He Never Had To Work And Now His Trust Fund Is Drying Up At 23. Dave Ramsey Says, 'Go Buy A Leaf Blower. Rich People Are Afraid Of Leaves'

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A 23-year-old college student is staring down a reality he’s never had to face before: working for a living. After growing up with a trust fund that covered his expenses, the money is set to run out next year when he graduates. Now, he’s worried he may not be ready for the real world.

“I have been raised with a silver spoon in my life, my whole life. I never had to work a day,” the caller, Jay, said on “The Ramsey Show.” “I’m getting really nervous.”

Jay is studying accounting and expects to graduate in May. But instead of feeling confident about his future, he’s questioning whether he even has the work ethic needed to hold down a job.

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“My main worry is my work ethic,” he said. “I’m really worried about my work ethic and especially since I’ve never worked before.”

The situation is made more complicated by his visa status, which limits the types of jobs he can take while still in school. Still, he’s been applying for campus roles and trying to build some confidence before graduation.

“So, the money ran out and now you’re going to be like an adult and get a job, huh?” personal finance personality Dave Ramsey recapped the situation. He also didn’t buy into the idea that Jay lacks discipline.

“You’ve got a work ethic, or you wouldn’t be getting out of school,” Ramsey said. “You don’t graduate and have no work ethic. You have a work ethic that caused you to study and go to class.”

Instead of focusing on what Jay hasn’t done, Ramsey pointed to what he has already proven–consistency, effort and the ability to finish something.

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For Ramsey, the answer isn’t complicated: start working immediately, even if the job seems small or unrelated to a future career.

“I’m worried I don’t have a work ethic. So, go prove you have one,” Ramsey said.

“Go buy a leaf blower. Rich people are afraid of leaves,” he told Jay. “Go get a lawn mower. Go buy a lawn mower and start cutting grass.”

It wasn’t really about the job itself. The whole point was to just get started and build confidence by actually doing something. Whether that’s working at a campus bookstore, cutting grass or taking any job you can get, Ramsey’s message was that doing something now matters more than sitting around waiting for the perfect job.

Co-host Rachel Cruze agreed, adding that Jay’s situation isn’t as unusual as it feels.

“You’ll be fine, Jay. I think honestly, there’s a lot of 23-year-olds that graduate college and they’ve never really worked before,” Cruze said. “I think it’s become dramatized in your head.”

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She encouraged him to start working now, not later, and to use that experience to build confidence before stepping into a full-time career.

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He Never Had To Work And Now His Trust Fund Is Drying Up At 23. Dave Ramsey Says, ‘Go Buy A Leaf Blower. Rich People Are Afraid Of Leaves’

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