New Orleans dad says his wife blows $5K/month on ‘things’ — but The Ramsey Show says credit is the accomplice
It’s tough enough to balance a family budget when incomes are unpredictable. But when one spouse leans toward saving and the other splurges on luxury items, even couples with healthy take‑home pay can find themselves at odds.
That was the dilemma faced by Taylor, a New Orleans dad of three, who called into The Ramsey Show. He claimed his wife racks up roughly $5,000 in credit card charges each month.
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Taylor’s household runs most expenses on credit cards and pays the balance in full every month, but that hasn’t quelled his anxiety.
He typically spends $2,500 to $3,000 on his card each month for bills and necessities, while his wife’s charges push past $5,000 on things like children’s clothes and “fun” purchases.
Their sole recurring non‑credit debt is the mortgage, which drafts automatically from their joint checking account.
Because Taylor works on commission, his take‑home pay can swing dramatically, from as low as $6,500 in down months to over $20,000 when sales spike.
Here’s what the hosts had to say about their situation.
Cutting the credit cards
The Ramsey Show co-hosts Ken Coleman and Jade Warshaw advised that credit cards remove natural spending boundaries. With cash, when it's gone, it’s gone — plastic tempts consumers to push past what they can genuinely afford.
“ I'm always gonna tell people to cut up their credit cards, but for you guys, it's like a no-brainer. I feel like in many ways it's just creating more chaos around the subject of money, and it's creating a free-for-all because I don't know what the limit is on these credit cards,” Warshaw told Taylor.
Beyond the emotional stress it triggers in households like Taylor’s, relying heavily on credit cards carries real financial risk.
Revolving balances often come with APRs north of 20%, meaning routine purchases can quickly morph into long‑term debt burdens.
Hidden fees — such as late‑payment charges or over‑limit penalties — can accumulate even when cardholders pay off their balances most months.
And when utilization rates climb, credit score volatility becomes a serious concern, potentially driving up borrowing costs on mortgages, auto loans and other forms of credit.
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