1. Ramsey Solutions, “Money, Marriage, and Communication,” The State of Money in the American Household, February 7, 2017, https://www.daveramsey.com/research/money-marriage-communication.

2. Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money (Franklin, Tennessee: Ramsey Press, 2012), 78.

3. Direct phone conversation with author, 2019.

4. Chapman University, “America’s Top Fears 2018,” Chapman University Survey of American Fears, October 16, 2018, https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2018/10/16/americas-top-fears-2018/.

5. CareerBuilder, “Living Paycheck to Paycheck Is a Way of Life for Majority of US Workers, According to New CareerBuilder Survey,” August 24, 2017, http://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-08-24-Living-Paycheck-to-Paycheck-is-a-Way-of-Life-for-Majority-of-U-S-Workers-According-to-New-CareerBuilder-Survey.

6. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, “Report on the Economic Well-Being of US Households in 2018,” May 2019, https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2018-report-economic-well-being-us-households-201905.pdf.

7. Ramsey Solutions, “Money, Marriage, and Communication,” The State of Money in the American Household, February 7, 2017, https://www.daveramsey.com/research/money-marriage-communication.

8. Anna Prior, “Route to an $8 Million Portfolio Started With Frugal Living,” The Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2015, https://www.wsj.com/articles/route-to-an-8-million-portfolio-started-with-frugal-living-1426780320.

9. Chris Hogan, The National Study of Millionaires (Franklin, Tennessee: Ramsey Press, 2020).

10. Chris Hogan, The National Study of Millionaires (Franklin, Tennessee: Ramsey Press, 2020), 21.

11. Dave Ramsey, “$700,000 in Debt and Ready to Declare Bankruptcy!” The Dave Ramsey Show, April 20, 2018, YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CddhYTP8Kpk.

12. Brené Brown, “shame v. guilt,” January 14, 2013, https://brenebrown.com/blog/2013/01/14/shame-v-guilt/.

13. Brittany Hodak, “How Bobby Bones Became the Most Powerful Man in Country Music,” Forbes, January 6, 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanyhodak/2017/01/06/how-bobby-bones-became-the-most-powerful-man-in-country-music/.

14. Merriam-Webster, s.v. “enabler (n.),” accessed 2019, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enabler.

15. Sissy Goff, “AMKOT—Girls and Resourcefulness Part One,” Raising Boys & Girls (blog), September 28, 2017, https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/raisingboysandgirls-blog/amkot-girls-and-resourcefulness-part-one.

16. Wealthsimple, “Debt: A Love Story,” Wealthsimple Magazine, November 5, 2018, https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-us/magazine/couple-debt.

17. Dave Ramsey, “Dr. Cloud Talks About Setting Boundaries (Part 1)” The Dave Ramsey Show, January 21, 2014, Youtube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiZ4PQvma-s.

18. Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming (New York, New York: Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1992), 42.

19. Ramsey Solutions, Survey on Consumer Debt, 2020.

20. Maggie Parker, “Honeymoon Hashtag Hell,” The New York Times, June 19, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/fashion/weddings/honeymoon-hashtag-hell.html.

21. Maggie Parker, “Honeymoon Hashtag Hell,” The New York Times, June 19, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/fashion/weddings/honeymoon-hashtag-hell.html.

22. Heather Craig, “The Research on Gratitude and Its Link with Love andHappiness,” PositivePsychology.com, March 18, 2020, https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-research/

23. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest: Classic Edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Our Daily Bread Publishing; 2017).

24. Jacqueline Curtis, “7 Psychological Triggers That Cause Spending—How to Deal With Them,” Money Crashers, https://www.moneycrashers.com/psychological-triggers-cause-spending/.

25. Ramsey Solutions, “The State of Debt Among Americans,” The State of Debt Among Americans Study, October 25, 2018, https://www.daveramsey.com/research/state-of-debt-among-americans.

26. John Ortberg, Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2014).

27. Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles (New York, New York: Black Irish Entertainment, LLC., 2002).

28. Ramsey Solutions, “Money, Marriage, and Communication,” The State of Money in the American Household, February 7, 2017, https://www.daveramsey.com/research/money-marriage-communication.

29. Angela Harmon (@DebtKickinMom), Instagram post (used with permission), October 26, 2019, https://www.instagram.com/p/B4FrD35jtqcGuU6pL9GOtTwM546c85S1vuC0Zk0.

30. Ramsey Solutions, Survey on Consumer Debt, 2020.

31. Nielson, “Women: Primed and Ready for Progress,” Insights (blog), October 14, 2019, https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2019/women-primed-and-ready-for-progress/.

32. Joseph T. Hallinan, “The Remarkable Power of Hope,” Psychology Today, May 7, 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope.

33. Joseph T. Hallinan, “The Remarkable Power of Hope,” Psychology Today, May 7, 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope.