Tuesday, May 22, 2012

(Financial) Peace Out

If life as a grown up isn't exciting enough, my sister Prinna recently introduced me to a financial motivational speaker dude. This weekend, she loaned me a stack - STACK - of CDs that she tasked me with listening to in the coming weeks. According to her:

"Listen, I know it's not fun, but you NEED to listen to these CDs about financial planning. I would have LOVED to have had these before I got married. Consider them your wedding gift."

Yeah, thanks, but I have a feeling I'd rather have the Kate Spade cake cutting set.

Anyway, I took her advice. Prinna has never - in the history of time - given me bad advice. She's a mix of responsible and fun, so I have trusted her implicitly. I started listening to the first CD on my way home from her house. I just finished the first CD today and started the second. OF TWELVE. Twelve CDs guaranteed to give me Financial Peace.

Um, "peace"? I am ANYthing but peaceful.

The problem is, the guy - Dave Ramsey - is crazy charismatic. And Southern! Nothing says "You can trust me" more than a slight twang and pandering to women. (Except a British accent. That's unbeatable.) Anyhoozle, the guy is great. But He. Is. Terrifying. He's been throwing around words like "investments" and "debt" and "planning" and "financial responsibility." YIPES!

I called Prinna tonight to "thank" her for bringing this into my life. Geo, I'm sure, will be making a phone call himself shortly. I've been instructed by King Ramsey to discuss budgets and financial goals with my significant other. So far, I've learned that I am a financial hoarder and Geo may be a spender. I don't think I have to tell you that those are not exactly the most compatible combination.

Oh, hey, and HERE'S a fun fact - most marriages break up because of MONEY. That's reassuring, considering Geo and I probably are on the exact same page about everything...EXCEPT, maybe, finances. That's exciting to think about while planning a wedding!

So far, I've learned a lot about myself. I now know that I think money is terrifying. Whether you have it or not, it's really hard to manage. Oh, and guess what! There will be a day when I will have to rely on all my financial decisions that I made as an incredibly irresponsible twenty-something. That's, like, a horrible realization.

But I will stick with it. I will stick with it because Prinna thinks I should. I will stick with it because Dave Ramsey is - in spite of his horrifying reality checks - still very charming and pleasant to listen to. I will stick with it because I am too old to NOT have a PLAN...apparently. Mostly, I will stick with it because I really have a feeling it will be good blog fodder a very important life lesson.

Oh! Hey! And if every other crazy thing about me hasn't scared Geo off yet, my new-found love for a conservative financial planner may just be the last straw. In which case...Geo will call the wedding off because I'm insane and we'll each have a little more padding in our savings.

P.S. As if to add insult to injury, I had to just purchase several supporting materials to help me learn how to save and use money. Is that irony?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

very cute!

Alyssa said...

Hello! Your sister linked this post to Dave's Facebook page so I had to read it. I LOVE your summarization of your first experience with Dave, it was totally my thoughts too!! My hubby and I are young and we just got done with Financial Peace University and we are SO glad we stuck with it!! We are about to pay off the last of our debt and it feels GREAT!

Like in your situation, I am the hoarder and my hubby is the spender, so it's an adjustment and it's really uncomfortable at first to talk about money and budgets and goals at first but IT DOES GET EASIER, I promise!!

Stick with Dave's advice, seriously. The more you listen to him the more he makes sense. The one thing he emphasizes is that being broke is normal, don't be normal, be weird!!

Good luck girly! :)

Pharon Square said...

Thanks Alyssa! :)