Rachel Cruze

But our community. But your community. Yes. Yes, absolutely. Well, yeah, I kind of partial the two conversations. I do think there's a real poverty conversation that they're in a very, very, very difficult situation. And then you have another group that's just living the middle-class lifestyle in general and where their expectations are for lifestyle. So I would probably tackle those two different things probably differently, probably what I would say. Yeah.

But I would speak probably more to the middle class situation that what our expectations are in life.

is so much higher than it was in the 80s, right? Like you look at square footage of home, you look at material of what our kitchens are made of. I mean, whatever the thing is, what we expect in life today is just so much greater and it's not a reality, right? And so for people just to get what they want with the income that they have. And that's what we tackle, I feel like, a lot on The Ramsey Show. There's a lot of that because it's a lot of credit card debt and car loans. It's all the consumer side and...

um but for your situation specifically i mean that poverty that's that's a much harder bigger conversation um and can you talk a lot about work finding i mean the income is that that's that's the answer is getting the income up and so how to do that and what that looks like it's a lot there's a lot of facets to that but finding yeah not a i can't give a really succinct

Purchase. Yeah, free spirit for sure. I think the best example is Winston. We have the every dollar budget, and I'm great with that, and I love it. I'm like you. I'm a spender, but I do like checking it. I feel in control. It feels great. And Winston has, I think, maybe three, four, maybe even five Excel documents on his computer mapping out different things, and he changes the code in the Excel cell thing, and it changes all. Oh, I can't. I can't. I can't.

You name it. That's good. What do you got? Winston got me a nice ring when our middle daughter was born, and that was a really special ring. But I'm not a creative person. I'm not good at creating anything. Don't ask me to do anything creative. But I'm thinking of the lake house, and I think one of the most creative gifts I did was to mom and dad. Or no, it was to dad for Father's Day about five years ago for the lake house. Maybe it's on my mind. And it's a sign. I got it off Etsy. A sign, and there's an arrow. I didn't make it. No. No.

We ordered, I ordered from Etsy. But it's a sign and one arrow points and it says Papa Dave's Dock, that way. The one below is the arrow back to the house that says Mimi's Kitchen. And they have a fence for all the dogs and the other arrow goes the other way to the dog park. Like it's like a little like arrow thing for the lake house. Isn't that creative? That's really cute. I mean, somebody was creative. You clearly weren't.

But I think you're only feeling that if you're in the ages of like 32 to 45. Is it a certain song that pulls that string? No, but what I learned, I won't go on my whole tangent. I learned this. Actually, someone on Instagram sent me this article, and I was like, yes, that's what I'm talking about. Your music between the ages of 10 and 16, when your brain is forming certain parts of your brain, music specifically during that age...

Because I'm not creative, go on Etsy. What's a really sentimental, really not expensive, but really cool thing that you could do that's like, oh yeah, it's not going to be an obvious like KitchenAid mixer that you know what I mean? Like that she's going to know the price of it. Do you think someone wants that for their... I don't know. I don't know. But between your like your friendship or something, like it's a gift to her. That's fair.

That's nice. If it's cash. I don't believe you would not... Well, I just know the amount of money you've already spent. I mean, the way you're talking about it, it's a very elevated... Everything's been elevated experiences, so I can't imagine what you're spending on dresses. I mean, you're spending a lot. I'm assuming. Maybe not. No, I've spent over a thousand already. Okay, that's what I'm saying. Thank you, guys. Go to Etsy.com. I didn't ask for a gift from my groomsmen for my own wedding. Yes, you usually give a gift, but I'm saying...

Now that I concur. I think we go with Rachel. Okay, $300 isn't going to break you. I think if you decide to do that, it's fine. But I do think this idea that we're just going to keep going and going and going and going and going is ridiculous in general, right? And I know it's a tough position. And we actually did a, I think it's Smart Money Happy Hour episode about being single friends today, how expensive it is just to be a friend with someone.

But can I say? Yes. I am not as bougie as you, even though I'm the truffled mac and cheese up here. A black tie wedding kind of feels like a dream. That would be so fun to go to a black tie wedding. Only a woman says that. I think it would be fun. Because the people that have to actually wear the black tie. I mean, you're the bridesmaid, but like everyone's just, I don't know, it just seems so like, oh. Yeah, I think I'd rather get a colonoscopy. I...

That would help you in for... I have two money ones that are not Ramsey, but I loved them. And they're bestsellers. I feel like people have probably read them. But The Psychology of Money. Yes. It's a great one. Okay, so if you've read that one. And then Die With Zero. Have you read Die With Zero? It's a great one. I don't agree with everything in it, but he does a really good job presenting the case of using your money while you're alive. Whether that is, if you're, instead of leaving a big inheritance, give it to your kids when you, when...

when you're alive and when they need it for like a down payment on a house, all of this. Because this whole thing is if you die at 85 and all your grown kids are 60, 65, they're fine. They don't really need the money at that point because they've built their life. So if you can use it throughout your life, which again, we say at Ramsey that, you know, you should leave a legacy to your children's children, all the things. So there's a balance in it, but I think he does a really good job of saying, hey, if you have done well financially,

And you do have the ability to spend it on experiences with people you love. If you're able to use it to help your family, if you're able to be generous, like instead of leaving it all to charity when you die, like be giving now more. I love that mindset. So die with zero. It's a great one.

About a year and a half. Yeah, okay. Because I do think we have this picture of, because the steps are so succinct, that everything is just going to go up like this, and we're just going to keep going and going and going, and it's going to be great. But the truth is, life happens. You're in it a year. On average, I think from our millionaire study, nine years, I think, is the average that they're paying off houses.

I think it's seven for baby steppers, ten for millionaires in general. Okay, okay, okay. So yeah, that seven's in here. So you have... So give yourself another six-year runway, meaning within those six years, your income's going to go up, stages of life with kids is going to change. Things of life are going to change. And I really do believe if you are disciplined and your goal is to...

pay off the house early and you guys are looking and working the plan it's gonna happen i really do believe that i think just give yourself a little bit of grace because life does this right like cars break refrigerators break things happen you know you gotta buy plane tickets for the family to to go somewhere you know if there's a funeral like whatever it is things are gonna be up and down and so i would just say give yourself some patience

I think you really are going to get there. I really do. And I know it can feel frustrating right now, but you will get there. You're seeing it in a really short window where I feel like the runway is much longer for you.

I love it. How about that? Oh my gosh. Okay, so for the debt-free scream, I think everyone in the room who is debt-free stands up. I think, is that what we're going to do? We're going to do a, so everybody who's debt-free stand up. And that can be consumer debt too. It doesn't have to be your house. It doesn't have to be your house. Or maybe step seven. Oh my gosh, look at all these debt-free people. This is great. Oh my gosh. Here's what we're going to do. Rachel.