The Total Money Makeover
"Winning at money is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge."
— Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover (2003)
Introduction
The Total Money Makeover is a personal finance book by Dave Ramsey. The first edition was published in 2003 by Nelson Books (Thomas Nelson) and runs 223 pages (ISBN 978-0-7852-6326-5).[1] The book lays out a step-by-step plan—popularized as the “Baby Steps”—for budgeting, debt payoff, and saving.[2] A revised and updated edition followed in 2007,[3] and a further updated-and-expanded edition was released in 2024.[4]
| The Total Money Makeover | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Full title | The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness |
| Author | Dave Ramsey |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Personal finance; Debt; Budgeting |
| Genre | Nonfiction; Personal finance |
| Publisher | Nelson Books |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback); e-book; audiobook |
| Pages | 223 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7852-6326-5 |
| Goodreads rating | 4.2/5 (as of 8 November 2025) |
| Website | thomasnelson.com |
Chapter summary
This outline follows the Nelson Books revised and updated edition (2007; ISBN 978-0-7852-8908-1).[3]
🏁 1 – The Total Money Makeover Challenge.
🙈 2 – Denial: I'm Not That Out of Shape.
🧰 3 – Debt Myths: Debt Is (Not) a Tool.
🏦 4 – Money Myths: The (Non)Secrets of the Rich.
🏃♀️ 5 – Two More Hurdles: Ignorance and Keeping Up with the Joneses.
💵 6 – Save $1,000 Fast: Walk Before You Run.
❄️ 7 – The Debt Snowball: Lose Weight Fast, Really.
🆘 8 – Finish the Emergency Fund: Kick Murphy Out.
📈 9 – Maximize Retirement Investing: Be Financially Healthy for Life.
🎓 10 – College Funding: Make Sure the Kids Are Fit Too.
🏠 11 – Pay Off the Home Mortgage: Be Ultrafit.
🏋️ 12 – Build Wealth Like Crazy: Arnold Schwarzedollar, Mr. Universe of Money.
✨ 13 – Live Like No One Else.
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References
- ↑ "The total money makeover : a proven plan for financial fitness". WorldCat. OCLC. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "Publisher description for The total money makeover : a proven plan for financial fitness". Library of Congress. Library of Congress. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The total money makeover: a proven plan for financial fitness — Rev. and updated (2007)". Marmot Library Network. Boulder Public Library. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ↑ "The Total Money Makeover Updated and Expanded". Thomas Nelson. HarperCollins Christian Publishing. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2025.