Financial Peace
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Dave Ramsey is the man! He teaches you how to take charge of your finances and gives you the resources to get it done. No matter where you are on your personal path to financial peace, Dave has a plan for you. His program is made up of seven simple "Baby Steps" and you jump in wherever you are. You start on whatever step is appropriate for your situation and move forward from there.
The best way to learn the full-on, complete method to his madness is probably to sign up for Financial Peace University at a local church or organization in your area, or take Financial Peace University online. I do not have personal experience with FPU, but I've read all Dave's books and listen to his radio show whenever I get the chance, and feel totally comfortable recommending it anyway! My family did not "discover" Dave until we had already gotten out of debt, so that hasn't been part of our process following Dave's plan. However, if debt is a big part of your current financial picture, I would consider FPU to be the gold standard program for getting out (and you learn about all the other aspects of Dave's plan, also). Of course, you can totally start out with checking out one of his books or listening to his show and finding out if you connect with his way of doing things, first. Dave also provides a high school curriculum version of his program, which is also available for use in homeschools.
I highly recommend Dave's envelope system of using cash for everything possible. He has some great tools to help you do that easily, and I've been using the envelope system for a few years. I'm currently using the Deluxe Envelope System (black wallet), not because it's cute, but because it's more handy. I've used the red one, but the design was not intuitive and my change was constantly falling out. The Deluxe system also has built-in permanent pockets and does not rely on the paper ones, so it lasts a lot longer. I use a few paper envelopes in the back slot of mine, for categories that don't get used often. The pockets (envelopes) have permanent labels that don't exactly match my categories, but I never see them because it makes more sense to me to access it from the side the coin pocket is on, and then the labels are facing the other way. Works better for me, this way, because the labels are a non-issue!
The best way to learn the full-on, complete method to his madness is probably to sign up for Financial Peace University at a local church or organization in your area, or take Financial Peace University online. I do not have personal experience with FPU, but I've read all Dave's books and listen to his radio show whenever I get the chance, and feel totally comfortable recommending it anyway! My family did not "discover" Dave until we had already gotten out of debt, so that hasn't been part of our process following Dave's plan. However, if debt is a big part of your current financial picture, I would consider FPU to be the gold standard program for getting out (and you learn about all the other aspects of Dave's plan, also). Of course, you can totally start out with checking out one of his books or listening to his show and finding out if you connect with his way of doing things, first. Dave also provides a high school curriculum version of his program, which is also available for use in homeschools.
I highly recommend Dave's envelope system of using cash for everything possible. He has some great tools to help you do that easily, and I've been using the envelope system for a few years. I'm currently using the Deluxe Envelope System (black wallet), not because it's cute, but because it's more handy. I've used the red one, but the design was not intuitive and my change was constantly falling out. The Deluxe system also has built-in permanent pockets and does not rely on the paper ones, so it lasts a lot longer. I use a few paper envelopes in the back slot of mine, for categories that don't get used often. The pockets (envelopes) have permanent labels that don't exactly match my categories, but I never see them because it makes more sense to me to access it from the side the coin pocket is on, and then the labels are facing the other way. Works better for me, this way, because the labels are a non-issue!
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The Total Money Makeover is probably the best place to start, if you are not familiar with Dave. It's an easy read with lots of testimonials and stories of people just like you who have followed Dave's plan to overcome a financial mess and achieve financial peace. This book is well laid-out and a gold-mine of information. There are lots of resources in the back to help you implement your plan and plenty more at his website. |
 
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Financial Peace Revisited is Dave's first book, to my knowledge, but recently updated as indicated by "Revisited" in the title. It includes the story of how he made a fortune, lost it, and then made a fortune again -- following the method he teaches to you. It also includes notes from Dave's wife, Sharon, and gives her perspective on each point he makes. It's laid out a little differently and not as "in your face" as The Total Money Makeover, but all the good info is there. |
 
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More Than Enough is more geared toward those who are not starting out in a mess and goes more into what you do when you're basically on the right track and need to make sure you're properly planning for the future and making the right investment choices and having a balanced attitude about money. It's more about making healthy decisions about how and where you spend your money, including how you have fun with money. Dave is NOT a stick-in-the-mud; he likes to have fun and he encourages you to do the same -- in the right way, when it comes to money. |