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Dave Says a Quick Fix is to Stop Eating Out
Townhall.com ^ | October 9, 2012 | Dave Ramsey

Posted on 10/09/2012 8:51:16 AM PDT by Kaslin

Dear Dave,

When it comes to taking control of your money and living on a budget, what’s the biggest thing a family can live without?

Will

Dear Will,

There are always the shiny things people can do without. Sometimes people sell a fancy car or boat and get rid of a $600-a-month payment right off the bat. But on a regular, day-to-day basis, I think maybe the biggest and best thing you can amputate from your life is eating out.

I love a good restaurant, and I’ve got nothing against the industry. The problem, though, is that people are struggling to pay their bills or set aside something for retirement because they’re eating out all the time. Most folks simply don’t realize how much money they throw away by heading to the drive-through for lunch or going out to dinner “once in a while.”

I want people to enjoy life, and a great part of that can be going out and having a meal with your family and friends. Just don’t do it when you’re broke. If you’re having financial issues, the only time you should see the inside of a restaurant is if you’re working there!

—Dave

Dear Dave,

We’re expecting our second child next spring, and even though we have an extra bedroom, our place is pretty small for a growing family. We also have $40,000 in student loan debt hanging over our heads, but we can save up almost $50,000 by the time the baby’s here. Should we use this money to buy a bigger home or pay off debt?

Chris

Dear Chris,

If it were me, I’d make sure to knock out the student loan before buying a house. Trust me, if you buy a home with a ton of debt hanging over your heads, Murphy will move into your spare bedroom and make your lives miserable. If it can happen, it will happen. And that’s especially true when it comes to buying a house when you don’t have much cash on hand.

You’re telling me you can save nearly $50,000 by next year. That means you guys are making pretty good money. So there’s no reason you can’t turn around and do the same thing next year, right? I mean, this is only a one- or two-year program we’re talking about. In another year’s time, you could save up for a huge down payment with some extra savings on the side. If you waited and saved for two years, there’s a possibility you could pay cash for a bigger place outright. Imagine how cool it would be to have your own home with no mortgage payments!

Just clean up the extra bedroom and fix it up as a nice nursery. Some new carpet or hardwood is always nice. Throw in a fresh coat of paint, and you’re in business. Then, a year or two after the new baby arrives, you’ll be ready to move from a financial and a family perspective. A baby can live just fine in a small bedroom. There’s nothing in the world wrong with that!

—Dave


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: daveramsey; money; ramsey
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1 posted on 10/09/2012 8:51:19 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
:: A baby can live just fine in a small bedroom. ::


2 posted on 10/09/2012 8:58:40 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alterations - The acronym explains the science.)
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To: Kaslin

My wife and I, empty nesters, eat out several times a week. cooking for two is not really that much cheaper, especially when you have a lot of leftovers that eventually get thrown away..........


3 posted on 10/09/2012 9:02:35 AM PDT by Red Badger (Is it just me, or is Hillary! starting to look like Benjamin Franklin?.................)
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To: Kaslin

He is right on that.

It is even hard to get out of McDonalds anymore for less than seven bucks.


4 posted on 10/09/2012 9:03:34 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Kaslin

Dave R but he lost alot of credibility when the implosion of 2008 happened and people lost half their mutual fund money. Rich Dad Poor Dad declared victory of Dave R’s, saving for retirement. Its the Logan’s Run of strategies, most folks never make it to a comfortable retirement saving in mutual funds. You need to leverage debt, buy hard assets and real estate in ADDITION to saving in the market. Not to mention there was anti Dave R blog which in black in white shows leasing a reliable newer model car is ALWAYS cheaper than driving a POS, paid for, and dumping in 1000’s of dollars in repairs, lousy mileage and lost time on repairs. Debt is not the problem, stupid people are. Dave R’s claim to fame a UT grad in Finance and having a few chapter 11s under his belt in failed real estate ventures. But he does have his cultists like the other fiscally illiterate guru Suzy Orman. I did Dave’s program at my church when I was married, ate beans and rice like he says, worked my butt off to pay Citibank, told my ex that the fifth trip to car repair shop was all worth it. That credit did not matter, we would own our 1997 Town and Country minivan outright and what a good feeling that would be. Well we had no debt and guess what we were still miserable. No debt is not a panacea for a rich life or a good marriage, it’s about balance, not zealotry. Dave practices zealotry.


5 posted on 10/09/2012 9:06:18 AM PDT by pburgh01
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel
A baby can live just fine in a small bedroom

When my oldest was born we were renting a teeny one-bedroom house.

We managed to turn the portion of the utility room that was not taken up by furnaces or water heaters into a very serviceable nursery.

She never complained.


6 posted on 10/09/2012 9:06:45 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: pburgh01

Dave R. is in the business of Sales as well. Books, Financial Peace University, etc.

He’s got some good things to say, but he shouldn’t be your Financial Cult Leader, lol. Take the good, and the rest with a grain of salt.


7 posted on 10/09/2012 9:20:40 AM PDT by AmericanSamurai
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To: Kaslin

The argument for preparing all meals at home is really about healthy cooking and having time, not about saving money.


8 posted on 10/09/2012 9:29:23 AM PDT by HonkyTonkMan
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To: Hoosier Catholic Momma; CottonBall; TenthAmendmentChampion; Chickensoup; JDoutrider; ...

If you have a ton of debt, “stay out of restaurants, unless you are working in one!”

;-)

Dave Ramsey Ping


9 posted on 10/09/2012 9:30:05 AM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
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To: Hoosier Catholic Momma; CottonBall; TenthAmendmentChampion; Chickensoup; JDoutrider; ...

If you have a ton of debt, “stay out of restaurants, unless you are working in one!”

;-)

Dave Ramsey Ping


10 posted on 10/09/2012 9:30:56 AM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
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To: pburgh01

I agree that Dave preaches “zealotry” against debt, but I think you’ve misconstrued his audience. Dave’s audience is people crippled by debt and a little zealotry against debt for that group goes a long way.

I used Dave to get out of debt. People in over their heads in our society become obsessed with their credit score because they need access to debt to manage debt when it’s more than you can handle via income. You can’t pay Peter if you can’t steal from Paul.

Dave’s advice frees you from focusing on credit score and ever more leveraging to stay afloat in a sea of debt. Dave’s plan is to stop digging.. When you’re learning debt self-discipline, any excuse for debt is a reason to fail. Dave allows no excuses.

I agree with you that once you get out of consumer debt, there are very good reasons to leverage debt for ROI. Rich Dad is on point. And. Rich Dad is aimed more at you as an audience.

Two different audiences.

Don’t knock Dave. When all your debt is consumer debt, and you’re drowning, being a zealot against debt isn’t a bad thing.


11 posted on 10/09/2012 9:33:47 AM PDT by ziravan (Are you better off now than you were $9.4 Trillion dollars ago?)
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To: pburgh01
Dave practices zealotry.

I only recently started listening to Dave on a new radio station, and it seems to me most of the callers need the advice he's giving. They have become slaves to debt and the credit market, instead of making it work for them.

To me Dave is a money version of 'Saturday Night Live' - an entertainment show with some truth. YMMV.

12 posted on 10/09/2012 9:35:41 AM PDT by brityank (The more I learn about the Constitution, the more I realise this Government is UNconstitutional !!)
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To: Kaslin

That Chris is an idiot. If he’s wealthy enough to be able to save $50k in, what, say less than 6 months, then why the heck does he still have any outstanding debts? He should already have the not yet here new baby’s college fund fully paid.

Dave is mostly correct with the no eating out. There can be deals found that are cheaper than cooking at home. However, it’s a rarity and you have to stick to the plan such as only using a coupon or getting the blue plate special and drinking water rather than ordering from the bar or a coke.


13 posted on 10/09/2012 9:37:55 AM PDT by bgill
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To: pburgh01
anti Dave R blog which in black in white shows leasing a reliable newer model car is ALWAYS cheaper than driving a POS, paid for, and dumping in 1000’s of dollars in repairs, lousy mileage and lost time on repairs

Could you post the link to that? I'm not disputing the conclusion, just interested in the numbers.

14 posted on 10/09/2012 9:39:15 AM PDT by nascarnation (Defeat Baraq 2012. Deport Baraq 2013)
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To: Red Badger

You throw away leftovers?!? Why do you cook so much to begin with? Eat them for tomorrow’s lunch. Throw them into a pot for free soup. Give them to the dog. But don’t throw money into the garbage.


15 posted on 10/09/2012 9:40:45 AM PDT by bgill
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To: Kaslin

Dave, what about pets? Sure they are cheap to buy, but the real money spent is at the vet, home repairs from damage, fees, limited hotel choices when traveling and for care while away from home.


16 posted on 10/09/2012 9:41:11 AM PDT by cicero2k
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To: Kaslin

Eating out has actually made our family closer. We find that getting away from the home and all its distractions (TV, phone, etc.) creates a situation where our kids open up a lot more conversation-wise. It’s also great to come home after a couple hours together and not have a stack of dishes to wash. We try to eat out three times a week, usually Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Sunday is the day we go all out with a home-cooked meal with leftovers on Monday night. Wednesday night is usually pasta and soup and Friday is pizza and movie night. Not a bad routine at all.


17 posted on 10/09/2012 9:42:08 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: bgill

We do all of the above, except give them to the dog. Never feed the dog human food. But even having them for lunch and next day’s dinner, we still have to throw some away.........


18 posted on 10/09/2012 9:47:03 AM PDT by Red Badger (Is it just me, or is Hillary! starting to look like Benjamin Franklin?.................)
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To: pburgh01

So, is Dave’s credibility back after the market recovered 100% within a year and a few months?

“You need to leverage debt, buy hard assets and real estate in ADDITION to saving in the market.”

Which is EXACTLY within Dave’s own investment strategy AND the advice he provides publicly. Minus the debt.

“Not to mention there was anti Dave R blog which in black in white shows leasing a reliable newer model car is ALWAYS cheaper than driving a POS,”

Always? That’s a pretty hard and fast rule. Of course it includes and ASSumption about the cost of repairs. If you do listen to Dave, then you would understand how to look at a car repair when chosing to replace or repair.

“Debt is not the problem, stupid people are.”

Stupid people have debt. It is the NORMAL in America.

“Dave R’s claim to fame a UT grad in Finance and having a few chapter 11s under his belt in failed real estate ventures.”

I’d wager not many folks had heard of Dave when he graduated from college. Heck, they still hadn’t heard of him when he claimed BK. So, how are those life events Dave’s claim to fame?

“But he does have his cultists like the other fiscally illiterate guru Suzy Orman.”

Fine, call me names all you want. However, I am not forced to follow Dave’s advice and force is usually a key element of any cult.

“I did Dave’s program at my church..”

You failed, just like you are doing now.

“Well we had no debt and guess what we were still miserable.”

Yep, money is ONE issue that leads to divorce. It is generally the leading issue, but that means that other issues are important in a relationship. Dave lists off about 5 things that should have spousal alignment, but I have a few of my own on my own list.

“Dave practices zealotry.”

Maybe, but he knows how to use paragraphs.

What has your net worth done over the past 6 years? Mine’s up 425%. That assumes you know the formula that determins net worth....


19 posted on 10/09/2012 9:49:09 AM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
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To: SamAdams76

That’s interesting because we have found the exact opposite to be true for our family. When we eat at home, our evenings are longer because we aren’t driving to the restaurant, waiting for a table (not so much anymore for that), waiting for our food, eating, waiting for the bill, etc. If we eat around 6 or so, we have a good 3 hours for family time.

No dirty dishes are, of course, a great thing, but the kids need to do something around the house to earn their keep. ;o)


20 posted on 10/09/2012 9:52:30 AM PDT by ChocChipCookie
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