Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

Excellent responses in this thread!

Hehe... Dave Ramsey's name seems to pop up every couple of months or so. I think it's good that people are discovering the importance and ways to keep their finances under control, and Dave Ramsey is a good starting point.

[Raisecapital01]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

The only problem I have with Dave is you have to pay to be a member and even read his forums!! I think Dave is for sure getting rich! I really feel that this site is just as good and it's FREE!! Asking people who are in deep debt to join his site for $89.95 is ridiculous!! I say apply that $$ to your debt, come to this site and get great tips and support! It's just my opinion!

I guess I never knew he was charging these rates. You are better off buying his book. Why not a subscription, so that people can can get a feel for it? I have to agree with you.

[mom-from-missouri]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

The $89 gets you more than just being a "member of his site". We are doing this at our church. For the $89 you get, the CD set, book, workbook, and worksheets on the CD that you can print off for years to come. You also get assistance from them if needed. Most in our church group reported saving more than the $89 the first month. It is a 13 week program we are doing, 2 hours each Sunday night. (Could be done in 90 minutes, but we like to 'snack' also, and visit to hear each others successes and give support.) I recommend it. Also, on his site, you can look at see who is offering these classes and where, so you can join up with one. The classes don't cost--the $89 is for the materials.

[Aleta]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

I would imagine that you could pick his books up in libraries as well. That's a big savings. If you find it helpful and would like to keep it as a reference book, then go out and buy it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

If you were gung-ho you'd just google his baby steps, slap it on the fridge, and follow them. Basic summary don't spend money you don't have. Everything else is gravy.

[rduell]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

If your library doesn't have it you can ask them to get it from another library through an inter-library loan.

[mom-from-missouri]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

You can get books at the library, but the worksheets are in the CD. Yet, if a person really studied the book, you could make your own worksheets. However, since the money also puts you into a course, the "peer 'pressure" or "peer support" tends to help you stick with it better. Our church is doing it for 13 weeks. I guess we could all get together for 13 days and do it, but our home is 13 weeks, or 3 months will make it habit, that will stick with us a lifetime. And, since we also have the CD, we can do a shorter refresher course 1-3 weeks together when we feel we need it--like before the holidays next year.

[disneysteve]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

Basic summary don't spend money you don't have.

Reminds me of that Steve Martin skit from SNL.

This is an amazingly simple concept, but millions of people just don't get it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

Yeah, I love this skit. However if you read the statistics only a small percentage of people don't pay off CC. These people raise the # of average CC debt. Unlike what DR says there are a large percentage of people who don't even have CC.

But what's even harder is just because you can afford the minimum payment doesn't mean you can really afford.

[smartatmoney]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

DR is the MAN! I tend to agree with him and follow his advice. I mostly use it as guide posts. I may not follow every detail (I still use a credit card that I pay off).

I guess his point of view there is that studies show you spend more even with plastic than you would with cash. He also wants to remove temptation.

I like him. I listen to his free 1 hr podcast all the time.

[Ima saver]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

Naturalwoman, I was doing the envelope system back in the 60's. When i first got married I had no checking account and paid the bills in cash.

[Raisecapital01]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

Reminds me of that Steve Martin skit from SNL.

This is an amazingly simple concept, but millions of people just don't get it.

Dave Ramsey has made millions on what people do not get. These numbers never diminishes because many college students come out of college in debt. What he says, "Students living off loans, buying BMW's, and then get out of college in financial trouble." What do they do? Buy Dave Ramsey's book or CD's.

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

I guess his point of view there is that studies show you spend more even with plastic than you would with cash. He also wants to remove temptation.

Yes... so long as people understand that credit card is only a tool in the financial toolbox.

Once people have the psychological mindset towards financial responsibility, AND have the skills to set up a budget, follow it, and track the expenses somehow, credit cards can become a great tool that can benefit you and even make you money.

That's why I said that Dave Ramsey is a good... nay, great starting point. He presents an easy and nearly fool-proof method of working your way out of debt. However, once you get past the basics, you'll want to re-think how you look at and manage certain things, and credit cards are one such example.

[LuxLiving]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

A couple years ago when I decided to get serious about getting my financial life more in order and pay off all my debt I read in a message board about baby steps and snowballing (with no reference to DR) and it made good sense to me so I started doing it. A few months later was when I found out this was actually DR stuff.

Aurielle - most of his information and tips are actually just sound financial & scriptural principals which have been around long before DR, so isn't really proprietary at all. Loads of other gurus were pushing it before DR was in diapers.

[Aleta]

Re: Dave Ramsey and Your Thoughts

I know that these things cost money, but for goodness sakes, that's his job. That's how he earns his living by helping others. I have found that by adopting 1 or 2 principles that I have always gotten my money back. People pay stock brokers and don't have a problem with it.