When I first read about the Money and Marriage event on Dave Ramsey’s website, I really wanted to go. Rachel Cruze (Dave Ramsey’s daughter) and Les Parrott (a psychologist and an award-winning author) were coming to Minneapolis to talk about relationship psychology and personal finance…two of my favorite subjects!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure policy here.
When I saw that the event was over $50 per person, I decided not to attend. It’s not an unreasonable price, but I am on a three year spending ban while we pay off debt and I just couldn’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on one evening. Luckily, my hubby’s friend invited us to go and he found out about a deal where we could get $25 off per person, so we went.
Minneapolis was the first stop on this tour. If you’re interested in attending the event, the next couple of events are being held in Cincinnatti and Chicago (and I’m sure there will be many more as well). Check out Dave Ramsey’s website for more information.
For those of you who are considering attending, here is my honest review of the Money & Marriage event. All opinions are my own.
What Is It?
Rachel Cruze is a bestselling author and speaker who gives advice on budgeting, debt, and saving money. Les Parrott is an award-winning author and psychologist who covers relationships, communication styles, and marriage.
The event begins with an introduction, a game, and some humor. Next, Les talks about marriage for the first half of the event. After a brief intermission, Rachel discusses money for the second half of the evening.
Marriage
I enjoyed Les Parrott’s part of the event. I love listening to people talk about psychology, and I could literally listen to it for hours. I majored in psychology as an undergrad and I would look at the clock during one of my classes, willing time to move more slowly so the class wouldn’t end…because I enjoyed it that much. I probably missed my calling as a psychologist.
Anyway, Les identified some of the key ingredients of a successful relationship and covered some of the differences in communication styles that can cause conflict between spouses.
My only complaint about this portion of the evening is that it was such a broad overview and didn’t go nearly as in depth as I would’ve liked. I understand that time was limited, and of course, an author doesn’t want to give away everything that’s in his book (Love Talk). He needs to keep people motivated to buy the book.
Still, I felt a bit disappointed by how broad it was and I think it would’ve been better if there had been more details. I left feeling like there wasn’t really much that I could apply to my own relationship (unless I bought the book for $20 or the Love Talk Indicator assessment for $30).
Money
I expected the second half of the event to be awesome because I love talking about money. I was a bit disappointed. Rachel Cruze is a talented speaker, and the message is incredibly inspiring.
It was her dad Dave Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover, that motivated me to get out of debt, stop trying to “keep up with the Joneses”, and start making smarter choices. My hubby and I both loved Dave’s class Financial Peace University.
What I disliked about Rachel’s part of this event was that it didn’t cover anything new. She talked about budgeting for the majority of it, and this was all information I had already learned in FPU. It’s also a broad overview of what’s covered in her book, Love Your Life Not Theirs.
For someone who hasn’t read this book or any of Dave’s books and hasn’t taken FPU, this would be a great experience. For someone who’s already heard it all, it was a bit disappointing.
Overall
Overall, the speakers were engaging, interesting, and funny. While I would have appreciated more detail from Les and more new information from Rachel, the message is still inspiring and motivating. The Money & Marriage event would be an awesome experience for a couple who’s brand new to the concept of financial peace.
My only other criticism of this event is that they went a bit overboard on the ads. I understand that they need to make money, but I felt they could have been a bit more subtle with the ads and didn’t necessarily need to open with ads.
Recap
Money & Marriage would be an amazing event for you to attend if…
-You’re interested in learning more about Dave Ramsey’s baby steps (and you’re new to this).
-You have not read Love Talk, Love Your Life Not Theirs, or The Total Money Makeover.
-You haven’t taken Financial Peace University.
-You want to learn some basic information about communication styles so you can identify how you and your spouse differ.
-You want to learn how to create a budget.
You might be disappointed by this event if…
-You’ve read the books already or you’ve taken FPU.
-You’re interested in learning new information.
-You want to learn how to communicate with your spouse better (without buying anything).
-You have a low tolerance for excessive ads.
Have you attended this event? Share your thoughts!
Other stuff you might like:
My Personal Finance “Aha” Moment
9 Ways to Get Free Yoga Classes
How to Start a Blog in 5 Easy Steps
Married Couples: Should You File Your Taxes Jointly or Separately?
How to Stop Fighting With Your Spouse About Money
Personal Finance Resources:
Retire Inspired by Chris Hogan
YOLO: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life by Jason Vitug
Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley
Blogging Resources:
How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
365 Blog Topic Ideas for the Lifestyle Blogger Who Has Nothing to Write About by Dana Fox
Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six Figure Income by ProBlogger
Approximately how long was the event? We are looking at making a date night of this event for our Sunday School class.
If I remember correctly, it was about 2.5 hours. It was longer than I had expected.
This event sounds right up my alley! I’ve read Total Money Makeover, but my husband and I have never done the event so I think I may convince him to go! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome!