Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich talks to Laura (34) and Cameron (38) who earn over $200,000 a year and save thousands each month, yet every decision for them feels like a crisis. Laura, a first-generation Mexican American, grew up in financial chaos and now enforces strict rules, from tracking every purchase in YNAB to keeping Cameron on an allowance. Her dream is to hit Coast FIRE in five years. Cameron, meanwhile, just wants to enjoy life today — take a trip, fix the car, maybe even expand their family. Their daughter is four, and the question of whether to have another child looms large. Can Ramit help them break free from fear, build shared goals, and find a balance between saving for tomorrow and living fully now? In this episode we uncover: * Why Laura enforces strict financial rules yet still feels unsafe despite saving half their income * How Cameron’s “passenger” role with money leaves Laura carrying the weight * Why their $228,000 household income doesn’t feel like “enough” in an affluent Chicago neighborhood * How childhood experiences shaped Laura’s scarcity mindset * The emotional toll of living as if they are still poor, even with nearly half a million dollars in net worth * How FIRE gave Laura a sense of control and safety — but at the cost of enjoying life today * How chasing control keeps them feeling perpetually “behind” and unable to thrive * The stark contrast between Laura’s authoritarian role and Cameron’s passivity * How they can move beyond survival mode and start thriving by defining a shared Rich Life vision ⏩ CHAPTERS (00:00:00) “I keep my husband on an allowance” (00:09:58) Ramit breaks down their numbers (00:25:05) “We feel poor… on $228,000 a year” (00:41:37) “My parents racked up debt in my name without me knowing” (00:54:48) “I keep us living small” (01:10:21) “CoastFi says we’re fine—so why doesn’t it feel real?” (01:24:06) “What would make the next 10 years magical?” (01:33:54) Where are they now? Laura and Cameron’s follow-ups 💡 RAMIT’S PODCAST NEWSLETTER * I share new ways to think about money every Saturday. Get the emails here: https://iwt.com/podcastnewsletter 🙌 GET HELP FROM RAMIT SETHI * Order my new book: Money for Couples: https://iwt.com/moneyforcouples * Take control of your money with the Conscious Spending Plan: https://iwt.com/csp * Optimize your credit cards with the 1st chapter of my book: https://iwt.com/chapter1-pod * Join my Money Coaching program for monthly help: https://iwt.com/moneycoaching * Listen to my book—now on Audible: https://amzn.to/48zko28 * Get tickets for my next live event—September 26 in Los Angeles—at https://iwt.com/events 🤳 CONNECT WITH RAMIT SETHI * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramit/ * X: https://twitter.com/ramit ✅ SUBSCRIBE SO YOU DON’T MISS ANY EPISODES https://youtube.com/user/ramitsethi/featured/ If you and your partner have a money issue and you want my help, I occasionally select a couple to work with, free of charge. Apply for my help here: https://iwt.com/apply