Helene (Rick's wife)
Appearances
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
I did. Actually, our story started 29 years ago when a co-worker introduced me to the money game on WTN. So I started listening 29 years ago this month. Wow. And Helene and I actually came to one of the Brentwood Hotel seminars where you were there with your overhead projector. Wow. So it actually changed the trajectory of our life.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
which was very cool financially, but a lot of folks will say, well, then why did it take you 29 years to get here? Because we are the poster children for Davis. We knocked out the first two baby steps, and then I thought I might have a better plan, and we tried to do three, four, and five all at the same time, and it was a train wreck, and it didn't work until we got here.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
That's right, I came to work here. And once you come to work here 11 years ago.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
You keep doing ish? No, we got serious. I was teaching FBU, trying to fill out the Baby Step 3 emergency fund. So I was actually cleaning headlights on cars. I actually did George's car. Oh, that's right. For about two years. You did a great job on that thing. That's right.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
And then we got serious. And in addition to just a regular mortgage payment, anything that we got extra, profit sharing, any extra money that came in, got funneled directly to extra principal payment. Wow.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
Sometimes it feels like it, and sometimes it doesn't.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
It's, yeah, it's incredible. The first month, so we paid it off exactly nine years to the day. I was shooting for that seven-year plan that we talk about. But then the market dip in 20 and 21 happened. And then we had to replace two vehicles in January of 23. And so then we had to rebuild the emergency fund. So it was a challenge. Life happened. That's right. So February was a big deal.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
Celebrated 11 years here, paid off the house, and became net worth millionaires all at the same time.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
That's good accountability over the years to keep you on the planet. I've discovered, yeah, and Helene has discovered that that helps us stick to the budget when I'm actually teaching the class. The months that we're not teaching the class, I tend to get a little sideways. A little lackadaisical. That's right. Not Helene, but you. Yeah, no, Helene's the one that tries to keep me back on there.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
I think for us it was just the idea of, as we've talked about here, just not owing anybody anything and that the money that I'm earning now is all ours. So we took that first month's paycheck. paid off the balance of a cruise that we're doing in July. So we're trying to use that. But, yes, the international mission trip is a big part of that. I love it.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
You're in your live like no one else era now. Exactly.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
Oh, wow. We had several team members here join us a couple years ago on a trip to Athens, and we actually got to teach financial principles to Ukrainian refugees and Syrian refugees. Wow.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
Helene watches three of the grandkids every day, and the two girls have been practicing with us, so they are ready to go.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
So what are the names and ages? This is Malin. She's four. And this is Elliston. She's three.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
Yeah. I don't know if you remember 11 years ago when I started, Dave, I started in February, and both of my kids got married later that year, six months later. And so we started off with two kids getting married and going through FPU that first year. Sounds expensive. Yeah. No, since I had not had a job before that. Wow. My daughter's budget was $5,000, so she did great.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
We're debt-free! Yay! Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop.
The Ramsey Show
It’s Not Too Late to Get Back on Financial Track
All right, this is getting weird over there, guys. What do we do?