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The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness Hardcover – January 1, 2009
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The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.
Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"
The Total Money Makeover isn't theory. It works every single time. It works because it is simple. It works because it gets to the heart of the money problems: you.
- Print length259 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThomas Nelson Inc
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 2009
- Dimensions7.25 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-10159555078X
- ISBN-13978-1595550781
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Product details
- Publisher : Thomas Nelson Inc; 3rd edition (January 1, 2009)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 259 pages
- ISBN-10 : 159555078X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1595550781
- Item Weight : 1.74 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.25 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #36,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #138 in Budgeting & Money Management (Books)
- #162 in Finance (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s a #1 National bestselling author and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. Dave’s eight national bestselling books include The Total Money Makeover, Baby Steps Millionaires, and EntreLeadership. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people take control of their money, build wealth, and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO of Ramsey Solutions.
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Why?
Well, for starters, I, like far too many of us had hit a financial sinkhole about 15 years ago and then spent more than a decade digging myself out. Much of what Dave has to say is common sense: Save, pay cash, budget, avoid consumer debt (ie. if you can't afford it don't buy it.) and rather than compete with the Jones' live the life you can afford and eventually you will live like no other. To do so we must be willing to avoid peer pressure and remain focused on our reality - Not the fantasy.
My own personal sinkhole occurred when I was a college student. Dave brings up a very important argument for higher education. College is a luxury NOT a necessity. Higher education only plays a role in the success of an individual in only 15% of the population. 15% is NOT very much, which means a great deal of parents are needlessly sending their children to college, many like myself are either disinterested or academically unqualified for college yet too many of us are willing to throw money at an ultimately empty quest which becomes a money pit. Tho my family & I saved for my education we were still short and even with pell grants I had to take out student loans. I actually took out a modest sum in comparison to my schoolmates but tie that in with the credit card that practically came in a goodie-bag, and NO immediate job when I graduated the end result was disasterous.
Had I been more knowledgeable about finances and unafraid to ask for help I actually would have cleaned my mess up more quickly. Instead I took the first piece of advice from an individual who appeared to be knowledgable based on his profession - he was a lawyer. He might be great in a trial but the man was ignorant of financial matters & my situation only got worse. Ironically, had I talked to my dad, who did bring me up on many of Dave's principals (save, if you can't afford it than earn it, pay yourself first and pay your bills off ASAP) and I taken the very basic, but good advice of a very good accountant I could have been on Dave's path earlier.
I have struggled, but I have also improved and I now have no consumer debt, I eliminated my credit cards, I am now saving for an emergency fund, I also have a savings and I can now feel excited about the future rather than fear it.
Since I did this for the most part without Dave before hand you might wonder why I champion his book. Because I realize that despite Dave and I eventually having the benefit of commonsense advice from previous society as a whole our nation has lost touch with the reality of financial responsibility. There is no quick fix but there is truly salvation to be had if we are willing to be smart and earn it. I have also found Dave's book to be useful in fine tuning my plans. Now it is time to learn how to make my money work for me and make proper investments. It's good to have Dave there to explain it all in a language that neither bores me or goes over my head.
Quite frankly I intend to start giving this book out as gifts to, unfortunately, too many people I know and particularly to all future Highschool graduates in my acquaintance and hopefully prevent future financial sinkholes.
You could probably place me in the category of the people who know what to do and how to go about doing it, but never ACTUALLY do it. Am I uncormfortable? Not at all. I have a respectable job with very fair compensation, and my wife does well too. However, we have also done well to accumulate debts over time: many of the debts are as old as our relationship (which is pretty young...six years). It wasn't until recently that I realized something. While we have money saved aside for the imminent rainy day, we could be doing so much better if we were saving without the concern of applying those savings to our debt. Like I said, for many of you this is obvious.
I was in denial for quite some time. I didn't want to admit that I was horrible with money because I didn't want to sacrifice control of my own money. When I came across this book, I did research on the author, and determined that this would be a solid investment. Upon reading the first few pages, I was immediately hooked! The part that got to me the most was looking in the mirror and realizing where our financial woes were originating from. I know, it sounds like a 12 step program: it kind of is! It's a program for binge spenders! I realized that I was financially intoxicated, or financially overweight (Mr. Ramsey correlates the Total Money Makeover with working out...pretty good tie-in considering that I need to get in shape too!).
I probably could have finished this book in a day if it wasn't for my obligations to work and family. Instead it took two whole days to get this book finished! Since then (four days ago) I have already created an Excel sheet listing all our debts from smallest to largest, and have created an allocated spending plan for our upcoming paychecks in two weeks. The first step is to come up with $1,000 dollars, but we already have that covered, and are prepared to get a head start on our debt snowball by depleting our savings accounts. I have even set a target date for us to be debt free.
While I read the whole book, I sometimes think I should have stopped reading at baby step 2, which deals with clearing your debt. I don't necessarily want to get ahead of myself.
Anyway, the point of this review is simple: it is not so much knowing what it takes to clear your debts and live a life of financial freedom; it is about DOING what it takes with a "gazelle like intensity". Again, there are no crazy new revelations or revolutionary ideas. Mr. Ramsey makes no claims to being an expert. He simply puts out what everyone already knows. Besides, it's also good to know that he was in a position - becoming rich, filing for bankruptcy, only to become wealthy again - to employ these methods.
As with any other review, take mine with a grain of salt. Determination and sacrifice will ultimately lead to true freedom in the future. "If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." Awesome and uplifting read.
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What's more, this man is you and me. He has been there and done that. For some, like Dave Ramsey, experience is the best teacher. The fact that he is able to turn it around and share it with us, prevents many of us from making the same mistakes, continually. He stops us in our tracks.








