a few choice lessons:
1) there are no emergencies. really? your car broke down? that's such a shame. i thought cars were supposed to last forever. you never could have expected your car to break down. there's no way you could have planned and saved some money for potential car repairs, right? and had that money working for you while it was in the bank? just think of it. same thing with things like renter's insurance and DMV fees (once a year dingers that always seem to sneak up). but really, do they? maybe we could grow up and start planning for these expenses, and stop whining.
2) it may take time to get out of debt, but the companies i owe money to do not actually own me. my obligation is to take care of myself - make sure i have somewhere to live, food to eat, a car to drive to work, and clothes on my back (and they don't have to be fancy). after that, some giving, saving, bills, and then debt. and with the committed intensity of a banshee, i will be debt free by the time i'm 30! and with the same habits, a millionaire when i'm 45? maybe! j. money at www.budgetsaresexy.com inspired me.
and my favorite quotes from the class:
when broke people say "i can afford it," they mean "i think i can afford the payments. when rich people say "i can afford it," they mean "i have the money to pay for it." - dave ramsey
"there's a great place to go when you're broke. to work." - dave ramsey's grandma
i was stoked this last week, because i had to go home and wrench away on a ton of worksheets that calculate multiple savings accounts, net worth, etc. there are some at dave ramsey's website, but i'm not into having to pay $30 a year to access forms that aren't transferrable to my iPhone. plus, i'm kind of a nerd about spreadsheets. (my favorite friend melissa would be proud).
the fifty-something women (not as spreadsheet savvy as i) in my FPU class were very jealous of my colorful finance sheets, especially the one that deliniated what i'm saving for. it has a picture of a vespa on it.
hey, if they can help you, by all means! enjoy. and the best money advice i can give you: quit spending money on stupid crap.
see & download my zero-based budget here:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiGTzEkvMbG4dGE3VWZ5Z3JoWFdJVnMtRTFwZ2tid0E&hl=en
see & download all my other blank FPU worksheets here:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiGTzEkvMbG4dDdvYWVVNEx0MFZBYURWSWUwelNSN2c&hl=en
1 comments:
"and the best money advice i can give you: quit spending money on stupid crap."
And this is really the only advice that needs to be given. Amazing that these financial 'gurus', Ramsey included, are making a small fortune off people who are struggling financially, when really all it boils down to is what you said above.
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