6 Best Books for Getting Out of Debt in 2025

Libraries and bookstores are packed with finance books from wealthy authors who think they know best. Some offer solid advice, but the best books for getting out of debt go beyond Dave Ramsey or Rich Dad Poor Dad.

I’ve rounded up my top picks, including mainstream voices like Ramsey and authors from marginalized groups who bring fresh perspectives on debt and wealth-building. Their insights often go unheard—but they’re just as valuable. Here are my recommendations—happy reading!

Table of Contents

1. 1. Get Good with Money
2. 2. I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Second Edition
3. 3. You Don’t Need a Budget
4. 4. The Total Money Makeover Updated and Expanded: A Proven Plan for Financial Piece
5. 5. The Price You Pay for College
6. 6. Bad with Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together

1. Get Good with Money by Tiffany Aliche

• Year published: 2021
• Length: 368 pages

What it’s about

Tiffany Aliche, also known as “The Budgetnista,” shares her personal journey to “becoming financially whole,” with solid advice and actionable steps in each chapter to form a healthy relationship with money. By breaking down the complete financial picture into 10 areas (with 10 steps), attaining financial wholeness feels much more attainable.

Takeaways

• We need to reframe how we look at the “why” of paying off debt.
• Insurance is an important part of financial wholeness that we often miss when thinking about budgets, debt payoff, and investing.
• Prepare your talking points before having the big, scary money conversations.

Why it’s worth reading in 2025

Aliche is a compelling author. At no point in reading Get Good With Money do you feel like you’re being talked down to by a wealthy person criticizing your decisions. Instead, as a Black woman who has had wealth, lost it all, and pulled herself back up, Aliche uses empathy and humor to connect with readers, creating a much safer space to learn and grow.

And for those of us who lack confidence when talking to strangers (hello, welcome to the club!), I find Aliche’s scripts for talking to credit card companies, interviewing financial planners, and asking for a raise to be super helpful.

[B]eing debt-free should be a goal, but not the goal. The main purpose of reducing your debt is so you have excess money to go toward growing wealth, which should be the ultimate goal.

– Tiffany Aliche, Get Good with Money

2. I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Second Edition by Ramit Sethi

• Year published: 2019 (originally published in 2009)
• Length: 352 pages

What it’s about

Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You to Be Rich does exactly what you’d expect: It breaks down core financial concepts into actionable steps (as part of a six-week action plan), with real practical advice that can put you on the path to getting out of debt, saving for your future, and investing to grow your wealth. The updated second edition of the book, released on its 10th anniversary, expands on his original concepts with new tools and updated insights applicable in today’s world.

Takeaways

• Automating your money is one of the best ways to stick to a financial plan.
• Mistakes are OK in your journey out of debt and into wealth.
• Credit cards aren’t evil; in fact, they can be great tools in establishing wealth.

Why it’s worth reading in 2025

I Will Teach You to Be Rich, though now six years old (second edition), is still relevant today. Sethi takes a much different approach than popular author Dave Ramsey by arguing that resources like credit cards are actually useful. Sethi provides real advice about bank accounts and investments, and his method allows you to spend money on things you enjoy.

His tone isn’t for everyone, though. He makes some jokes that may not land, depending on your tastes and sense of humor. But between the funny (?) asides, there’s solid advice for people who are in debt—and people who have gotten out of debt and are wondering, “What’s next?”

Spend extravagantly on the things you love, and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t.

– Ramit Sethi, I Will Teach You to Be Rich

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3. You Don’t Need a Budget by Dana Miranda

• Year published: 2024
• Length: 304 pages

What it’s about

You Don’t Need a Budget is the black sheep of personal finance literature. Author (and old colleague from my earliest days writing in personal finance) Dana Miranda likens budget culture to diet culture—one in which we “reward restriction and deprivation,” which is often not sustainable. 

Instead, across the pages of her book, Miranda looks at how we can use debt to achieve life goals (rather than be laser-focused on getting out of it). 

Takeaways

• Too much focus on cutting costs and depriving your wants is not sustainable.
• While it’s important to have clear financial goals, you don’t need to let them consume every waking thought.
• Debt can actually be a good thing; it’s OK now and then to finance things that will bring you fulfillment.

Why it’s worth reading in 2025

You Don’t Need a Budget is particularly poignant for readers traditionally “left behind by the forces of capitalism,” including Black Americans, women, and LGBTQ+ community members. The book expertly challenges traditional advice that is often unrealistic and unhelpful for people living paycheck to paycheck.

Instead, You Don’t Need a Budget offers a unique perspective that can help ease the stress faced by those most affected by today’s high prices and economic uncertainty.

The cacophony of competing prescriptive budgets, debt payoff plans, and so-called expert investment strategies in the personal finance industry overcomplicate money and make you feel like you’re failing and falling behind no matter what you do. Money doesn’t have to be so hard!

– Dana Miranda, You Don’t Need a Budget

4. The Total Money Makeover Updated and Expanded: A Proven Plan for Financial Piece by Dave Ramsey

• Year published: 2024 (originally published in 2003)
• Length: 272 pages

What it’s about

Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover offers a step-by-step approach to establishing emergency savings, getting out of debt, and saving for your future. The goal of the book is to get readers out of debt dependency and end the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.

Takeaways

• There are clear steps you can take to get out of debt and save for today’s expenses, emergencies, and retirement.
• A zero-based budget can help keep spending in check.
• Getting out of debt can bring a feeling of freedom and a sense of security to your life.

Why it’s worth reading in 2025

Nearly the antithesis of Miranda’s You Don’t Need a Budget, famous finance influencer and author Dave Ramsey’s book The Total Money Makeover was updated and expanded in 2024 with new stats and examples, fresher advice, and access to digital publishing tools.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like Dave Ramsey. I think his approach to debt payoff misses the mark and is unrealistic for most people living paycheck to paycheck (kinda the point Miranda makes in YDNAB). Plus, he is fiercely against credit cards—a resource that, when responsibly used, helps build credit (and that I used to earn more than $1,500 in cash-back rewards last year for my family). He also occasionally uses negative language that’s borderline bullying.

That said, his approach clearly works for some people. The media personality has reached millions of Americans through his radio show (The Money Game), TV show (The Dave Ramsey Show), his Financial Peace University, and his website (Ramsey Solutions).

TL;DR: Dave Ramsey isn’t my cup of tea, but there’s no denying his program can work for some people.

A budget is people telling their money where to go instead of wondering where it went.

– Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover

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I appreciate Dave Ramsey’s straightforward approach to eliminating debt, as his practical steps can be effective for most people looking to pay off credit card debt. That said, I also recognize the importance of responsible credit card usage. For those seeking guidance on this topic, I recommend a couple of insightful podcast episodes: 10 Rules for Using and Maximizing Credit Cards  and Managing Credit Cards with Sara Rathner 

5. The Price You Pay for College by Ron Lieber

• Year published: 2021
• Length: 368 pages

What it’s about

Long-time “Your Money” columnist for the New York Times Ron Lieber takes parents and soon-to-be college students through one of the biggest financial decisions they’ll ever make: where to go to school. While this book doesn’t address how to get out of debt, it’s essential to read before taking on a massive debt that could theoretically be even larger than the cost of a house.

Takeaways

• You need to weigh the value of one school over another and see if it matches the price difference.
• Parents need to have these challenging finance and debt conversations with kids before sending them off to school (and before they even apply).

Why it’s worth reading in 2025

The cost of college continues to skyrocket, and student loan debt continues to burden Americans for decades after they graduate. This book helps students and parents understand the impact of their decisions. I especially appreciate that Lieber interviewed college presidents and asked tough questions to help readers rethink their decisions.

For many families, the total bill for college could well add up to more than what they paid for their homes. Add in the potential impact of those four years on the trajectory of any adolescent’s life, and the fact that so many of our own hopes and dreams for our children are mixed up in this college choice, and the magnitude of the decision looms even larger. This is the most complex and emotionally fraught financial decision that many families will ever make.

– Ron Lieber, The Price You Pay for College

6. Bad with Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together

• Year published: 2019
• Length: 304 pages

What it’s about

Famous author and podcaster Gaby Dunn (he/they) expands on his podcast (also called Bad with Money) to tackle the shame and guilt we often feel about money, especially those of us in debt who struggle to make the “right” financial decisions. 

The book is equal parts memoir  and advice, with relatable stories that help Dunn earn trust with readers, as well as solid advice that, as the book’s subtitle suggests, helps get our financial you-know-what together.

Takeaways

• Books about money don’t have to be dry and boring. We can be entertained and learn at the same time.
• The shame and guilt we feel about money makes us less likely to talk about it—and thus less like to understand it.

Why it’s worth reading in 2025

This book isn’t going to be for everyone. The audience is clearly millennial (Gen Z may feel represented, too). There’s less substance in this book than in a Dave Ramsey book for getting out of debt, but for those who want to be entertained while reading, who may have a problem with Ramsey’s politics, and who want to support LGBTQ+ authors, this is the way. 

Dunn is a relatable storyteller, but they also help readers navigate real financial situations that can be confusing, all in service of getting out of debt and establishing financial security.

Here’s the big secret about money: No one knows anything. Despite the endless shelves of books and countless articles about money, despite the cadre of TV shows and seminars and podcasts (including my own) teaching you how to budget and cut expenses and invest and buy a home, the reality is that no one knows anything definitive about finances. Not even the experts. Especially not the experts. Sorry to ruin everything.”

— Gaby Dunn, Bad with Money

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I highly recommend two books by Jamie Hopkins: Rewirement: Rewiring the Way You Think About Retirement! and Find Your Freedom. While these books are not specifically about getting out of debt, they provide valuable insights into financial decision-making and how those choices shape one’s future. 

Want more ways to level up your money game?

If these books sparked your interest, you’ll love our handpicked lists. These are packed with practical advice to help you reach your financial goals:

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