Rachel Cruze was born the year her parents, Dave and Sharon Ramsey, filed for bankruptcy. Growing up, she watched them rebuild their finances and learn how money works. She became a financial expert, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and the host of The Rachel Cruze Show. More recently she co-hosts the Smart Money Happy Hour podcast with fellow Ramsey Personality George Kamel.

At The Produce Moms we emphasize modeling healthy habits—both in food and in money. Rachel highlights that children benefit directly when parents make positive financial changes, and passing those habits down can motivate parents to start today. The number one financial fear among women, she says, is uncertainty: the worry of asking, if something happens, will we be okay? That anxiety is heightened now by inflation, rising interest rates, layoffs, and recession concerns.

If you’re unhappy with your financial situation—if fear rises every time you use a card—the first step is to believe you can change it. It may feel uncomfortable, but everyone can choose differently tomorrow and begin a new path.

“First and foremost, I just want to say to everyone out there: I’ve heard every income level, every debt level, I’ve heard every story you could ever imagine over 12 years of doing this. And the number one common denominator of watching people win with money, getting out of debt, living on a budget, investing, saving for their kids’ college, doing things they never thought was possible, is they first believe that they could.” Rachel Cruze (10:09-10:27)

Rachel’s practical advice for taking control of your finances instead of letting money control you:

1. Build a starter emergency fund of $1,000. (A majority of U.S. adults—57%—say they cannot afford a $1,000 emergency expense.)
2. Use the Debt Snowball: pay off your smallest debt first, then apply that payment to the next smallest, and continue until you’re debt-free except for your mortgage.
3. Save three to six months’ worth of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund.

On average this process takes about three to four years: roughly 18–24 months to eliminate most consumer debt and about another year to complete the emergency fund. Though it requires time and discipline, the payoff is significant. Without debt and with several months of expenses saved, your whole perspective on money changes. Anxiety eases because you have a reliable financial foundation.

Finding extra money to follow these steps can feel impossible, especially for busy parents who can’t take on extra hours. A close look at your budget often uncovers opportunities to free up cash. Small adjustments add up and make the plan achievable.

The average produce department offers more than 200 items and is designed to encourage variety and volume. Food security ties into national and human security, so supporting American farmers—primarily through smart grocery choices—is important. Here are steps to stretch your food budget while eating well:

Be mindful about where you shop. Name brands are often pricier without offering better nutrition.

Plan your meals. Planning prevents buying ingredients you won’t use.

Consider frozen produce. Frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient and nutritious because they’re frozen at peak freshness.

Shop circular ads. Weekly sales usually follow seasonality; building your shopping list around them means better-tasting produce and lower prices.

Use your store’s app. Apps send sale alerts and coupons that help you save.

Try curbside pickup or delivery. Fees can be offset by avoiding impulse purchases when shopping online or off-site.

Eat what you buy. Nearly 40% of harvested fruits and vegetables go to waste, much of it at home. Our Produce Directory can help you choose items with longer shelf life and learn proper storage to reduce waste.

To deepen your knowledge about money basics—investing for retirement, saving for college, and building wealth—or to find upcoming Building Wealth events (live and livestream), visit RachelCruze.com and RamseySolutions.com for details and resources.

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook to continue the conversation each week.
• Reach out to share where you are in life and business—we’d love to hear from you. Find out more here.

Previous episodes you may enjoy

• Episode 249: Aaron Sanchez
• Episode 248: Simon Sacal
• Episode 247: Chrissie Zavicar
• Episode 246: Chef Todd Fisher
• Episode 245: Megan Klein
• Episode 244: Robert Lambert

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. Your feedback helps us grow and spread the word.