[00:03:29] Ron: I’m not cheap because I don’t mind spending money when we have it. I’m frugal because I just see dollar signs, dollar signs, dollar signs, and then I just imagine these numbers in my head like, we’re going to be spending this huge amount when in reality, she’s already got it budgeted because she’s good at doing that where it’s only going to be a small amount. So I’m already imagining the worst.
[00:03:50] Ramit: What’s the frugal part of that?
[00:03:55] Ron: Okay. Maybe cheap.
[00:04:35] Ramit: Cristina, I’m curious, from your perspective, that same conversation, what do you remember happening?
[00:04:42] Cristina: I told him about it and his automatic response was no. I know every time I approach him, I already have a game plan with him. I tell him like, this is how it’s going to be. This is how I’m going to save money. But before I get there, when he says no, it really frustrates me, and I get really sad that before I can even tell him how I can save money and enjoy my time, it almost seems like he is raining on my parade.
[00:05:10] And I can’t even plan with him or make proper decisions with him of like, if I give him a plan of, well, I’m going to use this, and I’m going to do this to save us money, so I can afford this, I can’t even have that with him. Automatically, the end of the conversation is, okay, you know, the money. If you say we can do it, then do it.
[00:05:32] Ramit: Okay. Out of curiosity, Ron, if I asked you how much is in your checking account, within 25,000, how much?
[00:05:45] Ron: Well, it’s not 25,000.
[00:05:50] Ramit: Ballpark it.
[00:05:54] Ron: Seven to 10.
[00:05:55] Ramit: All right. And within, let’s say a savings account, how much would you say is in there? Your savings account.
[00:06:02] Ron: Oh, I mean my personal savings, I don’t know, 2,000, but we’ve got a couple of different accounts though.
[00:06:09] Ramit: All right. And your joint savings account, how much would you say? Cristina is looking at this like this is literally the most entertaining reality show she’s ever seen. Cristina, am I getting this right?
[00:06:23] Cristina: Yeah.
[00:06:24] Ramit: She cannot stop smiling for the last two minutes. All right. Sit tight. Ron, joint savings account, ballpark it for me.
[00:06:31] Ron: 10.
[00:06:32] Ramit: All right, fine. Cristina, what do you say?
[00:06:35] Cristina: Off. Completely off.
[00:06:38] Ramit: Like how much off?
[00:06:39] Cristina: A lot off. Accounts are not even right.
[00:06:43] Ramit: Okay, well, the checking account, I think Ron said 7k.
[00:06:47] Ron: Yeah, seven to–
[00:06:48] Ramit: What was he talking about?
[00:06:49] Cristina: So his personal checking account is at 2,200.
[00:06:53] Ramit: Okay.
[00:06:55] Cristina: My personal checking account is around four because I just got paid.
[00:07:00] Ramit: All right.
[00:07:00] Cristina: Our joint savings account is about 8,500, and then our joint checking account is about 4,600.
[00:07:11] Ramit: He’s not that far off. Ron, I think you’re in the universe. He didn’t say $200,000.
[00:07:18] Cristina: Yeah, that’s right.
[00:07:19] Ramit: All right. You know what? Ron, I’m giving it up for you. You were closer than I thought. That’s impressive. Cristina, how come you think he’s wildly off?
[00:07:29] Cristina: Because every time he talks, he has two mentalities. It’s either we’re poor or we don’t have money.
