A recent episode of “The Ramsey Show” highlighted just how broken some income situations can be in America, especially for people doing all they can to stay afloat.
Jack, a caller from St. Louis, Missouri, told personal finance experts Dave Ramsey and Ken Coleman that he and his wife both work for their local school district, take on every extra job available, and have still ended up broke—and now qualify for welfare.
Trapped by Low Wages, Not Overspending
Jack said he borrows money from family to make ends meet. He drives five bus routes a day and earns just under $20,000 per year, while his wife works sporadically as a substitute teacher. Combined, they bring in less than $35,000. “We work all the hours they’ll give us,” Jack said. “We don’t know what else to do.”
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Ramsey didn't hold back. “Your job sucks. You need a different job,” he told Jack. “You can make more than you make working at Target 40 hours a week putting boxes on shelves. Way more than you make.”
Jack explained that the couple also cares for their two adopted sons, both of whom are autistic and require ongoing care. His wife's flexible schedule has allowed them to “tag team” during the day. But Ramsey and Coleman challenged them to stop assuming they are out of options.
“You have an income problem, not an outgo problem,” Ramsey said. Selling their house, which has some equity, wouldn't help because they'd end up spending just as much to buy another one and the core issue would remain: they don't earn enough.
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Coleman asked Jack what advice he would give if someone in his old church congregation told him this same story. Jack admitted, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”
Ramsey agreed: “You are not a bunch of overspenders. You’re not out of control. You just don’t make any money, sir.”
They urged Jack and his wife to look for better-paying jobs, even if they had to jump between them for a while. Ramsey offered suggestions like mowing lawns, pressure washing, cleaning homes, or even remote customer service work that pays $12 to $15 per hour.
“There’s a spirit over you,” Coleman said. “That ‘I’m stuck’ spirit. And it’s just not true,” Ramsey added.
In the end, Ramsey and Coleman told Jack he has to act now to change his financial trajectory. “Go get you a lawn mower, man. Get you a pressure washer. Do something. You make a lot more money than you’re making right now.”
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