Customer Reviews

The Money Answer Book: Quick Answers to Everyday Financial Questions

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Dave Ramsey has been on so many TV interviews and has been profiled so often in newspapers, there just isn't much new left for him to say about his ultra-conservative approach to money management. So it is, then, that The Money Answer Book gives an easy-to-read distillation of all of the key Ramsey commandments for financial success. You can read the entire book in 90 minutes, even with time to pause occasionally to weigh a matter he is discussing. There are checklists to fill in for budgeting and goal setting; there are little hotboxes offering pithy quotations ("Well done is better than well said" - Ben Franklin); and there are biblical references within the text and in sidebars.

Whether reading this 160 mini-book, listening to Ramsey on his radio show, or attending one of Ramsey's workshops, his bottom line always comes down to some very basic premises: (1) all credit cards are harmful; (2) people are in financial messes because they overspent, didn't plan, and lacked discipline; (3) everyone needs a fallback position of three to six months of reserve cash, food, and other necessities; (4) the outside economic picture has little influence on individual households that have learned to save, invest, budget, and tithe; and (5) there is nothing wrong with being incredibly wealthy so long as one uses his or her wealth appropriately.

Sections of this book deal with brass tacks issues such as bankruptcy, divorce, estate planning, saving for college, and contract negotiations (don't become a co-signer is his main point on this last issue). However, to delve deeply into these areas Ramsey has longer, more explicit books, such as his best-seller Total Money Makeover. -- Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, Christian Book Previews.com

A little over 3 years ago I had over 20,000 dollars in debt and a lot of it came from Credit Cards because of my out of control spending habits and lack of budget. I pretty much hated life thinking that life was about living paycheck to paycheck. Well things changed when I went in to look into what it would take to buy a house. I knew I couldn't afford it but I really wanted to look into getting a home. The loan officer saw how little I had left after paying my bills and decided to teach me what a budget was. I really had no clue just like many Americans sadly. He also gave me the best advice anyone could have given me, he told me to listen to this guy named Dave Ramsey on the radio. I took his advice and listened every day and I even downloaded his podcasts.

Dave Ramsey gives great advice on how to handle money and get out of debt and pretty much this Money Answer Book takes all the common question that people ask Dave on a regular basis on his show about what to do and it groups things by theme. It contains some great advice and even has a sample budget forms. I use this book from time to time as a quick reference guide. I even buy extra copies for people who are looking into how to be better with their money.

Thanks to Dave and the answers I got from him (like what is found in this book) I have been debt free for several months and it feels great. When I start getting into my old spending habits I pull this book off my shelf and use it to help me refocus.

I recently had the opportunity to read The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey. This book is what I would call a "must-have" for anyone just starting out in their financial life or who has managed to get themselves into a money-related jam.
Some of the information is basic knowledge but there are also a lot of little known tips even for someone like me who has worked in the financial industry.
It is written in a question and answer format which makes it easy to follow and find the information that applies to your situation. Dave Ramsey explains in everyday language what steps to take to pay down your debt, deal with debt collectors, save for a rainy day, plan for retirement and he provides answers to many other money-related topics. He provides a "Baby-Step" action plan, for achieving your financial goals, that breaks everything down into simple actions for you to follow.
Overall I found this book an interesting read and I have no hesitation in recommending it for someone looking for some helpful tips fro getting themselves on track financially. I enjoyed the way it's broken up into small segments making it less tedious than a lot of other financial books I have read.


Disclaimer: I was provided a a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Let me tell you what I know about Dave Ramsey.

His face is plastered on a huge billboard I drive by at least weekly. He's grinning on the sign but I always feel as if he is shouting at me and judging me and that he somehow knows the amount of money I waste on Tostitos.

My friend Nate thinks Dave Ramsey's pretty great and even loaned us a gargantuan set of Dave Ramsey cds for our listening pleasure. I don't know where those cds are and I never listened to any of them. (Sorry, man.)

If you are a Christian and you talk about money with other Christians, you cannot escape hearing Dave Ramsey's name mentioned in some context, multiple times.

There's this blog I like to read, Stuff Christians Like, written by this guy I don't know, Jon Acuff, and he just moved to another state so he could become employed as a speaker/writer for Dave Ramsey.

That's all I know.

Until now.

Sort of.

I still don't actually know much more about the man.

But I picked up his Money Answer Book and toted it with me on our beach trip recently.

(And by "picked up" I mean that I went to [...] and signed up to get free books and this Dave Ramsey book was the first one the company sent to me.)

It's not exactly a book so much as a question-then-answer collection.

Which actually works just fine for an introduction to all concepts Dave Ramsey-ish.

I opened the little book as a Dave Ramsey-skeptic.

No real justification for that - just mostly did not want to like him because everyone else seemed to.

That's all.

However.

As the questions began to sound like questions I have asked or would have liked to have asked, I started to pay more attention.

This little series of answers and responses was exactly what our family needed.

(And I liked the quotes scattered on the pages . . . because I am words-girl, you know.)

But really, I liked this format because (at this stage in the game) I really don't need to hear about the why I should budget/save money/be debt free/tithe regularly/train our children to be good stewards/invest/plan wisely/live frugally.

I already know all about the why.

(Because it's wise. Because it's secure. Oh - and because the way I spend money says something about how I view me and God and His role for me.)

Yeah. I've got the why mostly covered.

It's always been the how that seems to elude me.

And this how wasn't wrapped in fancy language or insulting ideas, it was simply stated/take it or leave it/here's some facts kind of wording.

And that always resonates.

For us - this little free book is actually wrecking some positive havoc around our home.

The kids are beginning to start the process of earning commission, not allowance.

My husband and I have been newly motivated to continue our snowballing our debt method of repaying old credit card bills.

We actually sat down together and wrote out a legitimate budget.

Oh - and the real clincher. We are three weeks into the envelope system.

(Sighs and wonder, please.)

So.

Yeah.

It's a quick guide, a good go-to help for financial focus.

Dave Ramsey - you're alright.

(But I would appreciate it if you would take down your face from that one billboard by the gas station - okay? It still creeps me out a little.)

It would seem that while Dave Ramsey is trying to help us dig out of debt and build up good spending habits, he is also building up a large money-making machine by selling the same message over and over again in different packages. If you've read either Financial Peace Revisited or the Total Money Makeover, you probably don't need this book. This item almost appears to be another cash cow for him.

It's not that this item is without worth. (Actually, I found the simplicity of this book more appealing than his other works -- he's concise and to the point, but for those who like stories, this book is probably not for you.) Only the Dave Ramsey devotee would really want this if he or she already has other Dave Ramsey works, and if you really are a Dave Ramsey devotee, you probably would skip this work to save some money anyway.

Another option to consider would be Phil Lenahan's 7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free: A Catholic Guide to Managing Your Money Workbook, especially if you are looking for instructional sessions with grouping/faith sharing. Both the group leader and participant materials are less expensive than Financial Peace University (though you don't get the extras found in the FPU membership kit) and Mr. Lenahan's main sessions only take 6 weeks. Both of their books cover much of the same material. Mr. Lenahan's book has a Catholic flavor to it, but a couple of non-Catholics I know got a lot out of Mr. Lenahan's materials. If you get "7 Steps" from Amazon, make sure you first get the hardcover version -- the softcover is the workbook.

This is a small book you can carry around in your car or purse or briefcase to read on the go. Almost every page has only one question and one answer, so even if the answer seems short it gets you thinking about the issue, like debt, college, retirement, using cash, paying things off, having a will, investments, allowance, budgeting, co-signing loans, divorce, and many more. The Dave Ramsey web site has the most current links to inexpensive legal documents you may want to consider creating. This book is a good way to talk about money at the dinner table for family discussions too. For the price, it is a great deal and can really help people rein in their habits and start getting their money working for them. Recommended for both spenders and savers (and you know which one you are).

When I worked as a loan officer and as bill collector {just a job please dont shoot me}, I was amazed at how little some people cared about their personal financial situations. On the other hand, there were many who DID care, but had no idea where to start looking for answers in the huge world of finances, money, savings, investing, retirements, loans, credit scores, etc. The 'money' world can be quite scary.

Dave Ramsey, a leading financial expert, has written 'The Money Answer Book,' to help anyone and everyone charter the waters of the money world.

He covers questions such as:

"What are Debit Cards?"
"Do I need separate checking and savings accounts?"
"When should I start giving my kids allowance?"
"What is the envelope system?"
and
"What is a will?"

He also gets into more uncharted territories such as:

"I'm deceiving my spouse about money, how can I come clean?"
"My spouse just left me, how do I protect my credit?"
"Aren't private schools and private lessons and investment in my child's future?"
"How can I invest in Mutual Funds with companies that align with my spiritual values?"
and
"Is it acceptable to 'pause' tithing in tough financial times?"

My favorite question is "What's the most important financial principle?"

The layout of "The Money Answer Book" allows for a read through or a quick reference and would make a great gift for say a COLLEGE GRADUATE. This book will give you all the info you need to get started in making a budget and wise financial decisions.

As Mr. Ramsey puts it "Personal finance is 80 percent behavior and only 20 percent head knowledge." The Money Answer Book will give you much more then the needed 20 percent :)

Thank you to the Thomas Nelson Book Sneeze Club for providing me with a complementary copy of The Money Answer book for my review. I was not paid for my review and the opinions expressed are my own.

I read this book in about 45 minutes. There was nothing in this book that I didn't already know about in some aspect. I've always heard really good things about Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, so when I had to the opportunity to review this book for free, I jumped at the chance. My family does not have any credit card debt or credit cards so alot of this book did not pertain to me personally. I will say that I do feel Dave Ramsey comes across as a pompous, holier-than-thou expert rather than a "I've been where you are, let me help you" authority. I felt many of his answers were condescending especially with the use of the words "stupid", "dumb" and "brain-damaged". Yikes. Definitely glad I didn't purchase this book and on that note, I won't be purchasing or reviewing anything else of his.

Dave Ramsey has been the top financial advisor in the world for decades. Millions listened to his radio broadcasts or went to his organization to have help in getting out of debt.

In THE MONEY ANSWER BOOK, Mr. Ramsey has taken his most asked questions and addressed them. These include:

Debt, Credit and Bankruptcy
Relationships and Money
Budgeting
Saving & Investing
Stewardship
Retirement & Estate Planning
Automobiles
Real Estate & Mortgages
College & Student Loans
and more

This is a really helpful book that reads conversationally. I read through the book in a sitting, and found the advise is really common sense, but then--common sense isn't so common anymore. Bottom line? Debt is bad. Savings is good. But how do you get there?

Buy a copy of THE MONEY ANSWER BOOK and start reading it today. It will answer your questions and teach you how to manage your money more effectively so that your money works for you instead of you working to pay off others. Highly recommended.

This is a very easy to read book. It's not boring or dry and it flows so easily. Mr. Ramsey speaks to you like a coach and a friend. I finished it in about 2 hours over the course of two evenings. The book covers the most basic issues related to saving, budgeting, investing, what you can and can't afford, saving for college, buying a home, car, etc. It doesn't go in-depth on any of the subjects but I think it's better that way as the topics covered can at least spark your interest so that if some of them apply to your situation, you can research those topics in greater depth elsewhere.

I also purchased "The Total Money Makeover" by Mr. Ramsey and I think "The Money Answer Book" is a good introductory book before you tackle "The Total Money Makeover" as it will accustom you to both the basic financial topics and Mr. Ramsey's style.

This book is great for young people just starting out in the real world and even middle age people who want to get their finances under control and on track. Mr. Ramsey even says that you can retire comfortably if you start saving even at age 60!

I always thought that to be wealthy, you had to work really long hours or you had to be super smart or privileged. The section on the investing really opened my eyes. Mr. Ramsey easily explains how to invest your money (safely and securely) so that you can make your money work for you and retire a millionaire or at least gain more wealth. Actually, if you have the discipline, retiring a millionaire is not really hard at all. (and he doesn't talk about gambling your money in stocks, his strategies are all secure investment strategies.)

His examples are to-the-point and very easy to understand and they make sense. You won't finish reading this book and scratch your head with confusion. I think after reading this book, you will only get fired up to start getting your finances under control.

I should note that this is not one of those self-help books where all you hear is "you can do it" and "yes you can" and stuff like that. This book gives you a plan, ideas, and FACTS. But, like Mr. Ramsey says, it all has to do with discipline and vision. You have to set the goal and discipline yourself to get there. If you can't do that, then not a whole lot of people can help you.

I wish my parents gave me this book when I graduated high school.

I highly recommend this book. It will only help you.