Stop Giving Away Your Control

Summary

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The Ramsey Show — Episode: "Stop Giving Away Your Control"

Date: August 10, 2026
Host: George Kamel (with Jade Warshaw and occasional guest experts)

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Episode Overview

This episode revolves around Ramsey Network's core philosophy: regaining control over finances to build wealth and personal agency, regardless of past financial missteps. Dave Ramsey's team, helmed here by George Kamel and Jade Warshaw, fields live listener questions on topics ranging from elder care dilemmas and inheritance disputes to navigating debt, career setbacks, and complex family dynamics. Through candid, hands-on advice, the episode encourages listeners to set boundaries, communicate directly, and make financial decisions that will support long-term independence and reduced stress.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Protecting Family Assets and Navigating Elder Generosity

[00:36–08:08]

• Caller Gary's Dilemma: Gary’s 85-year-old father-in-law—currently in a nursing home with early memory decline—wants to spend $50K of his $200K nest egg to take 10 family members to the Holy Land. Gary worries this spend could force the father-in-law into Medicaid, possibly burdening the family.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Boundaries Over Guilt: “You have the ability to say that… It’s just you choosing as an adult.” — Jade [03:14]
  • Honest Communication: Encourage respectful, transparent conversations about comfort with accepting gifts and sharing financial concerns with family.
  • Release From Responsibility: “You are the in-law. So you probably need to step lightly here.” — George [06:11]
  • Outcome Orientation: Don’t feel guilty for an elder’s choices, but do plan your own family's future to avoid being in a similar situation.

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2. Handling Inherited Real Estate with Difficult Family Dynamics

[10:25–15:31]

• Caller Joel's Situation: Inherited a house with his mentally unwell sister after their mother passed. The sister refuses communication, suspects Joel of foul intentions, and blocks any efforts to sell or transfer the property.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Options: Consider partition action for court-ordered sale, mediation, or legal counsel for guidance rooted in state law.
  • Empathy: “That's a pretty rare scenario where your sister thinks you're out to murder her...” — George [15:31]
  • Urgency: Don’t let a vacant home deplete the estate—find legal/mediator support to break the impasse.

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3. Smart Use of Inheritance as a Young Adult

[16:08–19:45]

• Caller Abby's Question: College student with a $25K inheritance, no debt (except $6,700 car loan), and seeking guidance on using the money for maximum financial impact.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Prioritize Debt Freedom: “You’re debt free with 19 grand. Do you have anything in savings?” — George [17:42]
  • Build Emergency Fund: Save three to six months of expenses; keep at least $10K liquid.
  • Roth IRA/Investments: Max out Roth contributions; earmark leftover for shorter-term goals like a down payment.
  • Parental Involvement: Consider parents’ offer to match house down payment—it’s a bonus, not a first priority before financial stability.

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4. Should We Sell Our Home to Be Debt-Free?

[22:02–30:24]

• Caller Haven’s Dilemma: Couple sells home to relieve the burden of mortgage debt and aims to buy next house in cash—questioning future affordability and the wisdom of prolonged renting.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Acknowledge Variables: Home prices and the market are moving targets.
  • Crunch the Numbers: Calculate how long it would truly take to save up for a house outright with proposed savings/investments.
  • Focus on Control: “Let’s focus on the ones we can control.” — George [24:47]
  • Renting as a Transition: It’s okay temporarily, but consider if a right-sized mortgage on one income would reduce stress without lengthy delays for homeownership.
  • Experience Wisdom: “As long as you’re able to do those things that cause you to build wealth in the process, I don’t have a problem with it.” — Jade [24:47]

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5. Investing vs. Early Mortgage Payoff for High Earners

[33:09–39:12]

• Caller Kirsten’s Scenario: With projections to retire with $15M+, caller wonders if they should slow down investing to pay off their $600K mortgage much earlier.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Maintain Investment Momentum: Don’t stop investing for the sake of a faster mortgage payoff if the current path is healthy and cash flow isn’t a problem.
  • Flexibility & Future Uncertainty: “I’d rather you have $5 million extra that you can give to the places and people you want — because you have the option.” — George [38:08]
  • Values Over Speed: It’s okay to trade some intensity for intentionality when in the wealth-building phases.

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6. How to Consolidate Old 401(k)s

[39:25–41:18]

• Caller Concern: Confusion over combining multiple 401(k)s with different pre-tax and Roth portions.
• Advice:
  • Direct Rollover to Like-Kind Accounts: Traditional to traditional, Roth to Roth IRAs.
  • Pro Assistance: Engage a SmartVestor Pro if needed for a seamless, low-stress transfer.
  • Why It Matters: “It’s collecting dust and dinging you with fees... It’s time.” — George [42:16]

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7. Navigating Job Loss, Debt, and Major Life Change

[43:57–52:01]

• Caller Maury’s Year: Top performer loses job, faces debt and breakup, and wonders if bankruptcy is an option.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Bankruptcy Not Needed: $27K in debt doesn’t merit bankruptcy—focus on survival, regaining income, and practical networking.
  • Fresh Start Methodically: “Sending 100 texts is going to go way further than applying for a hundred digital resumes in another pile somewhere.” — George [50:50]
  • Gig Work as Survival: Take any work, hustle on side gigs, and network relentlessly.

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8. Preparing for a Baby While Deep in Debt

[53:48–63:35]

• Caller Elizabeth’s Emergency: $180K primarily in student/medical debt, expecting a second child, and considering moving to be closer to family.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Stack Cash Before Baby: Build up an emergency “stork fund” for unexpected expenses (aim for the insurance deductible/out-of-pocket max).
  • Side Hustles & Budgeting: Extreme focus on maximizing every margin dollar.
  • Emotional Acknowledgment: “You’re doing a lot… the pregnancy was unexpected… It’s a little bit of a wrench in your plans.” — Jade [58:12]
  • Possible Move to Family Support: Investigate job prospects before moving; family-provided childcare may be a game changer.

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9. Paying Off a House Early: How Much Hustle is Too Much?

[66:00–73:38]

• Caller Matt’s Journey: Finished paying off $72K in debt by working 7 days/week, 12 hrs/day; wants to keep up pace to pay off house before 40.
• Advice Highlights:
  • Balance Over Burnout: “I’m worried that you’re gonna burn out, or at least she’s gonna get burnt out on you never being home.” — George [71:45]
  • Life After Debt: If you’ve moved beyond intense payoff, embrace intentionality, not all-out hustle.
  • Relationship Focus: Don’t “become a workaholic or unhealthy and unbalanced.”

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10. Miscellaneous Quick Hitters

• Could I Use Emergency Fund for a Car Purchase?
  • No, emergencies are unexpected, urgent, and necessary. Buying a car is a planned expense, not an emergency.
    — [76:12]
• Boat vs. Mortgage Debate:
  • Agree on goals with spouse before any big purchase; save cash, don’t finance, and factor in ongoing costs.
• Teen Quitting Sports for Investing:
  • Let them consider both paths; balance adult skills (work/investing) with once-in-a-lifetime team experiences.
• Career Change for Medical School Later in Life:
  • Pay off all debt first before pursuing a lengthy career pivot; ensure family buy-in and cash flow plan.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You have the ability to say that… It’s just you choosing as an adult.” — Jade, on setting boundaries with elders [03:14]
• “Whether he burns 25% of his nest egg or 15%, chances are he’s still going to run out of money.” — George, to caller Gary [05:49]
• “I think you’re going to need a mediator.” — Jade, on feuding siblings and inherited property [15:31]
• “You’re doing exactly what we tell people to do—which is, you can increase your income.” — Jade, encouraging caller Elizabeth [59:43]
• “I’d rather you have $5 million extra that you can give... because you have the option.” — George, to high income caller about paying off mortgage [38:08]
• “I’m a beast. Yeah, I could do it.” — Caller Matt, insisting on working 12-hour days for years [67:59]
• “Comparison will either make you feel inferior or superior, and neither honors God.” — George citing Craig Groeschel [73:05]
• “Team sports are really important, not because of going pro or getting a college scholarship, but just what they build on the inside of you.” — Jade, on balance between sports and work as a teen [115:28]

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [00:36–08:08] — Elder care and family trip debate (Gary)
• [10:25–15:31] — Inherited house, sibling disputes, mental health (Joel)
• [16:08–19:45] — Young adult, inheritance, best moves (Abby)
• [22:02–30:24] — Selling home to avoid mortgage stress (Haven)
• [33:09–39:12] — High net worth, mortgage vs. investing balance (Kirsten)
• [39:25–41:18] — How to consolidate old 401(k)s
• [43:57–52:01] — Life collapse, job loss, and moving forward (Maury)
• [53:48–63:35] — Pregnant, deep in debt; marital/relocation stress (Elizabeth)
• [66:00–73:38] — Post-debt hustle: when to slow down (Matt)
• [76:12] — Emergency funds: When to tap them (Ask Ramsey segment)
• [97:01–101:42] — Boat vs. house-payoff couple decision
• [109:55–115:50] — Teen’s question: Sporting dreams or compound interest

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The Ramsey Show’s Core Themes This Episode

• Financial boundaries are healthy and necessary—don’t “control freak” others, but do advocate for your own comfort and future.
• Family and money mix awkwardly; it’s OK to “step lightly” or insist on legal/mediated solutions.
• You’re not responsible for solving everyone’s future, just your own.
• Budgeting and intentionality are the antidotes to chaos—whether you’re up, down, or in-between.

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For personalized resources, the hosts direct listeners to tools like EveryDollar (for budgeting), SmartVestor Pros (for investment questions), and network guides for legal support and will planning.

Transcript

[A]

Brought to you by the EveryDollar app. Start budgeting for free today. Normal is broke and common sense is weird. So we're here to help you transform your life. From the Ramsey Network and the Fairwinds Credit Union studio, this is the Ramsey Show. I'm George Camel joined by Jade Warshaw and we're taking Your calls at 888-825-5200. Gary is in Huntsville, Alabama. What's going on, Gary? How can we help?

[B]

Yes, my father in law, who's 85 and in a nursing home wants to take 10 family members to the Holy Land and pay $50,000 for that trip. I am nervous that he is going to spend down his nest egg and may need Medicaid in the future. So that is my, my dilemma.

[C]

What's the entirety of his nest egg? Do you know?

[B]

I have heard he has $200,000 and he's using Social Security and record the RMD for his current monthly payments to the nursing home.

[C]

Who told you that?

[B]

His, my brother in law, his son.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Is he using the nest egg at all right now? Are you saying he's just using Social Security plus RMDs from an investment account elsewhere or is it this?

[B]

It's all that 200 grand.

[A]

That's everything he has to his name and he wants to blow a fourth of that on this trip.

[C]

Why does that concern you? Are you afraid that you'll be on the hook, like tell us more about how you're involved?

[B]

Well, I'm a family. I'm one of those ten family members. I'm a family of four. So that is $20,000 of this money. And I don't want to burn his money. I don't want to be responsible for burning his money and getting him into Medicaid if he has a stroke or mental decline.

[C]

Let me ask this, is he in his right mind? Is he, well, mentally still? Is he still with it?

[B]

He is declining. He is having some thinking issues and some memory issues. So that also, I mean, in the kindness of his heart, he wants to do this. I'm just not comfortable spending for me $20,000 of money.

[A]

Don't go, family, don't go. What happens if you don't go?

[B]

Yeah, well, I mean, I was asked, quite frankly, big dates and I was like, I'm kind of being, you know, wet blanket on this thing.

[C]

So I don't think you're being a wet blanket. I think that you're an adult and you have the ability to look, look out at something and say this makes me feel comfortable, or this doesn't make me feel comfortable. And I think because other family members are involved that might not agree with you or maybe don'. Maybe they don't have the same, you know, knowledge base that you have about his money. I think it's okay for you to say, and you could even say to him, here's the. I got some information. I don't know that it's accurate and I'm not trying to overstep, but this is what I was told, that you have $200,000. And I just don't feel comfortable for of with you spending 20 of it on my family. I think what you're doing is generous, but I just don't feel comfortable. Thank you, but no, thank you. And then he might come back and say, actually that's not true. I have, you know, more money or whatever, but I think you have the ability to say that. And it's not being a wet blanket, it's just you choosing as an adult.

[B]

Okay, yeah, thank you. I, I was heading my direction. I, I don't want to see him on Medicaid basically being a, being a burden on society when I'm taking the money to go on a nice trip.

[C]

Now, the Medicaid, I don't think that's really what's going to happen here.

[A]

You're saying if he runs out of money and then can't pay for the current nursing home, then he SW over to Medicare because he's basically impoverished.

[B]

Yes. And there's a, I think there, I looked. And there's a five year look back.

[C]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

So if he burns through this money, there can be a five year look back and he may not even be able to get it, which would put him on the street.

[A]

Now there's a gap and you guys are gonna have to cover it. And that's your true fear, Gary, is that the financial burden is going to be on you guys, the siblings, to have to fund the rest of his life. And let's say he goes to 90, that's still five years. Right?

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so have you tracked his actual current burn rate to see how quickly this nest egg is being dwindled down?

[B]

I have not had visibility into that, but I'm. Yeah.

[C]

How long has he been there? How long has he been in the nursing home?

[B]

I would say, gosh, four years.

[C]

There might be.

[A]

Is that like 100 grand a year? What's it costing?

[B]

I do not know the details. He said that it's Social Security. He's very independent. He Has a room and food. That's what he's using right now. But he said it's social.

[C]

And the RMDs is what's paying for that. Yeah. I mean, if you wanted to look further into it, you could look and find out what is he spending on nurse, the nursing home every year. There could very well be a lot more to his financial life that you just don't know. I mean, he was, he, you know, he, he's an adult and probably, probably has more going on than, than maybe what you're aware of. So I just think there's a lot of unknowns here. If you just don't feel comfortable about it and you don't want to snoop around any further, you can say no. If you feel like you have the right to snoop a little further and just find out, hey, is this going to affect me in any way if we run out of money? You've been here four years. You've already gone longer than the average kind of stay here. Is there anything we need to know? Like, I think it's okay to ask questions in a respectful way if you're concerned about.

[A]

You're clearly doing it out of love.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so I don't think it's going to come across like you're just trying to be a jerk here. But, I mean, here's the truth, Gary. Whether he burns 25% of his nest egg or 15%, chances are he's still going to run out of money. And so I don't want you to feel any guilt for whatever happens in the future regarding his finances. He was an adult. He made his choices. Your best bet is changing your own family tree so that you never put your kids in this position.

[C]

And you are the in law. So you probably need to step lightly here. Your wife is probably the one that needs to have these conversations.

[A]

How does she feel about it?

[B]

Gosh, she, she was, she was willing to pick dates and we need to talk about that.

[A]

Just send your wife and she can have some family time.

[B]

That's possible.

[A]

You hang back with the kids. You don't have the guilt. She gets to have probably the final trip with her father that she'll ever take. And so that part, to me, Listen, you don't block a blessing. If this is what he wants for his legacy and to have this experience with his family, let him have it. Because again, it's not going to be the make or break on if he's going to, you know, not be able to be in this nursing home. It's 20 grand. And so he has 200 to his name.

[C]

That's true.

[A]

We don't know if there's more. We don't know what it's invested in. We don't know how long he has on this earth. And so I think you're taking on a lot of the weight and I want to release you from that.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

I'm guessing you care more than anyone else in the family about this at this point.

[B]

Yeah, I generally try to plan my finances and I try to work through contingencies myself.

[A]

And here's the thing. I'm like you. I'm very type A. I'm doing the research and I can't put that on other people to also be the spreadsheet nerd going, hey, I see on my spreadsheet you're gonna run out of money in the next six months. You can try to warn them, but again, as a father in law to, you know, your relationship with him, I don't know what it is. I don't know that he really wants your opinion or will respect it. What do you think?

[B]

Yeah, I don't. I mean, like I said, I think he's, he's, he's a kind heart and I don't think he even understands, you know, potentially what his, you know, how much is, how long is nesting will last? I mean, if he has a stroke tomorrow, that's full time care. And you know, that would probably put

[A]

a damper on this whole trip anyways.

[B]

Right, Right, of course. Right.

[A]

Well, maybe he wants to do this before his health continues declining, I don't know. But I would at least have a conversation with the family, with your wife, and let the kids have this conversation with him. You can lay out the facts, but I don't think you need to be busting up in the nursing home with spreadsheets to convince them otherwise. That's not going to end well. I wish you the best of luck. Let me tell you what I get asked all the time. When should I get term life insurance? How much do I need? Is it affordable? Those are the right questions to be asking. So let's take a quick review. The fact is, term life isn't a baby step. So if anyone is dependent on your income, you need to have 10 to 12 times your income in life insurance. Insurance now. And most people are surprised by how affordable term life really is, even if you're not in perfect health. Look, I understand the hesitation since most insurance companies make it more of a hassle than it needs to be. Not at zander Insurance. They're not an insurance company. They're a broker that works for you. That means they'll shop and compare the top term life companies to find the most competitive options on the coverage for your family. For almost 30 years, I've recommended Zander for straight answers, competitive rates and coverage that actually protects your family. Call 800-356-4282 or go to zander.com for a quick and easy quote. That's zander.com. Joel is in Los Angeles. Up next. Joel, welcome to the Ramsey Show.

[B]

Good morning. Well, honestly, good afternoon.

[A]

Well, it's morning to you over there, so we're happy to talk to you, man. What's going on?

[B]

I have a, my mom passed away last year. I tried to call last year, but I got through, but I didn't have time to finish the call. So she passed away last year. The house is paid off. My sister and myself are on the will to do something with her house on her estate. But I, I can't see my get my sister to initiate to help me to get this to put me on the as a trustee so I can sell the house and give her her app in my ass. So what are my options here?

[C]

She doesn't want to sell the house. Why?

[B]

She's got a little bit of a mental health. Well, she's got a mental health issue and she thinks I'm out to kill her or something to that effect? Oh, yeah.

[A]

So what does selling a property have to do with this?

[B]

I have no idea, man. She won't even answer my call. I know where she lives. I went over there to talk to her and she threatened to call the cops because I wasn't invited on her property or something to that effect.

[A]

Do you have a history of being murderous?

[B]

No, I don't.

[A]

Okay. Do you think you want to make

[C]

sure a court order or a judge involved, if she's honestly mentally unwell, for, for you to be listed with her on this, it's going to be hard for you guys to do anything.

[B]

Yeah, she can pass that test. She can pass it. She's done it before. You know, she has I think she does have some mental health issues, but when she goes to court, because she's been to court a few times, I think she passed out all that. So I'm trying to avoid this going into probate. It shouldn't really go to probate, but that might be where we're going.

[C]

I think it's going to go regardless. Is it was it willed that way or is this just Something you guys are assuming.

[B]

Well, what do you mean by will?

[C]

Did she have a will that said that you and your sister are the owners of the house if she were to pass away?

[B]

Yeah. It's beat it down to myself, my sister and myself. Yeah.

[A]

Equally. 50. 50.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What's the house worth?

[B]

500,000. 600,000. Something to that effect.

[A]

How are you doing financially?

[B]

I'm doing okay, man. You know. You know, with all this happening, because I took care of my mom and dad for a long time, and then my dad passed away 20, 21. And my mom passed away last year, a little burnt out and got a little bit of nest egg with my pension and my 401. I'm a little early for retirement because I can do it at 62, which turns in November. So, you know, I'm thinking about go ahead and pulling the trigger on that, but I'd like to get that settled. But I don't know what my options are because every time I try to talk to her, it's always she doesn't return a call. She doesn't want to talk to me. It just keeps going on and on.

[A]

Well, I mean, there's something you can do called a partition action, but that's going to cost you time and money in courts to basically have the judge force the sale of the house. And she obviously is not in a place where she's going to buy you out. She doesn't have 250 grand to take your portion.

[B]

No.

[A]

To get you out of this. So the other option is it just sits. Is anyone using the house right now? No, it's just vacant, collecting dust. And you guys are paying property taxes and insurance on it. Who's covering that?

[B]

State. She sells some money in the bank.

[A]

Okay. And once that gets dwindled down, what happens? Or is there enough there to cover it?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Is there enough to cover it in perpetuity? Like it's. There's 500,000 bucks in there.

[B]

No, it's not even close to that. 60 something, I think. 16. And I was back. Yeah.

[A]

I would talk to your. I mean, you can't talk to your sister casually at this point, so you might need a mediator to actually get through to her to explain the situation, what the options are. And are you saying is it just with you or. She have enough mental health issues that, like, she's not in a place where she could even make this decision.

[B]

She really hasn't worked in years. I can't remember the last time she had a real job. She does this hustling thing where she does try to book people for travel, stuff like that. But I, I don't, I don't. She's got a high pie in the sky, you know, lifestyles of the rich and famous, but on a pork of bees budget. You know, it's, it's, it's been like that for years. And I, you know, I didn't get any systems with her taking care of my mom or dad for years. So I don't expect her to change anything now. I just want her to find paperwork over to me. I'm not going to, you know, I'll have it all legal. Gino. Word. She'll get her half when I get my.

[A]

Yeah. Does she understand she's going to walk away? This thing with, you know, over 200 grand, that's life changing money considering it's not even being rented out. There's no cash flow happening here.

[B]

No.

[A]

So regardless of how she feels about you, if someone were to stroke her a check for 250 grand, I think she would take it.

[B]

I'll try to go that route, you know, but this is like, it's tough, man, you know, because I can't get through cooperation.

[C]

I think you're gonna need a mediator.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah. I would contact a lawyer and just kind of understand what your state laws are and what you're able to do and not able to do to at least give you some clear next steps regardless of the communication with her. But this is, this is a messy one. It's a pretty rare scenario where your sister thinks you're out to murder her and therefore won't let you sell the property. But I don't know what that has to do with the property still. Regardless, you don't have to be there for the sale. You guys can be in separate rooms. But I would try to get some closure on this. And I'll let it just sit there collecting dust while you keep paying the bills out of mom's estate. Abby is calling in from Sacramento up next. Abby, welcome to the show.

[D]

Hi. Good morning.

[A]

Hey, how you doing?

[B]

Good.

[D]

So I am a college student and I have recently come into a gift or inheritance of $25,000 from when my grandpa passed away in 2023 from the sell of his house. And I want to make a very wise decision where to put this inheritance money or this gift money. And I currently have a Roth ira and I work inconsistently, but I have a monthly income of about four to five hundred dollars, give or take. And yeah, I just want to make A really good financial decision for my future for after I graduate.

[A]

Love it. How far are you into school?

[D]

I just finished my junior year, so I'm going into senior year. Two more semesters of undergrad and then two semesters of a credentialing program.

[A]

Nice. How are you paying for that?

[D]

My parents are paying for my college. They're paying as they go. So no student loans, no parent plus loans or anything like that.

[C]

How are you living? Are you living on campus or do you have an apartment? Tell us about that.

[D]

So for the first two years, I went to junior college and I lived at home. So no rent or anything, expenses that way for the first two. This year I moved down about an hour away from home and had an apartment. My parents paid my half of the rent, my boyfriend paid the other half of the rent and I just used my work to pay for groceries, gas, basic living expenses.

[A]

Okay, so you currently have no debt whatsoever?

[D]

I have a car payment with my parents and me as a co signer and there's about $6,700 left on that, but they make that payment as well.

[A]

Great. So now you're down to 19,000 because we're going to pay that off today. That's not a fun thing to have hanging around. It's going to cause resentment at some point. So now you're debt free with 19 grand. Do you have anything in savings?

[B]

Currently?

[D]

Currently in savings, I have probably like $500.

[A]

Great. So now we can beef that up to have a little emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. Even if your expenses are low right now, having 10 grand as a minimum is a good baseline. Okay, so now you're down to 9,000, and now you're at the spot where you're debt free. You got an emergency fund, you're investing for the future so you can max out a Roth IRA for the year and still have money left over.

[D]

Yes, I maxed out my Roth IRA. I've had it since 2024. And in 2024 I maxed it out the 7,000, and then last year the 7,500. And then this year I've only contributed $50 to it because I was living away from home and all of my money went to my living.

[A]

Perfect. So you got another 7450 you can put in there with 1500 bucks left over. I would just park that in a high yield savings account with your emergency fund and call it 11 or 12 grand for your emergency fund. Because what's going to happen is once you graduate school, life's going to change drastically and you're going to be very thankful to have some money on hand to cover. Maybe it's a car repair, maybe it's a move across the country for a different job. Maybe it's a future down payment on a house. And so those are shorter term goals. So I would keep that more liquid.

[D]

That's where my parents were kind of going. They wanted me to use the whole $25,000 as a down payment for a future house or as part of the down payment. And they said that they would match whatever put down.

[C]

That's a route you could go. I think, I think both of those. I think what George laid out is a fair path. And I think there's also a path where you do keep the emergency fund separate like you said. And then with whatever's left over, you park that and maybe a separate high yield or you use a fair ones account and just earmark that money. Instead of putting it in a Roth, you just earmark it for house down payment. And if you have a plan of buying a house, you know, in five years or less, that's a great idea. And then if your parents want to match it, well, now you've got double the money.

[A]

They're going to match it regardless. So I would become debt free with an emergency fund before ever starting that savings for the down payment. Way to go. As a dad of young kids, I'm starting to think a lot more about the world they're growing up in and how I'll help them make sense of it as they get older. And that's why I like World Watch, a video news service for preteens and teens. Because one thing I know for sure, if you don't teach your kids how to understand the world, somebody else will. And these days that could be TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, influencers, or whoever happens to show up in their social media feed. World Watch's 10 minute videos help young people understand what's happening in the world through a Christian worldview without all the outrage, negativity, noise that is everywhere these days. The reporting is factual, engaging and designed specifically for preteens and teens. And World Watch creates opportunities for something every family needs more of. Meaningful conversations. Instead of just reacting to headlines, kids learn how to think about what's happening in the world. And parents get a chance to keep those conversations going at home. Because when my kids are old enough, I want them informed, not overwhelmed. And right now you can get a 30 day free trial. Just go to Worldwatch newsletter or use promo Code Ramsey to get started. That's Worldwatch News Ramsey. Hey, if you're a newer listener to the Ramsey show, one thing to know is that we answer every money question through a framework called the baby steps. There's seven baby steps, and if you're not familiar with them, you can check them out at the link in the description of this episode. And that is the key. That is the same thing that I use that Jade used to get out of debt and build wealth. And it works every time you work it. So check that out in the description if you want to learn more. All right, Haven is in Knoxville, Tennessee. Up next, what's going on, Haven?

[D]

Hi, guys. Thank you so much for taking my call.

[A]

Absolutely. What's going on?

[D]

Okay, so my question is me and my husband took on debt about two years ago, the first time in our five year marriage, and it was all in a mortgage. But that was the. That was the first time in our marriage that we felt a lot of weight and heaviness and stress. And even though it was still within Ramsey's perimeters, it still felt very heavy. Especially after I became a mom, I felt like removed the option of me not being able to just be a mom anymore. I had to continue working because the mortgage was based on both of our incomes. And so we decided to try to put the house on the market, go to a smaller rent. And our goal in the long run is to never go back in debt, but to instead take that house payment that we were making and put it into investments to hopefully one day buy a house outright. And I just wanted to know in the long run, especially with well meaning people around us telling us, no, you

[B]

need to buy a house, you need to buy a house.

[D]

I just wanted to know in the long run that we were still going to be financially okay.

[B]

Whew.

[C]

I will say we teach two methods of buying a house here. And the one that we love is when people have cash to buy a house outright. We don't get a whole lot of those calls, but there are people who do it. And then of course, the other method is to have a mortgage that's in the proper parameters. And we can talk about that later for what you're saying, I think it can be good. The tough part about this and the variable here that's kind of the unknown is what will the house cost? It's a moving goalpost, Right. So it's what will the house cost 10 years from now? And there's a big difference between five years from now and 10 years from now. And so I think the question you guys have to be asking is how do you want your life to feel? Which I think you. You have asked that question. And I also want to know how old you are, because I. I'm, you know, taking 10 years to buy a house is not a bad thing. It took my husband and I 10 years to buy a house. And as long as you're able to do those things that cause you to build wealth in the process, I don't have a problem with it. But just know that there's a moving goalpost there, George. And that's. That's the unknown that can be really tough is we're depending on the market to give us the returns that we want. And we're depending on the housing market to be where we want it to be when we're ready to pull that money out.

[A]

And so there's a lot of variables we can't control. So now let's focus on the ones we can control. And one of those is saving enough to get the mortgage. That's super reasonable, even if it's on his one income. So what is the mortgage payment today?

[D]

$3,000.

[A]

3,000. Okay. And what do you guys bring home currently?

[D]

Well, with my income, we were bringing in about 200, but like I said, I have some babies in the picture that I want to be with more. So that could drop down some.

[A]

To what? Let's say it was just his income.

[D]

If it's just his income, it's going to vary, George. But it could be 150 to 200 because he's taken on more work so that I could work less.

[A]

Got it.

[C]

Now, let me just ask this question, because the way you framed it was you didn't feel good because we needed your income for the mortgage. If there was a world where you could have a reasonable mortgage just on his income, would. Would that be enough to relieve the stress while still getting you into the housing market?

[D]

Potentially, because the biggest thing was when the babies came along, I was like, I want to be with them. But I mean, yes, potentially, I think that would put stress on him, but maybe, yeah.

[A]

I think the ideal scenario is can we get his income up sustainably to the point where you guys can just stay in the house? That's option one. That'll save you the most money, because selling your home and buying a new one is going to cost you a whole lot in fees, too, on top of hassle. So the next option is you guys sell and rent for a while, but rent is going to cost you what in your area?

[D]

1400.

[A]

Okay, so what you really can save is the 1600 and put that towards a down payment fund.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

So you're not taking your whole mortgage payment and saving it because you still have to pay for rent over here, right?

[D]

Yes.

[A]

So 1600, we'll do the math here. 1600 for 12 months, you're going to save 19,000 a year. So how much are you going to get from the sale of your house if you sold it today?

[D]

About 6,7000.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So you'll be lucky to break even on this thing.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, so we're not making a lot of profit. So basically you're starting from scratch. And what would a house cost you if you bought one in the future?

[D]

This was only a 1300 square foot home. Probably around the same the area. I mean we looked at several homes, they were all upwards, 250 to 300. This one was 355.

[A]

Okay, so to buy, let's say magically the home is still 350 grand. Years from now, at that rate, you're still talking about needing to save for 18 years. At 19 grand a year, it's going to take you 18 years to save up 350.

[D]

What about investing it into the market, would that help?

[A]

It would help a little bit, but it's not going to be magic. Your savings rate is going to be the trick here. When you're talking about a four to five year time horizon to buy a home, investing it isn't going to move the needle a ton. If you're super lucky like we've seen these last few years, you could double your money in about five or six years. So 40 grand could turn to 80. 80 grand can turn to 160. So you're still a ways away from that number.

[C]

Had you run that math at All Haven or was this kind of. And it's okay if it was just kind of an idea that you wanted to run by us?

[D]

Yeah, we did, we did run, run it some. And we were also thinking, I mean I've listened to the show several times, I hear you guys say a lot, like your income could potentially go up. I've seen his income, even just in the five years that we've been married, continue to go up. He's an electrician and so it does. The more work and the more his name gets out there, the more money he does have come in.

[A]

Is it his own business that he's running or does he work for someone?

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

So George, did you plug them in? Do you See him there?

[A]

Yeah. I'm looking at. If you, let's say you invested for five years, you did that, 1600 a year. You even started with six grand from the home sale. You'd have about 133 grand in there five years from now.

[D]

George, we would start with about 60. We have 60 in investments.

[B]

Oh, good.

[A]

I think you said six or seven.

[D]

When we got married, we had, you know, we had no debt and we just started investing.

[C]

Okay, is it in brokerage funds? Not in retirement funds?

[D]

Yeah. Roth IRAs and traditional.

[C]

Okay, so that's. If it's in Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs, that's retirement earmarked for retirement. So we wouldn't, we wouldn't include that because that would be to your detriment. So the money would need to just be invested in a normal brokerage account. Probably I just throw it in an index fund. But with the, the, the money that you currently have available to you and with a fair rate of return. Did you put 10% in there, George? Yeah, that's, that's where we're at. And we're not saying that to bust your bubble. And I, I kind of want to like shift the mood here because I absolutely think that there's a way that you can be in a home, that you can be in a home in a responsible way that's not going to feel detrimental to you as a stay at home mom and, you know, do this thing without having to wait 10 years. I just think that it's going to require you guys to go, okay, the current house we have, maybe it's too much house for you. If you're staying home, that's fine. And if you decide to rent for a little while while you save up a better down that honestly just, you know, woman to woman, that feels like a fair trade off to get you in a house where you're actually, you know, feeling the growth of equity, you're actually participating in the market and building wealth in that way versus waiting 10 years with more unknowns in the equation.

[A]

So I would wait and see. I wouldn't rush to sell this house. I would see do a budget just based on his income. On the average, what would it feel like to make a $3,000 mortgage payment if he's making 10 grand a month? Because I don't want you to feel like you have to sell it if it's 26% and Ramsey said 25. It's not about that. It's. Do you have enough margin to invest 15 for your future, save up some for your kids college, put a little extra toward the mortgage. Those are the signs that you're doing well financially and that you didn't make a huge mistake with this home. So I love the heart that you want to stay home. You don't want to make a bad financial mistake, but I don't want you to feel a paranoid level about out this purchase. You guys are doing great.

[C]

Hey, what's up, guys? It's Jade. Back to school season is here, and that means you've already got enough on your plate between dropping the kids off at school to taking them to practice, or maybe you've got a kid driving off to college. Either way, you rely on your vehicles to keep life moving. That's why I trust Christian Brothers Automotive, because the last thing you need is car trouble. And one thing I really like about Christian Brothers is their digital vehicle inspection. They show you exactly what their technicians see, so you're not left wondering what's wrong with your car or whether the work is actually needed. You get honest recommendations, repairs you can trust, and the confidence that comes from knowing what's really going on under that hood of it, like a report card for your vehicle. And the best part is every repair comes with their nice difference warranty. Three years or 36,000 miles, whichever benefits you more. Give yourself one less thing to worry about this school year and go to cbac.comramsey to schedule your service and get 10% off your visit. That's cbac.comramsey 10% off, up to a $250 value.

[A]

See store for details. If you're working the baby steps, the best and fastest way to do it is by using every dollar. It's more than just our budgeting app. The plan is now built into it. You can track your progress, get personalized recommendations and coaching for your situation. So check it out. Start every dollar for free in the App Store or Google Play. Kirsten is in Houston, Texas. What's going on? Kirsten, Hi.

[D]

Oh, my gosh. I'm honored to talk to you guys.

[A]

You won the lottery today. You got Jade.

[D]

I did. I did. I love you guys both. So some background on my question is, my husband and I are on 4, 5, and 6. Our kids go to private school. You know, we're living our best lives, frankly. And we've been running the numbers with our financial advisor, and we need about $10 million to retire in about 30 years. And that's kind of our surplus number at 15%. We will be retiring with over 15 million at this rate. Yeah, I Know, it's a tough place to be, but my question is, we just don't want to live with a crazy surplus at the end of our lives. So we were thinking about pulling back about 5%. Excuse me, and putting that towards the house so we can pay it off in like seven to eight years instead of about 13. And I wanted to get your opinion on that.

[C]

That number that you quoted, what percentage of your income is that you Investing? Is that 15% or.

[D]

Yeah, 15%.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

What's your household income?

[D]

328 on the basis, and then we get like 50 to 70 in bonuses.

[A]

Fantastic. Well, I love all of these numbers. And these are. What was the annual rate of return you guys were using to crunch this to get to that 15 million, do you remember?

[D]

9%. So it was a little low. Yeah.

[A]

Cool. Well, I love that we've never told anyone to stop investing to pay off the house earlier or to, hey, you're going to be funded later on because I don't know what the next 30 years holds for you. If I did, I would tell you absolutely do this, but you might want to retire 15 years from now, 20 years, who knows what's going to happen. A health crisis, maybe it's for a good reason and you to step away, but I just wouldn't, you know, put it all in that basket of, well, we're definitely going to have this income for the next 30 years. One person could get laid off and not have that income anymore and not be able to get a job that pays that much. I hope that's not the case, but I'm kind of a. I'm a glass half full guy when it comes to what it could be. And I'm also a glass half empty guy when it comes to preparing for what could be.

[C]

It's just the nature of life. Life, be life in.

[A]

So how long would it take with your current fantastic income outside of your 15% to pay off the house?

[D]

13 years is what we currently have projected. But obviously that may change as our debt goes up, hopefully.

[C]

What do you owe on it?

[D]

We owe about 600,000.

[A]

Okay. And how much can you realistically put towards it? Could you up that from cutting expenses elsewhere in your budget, making this kind of money?

[D]

Yeah, I mean, we could probably. Realistically, like I said, I think we're living a pretty nice life as is, but over 50% of our monthly income goes towards private school for the kids and then our donations, and then we've got our mortgage and other things. So, like, realistically, outside of giving in private school and investing in the mortgage, we're probably living on like 20% of our income, which is why we need such a low number compared to our actual income.

[C]

Yeah. How old are you guys?

[D]

30.

[C]

Okay. So, I mean, you highlighted something which is important to highlight, which is there are seasons of life, obviously seasons where there's daycare, there's kids in college, those tend to be more expensive years that you really can't get around. But then there's values that you decide that you're going to sink money into, which are my kids are going to go to private school throughout their entire education. And when you make those, those choices, there' a trade off involved, which means because I did this now my margin is maybe significantly less margin that I would have put towards the house or margin that I would have put towards a 529, those sorts of things. So just realize that you guys are making choices based on your family values. And when you do that, it's not just a choice, it's a trade off. And I think that's probably what you're feeling saying that, okay, it's going to take us because of that, it's going to take us 13 years to pay off the mortgage. And because we want to continue to enjoy certain other niceties, it's going to take us 13 years, which 13 years to pay off a mortgage, by the way, is that's not small potatoes. Like that's pretty impressive, especially since you'll

[A]

be 43 years old with a paid for, I'm guessing, million dollar plus home.

[D]

Yes. Yeah. The value is about 900,000 right now.

[A]

So it's going to be way more than that 13 years from now.

[C]

I don't think that's a bad thing.

[A]

Yeah. Looking at the full picture, I don't have any problem with you guys paying it off in 13 years versus 8 years and freeing up that money a little bit sooner because cash flow isn't your problem right now. And if you guys said, hey, we have this other thing we really want to do, we don't have the money for, we need to temporarily pause, I can make a case for that. But long term, just investing less because you don't think you'll need it, I'm going to go, hey, I'd rather you have 5 million extra that you can give to the places and people you want to give to because you have the option. And so we took a call similar to this the other day. Jade and Dave had a, a similar response. Dave could have stopped investing 30 years ago. He still invests to this day as a 65 year old man who definitely doesn't need another dollar. But it's because he wants to have options. He wants to give even more and have even more impact and leave an even bigger inheritance to his children's children. And there's nothing wrong with that. And even if he did have 15 million, you can spend it from 60 to 90 if you want to.

[C]

Yeah. And it also highlights the nature of the baby steps, how we teach them, which is, you know, steps four through seven really are about intention. You don't have to have that same speed and intensity that you had in baby steps one through three. And I think that we get that call a lot because people do the nature of what we teach. Everybody's like Ricky Bobby, they just want to go. They just want to go fast. And there does come a point where you can go, you know what, I can actually enjoy my life. I can value private school, I can value family vacations. And if that means I pay off my mortgage and 11 years instead of six, that's okay. You're still winning at life. If you pay off your mortgage in 11 or 12 years, if you paid

[A]

off in under 15, that's a huge win in my book. And you're doing better than most of America. Absolutely. Way to go. I like solving good problems. That's a good problem to have right there. All right, Matthew's in Austin, Texas. Up next. What's going on, Matthew?

[B]

Hey, thanks for taking my call.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Hey, just a quick question on 401k plans. My wife and I have worked at several companies over the last 10 years and we have 401k plans kind of spread out everywhere, all different apps, things like that. And really wanted to consolidate it. And to be honest, Gemini and Claude have been giving me conflicting stuff. So I really wanted to call and see what are my best options to consolidate everything in a safe way.

[A]

I'm curious, what, what was the general consensus so far if you didn't call?

[B]

General consensus was to do a, an IRA rollover, but our contributions are split up between Pre tax and 401k Roth and I'm not sure how to split that up or anything like that.

[A]

I got you. I actually just did this for my wife not too long ago because she left Ramsey to stay home with our kids after a nine year career. And because her match portion was in traditional and her investment portion was in Roth, her contributions. What I did was create two different IRAs. So a rollover traditional IRA and a rollover Roth IRA. And so once I get that check from her old 401k, it goes into Vanguard, into one portion, and the other one to the other portion. So you just want to keep them in, like, kind. So a traditional portion needs to go in traditional, rock over. And same with the Roth. And if you do it that way, it wasn't all that complicated. I literally took a picture of the check on my phone and deposited within a day.

[C]

And just be sure when you say check, the check is not made out to you. You're not cashing out those funds in any way.

[A]

Yeah, you should be able to do a direct rollover. I, for some reason, because my life is difficult, they had to actually send a check for, you know, in Vanguard's name to that Vanguard's name.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

And so that's the simplest way to do it. And you can do all of that into. If you have 5 old 401ks that are all traditional, you can put that all into one rollover. Ira, you don't need five different rollovers, do they?

[B]

Do they split it up for you? Or is that something I have to figure out between what we've already done for 401k Roth versus what's already what hasn't been taxed yet?

[A]

They should be able to write the checks. If you contact them, then they'll be separate checks, because they're separate accounts completely with different account numbers. So once you get that, you should have two checks from every 401k. If they had both Roth and Traditional insurance them.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

And if you need help with this, you can contact the Smartvestor Pro, and they'll walk you through the whole process and handle all the. All those pieces. Because it can be scary. You're dealing with some big numbers here. You're like, oh, that's $160,000. I don't want to hit the wrong button. And so an investment pro can really help. You can jump on ramseysolutions.com and give that a go, but, yes, please. This is a PSA for anyone out there with a bunch of old 401k sitting around. It is collecting dust and is dinging you with fees, and it's probably not performing very well. So it's time. Contact them, get that money out of there. Put it in an IRA that's in your control. That's your best option.

[C]

George, there's an estimated 31.9 million of forgotten 401ks left behind.

[A]

That's wild.

[C]

Don't forget, my friends.

[A]

Goodness, that's different than 20 bucks in the Coat pocket. Hey, guys. George Camel here. There are a lot of things you probably shouldn't ignore. Your check engine light, that weird smell in your fridge, the smoke detector that's been beeping for six days, and maybe most importantly, your phone bill. The things we ignore have a funny way of costing us the most. And your phone carrier is counting on you ignoring that overpriced bill month after month so they can keep charging you more and more. But that's not the case with Boost Mobile. You don't need to keep overpaying when you can pay just 25 bucks a month for Boost Mobile's unlimited plus. And the best part is, you can bring your phone, keep your number, and pay just 25 bucks a month forever. That price will not go up. It is inflation proof. There's no contracts. There's no hidden fees. There's no catch. And since most smartphones have an ESIM these days, you can switch from the comfort of your home just like I did. So it's okay to notice when you're paying more than you should, but you shouldn't keep doing that. Stop overpaying for your phone Service, go to boostmobile.com Ramsey and make the switch today. That's boostmobile.com $25 forever requires customers to remain active on Boost Mobile Unlimited plan. Welcome back to the Ramsey show in the Fairwinds Credit Union Studio. I'm George Camel here with Jade Warshaw taking Your calls at 888-255-225. Maury is in Tampa, Florida. What's going on, Maury? How can we help?

[B]

Hey, y'. All. Happy Friday. It's been. It's been a bit of a crazy year for me since. Yeah, since January. I just want some help figuring out what would be, you know, what the next best step is for me.

[A]

Yeah, lay out the crazy. What happened?

[B]

Well, at the top of the year, I was kind of crushing it, man. You know, top performing portfolio at my job, you know, leading the account management team. I had baby step one knocked out, which was. Was. That was brutal. And I was working on step two, but then my old Accord crapped out on me, and it would have cost more to fix it than I initially paid for it. So I figured I'd get creative, bought a used electric motorcycle because down here it's sunny all the time and I don't have to worry about the snow, Right? But that was really done to avoid wiping my savings completely and, you know, trying to keep some momentum on step two. So that was really rough. But I actually ended up Getting the promotion about two weeks later. So I thought we were looking good, man. And the nature of that business is more so urgent versus important, make money today type of thing. And the role they put me in was very experimental and more long term stuff and unfortunately they ended up laying me off two months later. Oh, man, they.

[A]

When was that?

[B]

It's pretty rough. It. I don't really want to. You know, I have a very strange name in a very known place and I think these people are just kind of listening and, you know, it's. It's some sensitive stuff.

[A]

How many months ago, like have you been. Have you not had a job for months now?

[B]

Yeah, that was, that was in May and I've been, I've been working on getting, you know, getting applications out, but I mean, I even applied for a part time spot at a gas station and I got shut down the other day. And that's, that's been really rough, man.

[A]

Okay, how much debt do you have?

[B]

So through all that, I've got 27k in two cards, a personal loan and student loans. And that's what I was working on paying down instead of too.

[A]

You got two car loans?

[B]

Cards.

[C]

Oh, credit cards. Okay, so no, no car loan. Is it just you or no car?

[B]

No car loan either.

[C]

Is it just you or do you have kids, A wife, anybody else?

[B]

Oh, man, that's a rough part. My lady and I are going through a breakup right now.

[C]

Oh, man, I'm sorry to hear that.

[A]

Was this a girlfriend?

[B]

Yes, yes. Yes, sir. So there's no real, you know, it's not a divorce proceeding or anything, but, you know, our lease is ending right now and it's been really rough over the last couple months and so I've just been down in the dumps, man. To be honest with you. It's been, it's been a lot.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, you're. You're living in a country song right now in the worst way. So I'm so sorry.

[B]

Without the dirt roads and the beer, you know.

[A]

Yeah, none of the fun parts. So what's next? Where are you going to live when this lease is up?

[B]

I have, I have two scenarios that are playing on my head right now. Number one, one of my good friends has offered me a place on his guest room for three months. He gave me a, you know, solid tenure and he tried to help me get back on. On my. I'm looking at a move back to the northeast to be close to family again, which is what I'm probably going to end up doing is living with an aunt for a while and then jumping back on my feet from there.

[C]

But are there more options in the Northeast for what you do? Because I feel like much of where you decide to go needs to be based on the job market for what you are skilled to do.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, being in account management and sales, it's kind of everywhere. And then up in the Northeast as well. I mean, I'm sure I could knock on some doors for somebody selling, you know, selling, selling, shoveling services. You know, it's just been, it's just been tough.

[C]

So you need. I think there's two sides of this coin. I think there's the change of scenery because of what you've been through, and then there's the actual where do I have the most opportunity? And I would spend some time really making sure that one is not that the emotional side doesn't lead you to do something that maybe may not be best for you work wise. So I don't know the answer to that question. It's just me putting that out there for you to be thinking through because I could see how a change of scenery would be nice. But if the truth is there's more opportunity, I don't know, in the Florida area, then maybe you should stay in that area. So think through that because you will get a change of scenery simply by moving into a, a new apartment, wherever that is. Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm not mad about the fresh start. I think that's great. We just need to be a little strategic about it because right now we're moving out of weakness and desperation and not out of a place of stress, strength. And so I would be applying for jobs in the Northeast around where your aunt is and going, okay, what are the opportunities there? Who do I know there? Who does my aunt know there? And kind of using that to, you know, once you land the job now, you know there's income there and it's the place I'm going to be. So, you know, your next step right now you're sort of floundering because you don't even know what day it is.

[B]

Yeah, well, yeah, I mean, you know, I like to think I got my bearings, you know, but yeah, you're. You're 100% spot on with that man. And you mentioned a phrase in there, fresh start, which is something that I wanted to ask for some counsel about. I. It was recommended to me because my severance ran out and I currently have no monthly income to explore a potential Chapter 7 bankruptcy. But I don't know what to even

[C]

Start looking into, well, how much severance did you have?

[B]

They gave me a month.

[C]

Okay, one month.

[B]

It was like, yeah, it was like 5K worth. And that was.

[C]

I mean, yeah, I don't think you're anywhere near bankruptcy. I think you've just fallen on a hard time. And I think it's hard in multiple ways. Like we said, it's emotionally, it's a blow to your confidence. Losing a job in some ways is akin to grief of a lot a loved one. It can really feel that way, especially when you were really counting on it and when it came out of the blue. So I think, I mean, I do not want to minimize what you're feeling on an emotional level, but I think that there are some practical things that you can do today that'll give you a little bit of hope. First off, we're going to send you Ken Coleman's find the work you're wired to do because you do have a set of skills and they've given you a level of skill success. And chances are those same skills can be translated into other career fields that you're just not thinking of right now because you're not in the clearest state of mind. Right. So that's going to help you do that. And then tonight, just a personal bit of homework that I'd love for you to do is I would take the time and I would write down everyone you know who knows someone else that might can lead to a job. So let your goal be to write down the names of 10 people and over this weekend you're going to call up 10 people and be like, hey, um, I'm really looking. These are my skills. Do you know of anybody? Is grandma looking? Is auntie looking? Do you have, you know, your buddy will like, whoever it is, just call these people up and put your name out there. Because you will be surprised at how things like that travel and that's really the way that you find opportunities is through the people that you know in the network that you have. So that might feel like Jade, that's not gonna do anything. But trust me, just do that bit of homework and write down those names and call up those people. People. Because it will make if, if nothing less, it will make you feel better that you're putting in a different type of effort.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

Sending 100 texts is going to go way further than applying for a hundred digital resumes in another pile somewhere.

[C]

Yeah. And to George's tech, to George's point, don't text them, call them, call them on the phone. And say, hey, I'm just, I'm looking right now. I'm casting my net out. Here's what I've done. I know that you do xyz. Can you think of anything and really push, like press in and see what's out there. I think that'll help you out. That's what I would do tonight.

[A]

But this is one step at a time. Right now you're just trying to cover the four walls and get through the end of the lease and put food on the table. So I'd be doing gig work. I'd be signing up for every app under the sun, walking dogs, you name it, house sitting, pet sitting. Find out who in your community needs anything and you go do it and treat them well. And all of a sudden you get to survive the next day and the next and the next. And hopefully you can find a part time job that leads to the full time job and then we can make this move. But right now, man, I don't know how. You're gonna bike e bike your way all the way to your aunt's house in the northeast? Yeah, we don't have money to do that. So we gotta figure out just the next right step. So hang on the line we're gonna send you. Find the work you're wired to do to help on the job side.

[B]

Sam,

[A]

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[D]

Elizabeth Hi, I am. My husband and I are 100k in debt and we just found out we're pregnant. I feel like we need to make some radical decisions in order to make this work. We also have a four month old.

[A]

You have a what?

[C]

Four month old.

[D]

A four month old.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

And we just to give you. We live in Nashville, but we're from Minnesota and we originally planned to move back to Minnesota after we got our debt paid off because Nashville doesn't have state taxes, but Minnesota does. But now with two under one.

[C]

So the is literally the only reason. Just to avoid state tax.

[D]

Yeah, the taxes. It's. So they have the state income tax.

[C]

Uh huh.

[A]

So that's why you moved here. You said you're trying to move back.

[D]

We've been in Nashville for five years. But obviously being closer to family.

[C]

Okay. So being closer to family.

[A]

So now that you have another one on the way, you're like, hey, it'd be easier to be closer to family.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. What do you guys make so hard?

[D]

120,000.

[A]

All right. And you said you have 180,000 in consumer debt.

[C]

Yeah. Well, tell us about that 180. What is that?

[D]

That it's 150 in student loans and then two. My son's medical bill and my medical bill and then a car for 7,000 and then another medical bill for 3,000.

[A]

What are all these medical bills for?

[D]

Birth.

[C]

Birth.

[A]

Just all from birth. And the insurance didn't come cover it?

[D]

Yeah, they didn't cover that little bit. They covered everything else though.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

The student loans, is that all one person or is that both of you combined?

[D]

It's minus 49,100 and his is the rest.

[C]

Okay. Are you guys using those degrees?

[D]

I have paused. I have paused continuing my education until we get out of debt because we don't want to take out any more. And then he was going to be using his degree but we couldn't afford him to transfer to where he would lose his health insurance.

[C]

Oh boy. So what are you guys doing for work? Not if you're not in your field.

[D]

High school. He's a high school teacher. He was going to be going to the college atmosphere for recruitment, but he's staying in the high school for now and then I work in account.

[C]

And what were you going to do?

[D]

I was going to actually get my accounting degree.

[C]

Oh boy. Okay. Okay.

[D]

Paused it for now because I don't want to take out any more debt.

[C]

Got it. And the good news is there's an upside there for both of you. Career wise that we could probably get to pretty easily once we get this cleaned up. Okay.

[A]

So have you guys made progress thus far on the debt?

[D]

We started this June 12th. We started on our journey, and we've paid off 50,000 doll. $100 so far.

[A]

Good. And how much do you guys have in savings right now?

[D]

Just the baby step.

[A]

You got a thousand bucks. Start our emergency fund. Good. Baby step one. And then debt snowballing. This. What's the next smallest debt you have to pay off?

[D]

$300 student loan.

[C]

Great.

[A]

Okay, so we got some little ones, some ankle biters we can start knocking out.

[C]

When you guys do your margin, when you do your every dollar budget every month, how much margin do you see? See there?

[D]

It's up right now. It is. 700, 400, $747.39. I've been on.

[B]

Look at this.

[A]

Way to go.

[D]

That's.

[C]

See America. That is the type of answer we're looking for. This is a person who's on top of their numbers.

[A]

You get down to the decimal. I know. You're getting out of debt.

[D]

I know.

[A]

That's okay. So that's on top of minimum payments and all of your living expenses. You got an extra 750.

[D]

And that's just with our income. I've. We've been. I'm sorry. We've been doing lift. And I've been doing like 15 to 20 hours of lift. And then I started house cleaning. Wow.

[C]

Good for you.

[D]

And it's just. I thought there was a light, and now I'm like, sorry.

[C]

That's okay. You. You. It's okay. You. You're doing a lot. And then you. Sounds like this pregnancy was unexpected. Am I right? Out of the blue. And it's kind of thrown. I mean, as wonderful it is for a baby to come into this world, it's also a little bit of a wrench in your plans. So totally. We're with you. We get it.

[D]

Okay. Yeah.

[C]

Okay. And we're gonna help you go through it. Cause you've still got time. Right. How far along are you?

[D]

Five weeks.

[C]

Okay. So this baby's got time to cook. You still have time to make a big impact here. Right.

[A]

And if it slows down the debt payoff by a little bit, that's all right. Okay. The baby's still a blessing. And if it takes you five years instead of 4.6, we're gonna still call that a win.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Okay. Yeah. It's like you and like however many people are listening, know, but nobody else knows.

[C]

Well, I won't tell anybody if secret safe here. You guys are on the right track with the 747. That's margin just from your normal jobs. And then with you doing all this extra side with work. And I'm guessing your husband's doing some side work too, right?

[D]

Yeah, it's. We don't see each other. It's one's in with the baby and out to go do something.

[C]

And what do those side hustles combined bring in?

[D]

Last month we brought in 1900.

[C]

See? And again, I point to this call again, Elizabeth, because you guys are doing exactly what we tell people to do, which is you can increase your income. Income. $2,000 is fabulous. And if you add that to the 747, this is how it's done. And so now it's all about taking the number that you're out and running it backwards and saying, okay, if we continue to chunk this at the next series of debts and then once those are freed up, that money adds to the snowball. Before you know it, your snowball is going to be at like 4 or $5,000. Am I wrong or am I right?

[D]

No, you're right.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's okay if you pause the debt snowball for a little bit to stack up cash until the baby is, is here and safe. That's okay. I know it hurts because you're seeing the interest go up after you've been trying to knock it all down. But right now you're in a, you're in, is that sort of storm stork mode?

[C]

Yeah. And you want to learn from last time because it sounds like last time you guys didn't have that emergency fund there, that stork mode fund, and you got hit with some medical bills. So this time I would be stacking up at least your deductible. Your out of pocket max is what I would shoot for.

[A]

It might be a thousand bucks a month for the next eight months. And we're not going to do extra payments on the, the debts, but at least then you've got, you know, nine, ten grand right there to protect you until you guys are home safe. And then if everything's great, just hit play and apply that 9 extra grand towards your debts.

[D]

Okay.

[A]

So it's a temporary setback as far as your debt payoff journey. And then are you guys going to move anyways so that family can help take care of the kids and you continue working?

[D]

Our original plan was to move once we were completely out of debt. And I was hoping to have that done in three years. And I'm four years. And I'm thinking if we move now. Well, not now. We can't afford it now. That's insane.

[C]

Well, and you need jobs, right? Or are your jobs remote? He's at high in high school, so.

[D]

Yeah, no, we would need jobs.

[A]

So there's a Costa game plan for child care. What are you thinking?

[D]

He would. The baby would have to go to daycare because we can't afford not to both work. Work. But it's just figuring out what to do. Because daycare is going to be 16 to $2,000.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

For both kids or one. Because you got a four month old too.

[B]

Right.

[D]

You know, his daycare. I am very blessed. His daycare is only 800.

[A]

Good. Okay, wonderful.

[D]

But then due to some complications, formula is $400 a month. Oh, wow.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

When will that budget line item end this?

[D]

When he's a year.

[C]

Okay, so what you could do if you, if you were to move. Let me just get the facts here. If you were to move, would you have a family member that would watch them instead or that's. That's still not an option.

[D]

I think so, but I don't have that 100% nailed down. I know in the past our friends have not friends. Our family had said that they would babysit if we moved back.

[C]

I would check into that. I would check in to see if that offers still good. Because if it is, then I might. That might motivate me to start looking the job, you know, start the job hunt, you know, back in Minnesota and see. See what's good over there. Either way, I think you guys, this is an emotional time, but I think if you just take it one day at a time and take it one baby step at a time, I think that you guys are going to work your way through this. And it sounds like a lot right now, but each day that pressure is going to really relieve just a little bit everything. Time you take a step in the next right direction.

[A]

Hey, guys. George here. I love the movies angel makes because they always deliver great entertainment. And I want to tell you about their newest movie coming out August 14, the Brink of War. It's a historical drama about the 1986 summit in Iceland when President Reagan and Soviet leader Gorbachev faced each other in the height of the Cold War with the fate of the world on the line. It's got Jeff Daniels in it, Jared Harris, J.K. simmons, and the cast alone tells you this is a serious film. And it's the kind of movie that's perfect for a date night. And angel also has you covered for other date nights and a lot of nights when you stay in. Because when you become a premium member of the Angel Guild, you get two free tickets to the Brink of War in theaters, access to Angel's entire family friendly streaming library, and free tickets to every future angel theatrical release. So use promo code date night and you get four months of your annual membership for free. Come on. President Reagan had to negotiate with Gorbachev. To get a deal this good, you just need a promo code. That's angel.com Ramsey to become a premium member of the Angel Guild, use code date night angel.com Ramsey promo code date night. I can't believe it. The 2027 Ramsey Go Planner is here and now available at the lowest price. We'll offer $35.97.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

Not even 36.

[C]

For a limited time only. For a limited time only. George.

[A]

Well, they, they up it as time goes on as we get closer to the new year. So this planner is more practical than ever before. We got brand new content from Jade Warshaw right here next to me, Rachel Cruz, Dr. John DeLoney. Plus goal setting guidance and clear action steps to keep your momentum going. Going all year long. I'm exc. And you did some new content for this as well?

[C]

I did. Every year we do new content in it. So it's really good. And like George said, don't wait. You want to grab it by August 23rd because that's when the 35. $97 price goes away.

[A]

So don't be mad. On the August 24th. Don't come at me.

[C]

Yeah. And Black Friday. If you think I'll just wait for Black Friday, don't wait because no price is going to beat the price today. $35.97. A very precise price. So get yours [e-mail] store or if you're watching on YouTube or podcast, just click that link in the description.

[A]

I need a copy of that. Can you sneak me one or do I got a page?

[C]

I have one.

[A]

They're hard to get your hands on. I know they don't just give them out willy nilly around here.

[C]

I'm not giving you mine, George. I'll pony up the cash.

[A]

Matt is in Chicago. Up next. What's going on, Matt?

[B]

Hi guys. I'm just curious. For the last six months I've been working about seven days a week, 12 hours a day to pay off about $72,000 in debt. Wow.

[C]

How far have you gotten?

[B]

I'm Done. I got my debt paid off. I got my emergency fund and I got a Costa Rica trip planned for next year that's already paid off.

[A]

That's what I'm talking about.

[C]

Hold on a second. I just, I gotta bust in and say this really quick because this again, Matt, you're doing the thing. Matt, just let me take a quick second to say this. I saw some people on social media, media who were bashing some of our content, saying you can't do it, you can't pay off debt, you can't buy a house, you can't save up. And look at Matt. He just worked really hard for 12 hour days and he paid off $72,000 of debt. Stop telling me folks can't do this. People do it every day. Way to go, Matt. Keep going.

[B]

All right, so basically, well, about the house part, that's, I guess, part of my question. So my fiance is an amazing woman. She's been supportive of me through all of this. I mean, she also works too. So basically I want to kind of keep going and pay off my house early. By the time I'm 40, I'm 37, almost 30, 38 right now. And I kind of made a deal with her that I'd take Saturdays off, but I'd still be working an insane amount of hours. But I really want to get my house paid off. By the time I'm 40. I want to be 100%.

[C]

Okay. And this is still 12 hour days. Days. 12 hour days. Just taking one day off.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Come on, Matt.

[B]

Yeah, well, right now too is like the overtime's here. I don't know, 100% if the overtime is going to stay around. Who knows if another covet happens or anything like that.

[C]

Do you really think you can sustain that, though? 12 hour days, six days a week for three years? Is that sustainable?

[B]

I'm a beast. Yeah, I could do it.

[A]

When are you guys getting married?

[B]

So actually we're coming to Tennessee and it's supposed to be January.

[A]

Supposed to be? Well, like, do you have a date or are you just gonna roll up to the courthouse?

[B]

It's gonna be. It's gonna be the end of January. We just haven't finalized everything with like the venue, what exact date it's gonna be, but it's like the last week of January.

[A]

Okay, wonderful. Because I'm just thinking through this, then you're gonna have two incomes, right? Which is gonna speed up the process, which might mean you can then slide. Slow down.

[C]

That's what I'm thinking.

[B]

You guys are Gonna hate that part of it anyways because she lives with me and we already do that. We have. So that part you guys don't like.

[A]

So she's helping you pay off your mortgage?

[B]

She is, yes. She's paying bills. So like, yeah, I know she may, she makes about 2, 800amonth take home. Like that's what she brings home. So she's pretty much paying like the mortgage and I'm, I'm paying everything else. Like I bring home about 95 days. But with all this overtime, I'm projected to hit around 200,000 this year. And I want to kind of keep it going.

[C]

Let me just throw this out here. Let me just throw this out here because it's, it's, it has to be said. So I will say this. I mean, obviously if you ask us Ramsey opinion, we're going to say, hey, if you guys are not married yet, you should not combine your, your monies in this way. It's, it's, it's just an invitation for disaster. But if you are like, if you're going to just be like, hey, that's just not my way of thinking. I am going to move in with this person and we are going to combine money. At the very least, can you at least just sign a cohabit agreement and something that's going to protect both of you in case something were to happen. Please just do something like that so that there's some legality to this and so that nobody gets burned. If for some reason something should happen and you should go your separate ways, I'm just going to throw that out there for anybody listening. It's important to protect yourself if you're going to do something that is somewhat financially reckless. Fair enough.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I understand that part too. And like the house is only in my name. It's so, I mean, I guess that part's kind of.

[C]

I know, but if you were to go separate ways and she's put all of this money onto your mortgage that's in your name, that's, that's at a detriment to her. So she needs to have something in writing that would say, hey, I get this money back or whatever that case. Protect yourselves. If you guys are going to do this outside of the law, put, put some law around you is what I'm saying.

[B]

Yeah, agreed. I guess, I guess her part of that is 28,000 of that debt I paid off was hers. So it's like kind of a trade

[C]

off, but for both. That's what I'm saying. For Both of you for. Because you guys are doing this in such a crazy fashion. You're making headway. Like, I don't want to take away from the fact that you're paying off debt, but the way that you're doing it is. Is at. In a reckless fashion.

[B]

No. 100%. I know how you guys feel about that.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So here's what we teach and here's the way I live my life. Once you get out of baby step three, you're moving from intensity to intentionality. And I'm like you, Matt. I paid off my house. We did it in 26 months. The goal was four. Four years. We were crazy. My wife and I both were like, let's just go for it. And we had both a very aligned vision for that. But it was a pretty small mortgage at the time. We put like 50, almost 50% down. And so there wasn't much to go and it didn't crush our life. I was not working 80 hours a week. I don't even know if I was doing side hustles at the time. So it was a pretty low stakes way to live. I'm worried that you're gonna burn out, or at least she's gonna get burnt out on you never being home. And so I think there is a happy medium here of you working a reasonable amount going, all right, my goal is three years. If it takes four or five, it's going to be okay. I don't need to work Saturdays and Sundays and work till 9pm every day. Like, I know you're capable of that. It's not a sustainable thing to do for the next three years on top of what you've already done.

[C]

Yeah, it is going to cost you

[A]

something, whether it's your physical health, mental health, your relationship.

[B]

Yeah, she's on the same page as you. She wants to spend more time and stuff. That's why I was trying to take the Saturdays off and everything. And we still do trips and vacations and everything like that. I just. I just really wanted to get this done.

[C]

Now, I do think that you should be really intentional about putting extra towards a mortgage. I don't think any of us are saying by any means not. Not to have that as a very clear goal. But we're just saying the speed can slow down a little bit because you will have a new marriage, and that requires. Requires a lot of time and intentionality as well.

[A]

And you guys will both make more money over time. So you might end up hitting the goal even if you slow down. That's what I found happens if you guys are aligned from the get go with this marriage, you're going to hit the goal if you set it. And so I would, I would definitely slow down if I were in your shoes. Because we care about you. She cares about you and you've got time. Yeah. This is a self imposed goal. They're like, I'm just man, I want to do it. It's okay if it happens. 41. No one's mad at you.

[B]

Yeah. I guess that's the comparison of the thief of joy type deal. I hear some of these people that are younger than me having all this stuff done. So I just really want to be better.

[A]

And there's people older than you that wish they were where you're at. And so it's always a good reminder. There's an old Craig Groeschel quote. Pastor Craig says this jade. It's something to. I'm going to butcher it. It's not.

[C]

I know what you're going for.

[A]

Comparison will either make you feel inferior or superior and neither on honors God something to that.

[C]

You're pretty. I think that's right.

[A]

Like either, well, I'm better than them because I compared or I'm not as good as.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Because I compared. And you know, whether you're a person or faith or not, it's just unhealthy.

[C]

Yeah, I think that's right.

[A]

And so it's a good reminder that no one is setting this goal but you. And it's great to be better than you were yesterday and beat your personal best. But don't do it in a way that causes you to become a workaholic or unhealthy and unbalanced.

[C]

Yeah. And it's the same. I mean we've, we've hit on this a couple of times on already this, this show about make making sure to make that shift from intentional from intensity to intens. Boy, say it for me.

[A]

From intensity to intentional.

[C]

Thank you. My goodness gracious. But you know, there are some times where people call in and they've just. They've never been in debt or they never really had to go through baby step two. And those people, if they want to crush it through their house, that doesn't really bother me because they didn't have that time time period where they spent, you know, months or years in a slog. And so if you want to do that, that doesn't really bother me too much. Foreign. I'm all about practical ways to save time and mental energy.

[D]

Especially during the summer when life gets busy between Vacations, camps, deliveries, travel plans, online shopping and trying to keep everyone organized.

[C]

My mental load can get pretty full.

[D]

That's one of the reasons why I love Delete Me.

[C]

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[D]

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[C]

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[C]

I would have spent time my myself

[D]

removing my information and honestly, it feels so good knowing that someone is in

[C]

the background helping me and I don't

[D]

even have to think about it. So this summer, give yourself a vacation

[C]

with one less thing to manage. Get 20% off annual plans at joins elite me.com Ramsey that's joins elite me.com Ramsey.

[A]

Ask Ramsey is our free AI tool that is built and trained on proven Ramsey principles. And today we're going to break down one of the questions we received this week. Here it is. I'm debt free, have a fully funded emergency fund, and I'm saving for a down payment on a house. I do need to purchase a new car. Can I use my emergency fund for that?

[C]

Ooh, wow. Yeah, I mean, we would advise you against using your emergency your emergency fund to pay for a brand new car. And we would say to just start a sinking fund instead. You can set aside a monthly amount until you have enough to pay cash for that car. Because you never want to raid your emergency fund for a planned purchase because then you're unprotected when a real emergency hits.

[A]

Yeah. Here's the three questions to ask. Is this urgent? Is this necessary? Is it unexpected? And the truth is this is none of those things. So don't use your emergency fund. Use money outside of that and get the car you can afford. And then other upgrade with cash over time. So check out Ask Ramsey. It'll walk you through your financial goals based on your specific situation. You can input all of your numbers and it's going to give you somehow better advice than you would get on this show. I know that you may not think it's possible, but it will do it. So get your question answered today ramseysolutions.com or click the link in the description if you're on podcast or YouTube. Diane is in Cleveland. Up next. Diane, welcome to the show.

[D]

Thank you. I have a bit of a conundrum. My husband, after 23 years of marriage, is divorcing me, and I need to know how to start over. He was always the breadwinner, and now I'm left in my 50s, starting over financially and don't really know what that's going to look like. So I just. I'm calling in for help about, you know, we don't have any debt. Our cars are paid off, and we have a big nest, eg. But now the. The attorneys are fighting over this, and so. I know.

[A]

I'm so sorry, Diane. So we're already at that stage. We're at the attorney's fighting stage of this thing.

[D]

Yes. And it just started in April, and he filed, and I don't even know for what.

[B]

So.

[D]

Yeah, that.

[A]

So you don't know what happened? It was just random.

[D]

Well, there's, you know, people that aren't in the marriage. And I confronted it, and, you know, and. And now we started at a Christian counselor, and that didn't go anywhere. And so now he filed. And so 23 years later, here we are, you know, and I have to think, what am I going to do with my life? I have a master's degree, but I wasn't using it. And what was your master's degree? It's in design. I'm an art educator. And so, you know, now I've always been supporting his corporate job, him climbing the ladder and, you know, with bonuses and everything else. So now, you know, up way over six figures. So here we are.

[C]

Well, the good news is there's no debt, which is a good thing. And you said there's a big nest egg. How much is the nest egg?

[D]

160.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Do you guys have kids?

[D]

No, we never, you know, he didn't want that.

[C]

So, you know, $160,000 is in retirement.

[D]

No, it's just in. It's just there. Retirement is well over. Over, you know, millions.

[C]

Okay, so 160k.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Liquid. And tell us, how much is in retirement. Do you know?

[D]

I don't. He put it in an affidavit, and I didn't know that was even. What? I didn't even know that we had that.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

So now it's a matter of, like, everybody's, like, discovery, and I'm like, what is that? You know, putting all the cards on the table.

[C]

Yeah. So everybody, by the time this is finished, you're going to know every dime of what's out there, which is a good thing, and you're probably going to be shocked by a lot. But it sounds like. I mean, it's. It's a little different for every state. But like I said, the good news is there's no debt, and hopefully you're entitled to half of everything that's going on here. At least that's what I'd be fighting

[A]

for and potentially some alimony.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

What is your lawyer move?

[D]

He's not saying much, and that's what I called in. I was like, my attorneys like saying, you know, you owe me this, but I haven't heard anything. I don't know. Know what? I don't know the process. I don't know the steps. I've never been married before. I've never been divorced.

[C]

Did your attorney come recommended or is it just somebody that you selected?

[D]

Yeah, it's just somebody I select. Okay.

[C]

It might be. It might be time to start talking with friends and family and people in your community about a good divorce attorney. And if you don't like the one you have, you can fire them and move on to someone else. Because it sounds like. Like you want more of an understanding of what's taking place. And I could understand that.

[D]

And that's. I feel very in the dark. And they just say, I forwarded an email. Here's another. I want another $5,000.

[C]

I mean, yeah, you're going to pay for every phone call, every text, every email. And so if you don't feel like you're getting the information, just a basic level of communication, then you don't have to continue on with that person.

[A]

They will work for you. And so you want to make sure that you know what's going on.

[D]

I'm. I'm getting bullied a little bit. And it's about, is he still living

[A]

at the house or you guys.

[D]

No, I'm the only one living there. I don't even know where he is at this point. He's disappeared in April, so. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And are you making payments for all the bills?

[D]

That's what the attorney agreed to, but I don't have a job, so I'm

[A]

like, do you have a bank account or access to one?

[D]

We have a joint. And I moved so that I could have retirement money because I want to move to Florida, because I need to get away from that situation.

[C]

Okay. So I think the fair thing for you to do right now is I wouldn't make any major moves. Right now's not the time to move to Florida. Now's not the time to buy Another house. Not right. This still needs to be sorted out.

[A]

Wait till the dust settles.

[C]

Yeah, wait till the dust settles on this. And I think that the two pieces. Basic, based on you. Based off what I hear and the way you sound, I think you need two things. I think, number one, you need to find somebody who's a good friend who can help you advocate for yourself in this situation. Somebody. If it's somebody from church, if it's someone who's been through this, you just need someone in your corner who can help calm you down, who can be in the meetings with you or help you interpret an email that. That goes a really, really long way. And number two, based off what I hear, I don't know. And a good friend or advocate could help you, but I don't know that this lawyer is what you're looking for in. In terms of you.

[B]

You.

[C]

You ought to know what's going on in your own case. And if you don't, one of two things is happening. Either they're not communicating well, or you're just not in a place where you can hear it and receive it.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And I'm not sure which is true, to be honest with you.

[D]

I don't either, because I did. I've never had to hire an attorney, so I'm really just kind of at a loss. And, you know, I've always gone with Dave Ramsey people because I know that they always educate you well.

[C]

Use the resources you have. If you receive a letter from your attorney. Attorney, run it through Claude, run it through Chat gbt and say, help me understand this. What is it? This mean what's likely coming next? Like, there's a lot of resources out there that can help you understand. And I think that you're just in an emotional state, and it can be hard to just interpret things in a. In your normal way, like the way you used to before all of this happened.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

And if you have this in a mental fog.

[C]

Yeah. And so do that tonight. Take every single email that you've had, drop it in there and say, what does this mean? Put it in layman's terms. Tell me what's next. What are my options? Options? And I think that's going to also give you some peace just to help you sort through this.

[A]

And you said you've contacted some Ramsey pros. So if you have a smartvestor pro in your life or a Ramsey trusted agent, I would ask them, say, hey, do you have any attorneys you would recommend in the area who can help me with xyz? And they have an amazing Rolodex of people they've worked with that they trust, that they can recommend and that's going to be a big help. But we always say that divorce turns a marriage into a business transaction. And so now we, it becomes, all right, what are all the assets, who's getting what? And then you guys, the lawyers, the judge is going to decide what's fair. So just know that you're not destitute. You will be. Okay? And your job now is to figure out what this next chapter for Diane looks like. And maybe it's, wow, I haven't worked in 20 years and now I'm going to go get licensed and be an art educator at a local school in Florida. Who knows what that looks like? But I hope there's some silver lining here and you actually find some Newfoundland freedom because it sounds like this marriage wasn't great for a while. This wasn't super sudden.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. And for anybody listening, I mean, it's a cautionary tale.

[B]

Right?

[C]

We tell folks all the time that in a, in a healthy marriage there's that transparency. You should know what's going on with the money, what the assets are, what the debt is, what people are earning, all of those numbers. It's so important to be involved and to take a seat at the table so that if the worst happens, you're not left with out in the cold and certainly in the dark.

[A]

Yeah, being close fisted like that is a huge red flag for any marriage. You want to know exactly what's going on. Welcome. Welcome back to the Ramsey show and the Fairwinds Credit Union studio. I'm George Camel joined by Jade Warshaw taking your calls at 888-825-5225. Andrew is in Fort Wayne, Indiana. What's going on, Andrew? How can we help?

[B]

Hey. Hey, friends. So grateful to take your time here. I do appreciate it. So I am kind of in a pickle here. I have no money and I have a vehicle that has 278,000 miles on it. I've been the one that puts miles on it. I have about $20,000 in debt and I'm going to need a new vehicle sooner than later, especially as we start getting into the winter season here. I really don't want to have to go into any more debt. Unfortunately, I just don't have any liquid cash or anything to buy a new vehicle.

[C]

Is it broken down? Has it stopped on you?

[B]

So, no, I think the motor in this vehicle is going to outlast the frame, but it is certainly going to be at some point where it is going to.

[A]

What kind of car is that?

[B]

Highway? It is a 2011 Ford Escape. I bought it 10 years ago. I was young and dumb. I just showed up on a car lot. Next thing you knew I was signing papers and I bought a way over priced vehicle. And so I have at least drove the, the wheels off of it. It's getting pretty close. So.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, but I mean what's wrong with it today? Is it just the fact that it's got a lot of miles and you see the WR wall or is there an actual issue with it other than the miles today?

[B]

I mean it's still roadworthy at the moment. There's quite a bit of rust in some spots where it's like, okay, who knows, I could lose a tire anytime I hit a bad pothole around here.

[C]

Right. So you're more just thinking I need to start a sinking fund for a new car sooner than later.

[B]

Correct. And unfortunately I financially like I just, A lot of life has happened over the last year. I don't have, have an emergency fund. Like I've been unfortunately living paycheck to paycheck.

[A]

What happened over the last 10 years?

[B]

Oh, so the last 10 years I had some debt and then I paid it off in 2020. I bought a, I bought an affordable house, less than a quarter of my take home pay and I bought it in 2020 where the interest rates were still good. So that at the moment is probably my best asset. Again, I just don't have any, anything liquid from that.

[A]

What's your 20 in debt?

[B]

So some of it is I just a lot of stupid. So I got a home equity line of credit to pay off a medical debt and the only reason I got the extra money was to negotiate with the, the hospital, excuse me, with the medical stuff. And it turns out that they don't charge you interest on that stuff. So now I'm paying interest and variable

[A]

interest and it's tied to your house.

[C]

And the whole 20,000 is the HELOC.

[B]

So I, right now I pulled out $20,000 from the home equity line of credit. $10,000 of that was going to be for a vehicle, but having that $10,000 that, you know, I was paying interest on my own money even though I was borrowing it on the bank. I just put that all right back onto the debt on the HELOC and then the other 10, I'm confused, where did it go?

[A]

What magic trick did you do? So wait, you took 10 grand on.

[B]

So I, yeah, I went to my bank. I pulled out a home equity line of credit to pay for a vehicle for when that time came. And then I had took the 10 extra grand to negotiate with the, the hospital bill.

[A]

So that 10 grand's gone. Where did the other 10 grand go?

[B]

I put it back towards the HELOC. So now, so now what? You owe that? Currently I only owe about $3,000 left.

[C]

Okay, well, you told me you had

[A]

20 grand of debt, so.

[C]

3,000 of debt?

[B]

Yes. No, that was just the first one. So I, I.

[A]

Time is of the essence, so break it down just quick.

[C]

Just tell us what you have today. Don't tell us the backstory just yet.

[B]

Yeah, no. So I owe my aunt $8,000. And then I. Another one is like I'm $600 behind in my gas bill and then another $800 off my water bill.

[C]

Okay, $800 behind on water, $600 behind on gas. Okay, tell us about your income because something is happening there that, this with your income that's causing these problems. So what kind of work do you do and what do you earn?

[B]

I have a niche industry job, so I'm a professional silk screen printer. I will be making probably about $46,000 this year.

[C]

You have your own setup?

[B]

Nope, I work for a shop.

[C]

Okay. How many hours a week do you work?

[B]

So I have unlimited overtime, Technically that I can get, but I've been doing about 43 to 44 hours, so not a whole lot of overtime.

[C]

And with the, with the overtime, you're. That puts you at 46.

[B]

No, that's. That's base pay.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

So 46 plus you can make overtime. And are you living alone?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

What's your mortgage payment?

[B]

So my mortgage right now is at 5. 515.

[A]

515 bucks or 550. That's it?

[B]

Yes. Sorry. $515.

[C]

Okay, that's great. And what, what do you take home from the 46 plus overtime? What's an average month look like for you?

[B]

So average weekly I take up so about $2800.

[C]

Okay, $2800. We know 515 is going to rent. What's your other major expense because you don't have a car payment and it's just you eatin.

[B]

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

[A]

Are you making payments to the end or is this just sitting out there?

[B]

No, that's unfortunately just sitting out there. Like my what? Like there's just. I have so many, like with the gas and the water, it's just been. Yeah.

[A]

Why have you able to keep up with those bills.

[C]

Yeah. What caused you to get behind something?

[B]

So I was unemployed for a few months last year. Then I had a leak with the water and all that stuff. Just kind of.

[C]

But I mean today. Let me go back to today. So if I take your 2800 and I subtract 515, now I've got 2002, 85. And let's say what do you spend on groceries? Let's say you're going bare bones. Let's say you do 400 on, on groceries. You don't have a car payment. Can you reach over today and get current on the gas?

[B]

Yes, I certainly could. But then the problem is like, my concern is like, because next week I will. Like I'm not behind on my mortgage, but like I still have to pay my mortgage at this point.

[C]

No, no, no. I already, I already. Let's, let's pretend a clean month. Let's say you make $2,800 a month. And if I make $2,800 a month, I pay my, my rent. That's 5015. Now I have $2,285. I'm going to go ahead and pay. Let's pretend we pay $400 for groceries. Now I've got $1,885. Now let's say, you know what, I'm going to pay the minimum that I can to keep my water on. Let's find out how much that is. How much can you pay minimum to keep the water on?

[B]

Probably about 130 bucks.

[C]

Okay, so I'll pay 130 there and then I'll say I really want to get the gas current. So that's six hundred hundred dollars. And now I've still got eleven fifty five dollars to go. You don't have a car payment. You don't have kids in daycare. Maybe you have a cell phone. I hope it's Boost Mobile and you're only paying like 30 bucks a month.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Do you see what I'm saying? So what else is there that we're forgetting about? What I think is that you don't have a budget. And I think that you're doing some reckless spending and living for the moment.

[B]

That's what I think I am, guilty as charged.

[A]

Okay, well, you open the call, Andrew, saying, hey, I've been doing stuff, stupid things. It's fine to do that and then learn from it. But it's been a decade of stupid. So you got to decide, Andrew, two years from now, where does he want to Be financing a car, keeping up the cycle of payments, or finally breaking free, going, you know what? I gotta go make some money. I gotta go do some overtime, get rid of this debt, never go into debt again. Get an emergency fund, pay cash for a car, and build some serious wealth. You gotta decide, man. It's up to you. Hey, guys, Dave Ramsey here. Every day on this show, we help people work through real money problems and figure out what to do next. Now, you can get that same kind of help anytime. Time with Ask Ramsey. Ask your money question and get answers built on Ramsey principles we use on the show. Whether you're making a decision or just want something explained, Ask Ramsey is here to help. It's fast, simple, and free to use. Go to ramseysolutions.com and try Ask Ramsey today. That's ramseysolutions.com foreign. We want to hear from you guys, so jump in the comments on YouTube or Spotify and tell us what you're connecting with on today's show. Maybe you have thoughts. Maybe you would have told the caller something different. We want to hear about it in the comments. Our team enjoys seeing all of those. Appreciate that. All right, Jade. One of the biggest mistakes people make is they think they can just skip having a will because, well, I'm too young. I'm healthy, I don't own enough. I'll never die. Whatever it is, you're wrong. A will helps protect your family, and every single person needs one. It gives clear instructions and keeps your loved ones from having to guess what you wanted during a difficult time or even worse, having the government decide for you. So if you're ready to create a will, and you are, go to Mama Bear Legal forums dot com. That's Mama Bear Bear legal dot com. I apologize. And if you're not sure where to start, you can text the word quiz to this number, 33789. And we will help you figure out which option fits your situation. Chris is in Sacramento. Up next. Chris, welcome to the show.

[B]

Hey, how y' all doing?

[A]

We're doing great. How can we help today?

[B]

All right, so we got a situation. I want to buy a boat, and my wife does not want to buy a boat.

[A]

Oh, no.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

What a conundrum.

[B]

A little. A little background. Right. So no debt other than the mortgage.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

We're making extra mortgage payment every month. So our mortgage is 3,900amonth. We pay 5,200amonth.

[C]

Good.

[B]

We bought a year and a half ago after we got out of all our credit card debt and everything. And yeah, it's just a grind. So we do, you know, we do house projects. Save up. Right. And all that. So I see that. I see that we could buy a used. Both, you know, not a new one. Not.

[A]

How much money do you guys have saved for this?

[B]

Well, none yet. It's in the conversations. Right. So we're finishing up a backyard project that, you know, is about like 25k. Right.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

With not too many projects in the future.

[C]

So the backyard project, was that a project that you both wanted to do, the 25,000 on the backyard, or was that more her bag?

[B]

No, no, we. It needed it. Drainage was bad, all that. Right. Water into the house. So I mean, it's definitely. And you know, we ripping up the yard, we said, hey, let's make it nice. Right. So we're doing a lot of the work.

[A]

So you both were cool with that.

[C]

What about the boat? Is that something that you'll both get enjoyment out of, or is it just something that's really something you want? Is it more of a wants thing or is it a money thing?

[B]

Well, so I definitely want one. It would be a bass boat, a fishing boat. She enjoys being out in the water with me and goes fishing from time to time. But it would definitely be more like my thing, you know.

[C]

Okay, and how much would it cost?

[B]

We're looking at like 10 to 12,000, you know, a decent used boat to get us through, you know, five, ten years and then. And then look at a real nice dream boat later on, you know, and

[C]

in her mind, spending that 10, 12, like, what's the opportunity cost, cost? What does she feel like you guys are giving up on by spending that 10 to 12 grand or saving that up over time?

[B]

I think ultimately we're being pretty aggressive towards the mortgage and she wants to pay off the house. So I think, you know, I don't want to speak for, but I think at the end of the day, most of it is she thinks and feels that that money could go towards the mortgage.

[C]

Okay. I would, if I were in your shoes, I would double check that and make sure that that's how she feels. Instead of guessing, I'd want. Want to know, hey, where do you see us spending this money instead? Is it a vacation that you wish we were taking? Is it going to the house? Like, really get clarity on. On what the issue is with her on that? Because that's the only way you guys are going to arrive at how this money is actually being spent. I mean, for my two cents, I think it's great that you guys are making an extra payment on the house. I think that's a really fair place to be in. Baby step six is, you know, doubling the payment. I mean, I think that's probably pretty fabulous.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So 10 to 12 for the boat. She just feels like that's a waste of money. From what I gather, that could be going towards the mortgage. What's the ongoing cost of this?

[B]

The ongoing cost of a boat, like maintenance and whatnot?

[A]

Yeah. Do you have something to haul it? Because that's where I go. Well, now I need a truck, babe.

[C]

I gotta haul the boat and now I need to. Now I gotta store the boat and all that.

[A]

So what's your. Do you have a full plan for how this is all going to shake down?

[B]

So I still got to get a quote for. Insurance is the boat. Insurance is the number I don't have. But, you know, maintenance is relatively easy, especially since I do a lot of it myself. We have a Toyota Tacoma with 280,000 miles on it.

[D]

Right.

[B]

So that thing will, I think, will run forever ideally, you know, so we do need to factor into the budget a little bit more.

[A]

I would start a sinking fund for that truck while I'm at it. As much as it'll keep going, there'll be a day where it doesn't and you're going to be like, oh, I got to finance a truck now. So as long as you guys are saying no to debt, then the total value of all the things with motors and wheels is no more than half your annual income. You're in good shape. As far as the. The checkbox is here. So the alignment with the spouse is the final piece. What is your household income?

[B]

We're around 200.

[A]

Awesome. And what's the total value of the vehicles?

[B]

It's just that toy to Tacoma. So 8. 8 or 10,000.

[A]

Oh, it's your only vehicle.

[B]

We are both very lucky with our jobs and company vehicles. So we literally only have that Toyota Tacoma.

[A]

So you drive other cars but you don't have it?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I just sold my. My Toyota RAV4 because we just weren't using it, you know?

[A]

Okay.

[C]

So I mean, unless she's looking at the upkeep of this and thinking, I don't like how this is going to affect our month to month month budget. And again, I would run out those numbers and make sure you're talking about that. But other than that, I mean, financially, I don't see why you can't save up and do this, especially if you're a Reasonable amount.

[A]

If this is your hobby, this is where you want to spend your time and some money and it's in the budget. I would make a fake budget saying, hey, here's what life looks like when we have a boat and then see and try to get alignment on what's, what's the root of this? Why doesn't she want this to happen versus just trying to convince her? I think that's where we need to start talking to each other instead of missing each other. But good luck, man. Brett is in Cleveland up next. What's going on, Brett?

[B]

Hey, Jaden.

[D]

George.

[B]

Thanks for taking my call.

[A]

Sure. How can we help?

[B]

Yeah, I just had a question. So, lord willing, next month my wife and I will be debt free and we'll move into baby steps four, five, and six.

[C]

Love that.

[B]

We're really excited. We're excited about that. My question for you today is a couple years ago, a relative, when they passed, gave us three gold coins, one ounce each. And so we've had those, of course, gold going up in price. Should we sell the coins, which would basically give us our three month emergency fund. Or would you hang on to the gold since you know it could go up? I know it could go down too. So just want to get your thoughts on that.

[A]

Well, we're not fans of precious metals around here as an investment. So when you say well, could go up, that tells me we're sort of hoping and speculating it could go up. And gold, out of all the things you could have, is not. It's not crypto. Right. We know that gold's going to hold some value. It'll always be there. But I personally would be selling that thing instead of sacrificing for three more months or six more months or however long it would take you to get through baby step three. Could you get what, I don't know what an ounce of gold is going for today. How much could you get for all three?

[B]

It's at like 4200.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So at the beginning we get that 4000. Then it's at 4200 today, which I think is great.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, if you were like, hey, dude, I'll give you, I'll write you a check for 12 grand that could fund an emergency fund today instead of you having to continue to sacrifice. I'm personally taking it and I'm not going to miss out on what could have been. I would just don't check gold prices after you sell it. That's what most people do. They go, oh, man, it's 4,500 now. And now you're driving yourself crazy looking at what could have been.

[B]

Right. Right.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Well, that's. Yeah. And then I thought we just put in the Karen's account with the 3% interest. It would. You know, then you're always kind of gaining.

[A]

Yeah. You're at least keeping up with inflation. And I don't use gold as an investment. I just invest into the stock market. And over time, the stock market is at a higher return than gold. Gold has averaged about 7.8% a year since 1971, where it stopped being tied to the dollar, which is. Is not a bad return. But you can do better with less stress in the stock market. And there's a little less risk since it's not a physical thing you're trying to keep safe.

[B]

Okay, good. Just. That's what we were going to do. I just wanted to make sure I was thinking about. Right. So thank you guys very much.

[A]

Absolutely. And there'll be egg on my face if there's an apocalypse where we only barter in gold one day. Jade. Who knows?

[C]

I'm thinking like, spoons and forks will probably be more.

[A]

Yeah. I'm thinking ammo, fuel, water. Yeah. Weapons, water. That's going to be useful.

[C]

Shelter.

[A]

Yeah. I've seen enough post apocalyptic movies. I've never seen them go well. Bro, I got some gold.

[C]

Listen, a fighting style. You better start brushing up on your.

[A]

I do need to go to jiu jitsu. Is that right now?

[C]

Jiu jitsu?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I think if you're into, like, mma.

[A]

Yeah, you lost me there. If I get kicked in the face, this is the money maker. All right? I can't afford that. Can't risk it.

[B]

It.

[A]

Hey, guys. George Camel here. You ever feel like you make good money and still have nothing to show for it, you run into Target for one thing and Somehow walk out $87 later with toothpaste and emotional support. Candles. Just me. Okay. Well, that's the problem. Most people don't pay attention to how they spend their money, so it does whatever it wants. And that's why we created EveryDollar. It's a budgeting app that helps you create a simple plan for your money. Everydollar is simple. It's clear, and it helps track where your money's at actually going. Plus, you get daily lessons to DOs and reminders along the way. It's like having a money coach in your pocket. Your money's been freelancing long enough. It's time to give everydollar a full time job. Go download everydollar for free on the App Store or Google Play. If your private student loans are in default. When you've fallen so far behind, the loan is considered unpaid. Why Refi may be able to help why Refi helps borrowers in tough situations Explore low fixed rate refinancing options that fit your budget. Go to yrefi.com Ramsey that's the letter y r e f y.com Ramsey may not be available in all states.

[C]

All right, today's question comes from Glenn in Pennsylvania. He says what are your thoughts on on cell phone. On cell phone plans where big companies lure you in for years to pay off. My wife and I never really thought about the most about the monthly cost of paying off our cell phones. We just paid the monthly amount this, this month we got our monthly bill and we're surprised at the new amount due to our phones being paid off. It's drastically lower than our normal monthly bill. Should we start saving now to purchase our phones outright the next time around? Short answer is yes. And I Glenn, I love this question because this happened to me. I didn't even realize they're sneaky these days. They're sneaky. I didn't even realize that our phones were not paid off. We had been out of debt and I'm like woohoo. Debt free. And then one day, you know, randomly I see the bill and it's a lot less. And I'm like what happened? And then I realized we were paying, still paying for our phones. I didn't even know that. So you're not alone on that. And yes, from now on, just whenever you go to upgrade your phone, hopefully it's not an Android, but whenever you go to upgrade your iPhone, you just pay cash for it and let that be that on that. But I did hear something George, you'd probably be in the know on this. I feel like I heard that Apple is about to do away with that and you're just always like leasing your phone.

[A]

You lease the phone. Literally they're calling it a lease. And so you have to make the payments and then if you want at the end you have to pay the remaining balance that that's left for that device, whether it's a laptop, a phone, whatever it is, or you can hand it back to Apple and restart the process.

[C]

Man, I've seen everything at this point.

[A]

So it is brutal. So yes, if you got a payment plan on a depreciating asset, it is a type of debt because you have to pay that. Otherwise it's not your phone until it's paid off.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

So to me, that is a form of debt. You can get sent to collections for these kinds of things. So I would definitely set up a sinking fund and pay cash for your new phones and just like, like a car. Just try to get something that's going to last you a couple of years at least.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And don't upgrade every year because listen, the 16 is really no better than the 15.

[C]

It's really not. I don't. I couldn't even tell you what phone I have. And I agree with you so much, George, especially if you're in baby step two. Just get whatever you can that makes the phone calls, that sends the text message. And on your service, you know, go as cheaply as you can because there's a lot of money to be had there.

[A]

I meet people in the lobby and it's my favorite. When I see a single lens on the back of that iPhone, I'm like, oh, they're a real one.

[C]

I know that's right.

[A]

Hanging on to that iPhone 4.

[C]

You know what? I could really go back to a flip phone. I really could. I could be the person who has a flip phone that all it does is send phone calls and text messages.

[A]

You know, Rachel Cruz's husband Winston did that. He's got a dumb phone.

[C]

He likes it.

[A]

The man is at peace.

[C]

You know what?

[A]

Talk to him. You know what I mean? Like, the owls land on his shoulder. He is like one with nature now. I'm gonna try it without a smartphone. I don't know if I could survive it. I'm too. I need to be Googling at all times so I wouldn't survive. Survive long in the wilderness.

[C]

I think I take offense that people are calling them dumb phones. Well, smartphones, because isn't it really the smarter way, George?

[A]

Yeah, but it's the opposite of smart and it's a funny name, so just go with it, Jade. Don't ruin it. All right, Jennifer's in Phoenix. Up next, what's going on?

[B]

Jennifer, Hi.

[D]

Thanks for taking my call. Sure. I have a question regarding my 16 year old who's going to be 17 and about a month. So he is in his junior year of high school. He's a huge Dave Ramsey fan. He took financial literacy. They all have to take financial literacy their sophomore year. And their curriculum is based off of Ramsey. And so he has become a huge fan of investing and compound interest. And now we listen to it in the car all the time.

[C]

And you're super annoyed or.

[D]

Yeah, I Mean, I'm learning a lot. So everybody's a huge fan. They love my husband and my boys both love when Dave laughs at his own jokes or flips out on people for their bad decisions. So it's a good time.

[A]

We love it too.

[C]

That's so funny.

[A]

So what's the conundrum?

[D]

Great road trips. So he's been playing baseball since about eight years old. He just had his best season yet. He plays club year round and high school ball in the spring. And he, since he's done financial literacy, he's thinking that he's not confident that he's going to play baseball in college. So he's thinking that he should quit baseball and start a part time job and start earning money and investing and getting that compound. Interesting to set himself up for the future.

[A]

Okay, so if you sat down with him and said, why do you want to quit? He would say, I don't think I'm going to finish doing this in college and I'd rather be working to start investing.

[D]

Right, okay.

[A]

And you want him to finish.

[C]

Why?

[A]

Why do you want him to stick through it through end of high school?

[D]

So I mean, you only get this much time in childhood, right? And then you're an adult and you have all the responsibilities. So it's not that we're, we're not supporting. Like he has some really great points. He was a little, he talked to me before he talked to his dad because he was a little nervous about dad. And I said, I love all of your points. And I, I said, now let's just really think about it. So we support him either way. We just are curious if we should squash the idea and say, enjoy your childhood, play baseball. It's only going to be here for a few years and then think about investing or if we should support him in his idea to quit and start investing now.

[A]

Are you guys doing well financially?

[D]

Yeah, we're, we're, we're ramsaying it. But yes, we are.

[A]

Like, are, do you have any debt?

[D]

Yeah, we do.

[A]

Okay. I'm just wondering if there's a, if he's all about investing, is there a way you can help him with that and go, hey, hey, you know what, we're going to match whatever you put in or hey, we're going to put in a thousand bucks this summer for you to get started investing, but we want you to keep playing baseball. What would he say?

[D]

I think he would consider it. He also has told us, like, it feels a little bit more like a chore now.

[A]

Well, that's What I was saying you're. Because you're positing it as man his childhood. I'm like baseball at 17 is work. I mean, you're showing up to practice, you're showing up to every game.

[C]

Is he good at outfit on or is he not good?

[D]

He's good. I don't know if he's college level good, but he's good. Like, but I mean he play, he

[C]

plays in the game. He's not just sitting the bench. He plays and he, yeah, he was

[D]

in the top three stats of every single stat his coach shared.

[C]

And was he complaining about baseball before he started learning all of this? And so this was coming either way or do you really, really feel like, do you really feel like this kind of came out of the blue just because he learned about the compounding interest?

[D]

I know he's always kind of had a love hate relationship with it, but more love. He loves the social aspect of baseball. He loves the like camaraderie that it builds. But it's always been kind of a love hate relationship. Probably because we live in Arizona and it's really hot.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. I mean he can get camaraderie at work with coworkers at the old ice cream shop. So here's my take. I'm going to just say it. You can take it or leave it. I don't want him to resent you for making him play. I'd rather him on his own volition, regret turning baseball down to go work. And the truth is I don't think he's going to regret it. I think he's going to go get a job and go, wow, I feel like I'm stepping into adulthood and there's responsibility here. There's discipline. You got to show up. And it's going to prepare him for the future more than baseball will at this point.

[C]

I think I disagree. I think I, I think I have a conflicting view.

[A]

Jade's forcing him to get out there

[C]

on if he's played all of these years and you don't feel like this was coming down the road. I actually think that, I would say, I think there's a world where he can do both, where he can play the season of baseball and finish out with his team. And then I think there's a world where, when he's not, you know, in baseball training or in the season that he can work. And I think that there's something that comes from team sports that's very different than what he would get, you know, working at the grocery store or working at wherever he's working. And I think if he can get the best of both worlds, I think that really can create some well roundedness. Team sports are really important not because of going pro or because of getting a college scholarship, but just what they build on the inside of you. And part of that is, you know, sticking to a task. So I think that there's something there. I don't think either is the wrong choice. I just think that you got two different views this time.

[A]

I like letting him own the decision either way to let him feel like, all right, I'm an adult, I gotta make peace with the decision I made. Good and bad. You work your butt off for your money, but your money's never going to return the favor if all you do is hope for the best. If you're ready to learn how to make your money work for you, check out the SmartVestor program. SmartVestor can help you find advisors who specialize in retirement planning, charitable giving, advanced investing strategies, and more. Whatever your goals, your pro will take the time to explain your options so you never have to invest in anything you don't understand. Head to ramseysolutions.com smartvestor to get connected. Ramsey Solutions is a paid non client promoter of participating pros. Learn [e-mail] SmartVestor. Our scripture of the day, Psalm 1:3. They are like trees planted along the riverbank bearing fruit each season their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Peter Marshall said, when we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. Boom.

[C]

Under pressure.

[A]

Thomas is in San Antonio, California. I didn't know there was. I'm learning a lot today. What's going on, Thomas?

[B]

Thank you. Happy to be here. How are you all doing?

[A]

We're doing great. How can we help today?

[B]

Yeah, so my wife is. I'm very blessed. She put her life on hold, her CrossFit athlete career on hold to put me through law school debt free.

[A]

Awesome.

[B]

Yes. And I'm graduating here soon with a great offer and we have a net worth pretty much of zero right now. And so she's. I want her to go back and pursue that CrossFit career that I think she can attain. But she is a big fan of Ramsey and she wants us to get to, you know, step five at a down payment. So. Am I being irresponsible?

[A]

You guys. You guys don't have an emergency fund yet?

[B]

No, we do not.

[A]

And you're not investing and you are Renting.

[B]

We skimped it with in laws during law school.

[A]

Okay, but you're renting on your own now.

[B]

As soon as I graduate, we will be renting.

[A]

Got it. Okay, and so you are trying to get her to chase these dreams, but that would require her to not work for, for a season.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, what does that look like? I don't, I don't know. The CrossFit world. I don't know if that's a shock looking at me. So explain to me what this track looks like.

[B]

You know, she's already top 2000 in the world and that's like top 1%. But you know, to get within the top point.01%, that's a full time job. Working, working out all day.

[C]

So she's training as an athlete, not as a coach.

[B]

Yes, as an athlete.

[A]

And she would enter into competitions and potentially get money from that and sponsorships. How does the income stream work?

[B]

Yes, exactly. I, I don't even care if it's an income stream for us. I, I have a good offer that we will live off of just fine. I just want to like, you know, pay her back for sacrificing.

[A]

So you're saying we can live on my income and she's saying, well, I'd like to live in a house first instead of the in laws, so let's get there before we start this dream. What is she doing now for work?

[B]

She's a PT tech technician.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

How much of it is, how much of this is your personal guilt for her sacrificing versus what she even wants to do at this point? Because if you're telling me she sacrificed saying, no, I don't want to pursue that right now. I want to focus on, you know, whatever the next couple baby steps are. If that's what she's saying she wants to do, that might be what she wants to do. Or are you just worried that she's going to have resentment later on in life?

[B]

Yeah, that's a good point. I'd say probably a little bit of both. We're both young and this is her like prime time.

[C]

And so this sounds like a date night conversation where you guys sit down and you unpack what, what you're feeling and you ask her about what she's truly feeling and you guys really get a sense of where each other is at today based instead of where it was in the past and you know, making sure you're making up for lost time and all that. I think this is just a conversation you guys have to have.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And that's gonna, you know, point to. Okay. Yes. We can continue to do some of these baby steps. The speed of at which we do it might change if she decides, you know what, I do want to start, you know, pursuing this competition. You might be going slower, but it doesn't mean you have to stop and that you can't do any of the steps going forward until she's done.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

What does she make as a PT Tech?

[B]

Like 35. Okay.

[A]

And what will you be making with this offer?

[B]

200.

[A]

Okay, fantastic. So you would just live off your income because here's what I'm thinking. She wants you guys to have the emergency fund, have the down payment, and if she stopped, it would slow down your goal by a little bit. But the lion share of the income will be yours.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So it's not like a make or break if she pursues CrossFit and quits her job. It's not like I'll never own any a house now. So I'm just trying to not make it this like huge A or B scenario. There's an option C, which is it takes us six months longer to save for the house and we're going to make other sacrifices in other areas to make this happen. So I would sit down, make a budget for what this is going to look like making, you know, 200 grand and then factor in taxes and factor in we got to save the emergency fund. That's going to take this many months. Then we're going to save a down payment that's going to take this, this many years and then start to go, okay, here's what we're really giving up. Here's the opportunity cost of you pursuing this. And if you find that it's a couple of months, she might then go, oh, you know, I didn't think about it like that. I'm good to do this sooner rather than later.

[B]

That's, that's helpful. Thank you.

[A]

I think just using logic and facts because everything right now is just like emotion on both sides. And I like the idea of the date night to just get some clarity, get all the emotion out and then let's look at the facts. Yeah.

[C]

And I just want to say something, cuz he, he, he used some phrasing that I'm like, oh, gosh, I don't like that. You know, when you're building a life together with your spouse, each person is sacrificing to get to a shared vision, a shared outcome. Him becoming a lawyer is not just beneficial to him, it's beneficial to the family unit. So his feeling of, I've got to pay her back for her sacrifice. And it's like, I get what he's saying, but does that make sense? It's like making sure that everybody should. Not about paying people back in a marriage. It's about both people sacrificing and both people doing things to. For the greater good.

[A]

So. And dreams change, too. And I mean, she could have a kid and decide, you know what, I don't want to pursue this anymore. And she might stay home, and that's fine, too. But I like having the options through healthy budgeting and knowing what the numbers are. All right, May is in Phoenix. Up next. May, welcome to the show.

[D]

Thank you. Thank you so much for taking my call today.

[B]

Sure.

[D]

So my question is, I am thinking of going back to school for about, about 11 to 13 years. And I'm thinking, like, how should I prepare financially? I am 33 years old and still in $69,000 of debt. So I'm thinking, do I pay the debt off completely before even thinking of this as an option?

[C]

What are you going to go back to school to do?

[D]

So I'm thinking of forensic pathologist, which will require, like, medical school and basically be a doctor.

[A]

Wow, that's pretty intense.

[C]

That's very cool.

[D]

Yeah. Okay, thanks.

[A]

Are you single?

[D]

No, I'm married.

[A]

Okay. What does your spouse think about this plan?

[D]

Of course she thinks I can do anything, so she's, like, pushing me to do it. Of course she. We want to get into, like, a little bit less of, like, have a little less debt before doing this.

[C]

But is that the combined debt, the 69,000 or that just you combined 69.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Because I'm, I'm worried that you're not going to be able to work for 11 years. It sounds like

[D]

yes and no. So I'm thinking of taking it slow. But yeah, I feel like when I get further down in the process, you know, that's going to be. I'm thinking I'll do whatever I can, like if I have to work nights and, you know, what is your spouse during the day? She. She makes about 4 to 4. 4 to 4, 500amonth.

[C]

So. 4,500amonth. Okay. And can you, can you run your household just off of the 4,500amonth? Have you budgeted that out?

[D]

We can if we're out of.

[C]

If you're out of debt. Okay.

[A]

So that's a prerequisite. No matter what happens, we're getting out of debt no matter what's next what is the 11 years of school going to come cost?

[D]

That's another thing that I'm currently looking into. I don't know specifically, but roughly about 14,000 a year. So we are, that's the thing. Like we're wanting to pay like out of pocket, like, obviously not get into any more debt. So we're thinking, do we completely clear out our 69k before even trying to attempt this?

[C]

You have to.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

I think there's two things that happen to be true. First, hear me say, I think this is a really cool goal. I love the fact that you're wanting to reinvent yourself and you're like, I'm willing to put in the time and effort to do it. That's number one. I think that George is exactly right. You got to pay off the $70,000 of debt first. And I think that's worth both of you hunkering down and doing whatever it takes to knock that out full baby step style to get that done. And then from there it's about saying, okay, during that time, there's also got to be an increase of income along the way so that we can start to save up the $14,000 a year or at least get ahead of it so that we can cash flow it. And your spouse is probably going to be bearing the brunt of that weight while you're in school.

[A]

That puts this hour of the Ramsey show in the books. Remember, there's ultimately only one way to financial peace, and that's to walk daily with the Prince of peace, Christ Jesus.