Dave Says –

Dear Dave,
My husband and I are in Baby Step 3. We currently have $1,800 saved toward our fully funded emergency fund goal of $20,000. I want to spend $400 on a flour mill that’s on sale. You use them to mill wheat into flour. Our household income is about $50,000 a year, and we have enough money in our checking account to cover the cost without putting us in a bind. Would this be okay?
Teresa
Dear Teresa,
If you’re looking for a flour mill, I’ve got a used one I’ll sell you — cheap. We’ve even got a 5-gallon bucket of grain sitting at home in a closet from when my wife went through this fad two years ago. As I understand it, these machines are basically magic. They filter out all the little glutens, all the little COVIDs and anything else that can kill you, right?
Hey, I’m just being silly with you. I’m all for eating healthy, but here’s the deal: The answer I’m about to give you isn’t really about a flour mill. It’s not even about the $400. My answer is about getting you to pay attention to what your actions with money say about your standards, your behavior and your discipline as an adult.
When my wife and I were at your point in our financial journey, we would’ve looked at this situation in two ways: One, it’s not a necessity or an emergency. It’s just not. Two, we don’t even have a full emergency fund of 3-6 months of expenses in place yet. So, we wouldn’t have bought the flour mill. I know that’s not the fun answer, but it’s the smart answer. 
Do you get what I’m saying? You’ve got to have a filter for making decisions that aligns with your framework. You and your husband have been using the Baby Steps as your framework for financial decisions up to this point. That part of your brain is screaming, “Don’t do it!” — even though mathematically, it’s not a really big deal. That’s the conflict and the reason you’re asking me if it’s okay.
Teresa, you and your husband have recently reset the way your brains think about money. You’ve made so much progress in getting to Baby Step 3, and I’m really afraid this will mess it all up. In my mind, it’d almost be like falling off the wagon, you know?
Long story short, you just started building your emergency fund. This is a luxury item, not an emergency and not a necessity. I wouldn’t do it.
— Dave
*Dave Ramsey is a nine-time national bestselling author, personal finance expert and host of “The Ramsey Show.” He has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “CBS Mornings,” “Today,” Fox News, CNN, Fox Business and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people take control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.