I Have a Year to Live and Just Won $100,000 in Fantasy Football

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Have a Year to Live and Just Won $100,000 in Fantasy Football"

The Ramsey Show Highlights – November 6, 2025
Host: Dave Ramsey (with Rachel Cruze)

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Episode Overview

In this moving and thought-provoking episode, a caller named Dave shares his vulnerable situation: facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, supporting his family on a modest disability income, and now—by a twist of fate—winning $100,000 in an NFL fantasy football contest. Dave Ramsey, joined by Rachel Cruze, walks the caller through heartfelt yet practical steps for leveraging this unexpected windfall to provide long-term stability for his wife and children. The central theme of the episode is how to steward a financial “miracle” in a dire situation with love, courage, and foresight.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Caution Against Gambling the Winnings (01:19-01:58)

• Dave Ramsey immediately urges the caller not to risk the newfound money by trying to replicate his luck:
  • Quote: “Don't lose it all trying to replicate it...don't put 100,000 back into sports betting.” — Dave Ramsey (01:19)
  • He frames the win as a miracle and a provision for the family, not a pattern to repeat.

2. Assessing the Family's Financial Reality (02:44-03:58)

• The caller clarifies he and his wife have no assets and are living on disability and his wife's gig income.
• Dave Ramsey recognizes $100,000 is significant but not enough to support the family long-term, especially after the caller passes.

3. Addressing the Hard Conversations About the Future (04:03-04:43)

• Dave Ramsey seeks permission to speak plainly and asks:
  • Quote: “What’s she going to do for a living to raise two children when you’re gone?” — Dave Ramsey (04:14)
• The caller admits attempts to discuss this with his wife haven’t gone well; she’s avoiding the topic out of fear.

4. How to Use the $100,000: Investing in the Wife’s Future (04:43-07:15)

• Dave Ramsey proposes investing a portion of the winnings into training or certification for the caller’s wife, enabling her to earn a solid living.
  • Quote: “If you spent $25,000 and she got a certification in X, Y or Z that allowed her to make 70 or $80,000 a year to be a widowed mom of two...that’s an incredibly good use of that money.” — Dave Ramsey (05:11)
• Rachel Cruze stresses that this doesn’t necessarily mean college; short-term certification or vocational training could be more practical.

5. Exploring Practical Career Options (06:19-07:02)

• The caller suggests cosmetology (hairdressing) as a feasible and familiar path for his wife.
• Rachel Cruze and Dave agree that pursuing a career where she earns beyond minimum wage is critical.

6. Forcing Important Conversations and Action (07:02-07:52)

• Rachel Cruze: “You got to force this conversation...say, all right, we're going to put some money aside that would more than take care of the qualification process for you.” (07:02)
• Dave Ramsey: Reiterates that investing even the bulk of the money in the wife’s earning potential (“education, certification that allows an income to be created”) is the highest-leverage use.

7. The Act of Love in Planning (07:52-End)

• Dave Ramsey closes with empathy, encouraging the family to face these tough conversations not just for survival but as an act of love and responsibility:
  • Quote: “Her not addressing the issue is not going to make you get well...we plan my death every year in detail...and that's an act of love.” — Dave Ramsey (07:52+)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I had a miracle happen. I won $100,000 on NFL fantasy football contestants and I am freaking out and have no idea what to do because I'm sick.”
  — Caller, Dave (00:15)
• "Don't put 100,000 back into sports betting...it's luck, it's whatever. And it's a provision for your family."
  — Dave Ramsey (01:40)
• "What’s she going to do for a living to raise two children when you’re gone?"
  — Dave Ramsey (04:14)
• “If you spent $25,000 and she got a certification... that allowed her to make 70 or $80,000 a year...that's an incredibly good use of that money.”
  — Dave Ramsey (05:11)
• “You got to force this conversation...That would more than take care of the qualification process for you."
  — Rachel Cruze (07:02)
• "We plan my death every year in detail, and that's an act of love."
  — Dave Ramsey (07:52)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Winning the $100,000, facing terminal illness — 00:06-01:19
• Dave’s warning not to gamble the winnings — 01:19-01:58
• Current family finances and living on disability — 02:44-03:58
• Facing the future and discussing wife’s career needs — 04:03-05:09
• Proposal: invest in wife’s job training/certification — 05:09-07:15
• How to approach tough conversations and legacy planning — 07:15-07:52

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The Ramsey Show’s Tone and Delivery

The episode is candid, compassionate, and direct. Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze blend practical money advice with emotional support—never shying away from the gravity of the caller’s situation, but responding with actionable hope and a strong focus on caring for family in the face of hardship.

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For listeners who haven’t heard the episode:
This summary captures the heart and wisdom offered in a real-life crisis—using a financial windfall not for momentary relief, but as a springboard to sustainable security and as an act of deep love for family.

Transcript

[Dave Ramsey]

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[Caller (Dave)]

I am 48 years old, married with 2 kids, and unfortunately have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I've been fighting the disease for a couple of years now, and through that fight, I exhausted my 401 and basically my family has been surviving off of my disability income of $2,800 a month. We don't have any assets, don't own a house or anything like that. And on Sunday, Dave, I had a miracle happen. I won $100,000 on NFL fantasy football contestants and I am freaking out and have no idea what to do because I'm sick. So all the traditional steps that one would take to improve their lives. I just had a loss for words. I'm wondering what you would do.

[Dave Ramsey]

Well, I've never been there, so I'm not positive. What a, what a, what a challenging situation. The. I think the first thing, the first thing that popped into my head is don't lose it all trying to replicate it, you know, in other words, don't. Don't put 100,000 back into sports betting. I know that you probably got your one miracle. I don't think I'd stretched God on this. Okay.

[Caller (Dave)]

Yes.

[Dave Ramsey]

So, yeah, I mean, because that temptation's gotta be there a little bit. Like, hey, now I've got this thing figured out. No, you don't. Like you said, you called it a miracle. It's luck. It's whatever. And it's a provision for your family. But don't, for God's sakes, don't use it to create more bedding. Okay. Is that fair? Meet everydollar budgeters, Christy and Steve.

[Caller (Dave)]

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[Dave Ramsey]

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[Caller (Dave)]

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[Dave Ramsey]

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[Caller (Dave)]

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[Dave Ramsey]

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[Caller (Dave)]

Yes. Yes, absolutely.

[Dave Ramsey]

That's the first thing that pops into my mind then. I don't know that, I mean, 100,000 is a lot more than you had. And it's a good thing. It's certainly not enough to sustain a family of three, a wife and two kids if you're in heaven, Right?

[Caller (Dave)]

Correct.

[Dave Ramsey]

So it does help, though we're not, you know, wonderful. I'm glad you got it so how do we make that work? You guys have got your household budget currently set up on the disability. You're living on 28.

[Caller (Dave)]

It's difficult. My wife, oh, I would imagine a gig job. So she's, you know, if she brings in 100 bucks a day, we're lucky.

[Dave Ramsey]

So what's her job, Peter?

[Caller (Dave)]

To pay Paul.

[Dave Ramsey]

What's her job? What is her job?

[Caller (Dave)]

She's like a. She delivers groceries, like big app, you know, like a doordash type thing.

[Dave Ramsey]

Where is her family? In your family?

[Caller (Dave)]

I, I just have. My dad is the only one left and her family is all here with us. So she has that support when something does happen to me.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay.

[Caller (Dave)]

I've never heard you at a loss for words.

[Dave Ramsey]

Well, I, I'm trying to think of. I'm gonna speak plainly. Okay. Can I have permission to do that?

[Caller (Dave)]

Absolutely.

[Dave Ramsey]

What's she going to do for a living to raise two children when you're gone?

[Caller (Dave)]

I've tried to have that conversation with her. It never turned out how I like. I don't think she knows.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah.

[Caller (Dave)]

And I think she is putting it off.

[Dave Ramsey]

Well, she's afraid if she says it out loud that it's going to happen.

[Caller (Dave)]

Yes.

[Dave Ramsey]

I mean, I don't. I understand that's. We all process this thing differently. So. Yeah. What I would use the hundred thousand for is to cause her to get trained, certified in whatever it is she's going to do to raise these two kids. Assuming your doctors are correct.

[Caller (Dave)]

Yeah, no, they are.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. You see what I'm saying? So, I mean, if you spent $25,000 and she got a certification in X, Y or Z that allowed her to make 70 or $80,000 a year to be a widowed mom of two. That's the, that's an incredibly good use of that money as far as I'm concerned.

[Rachel Cruze]

Yeah. But I don't hear Dave say that she's got to go to college. We're not saying that. We're saying we're going to find something very practical. Does not take very long to get qualified. It does not cost a ton. But it allows her to make a very decent living to be able to take care of her and the kiddos.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'm. Okay, let me give you another example. I would include college as a possibility if it.

[Rachel Cruze]

Yes.

[Dave Ramsey]

So like for instance, has she got a four year degree? No.

[Caller (Dave)]

And we're 50. So telling her to go back to college. I don't think that she.

[Dave Ramsey]

I don't want to tell her to do anything. I want her to be Able to have enough income to feed her kids and live. That's all I want her to do. But for her sake, I'm trying to.

[Rachel Cruze]

Help her put you on the spot because, you know, we're better than us and we can't talk to her.

[Dave Ramsey]

What should she do?

[Rachel Cruze]

What would you have her do? Knowing her the way you know her.

[Caller (Dave)]

I. I would have her get something like a hairdressing license or.

[Dave Ramsey]

Or.

[Caller (Dave)]

Or something like that to where that she could, you know, maybe, you know, start something on her own or go rent a chair. But at least she would make more than minimum wage with something.

[Rachel Cruze]

Of course.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah, you need to make more than minimum wage.

[Rachel Cruze]

Is she intrigued by that? Ever talked about that kind of work?

[Caller (Dave)]

When we first got together, I had actually offered to do that, and, you know, we were so young that she didn't take me up on my offer. And, you know.

[Rachel Cruze]

Yeah, well, again, I think Dave's right. I would set that aside with her and say, hey, here are a couple options. Let her do some research. You got to force this conversation. And then say, all right, we're going to put some money aside. That would more than take care of the qualification process for you.

[Dave Ramsey]

But if she took $30,000 or $40,000 to live on and spent 60 during one year to get this thing that allows her to make 70 or 80 or whatever the rest of her life that's providing for her and for the kids, and I can't think of anything that's going to be a better investment that's going to even come close to that kind of a return other than education, certification that allows an income to be created. Right?

[Caller (Dave)]

Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah. I think that's. Your provision to me is to set up a sustainable provision. And it's hard to talk about because it's, you know, you don't. It's. It's. Man, it's painful. What y' all are going through is horrible. I'm so sorry, but. But not talking about. It's probably not a plan. And. And so her not addressing the issue is not going to make you get well. You're going to get well independent of whether she addresses the issue. I'm not ill, but we plan my death every year in detail. If something happens to Dave this year, how does the remaining parties survive? And we go into it in detail, and that's an act of love. Create your free every dollar budget today. The simplest way to budget for your life.