The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey (2003, Hardcover)

The TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER by Dave Ramsey, is easily the only non-fiction book in years that I've been totally absorbed in! The full title is the TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER A PROVEN PLAN FOR FINANCIAL FITNESS, and that's what it's message is, financial fitness. Dave Ramsey does not preach any kind of fast money, get rich scheme, but with his "debt snowballing" and "baby step" he will help you get out of debt and show you the way (by "living like noone else")to build wealth. Let me just say, his steps work! My husband suggested to me that I read this book and I was very resistant, being a fiction only reader. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, but we have given several as gifts & recommended it to others.

If you want to learn how to get and stay DEBT FREE, I highly recommend this book!

Hi -- The original version that I wrote of this guide was on August 12, 2007. It's now October 29, 2007 and in the last two months of practicing the information outlined in this book so much has happened to us besides paying off large amounts of debt, cutting up credit cards, and really started to learn how to live within our means. The first step we did was to make a list of all of our debt with the smallest one on top of the list and ended with the largest amount on the bottom. Rather than debt consolidation, we started paying off the smallest one first while paying the minimum on the others. I must say that this list made me fill with dispare over the fact that it was smack in my face what huge amount of debt we accumulated and the fact that we really couldn't pay the minimum on each bill. I'm not totally sure how we managed to make this happen but we did. One month we had 5 pay checks instead of 4 weeks. We had tax rebates come back in. We made a grocery list and stuck to it. Actually I do think this was the biggest help and the hardest accomplishment. Because the only way we could make this happen was to make a menu for the week and then a list of what we needed. O.K. so I know that this is the obvious solution but lets face it, when you get to the grocery store there is always something that you forgot to put on the list or it looks good. Here is the hard part --- Only bring cash. No checkbook, No credit card, No ATM or Debt card. Just cold hard cash. Thats your budget and no going over or you have to put it back. It certainly makes you evaluate necessity of what in your cart. We never when hungry for one meal ever using this method but talk about trimming the fat out of a diet. It took me about 3 to 4 weeks to not squirm at going to the grocery store using this method. I truely believe that this was a major part in coming up with the cash we needed to pay our bills. We are now on the 4 year plan to pay off all debt, not including the mortgage. Dave recommends 2 years or less and to sell off things if you have too. Right now we are living in our means and snowballing the amount to pay off. 2 years here we come! FREEDOM! I hope this helpful.

August 12th version:
I love this book. Dave Ramsey is helping us get out of debt because we are following this book step by step. We have already paid off $1000 of dollars of debt by following his easy to understand steps. We already have financial freedom by having a good solid plan and made changes in our life style to make this work. This is not a get rich quick book or gimmick. I found a review under someone's eBay guides and reviews they had wrote about and then decided to buy the book. This book has been one of my best investments ever because we were ready for a change.Do you have debt? Are you willing to change the way you live in order to make that happen? Do you want prosperity and happiness for you and your family? If you are willing to make these changes, you will reach your goals to financial freedom and Dave Ramsey will map it out for you step by step! If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, this book is for you. Dave Ramsey has helped us pay off $1,000's of dollars of debt and live a happier well managed life. As Dave puts it in his book "You will learn to live like no one else and you will live like no one else." Are you ready to have money in your pocket and be debt free? Then this book is for you.

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This is a great book. I bought it because I was not handeling my money in a responsible way and I was ready to admit that I was in trouble. I have listened to Dave Ramsey on the radio for a while and knew he was offering very useful advice. His book is also full of helpful advice and easy to understand plans to get rid of debt and work toward the financial security we all wish for, but don't know how to achieve.

Starting with baby steps this book has many success stories about getting out of debt, living life and maximizing retirement investing. He refers to over 800 scriptures that deal with money and God's ways of handeling money. He also addresses many Money Myths and gives logical reasons why they do or don't work.

I highly recommend this book and I think everyone would benefit from reading it.

I bought Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover book about a month ago and I loved it! This is a must have book for anyone who truely wants to get their finances under control and get out of debt. If you follow the principles of this book you can get out of debt and live your life DEBT FREE! Dave has a no nonsense approace and tells it like it is in this book. He pulls no punches and writes in a down to earth, easy to understand style that many financial self help books lack. Dave's BABY STEPS walk you through getting out of debt and having an emergency savings fund and they are simple enough for anyone to do. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Soon I too will be DEBT FREE!!!!

Dave Ramsey is an excellent author. This book shows 7 'Baby Steps' on getting out of debt and on your way to having financial peace. This book is for everyone... all ages, in debt or not... (Preferably, don't wait until you are in debt until you read this book!) I read this book and am starting to follow the 'Baby Steps'. (Some of them don't apply to me... I am not in debt!) Reading the success stories in this book, I am sure that this will work for EVERYONE if they just work hard at it with 'gazelle intensity' as Dave Ramsey puts it. READ THIS BOOK!!! It will change your life!