Dave Bautista 'lost everything' including his home post-WWE, but the Undertaker's money advice saved him

Moneywise

Thu, August 13, 2026 at 1:10 PM GMT+3 7 min read

Gilbert Flores/ Getty Images

Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.

Dave Bautista is among the few professional wrestlers who successfully transitioned to a career in Hollywood. Millions of fans followed his journey from the ring to the silver screen — from Blade Runner 2049 to Guardians of the Galaxy.

Yet they may be unaware of his struggles with money.

Must Read

Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan still sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Learn more with a free guide from Priority Gold
The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028 — and experts say most people won't act in time. What to do before the window closes

"I came out of wrestling – I literally lost everything. My house got foreclosed on," he shared in an interview with YouTube's School of Hard Knocks (1).

Bautista, who was known as "Batista" in the WWE, credits fellow wrestler Mark "The Undertaker" Calaway with helping him realize the secret to success. And it's not complicated either, like picking the best investments or a higher risk private equity portfolio.

According to Bautista, Calaway told him that the trick is to consistently and regularly live below your means — no matter how much money you're making.

"[It was] the best advice that I ever got," Bautista said. "I learned the hard way."

He went on to explain that "once in a year" he buys something that he wants as a luxury. But even then, Bautista has limits.

"Like I don't need a Bugatti," he said. "I'd love to have a Bugatti, but I'm not paying $3 to $5 million for a car."

And you don't need to be an ultra-high earner to see the wisdom in Calaway's advice as recounted by Bautista. Here's how you can use this basic principle to boost your financial position.

Prioritize needs over wants

Differentiating between what's necessary and what's simply tempting is a key part of living within your means. Bautista agrees.

"I know I can live more lavishly, more luxuriously," he said. "That money in the bank means more to me than something I don't really need."

By resisting indulgences, you could limit your chances of overspending and overborrowing, putting you on a clearer path to financial freedom. But it's easier said than done. According to a survey conducted by Clever Real Estate, 74% of those surveyed reported having a spending problem, with 55% admitting that they often spend recklessly (2).

If you find it difficult to stop overindulging, you can start by building savings habits into everyday spending. With Acorns, you can automatically invest spare change from your everyday purchases into a diversified portfolio of ETFs managed by experts at leading investment firms like Vanguard and BlackRock.

That morning coffee for $3.20? Acorns will round it up to $4 and invest the extra 80-cents in a portfolio tailored to you and your investing habits. This can turn small purchases into powerful opportunities for growth, while introducing you to investing regularly.

Then, once you're comfortable with the round-ups, you can set up recurring monthly contributions to boost your saving power. Even better, if you sign up today with a small $5 regular deposit you can get a $20 bonus investment.

Add a margin of safety to your budget

Sticking to a budget may seem like common sense, but 53% of Americans have yet to set a budget for 2026, according to a YouGov survey. (3)

Among those who are budgeting, almost two in five (38%) say it's to stop overspending. As such, it likely makes sense to add a margin of safety to your own budgeting calculations. If you assume that all your expenses will be 10% to 15% higher, for example, you can limit the chances of overspending and relying on credit.

For those without a budget, you may want to get a hand sorting out your finances so can start saving.

Monarch Money puts all your finances under one roof, from your banking statements to your investments. You can also add separate or joint accounts to your dashboard, which can be great for tracking grocery runs for couples or helping your child get used to big-picture financial planning as parents.

And the best part? Monarch Money offers a seven-day free trial so you can see if it's right for you. If you like what you see, you could then snag 50% off your first year with code WISE50.

In cases where exceeding your budget is a necessity rather than a compulsion, it pays to have an emergency fund to fall back on. Stashing away three to six months' worth of expenses can help you stay afloat if your life takes a sudden financial downturn.

And, often, the first step towards building an emergency fund is having a budget in the first place, so you can safely sock away cash.

A high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to grow your uninvested cash, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your money when you need it.

A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base APY of 3.30% through program banks, and new clients can get an extra 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total variable APY of 4.05%.

That's 10 times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC's July report.

Additionally, Wealthfront is offering new clients who enable direct deposit ($1,000/mo minimum) to their Cash Account and open and fund a new investment account an additional 0.25% APY increase with no expiration date or balance limit, meaning your APY could be as high as 4.30%.

With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, you get access to up to $8M FDIC Insurance eligibility through program banks.

Avoid or minimize credit

Finally, you'll probably want to avoid using credit to spend beyond your means — even temporarily. Like Bautista said, maybe don't reach for $3 million to pay for that Bugatti.

American households collectively had $18.8 trillion in debt as the second quarter of 2026, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (4). That includes $1.26 trillion in credit card debt.

If you carry credit card debt from month to month, you're not alone. With rates averaging about 20%, it can pile on before you even realize it (5).

Paying down debt — especially if it comes with a high interest rate — could put you on solid footing. The two most popular techniques are the avalanche and snowball methods. The first focuses on wiping out your largest debt while servicing the others, then moving down the list in a cascade. The second takes the opposite approaching, knocking off smaller debts one at a time until you reach the largest one.

But homeowners have another option: consolidating your debt using a home equity line of credit (HELOC).

AmeriSave offers a flexible HELOC that lets homeowners borrow against their equity as needed during a draw period, making it useful for renovations or debt consolidation. The application is mostly online and available in most states.

It's a good fit for borrowers who want convenience and flexibility rather than a large lump-sum loan up-front. You can draw funds only when you need them, so it's useful for ongoing or unpredictable costs. Interest is charged only on what you use, and you repay the balance over time. It's essentially a flexible credit line secured by your home, delivered through a mostly online application process.

Just make sure you understand the repayment terms before committing.

Dave Bautista 'lost everything' including his home post-WWE, but the Undertaker's money advice saved him

Must Read

Prioritize needs over wants

Add a margin of safety to your budget

Avoid or minimize credit

You May Also Like

Article Sources

Yorumlar (0)