100 Best Dave Ramsey Quotes (FINANCIAL SUCCESS)

In the realm of personal finance and money management, few voices ring as clear or as influential as Dave Ramsey. Known for his straightforward approach to financial peace and his popular radio show, Ramsey is a figure whose teachings have transformed the financial lives of millions.

These quotes aren’t just tips for budgeting or investing; they are nuggets of wisdom from a man who has dedicated his life to helping others achieve financial freedom. They offer insights into debt management, the power of saving, and the principles that form the backbone of Ramsey’s philosophy.

Whether you’re a young adult learning to navigate your finances, a family working towards financial security, or simply someone intrigued by the world of personal finance, these quotes will challenge your thinking, deepen your understanding, and inspire you to take control of your financial future.

11 of the Best Dave Ramsey Quotes to Inspire Total Money Makeover

We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like. — We buy things we don’t need with **money** we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.

Those who don’t manage their money will always work for those who do. — Those who don’t manage their **money** will always work for those who do.

If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.

Pray like it all depends on God, but work like it all depends on you.

The decision to go into debt alters the course and condition of your life. You no longer own it. You are owned.

Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who execute them are not.

You must gain control over your money or the lack of it will forever control you. — You must gain control over your **money** or the lack of it will forever control you.

A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. — A **budget** is telling your **money** where to go instead of wondering where it went.

It’s never too late to turn things around. You are the only obstacle.

For your own good, for the good of your family and your future, grow a backbone. When something is wrong, stand up and say it is wrong, and don’t back down. — For your own good, for the good of your family and your **future**, grow a backbone. When something is wrong, stand up and say it is wrong, and don’t back down.

Debt gives you the ability to look like you’re winning when you’re not.

49 Famous Dave Ramsey Quotes on Debts, Goals, Money, & Giving

“When we’re dealing with money in relationships, when we’re dealing with money in our personal lives, when we’re dealing with money in our families, the flow of money in a family represents the value system under which that family operates.”
Dave Ramsey

Change is painful. Few people have the courage to seek out change. Most people won’t change until the pain of where they are exceeds the pain of change. — **Change** is painful. Few people have the **courage** to seek out change. Most people won’t change until the pain of where they are exceeds the pain of change.

The enemy of “the best” is not “the worst.” The enemy of “the best” is “just fine.”

I believe that through knowledge and discipline, financial peace is possible for all of us. — I believe that through **knowledge** and discipline, financial **peace** is possible for all of us.

You’ve got to tell your money what to do or it will leave. — You’ve got to tell your **money** what to do or it will leave.

What to do isn’t the problem; doing it is. Most of us know what to do, but we just don’t do it. If I can control the guy in the mirror, I can be skinny and rich.

If hard work, integrity, thrift, and perseverance have caused you to succeed, then you don’t owe anyone an apology for winning. — If **hard work**, integrity, thrift, and perseverance have caused you to succeed, then you don’t owe anyone an **apology** for winning.

“You must walk to the beat of a different drummer. The same beat that the wealthy hear. If the beat sounds normal, evacuate the dance floor immediately! The goal is to not be normal because as my radio listeners know, normal is broke.”
Dave Ramsey

One definition of maturity is learning to delay pleasure. — One definition of **maturity** is **learning** to delay pleasure.

Fear is the enemy of hope. — **Fear** is the enemy of **hope**.

Debt is not a tool; it is a method to make banks wealthy, not you. The borrower truly is slave to the lender. — Debt is not a tool; it is a method to make banks **wealthy**, not you. The borrower truly is slave to the lender.

Winning at money is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge. — Winning at **money** is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head **knowledge**.

You never cash out a 401(k) or IRA to pay off debt, unless it’s to avoid a foreclosure or bankruptcy. — You never cash out a 401(k) or IRA to pay off debt, unless it’s to avoid a foreclosure or **bankruptcy**.

Wealth comes from hard work but not because of hard work. Wealth comes because of God. Everything is His. — Wealth comes from **hard work** but not because of hard work. Wealth comes because of God. Everything is His.

Remember, there's ultimately only one way to financial peace, and that's to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus. — Remember, there’s ultimately only one way to financial peace, and that’s to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus.

“That stupid saying “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” is ridiculous. What you don’t know can kill you. If you don’t know that tractor-trailer trucks hurt when hitting you, then you can play in the middle of the interstate with no fear – but that doesn’t mean you won’t get killed.”
Dave Ramsey

Without a mission statement, you may get to the top of the ladder and then realize it was leaning against the wrong building!

People will not buy from you if they don’t trust you, your product, and your company. — People will not buy from you if they don’t **trust** you, your product, and your company.

If you wouldn’t want your mother to buy the item or the service then don’t sell it.

Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.

If you help enough people, you don’t have to worry about money. — If you help enough people, you don’t have to worry about **money**.

Aristotle once said, “To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing." — **Aristotle** once said, “To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.”

“I’m not against people having new cars. I’m against them having you. We spend a tremendous amount impressing somebody at the stoplight who we’ll never meet. It makes you broke and keeps you broke.”
Dave Ramsey

Fun can be bought with money, but happiness cannot. — Fun can be bought with **money**, but **happiness** cannot.

Measure your wealth not by the things you have, but by the things for which you would not take money. — Measure your wealth not by the things you have, but by the things for which you would not take **money**.

Seth Godin says, “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” — **Seth Godin** says, “Instead of wondering when your next **vacation** is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”

It is human nature to want it and want it now; it is also a sign of immaturity. Being willing to delay pleasure for a greater result is a sign of maturity. — It is human **nature** to want it and want it now; it is also a sign of immaturity. Being willing to delay pleasure for a greater result is a sign of maturity.

If you will make the sacrifices now that most people aren’t willing to make, later on you will be able to live as those folks will never be able to live.

Success is a pile of failure that you are standing on. — **Success** is a pile of failure that you are standing on.

“If you’re married, agree on the budget with your spouse. This one sentence requires a stand-alone book to describe how, but the bottom line is this: if you aren’t working together, it is almost impossible to win.
Dave Ramsey

Someone who never has fun with money misses the point. Someone who never invests money will never have any. Someone who never gives is a monkey with his hand in a bottle. — Someone who never has fun with money misses the point. Someone who never **invests** money will never have any. Someone who never gives is a monkey with his hand in a bottle.

There's a whole generation growing up thinking... the government exists to care for them. — There’s a whole generation growing up thinking… the government exists to care for them.

There’s not a party, a congressman, a senator, etc. elected that will fix your life. YOU have to fix YOUR life.

No one got rich on a government program. Do not choose to be a common man. You can be uncommon.

Some people are just stuck in their ways and have been brainwashed into believing that credit cards and debt are an unavoidable part of life.

We are being taught by everything around us to have dessert before dinner. Now we are paying for our lack of knowledge and discipline. — We are being taught by everything around us to have dessert before dinner. Now we are paying for our lack of **knowledge** and discipline.

You must plan your work and then work your plan.

“Money is like a beautiful thoroughbred horse-—very powerful and always in action. But unless this horse is trained when very young, it will be an out-of-control and dangerous animal when it grows to maturity.”
Dave Ramsey

Study the habits of the people you want to be like and then imitate them. If they are succeeding, they must be doing something right. — Study the **habits** of the people you want to be like and then imitate them. If they are succeeding, they must be doing something right.

Children are sponges—they are going to absorb whatever is around them, so we need to be intentional about what surrounds them.

Parents who let teens run around with unearned adult freedoms are naive and stupid. — Parents who let teens run around with unearned adult **freedoms** are naive and stupid.

As parents, we teach our kids about things we feel competent in. That’s why so many parents don’t teach their kids about money.

The number one problem that causes student loan debt Parents that suck. — The number one problem that causes student loan debt? Parents that suck.

So content people may not have the best of everything, but they make the best of everything. That is who you want your children to be.

A little bit of controlled pain when you’re six will change your life when you’re thirty-six. — A little bit of controlled pain when you’re six will **change** your life when you’re thirty-six.

Savings without a mission is garbage. Your money needs to work for you, not lie around you.

The goal is to not be normal, because as my radio listeners know, normal is broke.

After losing everything, I went on a quest to find out how money really works, how I could get control of it, and how I could have confidence in handling it. — After losing everything, I went on a quest to find out how money really works, how I could get control of it, and how I could have **confidence** in handling it.

40 Motivational Dave Ramsey Quotes to Inspire Financial Freedom

“Debt is so ingrained into our culture that most Americans can’t even envision a car without a payment a house without a mortgage a student without a loan and credit without a card. We’ve been sold debt with such repetition and with such fervor that most folks can’t conceive of what it would be like to have NO payments.”
Dave Ramsey

Hitting bottom and hitting it hard was the worst thing that ever happened to me and the best thing that ever happened to me.

You can get anywhere if you simply go one step at a time. — You can get anywhere if you simply go one step at a **time**.

Work is doing it. Discipline is doing it every day. Diligence is doing it well every day. — Work is doing it. Discipline is doing it every day. **Diligence** is doing it well every day.

There is nothing wrong with having nice things, but when you are trying to buy nice things to be happy, you are going to hurt. It’s not going to work. — There is nothing wrong with having nice things, but when you are trying to buy nice things to be **happy**, you are going to hurt. It’s not going to work.

Earning a lot of money is not the key to prosperity. How you handle it is. — Earning a lot of money is not the key to **prosperity**. How you handle it is.

“If the US Government was a family—they would be making $58,000 a year, spending $75,000 a year, & are $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget & debt, reduced to a level that we can understand.”
Dave Ramsey

We have a retirement crisis in America today not from a lack of money, but from a lack of vision. — We have a **retirement** crisis in America today not from a lack of money, but from a lack of vision.

Money is not good or evil. It has no morals or intentions on its own. Money reflects the character of the user.

Don’t medicate dysfunction with spending. No amount of stuff will get rid of guilt.

It takes some discipline and hard work, but relying on credit when things go wrong is a trap.

Most of the things we buy are wants. And we call them needs, but they’re wants.

“Too many people try to do the new job, new spouse, new house, new car thing in 18 months. That’s a good way to end up broke. We’ve got to resist the temptation to catch up with our parents in 18 months. Slow down. You have the rest of your life to play catch up. After all, it’s just stuff.”
Dave Ramsey

Doing a budget means learning an ancient and powerful word: no. — Doing a budget means **learning** an ancient and powerful word: no.

Adults devise a plan and follow it, children do what feels good.

When people get scared, they quit giving.

Knock out a small debt first so you get a quick win. Momentum is key.

Poor is a state of mind. Broke is, 'I'm just passing through.' — Poor is a state of mind. Broke is, ‘I’m just passing through.’

“I came to realize that my money problems, worries, and shortages largely began and ended with the person in my mirror. I realized also that if I could learn to manage the character I shaved with every morning, I would win with money.”
Dave Ramsey

There are no shortcuts when it comes to getting out of debt.

The German root word for ‘debt’ is the same as for ‘guilt.’

Financial peace isn’t the acquisition of stuff. It’s learning to live on less than you make, so you can give money back and have money to invest. You can’t win until you do this. — Financial peace isn’t the acquisition of stuff. It’s **learning** to live on less than you make, so you can give **money** back and have money to **invest**. You can’t win until you do this.

The love of money, not money, is root of all evil.

Humpty Dumpty is hard to put back together—and so is trust. — Humpty Dumpty is hard to put back together—and so is **trust**.

“If I loan money to a friend or relative, the relationship will be strained or destroyed. The only relationship that would be enhanced is the kind resulting from one party being the master and the other party a servant.”
Dave Ramsey

There is tremendous satisfaction in working your tail off to hit a goal, then winning. It is worth the work.

I like the way I’ve built wealth better than the way you haven’t.

Outrageous generosity is a character quality of people who win with money. — Outrageous **generosity** is a character quality of people who win with **money**.

I learned early on that work creates discipline, and when you have discipline in your life, you are a healthier person.

“When getting help with money, whether it is insurance, real estate or investments you should always look for a person with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman.”
Dave Ramsey

Your priorities, passions, goals, and fears are shown clearly in the flow of your money. — Your priorities, passions, goals, and fears are shown clearly in the flow of your **money**.

The good thing about principles is that they make life easy. I have heard it said that when someone bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made.

Where you are today is the sum of every choice you’ve ever made. If you don’t like where you are, start making different choices!

Be intense, passionate, and fired up, but about things that matter, things that change your life and your legacy. — Be intense, passionate, and fired up, but about things that matter, things that **change** your life and your **legacy**.

You have the clean canvas of a whole week before you. Paint well.

Every person falls down at some point. Successful people choose to get back up!

Get rich quick doesn’t work. Crock pot mentality always defeats microwave mentality!

Broke people giving financial advice is like a shop teacher with missing fingers.

Rich isn’t an amount of money, it’s a mindset about how you live. If you believe you can win, you can.

Dave Ramsey Short Biography

Born on 3 September 1960 in Antioch, Tennessee, U.S., David Lawrence Ramsey III is America’s trusted voice on money, business, and personal finance.

Having featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, and The Early Show, Dave Ramsey is the 3rd largest radio talk show in America with over 14 million weekly listeners.

He is also the best-selling author of 7 books with a combined sales of 11 million copies worldwide: