The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

by Dave Ramsey

The number one cause of divorce in America is money fights and money problems. Spouses just don’t know how to talk to each other about money. That’s because most of the time the husband and wife have totally different personalities about everything—and that includes their money. In every marriage, there’s what I call the Nerd and the Free Spirit. The Nerd has fun with numbers and feels like it gives them control. They feel like they are taking care of their loved ones. But the Free Spirit doesn’t feel cared for; they feel controlled! They don’t want anything to do with the numbers, and they tend to “forget” about the budget. Guess what? Neither the Nerd nor the Free Spirit is “right” or “wrong.” You’re a team! You need to have a plan, but you need to have some fun. You need to save, but you need to spend a little. The trick is to figure out how your differences can complement each other, and then you can work together. That only happens when you both sit down together and make a plan. The Nerd can write up the first draft of the budget, but the Free Spirit has to sit down and look at it. Heck, I even make the Free Spirit change something on the budget! That freaks out the Nerds, but this is supposed to be “our” plan, right? That means both spouses need to have mature input and shared goals. Larry Burkett used to say that if two people just alike get married, one of you is unnecessary. You and your spouse are different, so celebrate the differences and learn to work togethe...