I am currently reading Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover. I know a lot of you have mentioned following his advice.

I am just wondering for those that have, how closely did you do it? I know you have to follow it to make it work, but did you get rid of your cars? Boat? Campers? Cut out the everyday stuff, take out, movies, etc.??

We are surviving, but not much for a lot of extras. I am looking for items to sell in a yard sale my friend is having next month. But I don't have a lot of big ticket items, like furniture or jewelry to sell.

I am curious to what extremes you have gone to with his program. We are making payments on time, although not everything is getting any extra sent. Some is, some is not. DH has a 401k and our saving account is low right now. Of course we need to cut back on the coffee runs, eating out, etc. And we'd be in better shape already!

DH commutes over an hour each way, we live where there are no sidewalks and nothing in walking distance, so we can't get rid of a car. He got his used 2 years ago and our mini van is now 5 years old and in good shape and paid for. He pays $200/month for his car.

After the kiddies go to bed tonight I am going to get out all the bills and record them as his book suggests.

I'd like to hear from those that are following his plan and how you are doing with it.

Also, what are the things you decided NOT to give up??? I know for DH the boat STAYS! Big or little, what did you give or take? I know his plan allows for "blow" money, but what worked for you? I gave up my newspaper delivery. I am not renewing many magazines for starters. I have a cheaper cell package (DH has one from work), we got Vonage for phone service, saving about $50 a month now. I'd love to hear from you!

We really use the envelope system. I mainly use it for groceries and entertainment though. We only have one car payment and we over pay on that. We don't have many big ticket items (boat, camper, etc.) but we do have a timeshare through the Disney Vacation Club that we are on the fence about. We lowered our newspaper delivery from all week to 4 days a week and that saved us 50 percent. I think we just REALLY pay attention to our incoming money and our outgoing money. Make sure all your money has a job! Do the zero based budget, that is interesting! Also, the $1,000 emergency fund has been a lifesaver to us a couple of times in the past few months! Good luck!

Thanks! We need to rebuild that $1000. We used it towards medical bills and haven't built it up again where we'd like.Well, I'd like it over $1000, but that is a good start!

We have a loan for the car, and the boat. The rest is credit cards, and a home equity loan. The medical bills should be gone by next month. (But the dentist referred us to an ortho for our 8 yr. old and the insurance does not cover braces. Hoping she does not need them but she has an itty bitty mouth and BIG grownup teeth.)

I'm going to do the worksheets after the kids go to bed tonight.

I think the envelope system could do us some good. Toward the groceries and misc. at least. Gas we buy with the debit card, so we don't have to go inside with the kids. And we usually get that at Sam's so you have to pay at the pump.

One thing that has helped our family is to start tracking our expenses. That is how we figure how much we need to live off of and the rest can go towards debt and savings. just start writting every thing down. make catagories for each family member, eating at home, eating out, gas, personal toiletries..etc. This will help you see where your money is going and where you can cut back

I haven't read Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover. But I have read other finance books.

No we are keeping our 2 cars, DH leaves for work way earlier then DD wakes up. We don't have a boat or camper to get rid of. Cut out the everyday stuff, take out, movies, etc.?? You bet the last movie I saw in the theater was a year ago and the last movie we rented was over two months ago. We do cheep or free things like visit friends, walks, hikes, window shopping.

We are surviving too. Yes I have a few things I could sell but the little things I though were better donated since I didn't have money to donate.

For us our extreame is the $40 weekly cash fund. I get $40 cash and then only use cash for things like coffee, eating out, admission fees, etc.

I think you are ok with your car sittuation

Recording all your bills just plain makes since I have been tracking finacnes for almost 4 years now. Having organized records of your spending is key to taking control.

We like many people struggle to stay frugal, Things that I do like trying to stick to the grocery budget, limitting the eating out really help. I think you have to realize that you will fall off the path but you have to get back on.

I have the $1000 but I don't think its enough so every month I have been adding $100 even though we still need to pay down the CC. I look at it that if we had a huge emergency the $1000 would be gone like that. I want to be prepared if the furnace goes, or both cars break down or a number of any other emergencys

I haven't gave up long distance calling plan, high speed internet, gift giving (with the exception of b-day gifts to dh), family vacation, Trying for baby #2

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

Our big drawback to DH's new medical insurance with work is there is a $500 emergency room deductible. Now, knock on wood, we haven't needed it. But I'd like the emergency fund to have enough to cover the 5 of us in the event we are in a car accident or something. Then to work on the biggie, having the 6 mos. of living expenses! I am working 2 nights a week as a bartender so I make only tips, and it can't be counted on. If DH lost his job we'd go to ZERO income.

I am about 1/3 of the way through Dave Ramsey's book. I'm at the retirement part of it. Although I haven't made it to the envelope explanation, we are going to start in July. Cash for groceries, gas and misc. I use Quicken, so I do know where everything is basically going. We are trying to build up our savings for another emergency fund, since we ended up having to use ours. DH and I are planning on a garage sale to get rid of a lot of things and hoping to make some money to pay off some debt. We need our two cars, because one is DH's work van, which is dirty and smelly and he uses when he goes to customer sites. He has his own business, but the van is paid for. We are making payments on our other van, but we need one, because I can't use DH's work van and we can't fit 3 car seats into anything else. We tried with our old car, but once DS #2 turned one and his car seat needed to face forward, we couldn't fit all 3 into our VUE. We have no big ticket items we could sell. No boat, no snowmobile, no big screen tv. I have an extra coffee maker I could sell and DS #1's old toddler bed that is one of those big car beds that fits a crib mattress. Nothing else, really. I'm still trying to figure out how I can make an extra $100-200 a month to pay down bills and save for everything Dave Ramsey suggests.

The only thing I can think of that would completely pay off everything and give us some extra money would be to sell our house, and I don't know that that is something I would be willing to do.

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Frugal is being wise with your money and resources and cheap is forcing everyone else to.

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I know my DH would not consider selling his boat. He and his dad bought it together, so they pay together. We do not have any snowmobiles, campers, etc.

I was wondering to what EXTREME people have gone to to make his system work. I feel wow, if we got rid of this...we don't owe on TVs or anthing like that, but we do have CCs and car, and boat payments.I just feel like we are not really getting ahead. I think a new way of viewing it all on paper will help. WE have a budget, but never tracked every penny. We are able to pay our bills, we are not anywhere near facing bankruptcy or anything like some of the stories in his book, thank goodness. I think just by us tracking every dollar we are going to have a big awakening! DH does do a budget every month, but I feel like a lot of money we spend is in too broad of a category. So once we REALLY track it, I think it'll be an eye opener.

Vioburn, to your situation, if you are looking for an extra 100 or 200 dollars, have you checked intoa part time job or babysitting? I'd think if you babysat just a few days a week, you could easily make this! Just a thought.

I am getting stuff ready to take to a friend's garage sale next month. So far, I have some videos, outgrown clothes, 2 bikes, and some books. I am decluttering some more today, hoping I find some more stuff to sell. And come to think of it, I should have an extra coffee pot in the basement to sell!

We haven't gone as extreme as other people, but we have made SERIOUS changes in our lives. We work part-time jobs (dh has one, I have two). We have a strict budget and use the envelope system. We have goals that we work hard to meet.

We just "graduated" from Financial Peace University, so I am really excited about all that his program and philosophy has done in our lives. Feel free to PM me!

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If you need to get in touch with me, my email is teach1107910@yahoo.com.

Dh and I graduated from Financial Peace University last August. We were probably the "odd balls" of the class because we have no debt besides our house. Shortly after our son was born we finished paying off (way early) all our school loans.

We have 2 in diapers - so this still takes up a large chunk of change. We do 85% of paying for things by cash. We rarely go out to eat - have a $40 budget for the month for that. We rent videos from the library for a quarter and only go see them on the rare occasion that I get free movies or to the $1.50 movie....It has been awhile.

My biggest splurge on myself is my pop. I stock up when it is on sale. Gotta have my Diet Coke.

We have about 8 envelopes: groceries, eating out, entertainment, diapers, hair cuts, clothing, miscellaneous and um....mind went blank. Using cash has helped alot. Total for the month for these envelopes for us is $385.

I have found bread thrift stores and discount grocery stores which really help.

I was frugal to begin with - now even more so.

Feel free to ask more questions.