Rachel Cruze, daughter of financial expert Dave Ramsey, is well-known for her approach to teaching financial literacy. Raised in a home where money wasn't a taboo subject but part of everyday conversation, she learned early on how to manage her finances—and now, as a parent herself, she's passing those lessons on to her own kids.
In a recent interview on the “Who Ya Know Show” by ClearPath Wealth Strategies, Cruze shared insights into her upbringing and how her parents, particularly her father, subtly but effectively taught her the foundational principles of financial responsibility.
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Growing Up with Practical Financial Lessons
In the interview, Cruze was asked what it was like growing up with Ramsey and all the lessons she learned. She laughed and said she gets that question a lot.
"I think people have this idea in their head that if you’re Dave Ramsey’s daughter that we talked about mutual funds all the time and had like budget camps in the summer," she said. "Thankfully that was not the case."
Cruze said her parents took a more natural approach to money, weaving it into daily life. “You just talk about life, and money is part of life,” she explained. Money management wasn't taught as a separate class or activity; instead, it was a part of regular family conversations. Her parents made sure that financial wisdom was learned organically, through the way they lived and managed their own money.
Earning Money Through Work, Not Allowance
Cruze gave an example of these natural finance lessons in the family's chore system. Instead of being given an allowance, she and her siblings were given a commission. If they did their jobs, they got paid; if they didn't, they didn't. This approach helped her understand the value of earning money early on.
Once she had the money, her parents introduced “give, save, and spend” jars, where Cruze and her siblings had to actively manage their money, dividing it into three categories: money to donate, money to save, and money to spend. “They didn’t even dictate how much to put in each, they let us do it,” Cruze recalled.
Handling Money Like an Adult
As Cruze grew older, her financial education became even more hands-on. At a young age, her parents set her up with a checking account. While many of her friends received money from their parents without much explanation, Cruze was responsible for managing her own account. She learned how to write checks, balance a checkbook, and reconcile her account—skills that many young people don't get until later in life.
“I had to manage that as a teenager,” she said.
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The Emotional Side of Money
Beyond the technical side of money, Cruze's parents placed a strong emphasis on the emotional side of finances. They taught her about the importance of contentment, generosity, and not letting money define her happiness or self-worth.
This mindset encouraged Cruze to avoid the trap of materialism. Rather than seeing money as something to hoard or use to show off, her parents focused on how to use money in a way that added value to life—by giving back, being responsible, and living a life of gratitude.
Cruze’s upbringing shows that financial education doesn’t have to be formal—it’s about making money a natural part of life. By blending practical skills with emotional values, her parents set the stage for a well-rounded approach to managing money.
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