💵 Sign up for EveryDollar today - Create a free Budget!
Did you miss the latest Ramsey Show episode? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! Get all the highlights you missed plus some of the best moments from the show. Watch entertaining calls, Dave Rants, guest interviews, and more!
Next Steps
📞 Have a question for the show? Call 888-825-5225 Weekdays from 2-5pm ET or click here!
Listen to more from Ramsey Network
🎙️ The Ramsey Show
🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show
🍸 Smart Money Happy Hour
💡 The Rachel Cruze Show
💰 George Kamel
💼 The Ken Coleman Show
📈 EntreLeadership
Learn more about your ad choices. https://www.megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy
I have a dilemma. My coworker accidentally backed into my car earlier this week, and she's wanting to not go through insurance and just pay out of pocket so that she doesn't have to have a race go up. But I'm feeling nervous about that. And I just kind of wanted to talk it out. -How well do you know this coworker? -Pretty well. Like I've been to her house and I know a bit of her financial situation too. So that's like a layer as well. -Do you guys like each other? -Oh yeah. Yeah. I like her. -There's a reason I got an angle, George. But I'm going to let you walk through this financially. -Let's do some fact-finding. How bad is the damage? -So I got three different quotes, and they ranged from 1,500 to 3,600. -Whoa. This is a pretty serious situation. -Oh. -She was in a hurry, huh? This is not a dent. -Yeah. Yeah. It's a big dent. Yeah. -Okay. So let's put her on the high end. Let's say it's 3,600. She's saying I'd rather pay you the 3,600 than go through insurance. Does she have the money to pay for it up front? -No. Yeah. So no. So when I came back with those amounts that I got for myself, she said, "Wow. Are they trying to repair the whole car?" And I was like, "No. It's just for the dent." And then she said, "I found someone who would do it for last summer." -No. I'm not going to let Uncle Ricky Bobby handle this. We're going to go through a professional route. She doesn't get to choose the person. And she doesn't even have the money to cover the repair. -Well, yeah. So that was like one of the dilemmas is like, because I do know her. I know her financial situation. She's a single mom. And there's just a lot of complex things going on in her life. Again, because I know her. But I worry that if I did let her go and pay me on the side, what if I have to kind of counter for the money or something like that? -Yeah. That's not an option. It's trying to be nice is going to rain drama on your life. And that is not worth it for you. Don't take on that burden because you want to be a sweet person, which I can tell that you are because you're calling in, you're toiling over this dilemma. And I just think the long-term implications of what this could be and how it's going to hurt the relationship is going to be worse if you let her go through this weird process. -Weird question, George. Maybe it's not a weird question. Do you have an opinion here or some actual knowledge on if this coworker actually filed with her insurance? I said I backed into my coworker here. It feels like whatever bump an insurance could be less. If she has a good driving record, I just wonder if it's-- -Oh, she does it. Oh, no. Because you know what I was thinking. -That she told me. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. -Well, Kaylee, what I was wondering is, is it going to be less money out of pocket for her even with the insurance hit than painting? -Let's say it's $3,600. Well, let's say the bump was $200. Now, that's ongoing for a while until her insurance bumps back down after a clean driving record. But I don't think her terrible driving record has anything to do with you. -You're just-- -Not your fault. -Yeah, you've got to protect yourself in the situation, and I don't think that makes you a worse person. And she doesn't have the money. So that puts you in-- So you understand. That puts you in a collection. -350. Oh, sorry. -No, go ahead. Her premium's $3.50 a month. -Already. -Four grand a year. -For one car. -Yeah. -Oh. -She's a little nervous, too, because she has a side job, too, and she has to drive for it, and she's worried that, like, if she has another mark on her record, that she might lose that side job. -There's just, like, a lot of layers here, obviously. -Yes. I understand it's complicated, and this is going to affect her life in some way. I still would file a claim through your insurance, because it's going to be really tough to get insurance involved later. And all you have at this point is her word that she'll pay, and we don't even know that she'll pay. Because she's going to say, "Well, since this guy can do it for $300, I'm only going to pay you $300, and it's on you if you want to get it done somewhere else." I'm not okay with that. Either way, this relationship is going to be strained from here on out. -Yeah. -But I'd rather you not take on the drama just to be a sweet person. -Well, thank you very much. That's kind of where my husband and I have landed, too. -It stinks. I mean, I hate that, but my goodness. What I don't understand is why her side job would be in danger. I don't get that part. -Well, maybe your driving record affects these side jobs, and if you have a certain number of dings, you can't drive for Uber. I don't know how the back end works for that. -Oh, I see the drive. Okay, I got you. -Alright, well, tough situation. -It's kind of like if someone committed a crime for the fifth time, and they're like, "Hey, they could have probation because of this. That's not your fault. They backed into you. I want you to protect your finances, and she will survive this." She survived it already with her terrible driving record, so hopefully she has learned a lesson. -Create your free every dollar budget today, the simplest way to budget for your life.
