Memorial Day Weekend 2007 was our first exposure to Dave Ramsey. CNBC was running his “Dave Ramsey Roadshow” — most likely to fill time during a holiday weekend. I don’t recall how I landed on the channel, but I know my husband was working on the computer at the dining room table and able to hear what I was watching.
We had been doing many good things with our money – investing, saving for our 2 year old’s college tuition, paying bills on time. We were also spending a ton of money — on daycare ($10,000/year), on loan interest, and on take-out meals from California Pizza Kitchen because I was working full-time. We were starting to hate the day care lifestyle.
Seeing the show (YouTube version above) gave us the VISION for what we could be doing with our money. To read about the full plan of action we took, go here.
Ten years have passed since that life-changing Memorial Day. Some of the foundational elements of our current family life, such as having me home when our daughter is not in school, would not be possible if we hadn’t seen this program and acted on it. If you could use a change in lifestyle and want more freedom, it would be amazing if I could pass this gift on to you.
The Healthful Saver 
Happy 10th Dave-a-versary! I don’t recall the exact day I found Dave but I do know he’s been a part of my life for years. My mom and I both used to listen to his radio show and I carried around a copy of Financial Peace like a Bible for a while. His message is about as simple as it gets yet it’s such a huge game changer. “Debt is dumb, cash is king” and “Live like no one else so that later you can LIVE like no one else” are two of the mantras I still strive to live by.
Prior to Dave, I liked Suze Orman a lot. I haven’t kept up with her recently. She gives good advice, too, but she doesn’t have anything quite as cut and dried as Dave’s steps, which are so helpful.
Congratulations!!!! Here’s to another 10 years!
Thank you, to 10 more years! College will be a big trial for sure. We are saving definitely, but daughter is also (already) thinking about a private school.
Congrats! Glad to find someone who is also farther along in the journey to financial peace.
Thanks for sharing! I am currently on baby step #4 and it is hard to find support for the later steps. I am currently in a virtual FPU class and will be coordinating one in February 2021. A lot of people attend the class in the beginning and continue on their own, but I intend to continue teaching and sharing my story beyond the debt snowball. I look forward to reading more posts 🙂