It’s never too late (no matter how old you are) to start investing in yourself and your future by building a little nest egg. If your financial situation isn’t what you’d hoped for, that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to improve it. Starting today. Whether it’s setting aside a little each month, exploring investment opportunities, or seeking guidance from financial experts, there’s an option for everyone. You still have plenty of life left to live, and with determination and patience, you can work toward securing a more comfortable golden age. To help you on your way, 24/7 Wall St. has put together 10 Dave Ramsey quotes every 70-year-old needs to hear. Continue reading to discover the path to financial freedom.
1. For Mature Audiences Only
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- Being willing to delay pleasure for a greater result is a sign of maturity. -Dave Ramsey
Why Put It Off?
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I’ve heard patience is a virtue, but the early bird gets the worm. In the matter of your finances, however, good things come to those who wait. Saving and investing will pay off in the long run if you’re willing to make the sacrifices that go along with it. Drive the car a year or two longer, and forego the extra beach vacation. Little changes can add up to big dividends. In a world of hares, be a tortoise and you’ll steadily progress toward your goals.
2. Money Can’t Buy Happiness
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- Fun can be bought with money, but happiness cannot. -Dave Ramsey
Happiness Comes From Within
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Ramsey’s just riffing on the Beatles here, who let us know that money can’t buy me love. I reckon it can’t buy happiness either – at least long-term happiness, because what is fun if not fleeting moments of happiness? But you get the drift. If you can’t really afford it, no matter how much fun it seems like it would be or how unfathomably happy it’s going to make you consider the long-term implications. Sure that Patek Philippe diamond and gem-encrusted watch is going to look amazing on your wrist, but what’s it going to cost you in retirement capital?
3. You Can Have Fun With Money
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Someone who never has fun with money misses the point. -Dave Ramsey
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Don’t Miss The Point
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Hold on. Is this the same Dave Ramsey? Such a complex individual. On the surface, this quote would seem to contradict the former quote, or am I missing something? Reading back over it, I see that he did suggest that fun could be bought, it just seemed that he was cautioning against it. I’m guessing there’s a codicil to this quote that mentions something about limiting one’s fun funds, or about not having too much fun, but until we discover it, I say, eat, drink, and be merry! Because, isn’t that the point?
4. Homefree
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The paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice. -Dave Ramsey
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Home Sweet Home
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As Bette Davis famously quipped, Old age ain’t no place for sissies! and she wasn’t wrong. From creaky joints to hearing loss, it’s not great, but at least we could afford to buy a house. Too many young people view homeownership as little more than a dream. From the exorbitant costs of 21st-century surreal estate to the fact that corporations now own one out of four (25%) of the single-family homes in the U.S., for which they demand unconscionable rent, millennials and Gen Z are in a wicked pickle. They are stuck shelling out more for rent than the cost of a house payment, unable to buy a house because corporate interests snatch them up. So, while our knees may hurt and our hair is growing thin, we can be thankful for our homes, no matter how humble.
5. “Alexa, Call Life-Alert”
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- Every person falls down at some point. Successful people choose to get back up. -Dave Ramsey
“I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up!”
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Ramsey can think what he wants- but just wait until he gets to the age where no matter how much you want to get up, sometimes you simply can’t. Otherwise, Life Alert would be wholly unnecessary. What Ramsey is trying to say is that successful folk do not allow bad luck or downturns in their retirement portfolio to sidetrack them. And once these good people have righted themselves, they stay the course, not accepting defeat. Also, every person doesn’t fall down at some point, financially or otherwise.
6. Who Needs More Stuff?
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- Financial peace isn’t the acquisition of stuff. It’s learning to live on less than you make. – Dave Ramsey
Shine On You Crazy Diamond
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On 24/7 Wall St. list of 10 Dave Ramsey quotes every 70-year-old needs to hear, this is kinda the no-brainer of the bunch, akin to money doesn’t buy happiness. If, seven decades in you’re still acquiring stuff hoping to fill that hole in your life, god love ya. Living on less than you make is definitely a goal. Living within one’s means, not spending more than one has? Yeah, we get it. But in these inflationary times, it’s easier said than done. With inflation outpacing increases in (Social Security) income, learning to live with less is becoming more of a trend anyway, so might as well hop on the bandwagon!
7. Y B Normal?
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- Debt is normal. Be weird. -Dave Ramsey
Be Weird
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Be weird is possibly the best advice Dave Ramsey has ever given. It’s simply the best advice period. And if being debt-free is weird, then so be it. The largest percentage of U.S. households have some debt, excluding mortgages. The average U. S. adult has debt hovering around 60k. But is rejecting crippling debt a lifestyle choice or a privilege? Most of us don’t get to make that choice. Debt is decidedly not normal, but it has become the norm. Let that sink in. There is nothing normal about substantial debt, something many young adults are saddled with as soon as they get their degrees. And guess what? Many of these debt-laden young adults are plenty weird. So, while being debt-free may be weird, it’s not the only avenue to Weirdsville.
8. It’s Never Too Late
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- It’s never too late to turn things around. You are the only obstacle. -Dave Ramsey
Get Out Of Your Way
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I do appreciate Ramsey’s optimism, I really do, but the idea that an individual is the only obstacle standing between themself and financial freedom is a fairly narrow point of view. Always, never, every, and only are words of which I tend to be suspect. Things are rarely that absolute. Nature doesn’t deal in absolutes, and as animals, humans are a part of the natural world. So while it will be true for some of you that you’re the only barrier to your financial freedom, there will be others who face myriad stumbling blocks, not of their own making, on the road to financial peace of mind. Changing one behavior can have a ripple effect, however. So, if you’re able to pinpoint a habit that’s holding you back, changing it could make a world of difference.
9. Playing You
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- You don’t build wealth with credit card rewards and airline miles. You can’t beat the credit card companies at their own game. -Dave Ramsey
Pay Cash (What’s That?)
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On 24/7 Wall St.’s list of 10 Dave Ramsey quotes every 70-year-old needs to hear, this is possibly the most important one. Paying in cash isn’t exactly the same as paying with cash. As long as you have the funds on hand to cover your charges, theoretically, you’re paying in cash. While credit cards have incredible introductory offers (a friend just got a year of free Instacart with her new card) paying off the balance is important. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying for your free Instacart with interest.
10. A Journey of One Thousand Miles…
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You can get anywhere if you simply go one step at a time.” –Dave Ramsey
…Begins With A Single Step
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Regardless of where you’re reading this from, metaphysically speaking, dive head first into your happy place, because you can go anywhere if you simply go one step at a time, why not make it a trip to your nirvana? Prioritizing your happiness and well-being is crucial for leading a fulfilling life. Ultimately, investing in your happiness will pay off in more dividends than you ever could have imagined when you took that first step. So, what are you waiting for?
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