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Friday, June 29, 2007

"The Total Money Makeover" (Chapter 2)


Continuing the theme of attitudes, Dave Ramsey's 2nd chapter is entitled, "Denial: I'm Not That out of Shape."

For many, this is the major attitude that must be overcome. I know it was for me, before Leah and I got serious about money.

People with this attitude can look at someone in their family or neighborhood who is worse off than they are and say, "See, we've got more stuff than they do." To ask a simple question: why are you worried about stuff???

Many people are leveraged to the hilt! They are paying on a mortgage, 2 cars, 5 or 6 credit cards, student loans and 2 or 3 personal loans. They are, literally, one bad day away from total financial disaster. We need to stop using thoughts like, "I only have $5000 in credit card debt," or "It's student loan debt, so it's not that bad."

We need to learn to see debt as a problem, but a problem that can be overcome. Overcoming debt takes change, though, and change is hard for many people. Quoting page 15 of the book:


Change is painful. 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.

It is when we look at the person in the mirror and are able to say, "I have a money problem," that we are able to begin attacking that problem.

Look in the mirror...then continue with the book!

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