ARA Review by Mohammedwooz of Debt Cleanse

[Mohammedwooz]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, Debt Cleanse.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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I give it 3 out of 5

With its "Get out of debt free (almost)" approach, Debt Cleanse appears to be unique. The book has elicited mixed reactions from me.


It does provide extremely in-depth information about the various types of debt and the steps you can take to avoid letting debt ruin your life, as many people quickly discover. The mindset of "buy now, enjoy now, pay later" pervades our society. This is a very in-depth book that explains each kind of debt in great detail and how it benefits and harms you.


I noticed right away that the author frequently referred to a website or business where you can get out of debt with their assistance and pay less for their legal services. Give me a moment. Do you end up paying this company the ten cents on the dollar that the author suggests you pay to the rest of your creditors, if at all, if you follow all of the advice in this book? I have no faith in it.


Things about this book that I didn't like: The first piece of advice was to keep all the money you suddenly decided not to use to pay your debts as "cash-stash," which you will then use to help negotiate either paying a small amount on the original debt OR buying things you need (e.g. a car) right out. Not that keeping cash on hand or using cash for such purchases is a bad thing. My problem is that many people who are in a lot of debt often have trouble managing their money in the first place. The idea of "stashing" more and more money away for a rainy day seems a little risky and might not happen.


The second issue I had with this solution was that, in the event that they receive a judgment and begin garnishing your wages, you should simply quit and find a new job—more than once. I don't think this is the best advice. The advice to not own anything comes before this, as nothing can be taken from you if you don't own it. However, since you are not the owner, you must decide who you will entrust to own it on your behalf. That may be somewhat risky.


The attitude that it is acceptable to borrow or use money, sign agreements, take out loans, etc., and then break those agreements and not take responsibility for your actions or debt was probably the most troubling aspect of the book for me. It's a case of "them versus us," where it's okay to take what we don't pay for and bad for the creditor because, after all, they don't need the money because they're rich. Which appears to be closely related to the viewpoint that the creditors don't deserve to be wealthy because they have made it so that all of these poor people have to live beyond their means.


No, they did not really pressure you to get a credit card or buy those things on credit. The author argues that it is generally acceptable to not pay for what you have taken. That is theft, and it is wrong where I grew up.

Having said that, this book contains excellent advice on how to deal with debt collectors and repo men, all of which appears to be based on the law and what is and is not legal.

Even though I would check the advice against the laws in your state or country, there is nothing wrong with knowing your legal rights and being educated.

This book may be of great assistance to you in safeguarding your rights because there are numerous dishonest debt collectors out there.


You might be surprised to learn that I would suggest purchasing this book for a few dollars to anyone who is having trouble paying off a lot of debt.

There is a lot of information in this that could be very useful and help someone get out of a lot of debt. Take care. Something is not right just because it is legal.

I'd like to see some advice in this book to help people avoid getting into debt in the first place. Like making a budget, paying for things with cash, saving that money, avoiding loans with high interest rates, living within your means, and balancing what you want and need.

Learn what can and cannot be done about your debt by reading the book. You do so at your own risk by following the advice.

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