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Chapter 1: Should we sell our house to pay off debt?
Live from the headquarters of Ramsey Solutions, broadcasting from the Pods Moving and Storage Studio, this is the Ramsey Show, where we help you win in your life, specifically your money, your work, and your relationships. I'm Ken Coleman. Rachel Cruz joins me this hour. The phone number is 888-825-5225. That's 888-825-5225. Let's get it started right here in our backyard, Nashville, Tennessee.
Austin is there. Austin, how can we help?
Hey, hope you guys are doing well. Thanks for taking my call.
Chapter 2: How do we manage over $100,000 in car loans?
You bet. I am wanting your input. My wife and I are in baby step two and just kind of plugging away, but we just found out that my wife is pregnant with our first.
Oh, congratulations.
Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Still kind of doesn't feel real. We are wanting to, you know, we're considering looking at our debt and everything and wanted to get some input on whether or not we should consider selling the house using all that equity and then just wiping out all the debt and just kind of basically starting over.
Okay. So how much do you guys make a year?
I make $30,000 working in ministry, and she makes about $35,000 as a therapist.
Okay, so $65,000. How much debt do you guys have?
We've got $50,000 in student loans, $25,000 in credit cards, and $10,000 on a car.
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Chapter 3: What should we prioritize: paying off rental or home debt?
Is that $85,000 total? $85,000.
Yeah, and then we've got a mortgage. We have $254 left on the mortgage, but the house, we could probably sell it for about $370.
Okay. Man, y'all have a lot of debt. And with this, and with the income... Okay, so here's my hesitation, Austin, when I'm talking to you about this. Because first and foremost, now that you guys are expecting, I would recommend not making a big move right now on either end, but just pile up cash. We always say to pause baby step two while you, you know,
are expecting make sure that mom is good baby is good if you needed some extra cash on hand we want that available to you uh during the pregnancy and after labor delivery and then we can go back to this so all i don't want you to do anything major and not for nine months i mean i want you to
Really? Can I throw an alternative in here? I just want to talk through this.
Yes, do.
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Chapter 4: How can we prepare for the job market after graduation?
But I understand what you're saying. Can you guys even pile up cash, given that you guys have a somewhat limited income? Can you even pile up cash without you having to go work extra?
Yeah, based off of just the regular income, not a lot of wiggle room there. I mean, I am door dashing, and I'm in the process of getting my real estate license.
All right, so let me ask you this, all right? Because I just want to get Rachel's take on this, because I have an aggressive approach. Does it mean it's what he should do? All right, is this house that you're in now, is this your forever house?
Is this a house you guys are absolutely in love with, or do you consider this a starter house, and you definitely see a different housing situation down the road?
Definitely not where we plan to be long-term. I would sell the house. Before we found out about this, we thought we were going to move out of state in the next three years.
All right, so Austin, I would sell the house, and I want Rachel to disagree with me here. This is what I would do if I were you.
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Chapter 5: What are the financial implications of having a baby?
I wrote down the numbers. I would sell the house. Because you guys have a lot of debt. And with this baby coming, I want you to get a fresh start. You're a young couple. This is not a long-term play for you guys. The value of this house, it's not a big-time investment play that you could live in, even if you paid it off.
So if I got the numbers right, after realtor's fees, you're going to walk away somewhere in the $100,000 range. You'll have leftovers. Is that about right? Yeah. Okay. That takes care of all of the debt. We are debt free. We got 15K left, which based on your income is a really nice emergency fund.
Chapter 6: How can we effectively budget for a growing family?
We're at baby step three. Yep. Baby comes. Yep. That gives us a little bit of margin. That's that margin because they can't really save and stack cash right now with their current income. So that 15K is that, hey, that gives us a really nice emergency fund. If something health issue-wise with the baby, it just gives us a cushion.
Then once baby gets here, we decide what your wife's going to do, what that's going to look like. I like you renting right now and resetting with this new life that you have. And then we're resetting, if you will, from baby step three. And essentially you would be moving into what we call baby step three B, beginning to save towards that next house. Rachel, that's what I would do.
Take a lot of pressure off of mom and dad here as they begin to a new chapter of life.
i like this move i like this move a lot i would sell yeah so so it's that option which is more the aggressive route or it's hey we're gonna just knock out this debt but you have to remember your wife's income is basically gonna be going away after she has the baby if she's not gonna be working uh so it's up to you so it's gonna be years and years and years and years of paying off this debt so what were you guys leaning to before you call this i'm curious
Chapter 7: What impact does selling a vehicle have on our finances?
We've been talking about it the last couple weeks. We decided that we were just going to keep plugging away. I'm about to get my real estate license, so we're going to use that as income to just... All right, I interrupted Rachel on that, so this plays into that.
Yeah, so again, I don't think there's a right or wrong here. I'll send my only hesitation... And or challenge, I would say to you, Austin, if you went Ken's route, because I think that that's an option. That's a very reasonable option. I don't think it's extreme at all.
I think if you guys are not if you don't see anything moving, it's going to take a lot of movement to get this debt paid off where you guys are with your income. But you're getting your real estate license, all that. So here's what I'll say. If you choose option A, Ken's choice. you're wiping it all out. You're wiping it all out without really much sacrifice. Yeah.
Chapter 8: How can we balance debt repayment and savings?
You're selling your home, but there's not a ton of change that is occurring because you're going to get a lump sum. You're going to shift that money to the debt and it's all going to be done versus going through the process. Not that it's wrong to do that, but you, you guys have $25,000 in credit card debt. Austin, you guys have a car you can't afford.
You took out loans for school, which again, you're normal, but, But you have to know that there's a level of pain I kind of want you guys to feel because I want you to think I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever go back. And $25,000 of credit card debt for whatever reason that you guys are in, you have to live a different life than what you've been living.
And people that walk through the debt-free process, there is so much sacrifice, there is so much like, I hate this, I can't wait to be out, that they will not, they don't wanna go back. But when people get an inheritance or the sale of their house and they get a lump sum, which is a gift, that's a blessing, to be able in one fell swoop, wipe everything out. Again, amazing.
And from paper, you're going to be able to move forward quickly. But please, you and your wife have to sit down and promise each other that we're not going to get back into this. Because what this debt is, is decisions that are made from a lifestyle perspective that especially the credit card debt. You have to remember that. So Austin, if you guys do this and you do option A, again, great option.
You have to really feel deep in your soul that our behavior has to change. We can't. Because if you keep living like you've been living, there's not going to be another house that's going to wipe out the debt.
It's interesting. You make a very good point.
But the real estate license could be...
Yeah. I want him to go with A and take the commitment.
I think that's, yes.
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