So, Dave Ramsey....on car buying....

[ScorpioVI]

You know dude, this. While I know you said this tongue in cheek a bit, there is some truth to it.

No tongue in any cheek at all for me. Just being realistic, with my medical issues I'd be lucky to see 10 years, maybe 20 max. More to the point, I don't want to die old. We've got some seriously bad genes in the family where the males are lucky to see 60. Saw my dad struggling to get to 76 and having to clean up his shit every other day because he can't get to the bathroom fast enough. The last 10 years of his life were not pleasant. No thanks.

Had a sister who had all her ducks in a row, retirement plans and all that. She was one of the higher ups in AT&T. Dead at 48 to pancreatic cancer, it took her in just over a year. My mom still talks about the RV trips they were planning to have when my sister retired.

I'm a prepper at heart, I commend folks who prepare for their futures. But at some point you gotta get realistic. I've got a co-worker who's 150lbs overweight and can barely waddle down the hallway to the restroom. Watching him just trying to walk is painful as he's due for hip replacements because of his weight. And yet he got on me for not taking full advantage of our company's retirement plans. In the back of my mind I'm thinking, "dude you're never gonna get there".

I think Americans have a big hang up about dying, maybe something to do with religion, but I've never had that issue.

 

[Butch]

“Dumb Advice”... hmmmm. Ironic. Yet...

Edit... financial responsibility espoused in this thread is pretty cool.

 

[ScarySpikes]

I agree with you on this part. Mortgage interest rates are very low, so leveraging that to allow you to take cash flow and invest in interest earning investments is wise, especially over time. However, if you consider Dave's audience this situation may be lost on some. His advice tends to be focused at (unfortunately)typical people that have been living above their means and are looking for a way out. These types of people might never end up using that mortgage savings investing anything. Instead, they end up using any savings on depreciating assets or consumer goods that do nothing for their overall financial health.

You seem to have a certain amount of vitriol towards Dave Ramsey. This is fine. But in your analysis of his "baby steps" strategy points you don't totally disagree with them. If anything, only minor adjustments are needed in your opinion.

The disagreement I have is that he looks at systemic issues with our economy that increasingly force people into bad financial situations: debt traps, poverty, whatever, and instead of making any meaningful systemic critique, he basically blames the victims of that system. If his message was, 'our economic system is designed to trap people and screw people over, here are some ways to navigate that broken system to avoid the many traps and pitfalls' I would be a lot more ok with it.


Oh, I also absolutely despise puritanical religious bigots that want to control their employees personal life to the point that they fire people for having premarital sex. Fuck him with a 12 inch spiked dildo for that disgusting and cruel behavior.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I would say this is false. Too absolute.

There are small pockets of the US that are OK for living car-free. Also, cities are focusing on leaning away from car-centric design. Better alternatives, walkable streets, design for bikes, transit, density, ect. Ride share and car-share is trending up.

I'm not saying that cars are not convenient, but people finance cars based on consumerism instead of needs.

I've never owned a car

 

[mrmarklin]

I've never owned a car

Very good and virtuous, but you are by far the exception in the USA.

89.8% of all people have a car. Those that don't tend to live in dense populated areas such as NYC or SFO.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I agree. Most people need them.

 

[wazzuFreddo]

I'm going to get the fading paint on my truck taken care of, get the brakes done, figure out where the skip in the drive line is coming from and put a massive stereo in it. New(ish) stuff is way too expensive. I want a Raptor but I should try to go for high score with my current truck first.

 

[kingmoochr]

I'm going to get the fading paint on my truck taken care of, get the brakes done, figure out where the skip in the drive line is coming from and put a massive stereo in it. New(ish) stuff is way too expensive. I want a Raptor but I should try to go for high score with my current truck first.

Check out spray dipping. Dipyourcar.com. it's come a looooooong way. Get your truck looking brand new for a grand and it's done in 2 days.

 

[bikewanker]

The disagreement I have is that he looks at systemic issues with our economy that increasingly force people into bad financial situations: debt traps, poverty, whatever, and instead of making any meaningful systemic critique, he basically blames the victims of that system. If his message was, 'our economic system is designed to trap people and screw people over, here are some ways to navigate that broken system to avoid the many traps and pitfalls' I would be a lot more ok with it.

As relates to this thread is “systematic” a replacement for personal responsibility?

 

[Killroy1999]

Then you have these braggarts that buy a $40K car at 23 and said that they paid for it all themselves. I'm calling BS .
5K likes, 600 "you go girl" comments. Feed the consumer machine. Droves of people financing cars and over extending themselves to try and keep up.

 

[mikev]

Check out spray dipping. Dipyourcar.com. it's come a looooooong way. Get your truck looking brand new for a grand and it's done in 2 days.

Isn't that still not allowed in CA?

 

[insyder]

...If his message was, 'our economic system is designed to trap people and screw people over, here are some ways to navigate that broken system to avoid the many traps and pitfalls' I would be a lot more ok with it...

And this is how I can tell you haven't consumed much of his content, because that very thing is part of his schtick. But of course, at the end of the day personal responsibility is critical to fixing the problems he tries to help people fix.

...Oh, I also absolutely despise puritanical religious bigots that want to control their employees personal life to the point that they fire people for having premarital sex. Fuck him with a 12 inch spiked dildo for that disgusting and cruel behavior.

Sure, he is a bit of a bible beater. One of his things is tithing. Sorry, I'll never get with that concept. But as you have the freedom to despise him, he has the freedom to believe and hire/fire as he wishes(within reason).

 

[quicksparks]

Dave's advice is great! I can't remember how I heard about him but I bought "Financial Peace" before I even knew he had a radio show. It's super common sense stuff in my opinion, but so are most things that gurus tell people. When we realize we have a problem and need to change our behavior and seek advice, it just takes the right speaker to get it to us. We could have heard the same thing from our parents or our neighbors, but didn't listen. It's like when you read a book twice and learn a bunch of new stuff the second time because you weren't interested in some of the material the first time.

Even if the advice is ancient or common sense, when it comes from the right person at the right time, it can finally be heard. So, I interpret Dave's popularity to mean that a lot of people find him to be the right speaker that they found at the right time.

 

[ScarySpikes]

And this is how I can tell you haven't consumed much of his content, because that very thing is part of his schtick. But of course, at the end of the day personal responsibility is critical to fixing the problems he tries to help people fix.Sure, he is a bit of a bible beater. One of his things is tithing. Sorry, I'll never get with that concept. But as you have the freedom to despise him, he has the freedom to believe and hire/fire as he wishes(within reason).

Firing someone for having sex in their personal life is not within reason.
Also, I've looked, and I really can't find anything where he is really critical of our economic system. I've seen him act critical of our culture, but not our economic system. So, if he has, provide the evidence for it, that should not be too difficult.

 

[Eldritch]

I would say this is false. Too absolute.

There are small pockets of the US that are OK for living car-free. Also, cities are focusing on leaning away from car-centric design. Better alternatives, walkable streets, design for bikes, transit, density, ect. Ride share and car-share is trending up.

I'm not saying that cars are not convenient, but people finance cars based on consumerism instead of needs.

I don't think my need to get the things I need to survive, like food, combined with my utter unwillingness to do anything on anyone else's schedule, wait for services with anyone else, or do any other kind of anything where I have to factor other people into my decision making process and activity cycles is based on consumerism. I also don't think my need to go 120mph on an open freeway as part of my grocery shopping experience is based on consumerism.

So, you know, there are other reasons.

 

[kingmoochr]

Isn't that still not allowed in CA?

They came out with a low voc formulation. It's not their full library, but it's a pretty complete color palette.

 

[TheRobSJ]

II also don't think my need to go 120mph on an open freeway as part of my grocery shopping experience is based on consumerism.

Jesus man! What are you afraid the ice cream is going to melt?

 

[MC BumSlap]

Then you have these braggarts that buy a $40K car at 23 and said that they paid for it all themselves. I'm calling BS .
5K likes, 600 "you go girl" comments. Feed the consumer machine. Droves of people financing cars and over extending themselves to try and keep up.

That's a dumb way of dumping so much cash on a depreciating asset. Unless she's truly liquid where you have fuck you money, I guess. But, even with people with fuck you money wouldn't do such a thing. I know I wouldn't.

 

[NorCalAthlete]

Then you have these braggarts that buy a $40K car at 23 and said that they paid for it all themselves. I'm calling BS .
5K likes, 600 "you go girl" comments. Feed the consumer machine. Droves of people financing cars and over extending themselves to try and keep up.

Grad school + engineering job = high possibility her signing bonus and first month's paycheck alone were enough to cover that car.

Tech pays big money. So do banks / finance.

 

[UDRider]

Specially if she graduated without debt.