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3 Ways Rachel Cruze Manages Family Finances With Her Spouse

May 16, 2025

3 min Read

Written by Catherine Collins

Edited by Cory Dudak

Rachel Cruze sitting on a couch, smiling at the camera.

Rachel Cruze / Rachel Cruze

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Recently, “Smart Money Happy Hour” podcast co-hosts Rachel Cruze and George Kamel welcomed their spouses onto the show to discuss marriage and money. The co-hosts and their spouses answered questions from the audience, resulting in a show called “Spilling the Financial Tea With Our Better Halves.”

Because Rachel Cruze is Dave Ramsey’s daughter, Winston Cruze had additional insights on what it’s like marrying into the Ramsey family. He shared amusing anecdotes about their lives at home, and they both gave examples of how they manage their household finances together.

Here are some of the highlights from the episode, including who the spender is and who the free spirit is in the Cruze household.

Shared Values

While Rachel and Winston acknowledged their differences (she is an extrovert and he is an introvert), they do have shared financial values. Both spouses were debt-free when they got married, and in true Ramsey style, they went through Financial Peace University — Ramsey’s main personal finance class.

Specific Roles

Rachel and Winston agreed that she is the “CEO” of the family, and he is the “CFO.” Winston explained that means he handles the day-to-day finances. He pays the bills and maintains budgeting spreadsheets. Rachel, on the other hand, has a “high-level” view of their finances. She discusses big financial moves, like building a pool, and works together with Winston to ensure their family is on the right track.

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Respect for Differences

Though Rachel and Winston share core money values, like a commitment to remaining debt-free, they have different spending styles. Part of what makes them a good team is their respect for those differences.

Rachel is the “free-spirit,” she said, and Winston is the “nerd.” Rachel tends to be a spender, while Winston mostly focuses on saving, but occasionally makes a big purchase from time to time. People are often surprised to hear Rachel is a spender, since she is Dave Ramsey’s daughter. However, she always budgets for the things she wants, pays for items in full, and doesn’t use credit cards.

The Cruze family’s communication about money is important, as a recent 2024 Fidelity study showed that 45% of couples report arguing about money. Because Rachel and Winston take the time to talk about money, honor each other’s spending quirks, and discuss big money moves together, they’re able to work in partnership to help their family build wealth.

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