And why are we made to think that carrying this evil is normal.
As many of you know, I consider myself beyond blessed with the family I have in my life. I have an amazing wife and six of the best kids a guy could hope for. Each has found themselves an even better spouse. A few years back, my third oldest, William, was about to marry his perfect match when a cousin of mine asked what he should get them for their wedding. I had no clue. I never do. That is my wife’s department. The conversation soon turned to the book we were both reading, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. While we were discussing, he got a strange look with a conspiratorial-like grin on his face and then said, “I know what I’m getting them.” He wouldn’t tell me because he was afraid I would learn of the cost and attempt to talk him out of it.
After the wedding, I discovered he signed them up for a money management course, designed specifically with the objective of ridding oneself of debt. As both my son and his wife have both later told me, it ended up being the best gift they received. Sure, glassware, silverware, a laundry hamper are all important gifts to a couple starting out. But the way this gift set them up, not only for the immediate years of their marriage, but also for the rest of their lives is invaluable.
The course was called, “Financial Peace University.” I had not heard of it, but was familiar with the “professor” who created it. It was designed by Dave Ramsey, whom I believe to be somewhat of a household name... at least in my circles. His course is a seven-part program made up of what he refers to as the “baby steps to financial peace.”
I knew William and Anne would readily jump at the chance to take the course, but not in a million years would I have ever thought that they would become instant spokesmen for Ramsey’s system. They didn’t just buy in, they also enjoyed it. If you know Ramsey, you know that he’s not just smart, but entertaining as well and I like to think, a genuinely good guy.
The first few steps of his program are geared toward preparing you for the rainiest of days. William and Ann embraced it all, and within a year, were debt free. They lived, as Ramsey would put it, “like no one else so that they could later live like no one else.” Of course, they’re not quite into the second component of that quote, but I do believe and hope that they are on their way. I know they were able to rid themselves of the same debt that burdens so many people; especially the young adults graduating college with massive loans and credit card debt. They even talked me into taking the class, promising that they would tag along. Not because I was in debt (though I’ve held my fair share over the years) or even that I needed to rethink my retirement portfolio. It was just because they enjoyed it so much and thought I would as well. And what father beaming with pride in his son and beautiful wife wouldn’t take them up on an offer to spend more time with them?
So, why do I even mention the FPU program when there are hundreds more just like it? Only because it’s the first one of I’ve partaken in and I’ve witnessed its success. It really doesn’t matter what program you signup for or sign your children up for. But please. If you or anyone you know has debt of any kind, I ask that you consider any of these programs. Sure, everyone knows that debt is bad and spending money you don’t have is bad. But too many people just view debt as a part of life... and it doesn’t have to be. This mindset follows people into their professional careers, be it government, non-profit or even for-profit organizations. We as a people are made to think it is normal. It’s not and it’s crippling our institutions, our society and even our families. And it’s time to kick this D-word to the curb.