28 September 2010

Total Makeover

Not on me, although Chrissy cut my bangs last week, and I'm so happy to have them back, once I get over the reckoned-with Stomach Flu, I'll post a picture.

No, the makeover of which I speak tonight is the Total Money Makeover. I'm plugging this book because it surprised me with the pearls of wisdom, so valuable they outweighed the excessive hyperbole.


Ok so Jeff and I unwrapped this book at his parents' house after the Bountiful, UT wedding reception. I didn't think we'd read it. Sorry. Jeff is to frugal as apple is to crisp. That plus hard work equals "we've got it under control". I also thought it would tell me to stop eating carbs and we'd have to pay $2,000 each to go to a seminar in Fort Lauderdale for the final chapter.

But we got home and Jeff was all gung-ho about reading it. Out-loud. Together. Because I was an accommodating newlywed, I agreed but thought to myself that by Chapter 2 he'd realize there was no new info, and he'd be sick of the writing finesse of a financial planner (or lack thereof).

He's not a great writer -- like I said, way too much hyperbole and he uses the term "gazelle intense" which just prickled my skin, but you know what -- he's good enough. We read the whole thing and adopted the plan! And Dave Ramsey doesn't care if I eat carbs, and he doesn't want to see my face at any clap-and-cheer event at a Marriott Hotel.

The ca-razy ideas he teaches are pretty much the same as the teachings of the LDS church. Especially along the lines of no debt except for a house (one that you can actually afford), and the plan of eliminating current debt is the same as in the pamphlets next to the Bishop's office. There is a savings plan that was new to us. The part I almost liked best is they had all these testimonials from all sorts of people that maybe, em, pointed out the (cough) bad habits that we all have, and how big your dunce cap is or can become for them.

Anyway, I'm going to stop there. Nobody's paying or asking me to plug this book (although I'm convinced within myself that I deserve to be paid for this!). We just wanted to share a great gift we got. And don't we all want security for our families, and the satisfaction that comes with self-discipline? I remember once while my dad drove me and Elizabeth home from Girl's Camp, he started talking about deep life THINGS and while it seemed I'd passed out in the back seat long before he started, I really hadn't. I was listening with my eyes closed. I remember he told Elizabeth (and me) that we had to go to college because "YOU JUST NEVER KNOW". I remember he said, "There are just NO GUARANTEES, and you need every bit of back up you can get." That has been a-ringin true for all of us in the last couple of years, and so that's why I'm blogging this book.

And if you do go buy it, buying it used on amazon would be Dave Ramsey approved.

2 comments:

Chrissy said...

I vote for a picture...even though I kinda already saw since I did them....ha!

Well, it's no coincidence that I got a shout out on the same post as the "no debt and spending" guy because lets be honest....I need help! Haha, shop-a-holic anonymous!

Meredith Hayes said...

Oh, but a picture yesterday wouldn't have done them justice. I was pretty wretchedly sick.