Dave Ramsey’s Daughter Rachel Cruze Opens Up About Very ‘Different’ Childhood (Exclusive)

Growing up with Dave Ramsey as a father came with its own unique set of lessons. Rachel Cruze says it made her childhood “different” than what most of her peers experienced.

“I think people really assume that we grew up in like a really legalistic, money household, where we had mutual fund [themed] birthday parties, and went to budget camp in the summer and it was all money-focused all the time,” Cruze exclusively tells PEOPLE. “And honestly, that was not the case. And now I’m so thankful to look back and be like, yes, that was not the case at all.”

Some expectations did stand out in the Nashville suburb where she was raised. Speaking about one example — the family’s approach to teen car purchases — she notes it “was probably a little different.” She explains, “We had to pay for half of our car when we turned 16.”

“The quality of the car depended upon us working and saving. And he called it the ‘401 Dave Plan,’ so he would match whatever we saved.”

Cruze is a two-time no. 1 national bestselling author, financial expert, host of The Rachel Cruze Show and co-host of Smart Money Happy Hour. Since 2010, Rachel has served at Ramsey Solutions, where she teaches people how to avoid debt, budget and win with money at any stage in life.

From an early age, money lessons were hands-on. “Mom and dad were really intentional with teaching us how money works, but they were not overly helicopter [parents], if you will, with our money. So we did have to earn money. He was really big on that,” Cruze says.

“We were never given an allowance, we were always on commission. So you work, you get paid, you don’t work, you don’t get paid,” she explains. “That was definitely a lesson early on that was pretty drilled into our minds that if you want money, you have to work for it. That’s how you get money, is you work for it.”

Giving and saving were instilled, too. “They made us put some money into a giving envelope that we could give somewhere… And then you had a savings envelope… And then there was a spend envelope that you could spend and enjoy. And so it was broken up in those three categories, which honestly is so smart.”

By high school, real-world responsibility ramped up. Cruze says her parents “would put a certain amount of money in [a student checking] account and we had to budget that.”

“And if we wanted more money, obviously, we had to get a job.” 

However, there were stumbles along the way. “I actually bounced three checks the second month I had my account. I think it was at Hollister and Abercrombie, and all the 2002 stores in the mall. And I had to go down to the bank and apologize to the branch manager for it.”

Away from money, a favorite memory captures Dave Ramsey at home. “He always coined this phrase, ‘It’s a Ramsey family adventure,’” Cruze says. “It was always in times of danger or something that was really scary… I remember him just yelling like, ‘It’s just a Ramsey family adventure.’”

Now, she hears herself saying it with her own twist. “I was like, ‘Guys, it’s just a Cruze family adventure. It’s fine.’”

And the lesson she didn’t fully appreciate until adulthood? “Generosity. I see how much it changes who you are. I think it changes your outlook in life, how you see people. I think it changes the whole character of who you are when you’re a generous, more selfless person than the opposite,” she says. “And I see that now, and I’m so thankful that that’s kind of a habit that’s like part of me.”