Getting Started

Goal

To take ownership of your financial situation and change your perspective about debt.

The Problem & Solution Begin with You (Ramsey, pp. 3-4)

Winning at money is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge. What to do oftentimes isn’t the problem; rather, doing it is. Most of us know what to do, but we just don’t do it. Consider that you are at the heart of your money problems and that you are also the solution to your money problems. Learning the material in this guide is all well and good, but consistently applying the strategies and tools to your day-to-day life will be critical in moving toward financial success. Choose to take responsibility for your financial future.

Making Sacrifices (Ramsey, pp. 5, 14-15)

Consider that if you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else. By making the sacrifices now that most people aren’t willing to make, you have the potential to reap incredible financial benefits. Here are a few examples of how to “live like no one else” with regard to your finances:

• Use the word “no” often when considering making purchases
• Get another job until your financial situation is more stable even if it means you won’t have as much down time
• Seek out ways to delay pleasure in anticipation of a greater result
• Stop using the things that money can buy to impress others
• Acknowledge and become aware of how you’re contributing to your financial problems
• Say no to debt

Making these types of changes is hard and painful and requires a willingness to move from where you are. Few people have the courage to seek out change. Most people won’t change until the pain of where they are exceeds the pain of change.

The Truth about Debt (Ramsey, pp. 19, 21, 48)

Borrowing money is common practice. Debt is often viewed as a tool that should be used to create prosperity. In reality, debt adds considerable risk, most often doesn’t bring prosperity, and isn’t used by wealthy people nearly as much as we are led to believe. The Forbes 400 is a list of the richest 400 people in America as rated by Forbes magazine. When surveyed, 75% of the identified “rich people” said the best way to build wealth is to become and stay debt-free. Debt is not a tool; it is a method to make banks wealthy, not you. The borrower truly is slave to the lender.

How much could you give every month, save every month, and spend every month if you had no payments? Your income is your greatest wealth-building tool, not debt.

Next Step

Watch the following video about the importance of being committed and overcoming obstacles in life: