A financial guru attacked a woman over her and her partner’s spending habits, despite the fact that they earned a combined income of $11,500 a month.
David Ramsey, an American radio personality known for his ultra-frugal advice, spoke to a woman named Alyssa who explained that she and her husband are not contributing to their retirement and have only $3,000 in savings. They also have $138,000 in debt.
Alyssa explained on The Ramsey Show that they were living “paycheck to paycheck,” but after Ramsey dug further into their finances, she realized that wasn’t the case.
Ramsey asked if the couple, who together earn about $140,000 a year — far more than the average American — could put aside $5,000 each month to pay off their combined debt of $138,000.
Alyssa quickly became suspicious of his advice when Ramsey confronted her and said, “You know what I’m worried about? You make $130,000 a year and you’re broke. That’s what I’m worried about.”
Financial guru David Ramsey presented a woman, Alyssa, with the harsh reality about her finances after she told him that she and her husband earn a combined monthly income of $11,500
Ramsey immediately asked the woman how much debt she and her husband had together, to which Alyssa replied that they owed $138,000.
About $9,000 of that comes from her training as a mental health therapist, while $40,000 comes from her husband’s schooling.
The couple also has $60,000 in car payments and $240,000 in mortgage payments, so the couple actually owes a total of $349,000.
Ramsey’s co-host George Kamel jumped into the conversation and asked Alyssa how quickly she thought they could pay off their debt. He suggested they start with $5,000 a month.
Hearing the hesitation in her voice, Kamel asked Alyssa what was holding her back from getting out of debt.
She then explained that she would worry about the safety of her nine-year-old daughter if she set that money aside.
Alyssa went on to say that she constantly worries about “catastrophic expenses” because she is self-employed and her husband works in construction.
After hearing her answer, Ramsey continued his sermon to Alyssa.
“You have a completely idiotic lifestyle, and that has nothing to do with a nine-year-old,” he added.
She reiterated that she wanted to have money on hand for emergencies, but Ramsey didn’t believe her reasoning.
“But you don’t do anything about it. You have $3,000,” he said.
Ramsey added that the money sitting in her savings account is just a diversion that does nothing but “create fear” in Alyssa.
Alyssa explained that she and her husband have about $3,000 in savings and are “living paycheck to paycheck,” but after digging deeper into their finances, Ramsey quickly realized that wasn’t the case
“You live like no one else, so that later you can give and live like no one else,” he added.
To help the couple, Ramsey created a detailed budget for them, allowing them to quickly set aside $50,000 a year to pay off their massive debt.
While it will be difficult for them to get used to, Ramsey stressed that it is something they have to do.
Ramsey, who started “from nothing,” had a net worth of just over $1 million by age 26, according to his website.
He and his wife lost “everything” because of the debt they paid. Although they didn’t tell anyone about their struggles, Ramsey said it helped get them to where they are today.
“I paid the ‘dumb taxes’ (errors with dollar signs at the end) so you don’t have to. And I’m here to tell you that no matter who you are, where you came from, or how deep into the mess you’re in right now, you can get out.
“You can take control and use the same common sense principles I have to turn your situation around,” Ramsey said on his website.