Financial Audit: 90-Day Fiancé

Summary

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Financial Audit: 90-Day Fiancé (June 4, 2025)

Main Theme / Purpose

In this episode of Financial Audit, host Caleb Hammer sits down with Jedediah, a 36-year-old software engineer from Colorado Springs. The focus is on Jedediah’s complex personal finances, particularly as they relate to his recent international engagement to a woman from Cameroon—a scenario reminiscent of the reality show "90 Day Fiancé." The conversation explores the financial realities, pitfalls, and emotional underpinnings of international relationships, large life transitions, and living beyond one’s means, all with Caleb’s trademark blend of humor and blunt honesty.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 90-Day Fiancé—Jedediah’s Version (00:04–13:02)

• Jedediah describes how, after unsuccessful dating in the US, he used OkCupid's passport mode to meet women from around the world, ultimately meeting his fiancée from Cameroon. He has also dated women from Brazil and Turkey.
• The host presses Jedediah on what makes his story different from the 90 Day Fiancé archetype. After some back-and-forth, Jedediah admits, "There’s nothing really different about it" (04:26).
• Jedediah paid a $1,000 dowry ("bride price") to his fiancée’s family as per Cameroonian tradition (08:55–09:05).
• Caleb challenges the motivations behind Jedediah's relationships, particularly the “ticket to America” factor:
  • "Your opening message was, 'Do you want to come to the United States?'" (10:13, Caleb)
  • Jedediah justifies this: "That's like the ultimate goal" (10:18)
  • Caleb presses on the risk of being used for immigration status; Jedediah acknowledges but downplays the concern.
• Meeting in person was a requirement to begin immigration paperwork; Jedediah traveled to Cameroon after two years of online communication (06:12–06:28).

2. Relationship History & Previous International Dating (06:37–08:53)

• Jedediah briefly dated a Brazilian woman first. She traveled to the US but their relationship faltered, partly due to personality clashes and financial disagreements ("She was a fiery Brazilian… she would drink a lot. I’d let her borrow my car…” 07:56–08:53).
• Host probes for a pattern or “international kink,” questioning why Jedediah only sought international partners.
  • “Did you have a hard time dating nationally?” (07:10, Caleb)
  • Jedediah claims, “The quality was higher… they're nicer, prettier, smarter” (07:42).

3. Financial Reality Check—Income & Expenses (12:32–16:15)

• Jedediah is now earning $10,000/month after-tax via two software engineering jobs (12:34–13:02).
• He acknowledges earning much less when he met his fiancée.
  • “When I met her, I didn’t make anywhere near that much. Probably more like $3,500 a month.” (13:05)
• Fiancée does eyelash and hair work, aiming to work legally in the US after obtaining her green card (13:19–13:36).
• Host explores the long-term risk: “What happens after three years of marriage and she has a green card?” (13:39, Caleb). Jedediah admits it’s possible she could leave after gaining permanent status.

4. The Real Cost of International Love (15:00–24:10)

• Jedediah’s trip to Cameroon, along with medical bills, contributed to draining his emergency fund and accruing significant credit card debt.
• He justifies using emergency savings to fund the engagement and immigration requirements: “We can’t get married and be together until I went there” (18:36).
• Caleb objects: “An emergency fund is for emergencies, and then a trip can be saved up for as a trip fund.” (18:44)
• Total trip & dowry cost: approx. $8,000 (“The trip cost me like a grand or something... had to pay the dowry.” 19:07–19:11)
• Jedediah details spending habits: premium food (grass-fed beef), pre-bought water, concert season tickets—arguing this is about “quality of life.”

5. Lifestyle Inflation & Spending Habits (24:10–27:21)

• Host dissects Jedediah’s monthly spending:
  • Large outlays on high-end groceries and entertainment (symphony tickets, arts events).
  • Caleb: “You spent more just on grass-fed beef specifically than you need to on groceries in an entire month... meal prepping in general.” (25:13–25:24)
  • Jedediah: "I eat over a pound [of beef] a day." (26:08)
• Jedediah aspires to buy a house soon so he can farm chickens and have more control over his food supply (27:11–28:44), giving a window into his homesteader ambitions.

6. “Finessing” the System—Intro Offers & Card Churning (36:09–44:42)

• Jedediah holds multiple credit cards to chase bonus offers, cashback, and intro zero-APR periods.
  • Caleb: “You have so many cards, man. What kind of finessing are you trying to do?” (65:55)
• He’s been making just minimum payments during interest-free periods, planning to pay off before interest hits, but Caleb warns of the risks: “You put yourself in a risky situation with leading this entire huge balance that’s about to hit interest rate.” (45:04)
• Accumulated credit card debt: $20,200 across several cards, all facing impending interest accrual. (“You have to make a payment that is worth double your net income on a monthly basis. I don’t know. Math’s not adding up for me.” 61:17)

7. Emergency Fund—Drained for Non-Emergencies (46:59–59:20)

• Large portions of Jedediah’s “emergency fund” have been spent on anticipated, non-emergency events (trip to Cameroon, season tickets, pre-paying utilities, buying computers).
• Host’s core message: “You’re draining the emergency fund to pay off your credit card, which at least 1,000 just this last month went to miscellaneous… not just the emergencies.” (76:24)
• Caleb explains the true purpose: “Emergency fund keeps you alive for six months if you get laid off… you are putting yourself in a dangerous position.” (75:33)

8. Patterns of Financial Rationalization & Self-Disclosure (59:20–79:50)

• Jedediah tends to justify excessive or unnecessary spending, often blaming timing or insisting purchases were “necessary.”
• He reveals quirky habits (pre-buying, couponing, hacking rewards programs) that ultimately waste time or yield only small savings.
  • “I was essentially buying one can of cat food at a time to get the most roundup… made money on that purchase… like 30 cents, but they gave me 70 cents.” (72:01–72:47)
• Significant money also spent on music CDs rather than streaming (classical collection) and multiple computers (some ruined by home yogurt or sourdough projects); Jedediah delays selling them, overvaluing their worth.

9. Future Planning & Goals (80:05–End)

• Jedediah’s housing ambitions are on hold—he needs to pay off all credit card debt and rebuild his emergency fund before even thinking about a down payment.
• Host sets out a “bare minimum” living budget: $3,054/month (rent/utilities, groceries, cat food, necessary expenses).
  • “You just have to like, just live on your needs and not go crazy.” (82:11, Caleb)
• Retirement savings are minimal (“You’re still dramatically behind for your age…” 79:37).
• Caleb delivers a tough assessment: “What you have done is a disaster... You’re destroying it.” (75:33–76:16)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

International Dating & 90-Day Fiance

• Jedediah: “Would you like to come move to America with me? It’s getting a lonely in my apartment with my cat.” (05:19)
• Caleb: “So you just fully mail ordered bride?” (04:28)
• Jedediah: “I mean, there’s nothing really different [than 90 Day Fiancé] about it.” (04:26)

On Motivation/Risk

• Caleb: “How does it feel? All those women... literally agree to that first message about just using you to come to the United States?” (09:39)
• Jedediah: “That’s... a really negative way to look at it.” (11:17)

Spending & Lifestyle

• Caleb: “You spent more just on grass fed beef specifically than you need to on groceries in an entire month.” (25:13)
• Jedediah: “I eat over a pound a day.” (26:08)
• Caleb: “What are you prepping for?” (46:36)

On Debt & “Finessing”

• Caleb: “You have so many cards, man. What kind of finessing are you trying to do?” (65:55)
• Jedediah: “I was just trying to get the 5% back.” (66:03)
• Caleb: “You’re draining the emergency fund to pay off your credit card which at least 1,000 just this last month else alone went to miscellaneous... It’s not just the emergencies.” (76:24)

Caleb’s Score

• Caleb: “Spending: 0 out of 10… Debt: 2 out of 10… Emergency Fund: 6 out of 10… Retirement: 4 out of 10… Hammer Financial Score: 2.5 out of 10.” (79:25–80:05)

Humor & Relatable Chaos

• Chicken Story: Jedediah shares the strange tale of his pet chicken Harriet Potter being “evicted” from his apartment (32:29–34:43).
• On Couponing: “You sound like a couponer… took way too much time. They told me they would, it was suspicious activity.” (72:24–72:46)
• On Music: “It’s harder to download [classical music] illegally, so I just bought a bunch of $2 CDs to kind of build up a classical music collection… you live in 2005?” (62:50–63:11)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04–04:26: The “90 Day Fiancé” similarities, dowry, and motivations behind international dating.
• 07:10–08:53: Challenges of domestic vs. international dating, failed Brazilian relationship.
• 12:32–13:36: Jedediah’s job, income, and fiancée’s work prospects.
• 15:00–19:11: Detailed breakdown of trip, emergency fund usage, and dowry.
• 24:10–27:21: Analysis of monthly spending and food expenses.
• 36:09–45:04: Debt breakdown, minimum payments, credit card juggling risks.
• 46:59–59:20: Emergency fund misuse and risk assessment.
• 59:20–79:50: Rationalization, “miscellaneous purchases”, dubious “finessing”, and music/technology purchases.
• 80:05–End: Budgeting reality, future goals, and final financial assessment.

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Tone & Takeaways

• The conversation is candid, humorous, and at times confrontational. Caleb presses hard on the “rationalizations” behind questionable financial choices, pushing Jedediah to recognize the distinction between wants and genuine needs.
• Jedediah’s story highlights the unique, often overlooked, financial challenges of cross-cultural and international relationships, especially where immigration is involved.
• Key lessons include the dangers of living on the financial edge, why emergency funds are not for pre-planned expenses, and the importance of honest self-assessment. Caleb’s pointed scoring and blunt feedback underscore just how precarious Jedediah’s situation truly is—“You’re destroying it.”
• The episode wraps with actionable, if stern, advice: Pay down debt, rebuild emergency savings, live below your means, and don’t treat credit cards as a “finesse” game unless you can back it up with discipline and surplus cash.

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For listeners seeking relatable personal finance lessons—with a side of real-life chaos, cross-cultural romance, and pet chicken drama—this episode delivers both education and entertainment in classic Caleb Hammer style.

Transcript

[A]

To watch episodes of Financial Audit a week earlier. Check us out on YouTube. You know 90 Day Fiance?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I know 90 Day Fiance.

[A]

What's different here?

[B]

I mean, there's nothing really different about it.

[A]

So just fully mail ordered bride?

[B]

Well, I guess I did pay a dowry. I met a girl from Brazil. I met a girl from Turkey.

[A]

So, yeah, I think they want to come here.

[B]

That's kind of what my message said.

[A]

Oh, what did it say?

[B]

Would you like to come move to America with me? It's getting a lonely in my apartment with my cat.

[A]

No. Download my budgeting app today and take control of your money once and for all. And for a limited time only, sign up for the annual version of premium and get my cookbook and notebook signed and mailed directly to you. Link in the description and pinned comment below.

[B]

Hi, this is Jedediah. I'm 36. I'm from near Colorado Springs, Colorado. And this is Financial Audit.

[A]

Thanks for coming over to Austin, man.

[B]

Glad to be here. Glad to be here.

[A]

I don't think you're allowed to wear that.

[B]

Oh, I for sure am. I mean, I can't believe you'd even say anything like that. You know, Is this cultural appropriation comment?

[A]

I don't know. I just feel like the Internet is telling me that.

[B]

The Internet?

[A]

Already? Yeah.

[B]

Oh, well, no.

[A]

What are we. What are we doing?

[B]

So I bought it. They. They told me to buy it. Oh. They told me to buy it. And. Yeah. So I think it's okay. I mean, I was requested to buy it for a. An engagement ceremony.

[A]

So whose are you going to?

[B]

Mine.

[A]

You're buying it for your engagement ceremony?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But you're wearing it out in public.

[B]

Well, yeah, because I thought it'd be funny, you know, like. Like, you know.

[A]

Yeah. Hear that? Whatever culture this is.

[B]

No, no, I thought.

[A]

Well, no, I'm kidding. I don't give a trust.

[B]

Well, I was pretty sure you're gonna lead with a cultural appropriation comment, so I called it the Internet.

[A]

The Internet. I don't give a f. Anyone does, but. Okay. So you're engaged.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Or you're getting engaged.

[B]

Yeah. Just got engaged. Just got engaged. Let's see.

[A]

Is that the culture of the person you're getting engaged to?

[B]

Yeah, it's. And then the colors are their native town and tribe. So, like, each. Each area in the country. Each area in the country has like a different colors.

[A]

What is it? What country?

[B]

Well, it's. The country is Cameroon and the region is Bamenda.

[A]

Is that like her roots or is she like there right now?

[B]

Yeah, well, both. Yeah, she's. Well, she's in Cameroon still, but she's in the big city and she's from Baminda.

[A]

What happens is that two weeks in a row of like a 90 day fiance. African version.

[B]

Yeah, I guess. Talk to Lindsey.

[A]

Yeah. This is interesting. This is a double dipper. What are we doing? I mean. Okay. What did you even find her on?

[B]

Okay, Cupid.

[A]

Were you like in Africa on the maps?

[B]

No. No. Okay, so they had a passport mode and so. Okay, okay. Cupid's like the less popular one, you know, right now. Hinge is like the big thing then. Tinder and Bumble have been around for a while. Right. So I wasn't like, I'd kind of gone through those already and was just like, what's going on in OkCupid? You know, haven't heard about that in a while. And then so instant, you know, I did a few swipes and instantly I was suddenly in Denver, you know, so I was out of the locals like in, you know, like.

[A]

So let's jump to Cameroon.

[B]

Well, they have passport mode, right? So.

[A]

So then there's another states surrounding Colorado, but sure.

[B]

Yeah. Okay. So then I did passport mode and so you. Yeah, I was just messaging girls from like kind of everywhere, not just Cameroon.

[A]

Did you like drop your little passport mode in the middle of Africa just like.

[B]

No, you know, I don't think their passport mode work like that from what I remember. I mean, I could be totally wrong. I think it was just showing me girls from all sorts of different places.

[A]

Has she always lived there?

[B]

Yeah, she's always lived there. So like I met a girl from Brazil. I met a girl from Turkey. I met a girl from Nigeria.

[A]

So you knew you would be on tlc, right?

[B]

Well, no.

[A]

What's different here?

[B]

What do you mean? Why would I be on TLC?

[A]

What's different here than the traditional 90 Day Fiance story? Do you know 90 Day Fiance?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I know 90 Day Fiance.

[A]

What's different here?

[B]

What do you mean? What's different about it?

[A]

What's different about your situation than 90 Day Fiance?

[B]

I mean, there's nothing really different about it.

[A]

So just fully mail ordered bride.

[B]

Well, it's not. I didn't. Well, I guess I did pay a dowry. But yeah, we talked about that one too. But yeah. No, so it's like the.

[A]

Just like a white dude like pays. Pays the. The family tribe some money and then they get to marry their daughter. Bring them over kind of. Yeah, I mean that's kind of how the dowry works.

[B]

Yeah. So, yeah, I was messing different girls there. And so I wrote a message and I kind of had like a pretty much 100% response rate from it. So.

[A]

Yeah, I think they want to come here.

[B]

Yeah, that's kind of what my message said too. It was like, oh, what did it say? It was like, let me see.

[A]

What did it say?

[B]

Gu. It said. It said like, hey, like, nice to meet you. Would you like to come move to America with me? Like, opening message. Like, yeah, like, let's see. Would you like to move to America with me? It's getting a lonely in my apartment. With my cat? No, with just me and my cat.

[A]

Oh, no. Oh, no, no.

[B]

But hey, look, like, I think it was the right thing to say because.

[A]

Like I said, I guess you were being honest.

[B]

Well, Yeah, I got 100% response rate. Like when you go.

[A]

And they all said yes.

[B]

Yeah. Well, it started a conversation.

[A]

How'd you select the Nigerian princess versus She's Cameroonian. Oh, Cameroonian. I think the other one is Nigeria. How do you do? How'd you select this one versus the Brazil? The Russia? This.

[B]

Well, she was the one I got along with the best and I thought she was very beautiful, obviously. But so it actually.

[A]

Have you met?

[B]

Oh, yeah, we have now. Yeah. That's wondering why I got all the clothes.

[A]

You went there. So you only met once. So it was like the. Before the 90 day series.

[B]

Yeah, basically. Well, to start the process, you have to meet in person once. So like you're not allowed to do the immigration forms until you've met in person. So like we had to meet in person. Like we've been talking for two years.

[A]

Two years, no meeting.

[B]

Yeah, well, it was. It was.

[A]

How are you in Cameroon?

[B]

Two weeks maximum vacation time?

[A]

Yeah, two weeks. And we're closing it down. We're giving money to the village.

[B]

Well, yeah, but I've been talking to her for two years and like, you know, we kind of decided like, so there's. There's like more backstory. It's because I dated the Brazilian girl first because she was able to come to the US like. Cause Brazil's like on the approved countries list, right? So they can just get a travel visa and come over. So she came over and she.

[A]

Wait, who did the. Brazil.

[B]

Brazilian.

[A]

So one. One other prospect came. One other 90 day fiance prospect came?

[B]

Yeah, another. Another 90 day prospect came. Um, so you know, that went like, good and bad, but mostly probably bad in, you know, I guess we just didn't get along.

[A]

Do you have something for someone that. Like a international kink or something. Like, is there. It's not. It's not. It's not a bad thing. I'm not. But the fact that the only people you were talking to is international was like, did you have a hard time dating nationally?

[B]

Well, sort of. Right? Like, that's what I was saying, like, when I'd go on, like, Tinder and, like.

[A]

Yeah, but you could have got someone in Florida, right?

[B]

Well, yeah. Well, I guess the quality was higher. The quality was higher. Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So it's like, you know, so accent.

[A]

Ding, ding, ding.

[B]

Well, no, it's just like, they're. They're nicer, prettier, like, you know, smarter. You know, like.

[A]

But are you not afraid that. Wait, why did the Brazilian one not work out?

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

We will get to the finances.

[B]

This is very interesting, because she's a fiery Brazilian, you know. And you guys fought? Yeah, a little bit. And, like, what'd you fight over? Well, just all sorts of stuff, honestly. But, like, so she would drink a lot. You know, like, a little bit Finances. Because. So she was here and she was staying with me, and, you know, I'd be like, hey. She was like, I'd let her borrow my car, right? And then so she would, like, need to get gas. And I was like, oh, hey, just come with me to Costco. I need to get gas, too. And she'd, like, get really mad, like, that we couldn't just go to this other, slightly closer gas station. And. And then, you know, I'd be like, oh, hey, maybe, you know, shouldn't, like, spend so much of your money, like, on beer? Like, you know, like, your percentage of money you're spending on beer is, like, pretty high. So, like, she got kind of mad about that. And then there's just, like, all sorts of stuff, like the air conditioning, you know.

[A]

How much did you pay to the tribe?

[B]

$1,000.

[A]

A thousand?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, pretty decent price.

[A]

You bought her for $1,000.

[B]

I mean, it's like.

[A]

Well, I don't know if I want to use that language for that continent, but.

[B]

Yeah, well, yeah, I mean, it's a dowry. It's the tradition. If you look up Cameroon bride price, it's like, a thing. And like, actually. And on 90 Day Fiance, right? Like, they had a Cameroonian on there, but it was the guy. So then.

[A]

Did you watch those shows, the tutorial?

[B]

Yeah, actually, when I was going over there, because it was a guy from Cameroon, so I just wanted to see what was going on. But yeah, so. So Then the American girl, like, had to be bought. And then her parents were just like, what? You're buying our daughter? Yeah. So definitely a thing.

[A]

How does it feel? And I know that this apparently, like, this is a big part of the finances. This is this international thing bringing her over. So, like, I get it. This is the big part of the financial audit, and we're talking about it right now. But are you. What's your thoughts on the fact that all those women, including the one that will be coming and the one that has come, literally agree to that first message about just using you to come to the United States?

[B]

Oh, well, I wouldn't say that there was more.

[A]

Like, your opening message was, do you want to come to the United States?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, because that's like the ultimate goal.

[A]

They don't know you. That's like the ultimate goal, but they don't know you. The only thing they knew was this is a way to come to the United States.

[B]

Yeah. So, okay, the Brazilian was able to come. Right. So she was already. So she was already, like, looking to come, and then she didn't actually come for like, I guess, like two or three months after we started talking. So it wasn't like, hey, come here. And then they.

[A]

No, I get it. But they're using you as the ticket to get here. How does this feel? Like you don't. Okay. Why haven't they five years?

[B]

Okay, the alternative is me go there. And did I want to go live in Brazil or did I want to go live in Cameroon? No, probably not.

[A]

What happens after, like, five years of marriage and they can kind of less consequences, kind of cut that ties?

[B]

I mean, like I said, we get along. Like, you know, like, I've had a lot.

[A]

But what if her mission is just to get here? That was your opening message. I'm not saying it 100%, but that was your opening message.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, that's.

[A]

So that's the first thing they knew. The first thing that started the conversation was, this is their way to the United States.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I guess, like, that's. That's a really negative way to look at it.

[A]

But that was your opening message.

[B]

Hey, it's fair you didn't bring it.

[A]

Up once they knew you.

[B]

Yeah, but the whole time, like, people told me, like, oh, when you go over there, like, you know, are you sure you've talked to her? Like, are you sure she's not catfishing you? Are you sure you're not going to get kidnapped?

[A]

Lush is not at least catfishing, you.

[B]

Know, like there's like this huge like list of things that everyone told me to like worry about. Like, oh, you're not going to get along. It's going to be different when you meet in person. But like we've been talking for two years and we've been doing like video calls, like pretty much. I get that.

[A]

That's not what I'm saying.

[B]

No, we genuinely get along and like we smile when we talk to each other.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I mean, look, like, I smile with.

[A]

My friends when I talk to them.

[B]

Yeah, okay. But yeah, and coworkers and you.

[A]

That doesn't mean we're getting married for love, me and you.

[B]

I don't think it's a high concern right now. I think the probability is like relatively low that can happen with people even that live next door to you.

[A]

No, of course, but your probability is higher.

[B]

I mean, is it though when you. I mean, do we have to only.

[A]

Talk to the people that. When you only talk to the people that responded, yes. To wanting to come to the United States? From your opening message, I would suggest. So I haven't even asked what your job is. What do you do for a living?

[B]

So I do software engineering.

[A]

Oh, okay, cool. So you make some money. What are you making?

[B]

Well, so I guess all income sources right now, after taxes, after medical bills and all that. Not medical bills.

[A]

Yeah, sure, we'll hit some.

[B]

That sure, yeah. Okay. 10,000amonth?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, dude, absolutely. Killer. I know some foreign born princesses would love that. That is great.

[B]

Yeah, so. But when I met her, I didn't make anywhere near that much money.

[A]

What'd you make?

[B]

It was probably more like 3,500amonth.

[A]

Yeah, 3,500amonth. Well that's probably about like 3,000 more a month than their annual GDP per capita.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. She doesn't make a whole lot of money.

[A]

What does she do? Is she gonna come here and move?

[B]

She just eyel. And she does like hair stuff.

[A]

Right, right, right, right.

[B]

Well, eyelashes is pretty lucrative here. It's just not there as much. Yeah, but people pay like a hundred.

[A]

Would she do it legally here?

[B]

Yeah, once we get her a green card. Uh huh.

[A]

Cool. And what happens after three years of marriage and she has a green card? Cause you pretty much gotta be married like three years with the green card.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then they can get divorced and then there's.

[B]

Yeah, you can always like anyone you get married to can divorce you. I mean like, I mean that's probably why you're not married, is because you're worried about that. I mean, I was, too. To be fair, I was too. You know, like, I was worried about. Like that.

[A]

But then I just specifically know this one guy here in Austin, Texas. I know. I don't know him personally. I actually know the girl, but he. They got married. She was from. She's. I think China or Taiwan was just over there. And she got married, got the green card. Two years, two to three years after marriage. Done, Done. Out, Out. And now she's just turning around with a green card.

[B]

Yeah, Hey, I mean, it's definitely a possibility. But like I said, you know.

[A]

You.

[B]

Know, I'll have to judge your character. Right. And so I judge that.

[A]

Well, 10,000 hours a month is great. Why the. Are you so. It's just you and your cat, as you admitted. How could things be so bad? It's not like you brought on someone incorporated, made family and all this stuff.

[B]

I didn't think it was that bad. It was mostly just, like, the trip and some medical expenses and those. Medical expenses. You know, honestly, that's one of the reasons that.

[A]

Medical expenses. I don't know. I see a ton of purchases on this first credit card alone that has a high debt. I don't think this is just medical. No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. No, I don't see one medical expense here. How much did you put on credit cards? Medical expense?

[B]

About 4,000.

[A]

Okay, well, that's not even a fourth of your high interest debt, so I don't think that's the reason we're in this mask.

[B]

Well, yeah, I mean, the trip and medical expenses combined is about.

[A]

What trip?

[B]

The trip to go get engaged.

[A]

But there's so much spending on these credit cards right now. Dude, you literally. You spent $2,216 more than you brought in last month.

[B]

Well, yeah, well, because it's like, a lot.

[A]

When did you go to Cameroon?

[B]

A lot of emergency fund spending.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Medical expenses and car expenses.

[A]

What are you dying? Every month. What's happening? Does she know?

[B]

It happened in January, and then the bills didn't come due until.

[A]

What happened?

[B]

Well, I'm not. Actually. They told me not to say, so. We don't get banned on YouTube, apparently.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Apparently, we can't mention specific. Yeah, okay. Yeah, no, it's just like.

[A]

Okay. And when did you go to Cameroon?

[B]

Two months later. Like, well, a month and a half after the medical, so.

[A]

March.

[B]

Yeah, March.

[A]

Okay. That does not. We're not looking at March's statements. Probably looking at, like, April's. Yeah, we're looking at April. So that doesn't matter.

[B]

I mean, you're looking at marches. I mean, I don't.

[A]

Like, I see April, April, April, April, April, April.

[B]

Every April. Okay. I mean, I don't know. I sent. I mean, the. The April statement has March's payments usually, right?

[A]

Like, March's the one that minimum monthly payment. Maybe, but these are purchases being made in April.

[B]

Okay. I mean, I sent you the statements April 15th. So, like, April wasn't even over yet. So, I mean, wasn't over.

[A]

But I am seeing some April in your spending in the last.

[B]

Some screenshots, too, of the more recent cards.

[A]

So there's either way, $2,000 more than you owed.

[B]

Yeah, but like I said, a lot of it's emergency fund spending. Like, you know, when you have to do a car repair, when you have to do a medical expense.

[A]

Okay, I had one large medical bill, but that still pushes you directly to the edge.

[B]

Yeah, no, well, yeah, I said I'm not going on a trip to Cameroon every month. I'm not getting engaged every month. Like, the trip cost me like a grand or something.

[A]

I don't think the trip is on the statement, buddy. Okay, so in general, what is going on? Because even if it was. Even if it was just that spending, let's just say, yeah, if it was one month, two months of bad spending, I wouldn't have this much paperwork. I mean, what is going on? Because you're making too much right now to be this.

[B]

I think. I mean, I think we'll just have to dive into it. Like, I think you're.

[A]

I want to see self assess. Why you think it's. Well, I guess I did think it was medical and travel, but this wouldn't all be existing just for that. Well, and I mean, that explains a month.

[B]

Yeah, and I mean, it's mostly. Yeah, I mean, that's mostly when problem. Because I wasn't making this income for that long of a time.

[A]

Well, how long have you been making this job?

[B]

Essentially, since, you know. Well, I mean, why did you use.

[A]

An emergency fund to go to Cameroon anyway? That's not an emergency.

[B]

Well, it kind of is.

[A]

No.

[B]

Well, okay, so, like, what a kind.

[A]

What. How. In what world is that an emergency?

[B]

Because. Because we can't get married and we can't be together until I went there.

[A]

Why did you save up for it?

[B]

I did. That's what an emergency fund is.

[A]

No, an emergency fund is for emergencies, and then a trip can be saved up for as a trip fund.

[B]

Okay, so this is how I looked at it. It's like, look, if. The longer I delay it. Right.

[A]

You wouldn't have to. You make money, though. You could have budgeted in a trip. I assume Cameroon isn't the most expensive trip in the world.

[B]

I mean, it was pretty expensive.

[A]

What?

[B]

Like I said, it cost about 8,000. All told. To do, like, the engage. Like, I had to pay the dowry.

[A]

Oh, well, that. But it's not the trip. Okay, I see what you're saying. Yes. You had to pay your tax to purchase a wife. Yeah, I got it.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. And then I got an engagement ring.

[A]

No sake. Okay. Is that included in the 8,000?

[B]

Probably.

[A]

Okay, maybe we didn't need that part.

[B]

Just, I mean, I don't know. It probably was. Yeah, I'm including in 8,000. Yeah. Okay. For sure. And then at least you're bringing the.

[A]

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[B]

Yeah, okay. Yeah, so. And then I also bought some sort of stuff in advance. So, like, I know she's going to come over. Well, I don't know, but the plan is that it takes.

[A]

You don't know.

[B]

Well, I don't know how long it's going to take.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Right. So, like, early side, she gets over here around November, late side, you know, February of next year. So that's why, like, I didn't want to delay it even more.

[A]

What's life going to look like financially when she's here? What does she want? What is happening? Is she gonna be like, a good milker? A lot of the times on those shows, they are, you know, quite needy and they want to do a lot of things. They get a little upset if they don't get, like, allowances. It's very interesting. And it's also boring if they don't have, like, any kind of, like, work permits or anything. It's like, what do they do with their time? So, like, what are you gonna do?

[B]

Well, yeah. Yeah, definitely. Well, luckily I do work from home, so we can like, still. Oh, I mean, not 100% of the time, but like, a lot of the time I work from home, so we can spend some time there. And that's one of the things I bought in advance was try to get, like, plenty of, like, entertainment stuff set up so that, like, you know, like to get, like, season tickets and stuff to various things so that.

[A]

Do you guys agree on everything? Do you guys disagree on this? Money? I mean, no one agrees on everything money related here.

[B]

Well, she doesn't really have, like, you know, I guess there.

[A]

What about her expectations of it, though?

[B]

Their financial situation over there is a little different.

[A]

I know, but what are her American dream expectations? Remember, she responded to the opening message, do you want to live in America?

[B]

Well, yeah, I mean, I. That's a good question. Like, I guess we'd have to ask her exactly what our expectations.

[A]

You don't know. You talk to her for two years?

[B]

Well, I mean, I've talked to her, but like, you know, she doesn't express things. Yeah, I mean, well, she said that kind of stuff doesn't matter to her as long as she has, like, the base, because it's like, where she's coming from now where she's coming from.

[A]

So she wants to be here for a reason.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Why did you want to find. How about this? Why does she want to Be here before.

[B]

I've been to where she lives there. It's not.

[A]

Why does she want to be here specifically before she knew you? Because she responded to the application to come to the US Essentially.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, I think a lot of people there want to get out, you know, I think that's like a, you know, they, they watch movies and stuff and they see like, it's like nicer. Like, I mean, I. I don't know exactly, but that's kind of like my gist of it. And then, you know, I went, I've seen where she lives, you know, and like, I would just say most Americans wouldn't be willing to live there. Not that it was that bad overall, but like, just in general, they probably wouldn't be down for it. And then, you know, like their power cuts out all the time. Stuff like that. Just like small annoyances. Yes. Okay. I mean, she doesn't even.

[A]

And so that's not the reason. I mean, she's getting married.

[B]

Okay, maybe it is. But like, you know, I think when she comes over here, the main thing that's gonna change financially is, you know, I spend a lot of money on food already. Not like eating out, but just like on food.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Well, to get good quality food, man. You know, like, you don't want to get that, like gross, like cafo beef, you know, you want to get some nice grass fed, dry aged, you know, I don't.

[A]

You had more going out to eat than you had groceries, so. Well, that's $600 going out to eat.

[B]

Okay, that's not true. That's just not true.

[A]

That is math.

[B]

Yeah, but I didn't spend $600 going out to eat. Like, maybe you got some of my grocery purchases in there or something. I've only been out to eat four times, like this year, maybe five times. One of them was today.

[A]

We had some burgers. What is.

[B]

Yeah, knock about burgers. That was like the first time.

[A]

That was one we had. That was 25 adding up a sweet treat. So we were stopping and getting.

[B]

Oh, it's a $25.

[A]

So no, some adding up. We had about $198.63. Sweet treats. We'll go through the statements, buddy. I haven't gone through them. Someone else said, what's Carter County? County meat.

[B]

Yeah, grass fed beef.

[A]

That's beef. So, okay, you're. You spent more just on grass fed beef specifically than you need to on groceries in an entire month that you could, in a budget, friendly way with meal prepping.

[B]

I could eat less.

[A]

I Mean, and just meal prepping in general. I do meal prepping more on grass fed beef. Then someone who's trying to budget and live a better life. What are your goals? What are you trying to do other than bring someone over?

[B]

Okay, even if I got Costco beef, right? Like, I would, like, okay, that's 30 pounds. That's 30 pounds of ground beef. So even if you bought 30 pounds of ground beef from Costco, I mean, you'd save. I'd save like, like probably like 33 on it or something. Like, I pay about nine something dollars a pound. And I think you can get Costco ground beef. Like, and that's after taxes. Nine something after taxes. So like Costco ground beef after taxes is like maybe six something. So I'm saving like $3 a pound. So. But it's the problem.

[A]

Look at how much meat are you.

[B]

Eating, dude, like over a pound a day.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

That's what I'm saying.

[A]

Like, and then there's more groceries on top of that.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I spend a lot.

[A]

Of money on 148 at Trader Joe's and.

[B]

Yeah, that's water.

[A]

139.

[B]

Yeah. King sippers is groceries.

[A]

Why? What's your water situation? You're not in Cameroon, right?

[B]

I know, but I get. I get. Well, okay. Yeah, but that's like, that's like three months worth of water.

[A]

And that's more important than not going further into debt.

[B]

Well, I mean, you don't have filtered water. I do. I use it for tea and coffee. But like the. That's like. It's like kind of mineral water. So it's like, works like a. Okay. It's super hydrating and it like gives you magnesium and.

[A]

But let's just think about life where we are. Because this is what you're prioritizing. If that's where life is, fine, you can prioritize it. Obviously we're going further in debt, so maybe we don't. When we're trading our emergency fund. But what are your goals? What are we trying to do?

[B]

Well, okay, so now that I'm getting married and she's gonna come over here, I guess like sort of the goal is to want to buy a house. So.

[A]

Okay, that's a good goal.

[B]

So, you know, like, you're hammering on the debt over here and like.

[A]

Oh, yes, you have 40,000 or 20,000 hours in bad debt.

[B]

Okay, but I haven't paid any interest.

[A]

Substantial.

[B]

I haven't paid any interest. So is it bad debt?

[A]

Well, debt to income ratio, they'll look at it and they're on credit cards which will accrue interest.

[B]

But they haven't.

[A]

Doesn't matter. They will.

[B]

Okay, but don't pay them off.

[A]

And you're not.

[B]

Yeah, I'm trying to save up for a house. So yeah, like, you know, that's kind.

[A]

Of like save up how much?

[B]

Well, you know, you gotta get a down payment. Right. And so like I know you're like into real estate like you mentioned all the time. So I'm hoping that like, you know, we're on a real estate bubble right now when all these foreclosures come up that like the market looks a little bit better and maybe on that down payment, big hopefully. I mean, but there are like, there has been foreclosure insurance for the last like four years.

[A]

But what if that doesn't happen? What if rates drop soon people are able to refinance onto more affordable things.

[B]

It's like the fact.

[A]

No, it's not even rates. But if people are near that level of foreclosure, if rates do drop, they might be able to refinance into a more affordable situation that allows them to get in to something they can afford and not get foreclosure.

[B]

Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's.

[A]

I don't know, banking on that. Something that's happened like a couple times in American history. It's like.

[B]

Well, right. Are like looking like 2008. Right. It's looking like 2007 right now. I mean. Okay. But like, okay, I really want to get a house because. Okay. A like she's coming over.

[A]

Yes, I get that.

[B]

And like, and then you know, I was trying to start like doing some chicken farming and so like you're okay.

[A]

Software engineer or farm, I don't know.

[B]

Well, okay, so eggs are super expensive. Right. And typically they're like, you know, not okay.

[A]

But you make a lot of money.

[B]

They're tortured eggs. Okay.

[A]

But you're able to, you get grass fed beef, you know you can get better eggs.

[B]

Yeah, but they're like ridiculously expensive. But you make. If you're giving me a hard time about the grass fed beef, like how do paying like a dollar an egg.

[A]

It's less about that. It's more that. It's less about that. It's more that you're going into an entire house purchase just for this. If it was you're able to do that in your current situation, then I don't care.

[B]

Well, yeah, I mean I did try to have the chicken live at the apartment, but then it got evicted.

[A]

It got evicted?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What is a chicken getting evicted?

[B]

Okay, so I guess, like, there's this girl I was kind of dating, and.

[A]

Was she American this time?

[B]

Yes, she was. Well, Native American, but so, yeah, I mean, it wasn't like we had dated before, and then. So I guess, like, I felt kind of hopeless because I. Like, I was on unemployment at the time, and, like, so I didn't think I could do this whole Cameroon thing, even though that's, like, what I really wanted to do. But.

[A]

Wait, you wanted to do this while you were dating the other one?

[B]

Well, okay, what I'm saying is I've been wanting to do the Cameroon thing for, like, two years.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But it just hasn't.

[A]

You were dating this Native American girl while this was happening?

[B]

Well, we weren't. We weren't really talking so much.

[A]

Does Ms. Cameroon know this?

[B]

Yeah, she does.

[A]

She's okay with it.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, she dated.

[A]

So you just needed some local company as you were waiting for the big. The big migration, sort of, but. Okay.

[B]

But it was more like we were more friends than we were, like, it's serious.

[A]

Oh, they're saying the Brazilian was also an overlap.

[B]

Yeah, well, yeah, the Brazilian, too. Yeah. I mean, yeah, because we were just talking, you know, there's like. No. Yeah.

[A]

Anyway, go on. Chicken eviction.

[B]

Okay. Yes. So, yeah, I guess she got kind of mad. Cause, like, like I said, it was more like a friend thing. Like, for me at that point, like, we weren't really, like, you know, hooking up a whole lot, and then, so she was, like, kind of mad about that.

[A]

You weren't fucking.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Well, probably because, you know, I had my heart in other places, but, yeah. So anyway.

[A]

Hey, Pookie, our Memorial Day sale is happening right now, and it's your shot to grab some of the tools you need to own your financial future.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And for 10 short days, May 23rd through midnight on June 2nd, every single one of our classes is discounted. Pick any individual course and slash 20% off. Just $157 each. Or you could go all in with the complet, master your money Bundle and save $237 at 30% off. So you can secure the core four courses at a massive discount. And inside, you'll find step by step lessons on budgeting, crushing debt and beginner to advance investing everything you need to start making smarter money moves today. And this deal disappears the moment the clock hits midnight on June 2nd. Click the link in the description below. Lock in those Memorial Day savings before they're gone. Take control of your financial future today. See you in the classes.

[B]

So she was kind of mad about that. And then like, so leftover from the Brazilian girl, like I had these lingerie's and so they were just like in my closet. And then I guess she like went into my closet for some reason. Not even my closet. It was like the closet in my office. So like she goes in there and she sees them and then she just like freaks out. And I'm like, well, they're not. There's. It's kind of like not. It's like it's a long story to.

[A]

Get to a chicken leaving.

[B]

Well, yeah, okay, I'm getting there, I'm getting there. So, so anyway, she finds the lingerie and gets really mad and starts throwing stuff away. And then I got kind of mad at her for doing that and then we kind of broke up. And then like right after we broke up, you know, like, I don't know, three days later, the chicken police came to my house and the.

[A]

Is the chicken police.

[B]

I mean, this is the chicken police. I mean, I don't know what you want me to tell you. They just knocked on the door and they said we need a. Like it's kind of like, you know.

[A]

Was it an indoor chicken?

[B]

Well, it lived on the balcony. So I made like about.

[A]

I'm not sure. Neighbors love that.

[B]

Well, okay, the. Right, okay.

[A]

But if it was the chicken like that. I thought you were all about moral space. And for the chicken to run it's.

[B]

A lot more space and like if even like those. Yeah, even the open pasture chickens, like they, they put them like.

[A]

Okay, yeah, yeah, but it's still a balcony though, versus a yard.

[B]

Yeah, I took it for walks. Uh huh. You take your dog for a walk. Are you torturing your dog by letting it live inside?

[A]

No, but I don't keep it on a balcony.

[B]

So the chicken police come and they're like, oh, this is like a safe, habitable, like, you know, it's warm area, you have a heater for the chicken. It's like a, you know, safe environment. It's like a happy chicken. And then so then like three days later, then the apartment complex sent me a letter.

[A]

Fair enough.

[B]

And they were like, hey, you know, this chicken violates our pet policy. You have 24 hours to get rid of it. So then I had to find like a different home for the chicken. And so it kind of. I fostered it at a friend's house. And then so, you know, I maybe one of the eating out things you have down for me is like a kombucha subscription.

[A]

I have no. So that's probably in the subscriptions, though.

[B]

In the. In the Kombucha network. There was someone that I was able to.

[A]

In the kombucha network.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

What do you think you are in the world of finances? 0 to 10, 0 being the worst, 10 being the best.

[B]

I mean, I'll probably 4.

[A]

We'll see.

[B]

I feel like that's.

[A]

I highly doubt it. If you're on the show, I'll be honest, but things have surprised me before. If you want to see where you stand in the world of finances, take the assessment. Go to Caleb Hammer dot com. You can also go to CalebHaber dot com. Apply if you want to be on the show. And don't forget, if you don't want to end up like a guest on the show, make sure you're downloading my budgeting app. And if you sign up for the annual version, I'll send you our budget friendly cookbook, which can't be purchased anywhere. I'll sign it, and I'll send it directly to you. All right, guy.

[B]

Well, so do you want to know the chicken's name?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

It's Harriet Potter, the chick that lived. Because I tried to hatch a bunch of chickens and only one survived.

[A]

Stop. You have a Chase Freedom card. I love the Chase Freedom card. It's a classic.

[B]

Is this the OG Freedom?

[A]

I don't know, dude. You tell me.

[B]

Okay. I mean, I have three. Chase.

[A]

The man has found love. He is giggly.

[B]

I have three.

[A]

6,500.

[B]

Okay. That's the unlimited. Yeah.

[A]

$85.77 with a minimum monthly payment of. I can't tell.

[B]

Yeah, I don't know. Never made a minimum monthly payment.

[A]

What is the minimum payment?

[B]

Honestly, I don't know. It's usually probably like 40 bucks.

[A]

Okay, $40 minimum monthly payment. And on here, pending lands end for PayPal. And PayPal. And PayPal. And PayPal. Oh, educational access dot com. That one's blacked out. Carid.com karid.com Car Summit Rock Auto Car Parts. What the is going on with your car? What are you doing?

[B]

So that was oil filters, wiper blades, air filters.

[A]

Do it all at once?

[B]

Yeah, just in a month. You couldn't afford it, but it's got, like, introductory interest, so it's like it doesn't have to be paid right away.

[A]

Yeah, but it's still spending that could have gone towards other things, like not draining our emergency funding cash flowing our trip to Cameron.

[B]

Right, but I'm gonna need all that stuff anyway.

[A]

I know, but you didn't have to do it that time.

[B]

They had a PayPal promotion.

[A]

When does the. When does the interest free period end?

[B]

Like, in a few weeks. Yeah, but I'm getting paid.

[A]

You're getting paid. You also have bills.

[B]

Yeah, that's what.

[A]

Yeah, Good luck. Okay. Birkin Brands. Birkin Brands.

[B]

Oh, that's coffee.

[A]

Oh, it's okay. That's not what I was thinking.

[B]

Well, it's like coffee beans.

[A]

Parts Geek. Blacked out. Blacked out. Hp, Matt. Is that HBO Max or is that.

[B]

Yeah, it's $3.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Pretty good.

[A]

Burke Brands, Mountain Star Knockout Burgers. Denver's art complex. Lands End. Is that. Is Lands End also.

[B]

No, that's closed. Like. Like, I bought them in, like, November, but the like product wasn't available, so.

[A]

Like, in likely miscellaneous bullshit. And we'll go through everything. We're seeing about almost a thousand dollars of purchases in miscellaneous bullshit.

[B]

I mean, you calling carport necessary?

[A]

Car park, Denver Miscellaneous Arts Complex, Bomba, Socks, Lands and Denver Center Colorado Symphony event tickets, Chamber orchestra, Alibaba and Staples. That added up to about a thousand bucks.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, those were the season tickets I was mentioning.

[A]

Yeah, that's all miscellaneous bull.

[B]

Yeah, that's fair.

[A]

That is not car parts. That is $1,000. That is pay off debt before interest to cruise. That is giving to the village. That's. You know, $1,000 goes a long way.

[B]

No, that's fair. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, yeah, but like I said, this is when they're doing the season tickets, so I figure it was better to get them now than.

[A]

Yeah, but you spent it in a month, where you spend $2,500 more than you.

[B]

Yeah, but.

[A]

And interest accrues in a couple weeks. Okay. We have another freedom card.

[B]

Yeah, that one shouldn't have anything on it, though.

[A]

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[B]

Right. Because it's an interest free period. So there's no reason.

[A]

Yes, but how long does it take to pay off?

[B]

I mean.

[A]

Well, there is a reason to pay more towards it. The amount that is necessary without purchasing that pays it off before the interest rates.

[B]

Wouldn't it make more sense to put that in my high yield savings account and earn interest on the money?

[A]

I guess you're finessing a couple dollars there. And you're on this show where you, like many other people, you're right. I mean, look what you've done, like a couple dollars versus a mistake of losing, you know, like $50 in interest like that in one month. It's.

[B]

Yeah, that's fair. But that's why I'm doing it. It's like I'm waiting.

[A]

I get it. But the finessing people have. There are so many people that have come on the show that try to finesse and I don't want you to end up like that. You were so close. How long does it take to pay off? I have minimums only.

[B]

No idea.

[A]

What do you think? What do you think?

[B]

108 times. So probably like four years.

[A]

14 years.

[B]

14. There you go.

[A]

This interest will kick in.

[B]

Well, see, that minimum monthly payment's a little skewed. It's not actually 108. That's because, okay, there was like a problem with my automatic payment. And what, because I'm automatically. Well, Chase. It's a complicated story, but like, the point is it's coming out of my savings account to automatically pay it. But then when Chase runs that, they run it as a checking account and then it gets denied. So then I have to do up having to do a manual payment for the Chase cards. So like that it's like a 29 minimum monthly payment plus like a fee.

[A]

I'll put $29 for being late.

[B]

That's why it's so long.

[A]

There is a late fee. 14 years is going to take a lot longer when it goes with that. And I get it. It was, and it was a situation outside of your control. But this is what happens. We try to finesse we get complicated. We spread all our too far. Then all of a sudden, uhoh, we're out in control of this account. We lose our ability to fully manage things. Late fee hits and is the Denver art complex King scoopers Max. Yeah. Yeah. The balance for this interest rate would have ended a couple weeks ago.

[B]

Yeah, it did, but then the payment's not due for a month after that.

[A]

Ooh, sketchy world, man. That's putting yourself in a scary situation. And you have a wife coming.

[B]

Well, that's how like a normal credit card payment works, right?

[A]

I know, but you're pushing yourself to the edge and you always have, like, what if a medical thing comes up and you can't just pay it off? I don't even think you can just pay it off with the way you do it, with the way you live life. But I mean, the fact is, what if something else does pop up? You don't take that into account. Now you've drained your emergency fund to go to Cameroon.

[B]

I guess if there was a serious, like, medical bill, but like, my out of pocket maximum is like only $8,000 and I've paid like 4,000. So like, at like absolute maximum, I could pay maybe 4,000 more.

[A]

There's so many more emergencies. A car breaks down.

[B]

It did. It did break down.

[A]

Well, there you go.

[B]

That's why I'm buying car parts.

[A]

Or there's so many. That's why they're an emergency, because they're unpredictable.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you put yourself in a risky situation with leading this entire huge balance that's about to hit interest rate. The 6585 about to hit infiltrate interest rate. You're okay with that? I mean, especially with a wife coming. It's just. And you want to get a house, right? Well, you'd get a house without an emergency fund, and then all of a sudden a big expense would happen and you wouldn't be able to cover it.

[B]

Yeah, well, see, that is kind of a worry. That's like, why I feel like it's safe. That's why I don't have a house. And like, why I'm renting is because, like, you know, the loss of freedom and then the loss, you know, just like, you're just. You know what happens if you have to do repairs, insurance rates are going up, you know, that kind of thing. So it's just kind of like a. It seems scary to do a house. But I mean, do you want to then? I do. Yeah, I do. Because like I said, you know, I want to, like, have like the chickens and the goats and the sheeps and, like, you know, just be able to do what we can with the house. Like, you know, make some of our own decisions. Like, you know, you can't, like, you know, tear the house off, I guess, if landlord's in charge.

[A]

And then in this situation where you're going and of course, spending more than you made in that monthly basis, it's the prioritization of things. I mean, you're getting, again, all the car parts. We talked about that. But then also just like, all that meat, like, the water's like, stockpiling over the course of a few months. Even though you could have spread that over a few months.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What are you prepping for?

[B]

I mean, I'm not necessarily prepping. It's just like, I'm at the store and then, you know, so I'll buy like four boxes of water or, you know, I'll buy like four jars of ghee or something.

[A]

Okay. Instead of just one in months where you cannot afford it. You had to drain an emergency. If I want to leave, credit card bill comes due without with interest hitting.

[B]

Very soon because it was like, interest free for that month. It's more like I had, like two months to pay it. So it, like, I was looking at it as like, you know, a payment for the next month.

[A]

I get it. But again, look what happens when we try to finesse everything.

[B]

Yeah, no, you're right. I mean, it's. It can happen.

[A]

It's not a horrible mindset if we do it right. I don't know. You seem like you're spreading things all over the place.

[B]

I mean, I'm trying to do it right.

[A]

It's lunches is about to hit, like, right now, and I don't see 6, 7, 8, 9,000, 10,000, $250 laying around.

[B]

You know, like, I do save some money in some places. Like, you know, I spend a lot of money on milk because I make my own yogurt. But, like, milk's a lot.

[A]

Make your own yogurt?

[B]

Yeah, like, oh, she'll feel right at home. Yeah, well, the, the yogurt is, like, a lot less expensive when you make.

[A]

It yourself, I guess.

[B]

Well, because, like, I'm making you want.

[A]

To play the real finesse game. The time you're spending making yogurt, you can probably pick up like a contracting little thing for software engineering, like, on like, fiverr or something.

[B]

Oh, well, it's super fast to make yogurt.

[A]

I'm just saying.

[B]

You literally just pour milk in A jar.

[A]

I don't care. It's fine.

[B]

You should make your own yogurt.

[A]

Like, I'm okay.

[B]

It makes me not only, like, do I make yogurt? Like, I mean, I make sourdough too, sometimes. You know, like, I'm like, into the fermented stuff, so. Sure. So I made, like, kimchi, you know, sourdough.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. Yeah. So not against that. And then I guess, like, one of the bad purchases I did, I mean, it was like. Yeah. So I bought a bunch of computer parts because, like, it sort of started when. So I broke my computer because I was making sourdough in the winter, and then the computer's warm. So then I set the sourdough on top of the computer.

[A]

Oh, my.

[B]

And then it, like, overflowed. Or actually, I guess it was yogurt that did it. So now I have like four or five computers. So sell them. I've been trying. I've been trying.

[A]

And you're overpriced.

[B]

Yeah, maybe.

[A]

I mean, they're not priced if no one's buying them. They're overpriced. The market says they're overpriced.

[B]

Okay, what would you say?

[A]

What?

[B]

I mean, it's like a 4070 Super.

[A]

Dude. I don't know. It's what people would buy it for. If people aren't buying it, it's overpriced.

[B]

I don't think it's that overpriced. I mean, it's like.

[A]

Well, no one's buying it. It's not you. The other people are saying it is. You don't get to determine.

[B]

Okay. Yeah. Or maybe I'm just not selling the right place. You know, maybe Craigslist isn't a good place to sell anymore.

[A]

You haven't tried Facebook Marketplace?

[B]

I don't have a Facebook account.

[A]

Make a Facebook account to sell them and then delete it. I don't know.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I don't think the Zuck will care that much. Okay, look, this is a car, right? Wait, no. What is this? What? What has the $3,283 balance? This is what happens when people just send screenshots instead of statements. Because I don't know what the we're looking at.

[B]

That is the. Oh, that's. Yeah, that's a Sapphire Chase Card.

[A]

Okay, so Sapphire.

[B]

That. That was like a car expense. That was my car repair. That $3,000 was a car repair.

[A]

What happened?

[B]

So my clutch went out.

[A]

What's your minimum monthly on this?

[B]

Minimum?

[A]

I mean, I see activity since last statement of Course, you didn't send us the entire statement. Why would you?

[B]

Korean restaurant come out yet? I got the card in April.

[A]

Korean restaurant, Pine Creek, Japanese Domestic Auto. There's that one.

[B]

Yeah, that was my friend's birthday. And then the car payment.

[A]

K. How much. How much is this car worth?

[B]

Well, it's probably not worth as much, but it's probably still worth like 16 or 17,000.

[A]

Okay, okay, then that's not horrible. It's a lot of money to put into it. And I get it. While this other stuff is coming up again, what if that happens right before credit card balance is about to accrue interest? Yeah, then we already know that that's going. Also, we ran your car based on all the details you gave us, and we're given a private sale value of 9,900.

[B]

Yeah, that would be if it was an automatic, but it's a manual transmission, so it's like more.

[A]

We searched your VIN though.

[B]

Yeah, but I think, like, it's because the manual transmission is like super rare. I don't know.

[A]

We searched your vin, it knows what car you have.

[B]

Okay, I'm sure.

[A]

It kind of sounds like your GPUs where you.

[B]

I mean, look, if you go look up like on Car Trader right now, Acura TL 2013, manual transmission, you won't be able to.

[A]

So it's gonna be like your GPU where you put it at a price, you think? And then no one ever saying, like.

[B]

The only ones listed are listed at 17,000. Like, if you go buy an automatic, it'll be listed at 9,000.

[A]

But we search your VIN. I'm gonna go off of the VIN.

[B]

Okay, if you say so.

[A]

Not off of what, like looking at what a souped up car might have or something. I don't know. Your vin though, says 9,000, like, right? I mean.

[B]

I mean, I don't know how you're searching it. I'm just telling you, like the. Okay, Yeah, I mean, I don't know how Kelly Bluegood gets their numbers. Like, there's only five for sale at any time in the country, really, and then they're all about 15,000. It's not the biggest sale.

[A]

I don't really care, but that's what we got. Okay, what's the minimum payment on this?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

What do you think the minimum payment is?

[B]

Probably like $40. It's usually like about 1%. Right.

[A]

Okay, when is the interest hit on this? I'm assuming this is your interest free.

[B]

No, this one's not interest free. This One. This one, I put it on there because it was like expense I had to pay. And then there was like a.

[A]

Why don't you put it on one of your interest free cards?

[B]

Okay. Because there's like, like the first $5,000 spend, you get a thousand dollar back. And then there's an additional 0.25 multiplier if you buy a plane ticket. And then Cassie. I'm gonna need to buy Cassie expensive plane ticket. Oh, sorry. I'm gonna need to buy my fiance an expensive plane ticket. And then. So this essentially will cover the plane.

[A]

Ticket and then why. But then interest hits.

[B]

Yeah, if I don't pay it, it will.

[A]

Yeah, this is a lot of cards. Have to pay the full balance off all at once. Right now we're adding six plus three plus three. Well, really, six plus four plus three, you make 10,000amonth.

[B]

Yeah. And my emergency fund.

[A]

You're gonna use an emergency fund. So really, you've just kicked the can down the road. And really all your savings was really going to it at the end. So really, the savings were nothing.

[B]

Well, yeah, but they were earning interest.

[A]

What, APY?

[B]

Like 4.35.

[A]

Okay, so how much did you get? Couple hundred bucks.

[B]

Yeah, like, probably like 100 bucks. Great.

[A]

And that's if you do this. All right. All right, Wells Fargo here we have 4,000 hours of purchases. You paid off the last balance.

[B]

That's the medical expenses.

[A]

Oh, no. And two thing foods. You got some food as well. I think it was Costco.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, there's also might have been gas alley pay.

[B]

Oh, that was the problem.

[A]

Mandy's high country towin. Yeah, that's car emergency cater country meat. Yeah, we know that. Lockbox.

[B]

Oh, that was the immigration fee.

[A]

Okay, so this was not all medical. Oh, well, a lot of this stuff was the stuff we were choosing to do right now. And maybe we don't do the medicals all in at the same time.

[B]

I didn't really have a choice.

[A]

No, the medical you can do not all that stuff at the same time. I get it.

[B]

Well, yeah, I gotta get my targe code. And then the other one is immigration fee.

[A]

I know, but we could have maybe delayed a month when you had the.

[B]

Money, but then it would delay her getting here a month.

[A]

I get it, I get it. It's just you're putting yourself in a financially scary position.

[B]

I mean, you know, like, doesn't Dave Ramsey say stuff like, you know, spend your money on like, people and experiences?

[A]

He doesn't say spend $2,500 more than you make in a month. Yeah, he doesn't say go into credit card. Why the you bring up Dave Ramsey? He would never recommend the little finessing thing you're doing. He wouldn't even let you look at.

[B]

A credit card with the immigration.

[A]

Doesn't matter. If you're gonna bring up one party, you have to believe the.

[B]

Well, I don't believe in the religious part for sure, so.

[A]

Well, either way, it doesn't matter. It's like, okay, yeah, you're finessing. He wouldn't recommend any of this.

[B]

Yeah, that's probably true. Yeah, he doesn't. He doesn't like credit cards. I got a lot of them, that's for sure.

[A]

What if you get laid off, man?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I'm worried about it. Like, I mean, that's definitely. That's probably the biggest worry, like, out of all the.

[A]

Well, that's why you have a fully funded emergency fund. But again, you're saying you're using your emergency fund to take care of all this, which, by the way, is not a learned. It's not a good learning lesson, because with that, you are essentially allowing yourself to spend more money bailing yourself out. Then you have to cut back, build a fully funded emergency fund. Then you're allowed to live a crazy life and put your emergency fund towards it. You're just. You're not learning the behavior that you into a situation that you can't afford other than bailing yourself out. And then what happens when you get laid off? If you get laid off, and hopefully you don't. But the tech market's a little interesting right now.

[B]

Yeah, it is.

[A]

You know, and the rise of AI, who even knows? What kind of software engineering do you do?

[B]

I'm not at liberty to disclose that.

[A]

It doesn't have to be the job. You can't say, like, what kind of.

[B]

I guess, like c. I mean, is that what you're looking for?

[A]

Okay, so, yes, AI could come for you, essentially.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That'S a worrying position.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, it's definitely worrying. And so I guess that's like sort of a question I have. Like an educational question I have, is, so let's say you do have your emergency fund. Right. And I'm not saying this applies to me. Okay. I'm just saying hypothetically. Okay, so let's say you have your emergency fund fully funded, Right. But then an emergency happens, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So then you use your emergency fund.

[A]

To pay for an actual emergency.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

I don't think we agree on what an emergency is, but yes.

[B]

Okay, but Then at that point, Right. Your emergency fund is no longer fully funded. Yeah. You'd agree with that then.

[A]

Yep. You strapped down to zero and you build it all the way back up again.

[B]

Right. And that's where I feel like I'm.

[A]

Dropping down to zero nor maintain an emergency fund. You're draining an emergency fund and not scrapping down to zero to build it back up so you know the answer to it and you're not doing it.

[B]

Oh, it's scrap down to zero. Like, just get rid of all.

[A]

Of course it's an emergency not to have an emergency fund.

[B]

Okay. Yeah. Okay. I can see that.

[A]

Emergency fund keeps you alive for six months if you get laid off. Off gives you options to, you know, go and find other jobs and unemployment help because you've been playing it and paying into that system as well. I'm not saying you're going to get laid off. Hopefully not. Hopefully. You're very talented and, you know, it's like, you know, the software engineer scale, you're making, like, you know, money. It's like, it's fine. So I don't know where you stand, but you're living life on the edge, man. And that makes me nervous, especially since someone else is putting their light, like they're fully jumping. They're jumping into the deep end, you know?

[B]

Yeah, no, you're right about that. It's just. It was just like, the timing was like, really kind of. It's like, hey, let's do, you know, like the trip and then the medical thing kind of happened at the same time. And then as soon as I got back from the trip, the car thing happened.

[A]

Yeah. And that's. Welcome to emergencies. Maybe you shouldn't use an emergency fund for a vacation, if we're being honest, if we're being literal. And also at the same time, your emergency fund was to cover you when she comes here. That's a double person, an extra mouth to feed. You know, it's extra things. Maybe you put her. I don't know if you can get her on insurance. I don't know. But whatever ends up being done. Well, yeah. I mean, you'll be married. I don't know. So, like, it won't be able to cover her emergencies. And you would be her emergency fund, Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So you're putting it at risk for her for selfish desires so you can prep so you can do all this stuff so you can have that miscellaneous bull, $1,000 even in a month where you had some emergencies with I. Which I vibe with the car one the medical can't do anything about that. Got it. Did not need to go to Cameroon that exact month. But whatever you did. But either way, while all that stuff is happening, you still did a thousand dollars of miscellaneous bull. Did not need to do your choice all. Wow, what is that again? 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, $13,750 of interest free. That's about to be very interesty. Debt is about to slam. This is a fun one. I get to get you free money and then I get to get myself free money. It's a pure win win for both of us. What do you have to do? Sign up for a SOFI High Yield Savings account and get a welcome bonus of 300. Sign up for Acorns using my link and get 20 doll usual $5. Finally, sign up for Silo and earn up to $5,000 in cash back on your own stocks. These offers have been negotiated to give us both more money than using traditional signup methods. So use the links in the resources section of the description below and get yourself $5,320 right now. Oh, plus the Wells Fargo. The Wells Fargo. Cuz you're going to have to pay this as well or else interest will hit again. You paid off. You know, we could celebrate and be like, hey, you paid off the last month. Looks like you paid off every month. Well, it was $100 balance this time we're at $4483.61. That's a chunky balance to also throw into the mix of the 65 and the 4 and the 3 2. So like good luck. The minimum payment is $45 on this. I don't know how you're making all these payments double. You have to make a payment that is worth double your net income on a monthly basis. I don't know. Math's not adding up for me. Math's not adding up for me. And the Visa thing, I get it. I want you to have, I want you to have the person you love here. I do. Being able to take care of her is also equally as important. And you're potentially her with drain intermersive on that is also going to need to be here. And I'm being told, I mean you bought your ski passes on here, you got $500 snowboarding boots, new bindings for 300. You go golfing all the time and you spend $70 on that. It's just like you got a massive suit collection that you're spending money on, graphic novel, CD collection for some reason. It's just like.

[B]

Like.

[A]

It'S just endless, buddy. It's just endless.

[B]

Oh, but you know, I do hate Spotify, so that's kind of. That's kind of why. Yeah, I mean, I guess. I guess I just. It was like. Okay, so I started listening to classical music and then.

[A]

I guess listen to NPR then.

[B]

Well, okay, yeah, but all I'm saying is, like, I didn't want to pirate.

[A]

It because you've had fees this year, by the way.

[B]

It's a $5 international purchase fee. It was very accidental.

[A]

Oh, everything's accidental to you when you do something wrong.

[B]

Well, I didn't know it was an international purchase.

[A]

You're accidentally do things wrong.

[B]

Honestly, I would have used different cards.

[A]

Keep going. Classical music.

[B]

Yeah, so classical music. Yeah, so it's like harder to download that, I guess, like illegally, and I guess that's technically illegal. So I just bought a bunch of like $2 CDs to kind of build up a classical music collection. And then I ripped it into FLAC files and you put in my player.

[A]

You live in 2005?

[B]

Well, they didn't have flag players back then.

[A]

You live in 2009?

[B]

Yeah, that's more like it.

[A]

I don't know, man. I. You can use the fizz card. So at least you can only spend what's on your checking account. She'll need it. So I'll also put you guys through couples therapy through Sonder Mine when you guys get here. Three free sessions. She'll need it when she realizes there's no way to keep her safe. And when she's ready to jump into the job market, I'll gift her a course career certification.

[B]

Yeah, that would be actually pretty helpful.

[A]

Yeah, it'll be good. Citi Double Cash. Does he send a statement? No, he sends a picture.

[B]

Well, I couldn't. I couldn't send a statement because for the staff hire and the city custom cache, I had just opened them. They were brand new cards. So no statement.

[A]

Are these screenshots of within there? So city double check.

[B]

That's the city. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. What's the minimum payment? Don't give me your normal answer.

[B]

I'm assuming it's probably. I think it's $40. I think it's $40. They're always like $40. For some reason.

[A]

They want to squeeze as much interest out of you as they can. $788.20. Yeah, this is where we had the symphony. We went to the center. US or UCCS presence box. It's $182.

[B]

I know what it is. It's like tickets to the theater.

[A]

Oh, okay. And then symphony was 396. That's the season.

[B]

Yeah, that's the season.

[A]

Okay. I like classical music, too. I get it. You just. I mean, you're in a situation. You're. You're living a $150,000 a month net left lifestyle at $110,000 net a month. Month. Really? Overspending, Access, ticket resale. Chamber orchestra.

[B]

Yeah. And those are all for, like.

[A]

This is Destroy Our Lives for the Arts card. I guess. When does the interest start on this card? It's a new card.

[B]

So that's a 15 month away.

[A]

Yeah. So 15 from now.

[B]

Yeah, from now. But, yeah. You know what kind of upset me about that one? It's like, I put all those on there because they're supposed to be like, 5% cash back on, you know? Sure. Live orchestra performance. It literally says orchestra. Really? Okay. Yeah. And it. As you see, those say orchestra, but they. They don't show up as orchestra. So it's kind of just like super disappointed they counted as charitable donations.

[A]

Got two.

[B]

I just got one.

[A]

Counted as charitable donations.

[B]

Counted as charitable donation. Instead of claim that. Well, I'd have to itemize my deductions. It wouldn't.

[A]

It gets brutal.

[B]

Probably wouldn't make sense.

[A]

Okay. Capital One, Quicksilver. You have so many cards, man. What kind of finessing are you trying to do?

[B]

Well, I was just trying to have like, you know, get the 5% back.

[A]

On you try to get every cash back thing you can, every intro, whatever.

[B]

Yeah, the banks.

[A]

$841.04 minimum monthly payment, $25.

[B]

It's getting hot.

[A]

This takes five years to pay off. Minimum payment only. $853. Again, you got paid off the previous. Was the previous $0, so. Not really. But this is a hotel. Wait.

[B]

Yeah, this is a. On my travel.

[A]

Oh, so another accident?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Can't wait until you guys start having intercourse. Accidents work real well for you, then. You gotta have an emergency fund for those.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, keep going.

[A]

What's your little accident? We got Air France. We got relay. We got Air France, I guess. And then geography.

[B]

I guess you can guess geography.

[A]

No, no, I don't know. The wrong ticket. You bought to Zimbabwe.

[B]

No, I mean, I missed the flight. I missed the flight and then. Yeah. How to rebook it.

[A]

And now you're gonna miss your payments before your interest hits. You're predictable.

[B]

That's the car I should have used on that international purchase because it has no international fee, so that's why I used it for this one because they were in France, so I had to get a hotel and I had to redo the ticket. See, the real. The real issue with that one is, like, the ticket, you know, that's like one thing, but, man, they. They overweighed my bag. So, like, my carry on bag. Like, I was already through security and everything, and then they made me go back through and pay like 300 for it.

[A]

That sucks.

[B]

I mean, yeah, I should just throw in the books.

[A]

It's life things. It's the things you. You expect nothing to happen. And then life things happens, and then you're like, oh, I have to pay this extra. It always happens and it's gonna happen. And then you delay all these things that you're gonna have to pay. 20,000 right now, it's like, look what happens, man.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's zero percent until.

[B]

It'S not.

[A]

I don't see a date. Oh, it's not zero percent. So. Okay, big balance coming. 841 and $4 on that. Add that onto the tally. Add that onto the tally. Okay.

[B]

Let'S keep going.

[A]

It just keeps going, man. U.S. bank. Watch. What?

[B]

That was the. That was the one where they give you, like, the global entry free. So that's why I got that card, because I was doing a global entry, you know. Oh, yeah. I was coming in from there.

[A]

Okay. $40. You owe $235. I mean, it only has a limit of 500, so it's not like you can spend much on here anyway. I mean, he spent 593, but you put a little bit more towards it than the minimum.

[B]

Yeah, you had to spend 500 to get the. So the credit line to get the whatever. 200 reward or whatever.

[A]

Arts complex. Uber trip, Uber trip. A little bit of dental, got some booking. Hotel. Uber. Uber, uber. That's Uber. UPS. Walgreens, radiology. Yeah, makes sense. Er, yeah. Sitting at 21.24% interest rate on this one.

[B]

Yeah, that's pretty low, actually.

[A]

It's not low for a credit card. For a. Yeah, compared to, like, credit cards, but it's not low.

[B]

I'm shocked. It's only 21, to be honest with you.

[A]

Okay. Are we celebrating?

[B]

No, I'm just saying I'm surprised. You know, I feel like they're mostly like 28, 29, 30.

[A]

Okay. U.S. bank. This one we're not gonna put in the deck. It's only $40. And there's a $40 minute to payment but you did purchase 204. What could that money have gone to instead?

[B]

Well, that was. That's my utilities card. So that goes to electricity and Internet.

[A]

Yeah. Comcast Utilities. Is that all your debt? You're not owing your car? No, I own it. That's good. Is that all your debt?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. So all the credit cards that are about to come due is $20,217.92, or else interest will start accruing and all the finessing we've done will go to you.

[B]

It's only two months worth of. Okay.

[A]

Do you not have rent? Do you not have utilities? Do you not have food? We know you have food. Do you not have extra cost?

[B]

The food's on there. I mean, the food's on there.

[A]

You have future food to get, probably. I bet you're gonna keep eating.

[B]

But I bought it in Vince.

[A]

How many months?

[B]

I mean, at least one.

[A]

Then you're probably gonna go buy five for next month.

[B]

Yeah, that's funny.

[A]

And she was about to start occurring. Yeah.

[B]

I mean, yeah. I mean, at a certain point, you eat all the food, but I do have, like, food.

[A]

And you will have to spend money. Money you do not have, because two months. Gross. Gross. Is what is needed to pay off this debt. And a little more. What is Staples? Staples, Scooper Scoop or Super super super super super super super super super super Supers.

[B]

I mean, I want to tell you. I want to tell you the reason, but you're gonna, like, fry yourself.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Okay, so they had, like, a promotion.

[A]

Oh, super super super super.

[B]

Look, look.

[A]

Walmart. Super super super super super super super super super super supers. You have credit cards that are about to fuck. Super super super supers. Can I get World Mate? What?

[B]

Okay, so that was like. Okay, so they had this promotion.

[A]

You do every promotion you can find.

[B]

Okay, so they had the. Well, no, it's just with the bank, like, so, like, if you make. I know if you make a purchase on your credit card, they'll. Not on your credit card, but on your debit card, they'll round up the difference. So I was essentially buying one can of cat food at a time to get the most roundup. And then like, actually on that Staples purchase.

[A]

You sound like a couponer on that.

[B]

Yeah, it took way too much time. And then they got mad and told me they would. It was suspicious activity. But so on the. On the Staples one, I actually made money on that purchase because it was like, how much? Like $2, like 40 cents. But like, but no, it was like a 30 cent purchase, but they gave me 70 cents.

[A]

Oh, on that purchase?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What did you make across this whole thing?

[B]

Oh, I mean, I don't know, like, probably like 25 bucks or something, but. But yeah, it's funny. Like, it was kind of an infinite money glitch. If you spend 30 cents and they give you 70. That's probably why they said it was suspicious activity.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But like, hey, a real infinite money glitch there.

[A]

Okay, $5 in this account. Capital one. Curious. 505 went in, 500 went out.

[B]

Yeah, well, so they had a promotion.

[A]

Oh, my gosh, dude, they give you.

[B]

$300 if you do two direct deposits in there.

[A]

So you make 110. I'm not saying don't be frugal and do all these things. Your time could be better spent doing something else. Especially in the world of what you do for a living. You could totally pick up some random little side projects.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And make more than you are. The little bit of money you're spending on all this finessing. Well, I mean, I get it's fun. I get it's fun.

[B]

I mean, I am working that second job at night. So you know what? Yeah. That's why my income's so high.

[A]

Oh, so that's two.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah.

[A]

Well, damn, I thought that was one. So you definitely are on the chopping box for layoffs then, with what you're probably making in your software engineering job. And we're about to hire some engineers for our apps. Shoot me an email if you want to. But I mean, we're paying just the basic people. What you make for both years combined. Oh, 52 cents in this one. 4,774 came in, $80 debit card withdrawal, and then $4,705 went out. What are we doing? So it's going all over the place, the different Schwab check ins and stuff.

[B]

Yeah, it's because I was going to that trip to Cameroon. So these accounts all had like international fees. So I got in a Schwab account that didn't have international fees.

[A]

Okay, that actually makes sense. That's a good finesse. That probably was worth the time investing $127.

[B]

That's the Schwab account. Okay.

[A]

Okay, so here's the title. So $13,000 is your six month emergency fund. I doubt it. It's not enough to live off of six months for you. What's your rent?

[B]

Well, rent and.

[A]

What's your rent?

[B]

Rent and utilities.

[A]

2100Okay, this is not enough for us. This is not a six month emergency fund.

[B]

Right, I know. And it's going to be all gone to pay all these things, which is.

[A]

And those are not emergencies. What you have done is a disaster. And it's not. You're not doing this right. Okay. The finessing works. If you pay it off and you can make the difference and all that stuff, you're having to use your emergency fund to take care of it. That does not count. That is not finessing. That is you putting yourself in a dangerous position. That is not good finances. Simply put, I need to be clear because you feel like you're doing this right? You're not. You're destroying it. Now, I know this wasn't like crazy finances type of episode, but you're still yourself. And there's gonna be people out there that are related to this. Cause they're thinking they're finessing. You're just. You're draining your emergency fund.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I mean, you're right. I am draining my emergency fund, but that's because I had some emergencies.

[A]

No, you, you're draining the emergency fund to pay off your credit card which at least 1000 just this last month else alone went to miscellaneous. Someone going out to eat. It wasn't crazy amount. And it's not just the emergencies. You did not need to pre buy all the water and all this bull. You did not need all the computers back then you could sell at a reasonable price now to try to pay for things. You did not need to pre order all those filters and whatever. You did not need to go to Cameroon right then at that moment. Well, that I know what you want to do. It's not about wants. I'm talking about need, emergencies or needs.

[B]

I mean, I could have waited indefinitely and she could never get allowed to come over here.

[A]

I didn't say waited definitely. I did not say waited definitely.

[B]

And okay. And so.

[A]

But maybe not the same month that all these bills are due and emergencies are hitting.

[B]

Yeah, but okay, I didn't know. Okay, but like I planned the trip before any of those emergencies happened. So I didn't know it was gonna be the same month. So that's like kind of how I got like in that situation. It's like, you know, I planned the trip, set it up and like right at the same time the, the medical thing happened. And then, and then as soon as I got back from the trip, the car thing happened. So it was just like, I know, rough time. Right. But you, I mean, I'm saying I didn't plan it.

[A]

A thousand dollars in miscellaneous bull. Some money going out to eat, some other things as well. It's like you're spending so much. Still spend money.

[B]

What's that orange section?

[A]

The going out to eat, which it's a little higher because of the beef was put in there, but it was still a couple hundred dollars. Going out to eat.

[B]

Oh, that big orange on the side.

[A]

No, large purchases, general large purchases that are a little harder to categorize.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

That is ATM withdraw, airlines ticket, tax payment. Tax payment.

[B]

Oh yeah. How to pay taxes. But I paid them. I mean.

[A]

Yeah, but again you're doing this all at the same time. You're not willing to space. You can't space the emergency fund or taxes. You can space the miscellaneous bullshit, which just as much as the taxes. PayPal out. 25 11, hotel booking, K1 visa application fee and international travel out. So it's a big, big chunk. 5827 for all that. Well, the good things a little bit on the subscription side. Medical, health care, that was a big chunk. Obviously unknown. Shopping, very small. It's typically Amazon, Walmart. You don't really have that kind of stuff. Necessary food, we got that. Transportation and then housing.

[B]

Well, the good news is like a lot of those purchases aren't gonna be recurring, you know.

[A]

Yeah, but now you have to. I'm not going to count right now. And you only have $12,000 for your emergency fund. So you still need to basically put all of your net income towards it to pay it off for a month. Buddy, this does not go the way you thought this was gonna go. You tried to finesse, push yourself way too close to the edge.

[B]

It's a lot of 20 cent. Yes.

[A]

Yeah, 300 in retirement. Well, you're definitely not going to be a 4 out of 10 if this is your entire retirement. I thought that would be the one.

[B]

Thing that there is an IRA too. It's 6,000.

[A]

You're still dramatically behind for your age.

[B]

Yeah, well, I know dramatically behind for.

[A]

Your age and you have to catch up to an emergency fund again. So I don't know. Let's get your budget. $10,000. That's the income.

[B]

Woo woo. I mean some time has passed, you know. So like I have gotten paid a few times. Huh? I've gotten paid. You know what, I've gotten paid $10,000 since. Maybe more.

[A]

What are you saying?

[B]

Well, yeah, I'm saying I've been accruing income this whole time. Yes.

[A]

I assume you were making money.

[B]

Yeah, I know I know.

[A]

Yeah, Well, I didn't say you weren't making money a month ago.

[B]

Well, I know, but I'm saying a month has like happened. So like I've made a month worth.

[A]

Of income and you had a month worth of expenses.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, but. Okay, but I pre bought a lot of these.

[A]

Okay, yeah, you pre bought, but you're a pre buyer, which means you're still gonna pre buy. And again, emergencies happen. You don't have that. That debt payments. If we just did. Our minimum is $259. What's your rent and utilities? All combined.

[B]

21.

[A]

That include the Internet?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Phone bill?

[B]

None.

[A]

Okay. I'll do helium if you need it. Okay. Gas? Vroom. From drive.

[B]

Drive like 150.

[A]

Car insurance?

[B]

Like 75.

[A]

Okay, you can do. I'll give you $400 for groceries. It's higher than normal. But still, still just meal prep, Meal prep, meal prep. Try to live on the chief until you get an emergency fund. Because it is an emergency not to have a fully funded emergency fund. Look at what's happened to your life. $100 for TP fund. Anything else you need to survive? Toothpaste, all that good stuff. Medical, health care, co pays, monthly basis, medications.

[B]

I mean, outside of this one, like emergency thing, I haven't really had any medical bills out of pocket. Okay, Yeah, I mean dental.

[A]

What about your cat? Age, health?

[B]

She's like 17 years old. Okay.

[A]

No pet insurance, cat food. How much? Much?

[B]

$70 maybe, something like that.

[A]

Jim?

[B]

No, I do cartwheels in the park.

[A]

Of course you do. Anything else that needs to be in your budget that I have not taken into account?

[B]

No, not really. Well, yeah, I mean, the food budget's a little light, I guess, but. I know.

[A]

All right, well, I mean, this is simple as it gets. What are we doing? It cost you 3,054 to survive on a monthly basis. $10,000 is needed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Pay off the debt in a couple months. Take six months to build an emergency fund. I. I don't know. This is pretty chill, pretty easy. You just have to like, just live on your needs and not go crazy.

[B]

Right? Well, okay, but even with that, right, like how long like that's gonna take? Like, I mean, that's gonna still take a long time to get like a down payment for a house, right?

[A]

Yes. Yeah, but you don't even think about that until you have a fully funded emergency fund. So I don't care about that right now. And also, you're only willing to buy a house once the market collapses and the bubble breaks. So spending a budget, you overspent. 0 out of 10. I know they had to do with emergency, but you still spend money that you didn't necessarily have to on some things as well, especially for that time. Debt, not great debt that's about to accrue, but it's not the worst debt by any means, especially for your income situation. I'll give you a 2 out of 10 there emergency fund. I know that'll go to that, but I would add to the debt score and take away from the emergency fund if I was calculating that part into it. So right now I'll give you a 6 out of 10 for emergency fund retirement. Definitely behind for your age pretty intensely for 4 out of 10, maybe even a 3. But I'll do 4. I'll be generous. 0 out of 10. Hammer Financial Score 2.5 out of 10 guys, make sure to join us for the post show. We're gonna hang out there and make sure you join Hammer Elite. That's the best version of our YouTube membership because it's the best YouTube membership on the platform. The platform has even said so themselves. And if you don't want to be like this and you actually want to pay your bills on time and interest not accruing, download the budgeting app Sounding for the annual version. I'll sign the cookbook and I'll send it directly to you. Join us for the post show. Hello, my Cameroonian princess. How are you? His opening message was like, hello, Would you like to come to the United States? I'm lonely. Yeah, how do we know you guys love each other? If that was the message you responded to, we couldn't really say we love each other. 8,000 hours of debt and he'll have no savings. How does that make you feel? Some of it went to you Elusive members content. Click the link in the description or pin comment below and watch thousands of hours of extra and uncensored content. Content.