on our interested things using our talents.

First, I found a decent blog all about "personal finance" named "A Personal Finance Guide". From the first page, I could see that it talks about changing habit and saving money. Here is a short list of its blog articles:

1. Dollar Yoga How to Stretch the Almighty Dollar
2. The Best Way to Save Money
3. 7 Things About Money I Wish I Knew in My 20s

Second, I found that there are personal finance bible, journal and software. And there are theories of personal finance and tutorial suite of personal finance.

Third, from the search result page, I learned that most hot topics about personal finance include online stock trading, debt management, life insurance and others. Lots of stuffs need to be read.

So I think, starting to learn about personal finance is easy, just key in "personal finance" and click "search" button, you get lots of stuffs. So go ahead with personal finance yourself too.

In this blog I will talk about tips or strategies for personal finance management. Maybe I will mention topics like stock market, options investment, real estate, getting rich and others. I might list some news or articles that I have read. I may also try to share what I have learned.

If you have good thought, I would like to hear. And if you find some articles good, please drop me a notes. I will read it. Hope that we can share our thoughts on personal finance.