Dave Ramsey Says If You Want To Waste $5,000 A Year, ‘Spend $13.70 A Day On Things You Don’t Need’

Financial guru Dave Ramsey has a stark reminder for anyone wondering why their finances feel stuck: small, daily expenses can snowball into a major financial drain. Ramsey recently highlighted in a tweet that spending just $13.70 a day on things you don’t truly need adds up to $5,000 a year.

At first, $13.70 doesn’t sound like a big deal. It could be a coffee, a snack, or a quick online buy. Spending $13.70 a day might feel harmless, but over the course of a year, that habit totals $5,000. For those working toward building an emergency fund, paying off debt, or saving for a big purchase, that amount can be transformative.

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Many people don’t notice how these “little” expenses pile up because they happen so casually. Ramsey’s tweet serves as a wake-up call to evaluate where your money is going and whether those daily expenditures align with your long-term financial priorities.

Ramsey’s advice for cutting unnecessary spending is refreshingly simple: be intentional. Instead of mindlessly spending, direct your money toward meaningful goals, such as:

Creating a budget, tracking your expenses, and reviewing where your money goes can help you identify areas where you’re overspending. Once you take control of your daily habits, the results can be surprisingly impactful.

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Imagine having an extra $5,000 in your pocket every year. That could mean breaking free from living paycheck to paycheck, paying off high-interest credit card debt, or finally having the funds to take a vacation without adding to your financial stress.

Ramsey frequently emphasizes, “Your number one wealth-building tool is your income.” He advises against giving your hard-earned money away through unnecessary debt, such as student loans or credit card rewards programs.

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Ramsey challenges the widely accepted notion that debt is simply part of life. Using humor to make his point, he often jokes about how people treat their debt as a permanent houseguest, saying, “Oh, Sallie Mae’s been with us for 15 freaking years in our spare bedroom.” His advice? Kick Sallie Mae out and reclaim your income by avoiding debt wherever possible.

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