TITLE: The Total Money Makeover
AUTHOR: Dave Ramsey
COPYRIGHT: 2007
TYPE: Financial Planning
PAGES; 272
SERIES: nope

REASON FOR READING: Seriously? Um b/c I wanted to learn how to manage my money better.

SUMMARY: {From goodreads}
The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.
Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"
The Total Money Makeover isn't theory. It works every single time. It works because it is simple. It works because it gets to the heart of the money problems: you.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
Alright this is a book about a man who was a self made millionaire by 26 and lost it all. He had the house, the clothes, the car, and the lifestyle to fit the status until one day he didn’t. In this book Mr. Ramsey shows us stories of his failure and success as well as others success with the program. Its an inspirational way to look at money and find hope when you feel as if there is nothing but sadness.

Things I enjoyed:
-I loved that there are real life people who have stories submitted to this book to show me that even though I thought I had it bad others who had it worse are making it and getting out of debt.
-His advice is common sense and something I should have known all along but yet don’t and didn’t. Wish I had read this in high school.
-He has worksheets to help people after they finish the book. The worksheets are for budgeting and savings. Very good worksheets and very helpful to get back together with your money

Things I didn’t care for:
-There was a lot of the book that didn’t pertain to me. Some examples were the chapters on saving for college and your family.
-As a single woman with no children I found I was skipping some parts that were necessarily important to me at this point in my life which was a little frustrating.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? It was a library book but I made sure to write down the important stuff. And if I were ever to get married again I would more than likely buy the book for my husband and I to sit down and read together.

SCORE: 8 out of 10

Anything Else: You have to read this book with an open mind and know that he is correct a problem that goes against the belief system we have established and that is to charge everything. Some of it is hard to swallow simply b/c I didn’t want to hear that I wouldn’t be able to just charge the new clothes and books I want…
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100+ Book Challenge

29 / 100 words. 29% done!

So I'm currently focused on 3 books:
Blood Angel by Justine Musk this is my re-read for the month. So far its going good and thankfully its been long enough I've forgotten the twist and turns so that's a bonus. The only complant so far is each chapter has been a different person's life happening. And I know towards the end they all come together or at least that's what I remember but sometimes it's hard to tell them apart and keep them straight. This is my work read.

The other book is The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. So far insightful it doesn't have any magically answers to my debt problem but it lays it out for me. I'm at the part where you are to save so much in an ER fund (makes sense) then work on your debt in a snowball effect. Needless to say I'm stuck on step 1 but that's okay I know I can do it just need to work on the baby steps first.

The last book I am reading is the home book and its Rapture in Death by JD Robb. I was suppose to read this series one a month to help my friend Christine catch up and do a joint review. That was last year and this was the book I left off on. LOL I suck but at least I am still reading. As far behind as I am I would have normally given up.

Okay those be the books. As I read I'll try to leave my thoughts on them here. What about you? What are you reading?