We’re Bored In Our Financial Situation

Summary

Podcast Summary: “We’re Bored In Our Financial Situation”

The Ramsey Show Highlights | October 23, 2025
Host: Dave Ramsey (with Rachel Cruze, Chris Hogan)
Guests: Ashley & Jim

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Ramsey Show Highlights centers around a common but rarely discussed phase of financial planning: grappling with the “boring” middle steps after early momentum in paying off debt and saving. Ashley and Jim call in, sharing their experience of feeling stagnant and unmotivated while chipping away at their mortgage and living within their means. The Ramsey team offers practical tips, understanding, and encouragement to stay the course.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Stagnation of the Mid-Journey (00:24 – 01:13)

• Ashley and Jim’s Situation:
  • Currently in “Baby Steps” 4, 5, and 6: investing, saving for college, and paying down the mortgage.
  • Experienced swift progress getting out of debt and building an emergency fund.
  • Now feel stuck and bored: each time there’s extra money, an unexpected expense comes up (plumbing, a new car).
  • Ashley: “It’s just been really difficult in this kind of phase because …we saved our emergency fund really quick. Now we’re just like, okay, let’s move it. I really want to pay off the house.” (00:32)
• Family Overview:
  • Two kids aged 13 and 7.

2. Expectations vs. Reality of Financial Progress (01:28 – 02:41)

• Rachel Cruze on the “Upward Trajectory” Myth:
  • Many assume progress will be steadily linear because the Baby Steps seem quick and clear.
  • “But the truth is, life happens.” (01:29, Rachel Cruze)
  • From their millionaire study: paying off a house takes about 9 years on average.
    • For “Baby Steppers,” it’s around 7 years. For millionaires in general, 10 years.
  • Encourages Ashley and Jim to give themselves “grace,” reminding them life brings its own ups and downs.
  • “I would just say give yourself some patience. You really are going to get there. … You’re seeing it in a really short window where…I feel like the runway is much longer for you.” (02:23, Rachel Cruze)

3. Visualization and Motivation Tools (02:41 – 03:29)

• Dave Ramsey’s Airplane Analogy:
  • Compares the initial fast progress to “taking off” in an airplane; the long stretch afterward feels slow and dull.
    • “When you’re getting up to altitude, it’s kind of exciting. …Then you’re 40,000ft up…all right, three hours to go on this flight.” (02:41, Dave Ramsey)
  • Recommends visual tracking (e.g., “rings for the mortgage”) to help feel progress, especially as payments increasingly go toward principal.
  • Suggests a budget audit to identify why it’s hard to make progress, and possibly using “sinking funds” for maintenance and repairs so these expenses don’t derail mortgage goals.

4. Are Sinking Funds Too Much? (03:29 – 03:54)

• Ashley Questions Their Budgeting Approach:
  • Wonders if they’re “putting away too much in sinking funds” (03:29)
• The Reality of Frequent Expenses:
  • Jim insists they need the funds, as something always seems to come up (“Just yesterday…” 03:41)
  • Example: Unexpected expense with “tree roots blocking our sewage system.” (03:48, Jim)

5. Fun and Enjoyment Along the Journey (04:11 – 04:37)

• Chris Hogan Checks on “Fun Spending”:
  • “When was the last time you guys planned and saved up to do something fun?” (04:11)
• Ashley and Jim:
  • Recently took a Royal Caribbean cruise after being debt-free; now intentionally spending less this year.
  • “We’re taking a year off from fun…We did have a lot of fun after we paid off the debt…” (04:18, Ashley)

6. Setting Clear Goals and Celebrating Milestones (04:38 – 05:15)

• Dave Recommends Specific, Measurable Monthly Progress:
  • Advises setting a specific dollar amount to put toward their mortgage principal each month (“Is it $500? …Make it a priority.” 04:51).
  • Suggests making it visual, tracking progress, and increasing amounts as income grows.
• Ashley and Jim’s Mortgage:
  • $155,000 remaining; Dave predicts hitting below $100,000 will give them a “new pep in your step, a second wind, if you will, on that marathon.” (05:15)

7. Encouragement & Validation (05:15 – 05:28)

• Closing Words from the Ramsey Team:
  • “You guys are doing great. Congratulations…” (05:23, Rachel Cruze)
  • Roundtable of encouragement and thanks.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It does get faster and your incomes are going to go up. … Just know that right now it might feel hard.”
  – Dave Ramsey (02:53)
• “Give yourself some patience. You really are going to get there.”
  – Rachel Cruze (02:23)
• “I think just give yourself a little bit of grace. Cause life does this, right? Like cars break, refrigerators break, things happen.”
  – Rachel Cruze (02:10)
• “We just went on a Royal Caribbean cruise just a couple months ago.”
  – Jim (04:29)
• “When you go below that six figure mark, you’re going to get a new pep in your step, a second wind, if you will, on that marathon.”
  – Dave Ramsey (05:15)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:24: Ashley shares their feelings of stagnation in Baby Steps 4–6
• 01:28: Rachel Cruze discusses the realities behind the “linear progress” myth
• 02:41: Dave Ramsey’s airplane analogy—a metaphor for mid-journey malaise
• 03:29: Ashley and Jim debate whether their budgeting with sinking funds is excessive
• 03:48: The “tree roots in sewage” expense story
• 04:11: Chris Hogan encourages prioritizing fun to offset boredom
• 04:38: Dave advises getting specific on extra mortgage payments
• 05:13: $155,000 left on the mortgage—Dave predicts the psychological “boost” at under $100k

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Conclusion

This episode provides empathy and practical advice for those in the “boring middle” of financial freedom. The Ramsey team acknowledges the emotional plateau after early wins, urges persistent discipline, and advocates for visual tracking, specific goals, and even budgeting for fun. The clear message: Stay patient, adjust as needed, and keep perspective—it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Transcript

[Dave Ramsey]

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[Ashley]

I'm Ashley.

[Jim]

Hey, Den Theater. My name's Jim.

[Dave Ramsey]

Hey, Jim. Jim.

[Ashley]

That's Jim.

[Dave Ramsey]

Do you do voiceover work?

[Jim]

I have done that in the past life. Long, long time ago.

[Chris Hogan]

Okay, well, you haven't lost it, pal.

[Ashley]

That's his side gig.

[Chris Hogan]

Very exciting. Okay, what's your question, Ashley?

[Ashley]

So we're in baby step four, five and six. And we're just kind of like feeling kind of stagnant. Like it's kind of boring. I mean, I'm happy that we're here, but. And we're able to invest the 15% and we are saving for college, but we're just not finding every single time we have any extra money. We can't put it towards our mortgage. It's like we have a plumbing issue or we need a new car, which was a $5,000 car. Just so you know. You know, so it's just, it's just been really difficult in this kind of phase because, like, we got out of debt really quick and we saved our emergency fund really quick. And now we're just like, okay, let's move it. I really want to pay off the house. Like, I want to walk in the grass. Like I. Yeah.

[Rachel Cruze]

How many kids do you guys have?

[Ashley]

We have two.

[Rachel Cruze]

How old are they?

[Ashley]

Yeah, we have a 13 year old son and we have a 7 year old daughter. Okay. Okay.

[Rachel Cruze]

How long have you guys been in baby steps? 4, 5 and 6?

[Ashley]

About a year and a half.

[Rachel Cruze]

Yeah. Okay.

[Ashley]

Yeah.

[Rachel Cruze]

Because I do think we have this picture of. Because the steps are so succinct that everything is just gonna go up like this and we're just gonna keep going and going and going and it's gonna be great. But the truth is, life happens. You're in it a year on average. I think our millionaire, from our millionaire study, nine years, I think is the average that they're paying off houses.

[Dave Ramsey]

I think it's seven for baby steppers, 10 for millionaires in general.

[Rachel Cruze]

Okay. Okay. Okay. So, yeah, that seven's in yours. So you have just. So give yourself another six year Runway, meaning within those six years, your income's gonna go up. Stages of life with kids is gonna change. Like things of life are gonna change. And I really do believe if you are disciplined and your goal is to pay off the house early and you guys are looking and working the plan, it's gonna happen. I really do believe that. I think just give yourself a little bit of grace. Cause life does this, right? Like Cars break, refrigerators break, things happen. You know, you gotta buy plane tickets for the family to go somewhere. If there's a funeral, like, whatever it is, things are going to be up and down. And so I would just say give yourself some patience. I think you really are going to get there. I really do. And I know it can feel frustrating right now, but you will get there. You're seeing it in a really short window where I feel like the Runway is much longer for you.

[Dave Ramsey]

With the airplane analogy, it really is. Like when you're getting up to altitude, it's kind of exciting. There's like announcements happening. We're like, woo, we're taking off. And then you're 40,000ft up and like, all right, three hours to go on this flight, I guess. Watch it. And so it does get kind of boring. What helped us was tracking it, maybe make it visual if you want to do like rings for the mortgage. And right now it's like, woo, 300 went to principal. Towards the end, you're really making progress. So it does get faster and your incomes are going to go up. The kids will be out of the season where they're mega expensive and hopefully off your payroll eventually. So just know that right now it might feel hard. I also would do a budget audit and go, why can't we make progress? You know, is the emergency fund good? Okay. Why can't we cash flow these things in our budget? Do we need sinking funds for maintenance and repairs? So that doesn't feel like it's derailing this other goal.

[Ashley]

Yeah. Actually, I just wonder, like, we. Maybe we're putting away too much in our sinking funds. Maybe we have too many sinking funds.

[Dave Ramsey]

You know, that could be.

[Ashley]

So I think that that's something we should probably reevaluate.

[Jim]

But we need them all the time.

[Rachel Cruze]

Because stuff comes up. Right, Right. That's what you're saying.

[Jim]

Just yesterday.

[Ashley]

Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

What happened yesterday?

[Ashley]

We did need it yesterday.

[Jim]

Tree roots blocking our sewage system. Let's. I'm sure the den theater wants all the details.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yikes.

[Chris Hogan]

Well, I imagine that Jim, when you saw that, you went, oh my, this is unfortunate.

[Dave Ramsey]

That's a great Jim impression.

[Jim]

This must end, stat.

[Chris Hogan]

Yeah, Jim likes the microphone more than I do. And that's saying something I love. That's saying something.

[Dave Ramsey]

I have a quick question.

[Chris Hogan]

Because you said boredom. I'm just wondering, when was the last time you guys planned and saved up to do something fun?

[Ashley]

Yeah, I think that's also the situation. We're taking a year off from, like, fun, like we. Because We've had a lot of fun. We did have a lot of fun after we paid off the debt and.

[Jim]

We just went on a Royal Caribbean cruise just a couple months ago.

[Ashley]

Oh, that's fun. So we're trying not to take any vacations.

[Chris Hogan]

Okay, got it. You answer it.

[Dave Ramsey]

This year, do you have a set goal every month for how much we want to put toward the mortgage? Can you tell us what that is? On top of the normal payment, how much do you want to put toward principal?

[Ashley]

That's the thing. I don't think we. Yeah, we probably should be more specific.

[Dave Ramsey]

I would be very specific and go like, is it $500 cake? We're going to do 500 before the other chaos happens in our life. Like, make it a priority. If it's a priority, sure. And then track it and you'll see the balance go down and go, can we do 600 this month? Hey, we got a bonus coming up. Can we put that toward it? And as your income goes up, the amount will go up, the principal start to sink down and you'll feel like you're making progress. How much is left on the mortgage?

[Ashley]

155.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. When you go below that six figure mark, you're going to get a new pep in your step, a second wind, if you will, on that marathon. So just keep at it. You're doing all the right things.

[Rachel Cruze]

Yeah. You guys are doing great. And congratulations for being.

[Chris Hogan]

Thank you, guys.

[Rachel Cruze]

Yes, yes.

[Chris Hogan]

Thank you.

[Dave Ramsey]

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