Dave Ramsey Financial Peace

[cast1]

I just wanted to say to the members here that this guy has literally changed my life. It is unquestionably the best money I ever spent. I signed my wife and I up for it at church last year and we finished just before Covid hit. Thankfully we had already started making adjustments, budgeting, meal planning, and payed off a couple debts before my income dropped 65% due to shutdowns. It’s amazing what you can do once you get your mindset right. I don’t discuss numbers in public but we are in a MUCH better situation, just based on decision making and prioritization. No difference in income, in fact we accomplished it with less.

If you can’t go 6 months with no income, aren’t debt free or on your way there, and putting away money for retirement and your kids’ college, I highly recommend doing financial peace. I’ve become like an apostle for this guy, but he’s seriously impacted my life for the better.

 

[Bullspotter]

Usto listen to his show all the time while driving for work. I never did go full bore with the financial peace university stuff. But did implement several things covered on his shows. I am Debt free and on a strict budget already. He is a pretty smart guy! It is hard to deal without some of the toys you want, (can afford) but well worth it in the case of what has happened over the last year.

 

[Triple BB]

I work at a local high school. We have a mandatory financial lit class that is required for all students to graduate. Ramsey's Financial Peace is a big part of the curriculum...

 

[Biggie1976]

I work at a local high school. We have a mandatory financial lit class that is required for all students to graduate. Ramsey's Financial Peace is a big part of the curriculum...

That’s great

 

[atepointer]

I work at a local high school. We have a mandatory financial lit class that is required for all students to graduate. Ramsey's Financial Peace is a big part of the curriculum...

Just had this conversation with a buddy Saturday and I am thrilled to read your post. Financial illiteracy is a widely tragic story in this country. Start young, stay disciplined and reap the benefits later.....delayed gratification. Would love to hear more about your HS program. Awesome!

 

[vh20]

Start young, stay disciplined and reap the benefits later.....delayed gratification.

Huh, how about that - the exact opposite of being "woke".

 

[atepointer]

Huh, how about that - the exact opposite of being "woke".

I hear radio commercials etc 'you deserve it!'. Same reaction I had when the word 'fair' started to permeate society and now we have hordes of dolts who line up for their 1st job thinking the world owe's them something. Sigh.

 

[Gommer]

Yeah, it’s not an accident what kids are taught in school. Or, rather, not taught.
What’s odd to me is how much Ramsay is touted as a life changer... he literally just says don’t spend money you don’t have. Plan for the future. The stuff he’s saying isn’t new or revolutionary. Almost all of it is stuff that was taught in public junior high and high schools back before the 90’s when lobbyists and politicians started playing the long game with education.

It’s great that people listen to him, though. Credit, as used by most in this country, is modern day indentured servitude.

 

[atepointer]

Yeah, it’s not an accident what kids are taught in school. Or, rather, not taught.
What’s odd to me is how much Ramsay is touted as a life changer... he literally just says don’t spend money you don’t have. Plan for the future. The stuff he’s saying isn’t new or revolutionary. Almost all of it is stuff that was taught in public junior high and high schools back before the 90’s when lobbyists and politicians started playing the long game with education.

It’s great that people listen to him, though. Credit, as used by most in this country, is modern day indentured servitude.

100% none of it is difficult conceptually, but the discipline to say no can overpower what we know is the right decision deep down. This is why I continually conduct quarterly reviews with a simple legal pad: Wants on one side and needs on the other and it's so powerful to see it staring back at you. I won't ever spend a dime w/o paying myself at established thresholds first.

 

[M8541Reaper]

Wife and I found out about him about a year ago and it’s a great starting point for a lot of people who don’t know what they don’t know. There’s a few things we disagree with him on, one of which is his credit card views. For the masses, it’s sound advice. But for someone who can control themselves and remain dedicated, it would be stupid not to use one for fraud protection.

With the increase of card reader scams, especially at gas pumps, it would be stupid not to use a dedicated CC. This way your checking account isn’t compromised when you get targeted.

 

[Gommer]

Wife and I found out about him about a year ago and it’s a great starting point for a lot of people who don’t know what they don’t know. There’s a few things we disagree with him on, one of which is his credit card views. For the masses, it’s sound advice. But for someone who can control themselves and remain dedicated, it would be stupid not to use one for fraud protection.

With the increase of card reader scams, especially at gas pumps, it would be stupid not to use a dedicated CC. This way your checking account isn’t compromised when you get targeted.

If your bank doesn’t protect you from unauthorized charges/fraud, you should get a new bank.

But, yeah, I pay for everything with a cash back card from citi. It’s just setup to auto-pay the balance every month. It’s silly to not take back some of that 2.5-3% of every purchase you make. Every vendor is cooking that into their prices whether you pay cash, credit, or debit...

 

[M8541Reaper]

If your bank doesn’t protect you from unauthorized charges/fraud, you should get a new bank.

But, yeah, I pay for everything with a cash back card from citi. It’s just setup to auto-pay the balance every month. It’s silly to not take back some of that 2.5-3% of every purchase you make. Every vendor is cooking that into their prices whether you pay cash, credit, or debit...

I agree but that usually results in your money getting tied up during the investigation. ....and people who are struggling that are in a situation that requires the baby steps, usually don’t have the luxury of time.

...we have CCs but we pay them off each month.

 

[quietmike]

The wife and I went debt free two years ago. You don't realize the weight debt carries until it's gone.

 

[Romeo458]

I read the book 2 years ago. He used to be on the radio here but sadly they replaced him with Hannity. As of the end of last year all my debts are paid, and my credit is dropping fast because of it. I also want a 0 credit score.

I don't disagree with the credit card to protect your bank account, but I have a separate bank and account for the debit card from my main checking account and mostly pay cash.

 

[Brandon05_88]

I listen to Ramsey from time to time while travelling for work. Most of his content is common sense, yet there are some callers who have legit questions that are interesting. Real estate, wills, investing, rentals, some of the other one off questions where Hogan or AO chime in. They also have some good books.

It is addicting watching your debt-to-income ratio approach zero as your credit score declines.

 

[unrepentant]

I'd never heard of Dave Ramsey til I was in my late 40s; by then I had recovered from a credit card hammering in my late 20s. I've been "debt free" except for the mortgage since I was ~32 years old. (Yeah, I financed the first car.) Got my financial strategy from the school of hard knocks; finally we've been completely debt-free since I was 52.

I wish there had been a "financial literacy" class in school when I was young. I learned to be thrifty and frugal from Great Depression-scarred parents and their peers, but my complete ignorance when it came to credit undermined me during my college years. Straight outta the house with a new address and my first academic quarter away from home I was inundated with pre-approved credit card applications. This was back in '69; I "qualified" for $2000 worth of credit (>$14,000 today) and maxed it out over 2 years' time. I carried it for almost 3 years until a roommate friend studying finance wised me up. It's such a rarely-discussed subject (even among friends sometimes it's regarded as a "taboo" subject) that he and I didn't discuss financial practices until we'd known each other for a good 6 years. It took me til I was almost 27 to pay it off.

All that to say, despite a home environment of coupon-saving penny-pinching parents, the total lack of financial training can sure leave the door to credit (card) ignorance wide open for brutal self-inflicted financial ruin. We got lucky; I'd made my mistake when I was young enough to recover.

But I type this hoping to point out to those who are parents or mentors that a complete financial conceptual-understanding is as important a subject for 'children' as morals, character, conduct, and academics, and hopefully is not omitted/ignored in your conversations.

 

[Ravenworks]

If your bank doesn’t protect you from unauthorized charges/fraud, you should get a new bank.

But, yeah, I pay for everything with a cash back card from citi. It’s just setup to auto-pay the balance every month. It’s silly to not take back some of that 2.5-3% of every purchase you make. Every vendor is cooking that into their prices whether you pay cash, credit, or debit...

And did you know that CITI is the biggest anti-2A bank around?
I suggest you do a little digging on them

 

[E. Bryant]

Wife and I found out about him about a year ago and it’s a great starting point for a lot of people who don’t know what they don’t know. There’s a few things we disagree with him on, one of which is his credit card views. For the masses, it’s sound advice. But for someone who can control themselves and remain dedicated, it would be stupid not to use one for fraud protection.

With the increase of card reader scams, especially at gas pumps, it would be stupid not to use a dedicated CC. This way your checking account isn’t compromised when you get targeted.

I agree with this - a dedicated CC for "high risk" transactions is simply a good idea.

Otherwise, Ramsey generally gets it right. My wife and I followed the spirit of his advice and currently have no debt beyond what we put on the aforementioned CC each month. We do not have a fancy house and a pair of brand-new cars, but we generally work as much as we want (I gotta stay busy so I don't get into too much trouble) and we don't spend too much time worrying about paying bills.

 

[cast1]

Wife and I found out about him about a year ago and it’s a great starting point for a lot of people who don’t know what they don’t know. There’s a few things we disagree with him on, one of which is his credit card views. For the masses, it’s sound advice. But for someone who can control themselves and remain dedicated, it would be stupid not to use one for fraud protection.

With the increase of card reader scams, especially at gas pumps, it would be stupid not to use a dedicated CC. This way your checking account isn’t compromised when you get targeted.

Wife and I found out about him about a year ago and it’s a great starting point for a lot of people who don’t know what they don’t know. There’s a few things we disagree with him on, one of which is his credit card views. For the masses, it’s sound advice. But for someone who can control themselves and remain dedicated, it would be stupid not to use one for fraud protection.

With the increase of card reader scams, especially at gas pumps, it would be stupid not to use a dedicated CC. This way your checking account isn’t compromised when you get targeted.

Ashamedly we do still use the CCs though we have always paid them off each month. I really want to move to cash though.

What I’ve come to realize is that CCs, Amazon Prime, Apple Pay, Venmo, google pay, PayPal etc. are all just means of lubricating the separation of you and your money. You can’t get ID theft with cash and yeah you get 1% cash back on CCs but you’d probably spend $60 on the hundred with cash vs CCs. If you had to physically fork it over, you’d spend less. We are learning and growing every day though.

 

[E. Bryant]

Ashamedly we do still use the CCs though we have always paid them off each month. I really want to move to cash though.

What I’ve come to realize is that CCs, Amazon Prime, Apple Pay, Venmo, google pay, PayPal etc. are all just means of lubricating the separation of you and your money. You can’t get ID theft with cash and yeah you get 1% cash back on CCs but you’d probably spend $60 on the hundred with cash vs CCs. If you had to physically fork it over, you’d spend less. We are learning and growing every day though.

If you budget ("give every dollar a name" in Ramsey-speak), then method of payment doesn't matter. Electronic payment ain't going away, so it's important to program your behavior accordingly.

My biggest issue with credit cards is that they are becoming increasingly unreliable due to fraud prevention measures. I had to drive 30 minutes to a Home Depot store last week to pay cash for some flooring that my wife couldn't pay for over the phone due to some stupidity on Visa's end. Hint: if you would like me to use your service, don't put the burden of your inability to prevent fraud on my shoulders and claim that you're "protecting" me

Now, I'm about to go name a bunch of dollars as "Nightforce"

 

[demolitionman]

I work at a local high school. We have a mandatory financial lit class that is required for all students to graduate. Ramsey's Financial Peace is a big part of the curriculum...

Holy shit, a school actually teaching our kids something of real world value. Good on you guys.

 

[lte82]

There’s a tipping point where you actually enjoy investing your money more than spending it on stuff you don’t need. Same for eating healthy, working out, improving your education, growing a business, or anything else that takes time and effort to see results. All it takes is hitting one or two major goals and you’ll never go back.

 

[cast1]

It’s kind of like crushing a drive about 280 down the fairway. That’ll keep you swinging a golf club for at least a year.

 

[Electric B]

He currently has his home for sale, 15 million asking price.

 

[quietmike]

What I’ve come to realize is that CCs, Amazon Prime, Apple Pay, Venmo, google pay, PayPal etc. are all just means of lubricating the separation of you and your money.

They're also ways to track your spending and behavior.

 

[kenny1773]

Solid advice - don't buy what you can't afford (and know what you can afford)

and more importantly know when to use debt as a tool and not as a means to support a baller lifestyle

We all (all normal people anyway) need to use debt when we are young, but don't fall into the trap
NO - you will NOT always have a car payment, car payments are easy to avoid with how long modern cars run

You will most likely need debt to buy a house, but this one is a tough call on how fast you pay it off compared to other financial needs in your life.

Always fund your 401k (or some form of retirement) at the youngest age you possibly can. $1 invested when you are 21 years old, can be $130 or more when you are 67 (this is conservative).

 

[culater]

He currently has his home for sale, 15 million asking price.

He knows what's up he knows the market is going down while telling everyone to invest in mutual funds. Invest in Pysical silver and gold only at this time. We are heading for hyperinflation and a dollar collapse.

 

[atepointer]

He knows what's up he knows the market is going down while telling everyone to invest in mutual funds. Invest in Pysical silver and gold only at this time. We are heading for hyperinflation and a dollar collapse.

I'm still captivated by your 5G mind control post last fall that video was amzazeballs. When does that start?

 

[cast1]

Solid advice - don't buy what you can't afford (and know what you can afford)

and more importantly know when to use debt as a tool and not as a means to support a baller lifestyle

We all (all normal people anyway) need to use debt when we are young, but don't fall into the trap
NO - you will NOT always have a car payment, car payments are easy to avoid with how long modern cars run

You will most likely need debt to buy a house, but this one is a tough call on how fast you pay it off compared to other financial needs in your life.

Always fund your 401k (or some form of retirement) at the youngest age you possibly can. $1 invested when you are 21 years old, can be $130 or more when you are 67 (this is conservative).

The general debt philosophy is as little as you can, for as briefly as you can, only when you have to, until you don’t have to any more.

 

[alamo5000]

I just wanted to say to the members here that this guy has literally changed my life. It is unquestionably the best money I ever spent. I signed my wife and I up for it at church last year and we finished just before Covid hit. Thankfully we had already started making adjustments, budgeting, meal planning, and payed off a couple debts before my income dropped 65% due to shutdowns. It’s amazing what you can do once you get your mindset right. I don’t discuss numbers in public but we are in a MUCH better situation, just based on decision making and prioritization. No difference in income, in fact we accomplished it with less.

If you can’t go 6 months with no income, aren’t debt free or on your way there, and putting away money for retirement and your kids’ college, I highly recommend doing financial peace. I’ve become like an apostle for this guy, but he’s seriously impacted my life for the better.

To the OP. I am not familiar with that particular person but I definitely offer you my sincere congratulations for the discovery and progress you are making.

I have been fortunate in that I have always shrieked in horror at the thought of debt. Don't be mistaken I have to take out loans too sometimes for various things but learning how to manage it matters. Most recently I took out a loan for the simple reason to run up my credit score. I have been debt free for quite a long time so I figured it couldn't hurt, but even that is paid in full now.

I had my university school loans paid almost entirely off within 3 or 4 years of graduation. I didn't do it by making a ton of money. I did it by continuing to live like a student while I had the opportunity to do so after I graduated. Sometimes it's rough but in the end continuous effort pays off and opens so many doors as well as lifting huge burdens from people. A lot of the time people have gotten so normalized under the load of debt they have they don't even realize there are alternative ways of thinking or doing things.

Again I applaud you for making the leap and more than anything changing your ways for the better.

 

[shields shtr]

I listen to him all the time, and he has shaped my financial philosophy for the last 8-10 years. I am 44 and almost to the debt free scream, which includes my house. The one thing I do wish that I was is a little more willing to take some risk once in a while. I had the opportunity to buy some real estate a few years back and had I done it I probably wouldn't really have to work much any more. But that could be said for numerous investments.

I agree 100% on financial literacy classes, especially Dave Ramsay style. An over-arching them with Ramsay is the discipline to make decisions and see them through for the long haul, then reap the rewards. Pretty much the opposite of the way things are going now with the whole "get rid of college loans via government bailout".

 

[Cjwise5]

@cast1 my comment is just a confirmation of your experience... Dave Ramsey changed my life as well. We have been debt free for maybe 8 years now. It's so rewarding to control your money instead of your money controlling you. Congrats to you.

 

[JbBooks]

Wish I would’ve known about this guy 20 years ago when I was single and making 300,000 plus a year in the oilfield, had a 80,000 dollar pickup with a 100,000 dollar boat, parked in front of a 12,000 dollar house! I believe they called that, “something” rich, but time and responsibilities are as good a learning tool as anything.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Y'all are stoopid. I am living La Vida loco knowing that the government is going to make it all free. Won't you look like a bunch of crying sissies when I get it all free and you worked your ass off. What is the worst to happen? I live large with all the toys and bankrupt it if the government doesn't make it Free?
The american way!!!!









[Sarcasm]

 

[clcustom1911]

I recently paid off my truck note and CC's. The feeling was absolutely out of this world. The weight off my shoulders was fantastic. Of course my credit score went down LOL. Classic.

 

[ColinW]

Dave Ramsey’s FPU is the single greatest course of action I have ever taken! I started several years ago with my wife(at the time, she was my fiancé) and we went into it fullbore. We were debt free in a year, while at the same time, I was maxing out my annual contributions into my military thrift savings plan. Saving money has a very similar effect that booze or drugs do, the more you save, the more you want to see it grow.

When we didn’t get paid in the military in 2019, and seeing the chaos unfold of all these families and dudes living paycheck to paycheck, I was “ostracized” during an all-hands financial training. This civi lady was saying how paramount it was to have at least 2-3 credit cards for when emergencies like this arise. I raised my hand and professionally asked “Ma’am, why are you encouraging everyone to have multiple credit cards, so they can buy things with money that they don’t already have? That sounds like extremely poor financial advice. Should you not establish an emergency savings plan for times like this instead?” She gave me a sideways look and fumbled about credit scores and said “You’re a Dave Ramsey follower aren’t you?” Replied “Yes ma’am, I am. Which is why I’m not concerned with missing a months paycheck, because of times like this and exactly why I feel it was bad advice to encourage having credit cards to further increase someone’s debts to be paid when they aren’t getting paid.”

My whole team wanted Financial Peace University after I said that and let them all borrow the dvd series.

 

[ColinW]

Of course my credit score went down LOL. Classic.

Which is exactly what you want. “The only thing a credit score does is tell the banks how much money you owe.”

 

[Bullfrog08]

Y'all are stoopid. I am living La Vida loco knowing that the government is going to make it all free. Won't you look like a bunch of crying sissies when I get it all free and you worked your ass off. What is the worst to happen? I live large with all the toys and bankrupt it if the government doesn't make it Free?
The american way!!!!









[Sarcasm]

There is some truth here....even though it is sarcasm. I have been debt free for 10 years now. I have watched my credit score drop as a result. I also notice I have to not only watch what I do closer, but also my wife, becuase now we have things that people would be happy to take should we fuck up.

When you dont own shit, its a little less easier to not worry about things. Story of life, being responsible in one area means you must be in others.

Sometimes I feel like the losers in life have it figured out. I could go on a tangent here....

We talk about leveraging everything when we get older and making sure we die owing a lot and leaving nothing for family to argue over.

 

[ColinW]

I could go on a tangent here....

We talk about leveraging everything when we get older and making sure we die owing a lot and leaving nothing for family to argue over.

Joking aside.......That would create a pretty shitty legacy for oneself. Then, instead of family celebrating the life one lived, you leave them financially burdened by your own stupid irresponsibility. I’d rather give my family a shit ton of money for them them splurge and enjoy and increase their livelihood

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

Joking aside.......That would create a pretty shitty legacy for oneself. Then, instead of family celebrating the life one lived, you leave them financially burdened by your own stupid irresponsibility. I’d rather give my family a shit ton of money for them them splurge and enjoy and increase their livelihood

Legacy? I came into the world with nothing. Living like a miser so my kids can say he was great because he left me all the shit he could have lived a fun life with?
I raised my kids to be self sufficient and to enjoy life to the fullest. I worked my ass off to show them what hard work and smarts can offer them in their one and only short life. They both have a good education and good paying jobs. I know their plan is not to wait for me to kick off so they can live on my hard work.

 

[E. Bryant]

Joking aside.......That would create a pretty shitty legacy for oneself. Then, instead of family celebrating the life one lived, you leave them financially burdened by your own stupid irresponsibility. I’d rather give my family a shit ton of money for them them splurge and enjoy and increase their livelihood

I do not intend to leave behind a pile of debt for my estate to settle, and I want to make sure my dependents are set, but I'm also not looking at passing along some huge monetary sum to my descendants.

What I do want to create while I'm still alive is a legacy of learning and fun, because a dollar spent now on an educational experience or family vacation will likely be more valuable to my sons in the long run than the future value of that dollar passed along as an inheritance when they should already be well into the process of making a fortune on their own. Sure, they might get a handful of cool firearms and some quality tools and maybe a car or two, but the value will be the memories we created with those objects and not the value of the objects themselves.

 

[BullGear]

Ramsey's plan is only good for those who are living outside of their means. It's impossible to implement when you don't have enough green to pay the bills.

I have helped a few young couples get back on their feet with solid financial planning, but when the family is barely bringing in enough to pay the bills, it's almost impossible to get on their feet.

Then there was one couple that spent more on expendables each month then their total output for bills. They didn't know why they couldn't save, but they would go out to eat dinner in a sit down restaurant 3-5 times per week. They each had a gym membership and she got her hair and nails done WEEKLY. They were reluctant, but we got them turned around with an attitude adjustment. When they got excited seeing their bank account increase, I knew we had a winner.

Ramsey's plan isn't any different than other financial planners. He just wrote a book about it.

 

[Adam B]

Lets not forget that Ramsey claimed bankruptcy and had all of his debts forgiven

 

[SigSauerkraut]

His plan focuses on keeping people out of trouble and not necessarily on maximizing wealth. Not all debt is created equal.

 

[jbuck88]

I like some of his stuff. He does pretty good at teaching people to live within their means. I wish I would have been turned onto him earlier in life, but I was probably to hard headed to listen to anyone during my teens and 20's. I did manage to get out of CC debt, and our only debt is our house.

 

[lte82]

I like Dave, but yes, people have been creating wealth long before he came out with that book. I think his principles are solid, but it doesn’t work perfectly for everyone. Then again, if you are in debt up to your eye balls, it’s going to work better than nothing.

Best thing for me has simply been transferring money every pay day to another bank I use for investing before I can spend it. Stocks, cash, tangible things like property. The bigger the accounts grow and more my net worth grows, the less I care about stuff with low retained value like clothes, electronics, cars, etc.

One thing I have realized is that buying things doesn’t create happiness, if anything it creates stress. People say “well I may as well buy X because I’ll enjoy it more than having the money”. Would you trade a modest $250k brokerage account that is making you $25-50k/yr for a new truck, boat, and camper that is depreciating at the same rate? Lol, no you wouldn’t. So why would you get payments that not only give you negative appreciation, but costs you interest for the privilege of the having the depreciating assets? Makes zero sense. Sell that junk and start growing your wealth...

 

[BullGear]

I think it goes beyond that. It's an attitude adjustment. Having helped a few folks in the past, you can see the pride when they have that first $1000 in their savings account. It also become infectious. It seems that once they get bit by that savings bug, it just grows. They want to save now, more than ever before. They get it. Well, at least most. I've worked with a few where they just couldn't give up that spending attitude.

 

[SigSauerkraut]

Completely agree. When I first met my wife she was making a good salary in a low COL city but couldn’t scrounge up $1k if her life depended on it. Car was paid for, no student loans, but had a new truck’s worth of consumer debt and was only making only minimum payments. Where the rest of the money was going is a mystery to this day. A year later she had her debt paid, money in her 401k, and was more proud of herself than ever before. Now guess who the budget hawk in the house is?

 

[Bigfatcock]

When I die my shit gets split 50/50 between St. Jude’s and Shriners.

 

[cast1]

The big thing for me is the breadth of folks it’s effective for. I’m a doc, make by most peoples standards very good money, have a 401k, a Roth, kids have 529s etc. I had a girl next to me in class who owed $13k to Fingerhut and had $38 dollars in her checking account. It worked for me, and it worked for her.