The Ramsey Show
The Ramsey Show

When You Don't Have Payments, You Have More Options

July 17, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

“When you don’t have payments, you have more options.” That line from Dave Ramsey near the end of the episode captures the throughline of a show packed with callers facing very different financial circumstances, all of whom are trying to figure out what to do with a temporary advantage—no rent, a paid-off asset, a severance package, or a sudden windfall. The core teaching of the episode is that a lack of payments (whether from living rent-free, owning a home outright, or being debt-free) creates flexibility, but only if you use that breathing room to make intentional, disciplined choices rather than chasing new schemes or letting the moment slip away.

The Danger of Letting a Good Situation Drift

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:17) **Show Open and Banter** - Dave and Rachel discuss a viral Instagram trend where they pretended to film a Netflix documentary, which confused many followers.
  • 2 (02:57) **Living in a Car to Attack Debt** - A caller (Nissy) with $108k in debt and wage garnishment for state taxes asks if she should build a business or get a second job while living rent-free in her converted SUV.
  • 3 (09:02) **Ad Break: Term Life Insurance** - A pre-recorded ad for Zander Insurance, emphasizing the need for term life insurance to protect dependents.
  • 4 (10:21) **Boundaries with Manipulative In-Laws** - Jacob calls about his fiancée's manipulative family who are likely to ask to move into their newly purchased home.
  • 5 (17:29) **Saving for Grad School in a Money Market** - A caller asks if a 3% money market account is the right place to save $90k for his wife's PA school in three years.
  • 6 (20:11) **Ad Break: BetterHelp & EveryDollar** - Pre-recorded ads for BetterHelp online therapy and the EveryDollar budgeting app.
  • 7 (22:21) **Should I Sell My Rental to Pay Debt?** - Anna has a paid-for townhouse ($200k), $90k in debt, and an income of ~$110k. She asks if she should sell the rental to become debt-free.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Dave Ramsey

Show Notes

📈 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Are you on track with the Baby Steps? Get a Free Personalized Plan.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

❓ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have a money question? Ask Ramsey is here to help.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze answer your questions and discuss:

  • “I’m $108,000 in debt, living in my car, and my wages are being garnished. How do I get through this?”
  • “Should I leave my husband after he’s been unemployed for ten years?”
  • “I want to transition to a career where I’ll be making a quarter of what I make now. How do I prepare for this?”
  • “My company is closing in a month. What should I do with the company retirement accounts?”
  • “Should I invest the money I’m getting in the divorce into retirement?”


Next Steps:

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📩 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Dave On-Air With Your Questions on Debt and Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💵 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Start your free budget today. Download the EveryDollar app!⁠

❤️‍🩹 ⁠⁠Get trusted insurance coverage that fits your budget⁠⁠


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