AI Summary
5 min readA caller named Ian asks whether he and his fiancée can substitute their time as a form of tithing while they pay off $65,000 in student loan debt. George Campbell and Rachel Cruz push back gently but firmly. The word "tithe" literally means 10% of income, and swapping in volunteer hours changes the definition. More importantly, they argue, giving during a season of sacrifice builds a habit of generosity that will stick when money is no longer tight. Rachel warns against the lie that "if I just had more money, I would give" — the issue is usually a heart posture, not a bank account problem. George cites Malachi 3:10 ("Test me in this") but clarifies that blessing doesn't have to mean material wealth. Their bottom line: don't cut giving first, even if the math says you'd be out of debt faster without it.
The trap of treating a gift like an investment
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of The Ramsey Show
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (00:40) **Tithing vs. Debt Payoff** - Ian asks if he can substitute his time for a monetary tithe to accelerate his student loan repayment.
- 2 (06:17) **Fixed Annuity vs. Growth Stock Fund** - Donnie considers moving $150,000 from a growth stock mutual fund into a fixed 5.7% return product.
- 3 (10:10) **Accepting a Gift vs. Waiting for Loan Forgiveness** - Spencer's sister-in-law offers $73,000 to pay off his wife's student loans, but they consider waiting for potential public service loan forgiveness.
- 4 (15:48) **Saving for a Future House** - Jessica, a military family member with no current housing costs, asks how to save for a future home purchase in six years.
- 5 (22:12) **Keeping the House After a Divorce** - Gretchen is divorced and wants to keep her house with a loan from her boss and his wife, who would take half the future sale profits.
- 6 (32:19) **Selling Land: Bulk vs. Parceling** - Tony and his wife disagree on whether to sell an 80-acre parcel in bulk or divide it and sell it piece by piece.
- 7 (43:15) **Combining Finances for Debt Freedom** - Jade and her husband keep their finances separate, leaving her with $60k in debt and little margin, while he has a plan for his own debt.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
George Kamel and Rachel Cruze answer your questions and discuss:
- “My sister-in-law is gifting us $73,000 to pay off my wife's student loans. Should we wait to see if her student loans get forgiven first?”
- “My financial advisor wants me to take out a loan for my living expenses instead of drawing on my investments. Is he right?”
- “My job is making me go into debt every month after my sales income dried up. What should I do?”
- “I have $60,000 of credit card debt. How do I pay this off?”
- “My aunt offered to pay off my car debt. Should I accept?”
Next Steps:
📞 Have a question for the show? Call 888-825-5225 weekdays from 2–5 p.m. ET
💰 How much do you need to invest each month to retire a millionaire?
💵 Start your free budget today. Download the EveryDollar app!
🚢 Cruise With Dave Ramsey and 2,500 Ramsey People
💌 Preorder Build the Marriage You Want today now and get $100+ in bonuses.
Connect With Our Sponsors:
- Go to Angel to discover entertainment you can feel good about.
- Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp
- Go to Boost Mobile to switch today!
- Don’t try to figur
More from this podcast
The Ramsey Show →