Achieve financial freedom with The Total Money Makeover book.

Do you feel financially secure? In this book review we will share our own money management journey and talk about an amazing system that’s not a system. It’s simply about living within one’s means. We truly feel the book by Dave Ramsey ‘The Total Money Makeover’ is worth your time and investment many times over!

There is a scene being played out in grade school classes all around the world. The teacher standing before the class and giving the pupils the assignment of answering the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Amid the responses of Astronaut, Football player and Veterinarian, I’m positive I never heard anyone say, “I want to be broke.”

My misguided youth squandering away all my hard earned dollars are enough to fill a book itself. I could title it, ‘What not to do with your money’. I’m not going to relive any of those fond memories here but rather move to a point in my life where it all came together for me.

I remember my Dad giving me money advice at an early age. His rule of thumb: “Always pay yourself first”. With my first paycheck in hand I paid myself quite handsomely. New car stereo and countless other things I thought I truly deserved. It didn’t come to me until later that I misunderstood what it was that he was saying.

Staying on top of my finances was never really a problem, its just that I really needed a game plan to manage what I was doing.

A nice road map that I could follow down life’s financial road would come in really handy. That’s when a twist of fate allowed me to attend a Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover seminar.

This was an informal gathering in a dining hall at the Holiday Inn. They showed the whole DVD series over a period of five weeks, every Monday night. Silke and I had just started dating at that time and with our friend Mark we signed up for the classes. Not only did they give us material to follow along, but also a copy of ‘The Total Money Makeover’!

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Dave Ramsey, his book, his workshops or his radio show, let me explain this to you. Through personal financial loss, Mr. Ramsey put together a strategy to help others control their wealth. This is not a get rich scheme. This is just plain common sense stuff that requires a lot of work and a lot of commitment on your part to make it work. 

In a seven step program, you will transform your financial outlook on life to one that actually makes sense, is goal oriented and takes you to new heights of personal insight into your own idea of wealth.

The first step to financial freedom is to save a $1,000.

I scoffed at the very notion of this! When I first started following Mr. Ramsey’s money advice I didn’t even has $20 cash in my pocket. Little did I know that this would be the easiest part of the whole process.

Again, pulling yourself out of financial despair is work! There are no easy ways to do this and there are no short cuts to get you to the seventh step of financial fitness any quicker. They include:

1. Save $1,000 for your starter emergency fund.
2. Pay off all credit card debt.
3. Save 3–6 months of expenses.
4. Invest 15% of your household income.
5. Save for your children’s college fund.
6. Pay off your home early.
7. Build wealth and give.

Get The Total Money Makeover Book to get started!

As I moved through the steps, and attained the next level, I cannot begin to tell you how I felt. Not only about myself, but about the weight of financial hardship being lifted as well. That rule of thumb about saving money from my Dad suddenly became clear to me. I now put a set amount out of each paycheck into a money market account. It’s the first thing that comes out of my paycheck and I truly am ‘paying myself first’.

Dave Ramsey’s book for gaining financial freedom has been very helpful for me.

I bought copies of the Total Money Makeover book for all of my family members and sent them as gifts (paying it forward).

Between all the money advice, steps and practices are real life stories that you and every other reader will be guaranteed to relate to, at least one of them is bound to be close to your own situation. If you feel that you need a money road map to financial freedom than this may be the very book that will help you.

Being raised a frugal German by very thrifty and verbal parents, I already had my nest egg and was well on my way to financial freedom when Nick and I met. This is not to say that I didn’t make my own mistakes over the years and learned a thing or two the hard way. Paying your credit card off every month is one of them.

Anyway, when the Dave Ramsey seminar was mentioned the first time I reluctantly went along only because I knew we would stop for a cocktail after the meeting. By the end of the second class I had to admit that even a savvy saver like myself can learn a thing or two, plus Mr. Ramsey is highly entertaining.

So sign up for the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover seminar when you have a chance, they are usually offered by churches, financial institutions and community groups around the country. You will not be disappointed!

Until then, get your own copy of the book, it’s a great Gift Idea for young adults and anyone struggling financially.

The many success stories speak for themselves! In the book from money maestro Dave Ramsey you will essentially find advice on how to turn back the hands of time and handle money the way earlier generation did. Don’t spend money you don’t have, save for future expenditures and quit trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Just remember, there are no quick fixes and learn to be smart about your hard-earned money.

Have you been introduced to ‘The Total Money Makeover’? Leave us a comment.