Dave Ramsey Tells Couple Whose Kids Have Lead in Their Blood to Pause Their Debt Payoff: ‘What Are We Doing It All For?’ Quick Read – Dave Ramsey advised pausing debt payoff to fund a $10,000 lead-paint fix, warning unaddressed health hazards compound into far greater costs. -…
directing $1,500 monthly from extra debt payments funds the full $10,000 repair in roughly 7 months, delaying loan payoff by only 6 months. – Ramsey suggested tackling paint removal first, which typically costs between $3,000 and $4,000, and many counties offer grants or zero-interest loans specifically for lead remediation. – A mom called The Ramsey Show with a question most personal finance shows would not know how to answer. Two of her children had tested positive for lead exposure in their blood, and the source was deteriorated paint on their house exterior
The repair estimate came in at $10,000. The family was deep into Baby Step 2, with $23,000 in student loans on top of a $103,000 mortgage, and they had planned to be debt-free in a year to 18 months. Her question: keep attacking the student loans on schedule, or pause and write a check to seal the house?
Dave Ramsey, best known for telling people to throw every spare dollar at debt until it is gone, told her to pause. “Health is such a big part of our life. Otherwise, what are we doing it all for? If you don’t deal with this, it could cause more bills and health issues down the line,” he said.