‘I’d rather be caffeinated than depressed with $6’: Young Americans are rejecting Dave Ramsey’s financial advice — here’s why they say they’re ‘not willing to do anything to get out of debt'

But young Americans argue they’d rather sustain their mental well-being and hold onto the small luxuries that bring them joy rather than save a little extra cash.

“Self-care is extremely important and if that means buying a $6 coffee every day, do it,” Jarrod Benson, a 32-year-old comedian from Orlando, Florida told Business Insider.

“I’d rather be caffeinated than depressed with $6.”

Social media users are scorning Ramsey’s advice

The hashtag #daveramseywouldntapprove has about 67 million views on TikTok, with scores of users posting videos criticizing the finance personality for being out of touch with reality and shaming their money habits.

Benson, for example, didn’t hesitate to jump on the bandwagon with his own content, featuring himself sipping a pumpkin cream cold brew or getting a $4 Crumbl cookie before cutting to his Ramsey impersonation watching menacingly from a distance.

It’s clear that Ramsey’s advice, which often includes living frugally or taking on more work to increase your income, doesn’t quite resonate with younger listeners.

In a recent TikTok, Kate Hindman, a 31-year-old administrative assistant in Pasadena, California, emphasizes that her mental health and quality of life are far more important to her.

“I’m not willing to do anything to get out of debt,” she says. “I’m not willing to eat rice and beans everyday, I’m not willing to have three jobs and not spend time with my children. I’m not willing to forgo my favorite salad on a Friday.”

Hindman explains that her bills are so massive that a little extra cash saved here and there isn’t making a major dent in her debt.

“The cost-of-living and low wages is to blame for the financial woes of most Americans,” she says. “Being told that we can incrementally make these big differences if we just give up our quality of life for five, 10 years is absurd.”