26-Year-Old Father Racks Up $90K In Debt Between Credit Cards And Failing Construction Business — Dave Ramsey Says: 'Get Three Jobs'

Imagine working 60 to 80 hours a week, only to bring home nothing. Your business is failing, you have $90,000 in debt hanging over you, and your wife—who's pregnant with your fourth child—is relying on food pantries to feed the family. That's exactly where one couple from Eugene, Oregon, found themselves when they called "The Ramsey Show" back in October, desperate for a financial lifeline.

You Have $25 in Your Account and No Paycheck"

Sitting alongside co-host Dr. John Delony, Dave Ramsey didn't hold back. "You have $25 in your checking account, your wife is scared out of her mind, and you're about to not have electricity." The husband, a construction business owner, had been pouring everything into keeping his company afloat, but it was clear he had waited too long.

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The wife, a stay-at-home mom, asked if selling their home—worth an estimated $250,000 with a remaining mortgage of $175,000 at a 4% interest rate—would be a smart move. But Ramsey quickly redirected the focus. "I don't think you have a home problem or even a truck problem—I think you've had an income problem for some time, and it's compounded." He explained that if they could create a massive income stream, they could turn things around without having to sell their house.

Ramsey's No-Nonsense Plan for Survival

Ramsey didn't sugarcoat what needed to happen next. The husband had considered an electrician apprenticeship, but Ramsey shut that idea down. "An apprentice electrician is not going to make anything. Why would you even consider that? We need money, now." Instead, Ramsey demanded immediate action: "Go get three jobs in construction, and if you have to, go throw boxes at Walmart on the night shift."

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Delony was floored at how long the husband had clung to the sinking business. "What's the moment when a man with a dream calls it? Because I can't imagine working 60-80 hours a week while my wife's going to a food kitchen." Ramsey responded without hesitation: "We always call it too late. He should have been out of business six months ago."

The plan was simple but intense. First, the husband had to secure immediate income—no more waiting for the perfect job. Second, they needed to sell anything that wasn't essential, including their trailer, which had been purchased for $177,000. And third, they had to prioritize expenses: food first, then utilities, mortgage, and the truck payment. Everything else could wait.

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No Time for Excuses—Only Action

Ramsey's team even stepped in to provide a financial coach free of charge. "I remember what it feels like to be so scared you can't breathe," he told them. He also reassured the wife that her husband wasn't a failure—his business had failed, but that didn't mean he was a bad man. "You remind him you married him for him, not for his truck and trailer."

While selling their home might be an option down the road, Ramsey believed their real issue wasn't assets—it was income. "Flip this thing on its head. Create a huge income with a ridiculous number of well-paid hours." If they did that, he was confident they could pull themselves out of the financial hole they were in.

For now, the solution wasn't glamorous. No business revamps, no slow career changes—just work. Hard, fast, and nonstop. "You're not going to burn out," Ramsey assured them. "Right before you die, you'll pass out. Do that."

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