Dave Ramsey’s last major book, “The Total Money Makeover”, has been a best seller for several years. It is his best book today. Also, it is one of the best book on personal finance out there. Prior to that book, the book, “Financial Peace”, was created as a self-published book. Then, it became a best seller and has been revised and revisited.
There is something soothing and calming about the title, “Financial Peace”. Everyone has a financial life- whether good or bad. Everyone (whether they care to admit) wants to have peace in their financial life. As mentioned on a constant basis by Dave Ramsey, personal finance is more personal than finance. There are a lot of emotions (and some logic) conjured up when you discuss personal finance.
It seems that most people handle their personal finance the same way they handle everything else in their life. There is a lot of complications, confusions, even negligence, indifference, good intentions, and other emotions and mixed feelings.
This book addresses many of those issues especially how money affects our relationships (and how our relationships affect our handling of money). The principles may seem simplistic such as KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) – but they are crucial in order to succeed in your personal finances. The principle of simplicity (or KISS) is primarily an issue of dealing with cash and not credit. When we live on a cash basis, then we do not have to worry about interest rates, finance charges, fees, etc. We have simplified our lives to the better. As Dave Ramsey would say, we do not have to worship at the altar of the almighty FICO score. This is also applicable to co-signing loans. When we co-sign a loan, we pretty much are taking over the burden of paying someone else’s debt. By keeping our personal finances simple, we are respecting the other person as much as ourselves.
Another key principle the book discusses is the power of contentment. Contentment empowers us to restrain from spending on things or stuff that we do not need or even care about. Being contented would allow you to have less stuff that you do not need but have more cash. The book discusses this principle extensively and vividly in order to allow you to succeed in your personal finance.
Also, money affects our relationships. It is critical and crucial to not borrow from anyone or anything especially (and most especially) from friends or family members. The close the relationship; the more crucial it is to not borrow from that person. Owing someone money changes all the dynamics of that relationship.
This is a good book to read on personal finances. When you apply the principles, you will attain that elusive financial peace.
