The Ramsey Show - App - This Inspiring Single Mom Paid Off $41K in One Year! (Hour 1)

Episode Date: September 9, 2021

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome Live from the headquarters of Ramsey Solutions, broadcasting from the Dollar Car Rental Studios, it's the Ramsey Show, where debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice. Ken Coleman, Ramsey personality, number one best-selling author, is my co-host today. He is the host of the Ken Coleman Show here on the Ramsey Networks, where he talks about
Starting point is 00:00:53 career and talks about jobs and how to get one of each. Hopefully, one and the same wouldn't be a bad idea. So if you want to talk about that and your life and your money, we're here to help. The phone number is 888-825-5225. That's 888-825-5225. Selena is with us in Dallas, Texas. Hi, Selena. How are you?
Starting point is 00:01:17 Hi. Thanks for taking my call, Dave. Sure. What's up? So my question is for Kent. I kind of need help deciphering where exactly I'm supposed to go in the area of nursing. So a little bit of background. I am a registered nurse. I started out my first job in a stroke unit.
Starting point is 00:01:41 And so my first job and the job that I actually resigned from, I got it in 2018, and I resigned just this year in January just because of the burnout. It was a very heavy job that I just, it was costing me to get out of bed and heading to work. There's so many areas of nursing that I would like to explore, but I need just kind of like direction and to, you know, picking out exactly what I'm supposed to go into. So let's first identify what specifically caused you to feel burnout in that last job.
Starting point is 00:02:23 I think you said heavy. Was it the nature of the patients and what you were dealing with? What specifically caused you to feel burnout in that last job? I think you said heavy. Was it the nature of the patients and what you were dealing with? What was the specific cause of burnout in that last nursing job? Definitely. So with stroke patients, adult stroke patients, there's, you know, a lot of debilitating after math, after having a stroke. So it was a lot of dependent stuff that they needed. I did enjoy giving the care, providing the care.
Starting point is 00:03:01 It may have also just been the environment that I was in, management specifically. There wasn't a lot of just, I would think, equality. And so that had a little bit to do with it. I enjoyed those. Good. So here's the deal. First of all, I don't want you to have any guilt, and you haven't mentioned that you have,
Starting point is 00:03:22 but I want to make sure I address this because we hear this a lot from callers who are thinking about making a switch. You don't need to feel in any way a sense of guilt or shame over that particular type of nursing work really kind of eating away at you emotionally. It's really, really tough, heavy stuff. You are a caregiver. You just used that word. And so nursing is caregiving. So really this is about exploring all the different types of nursing,
Starting point is 00:03:44 and you know all the different types of nursing, and you're exploring all of them. And I want you having real conversations with other nurses to get from them almost like you would if you were to interview somebody back in high school about a profession and sit down and the ins and the outs, the good, the bad, the ugly about that particular type of nursing. And here's what's going to happen. As your brain gathers the information, that's the logic side, your heart begins to filter that logical information and your heart's going to warm and kind of go ding, ding, ding to the type of caregiving, the specific people that you're giving care to. And so, you know, you've got to look at everything.
Starting point is 00:04:24 You know, one of my best friends in the world, his wife is a NICU nurse. She loves taking care of those little babies that are just fighting with everything they got. It's not too heavy for her. It gives her great lift and joy. But, you know, I know there's all kinds of nurses. There's the nurses who check you in before surgeries. It's highly administrative. You've got nurses that are dealing with trauma in the ER you've got all different kind of nursing and I think you've got to be in a place where you go I'm giving care but I'm giving care to people that when I care for them and their particular situation I'm lifted as opposed to feeling like it's too heavy. Does that make sense?
Starting point is 00:05:06 Yeah. So this is just simple discovery. Good old-fashioned conversations over coffee. And you've got all the connections. You're already in and you're already qualified. And just follow your heart to this. You already know, don't you? I did.
Starting point is 00:05:22 I was influenced into nursing because I had a heart surgery when I was three so pediatrics is where I feel like I could go into it's just I fear that it's gonna negatively affect me emotionally just because I have a stay-at-home mom now with a toddler and a newborn so I don't want to be it it's fearful to be affected emotionally. You know what I mean? Sure. You know, one of the things I would suggest is that you maybe take a couple of sessions with a therapist and a counselor, somebody that's a professional, and talk about how when you're in that caregiving function,
Starting point is 00:05:59 how you are essentially projecting some of those scenarios into your own life. Talk to somebody professionally about that, because I think there are some tools that can help you enjoy the work but not carry so much of it with you. But you're going to need help. It's hard to do that on your own. Hey, good question, Selena. Thank you for calling in.
Starting point is 00:06:20 Open phones at 888-825-5225. Joe is in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hi, Joe. How are you? Good. Thanks for taking my call. How are you guys? Better than we deserve, brother.
Starting point is 00:06:33 What's up? I have a question. We are close to paying off our mortgage and being debt-free completely. The approach we've been taking is probably a little different than what you would recommend, I would say, because we just barely discovered you not too long ago just from friends. But anyways, what we've been doing is putting my entire paycheck towards the mortgage and some above that
Starting point is 00:07:01 and then living off my wife's paycheck. We have a low interest rate of 2.3%. I'm just wondering if it's smart to continue what we're doing, just dumping a load onto it compared to just paying just a little bit at a time. But when we're all done with all this, we should be, according to our math and calculators online, we should have it paid off in seven months if we keep going the way we are. That's wonderful.
Starting point is 00:07:28 I assume you're debt-free other than the house. Yes. Okay. Do you have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses? We have $15,000 in savings. What's your household income? $150,000. Okay.
Starting point is 00:07:43 It's probably a little slim. A little less than three to six months, but probably. Okay. It's probably a little slim. A little less. A little less than three to six months, but probably pretty close. You're probably all right. And the only difference is I wouldn't define it by paycheck. I would just put both paychecks in a total at the top of the page, and I would throw as much of that as you can at this mortgage. And in a sense, that's the same thing you're doing.
Starting point is 00:08:04 But instead of saying uh we're going to put my check and a little of my wife's towards it we're just going to put the equivalent of those two things towards it out of your budget um and we do recommend you put 15 of your income into retirement while you're doing this and that might make it nine months instead of seven to pay off the mortgage but you're you're not doing anything wrong here, man. You're heading in the right direction. Everything's going theward of your money is more important than ever. While some circumstances can't be controlled, there are items within your budget you can take charge of, such as your health care costs. For nearly 40 years, Christian Healthcare Ministries, or CHM,
Starting point is 00:09:14 has provided a budget-friendly means of sharing for medical bills when our members need it. Learn more by visiting chministries.org slash budget. That's chministries.org slash budget. Christian Healthcare Ministries is a Ramsey-trusted provider. Ken Coleman Ramsey personality is my co-host today. If you've been trying to pay off debt, I know it feels like you're the only one who feels this level of weight. It can be really lonely. It can be really frustrating. But you're not alone. Lots of people are tackling their debt, too.
Starting point is 00:09:57 And they're feeling the same way you are. You don't have to be by yourself while you're doing this. Join a Financial Peace University class with other people. Together, you'll learn the power of the proven plan to win with money and the accountability, the encouragement, the encouragement, the encouragement.
Starting point is 00:10:16 It's a big deal. You celebrate with other people as you make progress. Right now, there's hundreds of virtual classes and hundreds of in-person Financial Peace University classes starting all over the country. You can join your choice of them. Find people that are doing what you're doing. They want to be debt-free so that they can build wealth and be outrageously generous.
Starting point is 00:10:37 You can get access to the class and more tools only with a Ramsey Plus membership. Financial Peace University is part of Ramsey Plus. Start your free trial of Ramsey Plus by texting TRIAL to 33-789. Text TRIAL to 33-789. Up next is going to be Shane in Greenville, South Carolina. Hi, Shane. How are you? Hi, Dave. I'm good. How are you? Better than I deserve. What's up?
Starting point is 00:11:08 Well, I just have a quick question for you. Me and my husband are on baby step two, and we're down to our last two remaining debts. One is a car loan, and we're trying to figure out if we should trade that car in and have the loan paid off and buy a car in cash. Because if we do that, you know, we'll be closer to just having our last debt, which is our student loan debt. And we should be finished paying that by the end of the year. How much do you owe on the car? We owe $11,300.
Starting point is 00:11:41 Okay. And what's your household income? $50,000. Okay. And what's your household income? $50,000. Okay. And do you like the car? We do. It's a 2017 Toyota Corolla. It has 89,000 miles on it.
Starting point is 00:11:57 But it's a good car. When I looked it up on Carvana or like Kelly's e-book, they said we could give us around $11,000 for it. Yeah. The two rules of thumb that we use on whether you need to sell a car are, number one, can you be debt-free everything but the house within two years from today? I think you can. Mm-hmm. If you keep the car. Do you?
Starting point is 00:12:20 Yes. Okay. Number two is all of your vehicles added together, everything with motors and wheels of any kind added together equal more than half your annual income. And unless you have another car in the driveway that's really expensive, you're not violating that rule either. Right. Now we have a 2008 Honda Odyssey. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:12:42 So I'm keeping it. Okay. And fight on through. It's just going to add a few months to your debt snowball uh but uh you're going to have a reasonably good car when you're done there it's something that's not out of control if you told me the car was thirty three thousand dollars i'd have sold it already okay okay because that would have been more than half your annual income and you wouldn't have been able to pay it off with the student loans in two years right right it would have been the it would have been too big of an impediment this is not a big enough move of the needle unless you just already hate the car to get rid of it it doesn't make sense chris is in boise idaho hi chris welcome to the ramsey Show.
Starting point is 00:13:25 Hi, Dave. How are you? Better than I deserve. How can Ken and I help? I have a question. My wife and I are in the process of transitioning ownership from my father-in-law's company. And we've been in talks of how essentially my wife and I would pay off my brother-in-laws as their inheritance when my in-laws pass away. I'm wondering how do we save for that?
Starting point is 00:13:59 Okay. You're buying the company or not? Not buying it. It's being passed down to us. But how do we save? And it's not being passed down to you. It's being passed down to you, but you still don't own it all. Half of it is going to be passed to the brother-in-law. Not officially.
Starting point is 00:14:21 Officially, we would be owners on paper. But as I guess what I'm wondering is their quote unquote inheritance as if my wife and I weren't being passed. The company wasn't being passed to us and my in-laws just died one day and the business gets sold off and we would all get 25%. But since my wife and I are going to be owners of the company, how do we go about saving to pay off her brothers? Why do her brothers need to be paid off? It's not their company. You're getting it before death, and you're going to be the owner of it. And then they die.
Starting point is 00:15:06 There's nothing owed to the brothers. I don't understand. This doesn't make sense. That's the agreement that we've been in talks with my in-laws about. What is the agreement? They're going to give you the company now, but when they die, you have to give money to your brother-in-law? As part of their inheritance, yes. No.
Starting point is 00:15:32 I don't want the company. This is screwed up. This is a mess. I just, what a mess. No. They don't, I mean, so what happens if you grow the company to double before they die? That is a question that needs to be asked, and that's why I'm calling to ask you before we have a bunch more conversation.
Starting point is 00:15:53 Yeah, this structure is screwed. This is a bad structure. So what's this company worth? Don't you generally say four times net profit net profit for the owner yeah that would put it right now right around a million and a quarter okay so what instead i would suggest you do is if they're going to give you a fourth of it and you have to buy out three-fourths then 75 of a million and a quarter is what you owe your parents-in-law and you need to pay that out of profits as fast as you possibly can. Give them 100% of the profits above you making a living wage until you get to that number.
Starting point is 00:16:36 And that number is about $800,000. And so you're saying the profits after... I'm sorry? Sorry, I interrupted. Keep going. That's okay. What did you say? So then it's their money and they can do what they want with it. Yeah, then they can leave that money to the brother-in-law.
Starting point is 00:16:56 Great. I just had to think about it out loud with someone who was not involved. Yeah, the way they're doing it, it's bass-ackwards and you're going to get caught in the crosshairs here. This is not going to be good. So somebody's going to end up pissed off is what's going to happen here, and really, really bad. So what we suggest you do if you're buying out a business is that you don't do payments and you don't do debt. But I would suggest you set up a minimum living wage that you can live out of the business on reasonably and give 100% of the profits above that wage to your father-in-law until it reaches that number, which should be 75% of a million and a quarter.
Starting point is 00:17:40 So we'll call it $800,000, $900,000, whatever it is. And it sounds like the profits are about $ right about 300 yes yeah depending on the year yeah and so you'd be clear in three years okay maybe four but somewhere in there you'll be clear and and you're not obligated to give them anything except 100 of the profits above the living wage until you reach that number. When you reach that number, they're paid off, and then there is no strings attached to this company. No one has – you don't have any obligation after that. They can leave that other money to the other kids, and you've already gotten yours, your share, when they knocked a fourth off of the company price.
Starting point is 00:18:23 That make sense? Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, that's a much better structure. It's not going to get you caught in the middle here. And then if they die before you're paid out, the agreement still stands. The heirs, the other three boys, will get the same thing that the parents-in-law would have gotten from you because that piece of paper survives them. That deal survives them.
Starting point is 00:18:47 And it doesn't change anything. Yeah, that's a much better idea. Let's get this over with, in other words. This is The Ramsey Show. Thank you. in the lobby of ramsey solutions on the debt free stage laurie is with us hi laurie how are you hi dave i'm doing great good welcome good to have Where do you live? I live in a suburb of Minneapolis, which I affectionately refer to as the land of snow and ice. Yes, it is. Well, welcome to Nashville.
Starting point is 00:19:51 So good to have you. And all the way down here to do a debt-free scream, how much have you paid off? I've paid off about $41,000 in the last year. $141,000? No, $41,000. $41,000 in one year. Good for you. And your range of income during that year? It started out at 125,000 and now it's about 130,000. Good for you. What do you do for living? I work in clinical research. Okay. So I help run drug studies for new companies. Good,
Starting point is 00:20:19 good. Busy year. Yes, a lot of COVID stuff going on. Yeah. I can imagine. I can imagine. What kind of debt was the 41K? It started about 10 years ago. I got divorced, and my ex-husband, all of a sudden, he was gone, and I had a mortgage and two little kids. In five years, I was laid off three times and got divorced, so life was hard. Yeah. And then I was chaperoned to school trip, school field trip for my kid, and I was on the bus ride home. And shout out to Dave Carlson.
Starting point is 00:20:48 He asked, do you follow Dave Ramsey? I said, who's this Dave Ramsey guy? Where's he going? If I'm not following him, where's he going? So he introduced me to you. I bought your book. I kicked it into high gear. And then about two years ago, I have this bathroom that's been unfinished for 10 years.
Starting point is 00:21:03 So my ex-husband gutted it. All of a sudden, he was gone. I look at that bathroom. I know you have two daughters. I don't know if you've ever had to share a bathroom with your teenage daughters, but it is not pleasant. It wasn't even pleasant when they had to share one, much less with me. No. So I've always said, I want to finish that bathroom.
Starting point is 00:21:18 I just want to finish that bathroom. And finally, I'm like, everyone said, well, just take out a home equity loan. I said, no, Dave won't approve of that. And they're like, well, forget about Dave. Just take out a home equity loan. I said, no, Dave won't approve of that. And they're like, well, forget about Dave. Just take out a home equity loan. I'm like, no, I got to follow Dave. So then about two years ago, I said, I got to pay off that mortgage. So I put together a plan.
Starting point is 00:21:33 I made double mortgage payments. That was my goal was to pay it off in 18 months. And I managed to do it in nine months. You paid off your house. Yes, I paid off my house. The whole house. Not the bathroom. The whole freaking thing yeah
Starting point is 00:21:45 so and then after i did that i've been taking all that money and throwing it into my savings so come january i will no longer have to share a bathroom with my two teenagers touchdown i love it i'm teenage bathroom free yeah yeah yeah way to go so you paid off your house and everything you're so weird i love it yeah and you can't share that with everybody but that's why i'm here right to Yeah, way to go. So you paid off your house and everything. You're so weird. I love it. Yeah, and you can't share that with everybody, but that's why I'm here, right, to share with all you guys. This is a place you can share it with everybody. Everybody here that's watching this is happy for you. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:22:14 Well done. So what's this house worth? It's worth about $350,000. Wow, plus or minus a bathroom. Wow. Yes, and now the goal then is to cash-free, cash-flow the college for the kids. So they're 13 and 16. Look at you.
Starting point is 00:22:28 And teaching them well, right? My daughter has a job. A third of her paycheck goes to her college fund. We're still working on the budgeting, but I know your daughter, Rachel, had budget problems. So there's hope for her, right? There's a lot of hope, yeah. Turns out, okay, mine will too. It turns out she teaches it now.
Starting point is 00:22:42 Yeah, I know. Wow. Look at you. Way to go. Yeah. So there's still a tremendous amount of emotion in you as you took us back to that catalytic moment. To all the single women, single moms out there that have heard the message, maybe they got a book, maybe they listen to the podcast, they watch the show, whatever, and they're going, it makes sense. But I don't think I can do it.
Starting point is 00:23:07 What would you say to that single mom? You just got to keep working. I mean, I had a side hustle. I still do it. I sell brats and beer at major league football games and baseball games. And I always say manual label keeps me humble. You know, I'm no better than the other person on the side of the counter. They don't know I'm debt free.
Starting point is 00:23:23 They might think I'm a nobody, but I'm not. And so just keep trying, keep plugging away and you'll get there yeah that's so good go vikings i'm guessing right yeah you know the trauma yeah the interesting thing is the trauma is in the rearview mirror right yeah yeah it is it's awesome and you're driving away what does it mean to you? I mean, I know you're debt-free, but this emotion is really you celebrating what you've overcome. How much stronger are you as a result of walking through this debt-free journey? Well, I look at myself when my husband was gone, and I was nothing. I had no self-esteem.
Starting point is 00:24:01 He had to be removed from the house by a restraining order. Things were bad. So it's really hard, but I look at my kids and I have to show them that I can do it because they have to do it sometime too. So my motivation was my daughters. And I look at them and they're turning into great young women. They're both taller than me. That's a little hard
Starting point is 00:24:20 for me to handle, but I'll get used to it. And that was my motivation. And I say to all single moms, like, if I can do it, you can do it. Yeah. Yeah. It's scary and it's hard, but it's doable. Yeah, it is. That's what it comes down to.
Starting point is 00:24:32 You're a hero, kiddo. Yes. Thank you. Well done. You completely tackled this and just knocked the door down. That's just fabulous. Very, very well done. Okay.
Starting point is 00:24:42 What do you tell people the key to getting out of debt is? No credit card debt. Pay everything in cash. Don't listen to everyone else who says just take out that loan. I've had four cars my entire life. I've paid cash for every single one. Keep them until they die. I don't care if you think I drive an old jalopy.
Starting point is 00:25:00 It's paid for. And your house is paid for. Yes. And you're how old? I am 49. So the goal is to pay it off by the time i turn 50 and i did it you have a three hundred thousand dollar paid for house you're so weird weird is good you're awesome you are so awesome yeah because everybody's broke and everybody's got an opinion about your money it's hilarious to me me how people can't mind their own business, you know? It's just nuts. So way to go. Way to go. Just a powerful, powerful story. Very well done. The resilience
Starting point is 00:25:32 that you've shown and the fight that you've shown is what's so impressive in this. Absolutely. I think people want to know. This is not debt related, but when the new bathroom is finished, what are you most excited about not seeing from your daughters that you have to deal with now when you walk into your bathroom and it's just yours? There's no crap on the sink. There's no retainer. There's no, like, 50 rings and jewelry and speaker sitting there blaring Taylor Swift. Although I do like Taylor Swift.
Starting point is 00:25:59 I don't mean to knock her, but... There's only so much you can take, right? Yes. Hey, whatever motivates you, Dave. You know, that was a powerful motivator. Yeah. Well, and then, you know, you're in a position to cash flow their college. They want to be college debt.
Starting point is 00:26:14 And so you're breaking the cycle. You're breaking the chain. And there's no way that they walk, they see you walk through this, and they're not inspired by you, but also transformed themselves into more confident young women. And so because they get to watch their mom, the warrior princess, go into attack mode here. So well done. Very well done. Oh, there's the whole gang.
Starting point is 00:26:38 Yes. Saw them pop up on YouTube there. Very good. Good stuff. Well done. Well done. We got a copy of The legacy journey for you that is the next chapter in your story awesome want to hear from you when you're a baby steps millionaire
Starting point is 00:26:50 you're not that far now you'll be there before you know it yeah you'll be there before you know it with a paid for three hundred thousand dollar house and retirement starting to build up now yep all of these things are starting to happen so very very well done good work and a copy total money makeover in case you're on a bus ride somewhere and somebody says you need to follow dave ramsey you can hand it to him right i will pass it on definitely because mine is i have my own copy as well there you go good stuff so very very well done all right laurie from minneapolis minnesota debt-free house and everything 41 000 I'll send everything. $41,000 paid off in the last year, making $125,000 to $130,000. Count it down.
Starting point is 00:27:28 Let's hear a debt-free scream. Three, two, one. I'm debt-free! I love it! Woo! That is how it's done. Wow. Let me tell you, you know, regardless of your political assignment to things,
Starting point is 00:27:54 we do know this, that 78% of the single moms live below the poverty level. So you can talk about how you get there. You can talk about how you get there you can talk about how you get out of there we can talk about macroeconomics or or discuss all kinds of different things around that subject but uh we just know because we work with so many single moms through our coaching programs our financial peace university you work with them on getting jobs and um so getting that income going like she has done. Yes. Fabulously managing that income and creating this result by the time she's 49 years old.
Starting point is 00:28:31 Very impressive. Heroic. Heroic. That's the word. That's what heroes do. They're heroic. That's right. This is The Ramsey Show. We'll be right back. Ken Coleman, Ramsey Personality, is my co-host today.
Starting point is 00:29:34 Open phones at 888-825-5225. Patty is in New York City. Hi, Patty. Welcome to the Ramsey Show. Hi. Thank you guys so much for taking my call. Sure. What's up? So I have a question pertaining to student loans.
Starting point is 00:29:51 So when I was 18, I'm 21 right now. When I was 18, I went away to college, made the mistake of getting myself in student loans, but I didn't finish with a degree. So I currently am $54,000 in debt with just an associate's degree because I ended up going to Suffolk County Community College and I ended up just getting, you know, my basic degree. So my question is, is that I'm deciding on going back to school, but the school that I want to go to will put me in more debt again, but it will also give me a very stable job no it won't schools don't give stable jobs that's bs yeah you have to go earn it what do you want to do what's the job that you think is stable that you're looking for i want to be an ultrasound
Starting point is 00:30:40 tech which um it's very specific very hands-. So I can't just go anywhere and like be trained for it. I specifically would have to go to a program for two years in order to get the chance to even start the career. How much is that program going to cost that you've researched? So it's originally $40,000, but I know I would be definitely like able to get financial aid. I'm just not sure how much, and I know it definitely wouldn definitely able to get financial aid. I'm just not sure how much, and I know it definitely wouldn't be the entire cost. And what does an ultrasound tech make? In New York, they make easily $80,000 to $90,000 a year on average.
Starting point is 00:31:24 They can make even more depending on experience and location. Who said? Where did you get that information? Google. Yeah. Well, there it is, Dave. That's in stone because Google said it. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:31:36 All right. What do you do now? What do you make now? I'm a part-time cashier at a grocery store. I make $17 an hour. Okay. What is your associate's degree in? Liberal arts, so it's nothing specific.
Starting point is 00:31:57 It was general studies. Okay. Quick question on how much aid do you think you would be able to get, financial aid? So how much off of the $40,000 at this one program would you be able to get off? I was looking into it, and it would be about, I can't remember exactly. It was $14,000 a year, so $28,000 in total. Okay. That's a whole lot better, 000 a year uh so uh the next question is have you done any research to see if there are other competitive programs or other options that
Starting point is 00:32:33 will get you the same certification or training um i have uh are they cheaper i Yes, but they're just not close to home. So what would happen is if, for example, there's... Why does home matter? You make $17 an hour in a part-time job. Move. I live at home with my parents. Oh, okay. That does matter then.
Starting point is 00:32:59 Yeah. Good answer. Okay. So you're 24? I'm 21. 21. Okay. So you're 24? I'm 21. 21. Okay. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:33:07 Well, Dave, you weigh in here, but I think the first thing that you've got to do is you've got to get a $20 an hour job, $25 an hour job. Right now, companies are begging people that have a pulse and some good character and the ability to show up on time. And I think you've got to be paying attention to what's out there. And it ain't part-time. It's full-time because you're living with mom and dad. 80 hours a week. Yeah, you're going crazy to save up $14,000 a year, but you've got this debt you've got to deal with too. But listen, you can do this.
Starting point is 00:33:37 I think you save up and pay cash for it, but I want you to do two or three things, okay? I'm with Ken. You've got to get your hours up, and you've got to get better jobs. And you really need to be working about 80 hours a week. You don't need any social life. If you want to do this, you've got to set some stuff aside, no partying. You're going to have to go for it, okay? Now, if you got – and the second thing is I want you to shop.
Starting point is 00:34:03 Get the details from the people, not Google. I want you to find three different schools that will give you this certification. Get the best deal you can get from all three schools. Now, let's pretend that the school that you just gave us, it has $28,000 off of $40,000 means you need $12,000. Does that sound right? Correct, yes. Okay.
Starting point is 00:34:31 You only need $12,000 to go to that school. That's not much because now you're working 80 hours a week. And the plan we're giving you, okay? So you're going to go work 80 hours a week. You're going to get $12,000 together. Now, if that's, and that's your dream school, correct? Correct, yeah. Okay.
Starting point is 00:34:51 That's my dream career. Now, let's, I didn't say career. I said school. That particular school is the one you have selected that you would like to go to because it's close to home, right? Yeah. I wouldn't say it's my dream school. It's my only option. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's not your only option school it's my only option no no no no no no no it's not your only option it's your only option if you live at home true okay if you go to upstate
Starting point is 00:35:12 new york and they pay you to go there and you're going free and they give you ten thousand dollars to live you can go up there it's not your option. It's the only option you have found so far, but you haven't done much shopping yet. That's correct. You're buying a $40,000 item. You need to do some better shopping and get more bids. Now, here's what I want you to do. I want you to find the other school that will give you not $28,000 in scholarships, but will give you where you need $12,000 out-of-pocket.
Starting point is 00:35:45 Let's say that you only need $6,000 out-of- give you to where you need 12 out of pocket i want you to let's say that you only need six out of pocket at this other school and then i want you to go back to the first school and say hey these guys are trying to get me to go over here and they're offering me everything but 6,000 if you want me to come you're gonna have to match that little negotiation there this phone call just made you thousands of dollars if you follow what we taught you yeah okay so number one lots of hours and better jobs i'm serious as a heart attack about working 80 hours a week i want you to be exhausted but i want you to have twenty thousand dollars cash in the bank before you know it to ready to do this okay number two okay three detailed bids from the three different schools of exactly what they will offer you and then play them against each other in a negotiation technique to get the best deal working for you, okay? Okay. Number three, the failed premise in this whole discussion at the beginning of it
Starting point is 00:36:49 was that somehow this is going to be a magic wand and your life is all going to be okay because you're a tech at the end of this, an ultrasound tech. Wrong answer. Where you go to school, what you learn is almost never the secret sauce you are the secret sauce your character your ability to kick doors down and make stuff happen you are what makes you successful not a degree not a certain school that you go to there is no correlation in any piece of research on the planet based on where you go to school and no correlation in any piece of research on the planet based on where you go to school and whether you're successful or not but there is a correlation between character
Starting point is 00:37:32 qualities and who's successful the perseverance fight chutzpah poise confidence integrity these are the things that make people successful Not degrees and not a certain stinking school. Once you're an ultrasound tech, they don't even care where you got that from. All they care is you got the certification, now we can hire you. And I've had ultrasounds, and I've gone in for MRIs, and I've gone in for this. I never once asked the tech where they went to school. Oh, wait a minute, I can't, you went to that school, I can't school uh oh wait a minute i can't i can't you went to that school i can't let you do the mr i can't let you do those you know never once did
Starting point is 00:38:09 i stop them from running an ultrasound on my wife with one of our babies because of where they went to school that's absolute trash and bs most people don't know where their lawyer went to school they don't know where their doctor went to school they don't know where their lawyer went to school. They don't know where their doctor went to school. They don't know where their real estate agent went to school. Where you went to school is the biggest joke on the planet. It's the most overrated bunch of crap, and it's destroyed the dadgum higher education world. You just wait until this new documentary, Borrowed Future, comes out in October. It's going to blow your all's minds. This is The Ramsey Show. Dave here.
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