Three Must-Read Books to Change Your Financial Trajectory
Money doesn’t just shape the way we live—it often stirs deep emotions. Stress, shame, hope, or freedom—it all comes wrapped in the numbers we carry. On The Freq Show, Jaclyn Steele Thurmond and her husband, Sam Thurmond, opened up a conversation that so many of us secretly crave but are too afraid to have: finance.
This wasn’t a stiff budget talk. It was tender, honest, and full of soul. Jaclyn and Sam didn’t show up as experts trying to tell you what to do—they came as fellow travelers, willing to share the books, wisdom, and habits that shifted their lives from debt and guilt into peace and possibility.
Must-Read Books to Change Your Financial Trajectory (The Heart Behind the Conversation)
Jaclyn began by confessing something vulnerable: finance wasn’t always her thing. In fact, she once carried shame so heavy it felt easier to avoid money conversations altogether. After Baylor University, even with scholarships, she carried student loan debt that left her heart sinking every time the bills came.
“I didn’t want to look at it,” she admitted. “It made me feel like I was already behind.”
But slowly, step by step, she and Sam faced it together. They paid off the debt, and with it, Jaclyn’s whole relationship with money began to change. Today, she’s not only debt-free—she’s also an investor, an equal partner in financial decisions, and someone who can laugh at what once brought tears.
Sam, steady and thoughtful, brought in his perspective as a husband. For him, money isn’t just about numbers—it’s about connection. “I want you to be involved,” he told Jaclyn. “If you’re not, you don’t really understand a big aspect of our relationship.”
Together, they reminded listeners: finances don’t have to divide you. They can unite you, if you choose transparency, curiosity, and teamwork.
Book One: Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
The first book Jaclyn shared is all about changing your inner script. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind teaches that wealth begins with mindset, and Jaclyn loved its practical system of dividing money into buckets.
For her, one bucket in particular felt life-giving: the “fun fund.” No more guilt about treating herself to a massage or dinner—because joy was part of the plan.
Sam added a practical voice for entrepreneurs: when income is unpredictable, it may not be realistic to follow percentages perfectly. But the habit still matters. “Even if it’s just 2% instead of 10%,” he said, “it’s about building the rhythm.”
Book Two: The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
A family friend—someone quietly wealthy—recommended this book to Jaclyn and Sam. Its wisdom is simple but revolutionary: the wealthiest people often don’t look wealthy at all. They save. They reinvest. They live below their means.
Jaclyn loved one of the exercises: dividing their monthly budget by the days left in the month. Suddenly, spending had a clear daily limit. And when she didn’t use the full amount? That money became investment fuel. “It’s like your money is making money babies,” she said, smiling.
Sam was struck by how ordinary these millionaires were. They weren’t celebrities or CEOs—they were teachers, small business owners, workers who stayed consistent. “It’s the power of compounding interest and time,” he reminded.
Image sourced from pinterest.
For anyone who wants to explore these principles further, The Millionaire Next Door Summary: Important Takeaways and Mindset Tips offers a clear and practical guide to applying them in daily life.
Book Three: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This book flips everything upside down. Instead of saving endlessly, it teaches you to build assets that cover your expenses. Sam explained it with a simple picture: “Imagine buying a duplex. You live in one side, and the rent from the other pays your mortgage. Now your asset is paying for your liability.”
That kind of shift changes everything. Jaclyn also recalled advice from another mentor: “Let your assets pay for your luxuries.” Instead of buying a car with debt, invest in something that can cover the cost outright. Decades later, that same principle built lasting wealth for their friend.
If you’re curious about pairing practical money wisdom with a more expansive way of thinking, 7 Books on Abundance Mindset That Will Shift How You See the World is a great companion read—it helps balance financial strategy with a heart-centered perspective.
Small Steps That Build Big Change
Not everything has to start with six figures. Jaclyn and Sam also shared the small hacks that helped them along the way:
Round-Up Apps: Apps like Acorns round purchases up to the nearest dollar and funnel the difference into investments. For Jaclyn, this turned unnoticed change into hundreds of dollars growing quietly in the background.
Daily Allowances: Jaclyn found peace in setting a daily spending limit. Any leftover money could then go directly toward their goals instead of slipping away.
Start Small: Even $20 matters. Jaclyn reminded listeners, “Don’t wait until you have more. It’s never too late, and it’s never too small.”
Empowerment in Partnership
Money, for Jaclyn, used to feel like something shameful. But now, it’s something empowering—especially as a woman. Sam echoed this, pointing out that both partners should always have clarity and a voice in financial choices.
Once they shifted from shame to strategy, finances stopped being a source of tension and became something motivating. As Sam put it: “It turned into a game. And games are fun when you’re playing together.”
Long-Term Thinking
Both Jaclyn and Sam cautioned against quick wins like day trading. Instead, they encouraged steady, long-term strategies—like index funds and real estate investments—that protect peace of mind.
They pointed to Tony Robbins’ Unshakeable as another great read, one that outlines how to think about money in decades, not days.
Final Thought
At the heart of this conversation, Jaclyn and Sam wanted listeners to hear this: you don’t have to wait for perfect circumstances to begin healing your financial life.
Start where you are. Start with $20. Start with awareness. The books they shared aren’t just information—they are invitations. Invitations to think differently, to live with more peace, and to see money not as a chain around your ankle but as a tool for building freedom, security, and joy.
Because when you make peace with your money, you make peace with yourself.
Live on purpose. Live on frequency.
Ien Araneta - editor of The Freq Show & The Beckon Times
