We're big fans

Have you ever heard of Dave Ramsey? We are huge fans of his in our house. He is a popular financial guru and author of The Total Money Makeover along with other financial planning books. Phillip literally listens to his podcasts everyday on his way to and from work, and I catch up on a couple here and there when we travel a long distance. His motto that Phillip and I quote to each other often is "live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else" which basically means live frugally and save now so when you are older you can enjoy all of your hard work. This doesn't mean going without all the time, it just means being smart with your money.

Every time you turn on the TV you hear about the financial crisis so many families are in. I believe so many people have put themselves in this situation by not planning for the future. No one expects to get laid off from their job, but if you plan ahead and set aside money for an emergency you are able to stay afloat and keep your family fed. My generation is caught up in material possessions. We think we should start off our adult lives with everything our parents were providing us while at home, new furniture, new cars, designer clothes, and a large home with a white picket fence. And we achieve this by buying things on credit and living pay check to pay check. Sure you are just barely keeping it in the black at the end of the month but what are you going to do when your baby comes down with a serious illness and accumulates large medical bills or your husband is in an accident on his way home from work? Will you still be able to pay your bills?

Dave Ramsey can start you on the right track from the ground up, or in many cases help you climb out of a giant hole. He will teach you how to set a budget you can stick to, pay off your debt, and put money away for emergencies and investments. He isn't just for those struggling financially, he has great advise on getting you on track to pay cash for your vehicles, set aside money for your kids college, invest for the future (honestly, do you actually expect there will be enough money to get a social security check when we turn 65), pay off your mortgage (gasp, that's possible?) and so much more.