Here are some more must-read books to help you rock your adulting. Read More...

A little while ago, I gave you a list of books that will help make you a better adult. They covered topics from cooking to finance to time management and all things in between. It was a pretty comprehensive list. But you know what’s better than one list of all that stuff?

Two lists.

This one, though, is brought to you by my friends. I polled people on Instagram, Twitter, and in real life to cultivate this list and all opinions are theirs (if I’ve read one of their suggestions, I’ve made a note and added my thoughts). And, as always, I’d love to hear from you so leave a comment on what books have changed your adulting life or let us know in the #Adulting Facebook community.

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin.

This book is the precursor to her newest, The Four Tendencies, and it covers habits and self-improvement, not so much from a happiness perspective, but from an understanding your motivation perspective. It’s more introspective than her other books, particularly for the reader, and what you learn about yourself will surprise you.

My friend Alyssa said that she consults the notes she took while reading this book bi-weekly.

The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes.

This is one of those books I keep meaning to read but don’t, even though everyone I know who’s read it cannot stop raving about it. Written by THE Shonda Rhimes, Alyssa (the same one from above) gives this praise: she makes it OK to be different, to flounder/find your way, to question the status quo and to fall victim to perceived perfection, and then to use all of that to question yourself in a useful way to find your best path and how to blaze it. Her honest, real vulnerability spoke to my own and made me want to healthily face it.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.

My friend Catherine suggested this one but she said she had a hard time summarizing it in a few sentences so I’ll give it a shot. I read this book years ago and while it’s not quite as memorable for me as it is for others, it’s still a fascinating read that shows what you can learn from a mentor and the profound impact having this kind of relationship has on you. I encourage everyone to find someone in their life like Mitch had Morrie.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

If you’re not much of a reader, you can watch him deliver his last lecture. But I highly, highly encourage you to read it. It’s a short book, a one sitting book, but you will come away from it a smarter, better person. A weepier one, too, once you realize the intended audience was his children.

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers.

From TL Clark, an author: Honestly changed my life. Title says it all. Pretty effective endorsement from my point of view.

A Guide to a Good Life by William B. Irvine.

Jason Vitug, founder of Phroogal and the author of You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life, suggests this book. It focuses on the practices of the Stoics (of whom I know very little about and it’s pretty adult to read a book and then do more research to understand what you’ve read) and how to emphasize the things we can control rather than the things we can’t. Definitely worth checking out.

Sh#t Your Ego Says by James McCrae.

Truth be told, I had never heard of this one until it was mentioned to me on IG but the title alone makes me want to read it. The woman who recommended it said that she’d only started reading it a few days before but was taking her time to absorb everything and that even in just those few days she’d already begun to monitor the negative thoughts her ego is trying to tell her are true. As someone who battles depression, I feel like this has a ton of potential.

Eat Dirt by Josh Axe.

This was suggested by my friend Kerry who said that this book really helped her understand what was going on with her body from the foods she was eating. Who doesn’t want that? After all, one of the most adulting things you can do is take care of your health.

Other suggestions include The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, and The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. While the first two are fiction and the third is nonfiction, they all deal with racism in America in their own unique and thought-provoking ways, and it’s an issue we all need to understand.

I’ve read the first two and cannot recommend them highly enough (and both are being adapted into movies so make sure you read them first!).Br

So there you have it. A solid bookshelf primer for all your adulting needs.

What’s missing? Share your recommendations in the #Adulting Facebook community.

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Set for Life is not a book for the casual dreamer. If you are determined to retire early and willing to sacrifice to get there, this may be the book for you! Read More...

Just so we’re clear up front, I fundamentally disagree with several parts of this book. However, the author of Set for Life, Scott Trench from BiggerPockets, is very clear that this book is not for everyone. This book is for a very specific subset of people, he writes specifically for them, and he does a great job of communicating those ideas for the right people.

So who is he writing for?

Anyone just starting out, or starting over, and who wishes – and is able to – live a very frugal lifestyle for a few years for the purpose of saving $25,000 (in just the first year!). If successful, within a few years, they can be financial free. Free of debt. Free of traditional employment. And free to pursue a business idea, travel, passions, or whatever they want.

This isn’t a population that’s never been targeted before. There are dozens of books that speak to anyone wanting the kind of lifestyle Scott describes. And those books, like this one, discuss the value of investing and real estate and savings. But the approach that this book takes is that it’s more necessary to scale your larger expenses like housing (he’s a huge proponent of what he calls “house hacking”) rather than your smaller expenses like entertainment and clothing.

By doing so, he argues, you can design a lifestyle where you live on $2000 or less per month, roughly half your income if you’re making a $50,000 per year salary, and you can save the rest towards your “financial runway”. This runway is essentially your launching pad to a financially free life.

To establish your financial runway, Scott maps out a doable plan for savings and investing, and he presents well-researched and detailed information to support his plan. He uses realistic examples to highlight the benefits of following his advice (and what can happen if you don’t) and his writing is conversational and helpful rather than preachy.

But for me, the most substantial and helpful part of the book was his lists explaining his rationale behind his advice. I like hearing people’s reasoning; it helps make sense of the advice even if I disagree with it and it provides additional support when I do.

The other piece of the book I enjoyed is that he effectively makes the case for personal responsibility. He discusses the importance of controlling your emotions, staying focused on your goals, and learning to do things for yourself. For the latter, he discusses the lack of DIY abilities and that with a little determination and YouTube, there’s not a whole lot you can’t do (he does say if you need an expert or professional, by all means call or use one).

For the former, he discusses that these are essentially temporary while you’re in the process of building your financial runway and you can ease up on them once you’re stable. But, in the end, it is all up to you. You must take control and do the work and make things happen for yourself.

So. Do I recommend this book? If you are willing to sacrifice, learn, do the work, save, and you want nothing more (and I mean NOTHING more) than being financially free at an early age, then yes I do. If you realize that a few years of working your ass off to the exclusion of almost anything else will be the best choice you can make for your financial future, then yes I do. If you are okay with your status quo or aren’t willing to make hard changes, then this isn’t the right book.

These are the important Adulting takeaways.

  • Save $1000-$2000 right away
  • Design a frugal lifestyle that gives you the flexibility to save a significant portion of your income
  • House hack
  • Learn to DIY whenever possible
  • Build a side hustle that’s in line with your day job (ex., if you’re a teacher, tutor on the side)
  • Network, let people know your goals, and take advantage of opportunities to talk to those who have achieved what you’re aiming for
  • Read and self-educate
  • Eliminate decision fatigue and learn to make instant trivial decisions
  • Take control of your income whether you work for yourself or someone else
Scott Trench

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Want to read something new and good, but don’t know where to start? No sweat! Here’s how to muddle through the masses. Read More...

One of the most popular reasons I hear for not reading books is “I just don’t know where to find good books or get recommendations!” I get it. I mean, reading is a personal decision and what’s good to me might not be good to you because, let’s face it, “good” is one of those annoying subjective words. And places like the New York Times offer reviews but their reviewers are going to read with a more critical eye than your average person so their suggestions or opinions?

Not helpful at all.

But not all is hopeless. Because there are plenty of places where you can find book recommendations and, based off of those, decide for yourself if that book is good for you or not. And since there are so many, I’ve decided to narrow it down and give you my five favorite places to get book recommendations.

My top 5:

Podcasts.

My personal favorite podcast is Book Riot’s All the Books! but there are are dozens and dozens more. All the Books! has a spinoff about backlist and older books. Modern Mrs. Darcy, an extremely popular book blogger, has a one called What Should I Read Next (pro tip: her blog is a trove of book recommendations).

Even ones like True Crime Garage and Criminal give book recommendations at the end so no matter what you like to listen to, you should be able to get some suggestions. And, bonus, since you like the subject matter of the podcast, the books should align with your interests.

Listicles.

BuzzFeed books, Book Riot, PopSugar… all the big sites do book roundups for all the genres and some are pretty clever like all the books from Orange is the New Black or Gilmore Girls. I’ve seen ones Inc and Fast Company with personal development and business books.

We even have one here at Adulting! The lists are generally broad enough and diverse enough that there’s bound to be one or two that pique your curiosity. If you don’t want to read listicles, a lot of magazines review books or give recommendations and, if you skip the reviews, the NYT bestseller list is a great resource.

Social media.

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Litsy (a social media networking site specifically for books) are all bursting with book recommendations. You don’t even have to follow your friends or publishers or authors or book bloggers to get them.

Celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Ali Wong, Oprah, Emma Watson, and James Franco all share the books they’re reading and recommend. If you don’t trust celebrities, you can follow me (especially if you also like pictures of dogs) and use Facebook or Twitter to ask your friends what they’re reading. You’ll get quite a list but some should resonate.

Staff selections.

Okay, so this one requires going to a library or bookstore but it is good to get out of the house. Many people avoid those places because walking in is overwhelming. You don’t know where to start and wandering aimlessly makes you feel helpless and lost (fun fact: this is what I look like in a craft store) and it’s intimidating so you leave.

But don’t fret! Just head on over to the staff picks section and start reading covers. Some bookstores give a little blurb from the staff member who picked the book but even if it’s just a display, it’s a great jumping off point. You can also look at the best sellers display for some ideas.

Amazon.

Have you ever bought a book from Amazon or even just browsed for one? If you have, then you know that they give a ton of suggestions or even the little grouping with you with the “frequently bought together” heading. Those are incredibly helpful particularly if you want to read a whole lot on a specific topic.

Pro tip: many books are now offering sample chapters so if you’re not ready to make a commitment to a book, you can preview it for free simply by sending it to your mobile device (no Kindle, no problem! The Kindle app is free and you can put it on your tablet or phone).

Confession: My to be read list has almost 700 books on it (I have a problem. I’m looking into getting help) and approximately 600 of them came from a combination of above. The biggest sources for me are Instagram and podcasts and if I see a book I think I’ll like, especially if someone I like or respect has read or is reading it, I mark it down. I figure I can always delete later. And, of the books I’ve read as a direct result of these recommendations, I’ve DNF’d (did not finish) maybe 15 over the past 3 years.

And I read roughly 100 books per year.

Not a bad return.

Where are your favorite places to find books to read? Let us know in the #Adulting Facebook community.

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Do you have this adulting stuff figured out? If you’re breathing, probably not. Here are some books to help you get your stuff together. Read More...

So you want to be a better adult. Maybe you’re looking for a book or two for a friend or family member who needs to step it up. Maybe you want to start adulting. Maybe you love to read or are looking for some new books for your bookshelf.

Regardless of your motivation, I’ve got you covered. All of the books on this list have been vetted by reliable sources (read: me and my friends) and make great additions to your adulting library.

In part one, we’ll cover my recommendations and in part 2, we’ll cover the ones my friends suggest. There might be some overlap in the authors but the books are different.

And now, some books that have assisted me in my adulting quest:

Real Artists Have Day Jobs by Sara Benincasa

You might have heard of her for her Twitter activism and some of her viral Medium posts but she also wrote a spectacular book helping you navigate all aspects of adulthood from money to cleaning to work to embracing your weirdness. It’s a perfect primer.

The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*uck by Sarah Knight

Yes, the title is a riff on the Marie Kondo craze but this book stands on its own. If you want to learn to care less about unimportant things and more about the important ones, if you want to understand why no is a complete sentence, and if you want to learn how to be less stressed by all of it, read this book.

Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight

She’s basically my go-to on all things life improvement told to me in a practical, relatable way. This book gives you a map for how to organize your life and pull yourself together in pretty much every capacity. Note: she swears A LOT so if that bothers you, pass on both of her books. We can find you some others.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

So. This book. I was not a fan. I think it’s because I don’t have a problem with clutter and getting rid of things BUT if you do, then you absolutely need to read this book. Some of the advice is waaaay out there but if you can take the principle for what it is, and you tweak it to your own preferences and needs, you’ll see a huge change.

$5 Dinners by Erin Chase

These are cookbooks and they taught me how to cook when no one else did. The recipes are simple AF, they’re budget friendly, they’re not made from any weird ingredients you can’t find in your basic grocery store, and there’s something for everyone. If you’re not into cookbooks, make sure to check out her website.

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam

I don’t use the word “revolutionize” lightly but this book absolutely revolutionized the way I think about and plan my time. If you struggle with time management or fitting it all in or wondering how you can align your time better with your priorities, this book will fix you. If nothing else, do the time study. You will learn more than you can imagine.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I’m not a big re-reader but I first read this book years ago and it’s definitely due for another go-round. What impacted me the most from this book was the idea of learning to be happier and more content where you are instead of upheaving your entire life, and to do it step by step rather than all at once. It’s definitely something that’s discussed more often now but reading her personal experience resonates differently than just being told to do it.

Quitter, Start, and Do Over all by Jon Acuff

These are 3 separate books, taking up the 8-10 spots on our list of 10. While many are influenced by Gary V or Tim Ferriss when it comes to career-type advice, Jon is more my low-key speed. For me, his advice is easier and more practical to follow and implement and it’s not as in-your-face.

He tackles career advice from all points and angles and winds up being motivating at the same time. He breaks things down into manageable pieces, in all of his books, so that you don’t get overwhelmed or feel the need to do it all RIGHT NOW.

Fun fact: I’m not a huge buyer of books but I own almost all of these so when I say they’re on my shelf, they are literally on my shelf.

So, that’s my list. Next time, we’ll talk about some books my friends recommend. And, if you feel like it, let me know in the comments what books have influenced you and why. Maybe I’ll include it!

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any must-read recommendations? Let us know in the #Adulting Facebook community

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31 Days to Radically Reducing Your Expenses gives you a lot of options for cutting back. The author helps you realize that you can – even when you don’t see it – and that planning is everything. Read More...

A big part of adulting is managing your money. From negotiating a salary to managing a budget to starting a side hustle, money is present in every aspect of your adult life. So why not read a book on how to make the most of what you have?

Enter 31 Days to Radically Reduce Your Expenses by Kalyn Brooke.

The premise of the book is simple: take a long, hard look at your finances and figure out how to reduce them. And not just the little expenses, like the daily coffee or new purse or book. The big ones like your housing expenses (there’s more than you think!) or groceries. Reducing your expenses on the big things frees up more money for the fun things so you can maximize your income and even save!

It’s not always an easy task, reducing your expenses. It takes time and means making some hard choices and trying to do it all at once is overwhelming. Fortunately for the reader, Kalyn breaks it down, day by day. As in, she gives you a task to do each day.

For instance, one day you’ll look at your electric bill and the next you’ll negotiate your car insurance and the next you’ll learn how to manage special occasions. And while the book is structured in a way that all items under one category are grouped together, you can read and apply them in an order that’s most helpful to you without losing the message.

Each budget category she has you examine comes with a minimum of 4 tips to practically and realistically reduce your spending. She’ll tell you where you can find deals or coupons, websites for ideas, even simple and frugal hints for hair and pet care. Everything she presents is reasonable and at no point does she make you feel like you must do what she says.

It’s all helpful advice, like you’d get from a financially savvy or frugal friend (and she even includes tips from her blog readers. I enjoyed getting their perspectives as well as Kalyn’s). And even those who are already great with money might pick up a hint or two.

The only part of the book I’d caution about is that the first 14 days or so are very homeowner directed. While renters can certainly find pieces of helpful information, it’s not necessary to heavily invest in those chapters if you don’t own a home. Maybe read and store the information for a later day, when and if you choose to buy a home.

Overall, this is a practical guide to keep on hand for when you feel like your budget is getting away from you. It also makes a great primer for anyone just starting out or finding themselves on their own for the first time.

These are the important Adulting takeaways.

  • There’s always room to reduce an expense, even when you think you can’t
  • Everything is negotiable
  • Fixing your budget doesn’t happen in one day; it takes time, discipline and patience
  • DIY is a great way to save money but sometimes you need a professional. Have an emergency fund for those occasions
  • Understanding Parkinson’s Law alters your position on your income dramatically
  • Planning is key to managing your money
  • Changing your money habits ultimately falls on you
Kalyn Brook

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If you’re not making any progress on your reading list, read more using the best apps and technology. Read More...

Maybe you’ve been following along with our reading series. Maybe you’ve gone through all the benefits of reading and maybe you’ve even signed up for our reading challenge. But maybe you’re struggling to get those books read because you can’t find the time or you can’t get to the library or buying books isn’t in your budget right now. And maybe it’s making you not want to read.

That’s not cool. Not cool at all.

Fortunately for you, there’s a ton of apps that you can add right to your smartphone or tablet that give you access to all the books you can want, making it easier for you to find and take your books with you. Best of all? Most of them are free!

Here are some of my favorites:

Kindle. If you want the benefits of a Kindle without buying one (or if you’re like me, you want one but don’t want another device to keep track of), all you have to do is download the app to your phone or tablet. It’s free and you get most the perks of owning a Kindle (for instance, you can’t access the Kindle lending library or Amazon store directly from the app. At least I can’t. If you know how to do this, please share your tricks.)

Flipster. This is a free library app for magazines. It’s great if you want to read magazines but don’t want to commit to any subscriptions. You can’t get all the magazines but you can get a lot and there’s a ton of variety. All you need is a library card.

Overdrive. Another free library app but this one is for books. You can access your library’s entire eBook catalog (pro tip: sometimes the wait for an eBook, especially a new or popular book, is shorter) and not only that, you can add books from places like Project Gutenberg (more about that in a minute) and you can read books directly on the app. Again, all you need is a library card. P.S., you can also get audiobooks via Overdrive.

Project Gutenberg. An online database of free eBooks that have expired US copyright protections. That means not only can you read them for free, you can use the material in them as you see fit. A word of caution: double check to make sure the book you’re reading has an expired copyright as there are some with protections.

BookBub. A daily deals site exclusively for eBooks. Books range from obscure to popular, there’s a range of genres, and there are often free books available.

Serial Reader. Not to be confused with the incredible podcast, Serial Reader is an app that helps you read classics in 20 minutes a day. It’s perfect for people who want to dive into classic literature but don’t have a ton of time each day.

Litsy. A hybrid of Instagram and Goodreads, and it’s exclusively devoted to bookish things so if you find yourself scrolling through IG just for book pictures or reviews, or for ideas on what books to read, get on Litsy stat.

NetGalley. THE source for ARCs. They’re free, they’re eBooks, and the only thing you need to do is review the book somewhere. You won’t always get all the books you request but you will get most of them. The best part is finding ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) of books by popular authors and getting to read them before all your friends.

iBooks. If you have an iPhone, you don’t even need anything else because you have a bookstore and reading app built into your phone! If you use your library app or Overdrive or any of the other ones listed, you can have the book delivered right to your phone in ePub format for easy iPhone reading.

Google Play Books. Similar to iBooks but I’m not sure if it comes as a default on Androids. If not, you can simply download it and access the millions of books in the Google library.

For those who like audiobooks, there’s Audible. However, it’s not included on the list because not only is there a membership fee, you have to pay for the audiobooks. Same for Kindle Unlimited. You pay a monthly fee ($9.99) but unlike Audible, you can download and read all the books you want without an additional cost.

Now that you have your books literally at your fingertips, it’s up to you to carve out the time to use them. My favorite tip? Every time you feel the urge to open Facebook, open your reading app instead. Before you know it, you’ll be through one book and onto the next!

What apps do you use to keep up with your reading? If you use any of the above, which are your favorites?

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Fund Your Ideal Lifestyle offers personal stories with pop culture references in a highly-entertaining and modest read. Read More...

This is the second in an ongoing book review series we’re doing here at Adulting. If you have a book you’d like us to review, or if you’re an author with a book you’d like us to review, please let us know! We’ll consider all submissions but cannot guarantee that we’ll select yours.

Today we’re talking about Fund Your Ideal Lifestyle by Clayton Daniel. Clayton is a former financial adviser who realized, after talking with his clients, that people wanted more choice and freedom in how they use their money. Based on his personal and professional experience in creating ideal lifestyles, his book (and accompanying website) was born. Bonus: if you go to his website, you can download the first chapter for free!

Listen to our recent interview with Clayton Daniel!

Unlike most motivational lifestyle books, this one encourages you to decide for yourself what your ideal lifestyle looks like. He doesn’t bang the retire early drum or force you to travel the world; he recognizes that not everyone has those goals. But he wants you to identify what your goals are so, throughout the book, he guides you through a series of exercises to determine exactly that. Because once you know what you’re trying to achieve, you can set up your money and your choices to make it come true.

Money, and how you manage it, is the crux of the book. As an advocate for reducing decision fatigue, Clayton presents his 5 bucket system as a solution. The system involves automating as many decisions as possible so that you can give your energy and attention to what’s actually important. Knowing that your rent money will automatically be paid on the due date or that your discretionary spending money will appear in your account relieves you of the reminders and the pressure to do so. And for those who are leery of not having control? He maintains that every decision regarding the automation is left in your hands; not one choice or movement is made without you authorizing it.

It’s essentially using the banking and bill payment features already at our disposal to our advantage. He just gives the push to do it.

Also in his automation strategy is investing. As a warning: there’s a lot about investing in this book. Clayton makes a strong case that investing is the best way to create wealth and fund your ideal lifestyle. The information is logical and easy to digest, and he infuses it with humor and examples to lighten up the dryness but still. Investing is boring. Necessary. But boring. Fortunately, you can always skim it on the first read and then reread each section one at a time when you’re ready for it. This isn’t a one-sitting book, and it’s not a one-read only book.

Now you’re probably thinking that there’s dozens of books like this one. What separates this book from others in its genre and why should you read it instead? Well, it has personality. It’s not a dry, boring book. It’s filled with humor (especially in the footnotes — not since Jen Lancaster’s books have I been so entertained by footnotes), subtle pop culture references, personal anecdotes that both tell stories and make him relatable, and it has its version of Cliffs Notes at the end of each chapter. Think chapter summaries but focused in helping you use the information effectively. The exercises he has throughout are thought-provoking and useful as well.

The book also doesn’t present itself as the only solution to your problems. It presents itself as one, although highly effective, solution. The lack of arrogance combined with a genuine desire to help the reader certainly sets it apart.

These are the important Adulting takeaways.

  • Automate your finances to reduce decision fatigue.
  • Determine what’s important to you and spend your money on those things.
  • Having discretionary money (and spending it) is okay!
  • Ask yourself “what’s my purpose in life”, a vague but important question.
  • Everyone’s definition of ideal lifestyle is different.
  • Spending and saving are fluid. Goals change and how you use your money should reflect those changes.
  • Invest, invest, invest.
Clayton Daniel

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Hustle Away Debt strikes a good balance, and the author shares what he learned from experience. Read More...

Over the next several months, I’ll be reading and reviewing a number of books that can help you with your finances, career, work/life balance, and all the facets of life that comprise #adulting. Welcome to the Books for Adults series.

While I’m not 100% on board with the self-improvement genre and gurus as gospel, I do believe that they offer some insights or tricks to make life easier or provide a “hey, I never thought of it that way” moment.

Up first for review is Hustle Away Debt: Eliminate Your Debt by Making More Money by David Carlson. David is the founder of Young Adult Money, and the book (and the site) is a result of the approach he and his wife took to pay off their massive student loan debt. He maintains that it’s not always possible to cut expenses but it is always possible to earn more money.

This extra money, derived from side hustling, is what you can use to ramp up your debt repayment or savings.

However, this isn’t just a “you need to side hustle” book. For those who’ve already decided they want to, or those who are on the fence, it reads like a comprehensive handbook or manual. Not only does the book provide an objective view of side hustling, covering both the pros and cons as well as dozens of easy to implement ideas, it provides a roadmap for how to start a side hustle.

The author guides you, step by step, even giving helpful information and instruction on the back-end tasks like taxes, improving your 9-to-5 performance, and seizing opportunity.

For those who are overwhelmed by the idea of a side hustle, this book breaks it down into small, simple steps. You can probably start a side job doing something you’re already doing!

But he also recognizes that having a side hustle isn’t for everyone and asks that you look at your motivations and circumstances for starting one. You might realize it’s not a good fit and that’s fine.

While the book comprehensively looks at both sides of side hustling, the best part is David’s tone. He strikes a balance between motivation and encouragement without making the reader feel like having a side hustle is something they absolutely, 100% need to do; he admits there are benefits to a full-time job that a side job cannot provide.

For the reader who doesn’t want to surrender working full-time, that’s helpful to hear. Beyond that, David asks the reader to look at their finances. Rather than berate or condescend to the reader who might be in debt, he accepts that it’s a fact for many people, including him and his wife, and provides a plan for taking control of their money that doesn’t involve selling everything they own, giving up their Dunkin Donuts coffee, or living a spartan existence.

Books like this, when they’re derived from personal experience, provide more value to the reader than books from experts who’ve never been there. There’s a level of understanding and practicality that you don’t always find, especially when you feel like the author is talking to you instead of at you and with a tone that doesn’t insult your intelligence.

These are the important Adulting takeaways.

  • Before starting your side hustle, define your “why.” Without your “why,” it’s almost impossible to sustain.
  • It’s possible to turn anything into a side hustle, even if you’re stuck at a desk 40 hours per week, if you use a little creativity.
  • Side hustles provide diversified income, can help protect your finances in the event of a job loss, and can help you get ahead.
  • A side hustle does not have to convert to a full-time job; in fact, there are benefits to a full-time job a side gig cannot provide.
  • There are tangible and intangible benefits to side hustling including time management, learning to prioritize, and skill building.
  • Look at all facets of your circumstances (for example, time, relationships, employment, finances) before deciding to side hustle then determine what kind you should implement.
  • Side hustles do not have to be permanent. They can provide a temporary boost in income for debt or savings and, once you’ve achieved those goals, you can let the side hustle go.
David Carlson

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Looking for a few good books? We’ll help you find 12! Join the Adulting.tv Reading Challenge and read at least one book a month in 2017. Read More...

Over the last few weeks, I’ve written about why it’s important to read, how you can find time to read, and even provided you with a comprehensive (yet not exclusive) list of important and life-changing books to read.

If you can’t tell, I think books are pretty important. So I’m challenging you, in 2017, to up your reading game.

You can do it by setting a goal for the total amount of books you want to read. (If you use Goodreads, it makes it incredibly easy to track.) You can do it by committing to reading one book outside of your preferred genre. You can do it by reading every single day — don’t break the chain.

Or, if you want, you can do it by joining our first ever Adulting.tv Reading Challenge 2017!

Disclosure: Adulting.tv may be compensated if you take action after visiting certain links in this article at no cost to you. We stand by our editorial integrity and would not be linking to or discussing this topic if we didn’t believe it was in the best interest of you, our audience.

What’s the Adulting.tv Reading Challenge?

The Adulting.tv Reading Challenge, or ARC2017, is a year-long challenge designed to encourage Adulting readers to read more books.

Rather than give you specific books to read because a) this isn’t school and b) we’re all adults who can make our own choices, we’re giving you a list of topics and suggestions.

Here are the topics.

JANUARY: A book about politics or current events
FEBRUARY: A memoir
MARCH: A finance book
APRIL: A translated book
MAY: A classic book
JUNE: A banned book
JULY: A book written before 1950
AUGUST: A book of short stories or essays
SEPTEMBER: A book about a historical event
OCTOBER: A book over 500 pages
NOVEMBER: A book under 150 pages
DECEMBER: A self-improvement book

You do not have to read the books in the order the topics are listed. The month names are here just to guide you, if you choose. You can start with the one you want to read the most and work your way down. You can start with the one that you’re least looking forward to reading and work your way up. You can start randomly in the middle. Doesn’t matter at all. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. And, you can start any time!

How you pick your books is up to you. There are plenty of lists you can browse, you can crowdsource options, you can tweet me (@saysjana) and I’ll be happy to give you a suggestion or two, or you can ask a librarian. Anything you want. It’s your choice.

If you want to combine a couple of the categories into one book, you can. For instance, you can use Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People for May or July. Or you can use Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for April or October. It’s okay. We’re flexible!

Join the Adulting.tv Reading Challenge!

You can absolutely do this challenge on your own without checking in with us. We’re not going to come after you if you don’t. But part of the fun is talking to other participants so if you want to do that, here’s what you do:

First, review the topics and make a list of what you plan to read. Please note that these selections are not set in stone, you can change them any time you want, and, if you find yourself hating your selection, stop reading it! Life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy. Then pick something else for that category.

Also, you do not have to buy any books. You can use the library, borrow from a friend, read what’s on your shelf, or any other economical way you can think of to find books.

We picked 12 so you’re only reading one book a month. If you regularly read more than that, add one of these to your rotation. If you’re not a regular reader, this is a good place to start. (In fact, the average person only reads about 10 books a year so this puts you above average.)

Second, share your list! Share it on Instagram or Twitter or whatever social media makes you happy. Make sure to use the #adultingreads hashtag so we can find you.

Third, join the #Adulting Community on Facebook. About once a month, we’ll post a question asking how you guys are progressing through the challenge.

We want to know about the book you’ve read and how you like them. The monthly book discussion is a great way to engage with your fellow readers and maybe get some ideas for future reads. We’ll even have prizes throughout the year within these discussions..

Fourth, read the books!

That’s all there is to it.

Remember, this is a challenge, not a competition. We want you to read harder, smarter, and more often. It doesn’t matter who gets through their list first or if you’re the last one across the finish line. Or even if you don’t complete your list. All that matters is that you’re reading.

P.S. I still haven’t finished my list but when I do, I’ll be sharing it with the #Adulting Community on Facebook so make sure you join us!

Editor’s note: Feel free to share this using the graphic below to spread the word about the Adulting.tv Reading Challenge. If you’re a blogger, look for the badge at the top of this article. You are free to use the badge on your own website. Share a post about what you are reading!

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You do have time to read. Make it a priority, if even for a few minutes a day, and you’ll see the benefits. Read More...

Remember being assigned reading lists in high school? Assuming you did your homework, that might have been the last time you took the time to read a real book. Or any book. Or anything beyond a social media post.

You’re not alone if that’s true. After all, we’re getting busier and busier with family, work, and other obligations, and reading for fun or pleasure gets pushed farther and farther down the priority list.

But that’s not an excuse to feel better about it. Even if you’re not an avid reader like I am, you should still be reading books (or blog posts or magazines or newspapers or anything, really).

Why?

Because what we gain from reading is limitless. Reading gives you some place to go when you’re stuck at home, it helps pass the time in boring situations, it’s a cheap hobby, there’s a book for everyone, and they can change your thinking. That’s just the beginning, too.

Reading reduces stress. If you spend your day working hard, a relaxing book or entertaining graphic novel could be what you need at the end of the day to wind down.

Reading improves vocabulary. A more diverse and nuanced vocabulary makes you a better communicator, and that advantage has a positive effect on all aspects of life as an adult.

Reading increases empathy. Books can expose you to ideas and cultures you may not experience day-to-day. Being able to see life from other perspectives strengthens your emotional intelligence.

Reading expands knowledge. Ideas are best expressed through writing, and even with video and blogs, written words in the form of books continue to be the best way to spread knowledge.

Reading improves writing and comprehension skills. Effective writing is a crucial skill, and you can easily find examples of poor writing. Just look at any meme on Facebook. As your writing skills improve, you’ll stand out more and make better impressions when it’s important to do so.

Reading sharpens your memory. As you read, you’re giving your brain a work-out, the kind of exercise it needs to stay healthy and sharp. Reading is harder work for your mind than just watching a movie, and a lifetime of reading leads to a complex mind with strong comprehension and retention.

Now you’re probably saying, “Jana, you’ve sold me. I really should read more. But it’s just so hard to find time or motivation to read a book — or anything printed with words. How can I do it?” Well, you’re in luck because it’s a lot easier than you think and you definitely have more time to read than you think you do.

Here are some tips.

Read intentionally.

Define your purpose for reading. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? What do you want to learn? Are you reading to relax? Once you know why you are reading, you can focus, find the appropriate material that will engage you and keep you interested, and you’ll find yourself wanting to read.

Schedule a reading appointment.

Yes, it’s hard to find time in the day to read. Which is why you need to make the time. What’s the difference between the two? When you say you need to find the time, it’s easy to push it off with other tasks that are more or less important. When you make the time, you schedule it in like you would a conference call or a doctor’s appointment.

One is a choice, the other is set task. Although I’m not a fan of looking at reading as a task or to-do list item, if you’re finding it hard to fit reading into your day, this is a way to do it until it becomes habit. And it doesn’t have to be a long block of time. Fifteen minutes in the morning or before bed is enough to get through one book a month.

Set reading goals.

I don’t mean the arbitrary “I’m going to read 50 books this year” type of goal. Set small, reasonable goals like “I’m going to read 20 pages every day” or “I’m going to read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People this year” or “I’m going to join my favorite blogger’s book launch team to ensure I read the book before I write about it.” Setting these small goals not only makes you read every day but it keeps with the theme of reading intentionally. And if you’re goal oriented, it’s another incentive to get that book read.

Get a library card.

Books are expensive, even if you’re using daily deal sites, and if you get in the mindset that you can only read if you buy books, then it’s definitely easy to not read. So why not get a library card? It’s free, it’s easy, and interlibrary loans are a gift from the book gods. Even if you live in an area with a poor selection of books or it’s difficult to get to the library, apps like Overdrive make it easy to borrow eBooks. If you don’t have a tablet or Kindle but you have a smartphone, you can download the Overdrive app or the Kindle app onto your phone and use that to read the books as well. And Flipster is a great way to borrow magazines from your library.

Read a variety.

It’s easy to quit on reading if you’re sticking to one topic. You get bored and you just can’t read one more business or self-improvement book. So don’t. Instead of nonfiction, read a fiction book. Sick of historical fiction? Read a young adult book. Liked comic books as a kid? Read a graphic novel.

Reading the same kind of books on repeat is like eating the same breakfast every day for a year. You know you like it, you know it’s simple to plan, but after awhile, you just can’t choke it down anymore so you maybe stop eating it altogether.

Don’t let your reading habit fall into that pattern. It’s supposed to be fun and if it starts to feel like a boring chore, it’s time to change it up.

In the song “Big Casino” by Jimmy Eat World, they sing “There’s lots of smart ideas in books I never read. When the girls come talk to me I wish to hell I had.”

Don’t let that be you. Start with one from this list of influential books.

What are some of your best tips for reading like an adult?

Like what you’ve read?

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