Pay For Our Adult Children's Phone Plan? episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 19, 2025 · 14 MIN

Pay For Our Adult Children's Phone Plan?

from The Ramsey Show Highlights · host Ramsey Network

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Pay For Our Adult Children's Phone Plan?

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We've got two daughters that are ages 26 and 28. Both of them are on our cell phone plan. They shouldn't be on your cell phone plan anymore. Can I have them call you?

Olivia, one of the daughters is on the line. Olivia, honestly, you believe this is OK. And Proverbs, it says you should leave and inherit them for your grandchildren. What a great nurture.

Brought to you by the EveryDollar app. Start budgeting for free today. Hey, thank you for taking my question. Yeah, you bet.

How you doing today? Well, we can't complain. And if we did, you wouldn't want to hear it anyway. Life is good.

All right, thank you. Hey, listen, I want to ask you a question. A little context first. My wife and I are retired.

We've got two daughters that are ages 26 and 28. And between them, we've got three grandchildren. The older daughters, a school teacher, she's working on her master's degree, the other one that has a degree in social work. And she's currently a stay-at-home mom.

Both of them are on our cell phone plan. And I suspect when the grandchildren are old enough, it'll be on our cell phone plan as well. My question is this, is an annuity the best way to plan on paying for a multi-generational cell phone service legacy? Or would you recommend a different investment strategy?

Well, you win a total different direction than we plan on going. I didn't see that one coming. You didn't see that coming, Dale. Let me ask you this.

Why do you say? Well, in my day, both listen to you on their phone. I actually hope that they're listening right now, because they shouldn't be on your cell phone plan anymore. And I don't know why you even suspect, and I'd like to know why you suspect that their children will be on your cell phone plan as well.

Why is that, Dale? Well, because we face time on every day, we love seeing our grandchildren. And my wife loves seeing her grandchildren. So you feel like you have to pay for their cell phone coverage?

Do you pay their internet as well? I think it's probably a little more so my wife wants to pay for it. Yeah, well, let me ask you this. Oh boy, and they're probably listening.

Come on, so I get awkward, Dale. But Dale, if it were just up to you, would you be doing this? Oh, I wouldn't even be calling. I'd have done cut them off.

But here's the thing. I learned over 30 years ago. I know where you're going. You don't fight.

Dale, I learned about 30 years ago. I probably have more kids. Man, this just keeps taking. Well, let me tell you why I love Dale.

Dale's being honest. Dale, you're a stud. And boy, do I understand that I've been married 27 years. We're quickly approaching 28.

And boy, oh boy, do I understand that. But this is one that I think is probably worth the fight. I really do. And here's why.

They need to be handling this. This is a basic, at this point in 2025, a cell phone is considered a basic necessity now. They need to be handling this. Jay, am I grouchy?

I don't feel like I'm a grouchy today. I feel like I'm in a great mood. For me, it's the logic doesn't add up. It sounded like the reason the two reasons sounded like, since we FaceTime them a lot, we should be paying.

Which might avoid you paying for their internet, Dale? No, no. But you know, I had this discussion with one daughter last night and about the cell phones. And she said that she said, well, Dave Ramsey pays for his kids Netflix.

I don't know anything about that. First of all, no comment. I gotta tell you something. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that's categorically false.

Yeah, I gotta say that. If I'm wrong, I will James, I will come back on the show and I will do him a couple. But I tell you, I can almost tell you, I can hear Dave's head is spinning off at his neck, somewhere where he is like. I think he could be true.

Like my mother-in-law is on my hulu because it's like the same login. So I could see maybe something like that. No, don't give any oxygen to this. Dale, if I'm you, I'm going to my adult daughters on the sly.

And I'm going, you know what? You don't want the sly behind the wife? Yeah, I think so. Give me a little latitude before you disagree.

He can't win this battle with her and he doesn't feel like he wants to fight it. So I think this calls for going to the daughters, going, your mom's been paying your cell phone bill, just between you and me. Ladies, you guys are adults. You need to start paying for your cell phone and do the old man a solid and just tell mom, no more mom, we're gonna be adults.

There's nothing dishonest about them. I'm gonna try that. I think that's awesome. I can tell you.

Men around America are agreeing with me. What's that? Can I have them call you? Yes, and what are their names?

I'm gonna call them out. I don't think I better do that. I think they should call, actually text them right now and say there's still a little bit of time left. James with your permission, we'll get them on.

Okay, James, the producers are saying that if they call right now, we will move them up in the line and Jay and I will do a little therapy session with them. How about that, Jay? I'm in. I'm 100% in.

All right, Dale, we're gonna put you on hold. Line five, Olivia, one of the daughters is on the line. Olivia, welcome to the Ramsey Show. Hi, how are you?

What's up? Well, we are having a blast with your situation. We're told you listen to the show on a regular basis and your dad puts you up to this. So we're trying to help your dad out.

So I need your take on this. And then I'm gonna tell you my suggestion. Jay was on the fence about it. I wanna know the real numbers.

Like how much does it cost him? So Olivia, what's it costing for your cell phone plan that your parents are paying for? Well, I don't know. Well, of course you don't know.

No surprise, by the way, no judgment, no judgment. So what do you want? Do you think that, are you like, listen, I love this gravy train or are you wanting to get off? Oh, no, I'm not in this gravy train.

I mean, I thought that. She's a human. You thought she was gonna say otherwise? Oh, I didn't know.

Maybe her spouse was like, listen, we need to wrap this up. Olivia, what do you think our take is? Your spouse is on his dad. What did she say?

Her spouse, her husband is on his dad's plan. Yeah. Olivia, what did you think our reaction was to this? When we found out?

Well, I know you were gonna have this reaction. I mean, sometimes we have to touch grass, like time to talk, keep gravy on their plan and then get my own. Yeah, but you and your husband make how much? What's your combined income?

Or household? 120. 120. Oh my gosh, do you not have any guilt at all?

None. No, if you knew my bills, I have a post COVID mortgage. I stay home. I have two kids.

What's your cell phone bill? Oh, you don't even know it. That's right. My cell phone bill, thank God, I might not be able to call anyone.

Olivia is like, if this is being offered to me, I'm taking it. Okay. 100%. Olivia, I know that what I'm about to say is completely wasted here, but I'm gonna try.

All right. And then I'm gonna confess something to you. Okay. A suggestion and then a confession.

My suggestion is, it's time for you and your hubs to adult and stop receiving this benefit, which is so kind. But even your own dad. And by the way, this is out there for public record now. Your dad knows this is ridiculous.

And he wouldn't be paying for it if it wasn't for your mom. And I said, now here's the confession. On the air, I said, Dale, if it's me, I'm calling Olivia and her sister together. And I'm going, listen, your mom's doing this.

And he said on the air, there are certain battles, you don't fight. And he doesn't think this is a battle worth fighting because he ain't gonna win. I think on behalf of your dad, you and your sister need to start adulting and you need to start paying for your cell phone. I think this is ridiculous.

I know times are tough and I'm not in any way suggesting that you don't have some type of financial pain. But with the household income you have, I said that a cell phone bill is like a utility in this day and age and you should be paying it. So there's my two cents. I'm playing doubles advocate.

You know how you're on your parents' insurance until a certain point and then it ends and you have to get your own insurance. Maybe it's that kind of deal where it's like, listen, when you hit 30 years old, that's it, the gravy trains over. 30? I would just say, I'm 26 and 28.

Yeah, and I did get off my parents' insurance earlier than, you know, when I worked since I could work, I paid for my college, so really, my parents didn't have much besides the phone bill. Is there a point? Is there a financial future? A point in your financial life?

Why are you laughing so hard? I can't believe you. I really don't know if I know you, like I thought I knew you. Is there a point, Olivia, where you go, I should probably pay for my cell phone.

What is that point? It doesn't exist? No, never. I hope this will turn down to my children.

He said it's going to. This is Bill's legacy. And you, Olivia, honestly, you believe this is okay. Oh, 100% I believe it's okay.

And Proverb says you should leave an inheritance for your grandchildren. What a great inheritance. No, no, that's not an inheritance. That's an entitlement.

No, that's, I'm inheriting the cell phone plan. No, you're not. You didn't inherit anything. I think you're both wrong.

I think so. I'm wrong. I've never been more right. Let me say, like, guarantee America is 100% on my side.

Listen, I don't, I think there's a preference here. Like, definitely, I think that once you're on your own, especially when you're married, you should pay your own bills. That's the preference, I think. Including your cell phone bill.

But do I think it's hurting anything? No. None of this is morally wrong. You know what I'm saying?

Like, whatever. That's true. We're having fun with Olivia. Olivia, I don't begrudge you.

And I'm not judging you. Even if you're dead, I'm staying on it though. Oh, believe me, believe me, Olivia. You made that clear early, and I know.

So thanks for calling your really good sport. We'll move on. But by the way, since I get the last word. What is it?

She misused the scripture there. Yeah, I would not call that an inheritance. I wouldn't. I love the move though.

I applaud Olivia for going that direction. Like, I admire that move. It was wrong. Yeah, I wouldn't say that.

But so deep, so strong, Ken. No. No, I've been far grumpier on many random shows. This is not grumpy.

This is, I think it's a principle. It's a principle. I will say when I was being married. You say standing on business.

I finally used it properly, correct? I'm standing on business with this one. And you're standing on business. You're giving her the smoke about.

Were you truly being a devil's advocate there? Yeah, I agree. I do agree. I think that there comes a point when you get out of your parents house, especially when you get married, especially, especially then, that it's like, you know what?

I'm going to handle my household bills. And I will say, when Sam and I were getting married, I think he was still on his mom's plan or vice versa. I don't remember if it was me or him. And it was like, okay, yeah, we're going to get on our same plan now.

We're not going to be on our parents' plan anymore. I specifically remember that. So I think there's something, there's some agency that takes place when you do that. In their case, I don't think it's hurting anybody.

Like, I don't think the kids are entitled. I don't think they need it. Oh, she's entitled. Well, she's had it.

She's had it and everyone's trying to take it away. So it's like, I can understand why she's like, listen, if they want to give it to me. Of course, she's why, by the way, I'm not hating on her because she's acting like a normal human being. When someone offers you an entitled, can you feel better if I pay your cell phone bill?

No, I wouldn't allow it. And by the way, anybody knows me knows that's true. Yeah. And again, I don't want to be on this high horse.

Then jump down. I'm not on a high horse. I'm not on a high horse. You're not.

Thank you. You're not. I just think it's. You're standing on business.

Yeah. You're giving him the smoke. I don't know what any of that means, but Olivia's a great sport and so is Dale. And you know what?

Now that this is going to change. You know who I feel bad for? You know what this is about. Dale.

Oh yeah. Dale. I feel bad for Dale. Dale's not struggling.

Dale's good. Dale sounds like he's. Dale's a good man. He's a good husband and he's a good dad.

Yeah. This is not Dale. I'm going to Olivia's house. You know what I'm doing if I'm Dale?

I'm going to Olivia's house. And when he goes to visit, I'm leaving all the doors open. I'm leaving all the lights on. For spite?

Yeah. Just one time, just a little fun. Since I'm paying your cell phone bill, you could pay a little extra utility this month. Just for spite.

Here he is in the flesh. Can you call me? I don't know why I said that. It made me feel so good.

I think I'm doing it. Doors wide open, refrigerator open. Air it out. You're funny, Ken.

I feel better. Strangely. Oh, Dale and Olivia. Really fun.

All right. Comment on the YouTube channel wherever you know that I have. What do you think? This is the Ramsey Show.

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