Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Legacy Journey with Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruz


I had the opportunity once again to hear from Dave Ramsey during a live event here in San Antonio. You probably already know that Kevin and I attended a Financial Peace University class (by Dave Ramsey) while I was working for Pape-Dawson in 2007.  And I have probably already also let you know that attending that class and using principals taught and encouraged by that class changed our lives. Really changed our financial focus and our attitude about money and spending.  

And then if you already know all of that, then you know that one thing led to another...we met with our Dave Ramsey endorsed local provider at PAX financial group, Joseph Schuetze, to begin college investments for the kids-->Joseph encouraged Kevin to learn about investing-->Kevin started working at PAX in 2008-->WE LOVE PAX -->Kevin was recently promoted to VP and is a PAX partner.

Taking that class led to a major change in our life and not the least of which was Kevin's career opportunity and my opportunity to leave Pape-Dawson to stay home with the kids and be a Laura homemaker/homeschool teacher/ career wife and mom.  I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey for how his practical and logical principals really blessed (and I try not to use that word loosely) our life and our home.  So he was in town last Thursday (March 6) and I was very excited to go see him talk and present the Legacy Journey with his daughter Rachel.  

I am NOT Dave Ramsey and I doubt my blog will be nearly as much of an encouragement to any reader as he is.  It is really crazy simple that he teaches people to be intentional with their spending, to be opposed to personal debt with intensity, to live within your means and to invest and win with money so you can give like crazy and change your family tree and eventually change the world.  I know I really kinda simplified it, but that is the gist. It really is simple,but sadly so many people are slaves to their finances because they are not in control.  People who budget know where their money is going when the income comes in because they have a plan.  People who don't budget wonder where it went when it is all gone and the lights are off.

 "When you spend your money on paper and on purpose each month with a written budget, you'll actually experience more freedom than before!" Dave Ramsey

So I am really going to try to avoid a teaching here.  If you aren't already free from financial worry and are curious about Financial Peace University you can check out his website for a class near you.  

The Legacy Journey was more of the same in a way.  His teaching is what it is, so he told his personal story about how young marriage with a toddler a baby on the way and bankruptcy.  He shared how his view of money was when it was wrong and how it is now. 

"When you hit the bottom so hard financially there is no bounce back, only a splat. You have an "I surrender" moment and begin to rebuild with respect for money." Dave Ramsey

Here is a healthy perspective Dave learned and shared that is a great one to adopt:
PRIDE says Wealth is from ME
POVERTY says Wealth is Evil
GRATITUDE says Wealth is from God.
A prideful spirit says I did it, it's mine and I am not sharing.  I am skipping commentary on poverty. Gratitude, a grateful heart, knows that financial wealth can be fleeting and that sharing everything you have and developing community is life giving.

I did want to share these stats that I have learned from Dave.
Did you know that 88% of American Millionaires are first generation rich? and that 70% of American billionaires (that's 1,000 million) started from nothing?  And with few exceptions they are great gargantuan givers. They worked hard to get to where they are and they are giving graciously because they want to change their world.  Me too! How about you?
So this starts at home and that is where the Legacy starts. The Legacy idea is now that we are free from financial stress, lets pass this down.  Let's teach our children to what's going on here.  Let them learn with their own earned commissions for work around the house when they are small and then maybe tasks in the neighborhood as they grow.  Teach them that the three things we do with money are spend, save and give away.  And then model responsible behavior.  Let them know that there are some things we do or don't do so that we are living within the means of our own income.  And encourage them to love something and be the best at it.  Again, I am not the teacher here so please don't take my oversimplified paragraph to mean that I have recapped and entire 3 hour presentation.  
If we can get our finances in control so that we aren't paralyzed by checking the mail, we can work our way into being a better financial role model for our family, we can change their life and our community.  AND if we can set our kids and our family to succeed too and this just snowballs!!!! then we can change the world.  THAT's the legacy.  


Dave Ramsey and his daughter Rachel Cruz have co-authored a book "Smart Money Smart Kids".  Learn how to raise money-smart kids in a debt free world.  The book will go on sale next month and when it hits the stands, the price will be $25.  It is available now at the website SmartMoneySmartKids.com for the pre-order price of only $20 and get a bundle of SmartmoneySmartKids and Legacy items worth over $50 for free.  Includes audio book and e-book.  


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