Money For Couples with Ramit Sethi

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich talks to Freya and Blake, a couple in their mid-40s with two young children who are facing one of the most urgent financial situations we’ve seen on the show.

Together, they earn around $143K a year, but their fixed costs are at 102%, they have $0 in savings, only $180 invested, and more than $96K in debt. Freya applied because she feared they were close to becoming homeless.

On the surface, their problem looks like debt. Underneath, it’s avoidance, guilt, lack of partnership, and years of “we’ll figure it out later.” Freya carries the emotional labour of the household and money decisions, while Blake admits he avoids the numbers and tries to solve problems by simply making more money.

Ramit helps them confront the reality of their situation, stop tinkering around the edges, and build a radical plan that gives their family a chance to get stable.

In this episode we uncover:

• Why Freya and Blake are spending more than they make every month

• How their fixed costs reached 102% of their income

• Why having a $143K income still isn’t enough when there’s no system

• The $96K debt number that forces them to face reality

• Why Freya feels like she has to manage everything alone

• Blake’s “ostrich” approach to money and avoidance

• How trips, skiing, and everyday spending became symptoms of a bigger issue

• Why being intelligent doesn’t protect you from bad money decisions

• The emotional cost of having $0 in savings with two young children

• How childhood, privilege, resentment, and guilt shaped their money habits

• Why hustling stops working once fixed costs get too high

• Ramit’s warning that they are weeks away from not being able to pay rent

• Why Blake may need to aggressively increase his income

• How they move from blame and panic into a shared plan

• Their follow-up reflections on what finally felt doable

Chapters:

(00:01:20) Meet Freya and Blake

(00:03:30) Why Freya applied to speak with Ramit

(00:05:23) “Do you want to have a budget conversation?”

(00:05:56) The skiing trip that became a money fight

(00:08:22) The Mexico trip they couldn’t afford

(00:13:52) Savings are gone and the safety net has disappeared

(00:15:16) Freya carries the planning, groceries, kids, and money stress

(00:21:54) Looking at the Conscious Spending Plan together

(00:24:01) The real debt and net worth numbers land

(00:31:24) Why 102% fixed costs means they are broke

(00:32:04) Ramit warns they are weeks away from not paying rent

(00:34:54) Childhood money lessons and blame

(00:43:57) Borrowing money to avoid eviction

(00:48:11) Blake’s belief that more income will solve everything

(00:57:14) Guilt, family, and saying yes when they should say no

(01:03:00) Defining a realistic Rich Life from where they are now

(01:08:30) Childcare costs disappearing

(01:15:03) Freya asks Blake to help with grocery planning

(01:18:00) Why savings comes before debt payoff right now

(01:34:00) Why the plan finally feels doable

This episode is brought to you by:

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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

Have you or your partner realised you’re paying a 1% financial advisor hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees over your lifetime? Maybe you feel stuck because they’re your “family money guy,” If so, I want to talk. Apply to be on my podcast at https://iwt.com/apply

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich talks to Drew and Amanda, a married couple earning around $167,000 a year with a net worth of over $800,000.

On paper, they look financially successful but behind the scenes, their fixed costs are dangerously high, their savings are low, and their spending decisions are causing tension in the relationship.

Drew admits he struggles with spending, while Amanda finds it difficult to say no, leaving them stuck in a pattern where money feels stressful instead of empowering.

In this episode we uncover:

• Their household income of around $167,000 a year

• Why they still feel financially stretched despite a strong net worth

• Their surprisingly low savings compared with their assets

• How fixed costs reached around 89% of their gross income

• Drew’s struggle with spending and impulse decisions

• Amanda’s difficulty saying no without feeling like the “bad guy”

• The hidden relationship dynamic behind their financial stress

• Why eating out 6–8 times a week became a major spending leak

• The role of bonuses in justifying bigger spending decisions

• Amanda’s childhood experiences with financial instability

• Drew’s “you only live once” money mindset

• How their daughter is learning from their financial behaviour

• Ramit’s challenge for them to stop making emotional money decisions

• Why vacations may need to pause while they rebuild savings

• Their plan to create a family money philosophy and emergency fund

⏩ CHAPTERS

(00:03:15) Why Drew applied to the podcast

(00:07:00) The hidden decision-making problem

(00:10:30) Why they don’t feel like a team with money

(00:16:15) Their financial numbers revealed

(00:21:15) The reality of their household income

(00:29:25) Fixed costs are the real problem

(00:33:10) The truth about eating out

(00:35:50) How bonuses fuel spending

(00:39:30) The couple who struggle to say no

(00:45:30) Amanda’s childhood money story

(00:56:30) Their inherited money beliefs

(00:58:20) Starting their Rich Life vision

(01:04:00) Pausing vacations to rebuild stability

(01:10:00) Drew practices saying no

(01:16:30) Amanda’s role changes

(01:20:30) Cutting subscriptions and eating out

(01:29:30) Redirecting money toward savings

(01:36:00) Creating a family money philosophy

(01:44:30) Ramit’s final advice

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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

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Calling LA couples: Apply to be coached for free on this podcast at https://iwt.com/apply

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich talks to Sebastien and Hope, a married couple in their forties who have been together for 20 years, married for 16, and have a nine-year-old son. They earn around $195,000 a year, have $674,000 in assets, $129,000 invested, just $11,000 in savings, and $437,000 in debt.

On paper, they are not broke, but emotionally, Sebastien still feels like they are constantly scrambling, while Hope believes their personal finances are in the best place they have ever been.

Both recently became business owners, with Hope running an architecture firm and Sebastien running a wine importing business, but the risk of entrepreneurship, debt, low emergency savings, and under-investing for retirement has left them stuck between optimism, fear, and avoidance.  

In this episode we uncover:

• Why Sebastien still feels broke, even though their finances are stronger than they used to be

• How Hope’s optimism clashes with Sebastien’s fear about the future

• Their combined income of around $195,000 a year

• Their assets of $674,000, investments of $129,000, savings of $11,000, and debt of $437,000

• Why having only one month of emergency savings puts them in a risky position

• How both Hope and Sebastien became business owners after buying existing companies

• Hope’s architecture business and Sebastien’s wine importing business

• Why Ramit says they are talking around the numbers instead of confronting them directly

• How their current retirement projection could give them only around $35,000 a year

• Why Hope’s $130,000 retirement dream requires a much more aggressive investing plan

• Why their guilt-free spending and fixed costs are squeezing savings and investments

• How one final credit card payment could drop their fixed costs from 67% to 52%

• Why their grocery spending becomes one of the first practical areas to tighten

• Ramit’s math mistake in the episode and why the overall lesson still stands

• Sebastien’s need for a clear business runway and decision point

• Hope’s realization that she was not being fully honest with herself about their finances

⏩ CHAPTERS

(00:00:53) Introduction: is it too late to be successful with money?

(00:02:40) Sebastien and Hope’s financial snapshot

(00:04:11) Their annual “executive household planning retreat”

(00:06:01) Ramit asks if their planning system is actually working

(00:08:02) Sebastien’s fear about his wine importing business

(00:11:31) How they each became business owners

(00:15:31) Feeling broke vs actually being broke

(00:16:47) Ramit reads Sebastien’s application back to Hope

(00:20:08) Assets, investments, savings, debt, and net worth

(00:21:21) Ramit pushes them to say: “It’s not enough”

(00:23:20) Their projected retirement number

(00:25:31) Ramit points out they only have one month of emergency savings

(00:33:31) Their CSP: fixed costs, investments, savings, and guilt-free spending

(00:34:24) Breaking down their $437,000 debt

(01:01:22) The $45,500-a-year investment target

(01:15:59) Sebastien’s business plan and runway

(01:24:20) Ramit’s final advice: redo the CSP and lock in the numbers

(01:25:46) Hope’s follow-up

(01:27:40) Sebastien’s follow-up

(01:29:22) Their updates: increased IRA contributions and Vanguard investing

This episode is brought to you by:

Netsuite | Get the free guide “Demystifying AI” at https://netsuite.com/ramit

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Factor | Head to https://factormeals.com/ramit50off and use code ramit50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box, with new subscription only, while supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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Get 25% off my programs until Friday May 15th at iwt.com/programs with code RESET26.

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

Calling LA couples: Apply to be coached for free on this podcast at https://iwt.com/apply

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich talks to Nicole and Shane, an engaged couple in their forties getting married in just 11 days. Together they earn $241,000 a year, have a net worth of $588,000, and hold $265,000 in savings, but their financial lives are still tangled.

Nicole has built a rich life around travel, dining out, and intentional spending, while Shane is a natural saver whose job has covered most of his living expenses. As they prepare for marriage, a future child, and a major shift in Nicole’s income, Ramit helps them confront the messy reality of combining money, separating business and personal finances, investing more aggressively, and turning vague dreams into a real shared Rich Life.  

In this episode we uncover:

• Why Nicole’s $10,000-a-month spending shocked Shane early in their relationship

• How Nicole built a “Rich Life” for one through travel, dining out, and dedicated savings

• Shane’s unusual work setup where housing, food, and utilities have been covered

• The tension of combining finances just 11 days before their wedding

• Why Nicole feels judged for her lifestyle, even though her numbers are strong

• Their combined income of $241,000 a year and net worth of $588,000

• Why Shane has a higher net worth despite Nicole earning slightly more

• Nicole’s concern that her income could drop by half after having a child

• How Nicole’s business and personal finances became dangerously tangled

• Their surprisingly low fixed costs and unusually high savings rate

• Why having $265,000 sitting in savings may actually be holding them back

• Shane’s habit of trying to time the market when investing

• Why their projected $1.7 million retirement portfolio may not be enough for the life they want

• Ramit’s advice on turning their messy numbers into a shared financial vision before marriage

⏩ CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Teaser: “You spend $10,000 a month?”

(00:01:02) Introduction: combining money before marriage

(00:02:47) Nicole and Shane’s financial snapshot

(00:06:53) Nicole feels judged by her lifestyle

(00:08:50) Nicole’s Rich Life: travel, dining out, and $500 dresses

(00:12:45) How marriage changes Shane’s living situation

(00:15:38) Reviewing their Conscious Spending Plan

(00:19:42) Their $241,000 household income

(00:24:01) Ramit explains why letting the prenup discussion go was a mistake

(00:27:20) Nicole’s business and personal finances are mixed together

(00:35:00) The problem with saving 42% but under-investing

(00:40:32) Nicole’s guilt-free spending doesn’t add up

(00:45:26) Ramit explains the danger of tracking without understanding

(00:48:53) Their retirement projection

(00:50:13) Why $1.7M may not be enough

(00:52:05) Reallocating savings instead of only cutting spending

(01:20:12) Turning dreams into a realistic financial vision

(01:47:11) Ramit’s final advice: use the time before income changes wisely

(01:50:00) Follow-ups and closing thoughts

This episode is brought to you by:

Netsuite | Get the free guide “Demystifying AI” at https://netsuite.com/ramit

LMNT | Get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order at https://drinklmnt.com/RAMITFactor | Head to https://factormeals.com/ramit50off and use code ramit50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box, with new subscription only, while supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

DeleteMe | Get 20% off all consumer plans when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/ramit and use promo code RAMIT at checkoutGet 25% off my programs until Friday May 15th at iwt.com/programs with code RESET26.

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

Apply to be on my podcast at https://iwt.com/apply

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich talks to Mikaela and Dave, both in their early thirties, parents of two young children, and earning an impressive $278,000 a year. Despite a net worth nearing $1.5 million, they struggle to spend money, even on necessities. Mikaela wears clothes with holes, and Dave sits in an uncomfortable chair, all rooted in a scarcity mindset developed from past challenges and recent life events. Ramit helps them explore their money beliefs, encouraging them to redefine their rich life beyond just accumulating wealth.

In this episode we uncover:

• Their surprising net worth of nearly $1.5 million in their early thirties

• Mikaela's struggle to replace workout leggings with holes, even when she can afford it

• Dave’s discomfort with his office chair despite working from home

• The recent health scares that have frozen their spending decisions

• Why Mikaela still views money through a lens of scarcity despite their wealth

• The shocking realization of their actual household income versus their perception

• The invisible labor dynamics in their financial management

• Mikaela's childhood experiences with financial stress and lack of fun

• How past trauma and family loss continue to influence their spending habits

• The challenge of transitioning from a "hoarder's mentality" to enjoying their money

• Their vision for a Rich Life that includes travel and personal well-being

• Ramit’s advice to ban the word "need" from their financial vocabulary

⏩ CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:08) Why they struggle to spend money

(00:06:08) The impact of past health scares

(00:14:00) What it means to be "frozen"

(00:16:32) The origins of their frugal mindset

(00:33:51) The shock of their true income

(00:40:00) Rebuilding financial foundations

(00:46:08) Mikaela's childhood and money lessons

(00:52:19) The profound impact of family loss

(01:06:00) Building an amazing relationship with money

(01:14:38) How to get help from Ramit

(01:16:40) Reimagining the concept of "need"

(01:19:15) The value of Mikaela's time

(01:27:00) The invisible labor in financial planning

(01:31:00) Ramit's challenge for Dave to initiate fun spending

(01:35:10) Setting boundaries for family finances

(01:37:00) Defining their rich life together

(01:44:30) Ramit's parting advice

This episode is brought to you by:

Facet | As of the date of this recording, Facet is waiving the enrollment fee for new annual members, and for my audience, Facet is offering $300 into your brokerage account if you invest and maintain $5,000 within your first 90 days. Head to facet.com/ramit to learn more about which membership option is best for you. Offer has been extended to 12/31/2026. #FacetAd

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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

• YouTubeHave you or your partner fallen for a scam? Maybe gotten bad financial advice from someone who didn't keep their promises? If so, I want to talk. Apply to be on my podcast at https://iwt.com/apply