Goal #21 Completed--Went to the Dave Ramsey Live Event

And the goals keep getting checked off! Today I went to the Dave Ramsey Live event in Atlanta. This, by the way, was #21 on my goal list.
I love Dave Ramsey! He is an amazing speaker and just as good in person as he is on the radio and TV. There were thousands of people there at the arena and I am happy to report that many of them were younger people--a hopeful thing to think that many young people, if they follow Dave's advice, won't have to go through years of financial drama like many of the boomers and post-boomers did because we were exposed to massive amounts of credit debt without the knowledge of how to deal responsibly with such things.
Anyway, I had two tickets to the event and hubby decided at the last minute to go to the weekend poker game with the guys (he doesn't actually hate Dave, he just says he is tired of listening to him, yet when I overhear him talking to the kids, he practically quotes Dave verbatim on all things financial...go figure). So my sister in law decided to go with me even though she had never heard of Dave Ramsey. Some four hours later, I can't say she was exactly impressed with the show--she is fairly beyond needing financial advice because she has plenty of money and seems to manage it well--but at least she was paying attention and taking notes in the workbook. Her only comment after the show was that he was excessively loud. The crowd didn't seem to mind as it was practically a cheer-fest every time he said something. I just love Dave-isms such as "your FICO score is your I love debt score." It seemed like most of the audience were already Dave fans as they cheered on cue and knew everything he was alluding to without requiring explanation.
Overall this was a great event and I am even more determined to complete our debt snowball as quickly as possible so I can start to pay off the house ASAP!

10 Ways to Learn from Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey is my favorite financial guru, bar none. Lots of financial writers can fill up a book with a whole bunch of words and lots of financial writers have carved out niches which get them a lot of publicity via books, TV, and the internet. Not so many writers, actually none except Dave, give you simple, step by step instructions on how to get out of debt an become rich.

While other financial gurus are preaching about 401ks and flipping houses, Dave starts at the very beginning for those of us who are slow (or those of us who don't really want to hear the truth because it my be painful)...step 1, get a $1000 emergency fund NOW!, step 2, cut up ALL of your credit cards, get a second or third job, stop spending, and pay off all of your debt. See--painful. But effective. I can honestly say that Dave is the only person in MY ENTIRE LIFE who said "you are an idiot because you are spending yourself into massive debt. Don't be stupid." And for some of us, that's what we need to hear because we can come up with all kinds of excuses to justify how bad we are with money. But after you get with the program, much like running a marathon, you hit the wall of pain and pass it because you become so blissed out with your progress that your whole mindset changes.

Now I (and apparently millions of others) are no longer victims of our poor choices and of the media/financial/Joneses that we are keeping up with, and we are making significant progress in our financial lives (and overall in our personal lives too) so now I want to evangelize Dave to the world! Here are ten ways to learn how to get out of debt and become wealthy from Dave Ramsey:

1. Check out his website.


2. Listen to his radio program online.


3. Listen to his radio program in your car or at home.


4. Catch him on TV.


5. Download a podcast.


6. Attend a live event.


7. Read his books.


8. Follow him on Twitter.


9. Attend Financial Peace University.


10. Join the Dave community.

Dave Ramsey's Seven Steps for Getting Out of Debt and Living Like No One Else

I kind of thought that it was a given that everyone knew Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps which will help you get out of debt then go on to become wealthy. I was talking to my sister the other day and realized there was at least one person who had no idea what I was talking about so it's likely there are others as well.

First, if you want to get out of debt and become wealthy, you should listen to Dave Ramsey on the radio or via podcast or catch his TV show on Fox Business Channel each weekday. This is exactly why I am so motivated to become debt free and live on cash only. With like 99.9% of society evangelizing debt and small monthly payments, the average person is going to think that being in debt is the only way to live. Until you listen to Dave Ramsey and he pounds it in to your head that there is a better way to live. He is the perfect counter to consumerism and debtism run amok. As someone who has been in debt, bankrupt, and has managed to not only become debt free but to prosper for nearly 20 years with what are simple, common sense ideas, Dave Ramsey is the only person I would turn to for financial advice. Judging by the number of callers he gets on each show and the number of people who call in to scream "I'm Debt Free" on Fridays, I don't think I am the only person who feels this way.

So anyway, you can click on the link above to read through his Baby Steps. Here is the condensed version:

1. Put $1,000 aside to start an emergency fund (this is what you will rely on for emergencies instead of your credit cards).


2. Pay off your debts using the "debt snowball". Pay off your bills, listed from smallest to largest, with the utmost intensity (it will go faster than you think if you focus on this one activity and live on beans and rice, rice and beans until you are done). Of course cancel and cut up your credit cards with each debt that is paid off.


3. Once your debts are paid off, put three to six months worth of expenses away to fully flesh out your emergency fund.


4. Once your emergency fund is totally funded, invest 15% of your income in Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement programs.


5. At the same time invest 15% of your income in a college savings plan for your kids.


6. At the same time, pay off your home mortgage as quickly as possible.


7. Now you get to build wealth and give some of it away! ...And live like no one else.