A woman named Bree from Philadelphia recently called in to “The Ramsey Show” with a tough financial and family dilemma. Her husband, currently working as an assistant manager at a trucking company, wants to quit his job and start driving for Uber full-time.
Bree explained that her husband is feeling overwhelmed at work, dealing with drivers, mechanics and a heavy workload. Now, he’s convinced by a friend that Uber could be a better option. “His friend at work told him that on Uber, they can make $2,000 and more a week,” Bree said.
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But to make the switch, he wants to buy a new Toyota sedan using a car loan and put it under Bree’s name because her credit score is better. The couple already has $40,000 of debt, Bree is a stay-at-home mom with a toddler, and she’s also pregnant with their second child.
Co-host of the show George Kamel was direct as usual. “I would not listen to this friend,” he said. “He’s going to drive that car into the ground and the depreciation is going to hit it so hard that you guys are going to be underwater on this car within the first week,” she said.
When asked about their current finances, Bree admitted they have no formal budget and that most of the spending goes on her husband’s credit card, which she doesn’t track. “I don’t know what is going on with his credit card,” she said. “Basically, we put [everything] on his credit card.”
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Co-host Jade Warshaw called for more transparency in their finances. “I want one checking account. We both have a debit card,” she said. “We both spend the money that we have on the debit card because I am freaking out because of our debt.”
Warshaw advised that Bree set three clear boundaries for her husband. First, they should not take on new debt to support this job switch. Second, any employment changes should be delayed until after their baby is born. And third, they need to handle money more openly, without relying on credit cards.
Bree also said that both she and her husband are immigrants—she’s from Ukraine, he’s from Uzbekistan. Kamel emphasized that debt isn’t the path to achieving the American dream. “The American dream is now: go into as much debt as possible to fund a fake lifestyle so that hopefully we can impress people,” he said. “They say, ‘Hey, come get a credit card. It’s the American way. We can get you into a brand new car. Do you see how insane this is?’”
