The Richest Man in Babylon
George S. Clason

This was a super fast read and in my opinion, is pretty much a masked list of financial saving rules to live by. It wasn't much of a story and not my favorite book. Maybe because I'd consider myself fairly conservative as a spender before this book, but if you're new to being on your own and aren't sure about what retirement planning means at age 22, then maybe you'll enjoy this.

1. Pay yourself
• The book's main message is that you can't get rich if you never pay yourself. Too many people go on a spending spree when they have a surplus. What that means is it's gone when it's gone. Instead, you need to pay your future self. You do that by contributing to an IRA, 401k, or other long term goal. Only then, after you've set some aside, should you splurge on that new TV.
2. Don't overspend
• It is so easy to spend without looking at the remaining balance these days. Without writing checks or counting cash, the electronic payment world of credit cards, PayPal, and bitcoin is actually quite scary. Layaway is the worst idea ever (IMHO) as you shouldn't take out a loan in any size ($1 or $100,000) that you don't know when you will pay it back. You have to know when you will be back at zero instead of negative! You can't go positive without first passing zero.
3. Use compound interest
• Whether it's the risky stock market, points on credit cards, or interest at the bank, you shouldn't be afraid to move around to get the best 0.01% bump. It all adds up! As the book says, "make your money work for you" and have it make money too.