Need Advise on Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover

Yes, go for it :) We purchased it after my husband took a 5th pay cut from work. His 40 hour a week job is cut down to 26 hours a week. He has a part time photography job for kids sports. He just took another pt job delivering pizza. I work pt and have the kids instead of daycare. We have paid down debt. Actually we paid off 3 bills. We have 2 cc's to go and a car payment. Then we can tackle the house. If we really buckled down and tightened the belt we'd cut out the Friday pizza. I cut the cable and magazines and whatever else we had.

On a good note, we take family walks with the kids and dogs. We play board games and talk more. It's a win-win for my house.

Get it! It will change your life. For the better.

My vote is check it out from your local library (FREE!!!). Hubby & I just read DR's Total Money Makeover and are so thankful we did. Go for it, what do you have to lose? Oh, yea, all that debt! Can't wait to get started on our debt snowball. Currently working on selling our home to downsize & our emergency fund. Good Luck!

There is a class at St. John's in Ellisville starting soon I heard. I would check it out of the library and if it is helpful then buy one.

Actually, you don't pay off your credit cards with the highest interest rate first, which at a glance seems like the best idea. You pay off the smallest one first, then take what you were paying on that one and work on the next one, get that one paid off and go from there.
If you can check the book out from the library do that and see if you think it's something you can live with. I did the full course online and slowly on my way to being debt free. Best of luck to you!

I got the book from the library to "preview" it first . . . my kids do his homeschool curriculum for teens and we LOVE it.

I agree with another mom - if you're married make sure you get your husband's input.

It is so worth it if you can buy the book. If you are a subscriber to Borders rewards they send out coupons a couple times a week to use on books, usually 15-33% off. I'm sure you could find other deals online as well. Dave Ramsey's website is always running specials. I have purchased 3 Total Money Makeover books so far - I keep loaning them out and don't get them back! My husband and I followed Dave's advice faithfully and we are now debt free minus our mortgage - it created so much harmony in our lives, not just financially, but in our marriage also because there is no longer financial worry. Good luck!

Updated

It is so worth it if you can buy the book. If you are a subscriber to Borders rewards they send out coupons a couple times a week to use on books, usually 15-33% off. I'm sure you could find other deals online as well. Dave Ramsey's website is always running specials. I have purchased 3 Total Money Makeover books so far - I keep loaning them out and don't get them back! My husband and I followed Dave's advice faithfully and we are now debt free minus our mortgage - it created so much harmony in our lives, not just financially, but in our marriage also because there is no longer financial worry. Good luck!

It is worth every penny. The other option would be to do his TMMO online through DaveRamsey.com. I did Financial Peace University about 5 years ago and we are completely debt free except our mortgage. The only caveat I would offer would be depending on how motivated you are. I'm one that knows what needs to be done (about some things) and ends up not doing them for various reasons. When I took the class I had to show that I was working on things -- not my number, but proof that I was working on it and it was a great accountablility for my family and I.

It is totally worth it if you will do it. It is worth it to read even if you don't implement it ALL if you are getting ready to make any major purchases... because there is a lot of smart stuff in there about that (buying cars in particular, but also the extended warranties that can be bought with just about everything these days). But if you don't really want to change anything you are doing... wait until you are.

Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Liberty, MO has a Financial Peace University class every so often. Contact the church ###-###-#### to see when the next one is...if you aren't close to Liberty, they may be able to help you find one close to you. If you don't want to do the class then definately buy the book. It has helped my husband and I out greatly. We aren't there yet, but we are getting there. Good luck and God Bless.

I agree with those that advise checking it out from the library. Considering the book is nothing more than common sense it isn't worth wasting money on buying it.

Pay off debt highest interest rate first, duh!, ya know. Don't carry credit cards at 29% when you have money in savings earning 1%. Look at what you are wasting money on. I admit I have not read the book but it is pretty simple how to get out of debt the hard part is changing your habits. I loved having my Chai tea latte every morning until I realized it was costing me a hundred dollars a month, yikes!

My best one line advice is don't use credit except for emergencies. Emergencies being defined as something that will put you in peril if you don't spend like the furnace broke.

Alisa that makes sense, I just didn't consider it because it wouldn't fit my circumstances. I have always had one credit card, occasionally a car loan, and now student loans. The student loans have pretty much the same balances but different rates because it changed each year I was in school. Still you prove my point, it is common sense, just adapted to each person's circumstances.

Oh, another one, always keep your checkbook balanced. Banks stack the check and debits, regardless of when they are presented, largest to smallest. I had a check that was told was lost in the mail clear causing six debits all under seven dollars get paid through overdraft as apposed to that one one hundred dollar check. That one cost me over two hundred dollars. Wish Obama would take a look at that practice instead of all that other nonsense. :(

I checked it out at the library.

Check it out if you can. I asked for it for Christmas and my in-laws got it for me. They have some people in their church who really liked it but they weren't sure I would totally like it so at least were not hurt if I didn't. I do like a lot of what he has to say, but I do not agree with everything. It is awesome that it works for some people, but I do not believe it can work for everyone. It can't hurt to check out a few different approaches to personal finances and budgetting in the library and get a more comprehensive view. One thing he did write that I liked is that his book is not religious enough for some people, and is too religious for others. What surprised me was that he never addresses factoring tithing into your "plan" in the book, which is something my family struggles with since we barely make enough money to pay bills and buy gas and food. Check out his website and the book and if you really like it, buy it. =)

Look for a Financial Peace University class. The class setting helps a lot with accountability and the facilitator is a good resource for questions and how to implement the plan best for your situation. The cost seems high at $100. but is well worth it as you become a life member and can take the class as often as you want without further cost. Wise investing and financial planning when you're young is the best single thing you can do for your financial peace down the road.

It is a great book. My only caution to you would be that if you are married - make sure that you have your husbands buy in - to try something new. My church offers his "Financial Peace Institution" series as a life group study. It is awesome, but my husband does not attend church with me, and did not attend the class, and at the time had no interest in changing the way we do things. We always make it and are not hurting for anything, but I would like to be able to use the principals to just really get ahead. My husband is now getting on board with this. I am considering checking out the series form the church library if he will watch it with me. You might check for churches in your area. You could probably take the class for free if they offer it.