Darryl from Virginia called into "The Ramsey Show" looking for a path out of his financial struggles. He and his fiancée carry more than $96,000 in debt and live paycheck to paycheck

Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey asked Darryl for details about his debt. He said he has a $27,000 car loan and $35,000 in student loans, while his fiancée has $7,000 in student loans. Together, they also have $20,000 in 401(k) loans and "a ton" of credit card debt. Their total annual income is $67,000.

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‘Logjam' Situation

Ramsey told Darryl that his finances are in a "logjam," with all his income going out and nothing left to make meaningful progress on his debt each month. He said given the scale of his financial mess, the situation calls for a drastic solution.

"If I woke up in your shoes, I would say I have a radical mess, and so the solution is going to have to be radical," Ramsey said. "Your life’s getting ready to get highly uncomfortable so that you can fix this and get comfortable. Short-term pain is going to give you your long-term peace of mind."

3 Years of ‘Hell'

Ramsey told the caller to sell his $27,000 car immediately and said it's a "nightmare" to have an expensive car while carrying high debt. He even suggested buying a $1,000 "hooptie" if necessary, but emphasized getting rid of the car at all costs. Ramsey also advised the caller to stop eating out and put vacations on hold until all debt is fully paid.

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"You got to get your income up to attack this and then you can make some progress," he said. "I can see you being completely debt-free, no debt at all, within three years, but it is going to be three years of hell, dude."

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‘You've Got a Big Enough Mess Here'

Ramsey warned the caller to prepare for major sacrifices and a complete lifestyle change as skipping vacations, avoiding eating out and selling items would likely lead to friends making fun of him. He said tightening the belt and increasing income to pay down debt is the only way out of the financial mess, and there is no "magic wand" to fix it.

"It’s hard work and it’s deep sacrifice and dude, you’ve got a big enough mess here," Ramsey said. "For me, I’m just going, ‘This sucks, but I’m going to get radical and clean this up and get my life back.'"

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