Defending my Dave Ramsey comment

tracieanchris · January 2013

Damn, you guys are harsh. I am aware that some people have zero money. I am also aware that people live paycheck to paycheck and cant afford to save anything. That is the reason Dave Ramsey would be helpful. We were that way a few years back. We were 15K in CC debt and came out of it using his system. We are also able to save money now that we are not paying CC bills every month. I'm not trying to be mean, but if you don't have anything in savings, it might be worth it to check it out. Just saying.

ridesbuttons · January 2013

People are funny about money.

I don't read Dave Ramsey but from what I've gathered, he is just pretty basic money management.

Having debt does not exlude the possibility of having savings. Most people will have debt: mortgage, student loans. These things are generally necessary to move your life forward. But if you have student loans, and especially if you have a mortgage...you need savings.

tracieanchris · January 2013

ridesbuttons:
People are funny about money.
I don't read Dave Ramsey but from what I've gathered, he is just pretty basic money management.
Having debt does not exlude the possibility of having savings. Most people will have debt: mortgage, student loans. These things are generally necessary to move your life forward. But if you have student loans, and especially if you have a mortgage...you need savings.

Thank you!

NotSharknado · January 2013

When people are going through financial hardships, the last thing they want to hear is judgement from someone who has "it" together. It came off judgey even though I'm sure you didn't mean it.

tracieanchris · January 2013

shanado:
When people are going through financial hardships, the last thing they want to hear is judgement from someone who has "it" together. It came off judgey even though I'm sure you didn't mean it.

Promise I wasn't trying to be!

ASmallWonder · January 2013

Yes but you're ignoring one big point. You didn't have money because of all the money you were paying a lot to credit cards each month. Some people don't have debt and still don't have any left over after each paycheck. Your system doesn't work in that case.

PrincessFiona9 · January 2013

elmoali:
Yes but you're ignoring one big point. You didn't have money because of all the money you were paying a lot to credit cards each month. Some people don't have debt and still don't have any left over after each paycheck. Your system doesn't work in that case.

Exactly. When you're living paycheck to paycheck and don't have CC debt, car payments etc and you have nothing leftover to put into savings....well Dave Ramsey can't help you there.

nyki06 · January 2013

I loved the Financial Peace University class we took (by Dave Ramsey). The envelope system is my favorite!

tracieanchris · January 2013

GhostMonkey:
elmoali:
Yes but you're ignoring one big point.  You didn't have money because of all the money you were paying a lot to credit cards each month.  Some people don't have debt and still don't have any left over after each paycheck.  Your system doesn't work in that case.
Just skip paying bills. They will be there next month. Savings is far more important that keeping your credit decent so you can get the financing in the event something major does come up. 
 

This is the point!!!! His whole system is to get money saved so you don't have to rely on financing in an emergency.

NerdyMama2 · January 2013

shanado:
When people are going through financial hardships, the last thing they want to hear is judgement from someone who has "it" together. It came off judgey even though I'm sure you didn't mean it.

All of this

Gracey_Manor Maid · January 2013

wait...am I reading thiis correctly traci...are you really saying skip payng your bills to save up money?

Maybe your approach would have been better recived if you had worded your orignal statment

"Savings is really important to have but it can be difficult to buiild it up depending on your situation. For us the Dave Ramsey system worked really well."

Do you see the diffrence between that and your original statment?

tracieanchris · January 2013

GhostMonkey:
tracieanchris:
GhostMonkey:
elmoali:
Yes but you're ignoring one big point.  You didn't have money because of all the money you were paying a lot to credit cards each month.  Some people don't have debt and still don't have any left over after each paycheck.  Your system doesn't work in that case.
Just skip paying bills. They will be there next month. Savings is far more important that keeping your credit decent so you can get the financing in the event something major does come up. 
 

This is the point!!!! His whole system is to get money saved so you don't have to rely on financing in an emergency.
::facepalm::
Yeah, don't pay your rent/mortgage or car payments so you can save money. 
Nothing can go wrong with that approach.
 

I'm done arguing here. This is going nowhere.

zeldadoggo121 · January 2013

I have no credit card debt. I also have no savings. We don't waste money on nonsense but we just cannot save money that doesn't exist, Dave Ramsey would not be able to help our situation.

colliebabe · January 2013

GhostMonkey:
That is the choice for many people- as many as 2/3 of the population. The only way they would have money to put into savings would be to skip paying necessary bills. We aren't talking CC payments, deluxe cable plans, gym memberships. We are talking house, mandatory utilities, and some form of transportation to get to and from work, hitting sales for groceries and hoping they have enough to cover the necessities. Not everyone is living in the lap of luxury or spending their money on stupid things. Bare necessities and still nothing left over.

Definitely agree with GM. At first I thought my sarcasm meter was broken on your first post - I had to do a double take!

robinsokj · January 2013

Does the magic money fairy bring savings to those who say Dave Ramsey three times fast?

nyki06 · January 2013

I don't know what went on with the original conversation so I have no opinion on that. Dave Ramsey says to make sure that the most important things are being paid (shelter, car, food, clothing) and that you might have to stop paying the other extra bills temporarily. He doesn't say to become homeless, jobless, and run out of clothes. That would be stupid.

We had an extremely little income and a ton of bills when we took Financial Peace University and although our situation didn't change we were able to learn different things about how to manage what we already had. I also sold some stuff that we didn't actually need because I realized that those things weren't as important as being financially secure. Then when our income grew we also had a better idea of what to do with that money. He also encourages budget meetings, so even though we didn't have much money we were at least on the same page as far as what we had and how we were using it.

Glitter Pop · January 2013

Money is a touchy subject and you came across judgey. Dave Ramsey is a great program, but its hard to do when you spend every month "robbing Peter to pay Paul".

chardonnay24 · January 2013

People don't necessarily neglect savings because they are idiots are managing their money. I have an accounting degree and volunteer helping people with taxes and financial planning, but that didn't help us at all when my husband was laid off when his company went under. After 17 months on unemployment and finally getting a job making less than half of what he used to make, followed by an unplanned pregnancy with terrible insurance, we spent all our savings and went further into debt. We are back on our feet but our savings account is nowhere near what it used to be and that isn't because we don't know how to manage our money.

Can't you see that the way you worded it could have been a little offensive and a lot naive?

shopgirl78 · January 2013

tracieanchris:
Damn, you guys are harsh. I am aware that some people have zero money. I am also aware that people live paycheck to paycheck and cant afford to save anything. That is the reason Dave Ramsey would be helpful. We were that way a few years back. We were 15K in CC debt and came out of it using his system. We are also able to save money now that we are not paying CC bills every month. I'm not trying to be mean, but if you don't have anything in savings, it might be worth it to check it out. Just saying.

I think your gonna need Jose Baez to win this defense...just sayin'.

pennysuedog · January 2013

My sister has paid off 70K of their 90k of debt thanks to Dave Ramsey. There are cases of poverty there is always an exception to the rule but in general I think most people can benefit from him.

RondackHiker · January 2013

pennysuedog:
My sister has paid off 70K of their 90k of debt thanks to Dave Ramsey.nbsp; There are cases of poverty there is always an exception to the rule but in general I think most people can benefit from him.nbsp;

But how do you know people who have little in savings don't follow him or another money advisor? How do you know they're being wasteful?

That's the obnoxious bit to me. EVERYONE could benefit from solid financial knowledge, but the assumption that people are struggling because they're making financial mistakes that could be fixed by reading a book? That's rude.

We have little in savings and won't be able to do much till DH starts his residency. Med school and health issues don't exactly equal financially sound.

But we are smart and careful and we have talked to financial advisors and read books. We're not in this position bc we lack the knowledge to get out. We're in this position bc med school tuition is insanely expensive, and on top of that there are board exams and books and travel fees for interviews and parking fees at hospitals... I make good money. But what we save ends up going to med school. Another six months things will change. But until then, I am annoyed but the implication that reading a book will solve all our money stress.

pennysuedog · January 2013

RondackHiker:
pennysuedog:
My sister has paid off 70K of their 90k of debt thanks to Dave Ramsey.nbsp; There are cases of poverty there is always an exception to the rule but in general I think most people can benefit from him.nbsp;
But how do you know people who have little in savings don't follow him or another money advisor? How do you know they're being wasteful? That's the obnoxious bit to me. EVERYONE could benefit from solid financial knowledge, but the assumption that people are struggling because they're making financial mistakes that could be fixed by reading a book? That's rude. We have little in savings and won't be able to do much till DH starts his residency. Med school and health issues don't exactly equal financially sound. But we are smart and careful and we have talked to financial advisors and read books. We're not in this position bc we lack the knowledge to get out. We're in this position bc med school tuition is insanely expensive, and on top of that there are board exams and books and travel fees for interviews and parking fees at hospitals... I make good money. But what we save ends up going to med school. Another six months things will change. But until then, I am annoyed but the implication that reading a book will solve all our money stress.

I guess you can't complain that you don't have money when you make the choices that lead down that path. Med school is expensive, I'm sure you realized this before he started. Obviously you are in a transitional stage in your life and have prospects for earning more money. Nobody said these are bad decisions the road to financial security is not always an easy one.
Your situation is temporary.

Like I said there are always exceptions to the rule!

There are lots of people who live above their means, sitting down and looking where your money goes, then making a budget can help. There is more than just a book you can go and take the classes too. They encourage you to do this as a couple. So many emotions are tied to money. That is probably why everyone is so up in arms.

Wine O Mite · January 2013

pennysuedog:
I guess you can't complain that you don't have money when you make the choices that lead down that path.

This comment made me roll my eyes so hard.

No one is complaining. Dave Ramsey followers are just really crazy and thing that he can fix all.

RondackHiker · January 2013

Wine O Mite:
pennysuedog:
I guess you can't complain that you don't have money when you make the choices that lead down that path.  
This comment made me roll my eyes so hard.
No one is complaining.  Dave Ramsey followers are just really crazy and thing that he can fix all.  
 

Wine O is right. I wasn't complaining about the lack of money. And really, it'll pay off WELL in the end. We're pretty happy and have fun with what we have.

But the comment was annoying and rude and presumptuous. Dave can't make money appear from nowhere. The idea that "you don't have savings?! Read Dave!" is simplistic.

Kitiara5512 · January 2013

tracieanchris:
Damn, you guys are harsh. I am aware that some people have zero money. I am also aware that people live paycheck to paycheck and cant afford to save anything. That is the reason Dave Ramsey would be helpful. We were that way a few years back. We were 15K in CC debt and came out of it using his system. We are also able to save money now that we are not paying CC bills every month. I'm not trying to be mean, but if you don't have anything in savings, it might be worth it to check it out. Just saying.

Oh well, 15k in debt. Wow, Did you have money to make your bills every month? Cause right now our combined bills, not even counting CC payments, is still more than what we make every month, hence the part where we no longer have any savings.

Also, what you think you are aware of without actually knowing jackshit, could fill a library, while the empathy you show wouldn't even fill a thimble.

Point being, get off your high horse and stop being such a holier than thou ***, and if you want to discuss money, go over to MM on TN.

Kitiara5512 · January 2013

pennysuedog:
RondackHiker:
pennysuedog:
My sister has paid off 70K of their 90k of debt thanks to Dave Ramsey.nbsp; There are cases of poverty there is always an exception to the rule but in general I think most people can benefit from him.nbsp;
But how do you know people who have little in savings don't follow him or another money advisor? How do you know they're being wasteful? That's the obnoxious bit to me. EVERYONE could benefit from solid financial knowledge, but the assumption that people are struggling because they're making financial mistakes that could be fixed by reading a book? That's rude. We have little in savings and won't be able to do much till DH starts his residency. Med school and health issues don't exactly equal financially sound. But we are smart and careful and we have talked to financial advisors and read books. We're not in this position bc we lack the knowledge to get out. We're in this position bc med school tuition is insanely expensive, and on top of that there are board exams and books and travel fees for interviews and parking fees at hospitals... I make good money. But what we save ends up going to med school. Another six months things will change. But until then, I am annoyed but the implication that reading a book will solve all our money stress.
I guess you can't complain that you don't have money when you make the choices that lead down that path. Med school is expensive, I'm sure you realized this before he started. Obviously you are in a transitional stage in your life and have prospects for earning more money. Nobody said these are bad decisions the road to financial security is not always an easy one.
Your situation is temporary.
Like I said there are always exceptions to the rule!
There are lots of people who live above their means, sitting down and looking where your money goes, then making a budget can help. There is more than just a book you can go and take the classes too. They encourage you to do this as a couple. So many emotions are tied to money. That is probably why everyone is so up in arms.

Obviously you haven't hung around this board much or you would find that the majority of people here who do complain about being broke are the exceptions. After hanging out with these ladies for almost three years, I have seen very few of them mention anything that causes me to believe that any of them are even close to living beyond their means in any way, and I find it incredibly offensive that some upstart who barely knows anyone here starts offering advice and being a condescending twit.

Condescension is my job. Anyone who has a problem with that can kiss my moonpie.

NastyAnnie · January 2013

Yep. Still a d!ck move.

[Deleted User] · January 2013

That was way harsh, Tai.

That's all I can think of. Also, we don't have savings right now. So sue me.

Kitiara5512 · January 2013

Mackalien13:
tracieanchris:
Damn, you guys are harsh. I am aware that some people have zero money. I am also aware that people live paycheck to paycheck and cant afford to save anything. That is the reason Dave Ramsey would be helpful. We were that way a few years back. We were 15K in CC debt and came out of it using his system. We are also able to save money now that we are not paying CC bills every month. I'm not trying to be mean, but if you don't have anything in savings, it might be worth it to check it out. Just saying.
Have you never lurked here?

IKR? Noobs.

[Deleted User] · January 2013

justAphase:
Wine O Mite:
This comment made me roll my eyes so hard.
No one is complaining. Dave Ramsey followers are just really crazy and thing that he can fix all.

Uhh seriously. I'm pretty sure people who end up in the hospital with huge medical bills don't make those choices for themselves.

Knowing Penny, I'm sure that's not what she meant. I think she was referring specifically to the circumstances of the poster she was quoting.

[Deleted User] · January 2013

MrsNorry:
That was way harsh, Tai. That's all I can think of. Also, we don't have savings right now. So sue me.

Why? YOU HAVE NOTHING TO TAKE!!!!!

PS - does Norry rhyme with poor-y? Wink

[Deleted User] · January 2013

sofamonkey:
MrsNorry:
That was way harsh, Tai.

That's all I can think of. Also, we don't have savings right now. So sue me.
Why?  YOU HAVE NOTHING TO TAKE!!!!!
PS - does Norry rhyme with poor-y? 

Bahaha, so true.

And yes. Yes it does! PoorY Norry!!!

Kitiara5512 · January 2013

humptydance:
Who are these people?

I dont know. Suddenly there were these children here telling the grownups that they know everything and the adults know nothing.

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