When we last left our cashier, we looked at how different house choices would be depending upon who he or she marries and how debt affects the kind of house that they could afford. We also looked at our top earners from the top 25 jobs from indeed.com. Those were 2 software developers.

Cars played largely into the amount of debt. Lets break down the math:

Cashier + Sales $42,241 net/12 months = $3,520

$3520 a month take home pay * 15% =$528

$528/2=$264/ month to spend on a car each

Total car debt is monthly amount *36 months:

$528*36=$19,009 total, $9,504 each

You can see why Dave Ramsey is not a fan of car payments.

What kind of car could each driver afford? Let’s check Carmax: 2012 Chevy Sonic

What about if he/she marries the truck driver?:

$16,654 each. 2014 Nissan Murano

And what about our software devlopers? $33,872 each. 2017 Lexus

If our couples paid cash for more modest cars, they could afford a better house. Here’s a great explanation about why you don’t want car payments from Dave Ramsey https://www.ramseysolutions.com/debt/the-truth-about-car-payments

So there you have it. 3 lifestyle scenarios not only about who marries who, but what impact debt has on house and car.

Sources:

Dave Ramsey Solutions

Indeed.com

Carmax.com

Spreadsheet from yours truly