I’m focusing on this statement from the article: “We’re almost out of debt, but we still have two small car payments and some credit card debt.”
The payments may be smaller than the minimum payment on the credit card, for all we know, but the loans may be larger than the credit card. If, in fact, they owe $10,000 on the card but only $1.500 on the two cars, I’m all over paying off the cars, regardless. I actually did that even though I had a five digit balance on a card. But I don’t know what the balance is on the car loans, hence my response.
The wife and I are taking Dave's Financial Peace University classes at church right now. We have been following many of his principles long before we took the class, or even before we had heard of Dave Ramsey, and have only our mortgage left to pay off. I wasn't sure how much I could really learn from the class, as I thought we were in pretty good shape, financially. However, some of his budgeting ideas, insurance information, etc. has been helpful. Since I think a lot of his advice is aimed at folks horrible at finances, you have to adapt some of what he says.
As an aside, I have found your posts about moving from WA to middle of nowhere KY interesting. I would love to find some land a little off the beaten path. I need to talk the wife into driving farther to work. However, being in East Tennessee, at least I wouldn't have to move across the country to do it.