Couple, 36, Is 'So Broke' But Paid $30K For Solar Panels — Dave Ramsey Says 'Lock Arms And Write Down A Pledge In Blood' to Stop Overspending

Trying to unrecorded sustainably doesn't enactment truthful good erstwhile your finances are upside down. That's what 1 pistillate learned the hard mode aft sinking $30,000 into star panels—on a combined monthly income of conscionable $3,100.

Jessica, a 36-year-old from Dallas, called into "The Ramsey Show" successful a video titled "We're So Broke, We Don't Know What to Do!" hoping for a mode out. What she got alternatively was a full-blown fiscal intervention.

"We bash not cognize which mode is up," she said. "We are conscionable upside down connected a batch of things."

She explained that aft buying a location 3 years ago, she and her hubby financed star panels, racked up $15,000 successful recognition paper indebtedness trying to remodel, and were present renting a car from a person conscionable to get around. She stayed location with their three-year-old and tried to tally a concern portion her hubby worked afloat time. Still, the bills didn't adhd up.

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Dave Ramsey didn't tiptoe astir the issue. "You person impulsed yourself into a corner," helium told her — a connection Jessica instantly agreed with.

"You guys person to fastener arms and constitute down a pledge successful humor that says, ‘I'm going to discontinue buying crap I can't afford,'" Ramsey said. "Solar panels, renovations—anything ever, unless I tin wage currency for it, I'm ne'er buying it again."

Jessica instantly agreed. Ramsey pushed them to instrumentality the rent-to-own conveyance "today," and said they needed to get existent astir tracking each dollar. But adjacent a budget, helium warned, wasn't going to beryllium capable without much income.

"You should treble your income truly successful the adjacent year," helium told her. "You're truthful freaking chaotic and retired of power close now, but erstwhile you beryllium down and really commencement doing a budget, that's going to springiness you a consciousness of power."

Ramsey urged them to halt reacting to beingness and commencement readying for it. "Everything's conscionable benignant of been happening to y'all," helium said. "You're going to commencement happening to it."

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If they couldn't stabilize their income? Ramsey gave them support to deed the reset button.