Do I Have Permission To Go To Italy?

Summary

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
In this lighthearted yet practical episode of The Ramsey Show Highlights, a caller seeks Dave Ramsey and Jade Warshaw’s “permission” to attend two expensive destination weddings (in Italy and Sri Lanka) now that she and her husband are following the Ramsey plan and out of debt. The hosts discuss how to responsibly approach large discretionary expenses and lay out a “financially responsible adult checklist” for navigating such decisions, blending humor and actionable advice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Situation Breakdown ([00:06]–[02:22])

• Caller’s Dilemma: Recently out of debt (on Baby Step 4), the caller and her husband are disputing the financial wisdom of spending ~$10,000 on international travel for her stepsister’s and best friend’s weddings.
• Financial Snapshot: They’re budgeting with EveryDollar, saving steadily, and have about $2,000 per month in possible savings if they earmark funds in advance.
• Trip Details: Italy in May with her husband and toddler; Sri Lanka in August, just the caller attending.

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The Financially Responsible Adult Checklist ([02:45]–[04:23])

Jade presents a 5-point framework allowing for confident, values-driven spending:

1. Are you on a budget?
   Caller: “Yes.”
   Jade: “Check, check.” ([03:05])

2. Are you out of debt and planning to stay out?
   Caller: “Yes.”
   Jade: “Check, check.” ([03:08])

3. Do you have proper insurances (especially life insurance)?
   Caller: “We both have life insurance.”
   Jade: “Okay, that’s number three.” ([03:35]–[03:38])

4. Are you saving for the future (emergency fund, retirement, house)?
   Caller: “Yes, we’re in escrow right now actually.”
   Jade & Dave: “That’s four out of four.” ([04:09]–[04:12])

5. Are you prioritizing generosity?
   Caller: “Yeah, we tithe.”
   Jade: “Listen, that’s all you need. That’s all you need.” ([04:21]–[04:27])

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The Decision & Permission ([04:27]–[05:25])

• Dave’s verdict: “The fact that you guys can actually cash flow this, this is a no brainer. Tell hubs that you have two yeses.” ([04:35])
• Jade’s reinforcement: “Yes.” ([05:22])
• Dave’s punchline: “This isn’t American Idol. So you only need two.” ([05:22])
• The hosts officially support the caller’s plan to attend both weddings, given her robust financial posture.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Approaching Willpower vs. Permission:

  “Alexandra, the tough one to get through is gonna always be Jade. She’s just tougher than me.”
  — Dave Ramsey ([04:27])

  “I lift with weights, kid.”
  — Jade Warshaw ([04:33])

• Dave on Wedding Attendance:

  “Does any man ever want to go to a wedding? ... The destination doesn’t zing it up for you?”
  — Jade Warshaw ([06:04]–[06:11])

  “No. In fact, if Stacey said to me tonight, hey, we’ve been invited to a wedding in Barbados... if you say you gotta go to the ceremony, I’m telling you I have a bad attitude about going to Barbados.”
  — Dave Ramsey ([06:16]–[06:37])

  “If she said to me, well, you don’t have to go to the ceremony, then I would be like, oh, I’m totally in right now.”
  — Dave Ramsey ([06:21])

  “Well, my follow up question is, is there rum at the reception?”
  — Dave Ramsey ([07:13])

• Humorous Banter:

  “You’re just her sidekick.”
  — Jade Warshaw ([06:37])

  “Straight to the drink, straight...”
  — Dave Ramsey ([07:12])

• Meta-clarification:

  “Let’s just be very clear to our greater audience here, she doesn’t need our permission. We’re having a little bit of fun with this.”
  — Dave Ramsey ([05:37])

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:06] — Caller presents her dilemma
• [01:20] — Trip destinations and cost exploration
• [02:29] — Savings and budgeting details
• [02:45]–[04:27] — The “financially responsible adult checklist”
• [04:35]–[05:25] — Dave & Jade give their official 'yes,' reinforce responsible spending
• [06:04]–[07:18] — Dave & Jade riff on men attending weddings, humorously detailing Dave’s wedding attendance preferences

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Takeaways

• Big expenses are okay when you’re on a budget, out of debt, saving, insured, and giving.
• Communication and shared financial values are crucial in marriage, especially with large discretionary purchases.
• The hosts encourage fun and experiences—responsibly:

  “The fact you guys can actually cash flow this, this is a no brainer.” — Dave Ramsey ([04:35])

• Humor and relatability make tough financial conversations more accessible.

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Summary

This episode blends practical financial wisdom with camaraderie and humor. Jade and Dave confirm that meticulous planning and discipline open the door for guilt-free spending on meaningful experiences—like international weddings—serving both as a checklist for responsible spending and a reminder that permission ultimately lies with the disciplined decision-makers themselves.

Transcript

[Dave Ramsey]

Brought to you by the EveryDollar app. Start budgeting for free today.

[Caller]

I'm calling because I have a question, but my husband and I, we're not in total agreement on how to spend money now that we're out of debt. We are on baby step four, and we're in the process of buying a home, and we're trying to do it the Ramsey way, but now that we're in a better spot, just learning how to spend money now, what it looks like specifically, my debt step sister and my best friend are both getting married out of the country this year, and I was hoping to attend their wedding, even though doing so will be expensive. And my husband feels like traveling like this is really, like, financially irresponsible.

[Jade]

Oh.

[Caller]

But he said if I called you guys and got your permission, that we could go. So this is our favorite.

[Dave Ramsey]

You couldn't have, in my opinion, couldn't have got two better co hosts today because we have disagreed on these things from time to time. And I'll just tell you, I don't know. I'm usually more lenient. I don't know if we'll disagree to Jade. We don't know. It's starting off pretty good.

[Jade]

Yeah, I heard baby step four, so it's already looking good.

[Dave Ramsey]

Couple quick clarifying questions. You said two weddings, yes?

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

Stepsister and best friend.

[Caller]

Yes.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. And where are both weddings?

[Caller]

One is in Italy and one is in Sri Lanka.

[Dave Ramsey]

Oh, neither one of those are discount airlines, so that's. That's going to be expensive. Have you run the numbers on what these trips are going to cost? Both together?

[Caller]

I think together would be about $10,000.

[Jade]

What's the time frame? Are they both over the summer or are they spread out at all?

[Caller]

One is in May and one is in August.

[Dave Ramsey]

Oh, lordy.

[Jade]

Which one's in May?

[Caller]

The Italy one.

[Jade]

Is that. Is that the best friend? No, that's the stepsister.

[Caller]

Yes.

[Jade]

Okay, is.

[Dave Ramsey]

Is hubs included in this number? Is he going with you on both?

[Caller]

He's going with me to one. Not for the other, though, because we have a toddler and we think it'd be too much for the toddler.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

100. So, by the way, it's. So just clarifying, it's 10,000 for you to go to both and him to go to one.

[Caller]

Right.

[Jade]

Which one is he going to?

[Caller]

The one with my stepsister in Italy.

[Jade]

Okay, good choice. So the first one.

[Dave Ramsey]

Good choice. I like his choice. So do you have the money? Do you have the money set aside?

[Caller]

Not yet, but right now we do every dollar and we have about like 2,000 after like retirement and all of our necessary expenses. So I think if we save for the next couple of months, we could easily save up for it. But we haven't done so. Yes.

[Jade]

Okay, so I love solving these with what I'm going to call the financially responsible adult checklist, which is going to give you some freedom here.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'm glad you're doing. Listen, I've already.

[Jade]

I'm ready.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'm already ready to decide. I'm already ready. I've already decided.

[Jade]

I mean I think I have two, but I'm giving her the framework on how we arrived.

[Dave Ramsey]

This is good.

[Jade]

So there's five things in the financially responsible adult checklist. Number one, are you a person who's on a budget? Yes. You mentioned every dollar beautifully, several times. Check, check. Number two, are you a person who is out of debt and plans to stay out of debt? Check, check. Number three, are you a person who carries the proper insurances? Now this means have you started your term life insurance? You've got a little one there. One of you depends on each other's income. If you haven't done that, you need to do that before you make this.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay, let's get an answer. Where are we at on that one?

[Caller]

We both have life insurance.

[Dave Ramsey]

Check.

[Jade]

I had lasso. Okay, that's number three is are you a person who is saving for the future? Now this means three things. You've got your baby step one. You already did that. You've got baby step three in place.

[Caller]

Yes, yes, yes. That's retirement, right?

[Jade]

No, no, no. Baby step three is three to six months of expense.

[Caller]

Yes.

[Dave Ramsey]

She said they were on baby step four, is that right?

[Jade]

Okay, and you're act. You're actively doing the 15 to retirement, right? And are you actively putting something towards a down payment on a house? You mentioned that.

[Caller]

Yes. We're in escrow right now actually.

[Jade]

Yes.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. That's four out of four.

[Jade]

That's four. And then there's a fifth one. The fifth one on the financially responsible list is are you prioritizing generosity?

[Caller]

Yeah, we tithe.

[Jade]

Listen, that's all you need. That's all you need. Well, everything else is you just.

[Dave Ramsey]

Alexandra, the tough one to get through is gonna always be Jade. She's just tougher than me. She just is. No surprise.

[Jade]

I lift with weights, kid.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yes, you do. And, and showing off the guns again. So the fact that you guys can actually cash flow, this, this is a no brainer. Tell hubs that you have two. Yeses, George here, look.

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[Dave Ramsey]

You have two yeses.

[Jade]

Yes.

[Dave Ramsey]

And this is an American Idol. So you only need two.

[Jade]

In the words of Clubber. In the words of Clubber Lang.

[Dave Ramsey]

Ding, ding, ding, ding. I love the Rocky reference. Fantastic. Alexander sounds like it's going to be a.

[Jade]

Have fun.

[Caller]

Oh, thank you.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. And good for you by the way. Love that you guys. And by the way, let's just be very clear to our greater audience here, she doesn't need our permission. We're having a little bit of fun with this. But I love that you listen to Jade walk through those five boxes. That's fantastic. And in this case, I love too that they were like, I'll go to the one in Sri Lanka and I'll stay back. That's great. You don't always have to both be there.

[Jade]

Yeah, you don't have to do that.

[Dave Ramsey]

It's the thought that counts.

[Jade]

Plus, let's be honest, does any man ever want to go to a wedding? Ken.

[Dave Ramsey]

No. I've been very clear on this.

[Jade]

No dude ever wants to even, even a destination wedding. The destination doesn't zing it up for you?

[Dave Ramsey]

No. In fact, if Stacey said to me tonight, hey, we've been invited to a wedding in Barbados.

[Jade]

You love Barbados.

[Dave Ramsey]

I love and been to Barbados. But I would be in but slightly irritated and if she said to me, well, you don't have to go to the ceremony, then I would be like, oh, I'm totally in right now.

[Jade]

You're just her sidekick.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'm just travel buddy. And yeah, travel buddy, we're there in Barbados. I don't have to go to the ceremony. But if you say you gotta go to the ceremony, I'm telling you I have a bad attitude about going to Barbados. And this is my point exactly, which I shouldn't have ever.

[Jade]

Now what if it was all you have to do is go to the the reception. Does that change it? No. No ceremony, only reception.

[Dave Ramsey]

No one's ever asked me this before.

[Jade]

Yeah, that does change it.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. Because I think I don't have to sit through the ceremony. All the formality, straight to the drink, straight.

[Jade]

Straight to the wedding cake.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. Well, my follow up question is, is there rum at the reception?

[Jade]

There better be. It's in Barbados.

[Dave Ramsey]

Then I'm in. Create your free every dollar budget today. The simplest way to budget for your life.