More than $200,000 in cryptocurrency once supported the couple. Today, they are left with about $4,000 in assets and mounting debt.
“We’re winging everything,” David told Personal Finance Expert Ramit Sethi on the I Will Teach You to Be Rich Podcast.
David said the couple viewed their crypto gains as income, a mentality that gradually undermined their finances. They are both in their early 30s and now live with David’s mother while raising their 5-year-old daughter as unstable job options and spending decisions have left them without a stable footing.
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In their written application submission for the podcast, Angela wrote that they “lived a wealthy life as if we were truly wealthy” and quit low-paying jobs as their savings declined.
Sisi rejected this approach, saying action without clear numbers and timetables did not amount to planning. He said the decisions they outlined lacked timelines, accountability and clear revenue assumptions.
David admits that the problem is not effort, but structure. “We never had a plan,” he said, describing how decisions about jobs, housing and money were often made without clear expectations or follow-up actions.
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This pressure is most evident in the way day-to-day arrangements work.
“There’s no room for anyone,” Angela said, referring to the disrupted sleep, limited privacy and constant tension that comes with sharing a small home.
Despite not paying rent, their financial situation remains fragile. Data shared on the show showed their total assets were $4,000, debts were $34,632, and their net worth was negative $25,629. That total included $4,242 in savings and $761 in investments, according to the couple’s breakdown in the episode.
Sisi said their fixed costs appeared manageable thanks to the temporary removal of housing charges, warning that the figure would quickly collapse once rents were recalculated.
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“My mother paid for all of our expenses throughout the last year,” David said, adding that the support paid off about $90,000 in credit card debt and a second mortgage on her home.
