“Sorry, but getting financial advice from a home-grown preacher is like using a Batman comic for a law enforcement textbook.”
– Reddit, thread about David Ramsey
Earlier this year I read that the average American saves something like 6% of their income.
I learned this on a Sunday afternoon.
When Monday morning rolled around I borrowed my mom’s copy of The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. The book was corny but it had some great information. I was able to set aside whatever ideological differences that I had and learn about personal finance.
Within a month of following the book’s advice, I saw a considerable increase in my savings account.
The Total Money Makeover might be “mainstream” and have a religious message, but it also contains a plethora of valuable information. despite this, most people get hung up on the fact that Ramsey is, as one Internet commenter put it, “a religious kook.” They’ll sacrifice wisdom because “religion is for stupid people.” In fact, a quick Google search will reveal a plethora of Ramsey haters who berate him for his religious views, I even found a site devoted to calling him sexist for his remark that “Most of the patriarchs in the Bible were wealthy.” Other people complained that his family friendly message was too tame for them. Apparently, these folks can’t sit through a book unless every other word is “f*ck.”
Basically, the presentation turns people away from quality information. oh well, their loss.
Another favorite of mine is a Youtube personality called King Human. I’ve posted his videos before, and have found a lot of his advice to be highly useful. I consider his free videos to big one of the biggest factors in my recent success as an online businessman.
Yet, once again, people complain that he’s a fraud or that his personality is cheesy. So what. His advice is solid and he’s not selling some get rich quick scheme.
There are plenty of people who I personally don’t like, but who I’ll listen to simply because they have great information. The only way that I will declare someone a fraud, or denounce them is if I’ve extensively tried and tested their methodology and seen absolutely no results.