I’m home from a week at church camp.  This year, I served as camp director.  As you can no doubt imagine, I’m exhausted!  But, the camp was, by all accounts, a success.  The kids had fun, no one was seriously injured, and the nightly worship services were phenomenal.  Now that camp is over - it’s time to get back to my regular blogging schedule.

While I was away, I spent some time thinking about the people who have inspired me - my personal finance heroes.  I’ll list mine, and then I’d love to hear from you.  Who inspires you?  Who motivates you?  Who helps you?  (If your hero has a website, feel free to link to it in your comments, but please don’t comment spam the site!)

  • Dave Ramsey - What can I say?  The man’s radio program changed my life.  If you read my first post, you’ll see that I mention Dave’s site in the very first paragraph.  While some find him to be a little abrasive, I think he does a great job of motivating people.  Do yourself a solid and read Dave’s best book -  The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness.
  • Larry Burkett - Before he passed away in 2003, Larry hosted a radio program and managed Crown Financial Ministries.  Larry was like Dave - but dialed-down, just a bit.  His book - Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples: A Lifetime Approach to Spending, Saving and Investing inspires me, every time I thumb through it. I really miss listening to Larry on Christian radio.
  • Nickel - A must read, Five Cent Nickel is one of my favorite sites.  And, it’s author, Nickel, is one of my best pf blogging buddies.  I cannot tell you the number of times he’s helped me out, given me tips, and encouraged me.
  • My Papa Harper - My great-grandfather was born January 1, 1900.  He lived 92 years.  The last few years of his life, he lived with our family.  He taught me the value of hard work and honest business dealings.  I’ll never forget riding in his old car as he went from business to business, paying his bills.  He was gentle, kind, thoughtful, and patient.

There you go - my list of personal finance heroes.  Now, it’s your turn!  Who has inspired you?

Side note:  I want to thank all of you who visited the site while I was away.  And, I want to thank those of you who subscribed to the site’s RSS Feed.  As of Saturday, No Credit Needed now has more than 4000 subscribers!  Thank you so much.  (For those who are interested, you can subscribe via RSS or daily email.)