Renowned children’s author Dr. Seuss was great at instilling life lessons through resonant rhymes and artwork. His books also pack some poignant financial lessons.

Always the Planner gleans some personal finance knowledge from Dr. Seuss books. Some of the parallels are stretches, but they all make sense:

* The Cat in the Hat — You don’t need to spend a lot to have a good time. Conversation and imagination are as entertaining as pricey outings. If you’re trying to save money, look first at scaling back your entertainment budget.

* Green Eggs and Ham — Stick with the same financial routines without varying your approach and you can grow bored and ineffective. Don’t let fear dictate your practices. Be willing to take reasonable risks that could better your standing.

* The Lorax — No matter how dreadful your situation, nothing will change unless you face up to your problems and start chipping away at their causes. When you’re struggling with money problems, the worst thing you can do is go with the flow and pretend nothing is wrong.

Dr. Seuss [Always the Planner]

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