A recent caller to “The Ramsey Show” asked a question many overworked parents can relate to: When is it okay to finally slow down?
Matt from Long Island told personal finance expert Dave Ramsey and co-host John Deloney that he’s been working up to 75 hours a week between two jobs. He’s on Baby Step six of the Ramsey plan—paying off the house early—but he’s also a husband and father of two kids.
“I currently work about 70 to 75 hours a week,” Matt said. “I wanted to know if it would be wise to stop working my second job and kind of spend a little bit more time with my family.”
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From Intense To Intentional
Ramsey didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he answered. “We don’t recommend 80 hours a week when you’re on Baby Steps four, five, and six.”
He explained that in the earlier Baby Steps—paying off debt and building an emergency fund—it makes sense to go all in. But once you’re in the later stages, the approach changes.
“When you move into four, five, and six—which is save for retirement, kids’ college, and pay off your house—you move from intense to intentional,” Ramsey said. “Intentional is not 80 hours a week as a pattern.”
Deloney added that it’s common to feel uncomfortable when stepping away from the hustle. “Expect that to feel a little bit itchy,” he said. “Sometimes it can get boring. But that time, you don’t get it back. And it becomes magical over time.”
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It’s Going To Take A While Anyway
Matt said he owes about $350,000 on his home. Ramsey pointed out that paying off a mortgage usually takes several years, so running himself into the ground now won’t make a huge difference in the big picture.
“You’ll hit the wall,” Ramsey said. “Those three Baby Steps take, typically, six, seven years.”
Even cutting back to 60 hours a week would be a major relief. “You’d feel like you’re on vacation,” Ramsey told him.
As for Matt’s concern about what to do with the extra free time, Deloney kept it simple: “You’re gonna spend it with your kids—not on Netflix and not on Instagram.”
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The Tradeoff Is Worth It
Ramsey and Deloney agreed that cutting back a bit now to be present with family is worth far more than an extra chunk of the mortgage paid early. That kind of time investment pays dividends in ways money can’t.
“You want to make deposits into that account,” Deloney said.
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