237. “We bought our dream house. Then he lost his job.”

Karen (45) and Chad (44) built their lives around a high income: buying their dream home in a high-cost city and raising three kids with confidence in the future. But when Chad lost his $340K tech job, everything changed. Three years later, he’s earning half as much, their emergency savings are gone, and they’re borrowing just to stay afloat. Karen lies awake fearing they’re one paycheck away from losing the house, while Chad stays optimistic that a future promotion or windfall will fix everything. Their conversations remain polite but distant, masking deep anxiety, resentment, and two completely different philosophies on money. Can Ramit help them confront reality, reconnect emotionally, and decide whether they can afford to keep the home they love? In this episode we uncover: • How Chad’s income dropped by 50% overnight • The emotional toll of pretending “everything is fine” while secretly fearing they can’t make the mortgage • Why even buying kids’ necessities fills Karen with g...