As you may recall, hubby and I took the Financial Peace University series during the last quarter of last year. While we were already pretty gung-ho before taking the class, we learned A LOT. With the new year beginning, many new classes are also starting up and Dave now offers to let you take the first class for free, so you can decide if you think it will be for you (before you pay).
We were pretty well committed to taking the class before going to the first class. However, had we not been so committed we might have ended up waiting after taking the first class. For us, it was simply that we didn't feel the leader of our class was the best she could have been. While the class itself is taught by Dave Ramsey himself, there are local "coordinators" or leaders for each local class. IMO, they should do more than just push "play" on the DVD. They should be there to coach you and encourage you and make sure you are on track.
That said, another good reason to wait until your first class to actually pay is that many of the locations can offer you a discount on the class price from what the online price is. I think the class is about $130 if you pay online and we paid $100 after our first class. The one downside of this is that you most likely won't get your class materials until your second class.
The good news is that once you pay for FPU once, you can take it as many times as you like. So if you pay before you start the class and decide you aren't "feeling" the local coordinator you can look for a different local class. IMO, unless you have a spouse that is super gung-ho about changing your spending/saving ways and getting on a budget (and you are just as gung-ho) you really need to have a good local class and coordinator to ensure that you get the most out of the class. Otherwise, it's too easy to hear the info and say "yeah that's great, we should do that" but not really do anything about it.
Now that we've paid and gone through the class once, I'd actually like to do it again in about a year or so. I know it is the type of class that you will get something more out of each time you take it.
Click Here to Find a Class Near You. (I just checked and there were 17 classes starting up within 25 miles of us in the next couple of weeks).
Great post! I'd love to do this but my hubby hasn't bought into it yet so I'm afraid it would be a waste of time right now. I am thinking I'll read the book & keep trying to get him interested.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it takes some time. I think in our own way we were both on board years ago but it took a while to really get us on the same page and realize it. I've been listening to Dave for about 8 years and as much as I listened to him I think it took riding around at lunch with co-workers to get my husband listening to him. Now that's our road trip music instead of actual music.
ReplyDeleteIf he does a live event near you, I'd suggest buying tickets and taking your hubby. I hear that's the best way to push a reluctant spouse in the right direction. It's funny how sometimes they (or we) have to hear it from someone else.
If you aren't both on board the first class (and the presence or absence of a good coordinator) can really make you or break you on getting a spouse on board (imo). So unless you can find good reviews for a particular class/coordinator in your area I don't know if I'd risk it. We found ourselves really wishing that Dave had a "rate this class/coordinator" link on the FPU website.
ReplyDeleteHello following you via GFC from "follow us monday morning" blog hop.
ReplyDelete~Gwen
http://green-bellpepper.blogspot.com/2011/01/minute-maid-pulply-day.html
Hello, I am following you back. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteAlissia
http://tips4green.blogspot.com