It is rare for the fiscally conservative hosts of The Ramsey Show—famous for their “beans and rice” approach to budgeting—to encourage spending money on a grand adventure. But on the November 20, 2025 episode, the team made a surprising and enthusiastic exception for Semester at Sea.
The Caller’s Dilemma: Keep Selling or Sail?
At the 34:30 mark of the episode, a caller named Ian from Hartford, Connecticut, presented a unique “good problem” to the hosts.
At just 20 years old, Ian runs a lucrative affiliate marketing business. He was torn between two choices: keeping his nose to the grindstone to continue scaling his business, or hitting the pause button to embark on a Semester at Sea voyage.
For Ian, the opportunity cost was real. He worried that stepping away from his business for a semester might slow his financial momentum.
The Verdict: Go for It!
Expectations might suggest the Ramsey personalities would advise Ian to keep working and save the travel for later. Instead, the response was instantaneous and unanimous.
Co-host Jade Warshaw, author of What No One Tells You About Money, didn’t hesitate. Her advice was clear: prioritizing life experience over immediate income in this specific season of life is the right move.
You’re going to have to convince me not to go,” Warshaw told Ian. “All that other stuff will be waiting for you… This is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am 100% yes!
The studio audience and other hosts agreed.
Even financial experts recognize that the window for a transformative college experience is small. As Warshaw noted, the business world will still be there when the ship docks, but the chance to sail the world with a community of peers is fleeting.
Ready for your once-in-a-lifetime experience?
View our upcoming study abroad voyages embarking each fall and spring semesters, offering you the opportunity to explore 10+ countries while earning 12-15 undergraduate credits.
