"Money with Purpose"

The sign of a good book is how much the book inspires you to think while you are reading it.  The sign of a really good book is how much it inspires you to think after you are done reading it.  Such is a recently published book "Money with Purpose:  Receive the dividends of an undivided financial life."

In the promo, it states "This is the book you read before all others."  I have spent the last 40+ studying, reading and learning about all aspects of the financial service industry.  There are hundreds, if not thousands of books on personal finance and financial success.  Before reading any of those books, read this one. The reason is "Money with Purpose" seeks to inspire the reader to think and use money as a tool to live a healthy life.  A healthy life which is consistent with the reader's life values.  

Now before going farther, in the interests of full disclosure, the book is written by my son, Morgan Ranstrom. He and my daughter Courtney started their own firm, Trailhead Planners, LLC in 2017.  They have a total of 20+ years in the financial service business.  If you check out the blogs on their website and quarterly newsletters, both write timely and interesting commentaries.   Morgan has taken the next step with his first book.   

The book is both an easy and difficult read.  Easy because it is relatively short, written in a conversational style with a number of interesting anecdotal stories ranging from individuals early in their careers to pending retirees.   It does not use financial jargon and is readable both by someone who has minimal if any understanding of personal finance along with someone who is very knowledgeable in personal finance. 

It is difficult because the objective of the book is to make the reader think about their values, their life goals, and how these are reflected in their relationship with money.  For many of us, it is easier to think about the nuts and bolts of a budget than our life goals and how they relate to our finances, but the latter is definitely much more important.

A consistent theme throughout the "Money with Purpose" is to be thankful and grateful.  Morgan's life experiences have helped him realize living a life of thankfulness is infinitely better than living a life of envy. This is especially true in how one looks money and finances.  This theme was especially poignant for me because though I try to be both thankful and grateful, I have spent way too much of my life thinking about "what ifs" and making unhealthy comparisons.  I probably should ask Morgan if I was one of the inspirations for this theme, but maybe better off not knowing.  This theme makes the book a valuable read just by itself.

The book has relevance for multiple generations.  A baby boomer and grandparent like myself.  Adults who are busy working, often raising a family and do not take or believe they have the time to think about finances and their values. Finally to young adults who are starting their financial life.  

You can purchase "Money with Purpose:  Receive the dividends of an undivided financial life." thru Amazon. The paperback is $12.99.  If you are thinking about finances, stressing about finances, wondering if your finances reflect your values, this is the best $12.99 investment you will make.  

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