Has Anyone Done a Money Makeover or Financial Peace University?

Hi N., Haven't heard of the ones you mentioned.
I have learned a lot from Dave Ramsey. He teaches DEBIT
FREE LIVING. He is on the radio in the Detroit area on WMUZ
103.5 F.M. from 7:00 to 9:00p.m. Mon - Fri. Hope this helps.
K.

My husband read Total Money Makeover 2 years ago, and we have been using Dave Ramsey's plan ever since. He gives great advice, and you can listen to his radio show online as well. Good luck! It's hard work, but as Dave says, "Live like noone else so you can live like noone else!"

N.,

We haven't done either of the plans you talk about, but 12 years ago when my first son was born and then I quit my job to be a SAHM, we felt like we were drowning in debt, the credit cards were the biggest thing, but then we had a couple of really big, unexpected bills and it just made everything worse!

We started checking ourselves every time we were going to spend money....eat out or at home? Grab a coffee somewhere or make a pot at home? Lots of little things do add up. It got to the point (for us anyway) that it became a personal challenge and my husband and I would actually get a thrill everytime we were able to not only save some cash but pay down that debt a little bit faster than what we had budgeted for.

A few of the things that we do are: Watch those grocery fliers and if you see a good price on something you normally use anyway stock up! If its a good price for 1 then why not buy 10 or 20 cans etc. It can keep on your shelf just as well as sit in a warehouse somewhere. I do all my grocery shopping this way now.

We also put in a garden and can and freeze fruits and veggies. It is time consuming but its not difficult, and it can really add up!

Cooking from scratch can save you a ton of money too.

We also started garage saleing. You would be amazed at the nice stuff you find usually for a fraction of what you would pay for new. Especially baby and kids stuff. Just this summer I went to a garage sale and found a stack of board games-educational ones like a teacher would use. She wanted 50 cents a game and 4 of them were brand new still in the original plastic wrappers! I looked them up on the internet after I got home and they were $40.00 games!! I am set for teachers gifts for a couple of years now! Cost me $2.00! for us that is a huge thrill.

I am glad that we are instilling this lifestyle on our kids. We went shopping the other day and needed a bag of chips for a get together the kids were having, and I was so pleased when I just grabbed the first bag I saw (we were in a hurry) and my 12 year old said to me "this bag is bigger AND it costs less than that bag, why don't we get this instead?"

It has become a way of life for us, I love the feeling that being debt free gives us, and have learned that you really can get along quite well without all the extra "stuff".
Good Luck to you, and God Bless.

I've never read or attended FPU (Financial Peace University) but I've read My Total Money Makeover and am a member of Dave's online forum. The program really does work - my family and I are proof. We've weathered alot of storms by following Dave's plan and although it hasn't always been easy, it's been worth it.

I would suggest reading My Total Money Makeover because it is a very easy read and outlines the steps you need to follow. Also, if you go to www.mytotalmoneymakeover.com you can sign up for a free trial.

I can't say enough about this program as it truly has changed our family for the better.

Hi N.,

I completely relate to your financial concerns. I have never consulted with Money Makeover or Financial Peace University, but I recently went to a conference and the speaker touched on her strategies for getting out of debt. One of the main messages that I walked away with was to "eat what is in the cabinet". She gave a few other tips and techniques, but she has an entire training series and there were all kinds of people with varying levels of debt elimination testimonies that shared how much debt they were able to "power down" and how long it took them. If you want to find out more, go to www.danijohnson.com and search on that subject.

I have a background in Accounting and everything Dave Ramsey says makes a ton of sense. We haven't officially done either program, but I am reading his books and we are using one of his Endorsed Local Providers. It is such a great help to know how to prioritize your spending, saving, debt payoff, whatever... there is so much "conventional wisdom" out there that is wrong. For example, you shouldn't save for your kids' college unless you are maxing out your retirement plan at work or at least putting away a certain % of your income for retirement. The reason is, your kids will be able to borrow or work their way through college, and will have their whole earning life ahead of them. You, on the other hand, once you reach retirement age, will have trouble borrowing money and will see your earning power start to decline (whether due to health reasons or other). If you have used all your money to pay for your kids' college, they still probably aren't in a position to help you through retirement - they might be just starting to raise a family.

Anyway, Dave gives you simple, clear advice and it all appears to be very sound. Whether you do the Money Makeover or FPU in my opinion would depend on whether you are good at learning this stuff yourself or if an in-person, more inspiring approach works. Also consider your husband, what learning style is better for him or which he is more likely to find convincing. I think TMM is great if you are both ready and in agreement. FPU might be better if one spouse is skeptical or if the other spouse is the one more involved in the finances. Total buy-in from both of you will give you the best chance of success.

It is my opinion that a lot of the economic problems our country is experiencing today are due to a lack of education about money. We should learn about mortgages and credit cards in school, and how the financial system works, so that we can make smarter decisions as adults. Good luck!

I'm a huge Dave Ramsey fan and while we never had any debt besides our house to get out from under, we paid off our house through Dave's advice in 4 1/2 years. We do a budget at the beginning of the month like Dave suggests and it works great. My understanding is that The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace University are complements to each other. If you are having trouble getting your DH on board, the more intensive FPU may be needed. It seems it would also help to have others going through it with you at the same time. Good Luck. I love to see others who are trying to win financially instead of going along the normal American way

My husband and I did the Dave Ramsey program. It's great and not too costly.

My husband and I took the Financial Peace University last year at Keystone Community Church in Ada. This video series teaches about money, finances, budgeting, investing and communication. Very worthwhile. For details on the Financial Peace program, check out Dave Ramsey's website http://www.daveramsey.com. Our church offers the class again this winter if you are interested. Try this link. http://www.keystonecc.org/app/w_page.php?id=47&type=s...

Financial peace u. is the only way to go. Dave makes the topics fun and exciting. The program is very common sense, but it fosters a common groud so that you both can talk openly about money.

Also many good money related topics about insurance, mortgages etc.

Look for FPU kits on ebay to save a little money.

Good luck.

Dave Ramsey also has another book called "More Than Enough". It explains in more detail the emotional side of getting out of debt. My husband and I are big fans of Dave Ramsey and have been working the program for over a year. We have been consistent and have seen great gains. We will be totally debt free this time next year! I wish you and your husband the best. If he can get on board this will be an amazing experience for your family. We thankfully didn't have any problems coming together financially, but we did read "Financial Peace" 7 years ago and didn't start it until last year of course we didn't have much debt until 5 years ago. Try listening to the show on the internet in the evenings at www.daveramsey.com or watch the show on Fox Business Network at 8pm.

A little about me:

Mother of a 4 year old daughter, 2 year old daughter, and 9 month old son. I also run a licensed NAFCC family child care out of my home.

I have never used one of those programs but I have read God's Plan For Your Finances and it is excellent. It breaks it down how to help budget your money with real numbers and allocating for debt reduction and saving as well as saving money in other areas like insurances and what not. I have recommended this book to many friends and coworkers and they love it! Even those who aren't religious have gotten a ton out of it...For us it has helped us immensely...I never thought I would be able to live on a budget of $50-$60 per week for groceries and now I can...good luck!

We did not take that class, but we did read Dave Ramsey's book (you can probably get it from your library) and started following it about a year ago. I thought it was very helpful. Hope it works out for you!

You definitely want to go w/ Dave Ramsey. If you can do FPU, do it. If not, all the instructions are in Total Money Makeover.

My husband and I did Financial Peace University in 2001 and were really successful. We've fallen off the wagon a couple of times since, but always go back to it and it works every time!

I have done FPU with my husband and it is great! I would highly recommend it. I have an advisor through FPU if you're interested. Feel free to contact me.

Yes !! Take the Financial Peace University Class!!! It will help you save THOUSANDS of dollars each year and truly be at peace with your finances!!!

Hey there!

I read both of Dave Ramsey's books. The FPU book is what to do, the Total Money Makeover is how to do it. My husband even read the TMM book. (I read FPU Revisited second). We never went through the class, we just used the book as a reference. If you too aren't really on board I would recommend going through the program. However, if you both read the book and are disciplined, you should be fine.

We only owe on our house now! We have started to slack, ya know going out to dinner, etc... but never will a credit card be in my wallet. Good luck!