Financial expert Dave Ramsey reassured a young father that earning more money by working away from home does not make him greedy, stressing that true greed comes from the heart, not a paycheck.
Oil Worker Questions If $200K Job Away From Family Is Greed
On The Ramsey Show on Tuesday, a 27-year-old oil field worker named Brady called in, saying he earns $200,000 a year traveling but could stay home and make around $70,000.
He admitted feeling tension with his in-laws and wondered, “Where is that fine line with greed?”
Ramsey Explains The Difference Between Ambition And Greed
Ramsey dismissed the idea, telling him, “Greedy people would never ask that question.” Greed is a state of your heart, not an amount of money.
He explained the difference between healthy ambition and unhealthy obsession: “You can be highly ambitious and still very content.” If you’re working hard to secure your family’s future, that’s not greed, that’s “paying a price to win.”
Co-host Rachel Cruze added that careers can be adjusted in seasons, saying parents don’t have to lock into one lifestyle forever. “You’re not stuck,” she said, encouraging Brady to create an off-ramp plan if travel became too hard with young children.
Ramsey also pushed back against family criticism, quipping that relatives can act like “travel agent for guilt trips.”
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Family Expectations Vs. Financial Reality
In May, a woman asked if she and her husband were selfish for refusing to pay for his sister’s family of seven to join an overseas vacation.
They had helped with trips in the past, but this time the multi-thousand-dollar cost was beyond their budget.
Co-host Jade Warshaw called the expectation “ridiculous,” and Ramsey added, “Gratitude turned into entitlement,” stressing that lifestyle choices, like homeschooling on a modest income, are not obligations for others to fund.
Similarly, Ramsey warned 22-year-old caller Joseph against pursuing law school solely to satisfy his immigrant parents, which would have added $100,000–$150,000 in debt.
Joseph had already accumulated $24,000 in student loans. Warshaw cautioned against taking on debt for a degree he didn’t want, and Ramsey told him, “You’re living your parents’ dream and you’re having to finance it.”
He encouraged Joseph to pursue a career he truly valued, emphasizing that good intentions don’t always equate to the right methodology.
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