The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness By Dave Ramsey Audiobook CD Author: -Author- | Language: English | ISBN:
B00830LZ12 | Format: EPUB
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness By Dave Ramsey Audiobook CD Description
- Audio CD
- Publisher: Abridged Audiobook (2007)
- ASIN: B00830LZ12
- Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.9 x 1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
I bought Ramsey's book because he has so many raving fans (my daughter among them), and the loyalty they express is often literally evangelical in nature. Offering any criticism of Dave Ramsey's advice can draw fusillades of righteous indignation. Any negative comments about Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace University or any of the many products he sells may be answered by, "You obviously love debt," and "why are you so against living by Biblical principles?"
As a financial professional, I can legitimately claim to be an expert in matters of debt and credit. So I bought his book so I could see just what it was about Dave Ramsey would cause these extreme reactions. After reading it carefully, I have come to some conclusions.
First, I must acknowledge that there is a lot to like about Dave Ramsey. His basic teaching can be boiled down to this:
1. Don't buy stuff on credit that you can't afford
2. Set aside money for emergencies and the future
3. If you are in trouble with debt, stop incurring it (we could also state it as, "When you're deep in a hole, stop digging.")
4. Make a plan to retire your debt systematically
He offers a step-by-step method for getting out of debt and onto a better financial footing. He teaches that you should pay attention to your finances and work from a written budget.
These are all good things.
My first concern is that Mr. Ramsey teaches that All Debt Is Evil (with the possible exception of a 15 year mortgage). Others here have mentioned his assertion that "responsible use of a credit card is not possible." His audience is urged not only to pay off their debt (a Good Thing), but to cut up the cards and close the accounts.
I started to listen to Dave Ramsey's radio show about a month ago. I kept hearing callers calling in saying they were debt free, so I was curious about learning Dave's approach to financial freedom. I was interested in living debt free so I picked up his book. Majority of the book is information that I have heard many times in my life. Dave even warns readers of this. However, his style of writing and humor make this information fun to read again. I have read reviews for this book mentioning that the reviewers could have save money because there are only 5 steps listed in the book, and majority of information has been told before. These reviewers have missed the point. The purpose of the book is to give people a foundation for change, so that they can be masters of their financial life. This book is a tool that people can go back and read for inspiration, if the path gets too difficult.
The book is a very easy and entertaining read. For those of us who dream of living debt-free, it is a very inspiration book to have. The baby steps are very easy to remember, but not necessarily easy to follow through with. The book gives us understanding why we have to go through some pain to become debt free. Just as person overweight struggles to diet and exercise if they want to become fit, a person trying to stop living on credit goes through type of struggle. Reading about people paying off $20,000 of debt in 9 months makes my missed restaurants visits, or not buying the newest video game seem trivial. For those wanting a way to become debt-free, the small investment in this book is a small price to pay. I have read many financial books, and Total Money Makeover is one of the best.
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