The Ramsey Show - App - Wealth Is a Magnifying Glass on What You Already Were (Hour 3)

Episode Date: February 24, 2020

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Live from the headquarters of Ramsey Solutions, broadcasting from the Dollar Car Rental Studios, it's the Dave 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. I'm Dave Ramsey, your host. You jump in, we'll talk about your life, your money. It's a free call, 888-825-5225.

That's 888-825-5225. Jade is starting off this hour in Columbia, Maryland. Hi, Jade. Welcome to The Dave Ramsey Show. Hi, Dave. Thank you for taking my call. Sure. What's up?

I will be graduating from college, and I'm not sure if I should follow my passion and start my own business or if I should take on multiple part-time jobs to pay off some debt and then start off more with a bang. And taking a full-time job is not a possibility? It is a possibility. I've found that I highly dislike working for other people. I actually started this business last year, and it did really well. Yeah, but one of your possibilities you put on the table was working for three different people, part-time jobs.

Yes, that's true. Okay, so working for one person in a full-time job is not any different than that, except there's only one. That's very true. Okay, so what's your person in a full-time job is not any different than that, except there's only one. That's very true. Okay, so what's your degree in? Animal care management. Say it again. Animal care management.

Animal care management. And so what does that set you up to do? What I would like to do is have my own boarding and dog training facilities. Is that what the degree field trains you to do? Yes, partially. It trains me for a variety of animals, including livestock, exotic animals as well. Okay. And so a veterinarian that has a varied practice might have a use for you.

Yes. On their team. Yes. Okay. And so starting your business would look like what? What kind of a business would you start? Boarding, you said? Yes, boarding.

I did just recently get my dog training license so i could do that as well um but it would be out of my parents home so that's another thing i want to get out of my folks home as quickly as possible okay all right that's not a bad thing how old are you i'm 22 and how much debt do you have i have about 8 thousand okay not bad that's good okay all right um i think you take some steps that give you an education to a further an experience a series of experiences that more qualify you to run your business, which so your passion, your dream does not turn into a nightmare. It would be very easy for you to go into debt deeply to start this business, and that would be a really bad thing to do because you don't know what you don't know.

I don't know what I don't know, and I've been running a business 30 years, and what you don't know is what will kill you. don't know and i've been running a business 30 years and what you don't know is what'll kill you it's what you do know that'll get you started and i i want you to live your dream i want the 32 year old jade to be owning and operating a boarding and training facility but let's take some steps to get there okay so i would go talk to a couple of veterinarians that have a large animal and exotic animal practice and that have a need for a dog trainer to be around, and I would attach myself to them, and I would build my brand with that veterinarian and with local owners of animals to where everybody gets to know Jade.

Jade works over at that place, and Jade is a rock star dog trainer, and Jade this and Jade that. And if you want something to do with an exotic animal, Jade's the one to call. And she works over for Doc So-and-So. Yes. And then that brand will transfer when you decide to open up your own shop. And you'll learn a lot about running a shop from that veterinarian. And let me just tell you, it is very difficult to be a leader until you've learned how to follow. Oh, sure.

Very difficult. I know, because the reason I went in business for myself at 22 is because I was stubborn, hard-headed, and arrogant, and I couldn't work for anybody, and it almost got me killed. Uh-huh. So I'm speaking from experience. I think that you'll be a more polished and experienced and brand-built version of you. You'll know things that you didn't even know sitting here today that you needed to know about running a shop when you're 32. So I think you're going to start your business at about 27 or 28,

and that's about a five-year track, almost like an apprenticeship for you. Okay. If you were my daughter, that's what I would tell you to do. And I believe in self-employment as much as anybody you'll ever meet. I've worked for myself my whole life, and I've done it wrong, and I've done it right, but I could have, I mean, with the exception of a couple of short stints after college, but you know, I think you can learn a lot in 24 to 36 months, maybe even 60 months working for somebody, and set yourself up financially to open a shop, set yourself up brand to open a shop,

and set your business acumen at a different level in order to open a shop and i think you're going to do it i think you're going to be great at it that's what i would tell you if you were my 22 year old daughter all right david is with us in san antonio texas hi david how are you i am super how are you sir, sir? Better than I deserve. What's up? Well, I am 65, total household income of approximately $125,000 a year. Amazing. And my question has to do with when would be the best time to start taking Social Security, whether to go ahead and take it at 66 and a half or wait the additional four years that would add a little bit to that.

Yeah. Well, it just depends on when you're going to die. Okay. That's the only way you know the formula, you know. I tend to go to the, and some people don't like this advice, so you can probably find other advice, but I tend to move towards the take it sooner rather than later because I don't know about the future. And once the money is in my hand, I can control the money. And so if you just take it and invest it, every dollar you make during that four years in a lump sum in a good investment will probably produce more than the difference in the payment would have been.

See what I'm saying? I understand. So they add up the four years' worth of income in a lump sum, invest it in a mutual fund, say 10%, 12%, something like that. Is that income at that rate on that lump sum going to be more than the difference of the payments? It usually is when i run the calculation and so it's just like social security is just a you know it's a butt on it's a tick on our butt it just sucks the blood out of us our whole life and then it gives almost nothing back in comparison to what it has taken and so i'm just kind of in the school i'm going to get as much from them as quickly as i can because i never know. Because, listen, if you die literally at 67 or 68, I mean, you got completely screwed over in the system, right?

Because you got nothing back and all the paid in your whole freaking life. And that's what supports the disastrous program. It's a horrible, horrible program. It's a negative rate of return of about 4.5% through your life. And that's if you live average lifespan. So I get it as quick as I can get it for those reasons, more philosophical. There's no proven process that says absolutely one way or absolutely the other. It's a preference.

My preference is get it away from them as fast as I can because they made me give it to them in the first place i love talking about companies that know how to do business right you've heard of grip six belts right well if you haven't it's the only belt you can get online with no holes, no flap, and no bulk. I'm talking weightless, and the buckles come in really cool designs and are interchangeable. I personally own a number of these belts, and they're so comfortable you forget you're wearing it. Plus, these guys have a great story.. Minson started Grip6 on Kickstarter from his garage in 2014 and now sells hundreds of thousands of these American-made belts to customers all over the world. As a mechanical engineer and a minimalist, B.J. took his dislike for heavy, bulky leather belts that

never fit right and created the perfect belt, a high-quality minimalist belt that gives the strength and support of a belt without even knowing you're wearing one i'm really proud of these guys check out this month's special offers for my listeners us, America. Will is in Chicago. Hi, Will. Welcome to the Dave Ramsey Show. Hi, Dave.

How are you? Better than I deserve. What's up? I have a prioritizing question. I have about $5,600 in my savings, which includes the $1,000 emergency fund. I have a minivan that has $18,000 that I owe on it, which is my only debt. And then the windows on our house badly need to be replaced. Like some of the windows are cracked.

And I'm just struggling with, do I just save up to replace those windows first? Just fear that, you know, it's kind of not secure. Or do I just take all the money I have in my savings, put it towards the car to get that knocked out first, then attack the windows and then work on baby step three. So I'm just kind of all jumbled up and just need some advice. If the windows are standing up in the house and they're not broken out, this is not an emergency. It's just a need.

It's something you want to do. It's probably a valid thing, but it's not. I mean, the only reason you would panic about it is if you'd been spending time with a window salesman. And so I'm thinking that we finish getting this car paid off as soon as possible, build your emergency fund, and save up and replace the windows. Now, if something is going on with a home repair that is an emergency, okay, the window falls out into the front yard, and there is a big hole in the side of your house where it used to be, that's an emergency.

Cracked and not efficient is not an emergency. Okay. See the difference? I do. So what is your household income? $93,000. Okay. So you should pay off an $18,000 van in what, eight, nine months?

That'd be the hope, yes. Yeah. Well, I wouldn't hope. I'd get on a budget and sell so much stuff the kids are hiding. Right. I mean, let's get after it and make it happen. And so then I'm thinking this time next year you're putting windows in. Okay.

If you did an eight-month plan, if you did an eight- or nine-month plan on the van, that's a couple grand a month out of $90,000. That's pretty doable. And then you say, you know, windows are going to be, I don't know, another eight or nine grand. So, you know, we're looking at, I don't know what, I'm guessing, I don't know what your windows are going to cost, but something like that. And you get a good bid and, you know, the window replacement business is full of characters. So tread lightly and do a lot of research and really get to know the people that you're dealing with. There's some really good people in the business and there is some characters in the business.

So just be careful. It is a very interesting space. We endorse a lot of window replacement folks around that are great people, but we really dig in before I put my voice or name on one of those. Rose is with us in St. Louis. Hi, Rose. Welcome to the Dave Ramsey Show. Thank you, sir.

First, I want to let you know, before I ask the question, our family's completely debt-free since 2002. Great. And we're working on building, oh, what do you want to call it? We have some savings in a 401k, a 40k, and I'm disabled, my husband's retired, we're waiting for his Social Security to kick in. My question is, when we start investing a little bit more, I don't want to end up being the very type of rich person that I despise the most, because I have family that was like that and their nose would be so high in the air that you could build an eagle's nest or an eagle could build its nest in it and I just want to make sure that I don't want to be that kind of person because I've seen those people and I can't stand the sight of them I hear you I don't blame. That's a smart thing to be concerned about.

Most of the time, like 99% of the time, wealth does not make someone a jerk. It exposes the fact that they already were. Wealth is generally a magnifying glass. It makes you more of what you already were. If you have a bit of a temper you can become an absolute raging bully if you are a compassionate kind giving person you make generosity the path of your life and we call you a philanthropist these are the kinds of that wealth makes you more of what you already are also the good parts of your relationship say with your husband or your kids

get even better and the bad parts are strained even more um and so if you have for instance a relative that uh tries to mind your business all the time well wait till you get a little money they'll mind your business a lot you know and so everything gets expanded you know what i'm saying and so i think and and i you know i i know a lot of wealthy people we've made it a practice to cause people to become wealthy number one but number two to get to know them in the process and a lot of friends in the circles that i run in and the vast majority of them are wonderful people because honestly the vast majority of people are wonderful people but i know people that are jerks that are poor and i know people that are rich that are poor i know people that

are stuck up about being poor they got their nose up in the air and are proud of being poor don't you uh yeah i would say so yes yeah and the funny thing about all this is that i'm happy where i am and people our family tends to think we're the poor family but we're the ones with our house paid for which is how i'd like to keep it if i were you just let them think what they want to think who gives a rip you're doing living this thing for you and your husband your kids we're not we're not we're not trying to put on the dog we're not trying to show off that's not that's not what we're doing it's not who you are so i gotta tell you you're fun you're a little gotta tell you you're fun

you're a little sassy and you're when you get some money when you get some money you're gonna be more fun and a little sassier oh i like that have fun with it rose open phones at triple eight eight two five five two two five uh you know we talk about that stuff a lot in the legacy journey class and in the book I did on wealth. All the other books I've written were about money. And most of you bought those books. And that's where you are. You're working your way out of debt. You're learning how to do a budget and that kind of stuff. But wealth is has got some philosophical and doctrinal things from a person of faith's perspective that strain you and make you stop and think. There are people out there wandering around who are not knowledgeable about the Bible, as an example, and think that being wealthy is evil

or that money is evil. And those are people who are biblically illiterate, but they're out there and some of them carry a Bible around. They just hadn't opened it much. They think it's going to jump through their arm by osmosis or something. But, you know, there's a lot of judgmental people out there around this subject, and it's very interesting. My friend Craig Groeschel, who's a pastor of one of America's most successful churches today, says, Why is wealth the only blessing that Christians apologize for? Hmm. Makes a body think. You don't apologize if God blesses you with health or with a great

marriage or with great kids. You know, you had a part in all of those things. You took care of your body. You worked on your marriage. You made your kids behave. But also having those things is a blessing from God. And we don't apologize for that blessing. But when we work hard and get some money, oh, we're supposed to feel bad about that. We're supposed to hang our head like we've done something wrong, according to some of you. Now, not me. I celebrate success.

I celebrate people who win. I like it when you go do the things it takes to win. I like it when a farmer plows his field, gets the weeds out, puts the seed in the ground, and has a bumper crop, baby. High five. You do reap what you sow. You're going to get back from this life what you put into this life. You're going to get back from that job what you put into this life you're going to get back from that job what you put into this job there once was a guy walking along a path heading towards the next town and he

came upon an old man and the old man yes the old man he said how do you find the people in that town over there and the old man said how'd you find them in the last town he said oh they were awful he said you'll find them the same five minutes later he ran the old man, he said, how do you find the people in that town over there? And the old man said, how did you find them in the last town? And he said, oh, they were awful. And he said, you'll find them the same. Five minutes later, the old man ran into another guy, and he said, how do you find the people in that town over there? And he said, how did you find them in the last town? And he said, ah, they were wonderful people. And he said, you'll find them the same. You get out of this life what you put into it.

This is the Dave Ramsey Show. In today's world, technology and innovation are crucial for any company's success. But the primary focus should always be on you and meeting your needs. That's why you get the best of both with Zander Insurance and their term life plans. Zander uses time-saving technology like over-the-phone applications, voice or electronic signature, text message updates, electronic policy delivery, and even plans with no medical exams to speed up the process of getting you the protection your family needs. One of the reasons I've endorsed Zander for 20 years

is they never skimp on service. They are committed to serving you, whether you want to do business online or need that personal touch. You pick your path. Go to Zander.com or call 800-356-4282. Zander will guide you through the whole thing, keep it simple, and find you the best rates. That's Zander.com or 800-356-4282. In the lobby of Ramsey Solutions, Michael and Kristen are here. Hey, guys, how are you? Oh, Dave, we're fantastic. Welcome.

Where do you guys live? Columbus, Ohio. Welcome. Good to have you. And all the way down here to do a debt-free screen. All the way down here. That's right. How much have you paid off?

$125,000. Woo-hoo! How long did this take? 27 months. Wow. And your range of income during that time? At the beginning, it was at $55,000, and at the end, it was all the way up to $130,000. Wow.

Very nice. What do you do for a living? I'm an attorney. Uh-huh. I'm a marketing analyst. Oh, very good. Very good. You guys are killing it.

Great. So what kind of debt was the 125? What'd you people borrow on? A lot of education, Dave. Seven years of it. Well, you're a lawyer, huh? That's right. Seven for me, four for her.

So most of it was Sally Mae. Most of it was you. Most of it was me. That's right. That's right. Let's be honest. How much of the 125 was law school debt? 75, 77. Okay. So another 50. And some of that was Kristen honest. How much of the $125,000 was law school debt? $75,000, $77,000.

Okay. So another $50,000, and some of that was Kristen's. How much of that was yours, Kristen? About $35,000, and then I had a car as well. Okay. All right. Cool. Good for you guys.

How long have you been married? Two and a half, going three years in September. Okay. So soon after marriage, I guess you were probably just getting out of school then, too. We start life, and we start marriage, and you look up and go, oh, my God. You said. We've got to do something here. Tell me about it.

What lit the fuse on you two? Well, just, you know, planning for marriage. We couldn't think of a better foundation to put the marriage on. It has to go right from the beginning and kind of start off on this team building, teamwork event. That's a good word. I like that. Yeah. So, you know, also we got married in the fall of 16 earlier in 2016 and I lost my older brother to an overdose.

Oh no. So I saw two little girls left behind without their father. So I really clearly saw the importance of changing your family tree. So that along with just this plan of we want to build our marriage to be the best it can be right from the start you know there was really no nobody was drug kicking and screaming we got on board right from the start the two of you both looked at it as a great way to start oh yeah oh yeah okay so um yeah a friend of mine i was passed away a couple years back and two other friends me and another guy were speaking at the funeral and he said something at that funeral that i'd never heard and i thought man that is a truth right there he said there are two things that reset your life they're the tuning fork for your life you reset

your you tune to a tuning fork you tune the piano you tune your life to this tuning fork it resets and that's a birth and a funeral. And they both make you go. They make you stop and look at bigger things, more noble things, more important things than simple consumption. Oh, yeah. And that's what happens. I'm sorry for the loss of your brother. Yeah, thank you. I'm proud that you guys chose to react to it the way that you did.

You reacted to that tuning moment. You tuned in and said, okay, we're going to live with all the gusto, baby. That's right. We're going to clean this mess up. Oh, yeah. So did you go to Financial Peace University, or how did you learn how to do it? We did not. Okay.

So I had a friend of mine, Chris, mail me your book about six months before the wedding. He said it's an early wedding present. I tore through it. She tore through it. I had a commute at the time, so I was relying on your podcast a lot. Oh, okay, good. I basically had a GED and FPU. I could teach it myself if I had to.

You probably could. I didn't know we had those, but that's good to know. So I just learned that way without FPU, and we put the principles in play real quick. Very cool. What kind of law are you practicing? Real estate. Real estate and estate planning. It's a great field. Very, very good. Very good specialization. Good. Good. So Kristen, what was the biggest thing you all learned from this journey? What's the secret to getting out of debt? Honestly, it was communication. We really held each other accountable and were each other's partner throughout the whole thing. And I think that that was the hardest, but also the most helpful part um and i think the biggest like learning

curve was learning how to communicate with each other on what we were going to spend what we were going to save and how we're going to get through it which one of you is the detail person the nerd and which one's the free spirit oh she's definitely detailed she's the detail yeah okay so she dialed the plan in crack the whip on you oh. To make sure you're doing it. Oh, yeah. Good. All right. That's good.

Now you're working together. I'm kidding. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. You got to have that. I mean, that administrative skill is part of the equation. Oh, yeah.

To cause it to work. So very cool. So you're watching every little number as it comes by, huh? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Every dollar was our best friend. Oh, you love the every dollar. our best friend oh you loved every dollar

okay good well that's part of getting your ged i guess absolutely very good so who were your biggest cheerleaders um we had a lot of friends who were supportive um a friend of mine chris julia sitting here with us today it was a lot of people internalized it and you know there was a lot of people that might not necessarily have vocalized their support, but like it really impressed upon them what we did. And we've seen the residual effects after we got that free and so and so paid off their car because we did it. Or, you know, family members who put down a bunch of money that they got in a bonus towards their house because they felt, you know, wow, look what they did. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. I mean, when somebody transforms their life and does the impossible, it inspires the people around them. Sure does. And you guys did. I mean, so you told me you're how old? 28. 28.

And paid off $125,000 in 27 months, making $55,000 to $130,000. Very impressive numbers. Very impressive numbers. We got a copy of Chris Hogan's book, Everyday Millionaires, for you. That's the next chapter in your story. We're not stopping now. No, we're not. Moving on to the next thing.

That's right. And so you live like no one else. Why? So that you can live and give like no one else. That's it. That's the motto. You have to be able to say the motto if you got your GED. So that's good.

That's just a great line. Fabulous. All right, Michael and Kristen, Columbus, Ohio, $125,000 paid off in 27 months. They're not a victim. $55,000 to $130,000 in income. Count it down. Let's hear a debt-free scream. Three, two, one. We a debt-free scream three two one we're debt-free

that's how you do it right there that is a lot of fun very very well done open phones at 888-825-5225 j Jeremy is in Bend, Oregon. Hi, Jeremy. Welcome to the Dave Ramsey Show. Hi, Dave. Thanks for taking my call. Sure. What's up? So I have a question about retirement contributions, 15% of income going into tax-deferred retirement. Do you have any suggestions for somebody who doesn't have a 401k at work and who also makes above the income threshold for a Roth IRA? Is there anything other than a traditional IRA that I could contribute to? You can do a backdoor Roth, which regardless of your income, I do one every year, and I'm way above the threshold. And my wife, I do one with my wife as well. All that is is you open an after-tax traditional IRA and 30 seconds later roll it into a Roth.

Okay. And that's perfectly legal. Yeah, that would still be only $6,000 a year. You're single? Yes. Okay, and you're making over $200,000 then, over $6,000 a year. You're single? Yes. Okay, and you're making over $200,000 then, over $150,000. Yes. Okay, good.

Well, that gets us part of the way there. Anyway, we can do that. And you're not self-employed? I'm not, no. Okay, all right. And your company has no 401K. Wow. Correct. Well, the only other thing that's left then is I would do what are called low turnover mutual funds.

Now, the way that works is this. If you buy a single stock, like let's just say you bought a share of XYZ Company for $50, and it goes up in value to $70, you do not pay taxes on the $20 increase in value until you sell it. Correct. So in a sense, it grows tax-deferred. And when you do sell it, as long as you hold it longer than a year, it's taxed at capital gains rate, which if you're making under $400 would be 15%.

If you're making over $400, it would be 20%. But still less than ordinary income rate. So your tax rate is lower, and it's tax-deferred growth. If you buy a mutual fund that hardly ever sells the stocks inside of it, you have the same effect, and that's called a low-turnover mutual fund. And that means they don't sell the stocks. They buy and hold, and therefore you're getting the benefit of deferred taxes on the growth and capital gains rate when you do cash it out.

That's the best you can do. I do a bunch of that now in excess of my retirement stuff because I'm able to still do that. Check with one of our SmartVestor pros. Ask them about backdoor Roth IRAs and low turnover mutual funds, and they can help you get something set up. This is the Dave Ramsey Show. Our scripture today, Romans 8, 28. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Harry S. Truman said, A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities, and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. Sean is with us in Boise, Idaho. Hey, Sean, what's up? Good afternoon, Dave. Thank you for taking my call. It's an honor to talk to you, sir. You too, sir. How can I help? I had a couple of questions. First off, my wife passed away about three months ago now. I'm sorry. What happened? She didn't wake up, Dave. We went to sleep, and she didn't wake up.

Lord, how old was she? 33. Oh, my goodness. I'm so sorry. Thank you. How can I help you? So we recently purchased a home about a year ago up here outside of Boise, Idaho. I'm so sorry Thank you How can I help you? We recently purchased a home about a year ago Up here outside of Boise, Idaho

And the market here has gone crazy There's a lot of equity in our home And though it was a makeable mortgage payment Without her income now It's a little more stressful I'm wondering if it's the right thing to do To downsize our home And so I can better be there for my kids.

How many kids you got? I've got two. I've got a 10-year-old son, and my daughter is 15 and has nonverbal autism. And what's your take-home pay, sir? Take-home is probably around close to 60 55 to 60 so you're bringing home like five thousand dollars a month yes sir okay and what's your house payment 18 okay yeah it's a little tight okay um what's the trajectory of your income in your career? Are you going up at 3% a year, or are you seeing a career ladder that you're climbing

where you're going to see income increases? I would like to see income increases. Obviously, my role at home has changed, so my role at work has also changed. Yeah, that makes sense. So, was that four months ago? Yeah. Did you have any life insurance? Yes, sir. We did have life insurance on her.

How much? It was $100. And the balance on your mortgage is what, $250? Approximately, $260, yes. Okay. Okay, here's what's bouncing in my head And I'll give you the tools And then you prayerfully make the decision

Okay I love the idea Of what you're suggesting That you get the stress off of you So you concentrate on what's important Which is grieving through this And being there for your kids And a stupid house isn't worth it okay

that's on one side of the ledger i like your idea from that standpoint um the other side of the ledger is and i do believe this for years i've told people in these situations if you can possibly avoid it avoid making large financial decisions in the first six months, even do a year after losing a spouse. Because you're, as you know, your brain just doesn't work the same right now. It's in grief mode. And every day it gets a little bit better. Some days not, but most days a little bit better than the first day, the second day, the fourth day, the fifth week, the eighth week, the sixth month, the third month. And as the fog clears, you'll just make better decisions. So I hesitate to tell you to make this decision because selling your home is a major decision in the fog of grief.

But what I can hear from you in a two-minute conversation here what you're describing is logical to me and if i were in your shoes and i don't know how you feel about this and that's certainly up to you i'm not telling you how to feel if i were in your shoes it would be hard for me to be in the home where we lost her that would be weird for me personally. I don't know how you feel about that, but I'm just, I mean, I think there's some fresh start to putting that behind you as well. So all of that to say I'm probably leaning to downsizing for, you know, those are the things on both sides of the ledger to try to make the decision, what tips the scales on whether you do this. I do not want it to be a panic i don't want it to be an emotional decision to the point that you look back later and regret it so you can take your time selling the house and get full freaking price for it um there's nothing that

causes you to have to rush out of there to survive or something like that. You could hold on for six months if you had to easily, easily. And so I'm not going to price it at a giveaway price. I'm going to price it at a I'm kind of financially happy I sold it. You know, you've got some wonderful memories there. And then you have that one morning when you woke up and it was a horrible memory. And that's there too. And both of those things are going to go when that house goes in terms of, you know,

physically visiting the location. Does that make sense? It does, sir, yes. Yeah. And so you're in your early 30s as well? No, sir, I'm in my early 40s. Okay. And she was 33, you said?

Yes, sir, she was eight years younger than I. Okay, okay. I'm in my early 40s. Okay. And she was 33, you said? Yes, sir. She was eight years younger than I. Okay. Okay. Well, I don't know. Does any of that make sense to you? It does. Okay. So it's tough to make a decision in really, really tough times. And it's hard to make good decisions in really, really tough times. But the physical location and the financial pressure being relieved both make me think it's probably a good decision.

But it's not like if you told me the house payment was $4,000 a month, well, you got to put the house on the market. It's gone. You can't survive. You know, it becomes an emergency then. You see what I'm saying? Yes, sir, I do. But you got a $100,000 cushion and you're a little high on the house payment,

but you can make your budget. You can make this stuff happen here, and then you can make some decisions. But try not to make any big financial decisions. Like, you know what? Here's an idea. I hate to do that with two kids, though. I almost would rent for a year and just kind of let things settle before I buy. So my fear there, Dave, is because the way this housing market is going, in 12 months' time, I might be priced out of the home.

Yeah. Yeah, you're not going to be priced out of the home. And I don't function on fears of that type when I'm doing this. I think the inconvenience of the two moves would probably supersede it for me. I'm not panicking about the market going up. Markets that come up super fast come down, so I'd just as soon not ride one. I'd just as soon not be chasing one that's going up with a fear-based decision. But just the inconvenience with an autistic child and all the other stuff you've got going on, I probably wouldn a fear based decision. So, but, and the, just the inconvenience with an autistic

child and all the other stuff you got going on, I probably wouldn't do two moves. I'm just saying, I'm thinking out loud with you right here in front of a whole bunch of our friends that are all praying for you while we're talking. Okay. So, um, cause I don't, I don't know what else to do, but I, I think I'll sell and I'll move down. Um, but how I'll add this to it this popped into my head when you purchase the next place it you do not have to commit to stay there 20 years you can move again because there's going to be another chapter that happens three to four or five years from now the chapters are going to unfold in your life in your journey and so you buy, don't feel like it is like locked in and forever. It's just a house.

You can get another one and you move back up as your income and career take back off and things start to settle and you have a different process for caring for the kids. And you guys have all three gotten the other side of the worst of the grief. You'll always have the grief, but you'll get the other side of the worst of it grief. You'll always have the grief, but you'll get the other side of the worst of it to where you're functioning at a higher level again. And that just makes you a human being, man. Some days you just can't breathe in these situations.

And that just makes you human. It really does. Sorry to hear that, man. And if we can help further, you call us at any time. Our team will be honored to walk with you, honored to help you. Facing some tough stuff. See, this is not a financial call-in show. If you hadn't figured it out by now.

I've already talked to a young lady getting married to a guy in another country. Talked to a recently widowed guy. I mean, there was some financial advice this hour, but this is a show about life. It's a show about stuff, man. And you and me, you listeners, we appreciate you being there. You callers. And we're doing this thing together. We're trying to figure it out as we go. Some of it, I've been there, you callers. And we're doing this thing together, trying to figure it out as we go.

Some of it I've been there before you, and I can show you exactly what to do. But this is a show about you learning to win and you walking through the scars and the bumps while you do. That puts us out of the day. Ramsey Show and the books will be back with you. Before you know it, in the meantime, remember, there is ultimately only one way to financial peace, and that's to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus.

This is James Childs, producer of The Dave Ramsey Show. Did you know you can now listen to The Dave Ramsey Show on Pandora and Spotify? For all the ways to watch and listen, check out our show page at DaveRamsey.com slash show.