Evil Husband Forces Wife Into $356,955 Of Debt | Financial Audit

Summary

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Financial Audit Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Evil Husband Forces Wife Into $356,955 Of Debt
Host: Caleb Hammer
Guests: “Maria” (27, engineer, part-time), “Santiago” (29, construction safety, dual jobs)
Date: November 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Financial Audit brings a married couple, “Maria” and “Santiago,” to confront their staggering financial crisis: over $350,000 in debt including a shocking $130,000 of consumer debt (outside of mortgage and student loans). Host Caleb Hammer scrutinizes the roots of their debt, exposes the harmful financial dynamics in their relationship, and delivers tough love—urging accountability and drastic change. The tone is alternately humorous, confrontational, and exasperated, reflecting both the couple’s friction and Caleb’s no-nonsense advice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Income, Family, & Living Situation

• Maria: Engineer, $32/hr, part-time (24 hours/week) [01:54]. Works less to care for two-year-old daughter.
• Santiago: Construction safety manager; $86k/year + 19-20% bonus, recently added an OSHA training side gig ($450/week avg) [04:10].
• Income fluctuates, but combined, they currently net close to $10,000/month [28:24].
• Moved to the Houston suburbs for “better” environment & house (motivated by Santiago, Maria reluctantly agreed) [07:04].
• Maria experiences postpartum depression and anxiety, influencing her reluctance to return to work and preference for staying home [15:17], [22:03].

2. Origins and Escalation of Debt

• Santiago took unilateral control of finances, mostly “to protect Maria from stress.” In practice, this meant hiding or not communicating overdue bills, missed payments, and borrowing/pawning to cover costs [05:01], [13:13], [42:37].
• House purchase was rushed at Santiago’s insistence, despite Maria’s reservations [09:39], [32:06].
• When Maria stayed home after childbirth, they lost second income, but spending continued as if dual income persisted [13:36].
• Santiago left a stable job for a startup with a “promised” $100k+ salary, which soon went under, resulting in months with as little as $500 in income [16:03], [18:48].
• To maintain lifestyle and bills: took survival loans, pawned items, spent Maria’s 401(k), and opened multiple credit cards. Neither adjusted spending meaningfully [14:56], [19:57], [20:16].
• Reluctance to cut back deeply rooted: fear of daycare abuse, use of debt to maintain “normalcy,” and impulsive purchases justified as “necessary" (e.g., RV for Santiago’s mom, water softener, telescope) [14:00], [33:32], [57:33].

3. Debt Breakdown & Financial Mismanagement

• Total household debt: $356,955 (includes mortgage, auto, student loans, RV, consumer loans, credit cards, medical bills) [104:01].
• Non-mortgage/student loan debt: $111,412 [104:13].
• Multiple maxed-out or over-limit credit cards; repeated failed/late payments, hundreds in fees, 30%+ interest loans [42:01], [54:25], [61:28].
• Largest consumer debt items:
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee: $1,455/mo, $64k principal, severely underwater due to negative equity roll-over from previous vehicles [89:07].
  • RV loan: $21k balance, $541/mo—used by Santiago’s mother, but they’re responsible for payments [92:04].
  • Water softener system: $8,933, 11-year payoff at $125/mo [83:09].
  • Medical debt: $14,000 (uninsured procedures, emergencies, and Maria not covered as they’re not legally married) [87:20].
  • Maria withdrew $17k + extra $1k from her 401(k), now owed back [22:24], [98:22].
• Multiple minimum payments missed or bounced due to mismanaged auto-payments and low checking balances—statements often not reviewed [42:53], [66:14].

4. Household and Relationship Dynamics

• Communication breakdown: Both alternately try to “take over” finances, but neither trusts or coordinates with the other. Maria asks, Santiago evades or lies; Maria tries, but only tracks payments, misses the big picture [23:39], [48:04].
• “Plans” abound, but execution is poor or nonexistent; Santiago described by Caleb as “plan guy” whose plans never work [46:40].
• Budgeting constantly shifting—sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly, but still ad hoc and incomplete [53:43].
• Therapy and constant arguments (“almost every other day”) over money, distrust, and lack of shared vision [48:41], [66:39].
• Maria forced Santiago onto the podcast, blaming his secrecy and mismanagement for their state (“It’s his fault we’re here…” [12:07], [49:00]).

5. Lifestyle Choices & Spending Habits

• Impulsive, unnecessary purchases:
  • Home improvement at Home Depot (often over the limit, $219 in fees, deferred interest hit) [42:13], [61:12].
  • “Hobbies” (telescope post-McConaughey movie, resold at loss after one use) [56:01].
  • Daughter’s gold earrings (“needed,” but not affordable) [60:09].
  • Expensive coffee shop lattes for Maria, despite owning an espresso machine [71:09], comedic live taste test [84:04].
  • Eating out, energy drinks, and fast food despite negative checking balances [100:01].
  • Added big recurring payments for family (RV for mom, covering daycare at times) [92:04], [93:40].
• Excuses for spending (“my mom helps us,” “I wanted to make Maria happy,” “needed comfort for the house”), refusal to cut back [41:43], [57:13], [77:33].

6. External (Mis)Advice & Attempts at Reform

• Financial advisor told Santiago: “honey, you just need to file bankruptcy.” Caleb strongly disagrees, says change in behavior is more important [30:16], [105:39].
• Relationship therapy (“crazy… we let everything out and we both start going at it” [48:36]), but arguments persist.
• Attempted “planners” and budgeting boards, but with weak accountability [28:44].
• Caleb urges monthly budgeting, open conversations, and fundamental behavioral change; uses recurring line: “This is not an income problem. It’s a spending problem.”

7. Prospects and Caleb's Recommendations

• Situation is grave but not hopeless:
  • With current income and massive lifestyle changes, debt (outside home/student loans) can be paid in under five years [105:36].
  • Immediate priorities: stop spending, budget jointly (no more individual “takeovers”), tackle high-interest consumer debt first, do not declare bankruptcy if behavior changes.
  • Invest in learning/using financial tools (e.g., DollarWise, Fizz debit card, course certifications).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Responsibility and Blame

• Maria: “It’s his fault that we’re here. So he has that.” [11:50]
• Caleb: “You didn’t provide… You guys kind of still just had a kid. Not paying your bills, risk losing the house over your head… that stresses.” [13:08]

On Home Purchase

• Caleb: “Kids are raised in apartments all over the world.” [06:43]
• Maria: “We were even looking for another apartment and then you’re like, let’s try to get into the house.” [07:04]

On Communication Failures

• Caleb: “She was trying to be a part of it, trying to understand if it was appropriate to spend or not… and you just lied.” [24:20]
• Santiago: “I didn’t want her to have that additional stress. I’d rather carry the burden myself…” [78:57]
• Caleb: “You can’t make progress towards a situation if you don’t even know what’s happening.” [67:36]

On Out-of-Control Spending

• Caleb: “Impulse buys on a telescope after Interstellar? You’re years behind on that one.” [56:00]
• Caleb: “You have a wife and child at home. I don’t care about your Home Depot addiction.” [41:15]

On Debt

• Caleb: “You owe $21,543.66 on an RV. What is wrong with you?” [93:05]
• Caleb: “This ended two days ago. …You just had $500 in deferred interest hit.” [62:31]
• Caleb: “If you sold [the house] today, you’d lose money… This was a really stupid thing to do, guys.” [95:59]

On Attempts at Change (and Denial)

• Santiago: “We have a greater capacity to start paying off now. …We realize, okay, we [messed] up… At least you are [making progress].”
• Caleb: “But you can’t make progress towards a situation that you don’t even know… That doesn’t make any sense.” [67:36]

On Coffee Priorities

• Maria (after a coffee taste test): “Oh, I like sweetness” (unimpressed by homemade latte) [85:11]
• Caleb: “You can make coffee at home. …Just add more sweetness, get their syrup, figure out what syrup they have…” [86:38]
• Caleb: “You can’t afford it. You can barely keep the roof over your head. …No, you guys are together or not. Choose.” [73:10]

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:54 | Maria shares engineering job details, part-time work due to child | | 04:10 | Santiago adds second job, boosting income | | 06:43 | Move to suburb—house purchase disagreement | | 13:08 | Financial (mis)management, “protecting” wife by hiding bad news | | 16:03 | Startup “guaranteed salary” collapses, leads to income disruption | | 22:24 | Maria cashes out 401k, explains postpartum stress and spending fears | | 24:20 | Financial secrecy and lying around missed payments | | 32:06 | Maria forced Santiago onto Financial Audit—holding him accountable for situation | | 41:15 | Host confronts Santiago on reckless Home Depot addiction, over-the-limit card, and priorities | | 49:00 | Weekly couples therapy, recent fight over buying donuts for coworkers | | 53:43 | Budgeting “by the week”—flawed methodology | | 62:31 | Deferred interest hits, “promotional” period on credit card ends | | 66:14 | Discovery card, mismanagement, continued payment failures | | 73:10 | Host’s tough love: “You can’t afford [coffee shops]… you guys are together or not. Choose.” | | 83:09 | $8,933 debt for water softener/filtration system “sold” by persuasive rep | | 89:07 | $1,455/mo car payment for Jeep Grand Cherokee, $64k principal—grossly underwater | | 92:04 | $21k RV loan for Santiago's mom, now stuck with bill | | 95:59 | Home is underwater, would lose money if sold today | |104:01-104:13| Debt tally, possibilities with current income, plan for 5-year payoff (no bankruptcy needed) | |106:55 | Caleb’s Hammer Financial Score: 1/10—gross mismanagement in nearly every evaluated financial category |

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Overall Flow & Tone

Caleb’s approach is a blend of humor, sarcasm, and blunt critique, pushing the couple to admit responsibility while exposing their cycles of denial and poor decision-making. The episode cycles through each debt account in detail, layering personal stories and relationship dynamics throughout, culminating in a forceful, but ultimately hopeful, action plan: with discipline and joint action, bankruptcy can be avoided, and the couple can climb out in five years.

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For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In:
This episode is a masterclass in what not to do in joint finances. You’ll hear how well-meaning but secretive “protection” can destroy trust—and create six-figure debt. If you’re in a relationship, these dynamics may sound uncomfortably familiar. Caleb’s tough love, the candid couple’s arguments, and sharp moments of levity make this a can’t-miss for anyone struggling to get their financial house in order.

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BONUS: Key Financial Audit Lessons

• Clear, honest, and regular communication on finances is non-negotiable.
• Plans are useless unless executed and evaluated together.
• Behavioral change, not just more money, is the path out of debt.
• Don’t buy into lifestyle inflation, especially during or after major life changes.
• Check your statements. Always.
• Stop using debt to fund wants. Differentiate needs vs wants (e.g., gold baby earrings, hobbies, extra convenience spending).
• Defer “big moves” (home purchase, expensive vehicles) if they strain your budget—better housing can be a trap, not a step up.

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Hammer Financial Score: 1/10

• Spending/budgeting: 0/10 (even “underspent” months come from missed payments or overdrafts)
• Debt: 1/10 (not yet in collections, but massive, mismanaged)
• Emergency fund: 0/10
• Retirement: 1/10 (loans against 401k, cashed out most)
• Real estate: 3/10 (home underwater, forced appreciation hasn't materialized)

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For More

• See the full numbers and post-show “juicy stuff” in the Hammer Elite membership.
• Free Hammer Financial score assessment: calebhammer.com
• DollarWise budgeting app recommended for tracking.

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End of Summary—For actionable advice, start with an honest conversation, a monthly joint budget, and a commitment to no more “plans” without mutual agreement and follow-through.

Transcript

[A]

To watch episodes of financial audit a week earlier. Check us out on YouTube before he.

[B]

Starts to think it's his fault. It's his fault. We. We got into this because of him.

[C]

I handle everything, right.

[A]

She wants to be a part of it.

[B]

No, I didn't want to be part of it. We ended up falling behind in a lot of payments because he wouldn't communicate to me what we needed to pay on time.

[A]

And you just lied.

[C]

Well, it's not that I lied. It's that at the time, we were doing okay.

[B]

You did.

[A]

How about you guys sit down, do it together?

[B]

Because his ideas won't work.

[A]

You asked for it, and I'm delivering. Master your money. My all in one personal finance platform is finally live. Get access to all of my courses, templates, calculators, budgeting community, and the dollar wise app. And for this black Friday only, grab the ultimate hammer bundle. Lifetime pricing at just 39.99amonth, unlimited use of the dollar wise budgeting app, a free month of Hammer Elite 3.0, and a bonus cookbook. Click below and start mastering your money today.

[B]

Hi, I'm Maria, and I'm 27 years old.

[C]

Hi, Santiago. 29 years old. And we're from Houston, texas, and this.

[B]

Is the financial audit.

[A]

It is. It is. It is. Thanks for coming over from Houston. Really appreciate it. I love how even with your fake name, you gave it that nice Mexican twang. You hit it on the full accent.

[C]

Got to keep it real, dude.

[A]

And we gave you a nice racist name as we usually do. Thank you, Colton. Well, welcome. Welcome over to Austin. Happy to have you guys on financial audit. Well, let's start with you, Maria. What do you do for a living there in Houston?

[B]

I'm an. Oh, sorry. I'm an engineer.

[A]

Oh, sick. What kind?

[B]

I just do engineering. Let's keep it at that.

[A]

Okay. What do you make? You don't have to tell me the industry or anything, but is there, like, engineering could be physical.

[B]

It could be engineering.

[A]

Is it click clacky? Engineering.

[B]

Click clacky. And there you go.

[A]

Oh, and outside. Very good. What are you making?

[B]

$32 an hour.

[A]

An hour. Okay. And how many hours a week are you getting?

[B]

Typically, I try to keep it at a minimum of 24 hours, but I can do more.

[A]

She's only doing 24 hours.

[C]

It's part time.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Well, I have a daughter.

[A]

Just one.

[C]

One.

[A]

One kid?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Huh, huh, huh.

[C]

Two years old.

[B]

You live, what, far away from Houston? We live out in the.

[A]

Out in one of the suburbs. Get a job Closer.

[B]

I tried.

[C]

It didn't work out. It didn't work out.

[B]

There's almost nothing out there.

[A]

That's why maybe we have to move closer.

[C]

It's still very like humans have to.

[A]

Oh, you own a house? Yeah. I mean, humans have to migrate towards opportunity. That's what we've always done as a civilization.

[B]

There's a whole story behind it. That's why.

[A]

But. Well, that's fine. I don't think I need it right now, but. Very good. What hits your account on a per paycheck basis and how often is that?

[B]

So every two weeks I get about 13.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

1300. Yeah.

[A]

Why? She seems so cautious about everything she's saying. She not. Nerves, probably.

[B]

It's a cameras. Okay.

[A]

I know people get a little nervous. No one's used to be. And I don't forget of the camera comes on the show. And I do appreciate you guys coming. Everyone, you know, everyone just watches the show and then they apply to be on. So.

[B]

Huh.

[C]

They need to come on, right?

[A]

Yeah, you guys did. Santiago, what do you do?

[C]

So I'm a construction safety guy, basically.

[A]

Safety guy. Okay, very good. How much you making?

[C]

So I make. It's a yearly salary. It's 86 plus know we get a yearly bonus and stuff.

[A]

What does that look like, the yearly bonus?

[C]

So it's about 19% of your s.19 20% of your salary.

[A]

So that's actually pretty damn chunky. So what hits your account per paycheck?

[C]

Per.

[A]

Per month. Per month. Per month.

[C]

Well, so I get paid. It's like 1250, 1240 per week.

[A]

So per month's like 1240 a week?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's like 49, 42. Average it out some longer, some shorter. Looking like 5373.

[C]

Yeah. And on top of that, I do have like a second job that I kind of like.

[A]

A second job? What is your like a second job?

[C]

So I. I teach OSHA classes, so I'm an OSHA, like outreach trainer. So I do like OSHA 10s and 30s.

[A]

And what are you making from that?

[C]

It depends. Right.

[A]

So on average, average it out.

[C]

Average it out. So for the past couple weeks, like let's say I do one class. It's like average.

[A]

What. What is average? Like over the last, like how?

[C]

Let's say 450 per week on top of regular salary.

[A]

Good. I mean, I love that. Times 52 divided by 12. That's an extra. Look at, I mean, look at that. 1950. Does that sound right?

[C]

It's about right.

[B]

He recently got that job, too.

[A]

Oh, that's good. Two weeks.

[C]

Two, three weeks.

[A]

Because you don't work.

[B]

No, but that is not because it's his fault. It's his fault. We. We got into this because of him. He wasn't telling me.

[A]

Having a kid. No, I mean, you both did the actual.

[B]

It's because he wasn't telling me any of the finances. I was trusting on him.

[A]

What do you mean?

[B]

Like, he was taking over everything. And before you start speaking, this is the. This is the problem. So that's it.

[A]

Latina.

[C]

Here we go. Oh, yeah.

[B]

So the.

[C]

Still highly recommend.

[B]

So it started with him taking over the finances. Like, him taking. Taking over the payments. I will ask him, hey, what do we owe? What do we. What do we have to pay this week? And he'll be like, I got it. Don't worry about it. Just transfer me $700 or give me this, and then I'll pay everything else. So I was, you know, trusting him that he was paying everything, and then he started saying, okay, we might not make the payment for the mortgage. We might not make the payment for the car.

[A]

It was taking control of everything like this. Like, almost forcefully. Like, it sounds like she kind of wanted to be participating in it. But you were just there like, oh, it's me, Santiago, and I'm taking over all the money. Like, I own everything.

[C]

It wasn't exact like that. Right. So it felt like essentially we both were working professionals. Right. Once we graduated and got together, we.

[A]

Had come to almost every man and woman.

[C]

Yeah, well, yeah. But the point is. So we were. When we were living together, before we had our daughter, we were both working, making good money. We're like, all right, cool. We got some. You know, we got some flexibility. We'd go out a lot. We, you know, do all the normal people do. Right.

[A]

Whenever I budget, then, yes. Yeah.

[C]

Well, that's the thing. At that time, we had a fun budget. We, you know, we had enough. Whenever, you know, she got pregnant, you know, we were like, okay, we need to move into. We need to upgrade.

[A]

Right?

[C]

Get a house, do this and that.

[A]

Why.

[C]

That's when.

[A]

Why kids are raised in apartments all over the world.

[B]

That's what I did.

[C]

Yeah, I know, but we lived on the.

[A]

Oh, you told him this?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Oh, so he was really pushing this.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So you didn't even fully agree.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The one who got pregnant. So, dude, she's the one that got pregnant, had to give birth.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Mostly raised the kid, and she's like, I'm chilling in an apartment I was on the third floor.

[B]

We were even looking for another apartment. And then you're like, let's try to get into the house.

[A]

Floor first of all. Second, we did people. There you go. Second, people live on the third floor, bro.

[C]

It was all right.

[B]

So there's no elevators though.

[A]

Well, most don't. No.

[C]

No, aside from Lexus, Yeah, they were ghetto too, but they were not. It was supposedly in a nice area, but it was ghetto, dude. Like you'd come outside and it's like you're talking about cars broken into.

[A]

Well, that sucks. We move apartment complexes. That doesn't mean we buy a house.

[C]

It was.

[A]

You go buy a house in a ghetto area where they slash tires. Well, I'm not even in a bad area and I had a window smashed like last year.

[C]

Well, the thing is. So like what we're paying for the apartment complex or what we're paying for our apartment in Houston? The market's crazy. So it's like you're looking at 18.

[A]

It's not the most expensive city in Texas, it doesn't matter.

[C]

But if you want to live in.

[A]

A semi nice house. You just said it's crazy. It's not.

[C]

If you want to live in a semi nice area.

[A]

Dallas is more expensive, Austin is more expensive Houston than San Antonio.

[C]

You live there, there's more everything in Houston. So there's much more competition, more people want to live in Houston, there's a lot more work. It's a booming city.

[A]

I believe Dallas and Austin are growing percentage faster. But Houston is the fourth largest city in the country. However, it's mostly just suburban sprawl, I mean and highways and death and depression and horrible. Yeah, but no, it's. Again, if it's. Everyone's fighting for a place, that means prices would go up more than everywhere else in Texas. And that is objectively not happening. So that's a cope if I've ever heard one.

[C]

Well, the way I justified it was, all right, look, we're paying, you know, 18, 1900 per month for an apartment.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

That's what we're gonna pay in mortgage.

[A]

You don't have to necessarily, but a mortgage locks you in, right? Rental prices go up and down. Listen, we keep going up. Every year we build in Texas, rent in Austin has gone down about 40%. That can happen in these type of markets, you know, so. But cost of housing has only gone up in terms of owning a house. But you want to interest rates and everything.

[C]

The idea was we built some equity in a house. Okay. At that.

[A]

Great idea.

[C]

Could you? Yeah, at the time, yeah, we could.

[A]

You were, you were heavily against it.

[C]

This is what happened. We had the money, we justified it. We're like, all right, we're making good money, we're both working.

[A]

Were you making justice money? Cuz you're making 10,000amonth.

[C]

She was making more money.

[A]

Were you making 10,000 hours a month? Because that's what you guys are netting right now, which is incredible. So I don't know why we're struggling.

[C]

So you made less, I made less. Okay.

[A]

I didn't do an incredible okay. And what was her argument against it? Can I hear that? Because she's the one that made you apply.

[C]

What was.

[A]

I have that on my notes. She made you apply.

[C]

What was your argument?

[A]

Watching over your shoulder as you were going through the application.

[C]

Mostly because I'm the faster typer.

[A]

It's weird if you're the engineer, but okay. What's her argument for what? Oh, come on. You're telling me every reason why you wanted to do it. Why was she against it?

[C]

She was against it because she's like, why do we want to get a house right now? Let's just continue to live in an apartment complex. This and that. So I work construction. Right. So I work kind of all over the place. So like at that time I was working, let's say very on. On the south side of Houston.

[A]

And any chance you remember towards the beginning of the conversation when she says there's not a lot of opportunity in the place that you guys live, as in where you bought and now you're stuck in. Get a job closer.

[B]

There's almost nothing out there.

[A]

That's why.

[B]

Okay, so the thing is, when we were in the process of buying the house, we were trying to look outside of Houston. We were trying to be a little bit outside. We never thought we will end up all the way.

[A]

Well, Houston proper is not that big. It's endless cities around it. So I don't know.

[C]

Well, Houston is huge.

[A]

We wanted more like Houston metropolitan area. Yes.

[B]

You could say we wanted more like away from the city type of.

[C]

We just wanted to be outside of.

[A]

There's hardly a city in Houston.

[C]

Dude, Houston, you drowned it.

[B]

Have you?

[C]

That's two hours and you're still in Houston.

[A]

It's not. Houston is not crowded. It's objectively not crowded.

[C]

When's the last time you've been there?

[A]

Houston is objectively every human density metric not crowded. It has traffic because you have people sitting in cars that are larger than this little area that you and I are sitting in right now, and it's one person per car because we decided that's the most effective use of transportation. It's not crowded. Compared to almost any city in the entire world, Houston's not even close to crowded. You have no idea what you're talking about.

[B]

It's crowded.

[A]

To me, it's not.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It has horrible transportation.

[C]

Pretty annoying.

[A]

It has the widest highway in the country.

[B]

I know.

[A]

And it still doesn't work.

[B]

Yeah, it doesn't. You guys are us.

[A]

I blame the U.S. houstonites. Yeah.

[C]

I blame the transportation engineers.

[A]

Huh. Okay, so you made him apply why?

[B]

To financial audit. Because it's his fault that we're here. So he has that.

[A]

His fault. Because I hear the house thing. Okay, I get the argument.

[C]

I don't.

[A]

I think it was stupid. You just. You didn't need to. It was the need. The need didn't exist. But go on. So why is it his fault? Tell me.

[B]

Because we ended up falling behind in a lot of payments because he wouldn't communicate to me. Well, we needed to pay on time. He just kept brushing it off. And. And it's also. He wants to please everything I want. So if I wanted this, he'll buy me this. If I wanted that, he'll go get it for me. Like, it's just treating me like a queen.

[C]

The way I see it was she was spoiled. Yes, I spoiled her a little bit. But the thing is, I needed to keep her not in the dark, but, like, she needed to just worry about, like, our daughter. I didn't want to add any more stress to her. So I was like, she's two now.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

She's a handful, but she.

[A]

This is mar.

[C]

I wanted to keep her kind of just focused on that. And then I'll, like, worry about the bills, worry about that.

[A]

Not want to know how to stress out a wife that just had a kid. And you guys kind of still just had a kid, not paying your bills, be mind on your bills, risking losing. Losing the house over your head. I say that stresses.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

You see, but at least I carried the burden, like, as far as the.

[A]

Burden of the day burden. And then dropped it on her head.

[C]

Look, the way I see it, the way I see it, I was trying to keep her. I wouldn't say, like, protected, but, like, I needed to kind of take care of it as the provider of the family because it was.

[A]

You didn't provide.

[C]

Well, it was kind of hard, dude, because, like, so we had, like, we started out as a dual income household. Right? Okay. We were both working. She was working, I was working.

[A]

Then you're like, oh, we're about to have a kid, so we're going to be a single income household, so we should probably buy a house.

[C]

Well, this is the thing, right? So the idea was she's, you know, she got pregnant, she took her leave, we had the baby and everything. Afterwards, the plan was for her to go back to work.

[A]

A month.

[C]

That didn't happen, though.

[A]

You guys not know. You guys are doing well beyond the median in Houston, in the United States and everywhere.

[B]

But now that we're.

[A]

And then you made him apply.

[B]

Yes, because we need that.

[C]

We. We dug ourselves into.

[B]

You dug us.

[C]

Okay. We, we are a team. We dug ourselves into.

[A]

Okay, now.

[B]

Now you're including me.

[A]

Why. Why are you saying that? Specifically why?

[C]

Because.

[B]

Because of him. The reason why we're. We're here because we're backed up on payments. Because he never told me anything.

[A]

I want to hear details. Just tell me about the whole thing. How did it look? How the whole situation look?

[B]

So then I ended up finding out that he ended up pawning his and asking for money to his mom and his dad to pay this, to pay that. And then we weren't able to afford daycare. And it's just on and off. A lot of things just.

[C]

That's kind of skipping a lot of steps along the way. It was a lot of. She was working, she took time off. And then afterwards she's like, hey, like. Because she did, right? Like, she dealt with postpartum and all that. She didn't want to go back to work.

[B]

So I was like, okay, I did go back to. Let me. Let me tell you, she went back to work. I had about two months of leave because I ended up having C section. Okay. I went back to work. I went back to work like about. For three, four months. I couldn't do it. I was going crazy with my daughter. I ended up kind of getting like anxiety, postpartum depression.

[A]

I can accept it.

[B]

Crying and all that stuff. So I was like, I can't do it. At that time, you were in another job, remember?

[C]

Yeah, I was at a farther job.

[B]

More money on that time.

[C]

Before that, she. She decided. She's like, okay, well, you know, I don't think I want to go back to work because it was really hard for her to be away from the baby and just the, you know, like the anxiety, postpartum and all that. So I was like, look, my buddy is telling me, let's start a company.

[A]

Oh, so what are you on about.

[C]

He got.

[A]

Why, dude, it was a good deal.

[C]

So he was like, look, I'll get you a guaranteed salary. He's like, we're going to build this from the ground up. It's going to be for us.

[A]

Guaranteed salary. Who the says that? Other than applying for a real job?

[C]

Well, so here's the thing, right? We were like, oh, it's going to be for us. All right, cool.

[A]

So yeah, that's starting.

[C]

I ended up leaving. I ended up leaving my. My job, right? No, I left my job. She was starting out.

[A]

Well, she was out.

[C]

Well, it was for a higher salary. So I was like, okay, it's going to help us out.

[A]

How do you have a salary at a brand new business? That doesn't make sense because we had.

[C]

A, like a, you could say like a fund.

[A]

Right.

[C]

To start the business.

[A]

What was the fund?

[C]

It was. I won't get into that too much, but it was.

[A]

Give me a number.

[C]

It was at least over 300k, right? How.

[A]

How do you have that?

[C]

I didn't. It was, it was him. It was my buddy who started the company. Essentially when I would have broke down to it, he didn't give it to me. So he was the owner in.

[A]

Promised in Palmer's payroll.

[C]

He promised me a salary.

[A]

A salary. Okay, so you were working for him. You weren't going into business. What was your role and promised salary?

[C]

I was the operations manager and promise 100k plus bonuses, commission.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And it was good for a while.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So like the checks would roll in, it would help us. And I was like, all right, look, you're struggling to go back to work. Just quit like I got it. Like, I think we're making enough money because at the time we were. I was like, I'm making enough money to, to sustain us. You can stay home, whatever. And so the idea was she gets out of work for a year until, you know, our daughter's old enough to cut off.

[B]

They.

[A]

You guys don't agree on anything.

[B]

He's talking for me and I tell you, don't talk for me. Let me talk, let me tell.

[A]

So this is very frequently.

[B]

Yes, bro.

[A]

Like I tell you not to talk for me. I feel like we have these conversations pretty often, don't we?

[C]

Somewhat weekly, actually every Friday.

[A]

Ah, well, that's good.

[B]

So I ended up trying to leave work. But the good thing about my job was that my boss was actually very nice enough to give me more time to be out.

[A]

Good. Love it.

[B]

So I was out for about six months and was supposed to be able to come back in.

[A]

Do we not realize that this was two years ago? Yeah, like what the happening now? You guys on three cards, I have.

[C]

Well, two cards.

[A]

Two cards looking down.

[C]

And in order to get out of that hole, we dug ourselves into a deep hole.

[A]

How does that make sense? You. She says you.

[C]

I did because you do. We were trying to maintain the bill so we didn't lose. That was important.

[A]

Right.

[C]

So I was like, okay, we're struggling.

[A]

To pay at the time.

[C]

At the time I only had the single salary. And that was before I got salary. I was like at 76.

[A]

So obviously, first of all, 76 is great. What's the struggle? That's still doing better than the median household, actually combined household income. Yeah, but is that you're doing the. What is usually two salaries. So I don't know what you were struggling with. You obviously lost that other job or he stopped paying you.

[C]

Well, the business went under. Right. So there was a couple months where it was the business. Yeah, so it was a couple months where we were doing great. Right. And then at towards the end of it, I mean, I think at one month, probably the lowest we made was like five. I made 500 bucks the whole. And so it was like, dude, that's rough. I can't do it, man. I was like, I gotta go.

[A]

Okay, so why were you struggling at 75, 000 a year though?

[C]

Because that was when I went back to work at my old company.

[A]

Yeah, but why were you struggling at 75, 000 a year?

[C]

Because we had accumulated all the debt from being a. Going from a two income household to a one.

[A]

So how'd you dig the double hole?

[C]

So like a quadruple hole.

[A]

What did he do?

[B]

So by that time we were already living at the house. Yeah, we had already purchased a lot of things, stuff for the house.

[A]

And then did he do all the joys? He said in order to get out of the hole, he dug a deeper hole. What did he do?

[B]

Well, because he ended up leaving that job with his friend or they went bankruptcy, whatever. He ended up making less money now and then. Now that we payments were coming in, you weren't able to catch up with those payments and kept falling behind. Kept falling behind and having to get loans and having to.

[A]

So you're taking out loans? For sure. Pawning your guns is so. I've never even heard that on the show.

[C]

Yeah, I know. It's because, dude, I had a lot of. I'm like, well, we need some quick cash. I need like 800 bucks right now?

[A]

Yeah. Because you guys are.

[C]

Yeah, basically. But I didn't want to sell them so I was like, let me pawn them, I'll get them back. You know, once things.

[B]

Yeah, but the thing is that when I went back after that six month leave, I couldn't do. I felt like I still wasn't ready. And then we were leaving far and I was like, the drive is almost two hours every time. I might as well stay home for a bit and look for a job over there. So I ended up leaving and cashing out my 401k.

[A]

How much? How much? Because you have a child and that's so hard. You need to be able to retire without the kid taking care of you.

[B]

Okay, so this is the thing. I cashed it out in order for me to stay as long as I can out from work to be with my daughter.

[A]

That's confusing because he was making money. He was.

[C]

It wasn't enough.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, I know.

[C]

It never is. Right.

[A]

If I went through the spending during that time. Come on. There's no way you cut back people. Americans refuse to cut back.

[C]

Well, so that was part of the whole digging ourselves into that thing. Cuz whenever we, whenever I got the new job and all the, you know, 100k salary, whatever. All right, cool. And she had the baby at that time I had a truck.

[A]

Right.

[C]

It was a. It was a 20. Like a 2015 Dodge Ram.

[B]

No, you had a Silverado first.

[C]

I had a Silverado first. It was completely paid off. I had paid it off, but it was completely. Dude, like the, the yeah. Break issue.

[A]

The reason you didn't go back to work is because you thought your daughter was going to be abused in daycare.

[B]

It's more like being afraid of what happens because you know all these videos.

[A]

Going to a Catholic daycare because of.

[B]

All the videos that you see like on. On TikTok and Facebook of like children getting beat up, this happening to children or something happened to baby consuming fear.

[A]

A daily is to be a doom scrolling.

[B]

I was afraid of that.

[A]

That that's where make your daily decisions based on doom scroll. You can't.

[B]

That's where my anxiety, my depression started hitting. I will be crying every day. I couldn't focus on work and everything so I was going crazy.

[A]

Well, that part's fine. And I'm okay with you taking time.

[B]

I ended up taking therapy. That's when I ended up leaving those six months that my boss gave me again.

[A]

How much did you take off from that 401k?

[B]

It was like why are you speaking for me?

[A]

I'm just saying.

[B]

17,000.

[A]

It's chunky.

[B]

Yeah, it was good money, chunky.

[A]

Was that everything?

[B]

Yeah, no, I ended up getting afterwards as well, more money. Like a thousand extra. I mean a thousand is something.

[A]

Guys, you literally.

[B]

But it was to sustain me out from work. So that actually helped out for like about 10 months.

[A]

$130,000 in debt. Outside of the mortgage. Outside of the mortgage is a hundred, probably thousand. How is that even possible? What have you done? What have you possibly done? That is insanity. Well, outside of the mortgage.

[B]

Well, one is the car.

[C]

Yeah, the car is a car.

[B]

Is the big one, the main one that we're like kind of fighting?

[A]

No, hardly. Honestly, no.

[C]

It's like, you know how some.

[A]

I'd say more than anything it would be an RV, but even that isn't meeting up 20. That's not even a quarter of the debt. You don't have any individual debt. That is like more than 15% of your debt outside of the market.

[B]

That's his.

[C]

So the RV is. Yeah, that's a precarious situation.

[A]

But.

[C]

All right, so as far as the.

[A]

Fix up, is it a buy fix up sell for more money? Please don't tell me. No, no, you guys are going to.

[C]

Live on the road. No, it was for my mom. So what the dude?

[A]

Okay, okay, well, I'm sure we'll get into that as we go through all the debt, but I need to know the communication around money in the household is right now. Like when you sit down, you guys talk. How do these conversations go? Before?

[C]

What it used to be was I handle all the finances. I handle everything. Right.

[A]

Did she want to be a part of it?

[C]

I was the responsible.

[A]

Did she want to be a part of it? No, you're not responsible. Who are we?

[B]

I didn't want to be part of it. I asked you, hey, what do we need to pay? What? I'm getting paid my check or whatever. I have extra money from the 401k when I wasn't working. Hey, like, are we missing anything? No, you're fine.

[C]

It's okay.

[B]

Go spend your money. Go do this. Because I used to go shopping a lot.

[A]

So it was lies. Well, like she was trying to be a part of it. Trying to understand if it was appropriate to spend or not. Listen, shopping is not a bad thing. Whether or not it's appropriate as the question. And you just lied.

[C]

Well, it's not that I lied. It's that at the time you did, we were doing.

[B]

I kept repeating that to you so many times. Stop lying to me. Tell me the truth. Hey, what do we owe? Do we got to pay the light bill, the gas, the house? What? What's coming up? Like I need.

[C]

Every time something came up, I had a plan in my head. So I would say, look, all right.

[A]

Oh, you're one of those guys with the plans. I know your plans. There's proven systems out there that you can take advantage of.

[C]

Well, and you wanted to do these plans.

[A]

You're the guy with the plans. The plans never work. I know you get an infinite amount of plans.

[C]

All you're telling me is that I need a new plan.

[A]

Look, private student loans can make you feel like you're one missed payment away from selling your grandma's heirlooms. We miss you, Grandma. Y Refi says chill out. No more sacrificing the family jewels. They don't reduce you to a credit number. They actually want to see if you actually plan on paying them. And by the way, they're providing interest rates under 6%, which is practically a unicorn in the student loan jungle. I mean, some lenders want to charge so much that you'd swear they're putting your firstborn on a layaway and tired of monthly payments so high you can't afford a single sweet treat. Wirefi has gotcha. They'll rearrange your payment plan, ease the monthly hit, and even let your poor co signer off the hook. Mom or dad can finally breathe. Oh, and if you think you'll just get stuck in a call center, guess what. 4.6 stars. And Google says, why Refi actually picks up and treats you like a real human shocker, right? In finance, that's about as rare as me not slamming the desk every single episode. So if you're done fantasizing about robbing a bank, don't do that. By the way, check out why Refi? They're here to help you actually crush these loans without selling your kidneys on the black market. Head to yrefy.com hammer that is yrefi.com hammer or call 889-733-978. That is 889-733-978. And see how a real personal approach can help you escape the private loan nightmare. Because let's be honest, Living with crippling debt until you're 90 is not the retirement plan you dreamed of. Yeah, I mean, I'll give you a plan. I'll put you through all of our classes, that class, budget class, all the good stuff.

[B]

Once I found out about Everything. I started organizing on our day to day what we're studying.

[A]

And did he want to listen to it?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

At the beginning. No.

[C]

Well, he.

[A]

Tell me about it. I need to know the dynamic.

[C]

Okay, so she. She and I will give credit where credit. She learned a lot.

[A]

Why do you think he wasn't listening to you?

[B]

Because once we budget, I'll tell him, okay, we have this by the end of the weekend. So we could buy groceries. Like, we only have like a hundred dollars left over for groceries. And then he'll go, and then suddenly there's a purchase of like a taco truck. And like buying food at lunch. I meal prep for a reason. And you wouldn't go buy other food. Oh, my God.

[C]

That was.

[B]

And I'm like, no, I don't care. Do not go out to eat. What's the point of me making the food if you're going to go out and.

[A]

But doesn't work. If you sit there and just tell someone what to do instead of actually sitting down, coming up with a plan together and being on the same page. It doesn't work. If you kind of create your own plan for the household and you're like, this is what you do. Does that work?

[B]

No, but this is the thing. Okay, so I put in because he already did his thing on his side. He tried to take over. It didn't work, so might as well meet, try to take over and try to organize our finances.

[A]

No, no, no. Maybe the takeover is what doesn't work. He tried to take over. You tried to take over. How about you guys sit down, do it together.

[B]

Because these ideas won't work.

[A]

Well.

[C]

Okay, Okay. I think we put our heads together, we can come up with the plan. And lately she seems to disagree. We have our income. We have it kind of lined out, who's making what when. And the only one that's kind of like iffy is the second job for me. Because if it depends how many classes I'm teaching. Right. I can get more, I can get less. Last week I got, you know, over 900. This week I got 200. So, yeah, it averages out.

[A]

It averages 10,000amonth now.

[C]

Yeah. So with that, we have like our bills. But the thing is, the bills that we do have, they take a huge punk.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So at the end of it, we're left with like 100 bucks.

[A]

No, that's great.

[C]

But that's what we really like.

[A]

No, I want to know the dynamic around the conversation around budgeting right now. And we're talking about what we're doing with the household finances? What does it look like right now?

[C]

This moment is we follow a planner board that we have, and the. The discussions around that is, are you sticking to the board?

[A]

So it's holding each other.

[C]

Yeah, holding each other accountable.

[B]

Me holding him mostly.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yes. Tell me, because I'm like, hey, you have this payment. This payment? This payment. This payment to make my check is going to be saved up to try to make the car payment or to try to make the mortgage payment, because I only get, like, about two checks every month, you know, so then he gets them weekly. So I'm like, hey, you got affirm. You got your credit cards, you got this. You got that light bill and all that stuff.

[A]

And how do those conversations go when you're sitting there telling him all this?

[B]

He has to do them.

[C]

She just.

[A]

How do they go? How do the conversations go?

[C]

Well, okay. I'm like, all right. She'll tell me like, hey, did you pay that? And I'm like, yeah, paid it. According to the board, like, last week.

[B]

He had made other payments. So I. I have access. We have a joint account, so I have access to see what he buys or purchases or pays. And then I see extra affirmed payments. And I'm like, hey, we only had a total of like a4.4 affirm payments that you had to make this week. Why is there extra? It's like throwing off the calculation that I had for the week. And then he's like, well, I was backed up. I needed to catch up. I was like, why didn't you tell me this in the beginning? Like, you bring up new things every week, and it just f up. The whole calculation that I have, it.

[C]

Was on autopay, but it was on autopay to a separate account that I have that's, like, personal. So it didn't draft. So then it basically said, like, you're late. So I needed to pay it to catch up, to get back in good standing.

[A]

Well, I know that recently, provided by your work, you went to a financial advisor and your quote to Colton from that conversation with the financial advisor, a sassy black advisor looked at me and said, honey, you just need to file bankruptcy.

[C]

Well, it was virtual, right? So, like. Like, essentially what happened, which I don't.

[A]

Know, maybe that is virtual assessment. I'm sure she didn't tell you to change your behavior first. Usually financial advisors, honestly aren't usually the best budgeters. Usually they're good for investing.

[C]

This is kind of how that conversation went down. She's like, all right, explain to Me, your finances, break it all down. I don't need to see nothing, just kind of tell me. Because it was a quick, like, I think it was like an hour long call. And so I started explaining it to her and, you know, we're virtual, whatever. And then every time I'd bring up something, tell her my payments. And like, at that time, she wasn't working. So, like, every time I say something, she was just like, mm. And then her whole thing was like, honestly, you just need to file bankruptcy. She's like, I don't see anything.

[A]

Maybe that might be the case, I don't know.

[C]

And I was like, okay, well, is that going to help with the like, kind of everything? Because I was like, my thing is, it's not just what's everything getting out of trying to do changing habits. Right?

[A]

Well, exactly. Because if you do bankruptcy without changing the habits first, you're going to be in the same amount of debt.

[C]

It's not worse. Again, my whole thing was we need to learn how to change habits, which I think we've improved on. But also. We'll see about that, right? I mean, come on. Aside from that, though, people improve before.

[A]

Coming on the show. It's like for a week or two because they know they're coming on the show.

[C]

Okay, it wasn't like that. We'll see. Aside from that, though, it was just we didn't want to up our credit either. So, like, it's already. Well, up your credit, but it will up. So we didn't want to.

[A]

We want better credit. You already have the house. Are we trying to sell and move?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, then why did you buy this house, Dick?

[C]

To build.

[A]

She didn't want to. To build equity. You can build equity in any house that you buy potentially, but you have.

[C]

To buy the house to build it, don't you? So we bought.

[A]

Yes, but that. But you could pro. You probably would have made more money. We already probably would have made more money putting the extra money that went towards the house payment and whatnot in.

[C]

The overall market, the valuation.

[A]

The markets outperformed.

[C]

Housing market came back and we. We're already like, yes, but you invest.

[A]

In the rest in the overall market.

[C]

You would have.

[A]

When you would have had more money to put down and have a chunkier equity position on a house that you guys actually wanted instead of rushing into a house because, oh, I knocked her up.

[C]

We did want the house. The house.

[A]

We went to go look at it.

[C]

She was like, yeah, I love this house.

[B]

Okay, so this, we were already in it. So I was like, might as well.

[C]

I mean, exactly.

[B]

Because at the beginning, we were.

[A]

That's different than I love this house.

[B]

Hey, I mean, I didn't say, I love this house. I said, I mean, yeah, why not? I mean, very. No, because you always see it. You see a whole different perspective of me. I did not say I love it. I said, okay. I mean, we might as well. Then, like, he kind of convinced me into it. He was like, no, we gotta get our foot in it.

[C]

I was like, this isn't gonna be our forever home. I was like, I'd rather pay towards a house that we can later sell.

[A]

I wouldn't necessarily buy into a home that we can't at least consider a forever. Is it likely to be when we buy our first home? No. But if it's not even in the consideration. If that's an. If we're immediately going in like, this isn't our forever home. Yeah, let's buy it.

[C]

What?

[A]

No, that's bad because you never know what the market's going to do.

[C]

Well, that's the thing. So we're like, all right, we're going to get it like a cheap starter house. I was like, we're going to, you know, fix it up a little nicer.

[A]

Cheap starter house. How much?

[C]

We got it for 221.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Or like 225, but with the down and all that, you know, it went down to like 221. So right now we're like, at 217. So that's. That's, like total.

[A]

Yeah. But we'll see what it's actually worth once we get to it. That's later on. Okay, I'm going to go three, two, one. And then point. When I point, I want you guys at the exact same time to give me what you think your household financial score is 0 to 10, 0 being the absolute worst, 10 being the absolute best. 3, 2, 1, 2, 1. Okay. If you want your Hammer Financial score, take the assessment for free. It just takes a few minutes. @caleb hammer.com you'll see where you're doing poorly, where you're doing well, what you need to do to improve your situation and get to the next level, take it for free. Caleb.com if you don't want to be, like, a guest who ends up on the show, make sure you download the Dallawise budgeting app. That's exactly what they have. Did. New features being added monthly. There's an incredible team working on it. It's like, it's incredible. And it changes tens of thousands of people's lives. Now, TheWise app. Sign up for the free trial, see if you like it. And if you do, you can also take the annual version to save a lot of money. And when you do, I will personally sign my budget friendly cookbook and mail it directly to your door. Dollarwise app. All the links are in the description below. Let's get into these numbers, shall we? So, Home Depot. That's racist. What's going on? All right, what's going on with us?

[C]

When we first got the house, like, we needed to do a couple improvements to it, right? So the main thing was.

[A]

The home needed to. Why are we buying a house that's supposed to be the cheap house that then you need to put money into?

[C]

Well, you needed to get a washer, dryer, fridge. You need that. So it was utilities. Right, or appliances. Right, Appliances. That was.

[A]

Appliances are different. Yeah. All right. At the beginning. Okay, okay.

[C]

But then it got into, hey, oh.

[A]

It'S over the limit. You dick. You dick. By hundreds of dollars.

[C]

It's it slippery slope, right?

[A]

If to get over the limit. What are you talking about?

[C]

Every time you go into Home Depot, they got the.

[A]

Yeah, I know, I know. You're excited. Yeah. Like, that's pretty erection.

[C]

I know, I know. It gets me off.

[A]

But I'm sure you're in it more than you are at her.

[C]

I haven't gone recently. It's over limit, but.

[A]

And they're pulling up with vans, so I'd stay away.

[C]

Yeah, pretty much. So freaking. What happened with that was it started out with getting the appliances.

[A]

All right.

[C]

And then as we were going like every month or every week after this. Be like, we also need this. We need to get filters. We need to get this. We need to get paint. We need to get paint.

[A]

You didn't need paint.

[C]

You need. Well, they had. It was just we needed paint for the like touch ups and garage, like, stuff because they didn't.

[A]

The garage.

[C]

They didn't paint it.

[A]

Why do we care about the garage?

[B]

That's what I said.

[A]

That's what she said. So, okay. She's always saying no to all this. You're trying to do yet you just do pretty much. What do you always just do?

[C]

Because it's needed.

[A]

Garage is not needed.

[B]

Okay, look, there are certain things. We need it because they did give it to us without no grass.

[C]

So we spent a couple of hours.

[B]

The side of the house does flood.

[A]

So we ended up building Pause. So who gives a if there is no grass in the backyard?

[B]

I need to take out my daughter to play.

[A]

Huh?

[B]

I want to take out my daughter to play.

[A]

Can't have her. She was. She wasn't even born when you bought the house yet.

[B]

No, she was okay.

[C]

She was. She was.

[A]

Wait, I thought you wanted to get a house once she got pregnant and you wanted to Upgrade.

[C]

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[A]

Well then take the train.

[C]

And brand new shows, fat and fatter.

[A]

There is no one I would go.

[C]

Off brand behind the audit.

[A]

What?

[C]

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[B]

No.

[C]

So we lived in the apartment with.

[A]

Her for a few months and then when she turned, hey, how many rooms are this in this apartment?

[C]

The apartment.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Was two. Two bed.

[B]

I mean, at that time we had lots of animals. So when a bunny had its own room.

[A]

Well, no, when we have a kid.

[B]

But before that.

[A]

I'm not saying get rid of the bunny. It doesn't need its own room when you have a kid.

[C]

We did. No, no, we got rid of the bunny is what I'm saying. But.

[A]

Oh, well, there you go. The kids will just go to a park.

[C]

Well, the thing was, we're like, all right, we need the. Well, at that time, it was like.

[B]

It was just me.

[C]

Wanted to make sure.

[A]

Usually apartment complexes, by the way, have common areas with like. Yeah, they're bad. They're horrible. You're right. I want it. Well, your place didn't sound great. I wanted you to move to a better apartment complex.

[B]

There was no playgrounds in the apartment.

[A]

Well, I said a better apartment complex instead of buying a house. But you didn't need to get grass. The flooding thing. I agree. Yes, we deal with that. The grass was not 100% necessary out of the gate. Yeah, but it wasn't.

[C]

Okay. It was an aesthetic thing. We wanted to have grass, but you.

[A]

Couldn'T afford your bills. You. She was out of work, you. So what do we do?

[C]

She's gone back to work. But.

[A]

So I don't know why we were struggling because you put this over maxed on this side.

[C]

So like on the side it would kind of flood a bit. And we mentioned it to the builder, right? So they were like, hey, man, sorry. We kind of sloped it the way it could.

[A]

Whatever.

[C]

They couldn't help us basically in the.

[A]

Warranty, then you had a bad realtor.

[C]

Yeah, I was pretty.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

We didn't have a point is I was like, all right, I'm going to make. I'm like a D.I.Y. a French drain. So then I want to go buy all of here.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

So that's.

[A]

That's why we're like.

[C]

That's what that is. Doing the French drain. All the materials, the rocks, the pipe, the what on the home.

[A]

Max out a car.

[C]

I didn't. It was the interest. That kind of.

[A]

If you make minimum three payments on time with the interest rate required, like, they will not go over the limit. It will not. If you make minimum two payments on time, even if you're at the limit, it will not go over.

[C]

The problem with that was, and I'll be honest, so, like, I'd make a payment, but then I'd go and spend.

[A]

More than the payment. You know, There it is. You dick. Why would you do that when you have a wife and child?

[C]

Because I wasn't paying attention to what the limit was, but, like, the way.

[A]

I thought it was. No, obviously you had kind of worked because you waited for room to spend on there, and then you went spending.

[C]

It was on auto, so that's a lie. It was on auto, but you waited.

[A]

For the payment to hit, and then you knew you could just spend. So you knew it was maxed out or else you would be spending before the payment hit. So you knew it was there. Don't bull. Don't bull me.

[C]

We needed certain things.

[A]

Listen, I'm okay with the flooding thing, and you had a bad realtor, bad contract, but even still, obviously, once you had the ability to spend on the cards, you did. And that is why it's been pushed over.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You have a wife and child at home. I don't care about your Home Depot addiction.

[C]

But my thing was. There was. Dude, we got. We had the. What do they call that, the four pillars or whatever. Food, shelter, all that. All that taken care of. So I was like, all right, look, we're gonna do this to add a little bit of comfort to our house. So in my mind, it was kind of necessary. Cause I wanted, you know, my daughter to be able to go outside and play in the grass and, you know, have stuff for her.

[A]

Right. And we can budget that in. We don't have to do everything at once and over. Max out a credit card. I'm not against this.

[C]

The method was.

[A]

Yes, that's what I'm saying. We're not Hearing that, that's literally what I am arguing about. I mean, you're over the limit, dude.

[B]

We still have no grass, though.

[A]

You have the interest coming up in not long.

[C]

It's all the crab grass.

[A]

Listen, the limit is 2,200, but you have a balance of $2,733.58 with a minimum payment of $81. I mean, fees being hit.

[C]

I think the other thing with that.

[A]

Here it is, Dick. Here it is. Here it is. You, you little. Dude, this is what it is. This is actually what is going on. Here you go. Seven of the nine months at the time of this statement, all the payments bounced because you didn't have enough money in your checking account, and you got fees on it, and that is why it's been pushed over. Is that what happened?

[B]

You don't know what happened?

[C]

I didn't know that.

[A]

Why don't you. You took over the finances, you said.

[B]

Yeah, recently. I'm not gonna look.

[A]

Recently. You're not looking at a statement. How do you take over the finances? You know, this. This is insane. It was supposed.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

In my list auto payment. So it bounced, and you've accumulated $219 of fees.

[C]

I didn't know that.

[A]

Fees? How?

[B]

It's in the statement.

[A]

I didn't know that. You're looking at your now I'm doing so much better recently. How? What are you talking about? That was before. No, this is. No, this is this year. You would know this walking into this room.

[C]

I didn't look at the statements. I didn't.

[A]

How are you doing this without looking at your documents? You're not doing this login.

[C]

All I would do is log into the app, look at it, say, okay, it's enrolled in auto pay. Let me make a payment now. Boom. And then it goes.

[A]

But if you don't have enough money in your checking account, autopay does not work.

[C]

That's the thing. It did so, like, it did have money, but by the time.

[A]

Two times this year, it has, I.

[C]

Guess, by the time that payment, like, drafted. Other two times have gone through.

[A]

Two times it's worked. Two times it's worked. It's worked. 20 of the time, it has failed. 80.

[C]

Well, all right. So in.

[A]

Because whenever. What are we around within the checking account? Oh, there's spending.

[C]

There is.

[A]

Yeah, but it's only about 20 of your spending was the bull. Whenever you don't have enough money in your checking account to make your minimum payments. What the is wrong with you guys? Come on. You took over the finances why is that possibly. Possibly something that's happening?

[B]

Okay, look, I did not look into the statements. I only asked him, hey, what payments do you have coming up?

[A]

So you haven't taken over the finances, you just wanted to know what payments are happening. What's the point of taking over some if not knowing what is going on as a whole?

[B]

Well, I don't know what goes on with his own cards. I only know his own cards.

[A]

But you guys, you've combined all this, isn't it? If we're paying for his own cards from our joint checking account, which I'm assuming, wouldn't we want to know. You're trusting the guy that lied about finances for years?

[B]

No, no, I'm trusting his words on. Okay, this is the monthly payments.

[A]

He hasn't obliterated that trust.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

How has he not obliterated this financial trust?

[B]

I mean, he has now more for sure, but.

[A]

Well, he didn't even know this. Like, I don't even know how. A thousand dollars of interest this year. Hundreds of dollars of fees in one card. One card over the limit by hundreds of dollars. Deferred interest gonna hit in just the coming months.

[C]

Well, all right, look. So whenever we'd make the payment, I'm sure this kind of lines up with other payments. So whenever I auto pay, it would take a couple days to draft. By the time that payment drafts, I guess the money wouldn't be there because another payment hit.

[A]

Dude, 80 bucks.

[C]

Dude, no. Well, I auto paid it for 125.

[A]

No. Why put it. What, so I'd auto pay it for.

[C]

At least like 100 or 100. Doesn't make sense.

[A]

Why not?

[C]

Just to try to pay a little bit more.

[A]

But you're paying literally two times this year.

[C]

I know it was a bad plan, but we can improve it now, now that we know. I didn't know. I honestly didn't know. Maybe that was part of the problem.

[A]

I would say that's a big part. Is you guys don't know anything. Especially now that you've taken over. You don't know what you haven't taken over.

[B]

Look, I at least got us a little bit caught up this time. A little bit caught up?

[A]

A little bit caught up? What are you talking about? We literally just had a. No, we literally just had a late payment. This statement, like. I don't want to hear this statement.

[B]

I'm not gonna deal with that.

[A]

Why? Well, you guys are together.

[B]

Yeah, we're together, but it's been paid. At the beginning, it was just You. And now we're trying.

[A]

You don't know that. You don't know that. You probably had a draft attempted. You don't know if it went through. You do not. Because you didn't even know it's missed 80 of this year.

[C]

Yeah, I didn't know that.

[A]

So you cannot tell me it's been fixed since. You can't. It's at a 30 interest rate of death. Insanity. Why?

[C]

It's pretty bad.

[A]

Like, just.

[C]

So when I first got it, the original plan was, we're gonna get the appliances.

[A]

And that was a guy with plans, always having plans. Nothing's ever worked. Go on, what was your plan? Grand plan.

[C]

I never said it was a good plan. I just said it was.

[A]

Never had a good plan in your life?

[C]

All right, so it was zero interest for. For, you know, the one year, whatever the promotion is. So that's what we did. We got the appliances and I was like, all right, we're good. We're not gonna buy anything else on it. But then kept coming up.

[A]

So. Yeah, coming up. You spend 20 on.

[C]

Yeah, pretty much kept coming up.

[A]

What are you talking about?

[C]

Kept coming, kept coming up. Like, we needed to do the French drain. We had to do grass.

[A]

Would have burned down without the grass.

[C]

Yeah, we had pests, dude. We, like. We tried to diy, like the pest control and all kinds of.

[A]

Just knock it out of the gate.

[B]

We didn't have to pay for.

[C]

Yeah, we had to pay for. We had to pay like 3k for. What do they call this exclusion for, like, rats and, like, to prevent anything from getting inside.

[A]

Good. Obviously, I would encourage that, but I would also encourage making your payments on time and having enough money in your checking account.

[C]

We had enough money at the time, but no, by the time the payment hit.

[A]

It wasn't at the time. Dude, that is the time you would need to have the money. What are you talking about?

[C]

Okay, so.

[A]

Yeah, you want no sense.

[C]

Okay. When the. When I clicked authorized pay, there was money in the account. I guess by the time it drafted, there was.

[B]

This is my conversation every time with him. He's trying to justify what he did.

[A]

Yeah, he is. You really are. Why are you trying to expire? You're not. Now you're going to try to justify how. You're not justifying. What are you talking about? What are you. This is. How can she have a conversation with you? How can you guys have conversations at all?

[B]

You see, this is the supposedly conversation we have.

[C]

Tell you what, I'll ask my therapist.

[A]

Huh? Okay, well, how have those been going crazy?

[C]

Good.

[A]

We like couples therapy crazy. I don't know if I like crazy. How's it crazy?

[B]

Yeah, because we let everything out and we both start going at it and.

[A]

A couple therapists are supposed to. Hopefully.

[B]

I mean, she does listen.

[A]

Not just listen. Step in and make sure the conversation is healthy.

[B]

She does.

[A]

She does what?

[B]

I mean, crazy is between me and him. Like, we both start.

[C]

We don't.

[B]

And then. Yeah.

[A]

What are you guys not holding back on these days? What's going on right now? Just.

[C]

I would say it's. It's last Friday.

[A]

What happened? Well, last Friday was the big.

[C]

We got canceled on because she broke her thing.

[A]

The Friday before that.

[C]

Before that.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

What was the last big blowup?

[C]

Last big blowup was over.

[A]

What?

[C]

Chipley donuts?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. So basically we have this thing at work where if you get to work late, you have to buy breakfast for the team. I had gone late a couple times already, and so I was like, all right, I know we don't got it. Let me just buy some donuts real quick. I bought like 20 bucks worth of 26. 26 worth of breakfast and took it for the team. And it was a bad call, but I was like, all right, look, I'm.

[B]

Gonna get a check on Friday for my other.

[C]

I am. I worked a lot of hours and.

[B]

I'm like, that money's gonna go to pay daycare. So we might.

[A]

It's hard. But that. It's hard. Obviously I don't want you to spend it in. The excuse you use is horrible.

[C]

I know, but I also have a.

[A]

Hard time, like, if that is their kind of culture that's been agreed upon at work. I mean, I'm not horribly opposed to him doing that in a one time way. However, what I'm opposed to. What I'm opposed to is if, you know, that is the thing. And you're in the worst position out of almost anyone there. Don't be late. Dick.

[C]

Dude, we're crazy hours, dude.

[B]

Like, I kicked.

[C]

So I go into work. I like.

[A]

Yeah, but you were the one who was late. That means all the people that work crazy hours got there before you.

[C]

No, actually, they get there after me. I was supposed to be the first one. So I get there.

[A]

The safety guy get there. You're the manager. Come on.

[C]

Yeah, but it's. Dude, when you're working every day, like two. Because I work, I go in at 3am and I have to be. I have to leave my house alone.

[A]

That's annoying. But if that's what you agreed upon. Then do it.

[C]

Yeah, I know, but dude, it gets.

[A]

Hard after a while.

[C]

It wears on you.

[A]

It does, but you have to do it. I mean, I get here late. I mean, I guess I don't really have a good time.

[C]

I have to get here now and then. It's. But it's not that. It's fine. I don't try one.

[A]

I could afford buying breakfast for everyone too. Also, it doesn't matter because I don't really have anything to do before filming, so.

[C]

No, we got a lot of to do. Exactly.

[A]

So you gotta go.

[C]

That's what I'm saying, dude. It gets hard. It wears on you.

[A]

Is this a firm?

[C]

Hi.

[A]

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[C]

Yeah. Oh, dude.

[A]

Two times overdue. Why the possible. Why?

[C]

I thought it was on auto pay.

[A]

Oh, so here. Okay then. So I understand why you wanted to step in, but you're stepping in has failed.

[C]

Okay, it. Everything is supposed to be on auto pay. So in my mind, as long as.

[A]

There'S money, understand that if you do not have enough money in your checking account, autopay doesn't matter.

[C]

There is enough money every week, but then it gets. It gets taken over by other bills.

[A]

If they hit before this is a.

[B]

Bill, but this is why I told you, check on what you have on auto pay. And which ones do you not have in auto pay. And, like, either take them off and try to make the payments how we have them to make them scheduled.

[C]

I think it's more.

[B]

We have on the week.

[C]

I think it's more of a timing issue.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

What is the management philosophy here around our payments? Because we have two accounts in a row that are completely in terms of making payments. What is the philosophy? We're using the strategy, we're using the communication. We're doing okay, because you said there's a magic little board and you're following the board and everything's good. Except it's not. Once we got into the numbers, the board is recent.

[C]

So before, it was just like, all.

[A]

Right, every week, literally now, like, this is now.

[C]

So basically, wait.

[A]

The board.

[C]

When we get paid, we pay everything that's due that week.

[B]

Week.

[C]

That's kind of.

[A]

You're budgeting weekly.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Guys, that's not an accurate budgeting process.

[B]

I mean, it's temporary, and that's why we apply.

[A]

No, it's not temporary. It's going to be forever. Because you're budgeting incorrectly.

[C]

We switched to budgeting monthly. Now that's good. So that's what she does. She learned start.

[B]

I do the whole month.

[C]

She'll do the whole month. And so we plan out, okay, next week, we got to pay this, we got to pay that.

[B]

And then we have this leftover. It's going to roll over to the next week.

[A]

A couple months.

[C]

It's been a cluster.

[A]

Alta's overdue. Wouldn't be surprised if Costco and Amazon, the other Amazon, ended up being overdue. So on a firm, which, by the way, this is one of the crazier firm balances we've ever had because usually it doesn't let you get up this high. $3,022.35. That's crazy.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

On a firm. Well, what are we doing?

[C]

I had a lot of good, good purchases with those guys. It was recently that, you know, everything kind of went. But for the most part, we've been pretty good about staying on top of it. And we use it for. Like, that's actually necessary. Like, it's not like we're buying a bunch of.

[A]

What are you talking about? That was her hair. Well, exactly. No, that's not necessary.

[C]

It wasn't necessary, but I wanted to do something nice.

[A]

I would, too. I like that. You did. Except you did it. And you're. Because you couldn't Afford it. So obviously you shouldn't have done it. Yeah. I mean, you got a secret skeleton telescope after watching it in a cellar.

[C]

It was a good movie. So I was.

[A]

It is a good movie. I like it.

[C]

Okay. I don't know.

[A]

What is the problem?

[C]

All right. The problem with that was I was. We were super inspired after watching it.

[A]

We were inspired. I was like, mcconaughey made you emotional. Yeah. Cried.

[C]

But it was. We were inspired. We watched it together.

[A]

You're quite a few years behind on that one, I'll be honest. I know, I know.

[C]

But it still holds up, you know?

[A]

Soundtrack's great. I get it. You get excited. All right. So you buy a telescope.

[C]

It's because the problem is where I have a bad habit of getting into different hobbies. You know, they're like, oh, you're gonna be.

[A]

Telescope was your hobby?

[C]

No. Well, I thought it could be, right? I was like, man, I'm not into that.

[A]

Doesn't get you to a black hole.

[B]

That's what I just remember it arriving and me opening the box and seeing a telescope. And I was like, what the is this?

[A]

What'd you do? I called. How'd that go down?

[B]

I was like, what? What is this?

[A]

We're gonna watch.

[B]

I got a telescope. And I was like. I was like, we don't need it. Why would you get this? We owe stuff. You know, we have payments to do. Why the hell are you going to get an Amazon? I mean, a telescope. And then he was like, oh, I mean, I got it with a firm. I got another affirm.

[A]

I already knew it was necessities on here. Well, and how many times have you used this telescope?

[C]

I used it. Well, we already got rid of it.

[A]

How?

[C]

We got Garage sale.

[A]

How much did you get for it?

[C]

So we bought. So that's the thing.

[A]

So telescope.

[C]

After we watched the movie, I was like. Like, as I'm sitting next to her.

[A]

I'm on a firm.

[C]

And I'm like, no, not enough. I'm on Amazon. And I'm like, all right. I was like, maybe we should get, like, a telescope. Because not only that, Tell me why. Don't act like you didn't tell her. In my mind, I was saying, hey, what if I get a telescope so we can actually, like, go outside? Because, you know, where we live, it's a little on the outskirts. You don't have the light pollution. You can actually see stars. And I was like, it'd be nice to get into it so that later, whenever our daughter's old enough, I Can show her like, hey, look, that's, you know, whatever. And so, dude, the moon.

[A]

Well, aside from the moon, right.

[C]

I was like, it'd be a cool little hobby, a little science hobby to get into. Let's try it, right? So I was like, I want to see Saturn at least, right? Because that's what the whole promotion was for, that, that telescope. So whenever I start, apparently there's like a range, right? So there's like the cheap bull ones that are like 50 bucks bucks, and then there's like the really high end ones. I was like, let me go with one that's like a little lower to mid tier. So the one that I got was worth like 200. And I used it maybe once. It sat in our garage. It started with my eyes because I wear glasses, but how much did you sell it for? 100 bucks. So really the only thing I saw was how quickly 200 could turn into 100.

[A]

Now, as far as I know, she made you sell it. You didn't even choose to sell it.

[C]

In there for a while.

[A]

So I was like, all right.

[C]

But I mean, on the bright side, it was one of my least expensive hobbies because before I'd gotten into other, like, I got into the. So we had a bunch of no reason.

[A]

F A S A F W T. Safety baby.

[C]

So with that, I got a firmed.

[A]

Like a license.

[C]

No, dude, sorry.

[A]

I think your minimum payment somewhere like 200 bucks a month on a firm currently probably it's a little bit more than that. Pull up your Amazon. Someone pull up their Amazon.

[B]

He has.

[A]

And start a screen recording.

[C]

So with the. Well, yeah, Amazon's a little.

[A]

Okay, take a little peek at that.

[B]

Don't expose everything in there, please.

[A]

Okay. Oh, you got your. You're the safety guy and you got your safety test on a farm. And then you failed us, so you have to do it again.

[C]

Well, look, it was a hard test. Not everybody can pass it. It's the. It's the top of the top. Once I get that, it opens up a lot of doors. Yes. Hey, bro, you'd be surprised, man.

[A]

Okay, we got an alarm clock because phones definitely don't do that.

[C]

Okay, that was for my mom. I didn't pay for that.

[A]

Phantom Academy. Oh, cowboy boots, rubber boots, their work boots.

[C]

I didn't need running shoes.

[A]

Not slip helmet.

[C]

You need it for work.

[A]

It's all soccer guards.

[B]

That's the alarm clock. Just got very ethnically correct. Why? Why?

[C]

I'm a heavy sleeper. The phone alarms don't work.

[A]

I had to cross the room, you dick.

[C]

It don't work. It wakes them up. It won't wake me up.

[B]

It wakes me and my baby up.

[A]

Slap them.

[B]

I do kick him. I literally kick him with my feet.

[C]

I. I basically die at night, and in the morning, I'll try to wake up. That's essentially what happens.

[A]

The firm just keeps going. This is insanity.

[C]

So the same things forever. One of those.

[A]

Roman Valley Ranch, La Raza Western. Where? Walmart, bcsp.

[C]

Those are. BCSP was my test.

[A]

Yeah, Those ones were previous, but this is crazy. Yeah. The test you failed. Yeah. Okay.

[C]

By one question.

[A]

Diamond store.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

What is this diamond store?

[C]

So my daughter needed earrings.

[A]

Needed.

[C]

Well, she needed.

[A]

I mean, what you talking about?

[C]

Real gold.

[B]

They needed. She needed them for the holes to not close the little.

[C]

But she needed it. She needed it to be real gold because otherwise she'll have an allergic reaction.

[B]

Like it will create.

[A]

Like nothing else exists except for gold out there. Nothing. And gold's expensive right now.

[C]

It. Well, yeah.

[B]

I mean, it wasn't.

[C]

Yeah. And. And we ended up getting a necklace, right? Or a bracelet or something. Yeah, I forgot a necklace.

[B]

I don't know, because I've never had one like that, so.

[A]

You couldn't afford anything. You're also not even wearing it.

[B]

I mean, we did have a credit card at that time. He. He said, oh, we're gonna pay it.

[A]

Off Minimum Dependent takes 9 years to pay this off.

[C]

Yeah, but, I mean, it's minimum payment only.

[A]

And it's literally only at 651.62. And minimum payment takes nine years to pay off minimum to payment 30 bucks.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

What are we doing before.

[C]

We'll pay more when we can.

[A]

We'll pay more than we can. Ken never comes, though.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

When never comes. 14 years for the Home Depot card. 14. Your child will be 16 years old, passing that Kensington era. Mm.

[C]

Well, okay, but that. My idea was.

[B]

That was racist.

[C]

The plan was we're.

[A]

Don't tell me you're not doing a quinceanera.

[B]

No.

[A]

What?

[B]

No. I'm just kidding.

[A]

I can't go outside in Austin without seeing five being done.

[C]

Really?

[A]

Yes. Go to any park and everyone's in.

[C]

Dressing people here.

[B]

Or maybe going somewhere and that's it.

[A]

She's smart. She'll go.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Promotional plans ending soon.

[C]

Yeah. So, look, the idea was we're gonna get it and we're gonna pay it off. Paying more than the minimum. What?

[A]

We're gonna pay it off. Oh, it ended. It ended at the time of filming. You just had 500 in deferred interest hit. That means this has gone up to about.

[C]

I think the time.

[A]

$1151 minimum payment now is probably like 60. What have we done? You didn't even know this, did you?

[C]

I didn't even know it.

[A]

This ended two days ago.

[C]

You.

[A]

This ended two days ago. Two days ago. Two days ago. From filming. Yeah. You made a minimum from filming. The deferred interest all hit, though. And why does she need her ear pierced?

[B]

Because it's cute.

[C]

Well, we got. It's not a need.

[A]

You know what a need is? You have a child. You need to learn the difference between a need or a want. You are not the child. You have one to take care of.

[C]

She. She got her piercing when she was like, what, like six months?

[B]

Six months.

[C]

Six months. Something like that, right? Nine months.

[B]

Nine months.

[C]

All right.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

She got her ears pierced at like, nine months. And so.

[A]

But okay, great. She got her ears pierced in nine months. And it's super exciting. I don't care. She can get her ears pierced again, right? I mean. I mean, what. What are we doing here? This is absolutely crazy.

[C]

I'd rather pay so that she doesn't go through that pain again. That was the kind of like a thought process behind that.

[A]

I was like, now you just had 500 of deferred interest hit two days ago.

[C]

Well, I didn't know about that.

[A]

Well, now you do.

[C]

And you're.

[A]

This is insane. And now interest is accruing across the board on this as well.

[C]

So the plan is to.

[A]

Oh, here, Here he comes with a plan. Let's hear the plan, please. Plan guy. Tell me. Tell me, Mr. Planner.

[C]

All right, we're going to pay a little bit more.

[A]

With what money, buddy? You never have enough money in your checking account to make your minimum payments in the first two accounts we looked at. How does this plan work? Can you please define this plan for me and the strategy behind it?

[C]

Well, with the second job that I'm now making more money.

[A]

You are making more money. More money comes with more spending. You just spent.

[C]

No.

[A]

Hey, I'm going to let you know, you guys were already making a killing compared to everyone else before.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

So that wasn't the issue. It comes down to your issue at this point. It's really not.

[C]

But we also changed eating out as much. We also changed.

[A]

Yeah, we'll have. Not in your statement. So I don't believe that. Listen, I'll let you use the fizz card, debit card. That builds credit because at least it only lets you spend what's in your checking account. And you obviously cannot manage anything beyond that. It's as clear as day. As clear as day.

[C]

I would say that I have a false sense of confidence that it's gonna.

[A]

And if you know it's a false sense. Stop.

[C]

I know.

[A]

Also get. That's the thing, of course. Career certification, whatever field you're in. So you can also look to get a yet even bigger increase raise whenever those come. So I'll get you one of those. This is moronic. This is so stupid. So stupid. You made progress going down from a thousand $441 down to that 600. And now it's up to 1,160.51.62 because you allowed the deferred interest to hit two days ago. What a joke. All while spending enough on bull to have paid that off in a month.

[C]

Well, the way I see it was.

[A]

Oh, how do you see it?

[C]

I didn't get ex. Like I wasn't aware of it.

[A]

You can look at a statement, Dick.

[C]

Yeah, but I wasn't aware of that. And I don't look at statements as much.

[A]

Well, obvious as much.

[C]

Who really opens statements Unless you get a mail to you.

[A]

If you are the one trying to fix your financial situation, the answer would be you.

[C]

Well, yeah, but I didn't look at them before, so. Because I had in my mind before.

[A]

Literally, you said, you're getting so much better before. It could have been a few weeks ago and you would have known this exact thing.

[C]

I'll be the first one to tell you, I don't look at the statements.

[A]

I just sat down. We didn't even have a conversation. And I went through these statements to get all the top pieces of information. I could do it in 10 minutes, let's say, because I've done that a little more commonly, a little more frequently, I can do it quick. You could have done it in 30. All of these statements is not difficult to at least see. Is there referred interest? Are there late payments? What's the balance in here? Are we above the limit? Are we making our minimum payments on time? All this is so easy. So easy. This would have taken you such a.

[C]

Limited time, but you don't know what you don't know, so.

[A]

Exactly. So learn it.

[C]

Well, I didn't know. How do I know what to learn if I don't know to learn it?

[A]

The statements.

[C]

It's as easy as don't look at it.

[A]

No, exactly. But that's when you would have learned. You know, they learned it if I.

[C]

Didn'T look at it.

[A]

I. I don't understand your logic. Can you translate for him?

[B]

Because I could barely understand them. And this is. Or arguments all the time. Because then I have questions.

[A]

How frequently?

[B]

Almost every every other day.

[A]

Really? Every other day?

[C]

Other day?

[B]

No, no, we still have it every day.

[A]

And are they productive?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

It depends on if we have the money or if he wants to listen.

[A]

And if he wants to listen.

[B]

Yeah, because then he continues with like, but this, but that, but this and this and that. And I'm like, I don't want to hear this conversation. I don't want to hear it. Okay, shut up. Bye.

[C]

Okay, look in. In my defense.

[A]

Oh, here he goes. Okay.

[C]

In my defense, we're. We have a greater capacity to start paying off now. So it's not that I'm saying, okay, let's continue our bad habits. We realize, okay, we shit up. But. But at least you are.

[A]

You just hit your front interest. Hit. You can't make a progress towards a situation that you don't even know the situation. But you can't make progress towards this situation if you don't even know the situation. You can't. That doesn't make any sense. How can you tell me you're going to make progress towards it if you don't even know what's happening?

[C]

That's why we're here. We don't know what's happening.

[A]

That's why. But you said that was your plan. Well.

[B]

You did say that though.

[A]

You did say that. And speaking of plans, late fee immediately this month on a discovery it. What's up with the discovery card?

[C]

Honestly, I'd have to say the same thing, dude. Cuz I thought I made a payment on that. That was.

[A]

It's un. Didn't have enough money.

[C]

Probably you always. But in my mind, like I said, I set the auto pay on or I'll pay it. I'll go into the app pay.

[A]

You're above the limit. You're above the. You have a child.

[C]

Slightly. How much am I above the limit?

[A]

16.13. Horrible. You weren't above it last month. You've gone above it.

[C]

Yeah, but I didn't.

[A]

35 minimum payment, $516.13 balance. Yeah. Credit scores in the 500s. That's insane. 19 months to pay off if you make your minimum payments, which you don't. Late fee. Yep, there it is. It's a late fee. It's a return check fee specifically. So it's the only one this year on this card, surprisingly enough. And what is it for well, gas, that's okay. But you did a Grab a Bite grill. Grab a bite grill. McDonald's and grab a Bite Grill. And I wouldn't put gas on a card that you can't pay off or even make a minimum payment on anyway. I put it on a debit card.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, honestly, I don't even know what the grabbing.

[A]

Grab a Bite gr.

[B]

I may not know you the one.

[A]

Who does that three times. It's $2.60, $2.10, $8.52 at the gas station.

[C]

Yeah, No, I think it was whenever I pick up our daughter, I'd buy her like an apple juice. On the way to pick her up, I stop by the gas station and buy her apple juice.

[A]

Why don't you guys just pre stock per serving on a better basis? Apple juice at home.

[C]

I know. So we do. But then I forget to take it cause I'm rushing out at 2 in the morning, you know. So like I don't. Okay. I would say you didn't just get apple juice though.

[A]

You got yourself something and then you got yourself something more.

[C]

Yeah, well, sometimes what you get didn't always.

[A]

What do you get?

[C]

What do I get?

[A]

Like drinks or what? Yeah, you stop at the gas station, you get.

[C]

I'll get like a Dr. Pepper or whatever.

[A]

That makes no sense. I don't understand that you're drinking. You're drinking an energy drink right now. Take this free sample here. Taking off a free sample of this. This is gamer stuff. Specifically, these are energy drink powders. Just like you should make your coffee at home instead of going in Starbucks and spending like $5 a coffee. Get that. Make that. It is 25 cents a serving. 25 cents a serving. Almost endless flavors. Get yours 10% off. Link in the description below. 25 cents a serving. Make your energy drink at home. It tastes better and it's more convenient. You just take it and you can have unlimited amounts. Get your free samples also by typing in code Caleb on the site link in the description below and you can see what flavors you like. And then at that point you can figure out which one to get. No more buying coffee out. No more buying energy drinks out. Make it. I do too. So I make good coffee.

[C]

The coffee.

[A]

I do too. So I make good coffee.

[C]

The coffee feeds all.

[A]

You do good. Make coffee at home. Make your energy drink at home. It's better, it tastes good and it's cheaper and it's affordable. Yes.

[B]

No.

[A]

Then you make coffee.

[B]

No, no, no. I've tried. I Even look at TikTok videos, YouTube videos.

[A]

It takes water down because you can't do it.

[B]

Coffee.

[A]

Coffee is not difficult.

[B]

No, but I like latte.

[A]

I make a latte every morning.

[B]

Okay, then make me one and see if it tastes good.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Who's one of our latte makers here in the office who's always making a latte?

[B]

I feel like Josh makes the best latte.

[A]

Can she make her a latte?

[C]

She likes those, like, really bougie lattes with a little powder. Well, we.

[A]

I don't think. We don't have ice in the office. So you're gonna have a hot one and you're gonna determine if it's good. Okay. This is with a Breville. It's an investment up front. Yes, but it saves you so much money over time.

[C]

So we'll get Josh.

[A]

Dude. He's also Mexican, so you guys feel right at home.

[C]

It's Mexican coffee automatically.

[A]

Yes, dude.

[C]

See, so we.

[A]

Every employee I have is Mexican these days. I don't know what's happening.

[C]

Yeah, taking over.

[A]

Dude.

[C]

We bought her an espresso machine so she could make it espresso. What?

[B]

That's everything.

[A]

You just have to get good beans. You. Then you gotta dial it. I have tried it better. Oh, you were just a con.

[B]

It was also coffee. Lily's coffee is so good. That thing tastes so creamy and sweet. Oh, my God. I recommend it in Willis, Texas.

[A]

What do you like flavor wise? Either hazelnut or vanilla. Pick one, because that's what we have here.

[B]

Vanilla.

[A]

Okay. Can we do vanilla? Lindsay, you see?

[B]

You failed.

[A]

Well, you get what you need at home. You titled.

[C]

I don't know. She's picking with her coffee.

[A]

Energy drinks at home. Coffee at home. I don't want to hear it.

[B]

Coffee out.

[A]

Camera substitute. I can't afford to take care of my kid.

[C]

It does add up, the coffee. It does. Yes.

[A]

Objectively. We talked about coffee out.

[C]

It was the whole point of getting this wrestle machine so she could make it at home. But she continues to go to that coffee shop because, okay, they make good coffee. I get it. But it's. It's cheaper to just do it at.

[A]

Home, so it's not all the ingredients.

[C]

She even has all the syrups.

[A]

Me and my girlfriend, one of our favorite things to do is to go either get brunch or coffee every Saturday and Sunday. I can afford it. It's in my budget. I get it. It's fun. It's nice to be in a new environment trying a new little drink. I get it. It's nice. You can't afford it. You can barely keep the roof over your head. You guys are late on almost every payment and you're over maxed out. No, no. You guys are together or not. Choose.

[C]

I say it together.

[B]

We were not in the beginning.

[A]

But are you today we have caramel. Is that okay? You like caramel?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Mexicans love caramel. You guys put caramel on everything? Tres leches. All caramel. It's just like. Come on. You're always putting caramel even though it's so sweet. And I love it. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's actually like my favorite dessert. Tres leches me up. I love it and it makes me. It's Great.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Quicksilver1. What's going on with this?

[C]

Which one?

[A]

Mine?

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yes, they're all yours.

[C]

Okay, those are mine. So those are like my everyday cards.

[A]

And why are you allowed to have everyday?

[C]

I know, that's the bad part. So it was for food, gas, like that.

[A]

Okay, well, first of all, gas isn't bull. But I wouldn't be putting it on a credit card that you can't pay off. That is accruing interest. And you spend 80 bucks 12 cents. Interest is accruing.

[C]

It's over the limit.

[A]

It's over the limit. You tip 3, he's 3 over the limit so far.

[C]

3 by $4.

[A]

It's over the limit.

[C]

But I made the payment to get it under the limit.

[A]

You did at the start of the month. And then you went over by the end again after interest hit 18 months to pay this off.

[C]

Walking the line.

[A]

No, it's stupid.

[C]

You're getting Peacock, so we canceled that.

[A]

Well, you should, because what's the point of Peacock?

[B]

That's what I said.

[A]

I know.

[B]

He doesn't even watch it.

[C]

It just stays the office.

[B]

No, you don't.

[C]

I did like three times and then I canceled it.

[B]

There you go.

[C]

But it was.

[A]

You went to the gas station, you got an energy drink or a drink. There it is right there. 2:37, 25 cents at home. Ladies and gentlemen, the description. This is insane. L. Tricon road tax. Tricon row.

[C]

Tr.

[A]

Tricon row.

[C]

I think that's a restaurant.

[A]

43 bucks.

[C]

Oh yeah, it's a restaurant.

[B]

Let me see.

[C]

L3.

[A]

Oh, fine. Video. Now that's better. But even still, you probably can't afford it. YouTube's free. Anyway, then he went into HB and got some cuz I highly doubt that his groceries. Now I'll be completely honest.

[C]

No, HEB is like our go to groceries.

[A]

Whoa, Peacock is trash. As a former NB employee, I can say it. You can legally say that. I mean, I don't work there.

[C]

I don't work there. It's trash.

[A]

Well, that was the quicksilver. You have two quicksilvers?

[C]

No, no, no. It's a quicksilver and then a platinum.

[A]

But they're both basically not over the limit. You're at the limit. $281.98 minimum to payment $25. Again, what's going on with this card?

[C]

It's the same thing, dude. It's. It's honestly back and forth.

[A]

What's the point?

[C]

Whenever there's not enough money in the debit account because we got bills, whatever, check it. That's like the backup. And then there's the backup to the backup.

[B]

Well, that's what I told him when he started opening these. I'm like, why are you opening more? Why are you adding more?

[C]

Originally it was, hey, we need to get some credit cards to build credit and build that credit history. And then we did good for a while and then it went whenever we.

[A]

Really got into water Burger parking, Fiesta bar and catering, something. Maybe it's a vending machine or purchasing something to work. I don't know. Yeah, it's like a vending machine and then Home Depot. Not even on the Home Depot card. You just couldn't stay away.

[C]

Guilty pleasure.

[A]

It's like it's the golden arches to you. Wanna know a dirty little secret? And no, I'm not starting an only you're not broke because you suck with money. You just can't see where it's going. If your bank account is entered at the end of every month, that is not bad luck. That is bad tracking. And it's exactly why I use dollar wise. It shows you exactly where your money's going every single month. Spending subscriptions and savings all in one simple dashboard. Everything you need and nothing you don't. And when you download Dollar Wise, today, you'll get to try for free. Plus three months for just 9.99 so you can finally take control and see what your money's been doing behind your back. Click below to get started. Started.

[C]

Dude, they got a lot of good deals. But the thing is, every time I.

[A]

Go, things you don't need, every time.

[C]

I go, it's for something we need like an air filter. We need to replace this and that. We need to replace. We need salt for the water softener system. Like.

[A]

Like that. Need the soft water though.

[C]

We do, bro.

[A]

Is that bad? I'll accept that one. Listen. But even still, you're just endlessly finding excuses to spend money in Home Depot. And I love Home Depot.

[C]

Better than Lowe's, of course.

[A]

And I love Home Depot. It's great. But again, I just budget it out and I don't go there when I don't need to, but every time I do, I'm like, oh, yay, this is you guys. This is your future. Yeah. What do you think? How's your feeling?

[B]

Lied to and just feel like we're in a big hole right now that it's going to take us years to get out of, which I never wanted to end up in. So that's why I kept asking you, hey, make sure we make our payments. What are we all. And it was part of the communication. This is the reason why we're also in therapy is because of this. Everything just went.

[A]

Would you guys just blow up on each other in therapy?

[C]

Yeah, well, she blows up on me and then I'll like, try to defend myself. That's kind of how that usually goes.

[B]

With the defending himself with the payments.

[C]

Why do you blow my therapist feel?

[B]

Well, because it's a lot of like rage and anger towards him not telling me anything. Communication and also just.

[C]

It wasn't that I was intentionally hiding anything from you. It was that I didn't want her to have that additional stress. I'd rather carry the burden myself. Trying to figure it out. I tried to figure it the out and do what I could to keep things going and essentially keep like, you know what they say, like keeper, like kind of blindly happy. Right. So it was bad.

[A]

Well, look how it turned out.

[C]

I know now.

[A]

So why try to defend.

[C]

I wanted. She already had a lot of wanted.

[A]

Now I know.

[C]

Well, now we're working on it as a team.

[A]

But you try to defend.

[C]

I guess it's just. It's hard to accept that. That, you know, made some mistakes along the way. But there is that good intention of trying to get back in line, which is why we're taking that big step.

[B]

You also had to during that whole entire time, you should have thought about, okay, she's. Her names are also on certain things with me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I up her credit up. We're. We're both. And that's something that I always brought up to you. You is gonna me up too. So then we're both going down. It's a teamwork thing. So we both work to go up, not down.

[C]

Yeah, I know. That's why. So like we all the major things like the car the house that. That we're both on, I tried to keep that like front and center.

[B]

We still.

[C]

But we still kind of. Because those are the biggest payments.

[A]

Right. Well, tell me what's his main financial. Because it's chunky.

[C]

The main financial that was. We took out that loan because at that time. Jobs.

[A]

No, it's just a survival loan.

[C]

It was a survival.

[A]

75,000 hours a year at your lowest.

[C]

Yeah. So it was. It was a survival. No, because she didn't have a job.

[A]

It doesn't. Dude, you were making literally just above the median household.

[C]

But we were already in a hole. So in order to survive and continue, keep everything from getting like repossessed, we had to get a survival loan. I said, okay, we're gonna get this loan until you get a job job and then you can help me pay it. That was the idea. She got a good job, but it didn't work out. She lasted like two weeks and then quit, you know.

[B]

Yeah. Because they wanted me from 6am to 6pm and my daughter's daycare is about. They open at 6:30am and do a different daycare. I was already comfortable with that. Daycare.

[A]

Yeah. In the. In the Houston, Woodland Sugarland metropolitan area, median household income is 80,000. You're just five under that. That with one income temporarily. So you borrow this at a 27.74% interest rate, you owe $8,964 with a minimum payment of 289. 67. Then you think that helps you.

[C]

It did at the time. It helped us. It helped us cover like.

[A]

Credit card payments, not get paid. I would. You're already doing that anyway.

[C]

No, but at the time we were in good standing. So we're like, all right, let's try to keep it in good standing until you can make more money to kind of help out. Because cuz like, truth be told.

[A]

So we borrow a 30% loan though.

[C]

I know, bad call. But it was for the sake of trying to survive the next few months until she got a job and then she could help me pay. Right. So the idea was we're going to take a step back to take two steps forward.

[A]

Right.

[C]

So that was kind of the thought process behind that and we justified it as, you know, we need this in order to keep everything in check.

[A]

Okay. And then pci. What's this?

[C]

So PCI is the water softener system we got on that.

[B]

It's because we do need to get.

[C]

Because it's expensive, but it was okay.

[A]

But how'd you get.

[C]

It's expensive. That's.

[A]

Was.

[C]

Yeah. So basically I, I, I, I, you.

[A]

Know, haven't gone shopping for a water softener.

[C]

Apparently there's cheaper ones.

[A]

I don't know. Yeah, and that's what I was gonna ask, so. What the is wrong with you? Well, this, this takes 11 years to bath your water softener. With minimum payments. $125.41 is your minimum monthly, but you owe 8,399 or $8,933.77 with interest charging $90.40 a month.

[C]

It was a combination of the water softener system, the water filtration system for, like the, the, what do they call it? A little tap for, like, water guys on. Well, it's not well, but it's like the city water. And the city water is. Dude, like, it was causing her hair to fall out.

[B]

It was my daughter's hair to fall off. And literally when you came smell like.

[C]

Coming out of the pool, it was like, itchy and.

[B]

And then sometimes the water for the neighborhood will come out brown.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And people will be complaining and we'll be like, oh, we have a water system.

[C]

We have a water filter system. And then I'm not opposed to it.

[A]

You just probably, like, rushed in, didn't do your research, and got some debt you couldn't afford.

[B]

I mean, we did get some free stuff.

[C]

The lady was very convincing.

[A]

Here we go. Can you make a coffee at home?

[C]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[B]

Taking too long for my comfort.

[A]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[C]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[A]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[C]

That's like Italian, though. Him.

[B]

What are you doing? So good. Thank you.

[A]

Hey, please give us a full review. She said she can't make coffee at home with her own espresso machine. Her own espresso machine. She can't make coffee at home.

[C]

Espresso machine at home.

[A]

She does. And she has to go to the coffee shop.

[B]

It's like $50 from Walmart.

[A]

It still works. It doesn't. No. Take a little sippy, but it's all the foam up.

[C]

Do you like it?

[B]

Oh, I like sweetness.

[A]

This.

[B]

No.

[A]

What? I'm going to have the other side.

[C]

Yeah, we'll take a sip on this.

[A]

I'm going to have the other side. Give, give, give, give, give, give, give.

[C]

Where do you go to get your coffee?

[B]

Ls Lily's coffee.

[C]

Lily's coffee?

[A]

Well, first of all, you got to get to the coffee.

[B]

That's what I was trying to get to, but it's not sweet enough, though.

[A]

This is.

[C]

I don't think latte is supposed to be sweet.

[A]

Well, she's getting, like, candy.

[C]

Coffee. Yeah, she's getting, like candy. She get, like, good cocoa powder on top.

[A]

Dude, that's wonderful.

[B]

Why are you giving it back? Saliva.

[C]

I need to take a sip from the other side.

[A]

Dude, get in there. Enjoy what you got. This is wonderful.

[B]

And I was coming up with something.

[C]

Really good coffee.

[A]

Really good.

[C]

Shout out. Medici beans.

[A]

Yes. Medici. See, what we do is we get the beans from the coffee shop we like, and we make the coffee. It's as easy as that. It's cheaper.

[C]

But if you like it sweeter. Now, mind you, I did a little bit of syrup. You can always add more.

[A]

You can always add more.

[C]

Other creamers.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

You just need to go and try it. That's it. That's all I'm gonna say.

[C]

It's because the thing is, I'm not going to talk to her.

[A]

Killer. All right. Thank you, Josh.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

You know, I used to dance for Claudica.

[A]

What'd you call me?

[C]

Say it to my face. My what?

[A]

Come on. You can make coffee at home. Just add more sweetness. Get their syrup. Figure out what syrup they have. Stuff and get it.

[C]

It's from, like, India or something. Like some place, like, foreign. She always. She imports it.

[A]

India loves to send things.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Okay. We'll do my best.

[C]

Especially engineers.

[A]

We'll do my best, but just get them. Just get some.

[C]

Come on.

[B]

Okay, we'll. We'll try my best. Okay. No promises.

[C]

Making progress.

[A]

Okay. Well, you've had a late fee on this.

[C]

Yeah, pretty much.

[A]

But again, that was 18.26 of interest this year.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Medical bills.

[C]

The medical bills are crazy.

[B]

Oh.

[C]

Didn't send any statements.

[A]

But you told Colton you owe about 14,000. Yeah. Birth. Birth.

[C]

Also, like, you know, obviously, since after we had our daughter and, you know, she quit her job. My daughter got. She got sick, and then she got sick, and every time we'd go to the emergency room.

[A]

What's your insurance situation?

[C]

So my insurance situations. I have, you know, full health insurance. Are they on it and everything? She's not on it because we're not married.

[A]

You're not married?

[C]

No.

[B]

No.

[C]

Get married, sinners.

[A]

But just get married. Just get married.

[C]

That's what I told her.

[B]

What if I'm about to leave them?

[A]

Does it. Are you?

[C]

No.

[A]

Maybe get married. There's extra legal protections that come with the Tax benefits, a lot of stuff.

[C]

There's no reason not to legally.

[A]

On.

[C]

On the.

[A]

Get legally married. Last.

[C]

Last year we did report as married, filing jointly. So I guess tax wise, we're married, but we haven't gone to court is what I'm saying. We haven't gone to get this marriage certificate. And that's what they asked for for the insurance. I have my daughter on my insurance, but I don't have her on my insurance.

[A]

Wait, but you got a refund from your deductible after giving birth, but you spent it instead.

[B]

To me, it was a check.

[C]

And I was like, okay, do you.

[A]

Have a minimum monthly payment on this medical debt? Have you.

[C]

No, we haven't started.

[A]

Negotiate. Get on a minimum. Minimum.

[B]

Well, well, we're trying to catch up.

[C]

On everything else first and then let's see where we worry about that. Okay.

[A]

Chase Auto. Great.

[C]

Oh, yeah, that dude.

[A]

Your last scheduled payment in fall, amount due 3011. That's too much of payment is a thousand. $455. 50, 57. What is this car? What is this possibly car.

[C]

That's.

[B]

What is this? Wow.

[A]

Is this. This is elite. I think it's the second highest payment I've ever seen in the history of this show. I think 2000 was the top. What are you doing? What do you have?

[C]

Okay, okay, so it's a 20, 23 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

[A]

This is how Cherokee for $1,500 a month. Okay, listen.

[B]

Why?

[C]

It's a long story. It's a long story.

[B]

Okay, It's a story to this.

[C]

All right, listen to this.

[A]

Tell me you're getting fees added at a 14.18% interest rate as well. Oh, principal balance 64,378 dol.

[C]

Why he's got some vocals.

[B]

Explain.

[C]

So I mean.

[A]

Sorry. It's okay. It's believed.

[C]

All right, so essentially what happened was when we first got together, I had a up truck that was in the shop, right? I was borrowing a truck and I had. Mine was. I had a Silverado and it was fully paid off, but it was a piece of.

[A]

Right, okay, get to it. Why did you have to get a Grand Cherokee after that truck?

[C]

Truck. After the Silverado, I was like, I need a new truck for work. Has to be a truck because I haul sometimes. So I got a like a 2015 Dodge Ram, whatever. It was like 20K.

[A]

We love it.

[C]

Okay, okay, 20K. A couple months later, the engine up, transmission up, everything up.

[A]

That truck went.

[C]

When I called the insurance, I'm like, hey, man. Because since It's a used vehicle. They gave it to me as is. Whatever from dealership. So they were like, hey, we're not covering anything. You don't have warranty on it, so call your insurance. I called my insurance. They asked me two questions. Did you hit something? No.

[A]

Yeah, it's insurance.

[C]

Did you get you. And I was like, no. They're like, all right. Well, you look.

[A]

Yeah, I agree. So.

[C]

All right. I didn't know that. I thought they covered anything.

[A]

Insurance.

[C]

Yeah, dude, It's. If it has full coverage coverage, you would expect it to be coverage. Okay. Point is, after that truck, I took it to the dealership to figure out what the was wrong with it. It was the engine, transmission, some other shit was wrong with it. And so they're like, yeah, man. Like, they basically sold you a lemon. Like, sucks.

[A]

I don't. Like. This is why I like having a car that doesn't have an engine, transmission, or any of that. Continue.

[C]

But anyways, after that, I was like, okay, so what are my options? They're like, well, you can pay the repairs. It's like, 15 grand. They're like, or, you know, you can trade it in. And I was like, well, 20 on it. I was like, I'm not. I'm basically super upside down on it at this point because the truck is worth, like, a thousand bucks for just junk. So they were like, you can get.

[A]

You rolled over. Negative equity. I rolled over.

[C]

Negative, negative equity.

[A]

What's the truck work worth? Oh, I have it. What do you think it's worth?

[C]

The Grand Cherokee, it's worth, like, 28k now.

[A]

It's worth $27,000. You owe 6.

[C]

I was close.

[A]

4,378. 15 interest. 1455. And you're behind. Yep. Yeah. What the can we do? And then what's this? Is this another car? 20. 24. So something.

[C]

No, no, that's the RV. That's the RV that 20.

[A]

So tell me about this RV.

[C]

So the RV was an agreement that I made with my mom because she was helping us out. So then she's all like, hey, by the way, I'm gonna be, you know, roaming around, I guess the US or something. She was like, I need an RV so that I can live in whatever she was using it to live in because she has a house. She has, like, a whole ranch in Mexico. So she'll come when she comes here. She'll stay in that RV and then go back to. Back and forth from Mexico to here.

[A]

So he took out an 11% debt for her with a minimum payment of 541. 86.

[C]

The idea was originally she's like, you know, let's buy it. We'll go, you know, I'll pay you on it, and then it'll just be on your credit, but she'll pay it. What ended up happening was she had a little truck, like, hand me down truck. Oh. And she's all like, I'll give you my truck, and you take over the payments. And I was like, all right, cool. So we took that truck, we sold it to have more money to kind of keep us, you know, afloat when she wasn't working. And then I ended up taking over the payments through the rv. So now we owe the rv.

[A]

What is wrong with you? This is. This is ridiculous. Bad plan. You owe $21,543.66 on a repo.

[C]

It. Well, she still lives in it.

[A]

So then no. Oh, then, oh, where is it? You got to tell her to get out of it and get it back in. You got to tell her she can't live in it. And you got a voluntary repo, so she.

[C]

Do I have to evict her?

[A]

Like, do I kind of. Kind of.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Put her in hotels when she visits. It's cheaper to do that every once in a while.

[B]

She kind of lives on both. She stays here for like two, three months and then goes back for like a month.

[A]

She can't live at home with you guys when she's here.

[C]

No. Be a grandparents. Free spirit. She's a energy. You remember that? You remember that lady y' all had on here with the energies and the tarot cards and I think so. That's basically her. I could have been. It's almost like I was watching you.

[A]

Trusted to go into debt for that person.

[C]

Well, she helped us out a lot. She did help us out financially.

[A]

She.

[C]

She helped us pay for my daughter's daycare when we didn't have enough. She would pay us, like, half the payment or something.

[A]

Yeah, but that doesn't mean going into a debt. Maybe I offer to put money down or.

[C]

Or something like also whenever we charges, of course.

[A]

Oh, sake. Yeah, let's keep going, cuz. My gosh. Okay, Mr. Cooper, this is a mortgage. Yes. Oi, oi, oi.

[C]

Cheaper than the apartment.

[A]

Yes, but we. If I went apartment shopping for you, I guarantee I could find something cheaper.

[C]

Yeah, but is it in a bad place potentially?

[A]

No. Shut the up, dude. We're shut up to up in the entire Houston area.

[C]

Yes, dude.

[A]

No, I know housing.

[C]

Oh, really?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You're so ugly. Shut up, dude.

[C]

It's worth more than that now. We got the valuation estimate.

[A]

Valuation via who?

[C]

A Mr. Cooper.

[A]

No, I have Mr. Cooper as well. No, I don't care about that. This is Mark.

[C]

Hmm.

[A]

Okay, so you owe a total of 200 and something. Cuz the balance last I turned 7%. Right. Don't love that. Oh, here we go. 218,000 7%.

[C]

Dude, I thought it was 675.

[A]

Dude, round it up by a percentage. A 0.1 percentage gets it to 7. I mean it does, but yeah. 218,741.89 minimum monthly payment. Which by the way as ranking go up and down. This will only ever go up because property taxes will only ever go up $1766.21. And you could refinance to a lower rate. That might.

[C]

So we did the homestead.

[A]

Okay. So yeah. If you sold it today, I mean you have an equity position of about $5,000. If you sold it today, you'd lose money. So this is not correct.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Easy as that.

[C]

That's today. But what about like in March, whenever the new year comes in. You see what I'm saying? Cuz they're building a bunch of nearby. They're building everywhere.

[A]

It's every metro region in Texas is growing and building.

[C]

That means therefore we can only win.

[A]

Therefore. That is not true. You're literally would have to write a check for about 10,000 hours if you close this today. If you sold it today, you would have to write a check for 10,000 hours. It has gone down in value you since. Yeah. Middle of this year towards. It's gone up at the beginning of the year now it's gone down. Yeah. This is not. This. This was a really stupid thing to do, guys. Really stupid thing to do.

[C]

I don't think so. We have a pretty nice house.

[A]

Objectively. Yes. No, I mean it's. It's fine. It's a small little ranch house. It's fine. Definitely on the far edge of Houston. The far far.

[C]

Yeah, it's all the way the middle of nowhere.

[A]

Yeah. Which is extra stupid because there's no work there. Makes no sense. Yeah. Well, remember with the rent. That is comparable to this in civilization comes with jobs that pay money that you're close to. Okay. Student loans. Who. Who got the student loans?

[B]

He did.

[C]

I did. So she.

[B]

I was able to pay money.

[C]

She was able.

[A]

You finish your.

[B]

Well, I finished school without having getting any.

[A]

Oh, okay. What's your. Well, what did you do?

[C]

I got loans.

[A]

For what?

[C]

I got loans for my degree. I have a bachelor's in safety management.

[A]

There you go. That's.

[C]

So I got a batch. That's it.

[A]

But yeah, that's good.

[C]

Basically.

[B]

I mean it could have been paid off if you didn't have to pay.

[A]

I mean, it's fine. You got a good return on investment. You make good money. I'm not complaining about this.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's federal student loans anyway.

[C]

It was a kind of a stupid thing because I could have paid my good.

[A]

If you didn't. Whatever.

[C]

Whatever.

[A]

26, 827.71 your payment plans. Oh, regular is 187.

[C]

Yeah, something like that.

[A]

Okay. And it's federal, so I'm not freaking out about it. On minimum payment until it's paid off.

[C]

I think it's all like what? Subsidized. Right. All the subsidized student loans.

[A]

You might have some unsubsidized. Let's see.

[C]

I don't even know, dude.

[A]

I can't. I don't know. The statement's not great, so I don't them. Okay. Either way. Is there seriously more? No. What is this?

[C]

Is there more? No, dude, that's my. That's my 401k.

[A]

I was standing low balance.

[C]

Yeah. So I had a loan for my 401k. So collecting it again, it was a survival. No, the. The. The deposit that I deposited. Well, gets. It gets deducted from the balance. Yes.

[A]

It would be called due. And then everything you've been growing would get so stupid. You know, I mean I have more in there than yo 1002. Yeah. Because. Well, first of all. First of all, what it's worth. You've probably borrowed close to everything you've put in outside of employee contributions. You can't borrow from employee contributions, so. But the debt is $1,227.36. Retirement accounts about almost 5. Just under 5.

[C]

So the cool thing you we.

[A]

The cool thing. Yeah.

[C]

I was going to say addition to that. We also have like, I guess part of the company. Right. Is the employee stock stuff. So.

[A]

Checking account's negative 930.

[C]

Which one's that one you're checking $0.30.

[A]

Negative $930.

[C]

I couldn't see it on my glasses.

[B]

That's our junk account.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, that's what I took over the finances, she said.

[B]

I mean even.

[A]

Oh, he took out a hardship loan less than two weeks ago for $700. So that's not listed on your 401k.

[C]

Yeah. We needed to make the payment. So we didn't go late. I didn't. My whole thing was I don't want to go 30 days late on the car payment. So we took it out.

[B]

We took it out for the RV because. Oh yeah, the RV on the rv.

[C]

That's right. That's what that was.

[A]

Repossession would barely even help you on the Cherokee because they wouldn't be able to sell it for much.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

That's insane. Okay. And then negative on the checking account. She didn't even know this. She took over the check. And since we're negative. Since we're negative, we're getting Chick Fil A Shipley donuts. There is. There's a fee. There's a fee. Nothing. Bunk cake. Nothing. Bunk cake. Pizza Hut Food truck. L tree. McDonald's. McDonald's went in the store and got some Ariana's bakery Affirm made an affirm payment. Grill up egg up grill eggs up grill. Lily parking Little a firm affirm ATM with draw. Who knows where the that went. Tacos Ooro Oishi Sushi. Eggy barbecue joint. Selling out money. It's all checking the box. We have a child. This is disgusting. You're negative account. What a joke. Let a Monica affirm retrying payment on something great. That's wonderful for your Home Depot card. Something. You got something at a Plaza Sawdust restaurant. Starbucks Premier catering. Again. Whatever that is. Little Monica. $20 to. Oh, easy tag. You're taking tolls. Affirm. Going in. Getting some from the gas station again. Gamer stops. Cheaper. 25 cents a serving and it tastes better. I promise. One feels chocolate. You can make yourself one of those servings. Take it, dude.

[C]

They're free.

[A]

What a joke. Overdrafts up the dick. Just stupid, stupid dumb hunt. I don't even know. Let's just see if this is even possible. Because that's the big question at this point.

[C]

I mean so we do eat. We did eat out a lot before.

[A]

Oh yeah, before. Shut the up. No, I don't want to hear. This is what this. This just happened. Total income is good. 9923. 3 minimum monthly debt payments. Let's get this. Well, you don't have any. You guys. What did you put down on the house?

[C]

It was not much. It was like 8K.

[A]

Okay. 3. So so far you're underwater actually on the house. Okay. Minimum payments outside of mortgage is 3025.87. When did you get the house?

[C]

July of 23.

[A]

Oh, you guys. Okay. And your mortgage? 1766.21 sense. Gas, electric utilities, Internet, all that combined about how much? I know it fluctuates, but like utilities, utilities and Internet all combined. How much?

[C]

Probably like what, 400 bucks maybe.

[A]

Okay, 400 bucks. Phone bill, just 90.

[C]

Whatever you pay.

[B]

Yeah, well, 60.

[C]

60, 60.

[A]

That's not bad. It's something like helium. Yeah, we have. Okay, that's good. We like helium. 15 bucks a line for the T. Mobile service. We like that. Transportation. Okay, so gas from drive. Drive.

[B]

About almost $80 a month. Oh no. A week. I'm sorry, I was thinking a week.

[C]

So 320amonth?

[A]

Yeah. Car insurances.

[C]

We pay 125. Is it 125? Yeah, yeah, 125.

[A]

Okay. Groceries we should be able to do for the two year old. Two year old's off the tit, right? I think. No, two year olds on the tip, bro.

[B]

Out. You're saying she eats food? Milk and food.

[C]

Yeah. We have to buy for three.

[A]

Oh my gosh. 700 bucks should be fine.

[C]

That's a lot.

[A]

200 t. Oh yeah. 600 for groceries should be fine. I was being generous.

[B]

600.

[A]

Okay. TP Fund anything else you need to survive. Tampons, toilet paper, all the good stuff. Toothpaste things for the kid. That's what you got. Diapers, blah blah, blah blah. 200. Actually, I'll say 250. 250. Medical, health care. Any co pays on a monthly basis.

[C]

1250 because that fee.

[A]

1250 subscriptions. Let's see if I can budget in 25 even. Do you have any pets you mentioned before? What do we have?

[C]

We had a. But now we. We're down to just a turtle, a immortal Mexican chihuahua and a cat.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

What's the cat agent?

[C]

He's like four or five months.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, so he's. Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Pet insurance on the cat. 50 bucks. How much for pet food and pet maintenance on a monthly basis?

[C]

What? 50 bucks? Maybe. Maybe.

[A]

Okay. Anything else that needs to be in your budget that I have not taken into account. Okay. May have this all up.

[C]

Did you include the RV payment? Yeah, that's in the deck, cuz we missed that. Like last time we did a whole plan and forgot.

[B]

But you didn't mention it.

[A]

It's your consistent plans. They're always so damn right planned. Okay. I mean you guys have room 700, 7000. Because you guys have an incredible income. Again, this was not an income issue. This is not an income issue even before you got this new job. It is not an income issue. You got an extra $2,000 a month. I'm going to give you 500 hours in fun so that you can maintain the situation. Let's call it $5,500 left a month. Okay. $500 of fund gets you some good shit and I don't oftentimes get the chance to do that. So $357,085.52 total of debt. Let's minus the mortgage of two $218,741.89 and also minus the student loans of $26,931.45 brings us to a total debt of $111,412. $412.18 a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad,. $1,500 month pay us off in 72 omelets is chunky but, but six years. No, I don't think you have to do bankruptcy cuz we're giving you a good fun budget. You're able to maintain, you're working a lot, you're getting pay raises. Once you're able to take up more shifts at work you do and obviously by this time the kid will be in elementary school well before this is finished, you know, halfway into this process. So your income will be substantially boosted. I think you guys pay it off in five years. Sassy black woman was incorrect. I don't think you need to do bankruptcy.

[C]

She did make me Sassy White boy says no.

[A]

Sassy white boy says no. I think five years to pay this off and it's not that bad guys. It's not that bad.

[C]

It was really funny though.

[A]

And then you get a fully funded emergency fund and then we really need to catch back up on retirement. I think we do for a little bit. At least 50 on needs 25 to fund which is a substantial amount of money the income you guys have and 25% to catch up in retirement. Okay joined us in the post show Colton saying we got some juicy stuff to talk about. I don't know what it is yet but let's get the hammer Financial score first spending in a budget. You actually technically underspend on this last month but you also went weren't putting your money towards debt cuz payments were failing and you were overdrafting your checking. It didn't make sense. So it's still with the overdraft 0 out of 10 debt. It's horrendous. I mean just straight up it's horrendous. There's no collections or irs debt so 1 out of 10 but emergency fund soon the debt will be 0 out of 10. Once medical goes to collections emergency fund, there's nothing. 0 out of 10. Retirement. You withdrew. You borrowed against 401k loan. Okay, at least it's.

[B]

There's.

[A]

I'll give a 1 out of 10 out of generous real estate. It's not going to be great. At least you're in the market. But you would lose money today. You have a navig. You've lost money since you put it in and it's not. And you've only put more money into the house anyway with the spending you've done. Three out of ten. Hammer Financial score. I mean, yeah, one out of ten.

[B]

That was right.

[A]

One out of ten. Guys. Click that join button. Get three premium shows posted every single day, Monday through Friday. And Hammerly including an extra 20 minutes of every financial financial audit episode, including this episode where we got some really juicy stuff to talk about. I'll see you guys there.

[C]

Bye.

[A]

Bye. But apparently, since you submitted documents to come on the show, you've built up balances on your credit card.

[C]

Ms. In charge of our finances, Capital One.

[A]

Carter's TJ Maxx. For what? The Hammer Elite is the best YouTube membership on the platform. And I just upgraded it. Three exclusive dedicated shows every single day, Monday through Friday. Join with the link in the pinned comment or description below. This is the best membership you'll ever join. That's a promise.