Dave Ramsey- Is It Just for People Who Already Have Debt?

Updated on March 19, 2012
K.H. asks from Denton, TX
10 answers

Hello Mamas,

I am waiting to start a budget and have heard great things about Dave Ramsey. Is the Total Money Makeover only for people already in debt? Or can anyone use it? Any advice is helpful. Have you signed up for the yearly membership?

Thanks

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A.M.

answers from Hartford on

Dave Ramsey give great advice, if you get a chance take a look at his books. We are going through Financial Peace University which is fantastic.

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V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I don't think a yearly membership is necessary. Heck, we didn't use our "membership" at all...just went to the classes, read the book and use the plan.

It can benefit anyone, really. It isn't just how to get out of debt, it is also general money management. As in, YOU manage your money and not letting your money do it's own thing. A lot of people, even if they aren't in debt, don't know where all their money goes. Eventually, if that stays the norm, the person will spend more than they make and there WILL be debt.

The biggest things you can probably learn or have reinforced from this plan, is how to set a (realistic) budget. There is other information of course, and wisdom/logic. But the biggee is how to write a realistic budget and live there. There is a lot of emphasis (rightly so I believe) in a couple (if you are married) doing the budget TOGETHER. It will never work if only one person is trying to do it on their own. It must be done together, and it isn't a ONE TIME THING. You have to keep doing budgets together over time. Because things change (average expenses, hobbies, number of kids, medical situation, income, how you plan for vacations, Christmas, WHO you plan to spend $ on outside of your nuclear family, etc).

If you are interested, I would recommend you go check out the book from the library and read it through. Then make a decision about where you want to go from there...

7 moms found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

K H:

No. Dave Ramsey isn't JUST for people with debt. Neither is Suze Orman. Both can give great financial advice. You need to take your situation and lifestyle into consideration and go from there. You don't have to follow their advice to the letter.

No. I did not sign up for the membership. I believe that's a waste of money. you can borrow one of their books from the library.

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E.B.

answers from Beaumont on

Well, if you're not in debt, that will shave 1-2 years off your getting ahead. I highly recommend it, it's really changed our lives...

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A.B.

answers from Louisville on

No, it's not just for people with debt. It's for people who want to manage their money responsibly. If you don't have debt, you'll be that much further ahead than people who are swimming in it before they realize they need to make a change. My husband and I had a chance to attend Dave's Financial Peace University a few years ago, and even though we didn't have debt other than our house, we found it extremely helpful to look at our money management long term (think: college funds, investing, retirement, etc.) instead of as merely a couple of weeks, months, or years at a time. We don't have a yearly membership (I'm not even sure what membership you mean), but I think his financial advice is excellent and if nothing else, would be a good starting place for anyone wanting to make wise financial decisions.

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G.H.

answers from Chicago on

My husband & I took the FPU class two times. We didn't have any debt besides our mortgage. There is a ton of great advice for wherever you are in life. I highly recommend taking the FPU class and you can go as many times as you would like for no additional charge.

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A.C.

answers from Savannah on

I've watched Suze Orman's money classes on TV/internet, checked out some online stuff from David Ramsey, as well my husband (a professional planner) to make my own "system". It's not just for people who are in debt (we have no debt except our mortgage). I used the budget stuff (you can download/print those for free on Ramsey's site). I also suggest checking things out at the library, or maybe taking the Financial Peace University classes at a local church (seems like they're always going on somewhere...you can find a local class from Ramsey's website). I do no memberships and I didn't pay for a class....just got the information at libraries, online, and TV to help me.

1 mom found this helpful
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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Not at all!
Just see where you fall in the baby steps & start there.
We are debt free and our house is paid off!

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A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

it's super helpful whether you are in debt or not. the online resources and forms for budgeting would probably be really beneficial to you. it's also really informative about investing, insurance, and retirement planning, if you're interested in those things.

to me, his plan letter for letter is how to become a millionaire. but his plan letter for letter takes a LOT of dedication and hard work. i don't want to be a millionaire...i just want to be ok. so i have taken a lot of his stuff and applied it (and will continue to do so, it is about the rest of your life after all, not just today) and i feel i have a much better grasp on how to manage my money. i was never taught budgeting or even how to balance a checkbook really, much less the evils of debt, credit cards, car payments, etc. i never had credit cards but had some medical bills and tuition loans to pay off.

we are taking the class (only 2 more to go!) and have utilized the resources we got with that, but i have not heard of a yearly membership. the class was well worth it though. and no you can't get all that you get for the class, at the library. a lot of his books, etc, but not nearly all of it. it has been really great for us. good luck!

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E.W.

answers from Dallas on

You do not have to have debt to take the class. We have done FPU also and LOVED it, we got so much more out of it than just paying off debt.

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