Engineer Couple With $2 Million Net Worth Is Struggling, "Overwhelmed With Prosperity"

Imagine a life where not having enough money isn’t your issue, but having too much coming in is. What a problem to have! Instead of living paycheck to paycheck and trying to figure out how to make ends meet each month, you’re making a substantial amount, and you've even gotten a raise between you and your partner that puts an extra $30,000 a year in your pockets.

Sounds like a dream, right? Well, apparently, it’s the reality for an engineer couple in their 30s who have a $2 million net worth and so much money coming in that they feel overwhelmed by it.

One woman phoned in to The Ramsey Show to share her surreal story and seek advice on what her next steps should be. Here’s what she said.

Many of the calls Dave Ramsey gets on his show are from people trying to figure out how to gain control of their financial situation and overcome the debt they’ve accrued. But this call, which came in from a woman named Amy, who at the time was only 33, had a story very different from most.

Apparently, she and her husband both work as engineers and, as mentioned, have about a $2 million net worth. They’ve received raises that allow them to bring in an extra $30,000 a year, which is probably just a few thousand shy of some people’s annual salaries.

They also bought a home and checked off completing Baby Step 7 (that’s the final step in Dave’s plan, which means they’ve paid everything off aside from their house, their retirement is funded, and they’re giving to others).

After explaining her financial standing, she added, “We’re very process-oriented people. We’re just kind of struggling.” With what?

Here’s what Amy said. “It feels like there’s just more money coming in, and we’re like, I guess we’re just saving more,” she said. While she and her husband don’t want to be landlords, they’re not entirely clear on what to do with all the money they’re making.

And while many would be tempted to splurge, it’s their discipline and commitment to building their wealth that got them here in the first place, and they don’t want to just go and blow their money on meaningless things.

And that seems to be where their issue is, despite it not sounding like an issue to those who are barely getting by. So Dave decided to “diagnose” the couple’s situation.

After hearing the woman’s financial dilemma, he explained, “Your biggest problem is you’re overwhelmed with prosperity.” He added, “What happens is you had this hard concrete goal, and you broke through the tape. Now you need a new goal because you feel like you’re floating.”

He further explained that the couple isn’t used to seeing so many zeros in their net worth and that now it’s time to let their “emotions catch up with your math,” adding, “Emotionally, it takes a little while to get used to it.”

Basically, the couple needs to figure out where they want to put all this hard-earned money they’re making, which can be a hard and big decision, but one many would likely take over the alternative (i.e., not having enough money).