Book Review – The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

I discovered The Total Money Makeover after about a year of practicing the concepts outlined in The Automatic Millionaire.

Things were going well but I was still missing an element and reading this book helped everything fall into place and set me on a definite path to building true wealth while paying off my debt.

Dave Ramsey’s method is comprised of consistency and perseverance and can be uncomfortable at the onset. However, Dave says –

If you will make the sacrifices now that most people aren’t willing to make, later on, you will be able to live as those folks will never be able to live.

At the center of Dave’s philosophy is what he calls the seven baby steps, which will lead to financial freedom if followed in order.

A Mini Breakdown of Dave Ramsey’s Seven Baby Steps to Financial Freedom

Step 1: Save $1,000 Cash in an Emergency Fund

This emergency fund serves as a buffer for any unexpected expenses such as car repairs, home repairs, etc that could have you reaching for a credit card or bank loan.

It also is a great way to get motivated; the psychology behind it is if you see the tiny amount go up in your account, you will be encouraged to focus and keep going.

Once you have this money in your account, you can move on to step 2 of the baby steps.

Step 2: Pay Off All Debt with the Debt Snowball

With 1 in place, you can now focus on the heavy and likely long-term part – the bigger debts. The debt snowball requires you to list all your debts from smallest to largest.

At the end of every month, pay off the minimum on each debt then attack the smallest debt with every extra penny you can find in your budget.

When the lowest is paid off, move on to the next lowest debt and follow the same pattern. Dave admits this isn’t mathematically optimal.

However, this step is more about behavior modification than math. With small wins, you are encouraged to keep going.

Step 3: Finish the Emergency Fund

At this step, you have eliminated all your debt apart from your mortgage and your $1,000 emergency cash is already in place.

Now it’s time to start accumulating some serious savings. Dave advises accumulating 3 – 6 months’ living expenses.

For my peace of mind, I saved 8 months of living expenses. You can save less if you’re okay with that but definitely nothing less than 3 months.

By the way, you shouldn’t have the emergency fund in a savings account doing nothing.

It should be in a high-yield interest vehicle, which you can access easily in the event of an emergency.

Step 4: Invest 15% of Your Income in Retirement

Dave recommends suspending this step while you’re still on steps 1 – 3.

Once steps 1 – 3 are complete, you can start putting a minimum of 15% of your income into your retirement portfolio.

Step 5: Save for College

This step ensures that your kids are financially fit too. While saving for retirement, you should also start saving for your kids’ education.

Dave proposes several plans that can help with this although I’m sure your local bank also has some other suggestions.

Step 6: Pay Off Your Home Mortgage

This is the final hurdle to building real wealth. Dave recommends attacking the home mortgage with gazelle intensity and paying it off way ahead of time.

He defines gazelle intensity as:-

The speed and intensity you should have when paying off debt. It’s all about running away from debt—like your life depends on it.

Step 7: Build Wealth & Give

After baby steps 1 – 6, you can finally have some fun, enjoy all the hard work and live like no one else. You can buy the things you want now.

Of course, common sense dictates you shouldn’t start the debt cycle again by going into debt to have some fun. You should also give back to the world.

Like The Automatic Millionaire, a lot of the advice is geared towards an American audience but is adaptable anywhere in the world.

The Total Money Makeover also has a lot of testimonials from families who have gone through all the baby steps and made it out of debt.

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness Overall

Some people find the concept draconian and have trouble following it. However, you can modify it to fit your circumstance.

For instance, in Step 4, I chose not to suspend retirement contributions while working on 1 – 4.

Instead, I reduced my monthly contribution to the minimum requirement. Step 5 became my travel fund since I don’t have kids.

One thing I have an issue with is Dave’s insistence on getting rid of credit cards.

While the logic is sound, I still feel uncomfortable not retaining at least one credit card. I use this card to my advantage for travel rewards and miles, and pay it off every month.

The baby steps are simple and produce tangible results if you follow them in order/without a great deal of variation.

It’s uncomfortable being gazelle intense but think about two to three years of discomfort then freedom forever or no discomfort and debt bondage for the rest of your life. Which would you prefer?

If you’re not in debt currently, the book isn’t relevant to you. If you are in a lot of debt and just can’t figure out how to wade your way through it, this is one of the books to start with.

The Total Money Makeover is only 227 pages so it’s a fast read. Overall, I rate The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness 4/5.

Buy The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

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The Total Money Makeover also comes with a workbook and a journal.

Have you read The Total Money Makeover? What did you think of it? Add your rating to the votes below.

Anna gave up her 9 – 5 to implement her life plan after paying off over $40,000 in debt. She started The Writer Entrepreneur to share her journey and encourage other people to pay off debt and pursue their life plans. She has been featured on HuffPost, YouQueen & Fitnancials among others. Learn more about Anna HERE.