I love personal finance books. The inspirational stories, the triumphs over debt, the famous guy who stopped buying lattes and suddenly had a million dollars in his bank account a few months later. (Well, not really. I think it took 30 years or so for him to rack up a few hundred thousand, but that's almost besides the point).

The only problem with personal finance books is that you don't need to read a whole book to get the gist of the ideas presented. In fact, a recent SmartMoney feature sums up how to save some money and get ahead in five straightforward, very practical points. (See, "Top 5ive Ways To Get Ahead"). The tips include how to get higher interest on your savings, pay lower interest on your debt, save more money on income taxes and get a raise.

But take a step back and I can sum up the key to financial security even more concisely: Stop buying so much stuff. The truth is, for most people, it's a lot easier to spend less money than it is to make more money. And every dollar you don't spend today helps keep you out of debt, save more and can even be turned into investment income one day.