Ok, maybe my title oversells this a bit, but in all seriousness, there are a lot of financial gurus and strategies out there. Many of them are really, really good.

I’ve read a number of financial books over the years and among my favorites are:

• The Richest Man in Babylon – George Clason
• Financial Peace University – Dave Ramsey
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
• The Cash Flow Quadrant – Robert Kiyosaki
• Think and Grow Rich (a little weird for me) – Napoleon Hill
• The Richest Man Who Ever Lived – Steven Scott
• The Millionaire Next Door – Thomas Stanley

(This is where the audiobooks were really great!)

Ok, so what’s the best financial advice? It’s very simple:

“Assume that everything costs more.”

Sound silly? Too simple?

But it’s true.

Nearly everything you buy will end up costing more than you think, so always give yourself wiggle-room.

And give yourself MORE wiggle-room than you think!

Cars and houses need maintenance. The bigger and fancier, the more expensive to clean, update, repair. Clothes wear out or go out of style (as my wife has to continuously remind me). The groceries need to be replenished because some of them spoiled. Your child’s tuition costs $X… but you have to buy books and there are 18 fees for this and that. Health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance. Premiums, deductibles, copays. Taxes on everything. Toll roads. Ever tried to fly on some of these airlines that charge you for everything? You have to pay more if you want to breathe clean air!

So, if you operate your life well under-budget, you will remove a whole lot of the stress that comes with these costs and fees that are attached to just about everything.