I bought this book because I have a lot of debt and I wanted some guidance in how to get started on lowering the amount of debt that I have. I found Dave Ramsey’s advice and his book excellent for me. The book was very easy to read and the sequence of chapters was easy to follow. The best part for me was the information made sense and I understood the concepts of his program. Most of the plan is really just common sense, but it helped to have an outside person telling it to me! The snowball effect really worked for me and I noticed my debt start to go down. The best part of the book was having all the forms and templates already prepared and ready to use. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants to reduce their debt and is also willing to work hard at it!

Total Money Makeover was not the first financial book I read, though it is the first by Dave Ramsey. I picked it up mainly because of the title that caught my eye. I had read other books wand wanted to see if it provided me with some new knowledge I was unaware of. I am glad that I did borrow it from my local library. His advice was a little different from others where he states you should pay your smallest debt first instead of your highest interest rate. I know each has there own opinion of which is the best method for debt reduction, but for me paying the highest interest rate first was always hardest. So I switched to paying my smallest debt off first. It was extremely encouraging to see the progress and now I have cut down on over half my debt. I have set aside money before all of my debt is paid because I need to have the security of the funds in case of an emergency. It’s not six months worth, but I am working on that as well. His writing style is easy to understand and motivational, anyone who reads it should have no trouble getting through the book and applying the principles to their life.

If you are in debt up to your eye balls like we were, you need this book. Although many of the suggestions in this book for recovering from debt are commonly known, Dave has a way of motivating that makes you succeed! We have been following his plan for about six months and are already half way out of credit card debt. As simple as it sounds, the envelope system really works. We will never use credit for any other purchase again. I am so thankful for Dave's work- I know there is a light at the end of the debt tunnel because I can see it now!

I guess the only negative thing about this book would be that Dave's system is not easy. You will have to totally rethink the way you use money. But, in the end, I think that is a good thing because you fix the reason why you got into debt in the first place.

I am so glad I bought this book and am finally ready to start letting my money work for me instead of the credit card companies!

The Total Money Makeover is good, common sense advice on finances, coupled with difficult but practical steps for extracting oneself from troubles. The book is a very easy read, with many testimonials of people the author has helped. For myself, I picked it up when I saw my father-in-law reading it, and he is a man with few financial worries. Naturally, I picked it up also, and enjoyed the read over the course of an afternoon. I can say that I did learn a few things, but on the whole, for someone who can keep a budget, the book is not that helpful. And while the testimonials lend weight to his advice, many of them serve to clutter up the pages. The author is a well-know radio personality, and I do not doubt that he has helped many people, and has good motivation. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help thinking that he quickly drew up this book to take advantage of the current crisis, and in so doing make a buck. Do take advantage if you find yourself in debt, but feel free to avoid it otherwise.

I have to tell you, Dave Ramsey isn’t my favorite guy. He steps on my toes throughout the book. Hearing what is good for you isn’t the easiest way to learn, but in The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, Dave Ramsey doesn’t sugar-coat too much of anything in the area of taking responsibility for your own actions and making fiscally responsible decisions. Along the lines of “eat right and exercise and you won’t be fat anymore,” Dave Ramsey doesn’t come with the quick, McDonald’s drive-thru answers for financial freedom. He tells you to curb your spending, create a budget, cut up your credit cards, live within your means and don’t leave your family hanging when you die. If you are really ready to change your financial situation, then this is the book for you. It is definitely not a “warm and fuzzy” kind of book, but he sure gets his point across!

I found this book right after talking to a bankruptcy lawyer who told my husband and I that bankruptcy was our only way out of debt. Our life had taken an unexpected turn and now we were trying to rebuild our finances.
One thing that really impressed me about this book is his approach with the money envelope. This is something that my husband and I had done for many years but then this thing and that happened. The next thing we knew all of our credit cards were maxed out and we were filing bankruptcy. I had forgotten all about the money envelope until this book. For those of you who have never heard of this concept it's simple. When you do your monthly budget you take out a certain amount of money for your misc. spending, put it in the envelope and then you use the cash. When the cash is gone it's gone. The funny thing about cash is as you watch it disappear you feel the loss of it. When you charge it on a credit card you don't feel the impact until the end of the month when that bill comes.
I would say that anyone that is out there looking for real advice about how to get out of debt and get a stronger financial future should read this. It is chalk full of good practical advice. Not some fairy tale story of how you can save money quickly and get rich.

Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" is an avant-garde approach to your personal finances. I first became acquainted with Dave Ramsey from his radio show, because he seemed so knowledgeable on everyday financial dilemmas. I later found out that he was Christian, and that impressed me more, because a lot of times, Christians don't talk about money (as if it doesn't exist). I realized I needed to get this book, and I'm glad I did! The information in here is not the same advice your friends give you. Ramsey introduces the idea of using cash envelopes for your monthly budget, the idea behind it being that we have more of an attachment to cash than to credit cards. When you spend cash, you physically feel the loss, but when you spend through credit or debit cards, it doesn't register as an immediate loss. I've used this system as much as possible, and it really has helped me curb my spending, and create a better nest-egg for the future. The steps in this book are extreme but doable, and this plan will really transform your life and your savings account.

When I thought if all the debt I had accumulated over the past years, it seemed so overwhelming. I knew I had to do something to change my financial situation. Dave Ramsey gives us hope with his chapter on “Baby Steps”.
No wonder he is such a popular radio host and author. Suze Orman, although qualified and knowledgable, just does not appeal to me. Dave really speaks to me and one sentence really resonated. That was, “Don’t even try to keep up with the Jones’. They’re broke.”
As I am on a self-improvement kick and am reading a lot of books on various topics, I have to say that this book is changing my life. “Pay cash” has become my mantra. I have seen that debt consolidation is not the way to go, that cash advance is lunacy, that the credit card companies can own you if you let them.
Not only can I see myself getting out of debt, I can see myself getting ahead in the next year or two. If you are serious about changing your financial situation, I strongly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book.