Dave Ramsey To 37-Year-Old Who Made 'Major' Financial Mistakes And Doesn't Want To Do 9-to-5 Job: 'You're In Trauma' – 'The Barn Is Full Of Poop'
- - Dave Ramsey To 37-Year-Old Who Made 'Major' Financial Mistakes And Doesn't Want To Do 9-to-5 Job: 'You're In Trauma' – 'The Barn Is Full Of Poop'
Fahad SaleemJanuary 26, 2026 at 5:01 AM
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Chris, from Denver, took two big steps to try and change his life. His first move was buying a large home to "house hack," expecting rental income from the property to cover his costs. His second move was even bolder—he quit his engineering job.
The 37-year-old called into "The Ramsey Show" seeking a way out of the financial troubles caused by what he described as his two "major" mistakes.
"I quit my job because I was miserable there, thinking I had enough savings," Chris told personal finance expert Dave Ramsey. "So, I quit my job, and then I realized that I would not be making my mortgage if I were to do house hacking. So I pivoted and then started doing Airbnb."
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Chris said he put an additional $100,000 into renovating the home to make it suitable for Airbnb. While the short-term rental initially helped him break even on his mortgage, the numbers eventually turned negative, leaving him $10,000 to $15,000 in the red.
‘You've Made a Mess'
When Ramsey asked what was stopping him from selling the house, which had become a financial liability, Chris admitted he was likely caught in the "sunk cost fallacy" after investing so much money into the property over the years. He told Ramsey he bought the home for $650,000 with only 3% down and private mortgage insurance, but the property is now worth roughly $600,000.
"So, you invested $750,000 in a house that’s worth $600,000, is that what you’re telling me?" Ramsey said. "You’re in trauma. You need to sell this thing if you can. You’ve made a mess, so you’ve got to get the shovel out. The barn is full of poop. You’ve got a mess. Wow."
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Ramsey challenged Chris on what was really keeping him tied to the house, saying that if he were in the same spot, he would shut the property down immediately and label it "failed." He said Chris was avoiding the reality that his plan had "screwed up" and warned that he was already "neck deep in quicksand."
"Sometimes if you wake up from a nightmare and you’re standing knee-deep in the swamp, the best thing to do is to return to the last time there was solid ground and retrace your steps," Ramsey said.
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Not ‘Suited' for a 9-to-5 Job
When Ramsey and co-host Jade Warshaw urged Chris to get back into a stable job as soon as possible, he said he wasn't "suited" for a 9-to-5 because he sees himself as entrepreneurial. Ramsey pushed back and told Chris it was no longer a matter of preference. He needed to focus on getting back on his feet and finding stability.
"The first thing you’re suited to do is buy food, lights, and water," Ramsey said. "The second thing you’re suited well to do is pay your stinking bills. The third thing you’re well-suited to do after you’ve done those two things is find something that is a style of work that you enjoy, meaning entrepreneurial and more freewheeling than in a 9-to-5. But you don’t really have a lot of choices right now, man."
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This article Dave Ramsey To 37-Year-Old Who Made 'Major' Financial Mistakes And Doesn't Want To Do 9-to-5 Job: 'You're In Trauma' – 'The Barn Is Full Of Poop' originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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