Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of something, and realize that what you're living right now is a turning point in your life. Reading the Total Money Makeover was one of THOSE awesome times for me.

I was initially skeptical about this book, but last summer some girls on a mother's board I'm a member of were really excited about Dave Ramsey. So in late August I picked up a copy, and started to read. Then I picked up a highlighter and read it again. I started listening to the radio show and I dragged my husband to Dave Ramsey's 12-week financial class.

A year ago, I figured we'd be living in our tiny starter house forever and wondered how we'd be able to afford pre-school and still come up with money for a down payment for a 2nd car.

Today, in the midst of this "economic recession", we are happy, confident, and have hope about the future, because thanks to Dave's inspiring stories and simple plan, we have now eliminated all our debts, bought a house, and realized that we really can afford to send our kids to college in 16 years AND retire comfortably. We're planning to buy that 2nd car in cash next year.

You really can summarize this book in just a few paragraphs, but you can't substitute a description of the plan for the amount of motivation you can get from the inspiration that's inside.

Whether trying to get out of debt or simply not get into debt, this book is the number one answer! Dave Ramsey's advice is borne of experience in blowing a fortune, recovering it and learning his lesson. Now he passes his plan on to others in an easy-to-follow (and understand!) method that really works. Hundreds of callers have told their stories on his radio and TV shows (now on Fox Business Network) and proudly screamed "We're debt free" after applying his principles of money management to their situations, some seemingly hopeless. You CAN climb out of overwhelming debt, and this book tells you how. Not a pie-in-the-sky kind of book, but practical steps to follow that will save your marriage and your sanity as you pay back what you owe and establish a nest egg for the future.

This book provides a very simple, straightforward plan for those looking to get out of debt. It is a very 'easy read', and provides a plan as well as motivation for financial recovery. However, I would not recommend this book to those without debt, nor to those who are able to discipline themselves on financial matters. For those folks, some of the advice is counter-productive for gaining wealth. For all who read this book, don't take any of Dave's statements as sound reasoning without thinking through each statement, as he has a way of only giving 'facts' that support his propositions, and much of his reasoning is very weak. For instance, he states that carrying cash is no more risky than carrying a credit card because muggers don't have x-ray vision to know what you're carrying in your wallet. While true, this is irrelevant. Of course folks have an equal chance of getting mugged no matter what they're carrying in their wallet, but if the victim is carrying cash, it's lost forever. If the victim is carrying a credit card, there will be no financial loss.

I did not benefit from reading this book. However, I do believe that for those who are deep in debt and looking for a way out, this book could be very beneficial.

This book is full of great basic information, but the man assumes that the reader knows NOTHING about personal finance (or too much else, for that matter.) The occasional Bible verses get annoying. But, hey, if you're in over your head and need a place to start, read it carefully - with your brain wide open.

This book is an eye opener for all of us in denial about our finances. You have to stay on a budget and not overspend -- that's not rocket science, but not many of us do it. Dave dispels the myths about money and he is right on target. Debt is dumb; cash is king!

I have been putting off getting my finances in order simply because I was afraid it would be a huge hassle. This book not only help me accomplish my goal, but it also got me so pumped about it, I got my two grown children and their husband and girlfriend to go along for the ride. It has been a wonderful family learning experience with actual fun mixed in along the journey.

Warning: Only read this book if you're tired of the "normal" everyday cycle of being in debt - being slave to your lenders. Whether it's credit cards, student loans, car loans, mortgages, etc. Dave Ramsey lays out a plan to break the cycle, change your family tree so your children don't think living paycheck to paycheck and owing huge amounts of debts is normal. As Dave puts it, if that's normal then "be weird." Get out of debt and live in TRUE Financial Peace - IT WILL CHANGE YOUR FAMILY TREE! It works, I've done it and so can you!

THIS BOOK IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IF NOT THE BEST IN MY LIBRARY! ITS AN EASY READ AND FLOWS SO WELL. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE STEPS AND THEY WORK! HAS A LOT OF HUMOR AND INSPIRATION WHICH IS RARE IN ONE BOOK. THIS BOOK IS WORTH FAR MORE THAN ITS COST! YOU WILL WISH YOU READ IT YEARS AGO.

I read this book and dived right into the plan. I was full of enthusiasm and was accomplishing some debt reduction. (Dave Ramsey's talk show works great as a motivator once you've finished the book.) Unfortunately, my husband was not on board with me and fought me every step of the way. I would have liked to have seen a chapter that explained a way to compromise with a spouse. For example, for so many dollars paid off in debt, then we can spend so many dollars on something fun. This plan is a complete sacrifice, and some people don't have that kind of discipline.

After arguing with my husband, I went off the plan and I'm much happier. I know we still have debt and it'll take longer to pay it off, but at least our kids have harmony in the household once again. If your spouse isn't interested in this plan, I wouldn't recommend it. Money, lots of it or lack of it, isn't worth the marriage. However, if your spouse is as eager to do this as you are, you will get far in a short amount of time. It does work.

My personal opinion, keep the car and pay it off when you can. I bought a cheap used car and ended up with $2000 in repairs in the month we had it, and it still needed more work. I don't think it's wrong to make car payments but I do recommend keeping the car for several years after paying it off.

Passion Saving the Path to Plentiful Free Time and Soul-satisfying Work

The Richest Man in Babylon

Yes, You Can Get A Financial Life!: Your Lifetime Guide to Financial Planning

If he was just an author and this is all he ever did I would give it 5 stars. I like his model for success and it is impossible for it not to work for you. But if you watch or listen to his show on the radio or TV then this book is a total waste of time.

There is absolutely no benefit in wasting the time or money reading this book since its merely rehashed (far more entertainingly) on his aired programs.

I enjoyed the simplicity of becoming debt free as outlined in this book. I bought the book to start living on a planned budget since my husband and I are now working together and our monthly income has decreased. Although we are not heavily in debt, we understand the importance of becoming debt free and being proactive about it. My daughter recently married and we gave this as a wedding present with a check at the beginning of the chapter that explains to first start an emergency fund. It was a nice surprise for her and she loved the book. She is sharing it with her friends. Thanks Dave Ramsey!

Dave Ramsey's steps to financial success are very similar to what I learned in my personal finance class in college. This is not just a "get-out-of-debt" book; it is a book that can help you reach your financial goals without getting too technical. Ordinary people with regular incomes can learn to save and have millions by the time they are ready to retire (as long as they start early enough).

Dave basically encourages you to follow these steps (in order):
1) Have $1,000 for emergencies only
2) Pay off all debts except for your home mortgage
3) Complete your Emergency Fund--$10,000 minimum
4) Invest 15% of your income for retirement
5) Save for college (for your kids)
6) Pay off your home mortgage
7) Keep investing--you will build wealth like crazy once you don't have any monthly payments.

I have never been in any debt and I agree with a lot of his ideas. If you are like me, you won't need the first 5 chapters where he tries to get you into the "no debt" mindset. I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because Dave's writing style can get kind of annoying at times.

Wish I had this book 40 years ago. It completely changed my whole outlook on how I handle my finances. A MUST READ for everyone.

I've read quiet a few books on the subject of money, but Dave Ramsey has put them all to shame. He cuts through all the hype and lies that surround wealth and delivers a clear cut path to true financial peace. The "Money Myths vs. Facts" chapter chops down so many common misconceptions about money that it alone is worth more than the whole book.
Amazingly, when I picked my copy up, I was already living a debt free lifestyle. I had recently married and we bought a house together. Outside of our mortgage, we had zero debt, no credit cards, and $4,000 in savings. We thought we were doing pretty well, but this book showed us how we can change our lifestyle to not only increase our wealth, but avoid the potholes life may throw at us. Even though I started off debt free, this book was still priceless in guiding me towards a bright and peaceful future. Thanks Dave ;)

Everyone should read this book. It has such good common sense approaches to becoming debt free for life. I started my path and can't wait to get there!

Ancient Wisdom for Making Money: Discover Financial Freedom to Live the Life You Deserve

It was the wisest king who ever lived: King Solomon, who once wrote `The Borrower is servant to the Lender'. This book reminds us of how true this proverb was and is.....and shows us practical ways through which we can achieve the freedom of owing no one and having positive cash-flow. I would encourage individuals to purchase this book and apply its wisdom.

Roger Ali Bocus
Author of: Ancient Wisdom for Making Money

I love Dave's philosophy on debt. I have a finance degree from a big ten university and I had diluted myself into thinking that OUR debt was okay because it was low interest and because my husband is a well paid pharmacist and because it was credit card debt and because we have one car completely paid off. That's just it, a dilusion. When you add up what we owe on our house, my husband's school, and our one car loan it's staggering! Even if it is low interest!

We should have had this book as a class in finance school. I've always made the numbers work, but this is more like the psychology of money. Declare war on debt! I just love it! A must read.

I tracked my money for the past 10 years using Quicken and never figured it out. I thought I was the man. I had my perfect Quicken budget based on my previous 12 months of spending...ONLY IT NEVER WORKED. I knew exactly where my money went...AFTER I ALREADY SPENT IT.

Once I read this book and figured out I had everything upside down, graduated from FPU (Financial Peace University) and spent EVERY dollar on paper, on purpose before each month began, it has changed my whole perception on money, life and reduced my stress level 10 fold.

GET RADICAL! BUY THIS BOOK! QUIT LISTENING TO BROKE PEOPLE'S ADVICE!

This book didn't open my eyes as much as I was expecting, but I'm sure I gleaned a few ideas from it. We aren't really in a state of financial meltdown, so I don't think the book applied to us as much, but for those who have serious budgeting/spending/or debt problems I am sure this book would be quite useful.

The principals in this book are as basic as they come. It is how we all should live our lives. Unfortunately, consumer debt has become a fabric of our lives.

This book will put you on the path of financial freedom if you are serious about changing your behavior.

Like lots of other reviewers said, this book is easy to read and can be done in a year or two. His approach to getting out of debt and saving for college funds and retirement is extremely easy. Here's the catch: YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR! Like he says on his radio shows, money management is 20% skills and 80% behavior (hope I'm quoting that right) and so you have to really focus on changing your habits and thinking. Thus the reason why he overloaded the book with real-life success stories and other real examples of what not to do and what can come from following his easy steps. It's not fluff; just motivation.

there is a lot of fluff about not getting in credit card debt, but if you are like my family and don't have to get caught up and just want to get ahead, there was not much content. I love dave ramsey and his philosophy, but there was not enough in this book to justify the purchase. It would have been better to get from the library as I will not be using it much as a resource. The baby steps are all I got from it.

If you were to read ONE book about financial success, I would recommend this book over any other. Dave Ramsey has everything right on, and while he admits that he didn't create the principles in the book, he lays the road to financial success out step by step in such a way that ANYBODY in ANY stage of life with ANY type of income can follow. It takes time to get through all the steps--I myself am not even half way through--but I have already made HUGE strides that I woudln't have made if I hadn't read the book. I have already paid off a LOT of my debt, and I will be completely debt free within the next couple months, and I give a lot of credit to this book. I feel like, having read this book, I will have a very successful financial future that not many people will have... and it's not because I make a ton of money. Thanks to Dave Ramsey for a wonderful book.

Despite, the religious BS, this book not only makes you see how stupid and selfish some of your money moves are, but motivates you to change them. It also shows you how--another bit of info a lot of other finance books leave out.

YES this plan works IF you work it. We've been working it despite a couple of speed bumps (one long term disability, and one job loss) but as long as you keep your focus and keep your eye on the goal it WILL work. Remember what Dave says and be willing to live like NO ONE ELSE (ie: pay cash and avoid debt) so, later you CAN live like no one else (ie: be financially FREE!!!) Take responsibility for your OWN financial future - if you don't do it; no one else will!!
(We are "changing our family tree" by teaching our children to AVOID debt, pay CASH, save and INVEST, so they won't go down the debt spiral that we did.... EVER!)
THANK YOU DAVE!!!

Pros: Great insight, a plan, and motivation for a completely debt free life while paying yourself so you can control your money instead of others controlling it for you!

Cons: A future of working hard, becoming more humble, and budgeting (while these are labled cons they truly do result in awesome benefits).

Great read and good luck!

A very quick read - I finished it in a few hours. The writing style obviously has to be on about a 6th grade level, because he's trying to reach a majority of people. Dave is straightforward and his tactics challenged my views of wealth and financial freedom. It's a radical plan for some people, but these are the principles my grandparents lived by, and they reared 6 children, paid off 2 mortgages, and paid cash for their cars. Dave's words lead back to that kind of wisdom...the kind that says if you have to charge it, then you can't afford it. I am saving up now and will buy this book for many of my friends for Christmas.

A great help to those in need of basic debt and money management instruction. Dave Ramsey explains in an easy to read format how to overcome credit card debt and establish financial freedom. Although, not all of the suggestions pertain to each individual, I feel this book will prove to be very beneficial.

I may not subscribe to all that Ramsey teaches (not all borrowing is bad), but this flat out works. If you follow it, it will work for you. You may find yourself delivering pizzas or newspapers, but it will get the job done! If you are struggling to get out of debt, living paycheck to paycheck, or just having a hard time getting a handle on your spending, this book would be a great investment for you.

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness While Dave Ramsey provides excellent advice in approaching personal financial success, the financial calculations he presents in several tables are incorrect. Note that I have sent him several e-mails regarding these errors but have received no assurance that he has/will correct these errors. He, nor his staff, have ever conveyed that my calculations are erroneous. The errors in his book result from his fallacious statement that you can determine how much money you will have (in today's dollars) by subtracting the inflation rate from your investment's annual rate of return (ROR). He uses an inflation rate of 4% and an ROR of 12%, for an overall rate of 8%. Using these numbers, he calculates on page 160 that investing $163.50 monthly for 35 years would provide $375,000 (in today's dollars). When calculated correctly, investing $163.50 monthly for 35 years at an ROR of 12% would yield $1,051,461.87. Adjusting this amount by the 4% annual inflation factor means those dollars would be worth $266,456.71 today, or a SHORTFALL of $108,000 in the calculated spending power. (This amount could vary, depending on the compounding intervals for inflation and ROR, but they will always differ significantly from his calculations over such long periods.) All readers of this book should be aware of this error, caused by the author's erroneous statement that you can simply subtract the inflation rate from the ROR for such calculations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the methodology above to adjust dollars for inflation--not Ramsey's method.

Short and sweet; get this book, read it and do it. It can change your life. I haven't even done it all yet and it has changed my life. Don't miss this opportunity; you will never regret a minute spent reading a Dave Ramsay book or listening to his radio program.

Pat McCarthy

Best book I have ever read!!!! I didn't have a clue about finances . . . confused, lost and in serious debt . . . . after I read Dave's book, I GET IT. He makes it so easy to understand. We are getting out of debt, living on a budget and Winning with Money. BUY IT! You will love it!

I have been a fan of Dave Ramsey's for many years. This book is his "signature" and masterpiece. No, not as a literary work, but as a lifeline to people who are ensnared in debt and who think there is no other way to live. Dave shows us that it IS possible to live a "free" life! Free from debt. His step-by-step methods are common sense - yet until he showed them to us, few people in recent generations lived this way. Please get this book! Even if you are debt free, I bet there are many friends or family members who would benefit, tremendously. Thank you, Dave for this wonderful ministry!!

There is a reason Dave Ramsey is so successful. He is direct and plain-spoken and his insights are thought-provoking.
I will be sending copies of this book to all my extended family this year for Christmas and all my children will be reading the book when they turn 16. What higher recommendation could I give?

The advice Dave imparts is invaluable. I'm very familiar with the "debt snowball" concept and have spent money on similar programs with "Accelerator" theories, etc. I was never able to get started with those other systems because there was no defined start and end point. Dave lays it out in black and white... Do step #1, DO NOT move on to step #2 until #1 is complete and so on. His no frills, no fluff way of saying "you want to get out of debt, then DO IT" has changed my attitude. I was never taught by my parents, the education system, or anyone how to be responsible with my money. I learned from the banks, TV commercials, ads and lenders. Thanks to Dave, I know how to become debt free and build wealth for my family's future. This will change your attitude about credit and money.

Borrowed the book from the library and I'm glad that I did that. The book is mostly fluff and contains several dozen photos and accompanying 1-2 page stories of how this book helped certain individuals. Seems like an attempt to make the book thicker and than any genuine content.

As another reviewer summarized, the main thing Dave Ramsey keeps saying is that debt is bad and we must avoid it.

Save yourself $20 and borrow this book from the public library if you must.

Awesome, awesome, awesome. What a great transformation type of book. Buy this book only if you want to change your financial life (which will in turn change the rest of your life in a positive way). But, you have to give yourself 100% to it and stick to the plan. ITs hard at first, but once you get started and get over the first hurdle, it becomes easier and your life will be transformed. Think about having everything paid completely off in the next 5 years that you own. No credit card bills, no bills except for electric and utilities. Think of being able to pay for things with cash instead of a card. What a great life that is!

I am so glad I got this book I was going in the wrong direction with my finances and thought that I was doing ok using credit to buy things...but I was very moved to read about all thatI am doing wrong..I have a new sense of direction and am pleased with my purchased.

This book was a great motivator to get our financials in some sort of of order. I especially like it because I am the type of person that likes to read success stories. This book contains some different situations that some have gone through and how they successful turned it around. I like this type of inspiration because it let's me get the good feeling that "We are not the only ones that did it wrong and want to make it right".

Thoughtful Christian authors, especially the great Hillaire Belloc in books like The Servile State, have pointed out the dangers of usurious debt for centuries. However, Dave Ramsey gives a blue print for today on how to get out of the trap of debt if we have found ourselves enslaved by it. If you are interested in solid, sane, and BIBLICAL financial advice (without a beating over the head with the Bible) this book is FOR YOU.

Easily the best, most solid, most grounded look at the dangers usurious debt poses. A must read.

A hint... one way you can put this book into action is CUTTING YOUR SPENDING AND SELLING YOUR STUFF. You can do that right here at Amazon! Or other websites work well too... like that competing auction one. Instead of charging the things you need; buy cash! Sell something you don't need to raise money for the stuff you do. BREAK THE CREDIT CARD HABIT NOW!

If you are interested in solid, sane, and BIBLICAL financial advice (without a beating over the head with the Bible) this book is FOR YOU.

Easily the best, most solid, most grounded look at the dangers usurious debt poses. A must read.

A hint... one way you can put this book into action is CUTTING YOUR SPENDING AND SELLING YOUR STUFF. You can do that right here at Amazon! Or other websites work well too... like that competing auction one. Instead of charging the things you need; buy cash! Sell something you don't need to raise money for the stuff you do. BREAK THE CREDIT CARD HABIT NOW!

Let's just say that I will be a millionaire by the time I am 49!

this is a great guide to common sense finances. it should be required reading for all college freshman and young couples getting married. after i read it, i immediately got it for my children.

This book has changed my families lives. My parents bought us the book and my husband finished it within the week. Although, I didn't finish the book within that amount of time, but I am on board! If you find yourself willing and open to financial change this book will be your best friend! There are no "get rich quick" tips in this book so the sooner you read it in life the better off you will be later! This is a book I will be buying for the rest of my family!

Easy to understand and simple to plan for if one can stick to it. A trustworthy source.

This book completely changed my outlook on the way I handle my money. It is not a "get rich quick" book by any means, and Dave Ramsey just talks about money in a straightforward way that's easy to understand. He doesn't promise overnight results, just an easy plan to follow. Highly recommended.

No, I don't mean you're fat. That's not it.

This book forced me to look in the mirror and face a terrible reality: I was living like the typical American. I had debt (and still do...I'm working on that). I felt it was "alright" to have debt because, as my payments had been on time, my credit score was good. Everything with my personal finances revolved around my credit score.

In this book, Mr. Ramsey begs to differ with that philosophy on credit scores. Yes, he quotes scripture (I'm not very religious, so I cannot comment as to his accuracy) a lot. That being said, I found myself able to not be overwhelmed by the religious references. I felt he did a good job of using those references to lend credence to some of his points.

I read some of the "save yourself some money and don't buy this book; here is a summary" and have to say they are not very accurate. Perhaps those that read this book do not have families/children. This book addresses not only paying off debt and saving for retirement, but also where to place paying off your mortgage and when to start putting money away for your childrens' educations. He puts it forth in a way that is easy to understand.

I guess, as some people have given this 1 star, I cannot speak for everyone with this review. This system is working for me and my family. I am not following it 100% (I did not cut out 401(k) contributions w/ matching, for example) so I am not "gazelle intense" as Mr. Ramsey calls it...but this book helped me set up a framework that my family can follow with hopes of changing my family tree.

My significant other and I have very different views on our personal finances. I am a natural saver and she is a natural spender, so we have gotten into several heated discussions about finances. By introducing my mate to this book and the whole "Dave Ramsey Experience" we have been able to get on the same book, even if still not quite on the same page. The book is written to simplify the complexities that can come along with personal finance, so it is easy to understand and implement debt reduction, savings, and just "getting ahead". Dave Ramsey does a good job of motivating the reader, both through this book and his radio show, with an altruistic goal of educating the otherwise uneducated masses about finances and fiscal responsibility. With everything that has been going on in the world's economy it is a good time to slow down and get back to the basics of saving and living below our means - and Dave Ramsey has been preaching that for years! A good book, at a good time! Highly recommend - especially if you are just starting out - if you heed the advice in this book you will create a great foundation for your financial future!

its great book, i already paid off 3 of my credit card and car payments will be paid in just 3 more months thats about $14,000 and and i'will stick to it. thanks for all the suggestions.

You don't need this book. Depending on your level of intellect, the advice inside may be either good or bad for you.

A smarter version of his book would be the four following items, which I've cleverly titled, IDIOT PROOF FINANCES
*Pay off your debt, starting with the highest interest debt, duh!
*Stop buying things you don't need and can't afford (like his book)
*Create a 6 month emergency fund
*Invest as much as you can possibly afford

There you go. Now go do it. Done.