Dave Ramsey Advises Woman To 'Choose Your Pain, Or It Will Choose You' When She Realizes Her Financial Situation Is Not Sustainable

During an episode of the Dave Ramsey Show, a concerned caller asked personal finance expert Dave Ramsey what to do after realizing her financial situation was not sustainable. Here's what Ramsey advised. 

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One caller, Olivia from San Diego, revealed to Ramsey that her financial situation was not sustainable and asked whether she, her husband, and their two kids should move to a cheaper house and leave everything behind, including their church and family, to build wealth. Olivia explained to Ramsey that they had just gotten out of debt. Before giving his advice, Ramsey asked the caller to reveal how much she and her husband make. 

Olivia told Ramsey, "My husband made $70,000 last year, and I work on his days off." She added, "I made $30,000 last year." This puts them at a $100,000 income in San Diego, but the caller mentioned that they want to move to Arizona. According to information from Salary.com, the cost of living in San Diego, California, is at least 39.7% higher than in Phoenix, Arizona. The median home cost in San Diego is 101% more expensive than in Phoenix, Arizona. However, Azcentral reported that even in Tucson, Arizona's city with the lowest cost of living, a household of four would need to earn an annual salary of $215,000 to live a comfortable lifestyle. Therefore, a move to Arizona may not make their financial situation any more stable and could add more stress, as relocation is considered one of the most stressful life events.    

Ramsey responded to the caller by telling her, "The way you asked the question, the way you formed your sentence. You don't want to leave." The caller confirmed she didn't want to leave and that they were considering it only for financial reasons. Olivia explained that she was working hard to keep her daughter in a private Christian school, which was only possible because of support from their family. 

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Ramsey sympathized with Olivia and agreed that it is "heartbreaking to move away from the grandparents," but added that Olivia has some decisions to make. He explained, "You’re either going to change careers to be able to sustain the situation, or you’re going to make some different choices, like not going to private school." Because their financial situation is unsustainable, Ramsey explained that something has to change. Olivia and her family will need to make some hard choices. Ramsey applauded Olivia for recognizing that their financial math isn’t working, saying, "What you figured out is the math isn’t working, and that’s very wise." 

As far as Ramsey sees it, Olivia has three choices: moving her daughter out of private school, a career change or moving to a brand-new state. Ramsey advised Olivia, "One of these three things, and all three are painful. Choose your pain because it’ll choose you if you don’t." Olivia and her family must make some decisions before they get forced upon them in a painful way. Ramsey also advised Olivia and the viewers that it is crucial to have some kind of life insurance coverage to deal with unexpected events when they happen.   

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