Posted on 03/31/2011 1:05:48 PM PDT by CSM
Actually, if you really listened to him, that is NOT what he says. He says you budget your money including ENTERTAINMENT and habits.
All he is suggesting is when things get bad, you need to cut a little where you can to get though the rough spell. Plain common sense in my opinion.
“I’ll walk to work before I give up my Cup o joe!”
That’s funny in more ways than you know. I have the best of both worlds, I do walk to work and I also coordinate the coffee club at work so I get to drink it for free!
Exactly! Dave talks about priorities a lot—something which a lot of people seem to lack. They can’t pay the mortgage, but they are stopping for McD’s every other day and texting in between on their phone plans that cost more than my weekly food budget (sounds like a cousin of my husband’s who makes fun of us for following Dave Ramsey’s plan).
It’s because we got serious and cut back while we paid off everything but the house that we are now able to breathe a little easier. We can go out to eat once in a while and the mortgage is paid. We can splurge on a coffee from Sweet Bay (it’s cheaper than Starbucks and better tasting) and we have groceries in the fridge. We can have cable TV and gas in the car. If we have an emergency, it’s in the bank, not on a credit card.
Then if TSHTF, we can cut back on the eating out, on the splurge money we budget ourselves each month, the cable, and so on. That’s the way it should be done.
“But to deny ourselves some enjoyment is a losing strategy.”
I have found that when I reached contentment, my definition of enjoyment has shifted tremondously.
“If huge numbers do what Ramsey suggests, then people who work at Starbucks will be out of work.”
I can’t imagine it happening to a better group of libtards.
Retirees can car pool to events. If the furthest person out drives, all can be picked up and split up the cost. The more the merrier!
Join a club if you travel. Traveling with similarly minded folks is fun and can be way less expensive.
For vacations, interview at a similar job. It doesn't reduce the gas prices, but it makes the miles and one night tax deductible. Just log the starting and stopping on your odometer on the hotel receipt. If hotel costs are too much, vacation with family at their home (even a distant cousin).
Just some ideas.
All good ideas, thanks.
“You can easily survive with a used (and paid-for!) car, no cable reality shows and coffee made at home.”
I’m living proof! 1994 Nissan Maxima, 120K miles and it’s been paid for for a decade or more. No cable or satellite for me. ‘Free’ Government TV is just fine. I only watch cooking shows, sports and Dancing With The Stars anyway, LOL! Coffee at home? Yeppers. Fresh-ground beans in my Bunn coffee maker - also about a decade old and still going strong.
My only debt is my farm mortgage...and I’m whittling away at that, as I type. :)
Terrific news!! Doesn’t it feel GOOD? Love your tag line, BTW. Very creative! :)
“Still not much money yet, but doing better every week now.”
You’re going to be just fine, and are already ahead of the game! It’s your attitude that has made ALL the difference, and once you get a taste of Financial Freedom, it’s hard to want anything else. :)
Here’s a great illustration/explanation of ‘The Fulfillment Curve’ which is something I completely agree with. Having ‘more’ doesn’t make me any happier, unless it’s more money in my Emergency Fund or working for me via investments. :)
http://newroadmap.pbworks.com/w/page/10458661/The-Fulfillment-Curve
I lack for nothing in this world. :)
I did all three of the things he is suggesting many years ago. We do have basic cable but that is it.
We sold the cars we had payments on. Then turned that cash around and bought older cars (toyotas) for cash. No car payments. Sunday night we shop for food for the week. We make a menu for every night and only buy what is for dinner each night. Got aggressive on paying off credit cards and have been card debt free for over 2 years. Both of us are working, me one job and my wife 2. Stocking up on survival supplies, long term food and water containers.
Got with the program a long time ago.
Live like no one else now, live like no one else later.
Dave Ramsey.
Mr. SG says that lottery tickets are a tax on people who can’t do math.
Our vehicles are 1995 and 1999. Thank heaven, Mr. SG is a former master mechanic who can keep them in shape. It doesn’t get any better!
Feels great actually!
We’re on Baby step 2 finally. Fortunately, it won’t take us a long time to finish that one.
Yes, much of Dave Ramsey is simple common sense. But the amazing thing is: so many people simply don’t understand that.
We did a sort of mini-Ramsey thing a couple of years ago, and the part that surprised us the most was that — hey, we are in pretty daggone good shape next to a lot of people! But we’ve kept our revolving credit at zero, stored 6 months of paychecks for “emergencies only” and gotten to where our only big expense is the mortgage.
Ramsey is basically the mom-and-dad discipline so many 20-40 something’s lack.
You betcha! The next ‘Mr. Wisconsin’ will be mechanically inclined in ALL areas, LOL! :)
Sometimes it is hard to remember there are people out there that are truly having a tough time- not every one is a leech. But enough are it makes it hard for those that are trying to help themselves.
MMT — I’m with you. There is a gal in our class who gave up coffee for Lent. That, for me, would be me spending 40 days IN BED. hahah.
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