Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey

So I finally got around to reading this popular author! Couldn't help it...after all, in my crowd of friends it was "Dave Ramsey says this...", "Dave Ramsey says that"...and there I was. Clueless.

It took a bit of effort, though. I'm not much of a numbers person. I always thought I'd leave that stuff to my husband. Then I remembered: it's the wife that does a lot of the shopping. Hmm. Maybe I needed to study up on this finance stuff after all. I'm glad I did!

Dave Ramsey's main point throughout the book is "stay out of debt!" Nothing new there. I've been taught that for years. In fact, I can probably quote most of the Bible verses that talk about money, debt and servitude. So I knew how bad debt was in theory. But here's the deal: Dave Ramsey puts a face on it. I'd be pretty surprised to hear that someone borrowed after reading his book. How could they ignore all those horror stories?!

Second point: save, save, and save some more. I like this. In fact, I was quite inspired after reading the plan for "financial peace". As a stay at home daughter, a lot of stuff in the book I can't really apply. But the saving part I can. So I decided to start my $1000 emergency fund. This might be hard! I tend to save for a particular purpose, spend it all, and then start over. It works...but it's a bit discouraging, after 10+ years of teaching to have a bunch of memories and not much in the bank!

Another thing emphasized over and over is the importance of a written budget. "Tell your money where to go, or you'll wonder where it's gone."

I learned a lot of things, reading this book. All about different types of mortgages, insurance, investments. Things I'd never really looked into. I feel smarter now!

Dave Ramsey's humor is diverting. His advice is practical and easy to understand. And I appreciate how he stresses the importance of the spiritual in bringing true peace to a life. Highly recommended.

Related: The Total Money Makeover
"Financial Peace" tells why. This book shows you how. A lot of the same information, but more detailed in the practical application.

For practical money-saving tips, read Crystal's blog. Inspiring.