This week Bob and I started Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. It’s a thirteen week class. Each week starts with a DVD of Dave Ramsey talking about certain topics and then after we have small group time where we are free to talk about what we just heard and ask questions, etc.
I’m really excited because I feel like I’m going to learn a bunch! I’m excited to see and hear what everyone gets out of this class since I only have a 28 year old experience with money. Here are a few nuggets I got from this week…
“One definition of maturity is learning to delay pleasure. children do what feels good; adults devise a plan and follow it.”
Very true. A clean house is better and more comfortable than a dirty house – especially when your parents come over. Ha ha!
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11
“Money is amoral.”
It’s not good or evil. This was a good one for me. I used to just absolutely hate money. I just wanted to avoid it! But Dave Ramsey used an example of a brick. If a person has a brick and throws it through a window, they’re using it for evil purposes. But if they take the brick and build a home for someone who doesn’t have a home, then they’re using it to make a wonderful difference. And it’s the same with money.
I realized that one of my main motivations for being interested in money is for reasons like helping the people in Haiti. I can’t really help them if I don’t have enough money to pay my bills. But if I can use money as a tool to get a job done, then that sparks my interest. God has put it in my to give. It’s part of my genetic make-up as a Christian. So I’m going to use that to complete Hebrews 12:11. I may not enjoy telling myself “no” when I find new boots that I want to buy, but I really enjoy sending my church mission organization down to Haiti because I skipped a few worldly “feel goods.”
So, what about you? What are your motivations for being interested in changing your financial situation?
Have you been to this class? What did you get out of it?
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Linda, I enjoyed your post. Are you going to review each week of the course?
I graduated from FPU in early August and it changed my life. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this lesson at 28, but rather at 50:(.
Financial Peace was the catalyst to my getting our family’s budget under control. The second was Mvelopes. Between the two, we’ve finally got it together.
Linda,
We are trying to get FPU going at my church. I’ve already spoke to a sponsor from Dave Ramsey’s team and have the promotional DVD so I am very interested in your reviews!
My motivation for change was the fact that debt was tying up my finances and hindering ministry endevors. I would rather spend / give money to advance the Kingdom than repayment to credit cards for stuff that I don’t remember buying or poor financial decisions.
I can’t wait to take the class! In fact, I’m going to follow-up on the status of starting it at my church right now!
Giving is something that my husband and I are really interested in, we love to just give and give big. However, like you said above, if you can’t pay your bills how are you going to have enough money to give somewhere else? We just recently got a copy of the financial peace CD set listened to it together, and now I keep it on my itunes and listen to it repeatedly. It really is God’s desire for us to be good stewards of what he gives us, and this class has definitely shown us that. Its been really fun to map out a goal financially and see the progress in getting where we want to be, we have also seen God’s favor and blessing in our finances! We are currently in the debt snowball step, paying off students loans, and it is SO MUCH FUN sacrificing on those things we don’t really need and seeing the numbers on the debt slowly go down! All along we are dreaming about the day when we can just anonymously bless random people out of the abundance God has given us! Its not been easy but already the benefits are so much more than what we have had to give up! God is so good!
My father is a pastor and all my life he has been devoted to missions work. While he isn’t serving in a foreign country, he spends hours in prayer and sends as much of his paycheck as he can to missionaries. My dad has a heart for missions- He has encouraged his family and his church to pray that God would give us the financial blessings to bless others, to give it back. More and more these days I am finding that God has given me that desire as well. I do want to have a successful career wherever God wants me, but I also want to be a wise steward of my money so that I can use it to serve Him. I find myself praying that God will guide me to a financial status that will allow me to fund missions work. And recently I have found God blessing that prayer!
S
I frequently turn into Dave’s podcast while driving and have learned a lot from the advice he gives.
Always wanted to go through the course, just because I have heard so much about it. I’m excited to hear reviews in the future.
We haven’t done FPU, but my hubby and I are now reading (and enacting) Dave’s Total Money Makeover. It’s awesome. We just got sick and tired of being sick and tired (if you haven’t heard Dave say that yet, you will) and we’re ready to knock this thing out of the ball park.
I will be tuning in for further motivation as we travel our journey as well. It’s always nice to know you’re not going at it alone!
Awesome! I am going to update each week, so stay tuned for more deep thoughts.
Linda, it’s great to hear that you’re excited about this class! I haven’t been to the FPU class, but have heard some good things about it through friends that have taken it. Up until now, I have been fortunate to not have any major debt, and I hope to continue that trend for a very long time.
But I’m interested to read some of his books to see what it is specifically that has such a profound effect on the people who read them. Hopefully, it can have a positive impact on my life too! I’ll be tuning in to see how this class affects you.
Like you, I’d like to improve my financial situation so that I can be a blessing to others.
We finished the FPU course at the end of November 2009. The biggest impact for me was how my attitude changed toward my husband. Prior to FPU, we didn’t argue about money very often, but as a nerd I didn’t understand his views about money. Today, I appreciate our differences when it comes to money and I understand him and his views.
The FPU course is $100 and I believe it’s the best marriage counseling money can buy!
Betsy & I finished FPU a few months back. It was the best thing we ever did because it got us on the same page financially. That was our biggest take away by far. Now Betsy cares as much about responsible money management as I do, whereas before… she did not.
My wife and I took the FPU class a year or two ago – and it was great because it got us on the same page (as Matt mentioned), and because it really got us to be more intentional about our money. We loved the class so much we ended up helping to facilitate it later on!
“I’m excited to see and hear what everyone gets out of this class since I only have a 28 year old experience with money.”
My wife and I have facilitated several FPU courses and I think the best classes were the times when the group openly shared their victories and shortfalls and really engaged in the discussion after the video lesson. I think the video information is great but the discussions are priceless and really formed some close bonds amongst the class members.
Trust me, FPU works! I facilitated it many times at churches and have seen lives changed before my eyes. It is common sense money management that works. Just do what Dave says! LOL My wife and i are in the middle of Baby Step 2, paying off all debt. We did a peer to peer loan at 5% for 18 months and then it will all be paid, cars and all, excluding house. Then on to Baby Step 3, fully funded Emergency Fund. Just do it!
Rick
FPU was great. The best money I ever spent.
FPU is life changing. While my wife and I didn’t do FPU, we did the basic plan via Dave’s Book the Total Money Makeover. His ministry is wonderful and my wife, after getting completely debt free, are living life in a much more Biblically relevant manner. As a CPA, I see clients all the time that are living beyond their means. I have started getting several copies of Dave’s books each Christmas (he puts everything on sale for $10) and give them to people that I feel are ready for the drastic lifestyle change that is the Financial Peace Plan. If there is anyone that is on the fence about this plan….DO IT…..IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE>
Myhusband and I just started FPU 3 weeks ago and Imust say it has been amazing. I am the “nerd” and he is the “free spririt” (lesson 2) and to see him really understand and appreciate a budget and how this is going to change our lives is great!. He has jumped in with both feet and I just know that this will enhance our marriage. I listen to Dave on the radio in Atlanta and listen to the CD’s in the car since I am a realtor and spend lots of time in my vehicle. I have even started to tell my friends about it because I can see how it could truly change their lives as well. Unfortunately, they seem to want a quick fix or for me to just tell them how to “do it”. I try to expolain that the experience is great and being in class and listening objectively for 13 weeks will change their lives….. MAny of them are a work in progress. Hopefully as I “live like no one else” they will see that in my future I will be “LIVING like no one else” I can’t wait to scream “We’re debt free!” According to the debt snowball we should have this accomplished by December 2011!
My wife Esther and i took the class before we got married almost two years ago, and am glad our pastor made us take it. We were mad at ourselves for previous ignorance, but we were also excited as we positioned ourselves to get out of debt.
It becomes even more exciting when you get accountability partners from your class to check on you so you do not fall of the wagon on your commitment.
I’ve helped teach FPU for two classes now at our church- and it’s phenomenal. The lessons that are taught are truly life changing. The challenge is to get everyone to implement the lessons, take it from mind to heart to wallet.
My one critique of FPU, and Dave Ramsey in general, is that there is a hint (sometimes more than a hint) of a love of money going on. The 1 Tim 6:10 passage is actually quoted on the second lesson page of the FPU workbook, so it is addressed by Dave. However, some of Dave’s comments in the videos over the 13 weeks just make you wrinkle your nose with some discomfort.
I took this course last Fall and am certainly glad that I did. I think that the techniques that he teaches are very relevant. My biggest complaint about the course is the class setting itself. We had a leader (not really an instructor) that provided little value. I actually always left after watching the video and before the class discussion as I didn’t find any value in it. Now maybe that was part my fault since I clearly wasn’t contributing.
Adam, great comment! I am in the middle of leading another class with 60 people. I do fun and games with them and try to be uplifting and excited. I usually sit with different small groups to see how they are doing. I try to be a resource for the class. HOw would you describe “not getting any value” from the leader? That may help me with my class as a leader. Thanks
Rick