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Money For Couples with Ramit Sethi

244. "I'm in $244k debt but give $500/mo to my church"

Money For Couples with Ramit Sethi

Ramit Sethi

Business, Relationships, Society & Culture, Investing

4.6124 Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2026

⏱️ 94 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich continues his discussion with Mike and Noel in part two of their financial deep dive. The couple, married for just 6 months, faces a daunting $244K in debt with zero savings, fueled by previous "guilt-free" spending and a shocking $170K windfall that disappeared. Despite their dire situation, major cuts to their fixed costs haven't happened yet. Ramit encourages Noel to reconsider her church tithing and find proactive ways to increase income, like driving for Uber. Can they shift their mindset from feeling deprived to purposeful sacrifice, anchor their spending to zero, and collaboratively create a sustainable financial future? In this episode we uncover: • Noel’s decision regarding her church tithing • The power of incremental income, like Noel’s potential earnings from Uber • Ramit’s "anchor to zero" framework for mindful spending • How comparing current spending to past mistakes sabotages financial progress • The importance of distinguishing between sacrifice and suffering • Why making big changes with money is meant to be hard • The potential for selling household items to boost savings and signal a "rebuilding phase" • How a short-term financial plan can set them up for long-term success • The opportunity to define their own timeline for debt repayment and savings Chapters: (00:00:00) Previously on money for couples (00:02:09) How Noel's decided to approach tithing (00:03:33) Why cutting subscriptions won't solve their problems (00:03:49) Noel's plan to earn more money with Uber (00:04:21) Ramit introduces the "anchor to zero" spending framework (00:05:46) Mike and Noel reflect on the conversation (00:07:11) Sacrifice vs. suffering: Reframing financial changes (00:08:43) Why comparing to the past holds them back (00:09:50) Noel's internal struggle with tithing (00:10:34) Ramit presents a vision for their future (00:11:15) The idea of selling household items to fund savings (00:12:18) Ramit's proposal for their next steps and a follow-up This episode is brought to you by: ZocDoc | Go to https://zocdoc.com/ramit to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today #sponsored  DeleteMe | Get 20% off all consumer plans when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/ramit and use promo code RAMIT at checkout Leesa | Go to https://leesa.com for 25% off mattresses PLUS get an extra $50 off with promo code RAMIT, exclusive for my listeners Factor | Go to https://factormeals.com/ramit50OFF and use code RAMIT50OFF to get 50% off your first box, plus free breakfast for 1 year Trust & Will | Protect what matters most in minutes at https://trustandwill.com/ramit and get 10% off plus free shipping Connect with Ramit • Get my new book, Money For Couples • Get Money Coaching with Ramit  • Download the Conscious Spending Plan • Listen to my book—now on Audible • Get my New York Times best-selling book • Get my no-numbers journal • Other episodes • Instagram • Twitter • YouTube If you and your partner have a money issue and you want my help, I occasionally select a couple to work with, free of charge. Apply for my help here: https://iwt.com/apply

Transcript

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0:00.0

This year, we are launching a brand new series called The Rich Life Expert Series.

0:06.2

I'm going to be inviting people who I trust to teach you an important skill or a habit or a mindset

0:11.8

that's going to help you live a rich life.

0:14.8

First on deck this January, nail your next interview with Michael Gendler.

0:19.5

Michael is the co-founder of ultra-speaking,

0:21.7

the fastest and most effective way to prepare for high-stakes speaking situations,

0:26.4

think pitches, interviews, executive meetings, presentations,

0:29.2

all those things that we often freeze up around.

0:32.2

He's worked with Fortune 100 execs, best-selling authors.

0:35.2

Personally, when I met him and talked to him and we started going

0:38.5

back and forth on how to prepare for an interview, I was very impressed. You can watch live

0:44.7

one-to-one coaching as people go from rambling to compelling in real time. So if you have a high

0:52.5

stakes approach that's coming up, landing a new job, starting

0:55.9

your own business, appearing on TV, or just wanting to be better at communication, you want to

1:02.2

attend this. You can join us January 27th at 12 p.m. Eastern to learn more, and you can register for

1:08.2

free today to reserve your seat at IWT.com slash interview.

1:13.6

That's IWT.com slash interview to lock in your spot.

1:18.1

Previously, on money for couples.

1:20.4

You've mentioned a windfall.

1:22.1

It was $170,000.

1:25.0

How much are the money's left?

1:26.1

None of it.

...

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