Casey, a 33-year-old wife from Ohio, said her husband leased a Tesla, sold their only car, and left them sitting on $78,000 in debt. She told “The Ramsey Show” that her finances and marriage were turning chaotic, saying she owes $6,000 in medical bills and credit card balances.
Marriage Under Financial Stress
According to Casey, the remaining $72,000 is her husband’s student loan debt. She said she earns about $90,000 a year as a nurse, while he brings in $3,000 to $4,000 a month from a new job and a struggling insurance business.
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Even though they have been together for six years, the couple has only been married for one, and money disagreements surface every month.
Casey follows the debt-snowball method, but her husband said he wants to keep using his credit cards because he believes ongoing credit activity will help them qualify for future lending, including a house.
“I do not like the fact that he has leased a Tesla and sold our car, which we only had two years and we could have paid it off,” she said. Casey added that she thought “my money is my money and your money is yours” until she began listening to “The Ramsey Show” months ago.
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Ramsey Says Counseling Needed
Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey and co-host George Kamel said the husband’s choices were creating financial pressure and emotional fear. When she said she was overwhelmed, Ramsey urged her to focus on repairing the relationship.
“So, here’s what you need to do, hun,” Ramsey said. “You need to sit down with him tonight and say, ‘I’m so scared I can’t breathe and you are killing me.'” He told her to schedule marriage counseling and insist he come along. According to the hosts, counseling could help them respect each other, communicate, and work as a team.
Ramsey also pointed to the income gap and decisions being made without agreement. He called the husband “immature” for leasing a Tesla while sitting on debt.
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