So I read this book for the first time just the other day....
I really like this book very much. While I enjoyed the story based conversational format of the Total Money Make Over... I think I prefer this just a smidge more as I like that it really digs in to the money concepts deeply.
I read Total Money Make Over many years ago. I'm currently re-reading that. I also listen to Dave's Podcasts Daily. As you can tell I am committed to keeping the motivation going here.
I had borrowed the Financial Peace kit from my dear friend who took Financial Peace at our church. I was sort of teetering about if Bry and I should take the at home version.... but we have known about Dave's "system" for awhile.... I don't think there is anything we would learn specifically out of the class that we don't already know very well already from having been following Dave's materials so far.... We don't feel we need the group support/accountability aspect at this stage or the extras provided in the FPU class. I had already listened to all the FPU CD's and since I would like to get the kit back to my friend sooner than later... I was like okay... open this book and read it so I can give it back. It's basically the handbook for FPU, and it's really a great read and I highly recommend it!
I honestly think I would recommend both books since they work in tandem. Yes some of the info is repeated a bit... but not in a word for word annoying kind of way... Total Money Make Over has lots of stories sprinkled in of others and their journey (for your encouragement) where as Complete Guide to Money is more meat and potatoes and details with sparse stories of encouragement. I know that FPU gives you a workbook to complete which follows this book, but that was something I felt I didn't need much for us to cement the concepts. I did look over the workbook my friend completed and the rest of the materials which were a chart to keep track of your debt and an envelope system. We already have encouraging verses hanging up, a space that prominently lists our current debts to keep track of and our envelopes that my younger daughter and I put together firmly in place. We used regular size 10 envelopes but we decorated them fancy with left over scrapbook paper we had, and then stenciled on them either names of the family members or the category (i.e.: groceries, family spending money, holiday/gift money). And we have our budget going well and budget sheets I made custome for our debts (which I just redid a bit) and then our thermometers to color in as a debt is paid off. So we felt that for us reading the Complete Guide to Money was really the piece of the FPU puzzle that we didn't want to miss right now. I enjoyed the book so much that I asked Bry if maybe after he completes some testing he is doing for a promotion at work (which requires lots of reading and studying) that maybe when that's all said and done he may want to dive into the book because it's nice and to the point which he would enjoy.
I also purchased the TMMO audio book so that I could listen to that anytime I don't have any podcasts going or if I just need some Dave inspiration.
I do have Chris Hogan's Retire Inspired on the way. I had sent that to my Mom as a gift for her birthday (she didn't read it yet) and I really would like to read it and maybe the two of us can chit chat about it.
I did realize a few tweaks we needed to make:
List out all budget categories on the bi-weekly budget... Before I didn't include yearly bills like the sewer bill of $229 or the SAMs $45 or Amazon Prime membership fees $99 or Bry's uniform cleaning which is about $5.50 to $8 per week, or the Master HOA of $93 per quarter or the quarterly trash bill of $43.43... so then I was having to cover that from money we may have wanted to put towards another bill or spending category. So I went back in and updated the budget sheets I like to use to write out for each pay period.
Another thing I realized is that we didn't start by paying the smallest debt first... That is our Best Buy with a current balance of $168.52 so this paycheck we are going to pay that all off and then be moving along in the "proper" order, so to speak.
~Blessings to you and yours~
