August Reading Roundup

While preparing the kids to go back to school, the end of summer is also the perfect time to think of your own learning goals. Even if your own school days are long gone, becoming a life-long learner can help you grow and excel in many areas of your present life. And anyone of any age can learn new skills, be they related to money, investing, your profession, or even your health. In most cases, you won’t even have to step foot into a classroom. Here are some tips for getting started on your life-long learning path.

Learning to Invest

For many people, investing feels like a new language that they will never comprehend. However, that doesn’t have to be true. If you need some inspiration to help you overcome your discouragement, check out some of these money motivational quotes from Warren Buffet . And if that’s not enough, you may want to take a step back and see how investing can help you build wealth at any age.

One simple way to begin learning about investing is to search the internet for investment guides for beginners. There are several guides specifically designed to explain how to invest in stocks on the internet. The best part? Most of them are free! And if there’s a certain aspect of investing that interests you, like blockchain and crypto , there are tons of beginner-friendly guides for those topics as well.

Money Management & Budgeting

Do you often find yourself short on cash and wondering where your last few dollars have gone? Not keeping a careful eye on your income and expenses can severely limit your purchasing ability and even put you in debt. Learning how to manage your money better can help you keep your options open and prevent difficult financial situations.

Also, if you have a specific savings goal in mind such as building a travel fund, there are myriad online guides that offer tips and tricks for traveling cheap . These can help you with your vacation budgeting by minimizing your spending while still allowing you to fully enjoy your down time.

And if all the news about recessions and inflation has made you nervous that you’re not saving enough, there are also plenty of free ways to learn how to spend your money wisely . Savings challenges like this 52-week one , can walk you through how to reach your savings goals quickly and painlessly.

Money Lessons with the Kids

You’re not the only one in your family who could benefit from learning about money! Even if you’ve been putting off teaching your kids about money, it’s never too late to start. There are plenty of free online programs and apps that can help you get started.

You can also teach your kids more specific money lessons, such as real estate basics or money management skills. You may also want to consider asking your kids if they are interested in any specific topics, as learning about something that’s interesting to them will make the learning process easier for them (and you!).

Professional Skills & Development

Learning skills related to your profession could help you advance in your career. That could be as simple as taking a few free online courses, or as involved as going back to school for a few years to get an advanced degree, like an MBA. Before you begin, do some research to decide what learning options will best complement your career path.

Have you been dreaming about starting your own business or becoming an entrepreneur? There are plenty of free online resources dedicated to helping you start or grow your small business . You can also find disparate tips and secrets from successful entrepreneurs and business owners online, too.

Fitness & Health Education

Many people say they want to lose weight and eat healthier, but that’s a lot harder to do if you don’t have the know-how to make it happen! You can find nutritional information for you or your kids online, along with easy and healthy recipe ideas .

You could also learn a health-related hobby like cooking at home or taking up yoga. These hobbies have the added benefit of being stress relievers as well as healthy! And if you find your daily stress levels increasing, you may also want to learn some practical ways to relieve your stress .

Around the Web: How to be a Life-Long Learner

Need some more motivation to get started on your path to being a life-long learner? Here are some articles from around the web on the benefits of becoming a life-long learner, as well as some practical tips to help you get started.

•   The Benefits of Lifelong Learning for Seniors

•   Lifelong career success from lifelong learning

•   3 Keys to Evolving as a Lifelong Learner

•   10 helpful habits to develop a lifelong learning mindset

The Takeaway

Being a life-long learner has many benefits. It can help you advance your career, get healthy, accomplish your personal goals, and even save money. Investing in your education, be it in or out of the classroom, can pay substantial dividends in the long run!

Need help jump-starting your financial learning goals? SoFi Relay®, is a budgeting app that can track income, set up financial goals, and help you keep tabs on your spending.

Photo credit: iStock/fizkes

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