Total Money Makeover 16th Anniversary
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This month marks 16 years since I read Dave Ramsey’s book Total Money Makeover. I read it because Lisa said that “Dave says not to invest in retirement until you pay off your debt.” This seemed unreal.
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What I read changed the trajectory of my financial future. I was a normal 26-year-old college graduate with student loans, a car loan, and credit card debt in the amount of $104,616. I was single with no kids.
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I had moved to Tulsa, OK for a job at American Airlines, so I was starting fresh. There was no reason not to give Financial Peace University and the debt snowball a try.
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Little did I know that after I got out of debt I would want to continue with the rest of the baby steps.
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Through the years I built the emergency fund, started investing, and bought a house. It wasn’t all easy. As you may know, I had 3 layoffs, collected unemployment, moved 3 times, and changed careers.
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There were highs and lows, good days and bad. I kept applying what I learned in FPU and listened to the radio show daily to stay encouraged.
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Today, I get to enjoy a debt-free life without the stress of chasing the dollar. I don’t have to work a job I don’t like. I don’t have to take a promotion. I don’t have to sell 100 houses.
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Instead, I get to see the world and money through a new lens. I get to give more. I get to spend more time with friends & family. I get to travel and experience life in all the ways.
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What’s next? In baby step #7 you are to live and give like no one else.
I want to lead the way with irrational generosity, buy a beach house and learn more about investing.
If you are on a journey to financial peace I would love to hear all about it. If you haven’t started, I recommend reading the book.