A caller named David from Amarillo, Texas, said his wife spends freely and avoids budgeting. He told “The Ramsey Show” he financed an expensive sleep-number bed for their first anniversary and said the purchase set off more spending.
David added that his wife “likes to spend money like it’s made out of water.” Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey replied that “adults devise a plan and follow it,” urging both spouses to reset their approach.
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David said he remarried three years ago and planned to stay debt-free except for their home. He told the hosts he warned his wife of that before the wedding but admitted he broke his own rule when he financed the bed.
Ramsey said this made it harder for David to ask his wife to change, adding that he “turned me into a cuss word” by telling her, “Dave Ramsey said.”
Ramsey said the real issue was not the bed or the overspending but the lack of a shared financial vision. He said couples need agreement on what their money will create for them, whether travel, generosity or stress-free retirement. He told David to start by apologizing and then explain why staying out of debt supports those long-term goals.
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Co-host John Delony said couples make better decisions when they slow down before a purchase and identify what feeling is driving the impulse. He described how people often buy things when they are upset, bored, or trying to avoid discomfort. He said asking, “What am I trying to protect myself from?” helps keep decisions tied to the couple’s bigger goals.
Delony added that this approach prevents emotional decisions that conflict with a shared vision. Ramsey agreed, saying overspending, debt, and the financed bed were symptoms of a deeper issue: the absence of a plan both spouses helped create.
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Ramsey said spouses each get a vote before large purchases and shared how he and his wife recently delayed a decision until they agreed it fit their overall plan. He told David this method builds trust and prevents resentment. Ramsey added that the most common question he receives is how to get a spouse on board, and the answer never begins with “Dave Ramsey said.”