Ditch Debt and Solve for Freedom

build wealth, do work that they love, and create amazing relationships.

I'm Ramsey personality, George Campbell, joined by my good friend and best-selling author,

Mr. Ken Coleman.

And we are taking your calls this hour at 888-825-5225.

I'm the money nerd in the group, so I'll be happy to take your money calls and help you

take that right next step.

And Ken, of course, is going to help you with that shovel, making more income, getting to

work.

Maybe it's a job switch.

Money, money, money.

Is that your new theme?

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

Dave says your greatest wealth-building tool is your income, and I'm the guy that helps

you figure out what that is, or how do we get more money.

So yeah, I thought so.

I wanted to also test out the falsetto early.

I was impressed.

One more note, and we would have been taken off the air.

I think so.

Hey, it was too good.

I don't think so.

Too good for radio.

By the way, George, the lobby is absolutely packed.

You would think Bono is next to me with this kind of electric crowd out there today.

And we're going to have a good time.

We're going to meet them during the break, so you're a friendly reminder to come visit

us.

Let's get to the show.

Dan awaits in Gettysburg.

What a historic place that is.

Dan, how's it going?

How are you?

How can we help today?

track with our budget, and we're hitting kind of a snag, whether or not we should move because

our neighbor is causing us issues with the apartment that we rent.

I'd like to know more about this bothersome neighbor situation.

I like a little drama.

What's going on with the neighbor?

People want to know.

started in April tackling our debt.

We have about $48,000 in debt, and our apartment's fairly cheap, but it's connected, and since

we're not eating out anymore and we're cooking from home, the smells are bothering the neighbor

from cooking, and we're only getting two, three hours of sleep at night now.

I'm so confused.

Wait, wait, wait.

There's a lot.

Can I unpack a little, George?

All right.

You're telling me your neighbor is upset by your cooking smells.

up for about four hours.

So hold on.

There's a lot here.

So you cook at 5 or 6 o'clock, and you're cooking pretty basic stuff like chicken and

pasta, and is it a woman or a man, the neighbor?

She's older.

smell is.

on us.

At 2 in the morning?

At 2 in the morning?

I would love to see them show up and say, what's the issue here?

Well, first of all, can you smell it?

Why are you answering a text at 2 in the morning?

Turn the phones off and put them in another room.

I'm not answering it.

I called the landlord, and the landlord wants her out, but he's having trouble getting her

out.

She sounds like a troublemaker.

Yeah, yeah.

with a higher rent, or should we just keep?

aren't even cooking.

Like, I cook something with a lot of garlic.

I'd really double down on the smelly stuff.

Like, how about some fish?

Drive the old lady out.

The landlord wants her out anyway.

Why in the world, and I'm having some fun with this, but why in the world would you

move to a higher rent just because she's griping over just nonsense?

Why is it?

What's the mental wear and tear?

I don't understand.

It's some grumpy old lady.

Why don't you just ignore her?

Yeah.

Well, no.

I mean, well, because they're conjoined apartments, and she has an office floor, so ...

We can hear it through the entire apartment, and that's what's waking us up at night.

A couple times, she has.

I do, too.

And if she wants to get the authorities involved, let them, because it sounds like she's about

to be moving out.

I think you take it to the landlord and fight instead of giving in to this crotchety old

lady.

I'm guessing the landlord's on your side with this, saying, yeah, she's a problem.

I'm sorry.

He's trying to get her out.

No.

It's a duplex house.

So it's not like a complex.

Yeah, we don't have any units.

Well, how much longer are you going to be here?

Is this your long-term renting situation?

That's why we don't want to go up to a higher rent, because we have, like, $48,000 in debt,

and I have a plan to have all of our debt paid off, except for my school bill, which

will be $35,000 at the end of the year, and then get that done in a half of a year, because

we make, like, $7,500 a month, and so we want to eventually work to get a house of our own.

I'm jumping in, Dan, for a second, because the nature of this call is really not financial.

This is an emotional and a mental thing that you're dealing with, and I get how much of

a pain in the, you know what it is.

But, George, unless I'm missing something, this would be a bad financial move for you guys.

I would sit down.

This is me, but I love confrontation, all right?

So, I understand not everybody likes confrontation.

I'd sit down with the old lady.

I'd record the thing, and I'd go, ma'am, this is what you're doing.

You're stomping.

You're screaming.

We are going to record all this and document it, and we are going to sue you.

We are going to drive you out of here if you don't stop this nonsense.

So, we're recording everything from this moment on.

We are not leaving.

You are not.

Stare the old lady down and just go, we're not going to lose.

You are going to lose, and here's how we're going to ensure that.

And I would just double down on it.

I really would, and get the landlord to kick her out, or she stops this nonsense.

That's what I would at least try that.

You got nothing to lose, George.

It's a little bit more confrontational in your style.

At first I thought, well, maybe they're in the wrong here, but it doesn't sound like

that's the case.

If she did that to me, I'd go get a drum set, and I'd play the drums.

I'd fight fire with fire.

I would.

I'd go get a bass drum and beat on that thing.

Ken is so petty.

I'm not petty.

Dan is a nice guy.

Dan, you don't want to do any of this.

Bless it.

Give her some free counseling.

Of course I'm having fun with this, but Dan, I wouldn't give in on this.

I'd drive her out through the landlord.

Not at the cost of moving costs and moving out, a more expensive apartment.

I'm going to stick this out and see what happens in the next few months, and really

put some pressure on the landlord to do something about it.

It might escalate before it gets better, but I would not make any moves right now.

You guys are on track to get rid of this debt fast.

I don't want to derail that because of some cranky old lady.

She's got some get-off-my-lawn energy, and we won't stand for that.

I would try cooking some.

The most passive-aggressive move is to cook some fish.

Ken's like, microwave some five-day-old salmon.

See if that gets her out of there.

Just smoke her out of there, bro.

More of your entertaining and real calls coming up.

888-825-5225.

This is The Ramsey Show.

and some of the saddest calls I've taken are from situations

that are completely preventable.

Yeah, and what's so hard is I feel like one of those,

especially the ones that I'm like, oh, it's terrible.

People that call in, and their spouse has passed away suddenly,

and they don't have life insurance.

When you have to think through, how am I going to pay my bills?

How am I going to eat next week?

Yeah, in the middle of all that grief.

It's terrible.

So life insurance is the one thing,

especially as a mom with three little kids

that I'm so big on for people to get,

because it's inexpensive.

Zander is the place that Winston and I actually get

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And it doesn't cost much,

because Zander shops among a gazillion different companies.

It doesn't cost much.

You just have to admit that someday,

you're not going to be here.

You've got to say it out loud, and you've got to say,

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by taking care of them and taking the time

to put this stuff in place.

It costs no stinking pizza.

To get a free quote, call 800-356-4282.

That's 800-356-4282.

Or go to Zander.com.

I'm George Campbell,

joined by my good friend Ken Coleman.

Open phones at 888-825-5225.

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I did.

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Any singing?

No singing.

Okay.

But I thought about it.

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We'll do our duet album soon enough.

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We'll convince Dave.

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All right.

Nicholas is up next in Michigan.

What is going on, Nicholas?

My name's Nicholas.

And at 18 years old,

I moved out of my home state of Missouri

where my family owns several companies

and businesses.

And I went into the collision field,

got my associate's degree in collision technology,

and really hit the ground running.

Built a life for myself here in Michigan.

And about a year and a half ago,

bought my first house.

Put $25,000 down on $125,000.

At 16?

Oh.

I got you.

and started my life.

Like I said,

my family owns several companies in Missouri.

And I always kind of felt not really under their thumb,

but just kind of in their shadow a little bit.

So I moved out to, like I said, Michigan,

started my life in my own industry,

the collision industry.

And I met a young woman there.

We've been together for six years.

It's the only relationship I've ever been in.

Like I said, about a year ago,

I bought my first home.

And about six months ago,

I was listening to Dave's TikTok.

And he said on there that not many people

can become successful or be millionaires

while dragging somebody else with them.

And that really got me into thinking.

She's never worked.

She's never gave into our checking account.

She's never really done anything to help us financially.

She's really only been a homemaker.

And about two weeks ago,

I rented my house out,

told her that she needed to leave.

And I'm planning on moving back to Missouri.

And I would just want to know if Dave thinks

that that is the right choice or not.

I'm just kind of struggling with my decision right now.

You said she just wanted to be a homemaker.

And you guys were never even engaged?

Yeah.

And you're upset that she wasn't adding to your checking account?

I'm confused by your decision to even

combine your life with this person before marrying them.

for a long time I was too.

But like I said, this has been my only relationship.

And I really wanted it to be my last,

if that makes any sense.

And I don't really know.

I'm a pretty financially, I feel like, stable person.

You know, I drive a 2012 Mini Cooper.

It's paid for.

I bought a house well under what I could afford.

I make about $90,000 a year.

But if you split that in between two people,

it's a little over $40,000 each.

Do you guys have kids?

You're playing house.

I agree.

This is the gal you said you wanted to be your only relationship

and you kicked her to the curb

because she wasn't really bought in?

Does that mean she was anti what we teach?

Or she just wasn't engaged?

There's a big difference.

Brand new car.

Wanted to just continuously spend money.

Yes, exactly.

She didn't have an income.

So I want to make sure you understand.

You are fully responsible.

Yes, sir.

So we've been working for the last,

I don't know, probably three weeks

on getting everything split.

Her parents are actually going to be

taking over her car loan

and we're getting all of our bills

separated off of my checking account

and stuff like that.

But like I said, I'm really struggling

because for the last six years

it's been me trying to get her

just get an income.

If you bring anything into the table

that's enough.

I can't do it all by myself.

is not the income, but just that she

is in complete opposition

of the way you want to handle money.

And so for that reason

I'm fine with this breakup.

I think it's the right move.

But I just don't think it's as much

about her being a homemaker

and not wanting to work.

The issue is that she's really opposed

to being on the same page with you

and got you to do things

that you know aren't right.

but now you're regretting it

because you miss her.

for the right reasons, George.

over her.

focused on building this career

and very focused on finances and income

which is good, but you've almost

got a flat tire.

And my worry is if you continue down this path

you'll be great at saving money

and you will be miserable

and you won't have any healthy relationships.

Your spiritual life's going to be in shambles.

And I think for a young guy,

I love your drive and your hunger

but you can't let that be your entire life.

And my thing is if you guys had a kid

would you be okay with her not working

and being at home taking care of the kid?

Yeah, but you wouldn't be okay

with her being on the other side of the page

on debt and everything else.

That would be potentially destructive

for your marriage.

I think he should have broken up with you.

Oh, I'm not saying it wasn't the right move.

I think your regret comes from the fact that

you poured in a lot into this relationship.

Six years is a large majority of your life

when you're 25 years old.

And you waited too late.

My concern is you waited too late.

You co-signed for all this stuff.

You hope she plays ball.

You hope she goes along with all of this.

Yeah, you guys combined your life before

you were even aligned in life.

And that to me is the big problem here

and that falls on both of you.

And so I think the regret will pass.

You'll meet someone new but you gotta get

Nicholas healthy first.

So that the next relationship doesn't end the same way.

Where you go, what are you bringing to the table financially?

That's the wrong way to look at a marriage.

I agree.

I wouldn't blame Dave.

I would blame your lack of getting alignment

on vision and values and goals

before you structured your life together.

Do you have advice on how to better do it

with my next one, I guess?

How to move on, I guess?

you talk about money.

You say, what are your values around Dave?

I think this is probably a third date conversation.

I really do.

I think it's early on.

I'm gonna say third date.

It doesn't mean you're talking about combining finances

and getting freaking the girl out.

You don't need to ask about income and all that.

No, but just talk about how do you view money?

How do you view debt?