272. "We own two houses, but can’t afford dinner out"

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich speaks with Nicole and Drew, 39 and 40, who are expecting their first child in just two weeks. They split their time between Southern California and Maui, where they each own a home. Nicole bought her house after Drew made it clear that continuing to stay with roommates was not an option.

Today, they earn $296,700 a year, own $1.25 million in assets, and have a net worth of more than $500,000. But their two homes consume over 40% of their income, and once their numbers are corrected, their fixed costs rise to 85%. Despite their high income, they feel unable to eat out, attend concerts, or enjoy the life they have worked to build.

Nicole is a psychology professor who plans everything down to the dollar and worries about having enough savings. Drew is a life coach and therapist-in-training who admits that she often goes by “vibes” and trusts that things will work out. With a baby arriving and their savings falling, they must decide whether Drew can realistically double her income or whether they need to sell the Maui house.

In this episode, we uncover:

• Why Nicole bought a house within months of Drew’s housing non-negotiable

• How they ended up supporting two homes in two different states

• Why earning nearly $297,000 still leaves them feeling financially trapped

• Their $1.25 million in assets and nearly $1 million of debt

• Why their fixed costs jumped from 77% to 85%

• How their two homes consume more than 40% of their income

• Nicole’s numbers-first approach and Drew’s habit of going by “vibes”

• How grad school, flooding, and a $29,000 sewer repair drained their savings

• Why the baby may not increase their expenses as much as expected• How Nicole’s sabbatical gives them a temporary financial window

• Why their Maui house is co-owned without a clear written agreement

• Whether Drew can realistically double her income after graduating

• Why depending on one future income increase is a major financial risk• How selling the Maui house could release around $150,000

• Why selling could reduce their fixed costs to approximately 65%

• How they could keep Maui in their lives without owning property there

• How they can build a plan that does not require everything to go perfectly

• Why “spaciousness” becomes the center of their new Rich Life vision

• The decision Ramit believes they need to make before their savings fall further

Chapters

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:09) Two homes in two different states

(00:07:03) Nicole kept her housing costs at just 12%

(00:08:18) Drew’s housing non-negotiable changed everything

(00:14:43) Nicole tracks the numbers, Drew goes by “vibes”

(00:21:26) What does their Rich Life actually look like?

(00:24:47) Ramit reviews their Conscious Spending Plan

(00:25:53) $1.25 million in assets and $986,000 of debt

(00:28:15) They earn $296,700 but still feel squeezed

(00:29:46) Their fixed costs are higher than they realised

(00:32:50) Two homes consume 40.5% of their income

(00:34:50) Grad school, flooding, and expensive home repairs

(00:40:16) Their real fixed costs jump to 85%

(00:45:19) Can they afford their new baby?

(01:06:01) Drew’s “life will provide” money mindset

(01:12:00) Are they actually on track for retirement?

(01:24:39) Ramit reveals their retirement projections

(01:33:19) Selling could reduce their fixed costs to 65%

(01:50:07) Redefining their Rich Life around “spaciousness”

(01:53:04) Ramit’s final assessment

This episode is brought to you by:

Factor | Head to https://factormeals.com/ramit50off and use code RAMIT50OFF to get 50% off and one free breakfast item per box for one year, while supplies last until 10/31/2026. See website for more details.

Gusto | Try Gusto at http://gusto.com/ramit and get 3 months free when you run your first payroll

LMNT | Get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order at https://drinklmnt.com/RAMIT

Trust & Will | Protect what matters most in minutes at https://trustandwill.com/ramit and get 20% off 

DeleteMe | Get 20% off all consumer plans when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/ramit and use promo code RAMIT at checkout

If you’re part of a small group listening to this podcast that is willing to take action, I built Road to $100K for you - a step-by-step program on how to reach $100K. Join Rich Life: Road to $100K at iwt.com/100K.

Connect with Ramit

• Get my new book, Money For Couples

• Join my Rich Life: Road to $100K program

• 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 coached for free on this podcast at https://iwt.com/apply