David Ramseys Finance Univerisity has anyone take it here

[chickenjoe]

I'm looking to to taking this his course. I want to know if any one else here has done it and what you thought of it. It $75.00 near me and $99 online.

 

[sunsaver]

I didn't go to any of his seminars or buy anything from him. I just listened to his show and used his techniques to pay off all my credit cards and my house. First you cut up all cards and start using cash for everything. Use an envelope for each of your important bills. Double up on the smallest credit card bill, and let the others get behind if need be. Your're never going to use credit again, so don't worry about your credit rating for now. Once you pay off the smallest bill, double up on the next biggest bill. Learn to cook rice and beans. learn to watch free, over the air tv and get rid of cable. Cut back on luxury items and entertainment expenses. Focus on paying off your bills like it's the most important thing in the world. Use Grand Ma's common sense. If you listen to his show long enough, you'll know what to do. I would not pay someone to tell me what i should already know is just common sense, but if you think it will help to motivate you, or you don't know how to make a budget and live within your means, then yeah. (sometimes you just have to admit to yourself that you are not as wealthy as you imagine yourself to be, so stop trying to live that way. Try to live like poor people.)

 

[DianeS]

I took it, and really liked it. I am saddled with a lot of debt from past issues and just couldn't settle on a plan for how to get rid of it on the little I had to put toward it each month. (Like, do I pay off the highest interest rate first? Or the highest monthly payment first? Or the smallest debt first? Or what? And is the new rule one month's income for savings? Or is it 6 months? And what if the mortgage and the credit card are both due and I can only pay one - which should get paid? Credit card lenders scream louder and threaten things, but the house is kinda necessary... you get what I mean about needing a plan I could stick to with some good reasoning behind it!)

I think pretty much any plan would have done, I just needed one that someone else had put together, done all the math for, and could just show me how to do it and how it worked. And do it in a way that was entertaining so I wouldn't get bored attending!

I liked Dave Ramsey's, because he's fun to watch, he addresses common questions and issues and challenges. He also doesn't just do budgeting and debt payments, he teaches in his course about different types of mortgages, life insurance, stocks and other investments, etc. Each type of thing gets one video, a section in his workbook, and a homework assignment. Very simple, and easy to do. If you're by yourself the homework just takes a few minutes each week - if you're married it takes longer because your homeworks have to agree!

I would do it in a group rather than online. A group of 5-10 ppl I think would be ideal, because you can learn from each other. That way it isn't just listening to the video and doing homework, it's hearing someone else' success story about how they accomplished something the lesson encouraged. I think that was as helpful as the official lesson was, and helps you with any local deals that can help you along. But online would do if you needed to.

It feels better to have a plan and a focus and a series of steps to get there than it ever did just having an elusive goal and trying to flounder to get there. Of course, your mileage may vary...

 

[Leta]

We've done the Dave Ramsey thing, though we don't quote him chapter and verse.

We do use cash. I finally broke down and got a gas card, because we get 8c off per gallon, and "member coupons" for more off. The limit is intentionally low, though, so we have to pay it off every month if we want to keep using it and getting that discount.

And we use car loans. At our credit union, if the car in question is 7 years old and $3000 or less, you don't have to carry full coverage insurance. We have really good credit, so our car loan rate is 3.5%, which is less than our mortgage, not to mention our savings account, so it makes more sense for us to just get the 12 month loans.

But we have no credit cards and got a 15 year mortgage because DR said so. The funny part about that is that, even though DR says not to worry about your credit score (which I don't think is bad advice by any means), one we started taking his advice, our credit scores went nuts, we are both between 750 and 800 now.

So no, we never took his classes, but listening to his radio show has certainly proven worthwhile.

 

[Wifezilla]

Start by listening to his radio show. Then check out his book "total money makeover". If you need more after that THEN pay for the seminar.

 

[keljonma]

Z

Start by listening to his radio show. Then check out his book "total money makeover". If you need more after that THEN pay for the seminar.

WZ hit it on the head. Get his book - myabe your local public library has it and you can borrow it for free!

We haven't listened to him on the radio. We have just borrowed his books from the library. Easy to folllow, plain English. I talked so much to friends and family having probems about Total Money Makeover one year, I got it for a Christmas present so I wouldn't have to borrow it from the library anymore.

Take the lowest bill total and put everything you can towards it. After it is paid up, you snowball the money up to the next bill with the lowest amount due on it.

It just takes discipline. Good luck!

 

[NurseNettie]

Start by listening to his radio show. Then check out his book "total money makeover". If you need more after that THEN pay for the seminar.

Yes--- this!

I did get the book, listened to his radio show, and then signed up for his classes, and took my adult daughter. 2 classes into it, we were feeling very uncomfortable and never went back. Primarily, because I was unmarried, and living with my boyfriend ( we are now married) and the "plan" wasn't designed for unmarrieds who lived together. I have nothing against the religious and bible-based teachings, and perhaps the group I attended was deeper into it than most, but it didn't work for me.

So- depending on your beliefs and lifestyle, a group may or may not work. The book, and online resources (some are free) can be EXTREMELY helpful, and you can decide which of his tools/ plans will work for you. There is lots of advice on how to deal with creditors, which bills to pay first, how to save, and how to be extreme when you need to. It does work, and it did work for me. I cleared up a lot, cleaned up credit ( I am a believer that until and unless the system of finance in this country changes, we do need a decent credit score) paid bills, and we bought a home 3 years ago. We did get a few credit cards, to aide hubby in getting a credit score (he had never used credit), but keep them low or zero balance. We simply use and pay off several subscription based services with them, just to keep them open.

Good luck!!!

 

[chickenjoe]

Start by listening to his radio show. Then check out his book "total money makeover". If you need more after that THEN pay for the seminar.

Yes--- this!

I did get the book, listened to his radio show, and then signed up for his classes, and took my adult daughter. 2 classes into it, we were feeling very uncomfortable and never went back. Primarily, because I was unmarried, and living with my boyfriend ( we are now married) and the "plan" wasn't designed for unmarrieds who lived together. I have nothing against the religious and bible-based teachings, and perhaps the group I attended was deeper into it than most, but it didn't work for me.

So- depending on your beliefs and lifestyle, a group may or may not work. The book, and online resources (some are free) can be EXTREMELY helpful, and you can decide which of his tools/ plans will work for you. There is lots of advice on how to deal with creditors, which bills to pay first, how to save, and how to be extreme when you need to. It does work, and it did work for me. I cleared up a lot, cleaned up credit ( I am a believer that until and unless the system of finance in this country changes, we do need a decent credit score) paid bills, and we bought a home 3 years ago. We did get a few credit cards, to aide hubby in getting a credit score (he had never used credit), but keep them low or zero balance. We simply use and pay off several subscription based services with them, just to keep them open.

Good luck!!!

It sounds like the book doesn't have as much of a religous focus as the group. I think I'll get the book from the library. I'm not againist being religous. I just don't think it should be intwined with financial matters. Not trying to offend anyone.

 

[Wifezilla]

Dave Ramsey does have a biblical foundation for his ideas about money and finance, but the religion aspect isn't the main focus of his books or radio shows. I am an atheist and have no issues listening to his radio show. From what I have heard about the seminars, those are VERY religion focused. A friend said the seminar would not be for me. He is religious and still thought the seminar was over the top.

 

[GaFarmGirl]

My MIL gave me all the books and CD's after she finished the course. I didn't listen to them right away but after reading your post I broke them out and listened to the first 3 or 4 lessons today. Here is what I've gotten out of it so far.
step 1 - put away 1000 in emergency fund. do this as fast as you can (he says in a month- that is impossible for me)
step 2 - pay off debts. he list things in this order: tithes, savings, food, house, utilities, transportation/insurance, and then credit cards as the LAST option.
step 3 - fund a emergency fund that is 3-6 months of your income.

That is as far as I have gotten. to pay off debt he says to start with the smallest amount owed and do that one first and then the next and the next. If you run out of money before you run out of bills to pay don't sweat it. Credit score is not important.

I would check out his website for all of the budget sheets and stuff. Basically I do not think that I am hearing anything that I could not have gotten for free searching his books from library and website.