We Live In A Hotel And My Wife Is Pregnant, How Can I Get Ahead?

Summary

The Ramsey Show Highlights

Episode: We Live In A Hotel And My Wife Is Pregnant, How Can I Get Ahead?
Date: February 16, 2026
Host: Ramsey Network Advisors
Guest: Young man (21) facing housing and financial crisis with pregnant wife (24)

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a desperate call from a young man living in a hotel with his pregnant wife. Recently, their only car—integral for their Instacart income—was totaled. Struggling with debt, little savings, and no family support, the couple faces imminent homelessness. Ramsey Network advisors tackle how to triage their crisis through immediate action, job-seeking, and seeking help from local resources.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Caller’s Background & Current Situation

• Living arrangements:
  • Couple has been living in a hotel since July due to family issues.
  • Caller: “We want to get out of it. First, we need to get a new car. Second, we want to get out of this hotel because she's pregnant.” (00:24)
  • Rent: $1400/month for the hotel. (01:05)
• Financial status:
  • Used to earn ~$800/week via Instacart (both working together, sharing one car). (01:17)
  • Car was paid for in cash but recently totaled; only had liability insurance—no reimbursement for their loss. (03:01)
  • “Not enough to keep us afloat for like another week maybe.” (03:36)
  • Approx $10,000 in credit card debt (caller: $5–6K, wife: ~$4K). (03:46–03:55)

2. Loss of Instacart Income & Employment Gaps

• Why Instacart?
  • Left prior marketing job due to low pay and lack of overtime compensation.
  • “I just had to quit my job because I wasn’t getting paid well enough for us to survive.” (01:37)
• Current job prospects:
  • Hotel has no open positions—even cleaning jobs are taken. (02:13–02:26)
  • Advisors push: Both must find work within walking or bus distance, immediately—fast food, Walmart, Target, Kroger, etc. (03:08)
    • “I don’t care if it’s walking down to the nearest fast food place or... Walmart or Target. You gotta get something...” (03:14)

3. Immediate Survival Priorities

• Getting out of the hotel and avoiding homelessness is the urgent focus.
• Advisors assert:
  • “This is the gap between you guys and homelessness... You don’t even have a car to sleep in at this point.” (05:34)
  • Make a list (top 10) of all potential employers within a 2–3 mile radius. (05:14–05:34)
  • Both should apply in-person everywhere nearby—Kroger, Waffle House, McDonald’s, etc.
  • Pick up survival work—even if menial—right away.
• Leverage any relationship with hotel management to defer weekly rent payments to a monthly basis, buying more time. (04:39, 08:32)

4. Reaching Out to the Community for Support

• No reliable friends/family or church network:
  • “Honestly, no” (to family or friends who could help) (04:08)
• Advisors’ strategy:
  • After applying to local jobs, approach local churches—seek both compassion and work opportunities.
    • “Can we serve and get a wage? Is there something that we can earn some money?” (06:29)
  • Frame the request as willingness to work, not just asking for benevolence.
• The caller mentions a Catholic church helped once before; advisors encourage returning and looking for further opportunities to earn through service. (06:41–06:58)

5. Longer-term Planning

• Gradual steps out of crisis: bicycle → moped → “beater” car → stability. (07:30)
• For now, focus on basics: food, shelter, heat.
• Post-crisis: Look for a marketing job again when stability allows.
• Advisors caution against a passive mindset:
  • “At some point we have to just look in the mirror and go, dude, I can only control the guy in the mirror. And everything can’t just happen to us. You have to start happening to your life.” (07:30)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On urgency:
  • Advisor 1: “This is the gap between you guys and homelessness. You don’t even have a car to sleep in at this point.” (05:34)
• On mindset:
  • Advisor 1: “At some point we have to just look in the mirror and go, dude, I can only control the guy in the mirror. And everything can’t just happen to us. You have to start happening to your life.” (07:30)
• On survival tactics:
  • Advisor 2: “That’s your homework... Make a list of everything within a two to three mile radius... apply at every one of those locations until you get a job.” (05:14)
• On transparency with community:
  • Advisor 1: “We’re scared. We’re borderline homelessness. We’re just, we’re good people. We just want to find some honest work.” (06:23)

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Timeline of Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|-------------------------------------------| | 00:11 | Caller explains dire situation | | 01:05 | Details of hotel stay and costs | | 01:17 | Income breakdown from Instacart | | 01:37 | Discussion of prior work, challenges | | 03:01 | Loss of car; only liability insurance | | 03:36 | Caller shares remaining cash/debt | | 04:03 | Advisors ask about community/familial help | | 05:14 | Advisors provide immediate action steps | | 06:09 | Strategic advice on reaching out to churches| | 07:30 | Mindset reset and long-term planning | | 08:07 | Advisors recap action plan | | 08:43 | Closing encouragement: “Stay warm, stay fed. Four walls, man.” (Advisor 1) |

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Action Plan (Advisor Summary)

1. List & apply at every nearby employer:

   • “...everything that’s in a two to three mile radius: Waffle House, Kroger, McDonald’s, everything… you’re going to apply at every one of those locations until you get a job.” (05:14)

2. Leverage local churches for work/support:

   • Request work, not just assistance: “Can we serve and get a wage?... We really need help and we’re willing to work…” (06:23, 06:29)

3. Negotiate with hotel for extension on rent:

   • “Can I pay you the rent at the end of the month instead of at the end of this week?...hopefully going to be your saving grace here…” (08:32)

4. Secure the four basic needs:

   • “Stay warm, stay fed. Four walls, man. That’s all you need to cover right now. Don’t worry about the credit cards right now. We’ll get there.” (08:43)

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Takeaway

This episode is a raw, action-focused intervention for a young couple on the brink of homelessness. Advisors move quickly from empathy to practical, tough-love guidance—urging the caller to tap all nearby resources, reset his mindset from passive to proactive, and handle immediate survival, before focusing on bigger financial goals. The message is clear: control what you can, do the next right thing, and don’t be afraid to ask for help—while being willing to work for it.

Transcript

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[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

And we just totaled our car to that we use for Instacart. How do we recover?

[Advisor 1]

From what part?

[Advisor 2]

The hotel.

[Advisor 1]

All three.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

All three?

[Advisor 2]

Yeah.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, so you want to get out of the hotel?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

We want to get out of it. First, we need to get a new car. Second, we want to get out of this hotel because she's pregnant.

[Advisor 1]

And how long have you been in the hotel? And why?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

That's why. Because some family things with her family and I kind of. We lived up in Columbus and she had some stuff going on with her family and we decided to move.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, did you. So you did not have your own place prior to this? You were living with family?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

I was living with my parents.

[Advisor 2]

How old are you guys?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

I'm 21. She's 24.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, so you're in the hotel. How long have you been in the hotel?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Since about July.

[Advisor 2]

Oh, boy.

[Advisor 1]

Goodness. What? What's the rate to stay there?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

It's like, it's expensive. It's like 1400amonth or something.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, 1400amonth. And what's your income? I mean, I know the car got totaled, but what are you earning?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

So we were earning about like $800 a week.

[Advisor 1]

Was that both of you doing Instacart or what?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

That was both of us doing it.

[Advisor 1]

Together in one car.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, Can I ask why? Why? Why. Why is one of you not working outside of the car?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Basically, so we. I was, but then I just had to quit my job because I wasn't getting paid well enough for us to like kind of survive off of it. And Instacart was just better for both of us because situations we really couldn't control. But I wasn't getting paid overtime and I was working so much, but they didn't pay me overtime for it, so.

[Advisor 1]

And what kind of job were you working?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

I was working for a marketing firm.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, and so you would get a marketing job today if you could?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah, I would.

[Advisor 1]

Okay. And how about her?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

She would probably do something server related.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, and can you do that as we speak? Can you work at this hotel? That would probably be a better bet right now.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Like, what do you mean? No, I've tried, but they said they don't have anything.

[Advisor 2]

What about cleaning rooms?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

They have someone who does that.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, and did you not have insurance.

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[Advisor 1]

Did you not have insurance?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

I did, but we only had liability.

[Advisor 1]

Okay. So it's on you.

[Advisor 2]

Okay.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

So, yeah.

[Advisor 2]

What must happen? I mean, this is as quickly as you can. Instacart's not an option anymore, clearly. So both of you have got to. I don't care if it's walking down to the nearest fast food place or walking over to Walmart or Target. You gotta. You gotta get something somewhere that's within walking distance or bus riding distance.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah, I can. We can Uber some places, but that just gets expensive.

[Advisor 1]

How much money do you guys have?

[Advisor 2]

I said bus riding.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Not enough to keep us afloat for like another week maybe.

[Advisor 1]

Do you have like a few hundred bucks?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah.

[Advisor 1]

Okay. And do you have any debt?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah, I. We both personally do. I have like five, six grand in credit card debt and she has like four.

[Advisor 1]

So all credit cards. About 10 grand total.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah.

[Advisor 1]

Okay.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah.

[Advisor 1]

And there was no car loan to speak of?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

No, no, we paid the car in cash.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, that's good at least.

[Advisor 2]

Yeah, that's good.

[Advisor 1]

Do you guys have any friends or family that you can lean on right now? A church, community, anything?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Not, I mean, honestly, no.

[Advisor 1]

Okay, well, you're going to need to find something because this hotel is about to kick you out.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah, yeah, I've talked to them before and we like kind of talk to them. So, like, I was hoping maybe they could help us out just by a little bit of time, but I don't know if that really is realistic or not.

[Advisor 2]

How often are they having you pay? Is it every week? Is it. How often do you have to make the payments?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

I do usually weekly, but sometimes they let me get like, I'll be. They let me get a little behind and pay it back if I need to.

[Advisor 2]

Okay. Yeah, I'd be requesting. I'd let them know what happened, number one and say, I know I've been paying you weekly. Can I pay you, you know, at the end of the month? Can we make this more of a monthly deal? Because right now you guys are kind.

[Advisor 1]

Of like, this is desperate. Can you get a bicycle off Facebook marketplace for $40 and make it somewhere and work. What is the closest retail options by the hotel?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Say Kroger.

[Advisor 2]

Great, Perfect.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

There's like a Kroger.

[Advisor 1]

How close Is it walkable?

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah, within like a mile.

[Advisor 2]

Okay, that's what I want you to do. That's your homework.

[Advisor 1]

Both of you are getting a job at Kroger today.

[Advisor 2]

Yeah. Make after this call. Literally right after, talk to your girlfriend. And you guys sit down and make a list of everything that's in a two to three mile radius. Wal, a Waffle House, Kroger, McDonald's, everything. And I want you guys, that's your field trip this afternoon. And tomorrow you're going to apply at every one of those locations until you get a job.

[Advisor 1]

This is the gap between you guys and homelessness. You understand how on fire this is exactly essential. Like, you don't even have a car to sleep in at this point.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Yeah, no, exactly. That's what made it like scary today is because like, we've at least had options. Like, okay, this, this. And I'm sure if I like, it's just scary because like, I don't, we don't know where, what the next plan is. Essentially like, I was hoping they can help. I'm sure they, I know the owner and the manager pretty well here and I'm, we're pretty like close to each other.

[Advisor 2]

That's good. But that's not going to last you.

[Advisor 1]

Long until you stop paying.

[Advisor 2]

So do that exactly.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Say like, that only last me maybe two weeks.

[Advisor 2]

Yeah, do that homework that I just gave you. And then the second piece of homework is I want you to find a local church and I want you to walk up in there after you've applied at all these places and I want you to walk up in there and say, here's the deal. And I want you to tell them exactly what you just told George.

[Advisor 1]

We're scared. We're borderline homelessness. We're just, we're, we're good people. We just want to find some honest work.

[Advisor 2]

Say I, I, we can, can we serve and get a wage? Is there something that we can earn some money? We really need help and we're willing to work in order to have it. Okay, so those are the two things that I want you to do.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

Okay. I said there's like, because we gone to a church over here a couple of times and there was a Catholic church that kind of helped us out with rent, like not the past month. So there's people that I think may help. I just don't know if we should ask the church, the same Catholic church again and be like, hey, if you're.

[Advisor 2]

Willing to work, I would, I would say I'm not just asking for like benevolence. Can, can I work? Is there something I can do? Can I, you know, help with parking in the morning? Can I help with this or that? Do you need something out of store? Like, whatever it is, I would be willing to work and whatever. I mean, go to a couple and say we're just trying to get back on our feet and we're willing to work and serve to do that. And I think this is, you guys can pull yourself out of this. At one point you were making $3,200 a month, right? So I want you to remember that.

[Advisor 1]

And you worked at a marketing firm. And so I would be looking for that next gig so that you can afford to get a car. And that might mean we start with the bicycle and then we upgrade to the moped and then we upgrade to the beater car and then we go from there. But you just need the next right thing to get you to survive another day right now. And then long term, we need to figure out a life plan because whatever got us here ain't it? And I heard a lot of, well, we had to. And then this thing happened and the family, at some point we have to just look in the mirror and go, dude, I can only control the guy in the mirror. And everything can't just happen to us. You have to start happening to your life. Otherwise you're going to be right back here next week.

[Caller (Young Man in Crisis)]

True.

[Advisor 2]

Yeah. So that's, that's current order of business. Just to recap, you're. You're making a top 10 list of everything in a 3 mile radius and you're going there. You guys are literally hitting the pavement and going to apply everywhere. Then you're hitting up these churches, then you're circling back. I would wait after you've done those three, those two things, then I'd circle back to the hotel and say, here's what's happened to us and here's what I did today to correct it. But just so you know, it's probably going to take a couple of weeks for this to pan out. Can I pay you the rent at the end of the month instead of at the end of this week? And that's, you know, hopefully going to be your savings. Grace here guys, I. Best of luck to you. Truly. Truly.

[Advisor 1]

Stay warm, stay fed. Four walls, man. That's all you need to cover right now. Don't worry about the credit cards right now. We'll get there.

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