9 Jun
The End of Financial Peace – 13 Weeks that Changed Our Lives
Like many high school English teachers, mine seemed to take great delight in not only assigning reports on morbid books about the Jewish Holocaust, but in calling on a few of us to stand up and read the reports aloud to the entire class.
There was something about knowing you might be hung out there in front of everyone that changed how you wrote that report and certainly made darned sure you read the book no matter how hard it was to get through. Years later when writing a report for a different teacher altogether I still felt that sense of potential public critique that ensured I followed through on assignments.
This week we finish a thirteen-week class from Dave Ramsey called Financial Peace University. It is the classroom, group version of his book, The Total Money Makeover, coupled with a sixty to ninety minute video from Ramsey about a different financial topic each week.
We were already sold on Ramsey’s ideas when we decided to take the class and were two months into our written budget, but there was something excellent about knowing you were going to sit down with twenty or thirty people each week to talk about it.
Accountability.
Some folks were in worse shape than us, some were better, but we all seemed to enjoy the chance to speak openly about where we had been and where we were going once the initial ice was broken.
Two months ago one lady tearfully told the story of her failing business and the abuse she faced daily from creditors. At our last class we applauded her success in getting a great settlement out of them. She had a completely different demeanor and sat with her back straight and a smile on her face. It was wonderful.
Then there was the nutty guy who would “hallelujah!” and “amen!” and “that’s right, brother!” during Ramsey’s video. The class coordinator gently chastised him one night when he offered to share his story of success at getting his kids a car loan. > groan < Still, like the crazy uncle who pours gravy on his cranberries at Thanksgiving, I even came to like him after three months.
I don’t know if we will keep in touch with the people we spent thirteen Sunday evenings with, but I hope we do run into each other once-in-a-while. One of the perks of purchasing the class ($190 list, $95 street price) is a lifetime membership; you can retake the course whenever you want for free.
Actually, I think I’d make a good coordinator of the class some day, but that’s for another time.
For now I will enjoy the last of the accountability of our class as we meet for a final potluck and encouragement to keep our debt snowballs rolling and our budgets on-paper, on-purpose.
Secretly, though, I will enjoy knowing I won’t have to stand up in front of the class to read them.
the Dad
Posted by Andres on 06/12/09 at 8:58 pm
My wife and I just started Financial Peace last Sunday and we are looking forward to it. It is kind of weird but the weekly accountability is what has drawn us to take the class. Good Luck on your Baby Steps!!!
Posted by Cindy Magruder on 06/28/09 at 11:47 am
I’m glad I read this…I was debating whether or not to sign up for the upcoming FPU class at our church (in August). I kind of felt like I had heard it all from Dave before, or I had read it in his books, so what good would it do to pay $$ (that could be going to the debt snowball, I might add) to take a class on his principles. Reading that it was the accountability that made it all worth it has kind of changed my perspective on it. My husband, the free-spirit, would really benefit from having other people (besides me) counting on him to do what he needs to do to financially…and I know I would too!