Dave Ramsey, debt, credit cards, retirement, etc

[SuperJETT]

Dude, the radio show is free, the book is free at any library, www.livinglikenooneelse.com is free, and openoffice/gnucash/etc are free budgeting programs.

You can hate all you want, you don't have to spend money to do his plan. Spend it if you want though...

BTW, I've been through FPU, and based on stuff I learned in there I have saved way more than it cost just in the past month. 2 examples: $50 off a digital camera just for asking and over $300 off a rental cabin for vacation just for asking a question.

i'm so glad the ramsey radio-infomercials have plagued the airwaves... time for all the new years resolution-ers hit the check books and pay off their CCs!!!!!

still can't wrap my mind around this whole gig...

$29-169 for tix.
12 for parking
12 for gas (from my house, roundtrip)
25 for book
29 for budgeting cdrom software
49 for website membership (6-mo)

and... if you're still having trouble, there's a safety net... hey, the best medicine sometimes costs the most, right?

$299 FPU dvds
$200 local "classes" whatever those are

then, once you're out of debt, celebrate with a "no debt" sticker (its only a buck! heck!) and a coupon companion (coupon holder) for only $14.95!!

WTF! I'LL NEED TO CLIP COUPONS FOR 1.5yrs TO PAY OFF THE DEBT ON MY COUPON HOLDER!!!!

In my book, talk to a financially successful family member, church, friend, on how to get your ducks in a row. i know plenty of FREE classes put on locally by churches/schools/colleges that come WELL recommended and won't cost you a dime.

my .02 anyway... maybe i'm just aggravated by these friggin stupid commercials.

 

[thrllskr]

Also, friends, family, etc. can help steer you in the right direction but not without the motivation. Sure, everyone says to get out of debt, pay off your cc's, etc. but his book is what really motivated me. And like Jett said, the radio show is free.

$19.99 for the book (though I bought a few as Christmas presents when they were $10 each during his December promotion) isn't bad in my opinion for some good advice and motivation. Considering I know someone who just paid over $500 to a bankruptcy attorney to start the paperwork, I'd say Dave's a bargain for some people...

 

[douglee25]

Dude, the radio show is free, the book is free at any library, www.livinglikenooneelse.com is free, and openoffice/gnucash/etc are free budgeting programs.

You can hate all you want, you don't have to spend money to do his plan. Spend it if you want though...

BTW, I've been through FPU, and based on stuff I learned in there I have saved way more than it cost just in the past month. 2 examples: $50 off a digital camera just for asking and over $300 off a rental cabin for vacation just for asking a question.

What did you ask in order to save money in those cases?

Doug

 

[jetskiier]

You really just have to ask if that's their best price, its worked for me on everything from speakers for my jeep at Future Shop (about 1/2 price) to vacations. Everyone is negotiable, if not, their manager/owner probably is.

 

[SuperJETT]

What did you ask in order to save money in those cases?

Doug

Take FPU and you'll figure it out.

Nah, just asking for a discount but in the right way so you're not trying to screw them, and being informed also.

The camera, it was on clearance for $250, which is 50% off original retail. I mentioned that the newer model sells for $400 normally, so could I get the equivalent of 50% off that price which would be $200 and he said sure, then he even went a step further and told the cashier to ring it up at $199 so the extended warranty would be slightly cheaper. It's all in how you approach things, give them respect and they will give it back to you.

On the rental cabin, we were looking for one for the first week in April. I saw they were doing a 3 night for the cost of 2 in December, which is 33% off. In April they were only doing 4 for the cost of 3 which is 25%. I asked if we could get the same 33% discount as December, and the lady said sure right away. Then....the one we wanted was shown as having air hockey which our girls love, so I asked just to make sure. She said no, we took it out last summer actually, and we only have one cabin with air hockey, but it was 4 bedrooms instead of 3 and much more expensive. I just asked, "is there anyway we could do that one for the same price as the first one?" and she thought for about 10 seconds and said sure. So, we're getting a $350/night cabin for 33% off the cost of a much cheaper 3 bedroom, total for 4 nights was $534, around $125/night.

You learn sooo much in FPU that isn't in his books or on the radio show, it's surprising.

 

[SXIPro]

Asking is the key. My daughter is getting braces this month. We are using the same ortho as we did for my son's teeth. My wife asked straight up. "Look, we are repeat customers, can we get a discount?" The office said "in some cases, we can give 5% off". My wife then said well if you do 5% off, you can certainly go 10%.

We got the 10% break and it saved us 400 bucks.

Paid for my Coffman Sizzler and my 13/17 prop for the square. :bananajump:

If you use the old "what I save on this, I can throw into my SJ" the motivation to ask for a discount is right there.

(And in all honesty, the 400 bucks we saved is going into my daughters 529 plan, I bought the SN parts using the $$ I got from selling stuff I didn't need)

 

[douglee25]

Take FPU and you'll figure it out.

Nah, just asking for a discount but in the right way so you're not trying to screw them, and being informed also.

The camera, it was on clearance for $250, which is 50% off original retail. I mentioned that the newer model sells for $400 normally, so could I get the equivalent of 50% off that price which would be $200 and he said sure, then he even went a step further and told the cashier to ring it up at $199 so the extended warranty would be slightly cheaper. It's all in how you approach things, give them respect and they will give it back to you.

On the rental cabin, we were looking for one for the first week in April. I saw they were doing a 3 night for the cost of 2 in December, which is 33% off. In April they were only doing 4 for the cost of 3 which is 25%. I asked if we could get the same 33% discount as December, and the lady said sure right away. Then....the one we wanted was shown as having air hockey which our girls love, so I asked just to make sure. She said no, we took it out last summer actually, and we only have one cabin with air hockey, but it was 4 bedrooms instead of 3 and much more expensive. I just asked, "is there anyway we could do that one for the same price as the first one?" and she thought for about 10 seconds and said sure. So, we're getting a $350/night cabin for 33% off the cost of a much cheaper 3 bedroom, total for 4 nights was $534, around $125/night.

You learn sooo much in FPU that isn't in his books or on the radio show, it's surprising.

Oh, ok. Good jobs on those deals. You made out well.

I thought you meant there was some hidden discount or code word to ask. I totally know what you mean about just asking. My gf gets so mad at me because I'll ask for discounts in just about any store (even dept. stores). She just walks away when I start to barter. Quite amusing. :lmao:

Doug

 

[spdwrx701]

I also barter everything and my girlfriend just starts laughing at me. I get deals on just about everything though...... I rented my GF a snowmobile over Christmas and saved about $100/day... It's amazing what people will do if you just ask....

 

[cybermob2]

so wait, you pay $300 for FPU dvds, to learn how to barter?

maybe thats an exaggeration, but i come from a long hertitage of dutch penny pinching, and my grandma taught me everything i need to know. i haven't paid full price for, uhm, can't remember. crap the friggin sporting goods cashier about crapped yesterday when i whipped out my $10 off $15 or more coupon and used it on .22LR ammo. $15.29 (high, i know) - $10 = $5.29. can't beat that...

i had a friend who spend college working @ best buy... its similar to GMAC, they make more money of a $39.99 insurance policy than they do off selling the $129 digital camera.

crap, if i paid for insurance on every piece of electronic device i own, the tally would FRIGGIN HUGE! THOUSANDS! and only maybe suffered damage on $200 or so (that i can remember) of electronics that failed out of warranty. and of the 200 bucks, cripe, we're talking a 7yr old 5.1 analog receiver that wouldn't have been covered anyway. shoot, look how many '80s TVs are still up in attics... working... but not used??

seems like they should be preaching "if you don't need it, don't buy it" - but that would be my policy. followed by "if you can afford it, and want it, buy it," (generalized of course) "but scour the internet for an instore printable coupon first" lol.


i guess i would just have to be in a different financial mindset to appreciate, i really don't know. it just erks me when 1/2 dozen people in the last two weeks have asked me if i wanna go with them to ramsey-fest. GRRRRRRR!

 

[cybermob2]

I also barter everything and my girlfriend just starts laughing at me. I get deals on just about everything though...... I rented my GF a snowmobile over Christmas and saved about $100/day... It's amazing what people will do if you just ask....

same way here... my latest tactic is when checking into a hotel, ask if they are slow or busy during your stay. last 8 of 9 nights they were slow (business twice last fall, and skiing out in colorado just before xmas) and after hearing that, I, in an embarassingly flirtacious tone, asked, "really? you wouldn't happen to have any romantic complimentary upgrades would you?" and cashed in BIG TIME on jacuzzi rooms and suites. I LOVE THIS TACTIC. LOVE IT.

my fiance is sometimes embarrassed by my tightwadding. she's coming around though. years of living on daddy's CC are hard to correct.

 

[SuperJETT]

Dude, FPU costs $90 to take, that's it, and it's a lifetime membership.

You are misinformed. The DVD's are for class leaders, our church bought them for our class, no cost to the participants.

For people that had parents that didn't teach a damn thing about finances (both me and my wife), Dave Ramsey is a lifesaver. Just because you don't think he could teach you anything doesn't mean his info isn't valuable to someone out there.

 

[cybermob2]

i guess i would just have to be in a different financial mindset to appreciate, i really don't know.

i agree darin, for some people, maybe what they need is a motivational speaker. millions of people are in so called "debt up to their eyeballs" (or so the commercial goes) and need some financial common sense.

but still, a financial speaker is selling coupon wallets for $14.95 on his website. define irony? send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and i'll mail you YOUR choice of two, absolutely FREE coupon holders. choose from a plain white envelope, or, bling it up with a paper clip! yeah! act now and receive a SECOND, absolutely FREE coupon holder for a friend!

 

[Mile9c1]

My gf and I also saw Dave tonight. I thought he was very entertaining; she didn't think it was worth her $60 but IMO she liked it better than she expected.

Cybermob, it sounds like you have all the "common sense" stuff down, you probably should have gone to his investing seminar that time you saw him. The people who lack "common sense" (most people) can learn a lot from him. I'm pretty sure he's helped millions of people by now... most of these people would probably still be messed up if not for him.

 

[Mile9c1]

but still, a financial speaker is selling coupon wallets for $14.95 on his website. define irony? send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and i'll mail you YOUR choice of two, absolutely FREE coupon holders. choose from a plain white envelope, or, bling it up with a paper clip! yeah! act now and receive a SECOND, absolutely FREE coupon holder for a friend!

Hey do you sell any books? LOL!

I'll probably go see Dave again.

 

[SeaLion]

I thought his seminar could be seen on youtube? Just check it on there and like Jett said go to the library and check the book out.

I just don't get it when people expect something for nothing.

 

[cybermob2]

My gf and I also saw Dave tonight. I thought he was very entertaining; she didn't think it was worth her $60 but IMO she liked it better than she expected.

Cybermob, it sounds like you have all the "common sense" stuff down, you probably should have gone to his investing seminar that time you saw him. The people who lack "common sense" (most people) can learn a lot from him. I'm pretty sure he's helped millions of people by now... most of these people would probably still be messed up if not for him.

i did hear this wknd that he has 2 different seminars variations... one for basically debt elimination (snoooze.....) and the other for investment.

i still don't know. i guess if it were free i'd go, but i wouldn't expect him to have anything better to offer investment wise other than "pay off your debts first, followed by maxing at minimum your 401k match %, followed by a roth IRA/similar, followed by higher risk/yields (CDs, stocks/mutual, real estate, etc etc).

 

[vitaly]

Dave is on TV again right now, made myself listen to his BS for about nine minutes before my wife could not take it anymore and I had to switch the channel. :thinking:
All you Dave's followers please enjoy! :fing02:

 

[Mile9c1]

My gf used to not be able to stand Dave either. She probably still doesn't like him, but just this week she opened a Roth IRA and when I asked her why she said "because of Dave Ramsey". Sweet :cheer:

 

[jetskiier]

Money Management 101

http://consumerist.com/consumer/clips/snl-skit-dont-buy-stuff-you-cant-afford-252491.php

 

[SuperJETT]

Money Management 101

http://consumerist.com/consumer/clips/snl-skit-dont-buy-stuff-you-cant-afford-252491.php

I love that clip, we played it in our Financial Peace class we facilitated last fall.