Yahoo Finance Texas couple struggles with addictions and has $46K in total debt with collections. Caleb Hammer responds
Many couples are able to strike a harmonious balance when it comes to managing their finances together. However, John and Marissa from Austin, Texas are both irresponsible spenders.
Thirty-seven-year-old Marissa buys marijuana on a weekly basis, while 25-year-old John can’t seem to resist spending money on OnlyFans, an adult content subscription service. “Dude’s paying to j–k [off] every five minutes!” Caleb Hammer shouted, as he dug through the couple’s messy financial statements on an episode of his YouTube show, Financial Audit.
Don't miss
Commercial real estate has beaten the stock market for 25 years — but only the super rich could buy in. Here's how even ordinary investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger
Cost-of-living in America is still out of control — use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today, no matter what the US Fed does or says
These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 — and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how
They’re both behind on payments, have several debts in collections, and blame each other for their current predicament. The couple, who have been together for four years and hope to get married one day, are now more than $45,000 in debt.
If nothing else, their situation highlights how enabling behaviors can make or break personal finances.
Separate accounts, same situation
49% of unmarried American couples who cohabitate pool at least some of their money together into joint bank accounts, according to data from the National Couples’ Health and Time Study.
Meanwhile, 86% of couples surveyed by Forbes Advisor said sharing financial goals and money habits leads to more successful relationships.
Unfortunately, John and Marissa are not on the same page about their spending habits. They’re not married and keep separate accounts, but have been racking up immense debt individually.
John claims he was “blindsided” when Marissa’s income dropped recently. She now earns $30,000 a year working as a cook in a nursing home. That’s not enough to meet all her debt obligations and Hammer discovered that she has roughly nine debts in collections.
However, instead of paying off debt, Marissa buys roughly $50 worth of marijuana once a week. “You smoke a lot of weed,” John said at one point during the episode.
“It’s the only thing I do — we don’t go out, we don’t do anything,” Marissa responded.
John, who earns more than Marissa as a maintenance technician, claims he’s the financially responsible one in the relationship. However, he has an addiction to OnlyFans which is draining his bank account.
Read more: Generating 'passive income' through real estate is the biggest myth in investing — here’s how you can do it in as little as 5 minutes
He also has roughly $2,000 in debt in collections, borrowed another $1,800 from his dad to pay off a payday loan and is neglecting his student loan repayments even though it’s only $50 a month.
“How are you the responsible one in the relationship?” Hammer asked him incredulously.
Altogether, the couple has nearly $46,066 in total debt based on Hammer’s assessment. Besides accusing each other as the cause of the debt burden, they’re also blaming a lack of financial education from their relatives.
Hammer isn’t convinced that’s a good enough excuse. “Welcome to pretty much every household in America,” he said.
Financial education crisis
On average, Americans lost $1,506 in 2023 due to financial illiteracy, according to a survey conducted by the National Financial Educators Council.
Meanwhile, 88% of U.S. adults surveyed for Dave Ramsey’s website said school didn’t adequately prepare them to manage their money as adults.
Some experts now argue that formal training could be a solution to this crisis. According to a research conducted by CivicScience, adults who said they learned financial skills either in school or in the workplace were most likely amongst their peers to say they felt “very financially literate.” The group encouraged school and employer-sponsored financial education classes.
Such efforts could potentially help adults like John and Marissa take control of their personal finances, find a budget that works and mitigate debt.
What to read next
Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market — and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds
Car insurance rates have spiked in the US to a stunning $2,150/year — but you can be smarter than that. Here's how you can save yourself as much as $820 annually in minutes (it's 100% free)
Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate — without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
