As a single woman, you’ve got to plan for your own financial future. This book list is a great place to start.
The Financial Needs of Single, Childfree Women
As I was preparing this financial how-to series, I came across a number of books about women and finances. And you know what I noticed? Not surprisingly, there aren’t many guides for single, childfree women. I found plenty of books about how to merge one’s finances after marriage. There were even more guides for the married woman looking to earn her own income. And bookstores’ shelves are bowing under the weight of the volumes of books devoted to the single mother’s finances.
But for the single or childfree? Close to nothing.
Despite that fact that we’re a rapidly increasing demographic, many publishers don’t seem eager to jump in and fill the void. Perhaps they, like a lot of married-with-children adults, seem to think we single/childfree women have tons of cash lying around, so financial advice isn’t a vital topic. While it’s true the childfree woman doesn’t devote her income to children, that doesn’t mean her finances are simple. Living solo is itself a huge expense, and navigating the murky waters of retirement is a difficult task for anyone.
Spinsters need to manage their money just like anyone else. But books about taking advantage of the tax benefits that come with marriage and dependents don’t help us. We need sound financial information about planning for retirement after a solo career. We need advice about investing on our own. And we could really, really use a few tips on paying a mortgage on a single income.
The good news is, I did find a few helpful guides for the independent woman…
The Financial Book List for Spinsters
On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl’s Guide to Personal Finance by Manisha Thakor
If you’re wondering how modern this book can be when it refers to women as girls… I’d just say that titles need to grab attention to sell books. This book simply offers practical advice aimed at single women. I like it because it’s straightforward and honest, backed up by studies and statistics.
Single Women And Finances: A Woman’s Secret Diary To Saving, Budgeting, and Retirement by J. J. Jones
Unlike a lot of “For Women” financial books that are filled with over-simplified, generic advice, this is truly crafted for single women. It examines the financial pros and cons of singlehood and relates the advice in the book directly to those issues.
The Single Woman’s Guide to Retirement by Jane Cullinane
Retirement may seem far away to some, but for most spinsters, the time to start planning for it was yesterday. This book is written very specifically for the single audience, including statistics on single women and how they (tend to) spend and save. It’s a comprehensive look at the multi-faceted relationships between money, lifestyle, psychology, and culture.
Suddenly Single: Money Skills for Divorcees and Widows by Kerry Hannon
This book teaches financial management for women who have recently become single through the lose of a spouse. It approaches the topic with the assumption that many divorced women and widows were not solely in charge of their finances, and offers advice on taking the reins when they’re abruptly dropped into their hands.
