Highlights from the Dave Ramsey Show

Question: Shayla in Texas is 28 and on Baby Step 2. She is a single mom who gets child support of $800 a month. She doesn't use it all and keeps it separate from her money. Is it all right to fully put that money into her budget?

Dave Ramsey's advice: I appreciate you being a mom who is concerned about taking care of her baby before anything else. I would also remind you that you already support this child. You pay rent and utilities, give her rides to school and pay for the food that she eats. You are supporting her, so I have no moral issue with you making the child support part of your income and running the household in the best interest of you and your daughter.

If you are misbehaving with money and doing drugs or spending it on new dresses, then we have another issue. But you have the right spirit, so I have no problem with you combining that money into your full budget.

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Question: Carrie is on Dave's plan and built a house with her husband. They have four kids with another on the way, and her husband just left her. She doesn't know how to pick up the pieces. He makes $100,000 a year and has been paying $3,000 a month in child support. She split some bills with him, but Dave isn't buying into that.

Dave Ramsey's advice: I'm not splitting up any bills; I'm taking everything. You're a full-time mom with five kids ... you're going to get everything. You're going to own him when this is done. Let him have the house and you go rent something a lot cheaper, and let him deal with the debt.

I know you don't want to move the kids, but you don't have a choice. You have five kids and only $3,000 in monthly child support. You need to sell this house and get the assets from this marriage to try and feed these kids. I'm not trying to be vengeful, I'm just trying to protect these kids. I'm going to get an attorney that sees to it that he gets as little as possible.

You need to get some family and some emotional and financial support around you. You need a strong attorney. Then you need to reset your life based on a deeply reduced lifestyle, in order to have a future.

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Question: Marie makes $3,500 a month, pays $1,000 a month in rent and has a child. She can't get momentum on the Baby Steps. She has $81,000 in debt, of which $56,000 is student loans. She has $11,000 in a family loan and only gets $300 in child support. How can she stay focused and not lose hope?

Dave Ramsey's advice: We have to stop and prioritize. Food is first, then lights, then the house, then transportation. Until you do those things, you don't do anything. It's only after those things that the student loan and family loan get paid. Get a lawyer and make him pay child support while you are separated. This guy needs to do right by his child. He's manipulating you by not paying you what you need to take care of your child.

You have got to look at your housing situation. There has got to be a cheaper place in a safer neighborhood that costs less than $1,000 a month. It's hard to get traction with that kind of rent payment. This won't be instant, but work at it.

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