Dave Ramsey isn't a retirement guy, and he doesn't preach minimalism to those who have no debt. He wants you to get out of debt and become rich. But then, spend away!
I can't believe I'm defending Dave Ramsey :(
I slipped that in there just to give myself a good chuckle. Perhaps DR's main message isn't retirement, but he certainly does spend a lot of time talking about retirement planning. As for his trophy-house, I think it's still a good example because I think it conflicts with the end of his 7-step program, where he says people can: "Build wealth, become insanely generous, and leave an inheritance for future generations. " 13,000+ft2, $5MM home isn't really good for any of those things.
Meh, it was just meant to be a light-hearted jab. Tkae it how you will...