They Paid Off $160K In Debt By Working Relentlessly. But The Toll Of Nonstop 60-Hour Weeks Left Them Exhausted. ‘I Just Don’t Care Anymore’

After 2 ½  years of grinding through 60-hour workweeks, a nurse earning a household income of about $225,000 says he and his wife have paid off roughly $160,000 in debt. The list is long: $60,000 in car loans, $30,000 in medical debt, $40,000 in credit cards, and $30,000 in student loans. Only about $10,000 remains.

On paper, it looks like a textbook financial turnaround. In real life, it feels brutal. “I am so damn tired working 60 hours weeks,” he wrote on Reddit’s r/DaveRamsey. “To the point where I just don’t care anymore.”

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Burned Out Right Before The Finish Line

The couple has been following Dave Ramsey‘s “Baby Steps” and is about to finish paying off their debts and build a full emergency fund. But instead of relief, their post was filled with exhaustion.

The nurse said he has worked extended hours for years, often missing time with his wife and young son. “I think my wife is done with me, coworkers (bless their heart, for living with me), and I don’t get to see my son,” he admitted. “I just want to relax and not worry about money.”

At the same time, major expenses are stacking up. They plan to cash flow a wedding, honeymoon, and vacation, and they want to buy a house later this year once their emergency fund is in place. If he keeps pushing at the same pace, he estimates they could save about $7,500 a month and buy a home by early next year.

But that pace comes at a cost. “I’m thinking about taking it easy in the summer,” he wrote, before admitting the temptation of pushing through: “But a house by October and a fully funded emergency fund does sound nice.”

Several healthcare workers chimed in with warnings. One said burnout does not reset with a short vacation and can linger for years. Others shared stories of heart problems, depression, and early retirement after pushing too hard for too long.

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The OP did not dismiss those concerns. In fact, he acknowledged them directly. “Working only 40 hours on my end would decrease income by $40,000 and make it futile to save for a house,” he wrote. Still, after running the numbers with other commenters, he softened. Taking a temporary hit might be worth it. “Guess taking the $6,000 loss does make sense to regain my sanity.”

A Marriage And Family Under Strain

The exhaustion is not just financial. The OP said his wife, who earns about $65,000 working in education, is also burned out. He paid for her master’s degree in cash during their debt payoff years, which slowed progress but avoided new loans.

She is not eager to take on more work, especially over the summer, because she already spends her days with children and comes home to care for their own. “She’s kinda burnt out due to me not being there,” he admitted.

“The opportunity cost of buying a house next year would be worth it in the short term, but not the long term,” he reflected.

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Getting Help Beyond Budgeting

For households earning six figures, the next phase after getting out of debt is often about making smarter, less exhausting decisions. WiserAdvisor offers a free tool that matches people with vetted financial advisors who fit their needs, with no obligation to hire. 

It is aimed at households earning $100,000 or more that want to book a free consultation and sanity-check big decisions like home buying, work-life balance, and long-term planning.

For this couple, the numbers finally work. The harder question is how to protect their health and family now that the debt is almost gone.

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