A cookie-cutter approach to a lifestyle he no longer endures. There is a happy medium of using credit/debt to live your life and achieve goals while simultaneously not tanking your life or your ability to retire later. It is true if you live like a peasant for your entire working life you will save money and likely have more for retirement but ****, you can't take it with you, and what's the point of your time here if you can't enjoy some of life's pleasures?
I have incurred and paid off well over a million dollars in debt and it was from day one a strategic choice. At 42 I own a business that makes me a hell of a living and the only debt I have is the house and cars which relative to income isn't much. I could have never done this without debt. I get it, lots of people suck at using debt and making it work for them, but there are people who use it well. I don't know I'd trust someone who declared bankruptcy ever - debt is not hard to figure out and it certainly doesn't require Dave's extreme approaches in many cases.
I'm the same way. I bought rental properties years ago. Hade several mortgages including my own house. The rentals are paid off-as well as my own home. I retired at 55 years of age because I didn't listen to Mr. Ramsey.