She Has Her Eye on a $40K Car. Dave Ramsey Thinks Her Reason 'Is Sketchy' but Isn't Against It. 'It's not a Dumb Decision Unless…'
Sat, August 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM GMT+3 6 min read
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Buying a $40,000 vehicle is a major financial decision, especially when the reason behind it is unusual. But when one caller explained why she wanted to upgrade her SUV, personal finance personality Dave Ramsey couldn't help but laugh.
Lisa from Arizona called "The Ramsey Show" after adopting a 130-pound American bulldog, giving her a household of three large dogs. The new addition meant her current vehicle no longer had enough room for the dogs and luggage during the frequent road trips she takes to visit family across the country. She wanted to know whether spending around $40,000 on a larger SUV was a smart move.
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Ramsey Says She Can Afford It, but Questions the Reason
Lisa said she had been hoping to spend between $15,000 and $20,000, but the vehicles that comfortably fit her dogs, including a Toyota Sequoia, were closer to $40,000.
Fortunately, she wasn't planning to finance the purchase. Lisa told Ramsey she earns $180,000 a year, has about $80,000 in savings and carries no debt besides her mortgage.
That changed Ramsey's answer.
"It's not a dumb decision unless it's more than half your annual income," he said, "and you're not paying cash for it and you have no other debt."
Even so, Ramsey admitted her reasoning gave him pause.
"I would point out to you that your reason for doing this is sketchy. It's sketchy," he said. "The fact that you want to spend $40,000 for a rescue dog to ride to your mama's in the Midwest is sketchy."
Ramsey reminded Lisa that cars lose value quickly, saying she was essentially "turning 40 into five over time." He also added she could rent a larger vehicle many times before spending $40,000 outright.
Still, for him, affordability wasn't the issue.
Buy the Car Because You Want It
As the conversation continued, Ramsey encouraged Lisa to change how she was thinking about the purchase.
"I want the car, and the dog can ride in it," he said, suggesting that framing made much more sense than saying she was buying a vehicle specifically for her rescue dog.
He recognized that Lisa enjoys taking long road trips with her dogs and has worked hard enough to comfortably afford the purchase.
"Pick out something you feel good about and buy it for you," Ramsey said. "One part of you is that you enjoy taking care of this rescue dog. And that's a good thing."
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While Lisa's financial situation gave her the flexibility to spend $40,000 on a vehicle, many Americans don't have that luxury. Millions can't afford a $1,000 emergency expense, leaving them vulnerable when a car breaks down or another unexpected bill arrives.
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"That dog is living its best life with Lisa," co-host George Kamel said. "Tell you that much. Got a brand new car out of the deal."
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