When I had my first baby, I made the choice to stay home. It felt right — I wanted to be there for the little moments: the giggles, the milestones, the cuddles. But almost immediately, the financial pressure kicked in.

We went from two incomes to one right as our expenses started growing. Suddenly, every dollar mattered. I was budgeting down to the last cent, and still felt like we were barely keeping up.

Then we had our second baby — and things got even harder.

More diapers. More groceries. More bills. And the same pit in my stomach every time I checked our bank account. I remember lying awake some nights doing mental math, trying to figure out how we’d get through the month.

I felt overwhelmed. Guilty that I couldn’t contribute financially. Tired of always worrying.

I knew something had to change — because I didn’t want to spend these precious years with my kids constantly stressed about money. I didn’t want to just survive. I wanted to feel secure. I wanted options.

Then I stumbled across a book that changed everything: The Millionaire Next Door. It completely changed my assumptions about what it means to be “rich.” I always pictured wealth as flashy cars and big houses, but this book showed me that real wealth is quiet, intentional, and built slowly by people who live simply.

That one insight gave me hope — and a starting point. 

Since then, I’ve read, researched, made mistakes, learned some more, and slowly rebuilt the way we handle money. We paid off debt. We started saving. I learned to invest. I even found side hustles that fit around my kids’ schedules.

And now I want to share the 7 books that made the biggest difference in my life.

Not because they’re magic — they’re not — but because they gave me the mindset and tools I needed to turn things around.

If I could do this while raising two kids, living on one income, and starting from a place of fear… I really believe you can too.

And I’m here to help however I can.