Sometimes a family finance question lands with enough tension to spark a full-blown philosophical debate. That's what happened on "The Ramsey Show" when Sierra from Portland, Oregon called in with a problem: she and her husband had reached Baby Step Five in Ramsey's financial plan, the stage focused on saving for a child's education, but her husband wanted no part of it.

His reason? College is a "waste of money."

Dave Ramsey didn't mince words in response. "We're not going to salute that stupidity either," the personal finance host said, adding that "the idea that all kids don't need a four-year education is ludicrous."

When Trade Success Changes The Conversation

Here's the backstory: both Sierra and her husband earned bachelor's degrees and initially built careers around those credentials. But her husband eventually left that path and moved into a trade. The switch paid off spectacularly. Within two years of changing careers, his income doubled.

That success reshaped his entire view of higher education. "He thinks that college is like a waste of money now that he's been in a trade," Sierra explained. Beyond dismissing the degree itself, her husband believes their son should fund his own education to develop a proper appreciation for money.

Sierra mentioned one wrinkle: a union program tied to her husband's trade might eventually cover college costs, though the degree options would be limited and the program isn't guaranteed.

Ramsey Dismantles The Character Building Argument

Ramsey went straight after the logic that withholding money builds character. "The idea that the only way your child learns the value of a dollar is to make sure they have no dollars is bullcrap," he said. Paying for college doesn't prevent children from developing work ethic or understanding what money means, he argued.

He acknowledged the husband's focus on hard work, earning one's way, and self-reliance as legitimate values. But those principles can be taught whether or not parents set aside education funds, Ramsey said. Covering educational costs doesn't stop parents from setting rules, expecting their kids to work, or holding them accountable along the way.

Ramsey also took aim at a common critique of higher education, agreeing that some degrees lack practical application and that students who pile up debt for programs without clear career paths are making a mistake. But that concern, he said, doesn't invalidate education itself.

Money Creates Options, Not Obligations

"When you have money allocated, you're giving your kids options," Ramsey said. The crucial point: saving for education doesn't lock a child into a four-year college track. Those funds can cover trade school, certifications, professional licenses, military training, or traditional college. Without money set aside, many of those pathways simply disappear.

It's a practical take on a debate that often gets framed in absolutes. The husband saw his trade career as proof that college is unnecessary. Ramsey sees saving as creating flexibility for whatever path makes sense when the time comes.