A mortgage-free home has not kept Grace and Chris from spending more each month than they bring in. In a conversation on Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You to Be Rich podcast, Grace described the couple’s finances as “108%” and explained, “That we spend more a month than we make.” Benzinga reported on the episode on October 5, 2026; the figures are a snapshot of this couple’s situation, not audited records or a guide to other households.
What does the reported 108% mean?
Grace gave the 108% figure when asked what the couple’s numbers showed. The episode transcript does not establish exactly how that percentage was calculated, and a later discussion refers to being “at 89% with effectively no mortgage.” Those figures should not be treated as a fully reconciled budget measure. Grace’s own explanation is plainer: they spend more in a month than they make.
The distinction matters: the report calls 108% their fixed costs as a share of take-home pay, but the available account does not resolve the calculation behind that label. The episode’s title asks, “We spend 108% of what we make. Are we screwed?” It is a question about this couple’s finances, not a general financial threshold.
What Benzinga reported about their finances
Benzinga’s October 5, 2026 account of the podcast discussion says Grace and Chris are 30 and 29, respectively, with combined income above $112,000. It reports approximately $119,500 in investments, $7,350 in savings, roughly $22,500 in credit-card debt, and a car loan. The couple’s home was purchased outright with help from Grace’s grandmother.
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The mix is more informative than any one balance: the report describes savings and investments alongside credit-card debt and spending that exceeds income. It does not establish that the couple’s assets are readily available to pay off the debt, or provide independently verified financial statements.
Monthly amounts in the report
Benzinga lists these monthly figures from the episode discussion:
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| Reported expense | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Dogs | $735 |
| Grace’s wellness expenses | $662 |
| Insurance | $922 |
| Ford Bronco Sport, recently purchased | $502 |
| Credit-card payments | $1,218 |
These are case details reported about Grace and Chris, not benchmarks for what households should spend. The report does not provide enough detail here to reconcile every category against the 108% and later 89% references.
How Amazon deliveries fit into the story
Chris described spending as a pattern that builds across everyday choices: “We’re going out. Amazon packages are coming to the door and we’re going out to eat. And then that just kind of stacks up.” The episode presents online purchases alongside eating out and socializing, rather than identifying Amazon orders as the sole cause of the shortfall.
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Benzinga reports that Grace estimated they ate out twice a week and Chris guessed three times; after discussing their routine, the report gives the frequency as at least 15. That striking figure is not clearly defined in the available account as a weekly or monthly measure, so it should not be treated as a precise rate. The useful point is that the couple’s initial estimates differed from the routine described in the discussion.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The disagreement is also about engagement
The episode portrays the problem as more than arithmetic: the spouses differ in how engaged they are with money conversations. Grace said, “I feel like I’m crying for help on a sinking ship, and no one is coming to help me.” Sethi told them, “You two are skating on very thin ice.” These remarks capture the stress surrounding the numbers, but they do not establish a diagnosis or predict what will happen to the couple’s finances.
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What this case does—and does not—show
- A home without a mortgage does not guarantee that monthly spending stays within income; other costs and debt payments still matter.
- Looking only at savings, investments, or debt would leave out important parts of the couple’s reported picture.
- Chris’s Amazon example is one part of a broader pattern that also includes eating out and social spending.
- The figures are reported about one couple in a podcast discussion and a secondary news account. No audited records or verified later financial update are established by those sources.
The primary account is the official episode page and transcript. The detailed balances and expense amounts above are attributed to Benzinga’s report.
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