I'm 61 With No Retirement

Summary

The Ramsey Show Highlights

Episode: I'm 61 With No Retirement
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Dave Ramsey (Speaker B)
Caller: Jenny (Speaker A)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Ramsey takes a call from Jenny, a 61-year-old newly single woman with no retirement savings. Jenny has $22,000 from the sale of her house, works part-time as a cashier, and is feeling overwhelmed, scared, and stressed about her financial future. The conversation focuses on practical steps Jenny can take to increase her income, given her physical limitations, and regain hope for her retirement years.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jenny’s Current Situation

• Newly single and recently divorced (00:33–00:41)
• Living in rental housing after selling her house in Oregon; has $22,000 leftover (00:13–00:42)
• Works part-time (25 hours/week) as a cashier, but struggles physically due to bad knees (00:46–01:04)
• No retirement savings whatsoever (01:53–01:56)
• Feels scared and stressed about her finances and future (02:09–02:11)

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Identifying the Core Issue: Income, Not Assets

• Dave emphasizes that Jenny’s main problem is not lack of retirement savings, but low and unstable income:
  • “Your problem is an income problem.” — Dave (02:38)
  • If Jenny could make even $50,000 a year, “all the stress and the fear starts to go away, because it all really revolves and goes back to that one thing.” — Dave (02:54)
• Past employment: Jenny maxed out at $36,000/year as a municipal airport custodian (03:22), but can no longer do that work physically (03:43)

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Exploring Viable Job Options

• Traditional jobs are challenging due to age and health limitations (04:16–04:19)

• Dave asks about other experience:

  • Jenny has been a caregiver and a cook (04:32–04:35)
  • Caregiving is no longer possible due to her knees and back (04:38–04:45)
  • Cooking is still an option (04:47–04:48)

• Dave encourages Jenny to dream about self-employed or flexible work options that fit her physical needs:

  • “A 61-year-old with bad knees looking for a job is tough… If we dream up something you could physically do, that’d be pretty cool.” — Dave (03:59–04:18)
  • Examples include making $25–$50/hr cleaning houses, but acknowledges this probably won’t work for Jenny’s knees (03:45–03:59)
  • Suggests utilizing skills and interests, like cooking or crafts

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Leveraging the “Stuff” She Owns: Online Reselling

• Jenny mentions she enjoys upcycling and has a storage unit full of items that could be sold (05:42)
• Dave proposes selling items on eBay and Facebook Marketplace, with technical help from family or friends:
  • “Let’s get a Facebook Marketplace up and use that to sell the crap off…you can make a hundred thousand dollars a year screwing around with that.” — Dave (06:17–06:34)
• Encourages learning new technical skills, noting that age isn’t a barrier:
  • “I’m 65 and I’ve learned enough of it to get through it…you can learn how to do it.” — Dave (06:34–06:53)
• Inspirational example: A man who resold golf clubs made $800,000/year on eBay (07:14–07:22)

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Emotional Support & Encouragement

• Dave empathetically acknowledges Jenny’s fear and stress, and shifts the conversation to a place of hope:
  • “I want to stick my head up through the fog of the fear and start looking for the sunshine again and start aiming at something.” — Dave (05:04–05:19)
• He labels transitional periods normal and assures Jenny she still “got stuff you can do” (05:21)
• Encourages small but practical first steps and positive mindset change

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You’re a cashier, and you can't stand, and you got 25 hours a week. So we need a new job.” — Dave (01:24)
• “Mathematically, you don’t have any money, is my point.” — Dave (01:40)
• “Your problem is an income problem.” — Dave (02:38)
• “I want to stick my head up through the fog of the fear and start looking for the sunshine again.” — Dave (05:04)
• “You can make a hundred thousand dollars a year screwing around with that.” — Dave (06:34)
• “I’m 65 and I’ve learned enough of it to get through it…” — Dave (06:34)

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Summary | |-----------|----------------| | 00:13–00:41 | Jenny describes her situation: newly single, low funds, no retirement | | 00:42–02:09 | Dave probes into Jenny's work and income struggle; identifies income as key issue | | 02:09–03:45 | Discussion of stress, past jobs, and physical limitations | | 03:59–05:04 | Brainstorming potential career paths; self-employment possibilities | | 05:42–06:34 | Discussion on selling/upcycling on online marketplaces | | 06:34–07:22 | Tech learning encouragement; inspirational example of online reselling success |

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Action Steps & Closing Advice

• Immediate steps for Jenny:

  • Get help to list and sell items online (eBay, Facebook Marketplace)
  • Explore side-income possibilities that don't strain her physically
  • Consider reading The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman for more career ideas

• General advice:
  “Start with what you have, take small steps out of the fog, and know it’s never too late to turn things around.”

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This episode is a compassionate, practical guide for anyone facing financial uncertainty later in life—reminding listeners that while the past may not have set you up, your next steps can reshape your future.

Transcript

[A]

Brought to you by chm, a biblically based alternative to health insurance. Learn [e-mail] budget I'm 61 years old, newly single. I live in lansome housing. I have 22,000 left over from the sale of my house in Oregon, and I don't know what to do.

[B]

Newly single, divorced.

[A]

Sorry, what did you say?

[B]

You said newly single. Are you divorced?

[A]

Yes, sir.

[B]

Okay. What do you do for a living?

[A]

I work at a training center. I'm a cashier, but I only get about 25 hours a week.

[B]

Okay, so what are we doing to get a better job? That one sucks.

[A]

There. Because of my bad knees. I. I have a. I have a bunch of stuff in a storage unit that needs to be sold.

[B]

That one. What? I asked. I asked what you're doing to get a better job. The job you have sucks.

[A]

Nothing right now, okay?

[B]

You're a cashier and you can't stand. And you got 20 and you got 25 hours a week. So we need to. We need a new job.

[A]

Yes, sir. That's true.

[B]

You're starving to death.

[A]

Not technically, because I still have the.

[B]

Technically, but I mean finance. Mathematically, you don't have any money, is my point.

[A]

That is correct.

[B]

And the reason is, is you don't have much income. So we've got to work on your career, kiddo.

[A]

Yeah, and I have no retirement. Zero.

[B]

Well, we've got to work on your career, kiddo. You got 22,000 in the bank, and you're. You're living in a rental property and you sold your house. You've gone through a divorce, okay? And you're scared, which is understandable, okay?

[A]

Not to mention stressed.

[B]

Yeah, stressed and scared. Now that's fair. Okay? But let's just pretend for a second. If we could wave a wand and. We don't have a wand, and we're not going to do it. But let's pretend for a second. Let's say you started making $50,000 a year.

[A]

I've never made 50,000 a year.

[B]

I said let's pretend, okay? Go with me on the ride, girl. All right, here we go. You're making $50,000 a year. You have $4,000 a month coming in. You're 61. You have $22,000 in the bank. All of a sudden, everything changes. My point of this pretend, right, is that your problem is an income problem.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so when I fix the income problem in our pretend right or our dream here, for a second, all the stress and the fear starts to go away because it's all really revolves and goes back to that one thing and that's our biggest deal here. So have you got any. You got some bad knees. Okay. Do you have a degree in anything?

[A]

No, sir.

[B]

What's the most you've ever made?

[A]

36,000.

[B]

Cool. What were you doing?

[A]

I was working at a municipal airport as a custodian, working for the city.

[B]

Cool. How long ago was that?

[A]

Two years.

[B]

Not bad at all. Okay, well, could you still do that kind of work physically?

[A]

No, sir.

[B]

The knees have gone.

[A]

Huh? Can. Yep.

[B]

Okay. All right. Because I was about to put you into the maid service business because you can make 25 to $50 an hour cleaning people's houses. But that's probably not going to work here. Okay?

[A]

No, no.

[B]

So this is how I want us to be. This is how I want us to be thinking. I want to be thinking about what we can do that gets Jenny's income rocking. And it might be a self employed thing because that way you can kind of control it rather than just looking for a job. A 61 year old with bad knees looking for a job is tough.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay. But if we dream up something that you could physically do, that'd be pretty cool. Okay. What's another good job you've had in the past?

[A]

I've been a caregiver. I've been a cook.

[B]

Oh, those are great.

[A]

I can't do caregiving anymore though because of my knees and my back. Yeah.

[B]

You could cook?

[A]

Yes, sir, I can cook.

[B]

Okay, there we go. Let's talk about that a minute. I don't know, I'm just. I'm just dreaming with you here because I do know that 25 hours a week as a cashier is not our plan. It's not going to get us where we need to go. So we. Something's got to change. You agree with me on that?

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

All right, kiddo. All right. So I think you can do this. We've just got to start. You know, I want to stick my head up through the fog of the fear and start looking for the sunshine again and start aiming at something. That's where I'm trying to go with this conversation. Okay.

[A]

Yeah. Yep.

[B]

And because I think, I think you still got stuff you can do and I don't know exactly what it is, but I'm going to go figure out something that I start making 25, $30 an hour and I'm able to do 40 or 50 hours a week, and I'm able to do it with your back and your knees and that's possible. There's things you can do with your mind and with your cooking. It doesn't always have to be manual labor. Right?

[A]

Right. I love the upcycle. I've got a bunch of furniture that needs to be sold. It's fixed and sold. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

You ever been on ebay?

[A]

I.

[B]

You ever been on Facebook marketplace?

[A]

Technically challenged.

[B]

Ever been on facebook marketplace? Could someone help you get a little Facebook marketplace account set up? You need grandkids around. Take some iPhone pictures and list it your grandkids to show you how to set up an ebay store and a Facebook marketplace store. Let's start buying stuff at garage sales and reselling it.

[A]

I'd love that, but I already have enough stuff here to sell.

[B]

Well, go ahead and sell. Let's start with that stuff. You got a good inventory to get started. Let's get a Facebook marketplace up and use that to sell the crap off. I can get that storage unit cleaned out, and then you can go buy a chair for $2 at a garage sale and sell it for $50 on eBay.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And you can make a hundred thousand dollars a year screwing around with that. This is exciting. I'm. Now I'm excited. Jenny, this is going to be great, but you're going to have to get somebody to teach you this technical stuff. But hey, I'm. I'm 65 and I've learned enough of it to get through it. I can. I mean, I. There is one guy that works here that fixes all the stuff I break. But other than that, I mean, you can learn how to do it. You can do it. Hey, hang on. I'm going to send you a copy of Ken Coleman's book proximity principle, which will help you with your career idea. But I think you need to. I think you need to start buying some stuff on ebay and Facebook marketplace. Try that out on the side. Yeah. There was a guy one year that made. What was it? He made $800,000 only reselling golf clubs.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

He would buy used golf clubs at a garage sale, shine them up, and resell them on ebay, and he made 800k in one year.

[A]

CHM isn't health insurance. It's a health cost sharing ministry. Check it out for [e-mail] budget.