'We own 7 properties. Why can't we pay for groceries?' — Ramit Sethi's advice to...

'We own 7 properties. Why can't we pay for groceries?' — Ramit Sethi's advice to a SoCal couple is to challenge their poverty mindset, examine the facts, and enjoy their wealth

Travis and Natalie are a married couple in their 40s raising four children in Southern California. Travis is in the military while Natalie stays home to run the household and care for their kids.

And they appeared on Episode 88 of Ramit Sethi's "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" podcast because despite having more than $1 million in assets and investments, they routinely fight over $20 Amazon purchases and feel as though they can't afford groceries — even though theirs is a situation many couples would fight for.

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While this could be a story about struggling with the exorbitant expenses of Orange County — where the couple lives and the cost of living is 51% higher than the national average — it’s anything but. The combination of Travis's five-figure gross monthly income plus the income from their seven cash-positive rental properties should provide way more than enough to provide for their family.

But as Travis put it, when does the grind stop and the enjoyment begin?

This became the crux of the story — one where negative financial beliefs can trump reality — and revealed the key to solving their financial woes.

How much is enough?

Travis and Natalie are doing everything you're supposed to do financially speaking. They live well within their means, saving 29% of Travis's income, and have a diversified portfolio of investments, savings and rental properties. Their only debt is $401,000 in mortgages on those rental properties. This has earned them a net worth of almost six figures. And yet they're tapping their savings to pay for groceries and feel as though they lack the funds to live comfortably.