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

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

In a recent podcast episode of The Ramsey Show, Ramsey and his co-host George Kamel listed all the times they want you to 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.

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.

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.

It’s tempting to try to keep up with what everyone else in your life is doing, and you may get jealous when you see your friends taking fancier vacations or driving nicer cars.

But Ramsey recommends saying no to keeping up with other people’s lifestyles. Instead, he says you should make decisions based on what you can truly afford and your own personal values.

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.

If you are in debt or don’t have the cash saved up, Ramsey recommends not buying an expensive 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 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.

When you have consumer debt weighing down your finances, Ramsey strongly advises against taking a vacation. Instead, he recommends using any money you would’ve put towards your trip to pay down that existing debt instead.

Then, once that’s taken care of, he suggests saving up for that dream vacation so that you have enough money to pay for it without taking on any additional debt.

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.

When it comes to living situations, Ramsey frequently advises his followers to say “no” to long-term houseguests, no matter who they are.

For example, Ramsey suggests saying no to what he calls “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.

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.

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.

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.

Most of us encounter opportunities to make unnecessary purchases every now and then. Ramsey suggests learning how to say no to these purchases that pop up on our radar.

Not only will this help you keep more money in your wallet, but it also prevents your house from gathering too much clutter.

Lifestyle creep happens when you slowly start saying “yes” to nicer things. This might include getting a nicer car, moving to a bigger apartment, or even buying high-end groceries. Ramsey suggests avoiding this slippery slope, which can have a major impact on your finances.

Instead of allowing lifestyle creep to happen, he says you should focus on intentionally saying yes to the upgrades that really matter to you.

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.