Dave Ramsey Gets Mad At Caller With $200K Income Who Says They Can't Afford His Budgeting App—'Darling, It's $9, So Bull Crap'
The caller, Natalie, explained that she and her husband had bought a house they weren't financially prepared for. Despite their six-figure income, they were drowning in debt and falling behind every month. 'We basically have to choose what we have to default on,' she said. 'We're in the red almost every month.'
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Ramsey quickly asked for the numbers. The couple's regular mortgage payment is $2,800, sometimes spiking to $3,500 during catch-up months. On top of that, they owe $44,000 in home repair loans, $25,000 in credit card debt, $29,000 on two cars, and a $99,000 home equity loan. After learning that, Ramsey was stunned they still insisted they couldn't budget properly.
'You got enough money to pay these bills if you're making $20,000 a month,' he said, frustrated. The caller responded that she had signed up for Ramsey's EveryDollar budgeting app but couldn't afford the premium version. Ramsey snapped back: 'Darling, it's $9, so bull crap. If you make $200,000 a year, you can't afford not to pay the premium on that.'
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Ramsey stressed that the problem wasn't income or even the app cost—it was a lack of control. 'You got on the call and you don't even know how much debt you have,' Ramsey said. 'When you're this screwed, you need to know exactly where you are at all times until it goes away.'
They advised Natalie and her husband to sell the house immediately. Ramsey pointed out that most of their non-mortgage debt was connected to the home: 'Home Depot must love you people,' he said. 'This house is eating you alive.'
Co-host Ken Coleman added, 'You've just been fighting the waves of life that you've created.'
Ramsey also pushed back against the cultural pressure to buy homes at any cost. 'Broke people shouldn't buy houses,' he said. 'It makes you broker and broker. That's why they call them brokers.'
He continued, 'You ought to get your butt out of debt. You ought to have some savings, have a good emergency fund, a good strong down payment, have control of your money like an adult and only then is a home a blessing.'Coleman closed by warning that selling the house would only be a temporary fix if the couple didn't change their mindset. 'You guys have to fix whatever's going on inside of you that's making you long to make these dumb decisions.'
Ramsey echoed that sentiment, pointing out that many people confuse a high 'cost of living' with inflated lifestyles. 'Lifestyle is eating out, lifestyle is a car that everybody looks at at the stoplight for all the right reasons. That's a lifestyle.'
Ramsey's message was straightforward: No app or income level can fix money problems caused by disorganization and denial.
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