Live from the headquarters of Ramsey Solutions, broadcasting from the car rental studios, it's the Dave Ramsey Show. Where is Cash is King. A paid off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice. I am Dave Ramsey, your host. Thank you for joining us. Open phones at triple eight eight two five five two two five eight eight two five five two two five.

Kevin starts this hour off in Birmingham, Alabama. Hi, Kevin. Welcome to the Dave Ramsey Show. Good evening, Dave, how are you? Better than I deserve. What's up in your world? Well, got a quick question memo. I just moved back home to Alabama. She is now a stay at home mom, Barb, with our brand new four month old. Congratulations. Thank you, sir. We have brought a lot of stupidity into our marriage that she's helping me clean up.

We have about eighteen thousand dollars and active debt, which is just a personal loan and student loans. We have about three thousand dollars actually in collections. Her vehicle is paid for. And I have a truck that got about thirty five hundred dollars negative equity for me to spell it to get out from under the loan. My question is we, we actually we sold our house in Florida from where we moved to and we've got a twenty four thousand dollar hammer to start.

I just don't know, should I just go ahead and clear out all the debt and then work on my truck, or should I get rid of my truck first because I have a six hundred dollar payment that's just Heartiness each month. Yeah.

So what's the truck worth? The truck is worth thirty one thousand on private retail and I owe it thirty four or five. Yeah, pay off.

OK, and what's your household income? It's just me right now, and it's right at sixty one thousand year. I bring home roughly 40, 500 dollars a month.

OK, so my opinion, if you listen to me for more or 30 seconds, you probably know this is that you have too much truck, even if it were paid for. Yeah. Because you don't want more than half your annual income tied up with things with wheels and motors.

And your truck alone violates that, so even if it were paid for, I'd be looking at you got too much truck. So, yeah, truck's gone and we got to replace it and we got to cover the 3500. So what are you going to spend on what you're going to drive for the next year and a half or two years while you get out of debt? You're not gonna drive it forever. But what are you going to spend on that?

Get out of debt, car or truck?

The ones I've been looking at are right around fifteen hundred or two thousand dollars because my wife's vehicle is very dependable. And for and I'm just I'm looking at a fifteen hundred hour beater to get to and from work. I just got a bit of assistance.

Yeah, I would, I would kick that up to 5000. In your situation, that's not going to keep you from hitting your goals. And so we need 5000 dollars for that.

We need 3500 dollars for the hole that you're in right now. So we just spent the first eighty three hundred and five hundred eighty three hundred dollars or so. Right. Yes. OK, and then we've got twenty five thousand dollars. Hanmer 24000 on our hammer 22000. What was the size again. It's going to be right, it's twenty four thousand dollars, that's how much money we have right now. OK, the stuff that you have in collections, is it?

Are you paying payments on it actively? No, sir. OK, are they hounding you? Yes, I've tried to settle with them before, and it's it just went into a collection status and they're not I tried the whole, you know, way towards the end of the month and kind of hammer at them and it doesn't.

Yeah, I mean, end of the month helped some, but that's just because they're trying to hit their personal goals on collections. You're just trying to help the idiot in the cube that's doing the collections. So it doesn't really help the company, the company doesn't give a rip, but they're just trying to hit quotas because it's a phone room is what a collections operation is, you know, and they're all sitting there with bonuses and spiffs and whatever. So that's the only that's the only thing you got working on your phone.

So, yeah, they're just not ripe yet. Let them sit there and then let's just start working the debt snowball with the rest of it listed smallest to largest. But basically we've got the money to get rid of the truck and replace the truck with a 5000 Getaround car, OK.

Yes, so set aside nine thousand dollars, you know, give yourself a little wiggle room that's over here. This is the truck exit fund and then the rest of it we're going to work. The debt snowball with collections is just not getting anything because they're not softened up yet. When they get softened up, we'll write him a check. Should should I be sitting? Should I set aside any money, you know, whichever had the biggest, I suppose, at a thousand dollars and then use the rest on that?

Yup. Should I put some kind of to the side for the collections when they come or just now? Now, if you're out of money when they get there, you just go, well, you guys, Mr. Shot, I told you, I'll get to you when I get to you now. Now you're you're sidelined by your own idiocy. Yes, OK, so so knock out the truck first, get out of our life and then work on the debt.

No, it's not. It's not. And then it's at the same time, we just set 9000 aside.

It takes a little while to get the truck sold, got to get it sold, and you got to buy another one. Meanwhile, you're going to take the rest of that money and work your debt snowball.

OK, that's where I was kind of confused, and I think the truck's killing, it got to go.

Yeah, it does. It's just too much and especially a situation you're in today. And the bad news is you guys are going through all this. The good news is with a brand new baby in a bright future, you got a lot of reasons to clean this up. So you're the kind of guy that will clean it up.

You're not going to go like when I needed you shopping going Deqi because I'm a wuss. Now, you're going to go through and clean it up.

So you're the dude, man. I'm proud of you, get after it. I love it. Open phones at eight eight two five five two two five.

So for those of you that have not tuned in here very often or don't know these details, these folks always throw these baby steps around like there's some kind of gospel or something.

They're not they're just the most proven effective way. To get out of that. And Bill Wealth. And become outrageously generous. And this was the goal with money, there's lots of other good goals in life to have, but with money, when we get out of debt, we have money and the first three baby steps are done with what we call Gizelle intensity, which means you are running hard and doing nothing but thinking about staying alive like a gazelle running from a cheetah.

And you aren't. And so when you're when you're broke and in debt like that guy was, you're not going out to eat.

You're broke and in debt. You have a thirty five thousand dollar truck with a 600 dollar car payment, your butt does not need to see the inside of a restaurant unless you're working. There is an extra job. You're and beans and rice, rice and beans, cleaning up the freaking mess you made when you were a child, now that you are growing up. I'm not punishing you, I'm telling you, this is the fastest way out and people that gowning and you can play with this stuff, the cheetah eats there, but.

You don't see gazelles kind of go like, I think I'll run a little no, they run for their freaking lives. It's not a game. And they're not going on vacation. Are using every dollar they can find, they're working extra, you're selling so much stuff, the kids think they're next, we're cleaning up this mess.

And that's baby steps one get a thousand dollars to get out of debt using the debt snowball, everything but your house and three is your emergency fund. Most people are doing that in one, two, maybe three years with the same intensity. Then you lighten up a little bit and you start you're building wealth plan, but when you're in the middle of the mess, you got no money and you're in debt. You can't afford to go out to eat.

You're a broke person. This is the Dave Ramsey Show. With all the uncertainty in the world, there's enough for you to worry about. That's why my good friends are simply safe. Are there for you ready to protect your whole home from burglars, fires, burst pipes and more 24/7. Emergency dispatch starts at just 50 cents a day visit simply safe direct dotcom today. And my listeners will get a free security camera. Plus free shipping and a 60 day risk free trial.

Well, growing up in Nashville, I've had the pleasure of meeting some really famous people, got to know a few of them, and even fewer of them have become really, really good friends. John Rich is not only a big famous guy, not only a world class country music star, but also just a good friend.

He married up considerably. He's got two great little boys, and Joan and Sharon just love each other. And we appreciate getting to hang out with these guys. We've done the stuff in many, many cities all around America together and hung out doing all kinds of fun stuff. And he sent me an email.

Five weeks ago, maybe. Yeah, and it had the rough cut and a kind of an acoustic version and print it out, the stuff as if I know anything about music, but he's just trying to mess with me. He sends me this email, this song he's working on. And I emailed him back and I said, I don't know anything about music, but I do know about the heart. And this song's got heart and it's going to touch the heart.

And it's absolutely incredible songs called Earth to God. If you don't know about John, he's part of the big and rich scenario. Three albums, number one spot where Soraida Cowboy Big Deal won Celebrity Apprentice one year.

I mean, the last one. Was it the last one? There was one more after that.

That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Next to the last we were in New York for that night. You won that with you guys. And so he's a world class business guy as well.

But this song, Earth to God, it it gets back to such a simple thought. You know, the world is so chaotic and everything is so complicated that generally a simple answer is the correct answer. At least in my life, when things are chaotic, it seems like a simple answer is the right answer most of the time. And I was looking at our world, Dave, and going, what do we have in common anymore, really? Is there anything left?

And yeah, the answer, ironically, is that we all have the same problem at the same time, pretty much whether it's divisiveness or covid-19 or whatever is going on. And I had this picture in my head of Earth sitting in S.O.S to God, a ping to him, not just America, not just Christians, not just anybody, but humanity. You know, mankind cannot fix mankind's problems. Only God can do that. So I sat down, Dave, and got a pencil and I thought, Earth to God come in, God, like an old CB radio, like you're hailing God.

And about 30 minutes later, this song was done. And I've written a couple of thousand songs in my life. This is the only one that I don't feel like I can even claim it, because the way it came out was so fast and so immediate, I felt more like I was channeling this message. And when I hear the recording of it, I feel almost like a messenger instead of an artist singing it. And I've never had that feeling about any of the song I've done.

Wow, very cool. You and Big Kenny did one. Why I pray that is also one of my favorites in the subgenre here. But and it is very, very good.

A matter of fact, I was walking one morning back there when covid crashed and all that way back about five, maybe 10 months ago.

And I sent you a text that morning when I was walking because it came up on my right, on my shuffle, on my wall, you know, my run list or whatever.

And I said, man, you get that song back out there. And instead of that, you did this, which is better. I mean, not that that song is bad.

It's a wonderful little, but it's a little different. This one is just really it's a prayer put to music is all it is. And the response from people has been unbelievable around the country. And, you know, tied it in with Samaritan's Purse, with Franklin Graham giving my all my tithe to Samaritan's Purse because they help people all around the planet, regardless of who they are, they're human in trouble. Samaritan's Purse helps them. And the song is really, really impacting people right now.

You know, Franklin Graham, that organization, we do a lot with them as well. They're absolutely incredible.

And we ended up you ended up using some of their Berro from help. And in the video, the song is powerful, the video.

Changes the way you hear the song. Mm hmm. And so when you came in, when I knew you, you're coming in, I told our guys, I said, we're not going to play the song. We're going to run the video on YouTube. So those of you listening already know you may well put your YouTube so you can watch the video. Those of you out there in the audience, we'll put it up for you that are in the live audience here because they the images.

Put a lump in your throat. Yeah, there's no political images in it, none whatsoever, because this song is not about politics. This song is about humans. And so the images you see in the video are from endeavors from Samaritan's Purse. You know, all the big white tents you saw set up in Central Park when covid broke out, Samaritan's Purse, you know, places around our globe that have tough times. These are images from those places.

And I'll go back to it. Listen, God's right there. All we got to do is say hello. Are you still there? I want to talk to you. We should talk to him all the time. We don't I think it's time that that our our world reached back out to him and said, hey, we need you now more than ever.

So I guess it's about seven days ago, the National Prayer March was about about a week ago, about a week and a half a week and a half ago, you texted me and said, hey, this thing's going to number one. And I'm in DC at the National Prayer March to talk about what happened there.

Well, so I'm standing up there with the Capitol building behind me.

I'll cut you off. I just looked down, saw my clock. I won't leave time for the song. Fire the song and we'll get the rest of you.

Got it. Earth to God. Coming up. I know you're there hearing our prayers wherever you are. We need you now to send your loved. Take away the pain. Your holy name, we ask this now. We need your light. We need your love to heal the world you made and save us now in our darkest hour with your. We're holding a. Earth to God come in dry. Earth to God coming God. Well, I've seen that thing three times and all three times I get tears in my eyes.

It's powerful. Yeah, and if you haven't seen the video, those of you listening on radio, go look it up. The song is Earth to God.

It immediately became a number one on all charts, number one in the world that day when you were at the prayer march. Yes. And pretty incredible.

So we got about 20 seconds. Tell me what happened.

The prayer march performed the song I what, 60000 people walking almost silently, praying spot by spot by spot through our capital city, the praying for our country and praying for our future. It was absolutely powerful. If people want this song, you can get it anywhere you find your music. Watch the video 10 percent. My tab goes back to Samaritan's Purse. John Rich. The song is Earth to God. I'm proud of you, my friend. Thank you, brother Dave.

Honored to know you. Good to see you, sir. Good stuff. This is The Dave Ramsey Show. My co-host today on The Dave Ramsey Show, Rachel Kroos Ramsey, personality number one, best selling author and my daughter on the debt free stage right here in the Ramsey Solutions lobby. Temidayo and Modesta are with us. Welcome, guys. How are you?

Thank you. Good to be here. Are you honored to have you what do you guys live? Live. Live in Maryland and Maryland. OK, Laurel, Maryland.

In between Baltimore and D.C.. Perfect. OK, well, welcome.

And all the way down here to the debt free stage to do your debt free scream. You know how much of your paid off we paid off a hundred and eighty eight thousand dollars.

Good wages. And how long did this take? 48 months. You've been getting it and your range of income during that time.

And our first year of marriage was about 122 thousand. And then this past year was about 165. Very cool.

What do you guys do for a living?

So in the beginning, I was a school counselor and I'm currently doing therapy through contract as a contractor with an organization called Good.

And I'm a technical consultant. OK, what type of technical SAP systems?

Oh, yeah. Yeah. With IBM working on government contracts. Of course you are.

OK, well done.

So what kind of debt was this. One hundred and eighty eight thousand dollars. School owns all of it. Oh no, not all of it. School loans, car loans. And then when we got married but a bed.

No credit card works. Yeah.

Works. I love. How long have you guys been married? We've been married for over four years.

OK, so you guys started this journey soon after as nearly a month and month after we got married, we got started. Wow. So what caused that to happen? So when we were dating, there was sometimes when we were both on the phone and Tammy had another job, he started doing Uber and I wanted to spend more time with him. So I was like, what are you doing? And he responded by telling me that, babe, you got to live like no one else.

So later you can live and give like no one else.

And you thought I found the one. I did not.

I was like, what? What do you talk about? I thought it was strange, but he started getting me tune into that podcast when we started kind of going out and going on dates.

And once I heard the first episode, I was hooked. And prior to that, I am the way I found out about the Ramsey Show was I'm at a small African-American Baptist church. I was attending a sermon. The pastor mentioned you and your radio show. So the next day on a Monday, I started listening and I said, you know, once I'm done with school, I was in college. I had a year left. I said, once I'm done and I got a job, first thing I'm doing is paying off my school loans.

Yeah, it's also.

I got you. Huh? Yeah, that's cool. Very cool. OK, so where are what is your country of origin. I hear the accent so I'm from Nigeria. OK, and how long have you been in the states. Seventeen years.

OK, all right. Very cool. And I'm from Togo.

OK, both of you are, are immigrants I guess is the right way. Sure. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Very cool. And how long have you been in the States.

Over twenty years. Both. Have you been here a long time.

OK, so is there some kind of theme with the outfits here. This is looks like the same material. It is the same material and just imagine you love it. So I've been married thirty eight years.

I never had a matching outfit. I'm going to have to go for this. I don't know if I could pull that look off, but you can try. Yeah, you can try anything once. I love it. It looks great. Thank you. Get a lot of comments in the booth in here. They're all going to love the outfit. Very cool. Good stuff.

So now that you've been listening for all these years, for years and you've been doing it for four years and you've worked your tail end off for four years, what do you tell people?

The key to getting out of that is I would say the key is to remain focused and to be consistent for us. Part of the challenge was we had a lot of things come up through this process. We we I was I just graduated from seminary last year, so we had to cash flow that we had a cultural wedding last year as well. So we had to cash flow that we also had to help family, different family members in between. So, you know, the key is to remember, you know, stay stay focused, remember your goals, your why and and and get off the road.

Also, add one more thing. Is your end in mind? You know, I have a detailed plan of when would this be over? Because then no matter what comes up, you know, that I there was and in my mind, this isn't, you know, going on forever.

I think that's a great point because I think some people feel like that baby step to sacrificing to get out of debt is like the. Forever life right there, like, oh, and still to this day, people are like, oh, you know, you got to be so proud. I'm driving like this, like, terrible car. And I'm like, no, no. The goal is to drive a great car eventually because people think that sacrifice is forever and it's not.

And like you said, having that end date, it feels doable. Like I can get there. Yeah.

And I would just add that another part is communication. We were always talking, making sure that we were meeting our goals on a monthly basis. And it really helped us to make sure that we were communicating anything that came up and make sure that we were committing to the budget on a monthly basis. Hmm. How old are you two? We're 28. 28. OK, so you came here in your teens?

In both cases, I was 11. I was six.

OK, all right. So because I don't know if you realize this, but statistically you have a dramatic advantage. Yeah. Because folks who come here legally from another country and use the free enterprise system and go and kill something to drag it home and be somebody actually have a four times higher likelihood for X of becoming millionaires than one of us good ol boys who are homegrown because we have it more of a tendency to take it for granted.

And you're lack opportunities right in front of me. Now, you were pretty young, so I, I had a little difference with you guys, but your family even is reminding you that it's out there. Go get it. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And I suspect anyway.

Yeah. And that's that's the there's actual all kinds of data on this. It's very, very interesting.

So very proud of you guys. Thank you. What that tells me is you're going to be millionaires. Like it. This is great. Well done. Well done. All right.

I'm curious for you guys real quick, what was the hardest part? I'm a foodie. I love to eat. And grocery shopping was always an argument. Yes, fair.

Fair. I tried to get in there like I know sometimes she would walk in.

I would say, how much would you spend or be like in the back of my mind when I'm heading to the checkout and I'm like, oh, boy, what's he going to say today?

You know, you're stuffing sorry. As was crazy at the very beginning, we thought maybe in the first year we said, let's try to spend a hundred and fifty dollars for the entire month on food.

And we did it for like a month. So that's that's pretty darn good. That's that's not enough. Yeah. All right, guys.

Well, we're so proud of you. Thank you for coming all the way to Tennessee to do your debt free scream. You're an inspiration. And this is an amazing number that you pulled off.

We've got a copy of Chris Hogan's book for you every day, millionaires, because as I told you a minute ago, you are statistically destined to become that and I think spiritually as well. Well done, guys. Very, very well done.

All right. It's Temidayo and Modesta. It she calls him Timmy. Just by this case. I missed his name up. There you go. All right.

One hundred eighty eight thousand paid off in forty eight months, making 122 to 165. Count it down.

Let's say you're a debt free scream. Three to one where that phrase.

Yeah, oh, man, that is powerful. That is so fun and, you know, it's just like someone walking in here with an Australian accent or something else.

It just it makes it that much cooler to have a great accent, for sure. For sure.

But it's always cool when somebody can do that. Those are incredible numbers. 180000 of the four years I did it. It's awesome. Incredible. Incredible. They are rock stars, man. Absolutely incredible. This is the Dave Ramsey Show. It's powerful when people take control of their lives. If you live like no one else later you can live and give like no one else. Rachel's new book is called Know Yourself, Know Your Money.

It's on presale today for twenty dollars and get over 150 dollars in bonus items, including free coaching. Call with one of our certified financial coaches if you pre purchase.

Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. Know thyself, for over 30 years, we've been saying that personal finance is 80 percent behavior, 20 percent had knowledge. And one of the things you really put your finger on are not one of the things. It is the thing you put your finger on with no yourself. No, your money is that when we understand ourselves, it immediately helps us become a better version of ourself. And that solves a lot of money problems.

That causes a lot of money opportunities to occur. You know, basic you know, back when I was, you know, teaching Financial Peace University and you're your little girl, we would say, OK, you're a nerd, you're a free spirit. And people would come in to do their debt free scream with a nerd T-shirt on or a free spirit T-shirt on with their spouse being the other one.

And that that wasn't a negative label or shaming thing. It was just saying, I'm the detail person and I'm the one that doesn't worry about details and has this thing called a life. And we laughed about it. But all of a sudden when I gave myself permission to be a good version of the nerd, my wife permission to be a good version of the free spirit, it gave us this leapfrog forward in the money process. And that's what you've discovered and written about in this?

Yeah, that's exactly right. I mean, understanding not just, you know, how to handle money, but why you handle money the way you do as so much to do with you. We talk about personal finance. It's 80 percent behavior. It's only 20 percent had knowledge. But that behavior is so hard to change when you're not changing yourself and realizing, oh, well, this is how I'm wired. Here are parts of me that are probably a little unhealthy when it comes to money.

And maybe that's what's caused me not to save or to go into debt. It's it's been a ripple effects. OK, let me let me see how can I become healthier in general and be able to name this is how this is why I handle money the way I do everything from your upbringing to your tendencies, to your fears. There's so much there of unpacking who you are. So taking that time to know this is who I am. This is why I handle money the way I do.

And here are parts that maybe I could probably be a little bit more balanced or a little bit more healthier in. And here are strengths of mine that I have. Your weaknesses, like getting the full picture of you is so crucial.

And once you have that, you can win with money faster. You can use that as a tool to use you to use on the baby steps and with your spouse as well.

If you're married, if you don't, there's a level that you understand who you are.

You end up just playing whack a mole with money because the problem is going to pop up again. It's not really the problem. It's the symptom. Yeah, and the problem with my money is the guy, my mirror. I've always said that if I teach him to handle if I can teach him to behave, he can be skinny and rich. You know, it's a behavior issue. We know what to do. But then there's just the way I was brought up.

I'm afraid of this. I've got a toxic version of Saver down in my soul or a toxic version of Spender Down in my soul, a medicating, something with my spending or something like that. Nothing wrong with being a spender.

Nothing wrong with how you were brought up. You may want to emulate that. You may not.

And none of this is about shaming you for where you are. It's about becoming a better version of whatever wiring you've got.

It's exactly right. Yep. And it's just a deeper dive is really what it is. And and gosh, when you can get to the core of that and really say, OK, this is this is me, this is who I am and be able to describe it, put words to it, understand it, suddenly you have this this level of knowledge and maturity to walk forward and again, to apply all of that to your relationships, but specifically with the show.

And what we talk about is with your money. So knowing yourself and understanding that and knowing your money, it goes so hand-in-hand and for so long, you know, Ramsey's solutions, we always talk about the how and we're great at that, about how to get out of debt, how to budget, how to invest, how to become a millionaire, how, how, how, but really unpacking and say, OK, here's really who I am.

I'm the person in the mirror, like you said, and I'm the one controlling the money. And the more I know about me, the faster I'm going to able to win.

Exactly. Exactly. And so there's this idea that sometimes money problems are covering up the real problem and they're masquerading as a problem and they're not really the problem is a symptom.

And we see that a lot. I mean, you sitting in this chair meeting with every every other call all the time, you know, like, oh, gosh, we can't get on the same page with my spouse that you've got three more questions. A little more deep in your eyes. Oh, no. There's some marriage issues there. It's coming out as a money issue, but there's some deeper stuff there. And to be able to know that and work on yourself there, I mean, it's just it's huge.

I mean, it's so big.

And all of our data from thirty years indicates that when you do that, when you quit playing whack a mole with this stuff and you go, OK, I can't be a toxic version of that and win. Yeah. And there's just it's set you free. Yes, it set you free. It's I think it's called growing up, but but you know, it's maturing. Yes. Yes. And so, you know, when you're sitting down with the marriage counselor and you go, oh, that's why I do that, that knowledge set you free.

You have this oh, moment.

This. Oh, yes, that's right.

Light bulb over the head thing going on and it accelerates your progress well and increases the. Ability of your winning with money? Yes, and I think tying both the psychology of life and money is what I did really with this manuscript. And it's like I mean, it just opens up this whole new way of looking at money, this whole new way. And so that's why I'm excited for people to read it. Like we've never really put content out.

Like you said, we scratched the surface with Nurdin Free Spirit, Spender Saver, but there's like a whole other world there. And so being able to dive into that, something so brand new that we've never done before is really, really exciting. And I really believe that this this content is going to help people again, not just win with money faster, but their journey through life with their money, their relationship with their money can be even healthier once they know themselves.

Preorder online at Dave Ramsey Dotcom. Know yourself. Know your money. I promise you, it will cause you to accelerate in your in your journey and it'll smooth out some of the road in the journey that's been bumpy. And if you want to just check out the money quiz, that's not a bad idea. Find out if you're a spender or saver, if your scarcity or abundance or how you're coming at some of these things, text the word is free.

Text the word money quiz to three three seven eight nine money quiz to three three seven eight nine.

The book is on sale now. It comes out in January and we'll send you, of course, one hundred and fifty dollars worth of stuff, including the e-books, including everything else.

And so. You know, check it all out. It's absolutely incredible, I can get it at Dave Ramsey Dotcom. Let's go to Michael. Michael is with us in Indianapolis. Hey, Michael, how are you?

I'm great. How are you? Better than I deserve. What's up?

So I just have a quick question about to preface all of this with saying that I am 100 percent in total with the VA. And I'm wondering how you plan for retirement and both of the baby steps with a guaranteed income through life. Got you're you're disabled, is that what you said? Yes, sir. OK, are you married? I am, yes. OK, well, why would you settle for your disability income being your only income? Oh, I do not plan to.

I was just wondering how how do we go about, you know, as we're in baby step two now, we're almost done plus, you know, going through the baby steps with, you know, we have certain education benefits for our children, things like that. Like you've got you've got great energy from the kiddos recovered. Really fabulous. Unless unless Congress changes between now and the time they get there, which I sure hope they don't. You've certainly earned those benefits a thousand times over.

So really, you know, baby step five is not going to have much, you probably do want to have some cash in addition to military benefits for the kids just to have, you know, be able to create the things around college that maybe those benefits don't cover, but it does not require a lot. And you don't have as much need for retirement saving 15 percent of your income. So if you want to save a little bit less for your income there while you get baby step six done, but let's assume you're finished, baby step six.

Your kids are in college and we've got that taken care of. We want to have piled up cash in addition to baby step for meaning build wealth.

So I'm not going to I mean, it lowers some of your needs in some of these areas, but it doesn't do away with addressing those issues. And I wouldn't rely on the benefits 100 percent on any of these issues. My prayer is, is that it would never change for someone in your situation. But we don't know what Congress is going to do.

Never do we ever. Never do we ever.

We ever. Do we ever.

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