You know the one. Every family has THAT uncle. The one who corners you at Thanksgiving with a passionate rant about compound interest. The one who sneaks personal finance books into your birthday gifts, and casually asks if you've started listening to the latest episode of Choose FI you know that one podcast he recommended… last year. Or if you finally finished how to Win Friends and Influence people you can finally talk about it.
Yeah, that’s me. I am that uncle. Not only do i want to make my kids financially literate, but i want my nieces and nephews to be as well, but that's up to them...not their crazy uncle that only talks finances
And guess what? I’m not sorry about it. Here’s why you should embrace your favorite money-talking, book-giving, finance-nerd uncle. (other than the fact that if you listen to them you will be a millionaire by the time you retire)
The reality of it all is that money makes the world go round (like, literally, i heard there was a machine somewhere at area 51 where they pay this one guy millions of dollars a year just to put another quarter in before the earth stops rotating. How wild!) Let's get back on point here, money makes life easier.
I’m not obsessed with money. Well, okay, maybe a little. But let’s be real: money is involved in almost every part of life. You need it to live, eat, travel, and do all the fun things and non fun things like going to the doctor or paying your bills. So when I bring up the importance of budgeting during dessert or remind you that you should open that Roth IRA like TODAY if you have earned income, I’m actually doing you a solid, im looking out for you. Although, i can see maybe this may not be the right time for this conversation........nonsense we're talking finances!
I'm just trying to make sure that when you're older, you don’t end up crying into your ramen noodles at 60 because you didn’t think saving in your 20s was "cool." Ill probably be dead by then and wont be able to tell you i told you so.... but just know you should be getting an email shortly telling you that ( I scheduled it to send in case this situation ever happened)
And okay, i get it maybe those finance books dont look as fun as that PS5 over there but i bet, you just might make money from one and not the other. So, yes, I gave you a book called *Think and Grow Rich* for your birthday. It wasn’t the flashy gadget you wanted, but hear me out. Financial literacy is one of the most underrated tools for living a successful life. I’m just trying to help you understand how money *really* works and how to get more of it to make your life easier.
Besides, you can only play so many video games. Why not give a finance book a try? I promise, it’s not as dry as you think. Oh and guess what! you dont event have to read it, how wild is that! You can actually listen to an audio book and listen while you play. Man what a crazy world! But, you dont have money to be buying audio books and all the ones i give you are actual books you say? Well i got you covered! Go get a free library card and now you have a huge library of financial books at your finger tips. You cant beat me, might as well join me.
Here are a few of my go-to gift books that I’ve probably given you at least twice:
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (The classic. Don’t pretend you didn’t need a refresher.)
I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi (Because, yes, I *will* teach you.)
The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins (Spoiler: It’s simple but also genius.)
Choose FI: The Financial Blueprint to Financial Independence by Brad Barret andd Jonathan Mandoza ( This ones opens your mind to the very real possibility of retiring early)
and anything real estate investing related.
If you read all of those come talk to me i have more
Honestly, who wouldn’t want the roadmap to financial freedom wrapped up in a cute little hardcover book or encoded in an MP3 file you can physically hold?
Another option if you really dont like reading books for some reason is podcasts. Podcasts Are the New Radio, and Finance Podcasts Are Gold. If you haven’t started listening to finance podcasts yet, we need to talk. You can absorb life-changing advice while you commute, cook, or do laundry. It’s like having a team of financial advisors in your pocket — without the fancy fees. Not only that but podcasts are usually pretty up to current date meaning you will be getting up to date info on what ever topic you listen to.
Its a great way to stay informed on an ever changing topic and its a great place to o back and learn all about an always changing topic and learn about its evolution. I may have sent you a list of podcasts to listen to a few hundred times, but there’s a reason for that. Here are some of my all-time faves (in case you lost the 13 text messages I sent you about them):
BiggerPockets Money (For all my real estate peeps out there.)
Choose FI ( This one is for all things finance including early retirement. Start at episode 100, trust me)
Don’t roll your eyes just yet! Once you start, you’ll realize these podcasts are gold mines of practical advice. You can still listen to your murder mystery or celebrity gossip show — just sprinkle a little finance in there for balance.
You might think I’m a bit obsessed (okay, a lot obsessed), but I’m playing the long game here. I want you to thrive—to live your best life without the stress of high-interest debt or uncertainty about your future when you could be planning a fun retirement. That’s why I share my favorite financial lessons, books, and podcasts. Sure, I could talk about the weather or the latest Marvel movie during family dinners, but will that help you make sound financial decisions when the time comes? Probably not. Uncle Money-Man (yep, that’s me) is just trying to make sure you’re *prepared*.
I get it—talking about money might not be the most exciting thing when you’re 25(it will be when your 3o though), living your best life, and dreaming about your next vacation. But trust me, there will come a time when all my advice, those books, and podcast recommendations will click, and you’ll be glad I drilled “pay yourself first” into your head at every family barbecue. Someday, when you’re sitting on a beach sipping margaritas, having *retired early*, you’ll remember your uncle—and all those great thanksgiving conversations. And who knows? Maybe one day *you’ll* be that uncle or auntie who talks about money all the time, if only you are lucky enough.
Until then, feel free to come to me with any finance questions. I’ll be waiting—probably holding a finance book and queuing up another podcast episode.
At the end of the day, I talk about money because I care. Financial success isn’t just about having more money; it’s about having time freedom, peace of mind, and options. So next time I slide a finance book into your gift bag or send you a podcast episode, don’t roll your eyes too hard. Your PNW Uncle is just looking out for your future!
Now, have you read that book I gave you last Christmas?
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