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I pay cash for everything too. I just put it on a credit card that gives me cash back and pay it off the next month. Never carry a balance. Every few days I take my receipts and enter them in my Quicken program. I compare what I've spent to my monthly budget. If it's getting close, I stop spending. Frankly, I think carrying around so much cash isn't wise. What if it's stolen? What if you lose it? Not me. I'll stick with cc and debit cards.
Many people perceive Dave Ramsey as a financial adivisor (with no credentials I might add). I perceive him as a niche player. Tell people how to get out of debt and not go back in to debt and charge them for the advice. I gotta tell ya. It's elementary. I have never carried a balance on a credit card and lived within my means. Rarely have had a car note and if I do it's paid off very quickly (unless I can leverage). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if I spend more than I bring in, I will go in to debt.
The house thing really annoys me too. I have a 5.25% house note. There's no way I'll be paying it off. It's cheap money. I can take the extra I would pay on it and put it in something else that pays at least that. BTW, I don't think I'm in debt if my net worth is positive. If I have the money sitting in the bank to pay off the house, then it's the same as if I paid it off. With one exception, I don't have to borrow it out if I need it.
Anyone that says to NEVER buy permanent life insurance is not only ill-informed, but giving out very bad advice. Every person's situation is different and he has people cancelling their permanent insurance and buying term. Whenever I listen to him I wind up laughing at his ill-conceived advice. Stick with the get out of debt advice and leave it at that Dave.
Couldn't have said it better myself. Except maybe the paying off the house thing. Just something I'm more comfortable with.
What you are saying about net worth being the only thing that matters is the key. It's not a matter of whether eveything IS paid off...what's important is that you have the funds there to pay it off IF you need to.
If people can't control their spending with credit cards, I think a better choice than cutting up their credit cards forever is to get help for their depression. I think most people with out of control spending are trying to fill a void in their personality and they need to address the real problem and become healthy. Not just put a crutch on a symptom.