Saving & Spending Budgeting & Expenses

14 Times Dave Ramsey Wants You to Say "No" (And You Should Listen)

Learning how to say no can transform your financial situation.

By Sarah Sharkey , Edited by Lauren Wellbank

Updated Nov. 2, 2026

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Dave Ramsey, a long-time personal finance guru, has lots of helpful advice for anyone looking to improve their financial situation.

In a "Ramsey Show" episode with co-host George Kamel, Ramsey ran through a string of times you should say "no" to help improve your finances.

With a little bit of practice, learning to say "no" can transform your financial situation for the better. Also, once you get ahead financially, you can start saying "yes" to the things that matter most to you.

Keep reading as we explore the top 14 times Dave Ramsey wants you to say "no" in your personal and financial life.

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Eating out when you're in debt

According to Ramsey, it's not about being a killjoy, but sometimes you have to say "no" to life's simple pleasures — like dining out at a restaurant or ordering from your favorite takeout place — when you're in debt.

That's because you should be focusing the extra money you'd use for these luxuries on getting your existing debts paid down instead.

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Going on vacation when you can't afford it

If you can't pay for a vacation without going into debt, Ramsey advises against agreeing to go on any vacations. Instead, he suggests holding off on any recreational trips until you can afford to pay for the entire thing in full, and in cash.

Keeping a house you can't afford

Sometimes the biggest "no" is the hardest one: letting go of a home you can no longer afford. When a caller said her parents had almost nothing saved for retirement and were struggling to keep up with the home they own, Ramsey was blunt. "No, we can't keep this house. We haven't saved anything for retirement," he said, describing the conversation her parents needed to have.

His suggested fix was just as direct: sell the house, buy a much smaller condo with cash, and live on Social Security. It's not an easy decision, but downsizing can free up cash and remove a payment that's draining your budget.

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Buying a boat when you're broke

Ramsey recommends not buying a boat unless you can pay for it in cash and don't have any consumer debt weighing down your finances. Boats might be fun, but unfortunately the personal finance guru says that they often come with significant added expenses attached, as well.

Getting a new cell phone when you're broke

If you are in debt or don't have the cash saved up, Ramsey recommends not buying a new cell phone. While it's tempting to consider upgrading to the latest and greatest tech as soon as it hits the market, your old phone will likely continue doing the job just fine.

Leasing a car

Leasing a car might seem like a good idea to some, but Ramsey recommends avoiding this type of financial contract. Kamel even calls out this practice in a post on the Ramsey Solutions blog, noting that leasing a car benefits the dealer more than it benefits the customer.

As such, both men recommend paying for your next vehicle in cash instead of taking on a short-term lease contract which will have you paying into a loan that will never help you to actually own your own car.

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Buying things you can't afford

When you have to put things on a payment plan because you don't have the money to make the purchase in cash, you are likely buying something you cannot afford. Even if you really want whatever the item may be, Ramsey advises against purchasing anything you can't pay for upfront.

Parents moving in

When it comes to living situations, Ramsey advises saying "no" when aging parents who haven't planned for retirement expect to move in with their adult children. Co-host George Kamel noted there's even a name for them: "silver squatters." He says that you shouldn't feel obligated to allow your aging parents to move into your home simply because they haven't made responsible financial decisions.

Instead, he suggests working together with your parents to come up with a plan for them to cover their own living costs.

Enabling family members' poor financial choices

It's often tempting to help your family out financially. But in many situations, helping only enables their poor financial choices. Without true consequences, many of them may continue to make poor financial decisions, which could have them reaching back out at a later time for another bailout.

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Taking responsibility for the lack of planning of others

When people in your life don't plan out their finances, you may feel the pressure to take responsibility to help them out. For example, you might feel obligated to help your parents with their retirement if they're not quite ready for life on a fixed income.

But Ramsey cautions against taking on the financial burdens of others. Instead, he suggests being supportive in other ways, like helping your parents map out a plan for their own financial future.

No to donuts

Finally, Ramsey wants you to say "no" in several personal situations. For example, he suggests saying no to donuts on a regular basis. Learning how to say no in this small way can help you build discipline over time, making it easier to say "no" to the bigger stuff.

Funding your parents' retirement at the expense of your own

Senior parents smiling with adult daughter

Many adults today are part of what Ramsey calls the "sandwich generation," squeezed between paying for their kids' college and their parents' lack of retirement planning. Co-host George Kamel warned that trying to cover both can backfire, since people who fund their parents' retirement may not be able to invest for their own.

"I say you change your family tree and go, we're not doing that," Kamel said. Ramsey agreed that adult children don't owe their parents a financial rescue. "You do not have a moral or ethical or spiritual obligation to write them checks," he said.

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Saying yes to everything to keep the peace

It's natural to want to be a good son or daughter, friend, or spouse. But trying to please everyone by agreeing to every request can quietly wreck your finances. Kamel summed up the mindset many people fall into: "I wanna be a good daughter, a good friend, a good wife. So I'm just gonna say yes to it all."

Ramsey's response was a firm "no." Saying no isn't about being unkind; it's about setting boundaries. "No, you're not an enabler," he said. "I love you too much to lie to you."

Bottom line

Learning how to say "no" can have a positive impact when it comes to both your personal life and your finances. That's especially true if you are working hard to get out of debt, and trying to cut out those avoidable expenses that keep dragging your monthly budget down.

Want to give Ramsey's advice a try in your own life? Begin thinking about something you can say "no" to so that you can start today.

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