I Finally Lost My Mind | Financial Audit

Summary

Podcast Summary: Financial Audit – "I Finally Lost My Mind"

Host: Caleb Hammer
Guest: Amber, 46, Cybersecurity Engineer (Round Rock, TX)
Release Date: September 11, 2024

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Overview

This episode features Amber, a cybersecurity engineer from Round Rock, Texas, whose recent personal and financial upheaval leads host Caleb Hammer to declare (part-jokingly) that he has finally "lost his mind" as a Financial Audit host. The conversation quickly spirals from standard personal finance into Amber’s dramatic—and brief—marriage, her struggles with spiraling debt, an unreleased candle business, and why some people self-sabotage despite relatively high incomes. Amber’s frank, often humorous transparency and Caleb’s blunt, exasperated questioning create a raw, lively, and sometimes chaotic analysis of what happens when emotions and lifestyle inflate well beyond budget.

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Episode Structure and Key Discussion Points

1. Amber’s Background

• Introduction: Amber, 46, Round Rock, cybersecurity engineer.
• Income: $84k/year (~$5,350/month take-home).
  • Caleb: “You’re above the median household income for Austin.” [01:02]
  • Amber notes that being single, post-tax, leaves her with less than it sounds.

2. Marriage Misadventure and Immediate Financial Fallout

• Amber married quickly—after only 3 weeks of knowing her now-estranged husband.
• Husband was undocumented, had no job; she supported him.
• Marriage lasted less than a year, ended after he sent explicit photos to a “20-year-old in Argentina.”
• Supported him financially: housing, food (“continental breakfast every morning”), business ideas, even his dental and medical care.
  • Amber (on the marriage): “One of the worst mistakes I’ve ever made in my life. ... Learn a lot.” [10:45]
  • Caleb (stunned): “This is crazy.” [04:31]

Notable Quotes

• Caleb: “You gave him access to your credit card? You didn't even know the man.” [23:35]
• Amber (deflecting blame): “I was married to him, trying to be a good wife.” [23:38]
• Caleb: “Is 'good wife' enabling bad behavior of a partner?” [23:43]

3. The Candle Business: Perpetually ‘Almost Launched’

• Amber has been developing a candle/bath product line for 2.5 years, but still hasn’t launched.
• $0 income from the business so far; has heavily invested in materials and space.
• Candles given as gifts to Caleb (“sample”): one scent praised, one soundly disliked.
  • Caleb (on her candle delay): “Get off the toilet, dude.” [14:17]
  • Amber claims perfection is critical; Caleb expresses skepticism, especially since debts piled up funding this.

Candle Business Specifics

• Candle costs her ~$15, sells for $45.
• Plans for influencer marketing; possible subscription/refill model.
• Struggles with business focus, launch plan, and pricing for shipping-heavy products.

4. Chronic Overspending and Credit Card Chaos

• Debt snapshot: Over $200k total (mostly student loans, but significant consumer debt and payday advances).
  • Multiple maxed-out credit cards (Capital One, Credit One) and a title loan.
  • Monthly spending vastly exceeds income—sometimes double due to debt usage.
• Caleb highlights consistently poor financial choices: repeated DoorDash orders (over $600 in a month), Amazon packages nearly daily, spending on "miscellaneous" and subscriptions.
  • Caleb: “You’re lazy. You’re a lazy 46-year-old child when it comes to your food.” [63:13]
  • Debt consolidation loan was used to "pay off" cards, but cards were soon maxed again.
• Amber admits to never budgeting and not knowing where her money goes.

Financial Counseling

• Amber wants a “usable budget” (“not one where you just eat air”).
• Resistance to “eating only to exist” or depriving self for years.
• Amber: “I’m not going to work to spend every dime on bills. That will never happen in my lifetime.” [36:56]
• Caleb: “You are totally right. So we may as well sacrifice for the higher percentage that tomorrow is going to exist.” [39:35]
• Ultimately, Amber concedes to following Caleb's austerity plan for at least two years if it means clearing consumer debt.

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Notable Exchanges and Memorable Moments

The Continental Breakfast Fight

• Amber repeatedly points to her ex-husband’s “continental breakfast” as symbolic of unjustified expenses.
• Caleb breaks down the actual cost and shows that the real culprit is Amber’s lifestyle inflation and choices—not just her ex.

“DoorDash Math” Meltdown

• Caleb loses patience over Amber’s DoorDash-heavy spending:
  • Caleb (exasperated): “The dozens of eggs you could have had for what you spent on DoorDash…” [32:31]
  • The “egg economy” becomes a comic motif throughout.
• Amber seems to miss basic arithmetic and often contradicts herself about purchases and budgeting.

The Post-Divorce Play-by-Play

• After locking her ex-husband out, he called the police; police sided with her.
• The ex remained “resigned to the second floor” until he finally left.

The Astrology Digression

• Despite being a cybersecurity engineer, Amber espouses belief in astrology and planetary influence:
  • Amber: “We're in Mercury retrograde.” [83:47]
  • Caleb, incredulous: “Oh my… you’re delusional.” [83:49]

Personal Development and Dating

• Amber hired a “dating coach” (another expense), struggles with confidence post-weight loss.
• Admits the marriage was for love and partnership, not green cards (though Caleb is skeptical).

Caleb’s Breaking Point

• Host repeatedly questions whether Amber is genuine or playing a reality-TV character.
  • Caleb: "This episode is where I finally lost it." [43:37]
  • Amber: “Can I help you get it back?”
• Longest episode in series history due to endless diversions, contradictions, and Amber’s unreliable financial narration.

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Financial Audit Segment – By the Numbers

• Total Income: ~$5,350/month
• Necessary Living Expenses: $4,153/month
• Potential Surplus (if disciplined): $1,000/month
• Debt Payments: At least $850/month minimum on consumer debts
• Student Loans: $273,000 (on SAVE plan, payments currently in flux)
• 401k: $10,500 (but $9,100 borrowed against it)
• Candles Business: ~$15/materials per candle, trying to sell at $45
• Spending Problems:
  • DoorDash ~$641 in a month
  • Amazon: constant flow, including non-essentials
  • Dating coach, spiritual society, astrology
  • No real budgeting or tracking

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On money “disappearance”:
  • Amber: “I don’t know where my money goes. I don’t budget.” [27:51]
• On self-reflection:
  • Caleb: “You are a lazy 46-year-old child… when it comes to your food.” [63:13]
  • Amber: “That’s fair. I don’t like to cook.” [63:20]
• On accountability:
  • Caleb: “If you’re not willing to cut back, you might never get out of debt.” [37:02]
• Caleb's summary and hope:
  • “Two years of sacrifice is nothing.” [95:14]
  • Amber: “You’re right. I can do two years.” [95:15–95:18]
  • Caleb stresses it’s Amber's life to change, not just for the show.

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Important Timestamps

• [03:00] - Why ex wasn’t working; financial interdependence begins
• [04:26] - Married after three weeks of dating (“This is crazy.”)
• [12:00–14:50] - Candle business discussion and critique
• [23:35] - Amber admits giving husband full access to her credit cards
• [30:50–34:50] - “Egg math” and DoorDash spending blowup
• [36:21] - Amber’s expectation for episode: seeking budgeting help
• [43:37] - “This is the episode where I finally lost it.” – Caleb
• [63:13–63:20] - “Lazy 46-year-old child” exchange
• [70:16–73:12] - Student loan horror: $273k borrowed over decades
• [89:25] - $850 in minimum payments; budgeting reality check
• [95:14–95:18] - Debt repayment horizon; Amber commits to two years of discipline

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Conclusion and Takeaways

Amber’s story encapsulates what Caleb sees as the primary pain point for many American earners: the income is there, but the lifestyle (and emotional spending) grows faster. Often using humor to mask her stress and confusion, Amber bounces from self-blame to blaming her ex—but the numbers (and receipts) don’t lie. Caleb, often exasperated, insists Amber’s situation is fixable given her income but only with genuine sacrifice and long-term discipline.

Final scores: 0.5/10 (nearly bottomed-out in all financial categories, with particular concern around consumer debt, lack of emergency fund, and mismanaged retirement plan).

Advice:

• Embrace strict budgeting for at least two years to escape consumer debt
• Stop funding the candle business with high-interest credit
• Use income advantage to rapidly regain financial footing—before retirement becomes impossible

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This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with debt denial, lifestyle inflation, or the aftermath of messy relationships—especially with Caleb’s blend of expertise, tough love, and black humor.

Transcript

[A]

To watch episodes of Financial Audit a week earlier. Check us out on YouTube. Are you being serious?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That kind of delusion doesn't seem realistic. I'm sorry, but, yeah, I'm immediately questioning. Is this woman putting on an act? Yes.

[B]

It's not an act.

[A]

Then why would we purchase on this card?

[B]

But we're not. You were making a point. I was making a point.

[A]

But your point is incorrect.

[B]

No, it's not.

[A]

So you push back on everything. Shut the up. So some things just are.

[B]

Hi, my name is Amber. I'm 46, based out of Round Rock, Texas, and this is Financial Audit.

[A]

What do you do for a living in Round Rock?

[B]

I am a cybersecurity engineer.

[A]

That sounds like money.

[B]

It should be.

[A]

Oh, it should be. Okay.

[B]

It should be. I'm not satisfied with my pay.

[A]

What's your pay? One of my friends working in cybersecurity. Close friends. Makes a good amount of money. What do you make?

[B]

I'm making 84.

[A]

Okay, well, it's not okay. Well, you know. You know, I think maybe a little higher, but 84 is not. I mean, you're above the median household income for Austin.

[B]

Yeah, but you got to keep in mind taxes. And I'm a single person.

[A]

Well, everyone has taxes, so I'm a.

[B]

Single person with no dependents. So that means my take home is somewhere closer to like, maybe 50.

[A]

Everyone deals with taxes. That doesn't. Okay, but I'm just comparing against.

[B]

Against the median. I get that.

[A]

And everyone pays taxes. And some people have deductions. They have child tax credits, things like that. Some. Some people, you know, married. It helps, but.

[B]

Yeah, I got married. It didn't help.

[A]

Oh, you've been married and you're no longer married?

[B]

We are separated. And impending divorce.

[A]

Is that the finances at all?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Oh. Oh, boy. Okay. All right, well, how was that messing with the finances?

[B]

Well, before I got married, all of my credit cards were paid off. I had zero balances on all my credit cards.

[A]

And then. When did you get married?

[B]

I got married December 16, 2023.

[A]

Oh, that is. Wow. Less than a year ago. That's crazy.

[B]

Yeah. We are getting divorced. I filed the annulment paperwork June 17.

[A]

There's so much credit card debt here. How did this all happen in eight months?

[B]

He did not have a job.

[A]

Okay, why are him not having a job impacting your credit cards?

[B]

We live together. I had to support this man.

[A]

Yeah, but you made above the median household income.

[B]

You for one person.

[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Median household meaning. Usually two Incomes?

[B]

Not necessarily.

[A]

Yes. Cuz the median salary in Austin is 55,000. Median household income is 75.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

You make above the median household.

[B]

Okay, but that.

[A]

So you could technically, if budgeted correctly.

[B]

Okay, I budgeted.

[A]

Okay, Well, I mean, that's a starting point. So why were you. Why are you blaming it on that then?

[B]

Well, because it is his fault. He used my.

[A]

I don't budget, so we don't know where our money's going. But it's also completely his fault.

[B]

Well, it's not completely his fault, but it is his fault. I had to support a whole nother human being.

[A]

Okay, why was he not working?

[B]

He wasn't working because he was undocumented.

[A]

Oh, Rip. Is that why the marriage was being a marriage?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay. Why is the marriage ending so immediately?

[B]

Because he decided he wanted to send a pic to some 20 year old in Argentina.

[A]

That is a long distance pic.

[B]

I wish I knew Spanish so I could ask her if she was satisfied with it or not. Because it is. You know, objects appear bigger than they actually are in real life in photos.

[A]

Have you practiced that one?

[B]

No. Okay, that's off the cuff.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I'm full of them.

[A]

Okay. Yeah, yeah, this man don't do that.

[B]

Guys, I. I'm. No, definitely, I would not recommend it, especially if you have not had. What do you call it, Discussions about eating habits and things of that nature. Like this man literally wanted somewhere to stay for free.

[A]

Wait, what are you talking about?

[B]

This man had a four course breakfast every day. Continental breakfast every day.

[A]

How did you not know this before marriage?

[B]

We didn't live together before we got married.

[A]

You don't want to test the waters first?

[B]

I will next time. You. Damn straight we're doing.

[A]

How long were you guys together before you got. First of all, I'll be honest. I know the finances here are messed up. I didn't even know marriage was a part of this conversation. So this is like blowing my mind right now, but okay. The tea side of me.

[B]

I know you want to know the.

[A]

Springer side of me, you know, gets a little excited. Yeah. How long are you guys dating before.

[B]

Three weeks.

[A]

Okay, what was this? What the.

[B]

Okay, I will.

[A]

This is crazy.

[B]

I will be completely transparent. I kind of binge watched too many episodes of Married at first sight. And what's the other one where you date in the pods or whatever? I applied for these shows four times. I actually almost got an interview with the producer. I'm married at first sight, but it didn't quite happen. And so I got on Tinder. And I started talking to this guy, and I hit it off with him. I thought he was great. He said he had a cpa. I mean, he gave me his resume. Oops, sorry. Gave me his resume and everything. So I looked him up. He was from Bogota, Colombia, which appealed to me, because, you know. Right, sure.

[A]

That means something to someone. Sure.

[B]

So we just got to talking. We FaceTimed every single day. And then I started talking about how I really desire to be a partner because one of my. What do you call that? Unrealistic fears is going to sleep and not waking up. And nobody knows. And nobody finds my body for days because I live alone, et cetera. Because. And he's like, yeah, I'm older, too, because he was 50 at the time. And so it just made sense. We were like, you know what? We're old enough to know what we want. I want to be with you. And I'm like, okay, well, I guess we can try it. So he drove from Washington.

[A]

Marriage is kind of an aggressive try.

[B]

Well, we didn't get married right immediately. What happened? He drove to from Washington. Took him three days to get here. So once he moved in, then it was okay, well, we're going to live together. Great. I got to add you to the lease. I have to add you to other things. And then he's like, why'd you. Because then he sprung on me that we were engaged on Facebook.

[A]

Well, that doesn't matter, though.

[B]

We didn't. I know. Facebook is totally not real.

[A]

One, how is that not a red flag? Then Two, that also just doesn't matter in terms of you didn't have to be engaged. Engaged just because he pushed a button on Facebook. Today's video is sponsored by Aura. And it's a really important time to be talking about them because hackers may have stolen the Social Security numbers of Every American. Over 2.9 billion records were stolen from National Public Data, which offers personal information to employers, private investigators, staffing agencies, and others by doing background checks. These stolen records include a person's full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and phone number, along with alternative names and birth dates. And members of the hacker group have reportedly released this information for free online. If you weren't taking precautions with your personal information online before then, this could be a huge wake up call. You've never been more vulnerable online than you are right now. And I'm not too worried about it because I use Aura. Aura alerts me. When they find my number, email, or Social Security number on the dark Web, they're going to let me know fast if anyone tries to use this information to access my credit or bank accounts and they give me up to $5 million in identity theft insurance should the worst case scenario happen. And they also provide a bunch of other features to keep you safe online, all inside one app. You can go to mylink aura.com hammer to try 14 days for free. That'll be enough time for Aura to find out if any of your personal data is exposed. I highly recommend you do this right now because not only is national public data not going to do anything to help you, they probably aren't even going to face any repercussions for this leak. I'm not leaving myself and my family vulnerable to data breaches. And if you don't want to either, you can go to aura.com hammer to try two weeks for free.

[B]

Well, I mean, at the same time be together. I'm old. Well, not old, but like I'm older and I've.

[A]

Listen, I get the fear of growing old without love. One of my fears.

[B]

And it's happening without all the good things. Right.

[A]

And so don't need love.

[B]

You don't. But like, you know, I kind of. I'm stingy when it comes to. So it's like I want my. To be my. But anyway, 20 year olds, no, they're not good at it.

[A]

I meant the other.

[B]

Sorry. So 15 days after he moved in, he's like, let's just get married. Actually, no, it wasn't 15. It was seven days after he moved in, he's like, let's just get married. And I'm like, well, we have to get a license. We gotta wait. We went and got the.

[A]

Are you sure he wasn't trying to green card this?

[B]

I promise you. Because is as soon as.

[A]

Why did he want to get married?

[B]

He didn't say. He said he just wanted to be with me. And then every time we talked about our air quote marriage, it was. We're working on it. It's a relationship. And I'm like, no, no, no, no. This is a marriage. It's a serious. This is more serious than that.

[A]

So you don't know why you wanted to get married, but you're confident it wasn't an immigration marriage?

[B]

Because he never pushed for a green card. We even went through a service to try to get him citizenship so that he could work.

[A]

So that we could work at all.

[B]

He ultimately I forced him to use door dash because he was not making any.

[A]

So run Door dash.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

So he was a runner. He Was.

[B]

Yes, under my Social Security number.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

After he tried.

[A]

That feels.

[B]

Yeah, I know.

[A]

Legally questionable.

[B]

Okay, it gets better. Before that, because, again, he was a CPA in Columbia.

[A]

You do like, reality tv, don't you? Because, like, you're coming on here and you're, like, giving U.S. reality TV.

[B]

Well, I mean, you wanted to know the story.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, like, he was a CPA in Columbia, so he wanted to do taxes. So he signed up for a program to do taxes. This is before tax season. But because he's undocumented, has no Social Security number, the business is in my name.

[A]

And I hear you don't pay your taxes on time.

[B]

On time. I don't. No. No. I'm working on that.

[A]

So maybe this was a good relationship.

[B]

Maybe. But the point was that he was supposed to bring money in. I had anticipated him bringing money in by April because, you know, he's starting from zero, but he just was resistant.

[A]

I mean, to be very clear, obviously, you guys got married way too early.

[B]

Way too early.

[A]

Like, not even questionable. You didn't even know how many meals he like.

[B]

Hey, had I known that alone, that this man literally had to have a continental breakfast every morning, I literally would not have made it.

[A]

Wasn't true love at that point. You guys couldn't have known. That's hard to know. And then the dude's out there sending pictures of that, you know, uncut hero. So it was uncut. Oh, yeah. He's from South America. He's from anywhere outside of the United States.

[B]

He's from anywhere else. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. It was.

[A]

It was talking to Financial Audit, one.

[B]

Of the worst mistakes I've ever made in my life. But, well, nice. Learned a lot.

[A]

Yeah. Don't get married after three weeks before you know how a person even consumes a meal. Yeah, I don't. Most people don't need a lesson for that one. Well, no. Well, no. Well, no offense.

[B]

I mean, I'm.

[A]

That is stupid.

[B]

It was stupid.

[A]

Okay, so you racked up credit card debt because of that, which I believe how we started that.

[B]

This conversation. That is how we got here. Here.

[A]

Okay. Even though we know you make more than the median household income of Austin, and you live in a cheaper suburb of Austin, and you make over $10,000 more than the median.

[B]

If I live in a cheaper suburb, tell me why my rent's $2,000 a month.

[A]

Oh, I don't know what your place is, but I know you can get cheaper than that in the suburb you live in.

[B]

With the size of the unit that I Went in.

[A]

Yeah. No, see, and I bet if you got that same size in Austin city limits, it would be more.

[B]

Oh, yeah. No, I don't. I have.

[A]

So what are you saying?

[B]

I have no desire to live in Austin city.

[A]

That's. That. That has nothing to do with your suburb. It's the square footage of what you live in.

[B]

No, it's not.

[A]

You just said.

[B]

Because when I. Because the apartment wasn't $2,000 when I.

[A]

Moved in, it went up like every apartment ever.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What?

[B]

By a lot.

[A]

Oh, that's crazy. Rent went up.

[B]

Well, you know that there was rent fixing happening across the whole country, right? You do know that.

[A]

Okay, define that in your terms.

[B]

There was a company, I forget the name of them, but they basically all of the apartment commun agreed to sign on with this company and they stopped sharing globally. Okay, so that's what happened. They were setting prices and that's owned by a major corporation. Most of the. Well, I don't want to say most, but I feel like a lot of commercial organizations are buying up residential properties and then forcing the rent up because.

[A]

They want the commercial properties. And it is an issue in general. Even still, if you combine BlackRock and all those other things for the homes purchase, it was like less than 5% of all housing units still in a year. Now, 5%'s a crazy number.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

But it's still leaves 95 of all units that are being purchased. So if you're gonna use that as an immediate deflection as of why you probably live in a place that's bigger than your needs need to be.

[B]

No, it's actually a little small for what I.

[A]

How many square footage?

[B]

1450.

[A]

Okay, shut the up. You could live in a much smaller place.

[B]

Not with what I got going on.

[A]

What do you got going on?

[B]

I have a candle business going on.

[A]

Okay, then get a storage. No AC storage.

[B]

So. So the solution to me getting less expenses is to add another expense by.

[A]

Cutting your apartment in half price wise and getting a $25 storage unit. Yes.

[B]

It's never 2550.

[A]

Listen, if we can save a thousand dollars, you could spend 500 on a Super storage unit. And I'm totally chill with that. You still save money.

[B]

If I could say.

[A]

Do you know how math works?

[B]

Well, no, not really. I'm really not good at math.

[A]

Okay, fun fact, 1,000 hours is more than 500.

[B]

Well, yeah.

[A]

What are we doing here? What? Okay, so you're an interesting, interesting one.

[B]

I like to think so.

[A]

How much is coming in from the candles business?

[B]

Zero. Dollars? I haven't launched it yet.

[A]

Everything is paying for the space of the. What we have going on is making nothing. How long have you been doing this? I haven't launched it, but how long have you been doing it?

[B]

I've been perfecting this for the last two and a half years.

[A]

Okay. Get off the toilet, dude.

[B]

Well, you got to understand, with candles, you're sending a container that can burn somebody's house down. So you kind of want to get it right.

[A]

Yeah. Does it take everyone else two and a half years?

[B]

It can take people longer than that, actually.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. It's more than just melting some wax, putting a stick in there and hoping it works like it's.

[A]

Yeah. You don't pay your taxes on time. You have an horrendous credit card debt. I see late payments in here. I don't think we're taking two and a half years to launch something that's not making any money and might not make any money.

[B]

I might keep my gift.

[A]

Oh, is it a candle?

[B]

Yeah. I brought you a sample.

[A]

May I see?

[B]

Yeah, sure.

[A]

Let's see.

[B]

Let's.

[A]

That's like. Okay. Thank you. I appreciate it.

[B]

You're welcome.

[A]

I appreciate it. Well, it burned down the house or has the. Two and a half years.

[B]

You're going to have to unseal it.

[A]

It's very heavy. Is this one candle?

[B]

It's two, actually. I brought you two of the scents I'm launching.

[A]

Thank you. Launching when?

[B]

Next month.

[A]

Okay. Are you here just to advertise this?

[B]

No, no, no, no, no, no. I promise I'm not.

[A]

Okay. What do I do? What am I doing here? I don't have a product suggestion number one. I want to be able to open the product because, like, you know, this is.

[B]

She has scissors.

[A]

These are the cut up credit card scissors. That's not a joke. That's. They are. They're literally sitting there for that purpose.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Whenever someone decides they want to be an adult. Okay. Wow. I'd love to be able to get to the financial audit at some point. This is a nice design. This is very pleasant looking.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Green ego. Smells nice.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

I don't know what it is. It's not a smell I've ever had.

[B]

You're probably identifying the Patrick.

[A]

What'd you call me?

[B]

No, the scent notice is Patrick. Petrichor Patrick.

[A]

Sure. The other one. I do like that. It is like, you know, you got the clean black, the clean white. Look at the design. That's kind of cool. Make sure the camera can see that Let me smell this one. This one's cell centered.

[B]

Self. Centered. Yes.

[A]

Self. Yes. Oh, not for you. That's not your fault. But whatever that smell is, I hate it.

[B]

Okay, that's not.

[A]

But that's not your fault. I've smelled this in other candles as well.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

And I find that smell unappealing horrific. Is it the jasmine?

[B]

It could be.

[A]

The lily just smells like. Yeah, I think it's the lily. It smells like. Just like. Like I'm gonna. Old lady. What are these?

[B]

That is ambiance spray.

[A]

Okay, this one, we're burning this one. This is the lily one. This one's going away forever. Okay, well, thank you. I appreciate your gift. And listen, for what it's worth, the packaging is very nice. The first one smelled good. The second one smells good for other people who, like. Who likes that smell. You know, I'll have one of the other employees take the. The. That smelling.

[B]

The one that you don't like.

[A]

Yeah, the retirement home one. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, well, let's talk more about the business in a little bit, but I want to get into your finances.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So income, I'd. Payroll of $5,357. Sort of.

[B]

All right. Yes.

[A]

Okay, please tell. Are you a part of any other business ventures or is this it? Because you. It's. I'm like. You just have that vibe of. You're just all over the place.

[B]

I'm glad you're picking up what I'm putting down because actually, yes, everybody's shocked. I did try to venture off into a non profit. So I have a non profit that is doing absolutely nothing.

[A]

Wait, okay, what were you trying to do? A non profit. You're not in a place of a nonprofit.

[B]

Not at all. So what the.

[A]

What was it?

[B]

I'm gonna tell you. So what happened was I saw a posting online from somewhere where I get my relaxation items, and they were looking for people to co. Not co invest, but like do their own turnkey startup delivering medicinal supplies to individuals. It was supposed to launch at south by Southwest this year, and I did not do enough investigation or research into the people that were trying to put this out. I invested a thousand dollars in that and my husband was not on board with it.

[A]

Because you guys didn't even know who each other were.

[B]

Right. And so as the time approached for us to actually. Oh, I'm sorry.

[A]

How did you find out? He sent a schlong over the waves of.

[B]

I had access to his phone and he had access to my phone as well.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

We were. We were Transparent with one another.

[A]

Just one.

[B]

It was just one that I found. But yeah. So the person that I was supposed to be going into business with, I called them like the day of south by. And I'm like, hey, what's going on? What are we doing? Am I running? What am I doing? And he's like, you were supposed to be up and running by now. I don't know. You buy. And I'm like, but what about my money? I'm like, I gave you a thousand dollars. The hell.

[A]

1000 hours is a significant amount of money in terms of the grand scheme of life. The thousand hour learning lessons. Lessons. Okay, the 2.5 years and the marriage thing, that's a little. Much more impactful.

[B]

Different.

[A]

Okay, cool. So we have the income. 5357. What do you think was spent?

[B]

What do I think was spent?

[A]

Oh yeah.

[B]

All of it.

[A]

In the same month.

[B]

In the same month.

[A]

Give me a number. This includes debt as well.

[B]

Oh, debt.

[A]

Well, yes, it is money.

[B]

Minimum payments.

[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. In terms of like that you're putting on debt.

[B]

What am I putting on debt?

[A]

How much do you think was spent in total across every account in the same month?

[B]

The exact amount of money that I pulled in.

[A]

Okay, how about double? Cuz it was literally double.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yeah. Whether it's taking out new debt and we'll find out, you know, it's anything but that's the money that was like going against you.

[B]

So I pulled in 5000 but spent 10.

[A]

There was an additional 1300 that came in through Zell, but even still. It's not even close. Yeah. And then $10,597.56 was spending.

[B]

Now nothing came in. That was 1300 through Zel.

[A]

1300 in total.

[B]

That went out.

[A]

We had no, we had in. Well, look, but that's what we have. People are always confused about their own statements.

[B]

Well, because that's. That's therapist.

[A]

I pay my $1,300 a month.

[B]

No. Well, maybe not. Huh? 65 bucks a session. One session every week. No, it's not thirteen hundred dollars.

[A]

What are you talking about? You obviously have never budgeted in your life.

[B]

No, I did.

[A]

And you're trying to start a business and you don't even know how to budget. So go through the budgeting program, please, for sake. Go through the budgeting program. Take all the quizzes. Go through the education. You guys can get it now at a discounted price. 15 off. By the way, bundled with the investing program where you get $100 in cash into your moomoo account for fun. Okay.

[B]

To buy moomoos with h. Nothing. I said to buy mumu with.

[A]

I don't know what that means because you said.

[B]

And you get $100 in your moomoo account to buy.

[A]

What's a muumu?

[B]

It's like a very large dress for a very large person. Oh, sorry.

[A]

Okay. Okay.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

No, it's fine. I just.

[B]

I've never heard.

[A]

I'm not a fan. I'm a big woman.

[B]

Men wear them too.

[A]

You said woman dress.

[B]

Men wear them too.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

600 pound life.

[A]

Okay. I just want to get into the finance. Okay, you're just.

[B]

Sorry. I'm sorry.

[A]

Well, I'm. I'm happy to always go down rabbit holes, but you just throw me down every rabbit hole that my brain just immediately is.

[B]

Just like my brain kind of works.

[A]

Okay, okay. Okay. What's your hammer? What's your financial score? Self assess. What do you think? 0 to 10. 0 being the worst finances ever, 10 being the best.

[B]

Negative 2.

[A]

Okay, that's not possible, but whatever. If you want your hammer financial score, it's free. Link in the description below. Also, feel free to come on the show, guys. You have interesting stories. Hopefully less interesting because we're 22 minutes in and we haven't even talked about a statement. Go to caleb hammer.com apply. Oh, my. Okay. Quicksilver. So how'd you go into debt to fund this marriage? Because he wasn't working. Even though we know you made $10,000 more than the area for the household for two income, and you live in a cheaper area and your rent actually fits in your budget. Fun fact. So how did the debt get up in eight months from zero? Huh? How'd this go? Capital Capital.

[B]

Quicksilver One did not make $10,000.

[A]

I said $10,000 more than the median household income.

[B]

Oh, I'm so sorry. Sorry. So, yeah, he spent it.

[A]

So you gave him access to your credit card?

[B]

I did.

[A]

You didn't even know the man.

[B]

I was married to him trying to be a good wife.

[A]

Good wife. I just. Is good wife enabling bad behavior of a partner?

[B]

I'll ask my therapist.

[A]

I would. I mean. Well, first of all, the answer is no. Like, if I had a wife and she was just like, going into an immense amount of debt.

[B]

Well, I mean, like.

[A]

Like that's not me being like, oh, I'm a good husband. Letting my partner go into debt. That doesn't make any sense. Well, I mean, in what world is that being a good partner?

[B]

He had Continental breakfast every day.

[A]

Okay. What does that mean? That's like the millionth time that you've brought this up.

[B]

Okay. Like four pieces of toast. Okay, so three eggs.

[A]

Four pieces, plus four pieces of toast to start. What is that? Two slices of bread. If you cut the toast in half. So four slices of bread.

[B]

Slices of bread. Okay, Four slices of bread.

[A]

So you get a loaf twice a week. Okay, go ahead, Keep going. That's not crazy.

[B]

Not yet. Three eggs, also not crazy. With. With th. Whatever cheese he decided at that moment. Fruit, sometimes papaya cheese.

[A]

What a crazy guy. Okay, keep going.

[B]

Sometimes he would have papaya, and then orange juice and coffee. Had to have both.

[A]

That's in every movie and TV show ever.

[B]

Exactly. I didn't think I was. I'm going to, like, live it every single day.

[A]

Dude likes his acids. Yeah. Was that it?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. He ate a very diverse breakfast. It's a lot of food. Yeah, but you made it sound a lot more extreme.

[B]

Oh, well.

[A]

Than it really was. And that's also not a. I don't.

[B]

Think that's the average person eat breakfast.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So for him to have a continental breakfast, like we live at a hotel is ridiculous.

[A]

That was not a continental breakfast.

[B]

Yes, it was.

[A]

Okay, lady, I don't think that's why $40,000 of debt was added over a year.

[B]

No, no, no, no. A lot.

[A]

So I don't know why you're bringing up a lot of.

[B]

It was the candle business.

[A]

What is this?

[B]

Wax is expensive. Fragrance oils are expensive. Vessels are expensive. Branding, labeling.

[A]

So we're deflecting all. Now, don't get me wrong. He obviously did wrong with the song to the lady. He did wrong. You guys both did wrong on the marriage. But why are you immediately blaming him on the finances when obviously the debt was for the wax.

[B]

No.

[A]

And not the marriage waxing.

[B]

No. Because at the time that we got married, all of those supplies had already been purchased. It was literally.

[A]

I just said that the breakfast isn't what added 60,000 hours of debt. And you're like, but it's the candles. And now you're saying it was the candles before. Well, I didn't make up your mind which one is it?

[B]

Because it's not $60,000. That was in a year.

[A]

Kayla, I want to give you free money right now. I partnered with different resources that will literally give you hundreds of dollars the moment you sign up for them. Check out my investing app of choice, Moomoo, where they give you up to 15 free stocks and 8.1% interest on your uninvested cash when you sign up with my link. Do you want a more traditional savings account? Check out where I keep my emergency fund SoFi, where they'll give you 4.6% on your money and up to $250 for signing up with my link. Would you rather have automated investing? Sign up for ACORNS with my link and you'll get $20 right now instead of the usual $5 you'd get from your friend's referral. You can also sign up for our investing program and get $100 in cash deposited into your MOOMOO account. This is the best way to learn what your investing profile looks like and what investing strategies to use based on that. All of this free money is linked in the resources section of the description below, so don't pass up the free money because I'll punch ya. But you said the credit cards were zero before.

[B]

I have a total credit line of $8,000.

[A]

Okay. All the other credits. So, okay, so we're all the other debts existing then? Every other debt was existing, including your 401k loan?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Why do you have a 401k loan?

[B]

I needed money for.

[A]

Because you make money.

[B]

I ran out.

[A]

How? Oh, my gosh.

[B]

I don't.

[A]

I just. I don't get. I don't.

[B]

I'm like, I'm being honest. I really don't know. I don't know where my money goes. I don't budget. We talked about that before. Yeah, I don't budget.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, boy. Oh, okay. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cool. So the quicksilver is at $2,060.96.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Credit limit is $2,000.

[B]

I know. I'm over budget or over the limit.

[A]

Oh, you do know something. And $72 a month is the minimum monthly payment.

[B]

Because I'm over the limit.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Once I'm reduced, not over the limit, then it'll be a little bit less, but I probably will still continue to pay.

[A]

Question.

[B]

More than that because.

[A]

Question.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Perhaps if we are trying to get below the credit limit. Yeah, what's my question?

[B]

No, I'm like, really?

[A]

You don't know what my question's about to be?

[B]

Why am I paying the minimum? Is that your question?

[A]

What the are you possibly purchasing on this card?

[B]

Food? Amazon.

[A]

Look, back to my question. I'd like you to hear it again. Why the are you possibly purchasing on this card?

[B]

Well, I can't make any more purchases on it because I'm over the limit. But before it got over the limit.

[A]

Absolute. Stop for a second. Okay, just stop for a second. Are you being serious?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Are you? Legitimately? Because, like, I. That kind of delusion doesn't seem realistic to me.

[B]

I'm sorry. But yeah.

[A]

And the fact that you've mentioned Loving Love island and all that, it's just like I'm immediately questioning. Is this woman putting on an act?

[B]

I did not mention Love Island. First of all, the other ones married at first sight.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

So yes, it's not an act. And no, like I. I don't budget. I've admitted that like many, many, many times. I don't budget and I. Budgeting.

[A]

You said you at the credit limit and you want to get it below, so your minimum payments are lower. Then why would we purchase on this card?

[B]

But we're not this card. We're not.

[A]

You did in this statement. In this statement. This statement. We're only talking about this. Hey, hey. No, we're only talking about the statement that exists.

[B]

Yeah. And if you look at it, what purchases are on the statement? Caleb, there aren't any purchases on that statement because the card was over the limit.

[A]

True. That's not true. I have the statement literally in front of me. So I don't know what the you're talking about.

[B]

Tell me what I bought.

[A]

Doordash and something on Apple. Yeah, doordash. That's more important than having lower than a card.

[B]

Didn't I say food? And 9.99 is.

[A]

But you just. You just told me. Oh, this. This conversation is gonna push me to my limit. I can already tell. You just told me that there was no purchase on the statement right in front of me. Then there obviously is two of them and one of them is the doordash. One of the most expensive ways to get food ever.

[B]

So.

[A]

What are you talking about?

[B]

Well, you made it seem like I was charging while it was over the limit, and that's not accurate.

[A]

I specifically asked why, if we are trying to be below the limit, are you spending on this card? As in, you pushed yourself into the limit and then the interest pushed you over. Why are you pushing yourself to the limit on this card?

[B]

That was the card that I had money available on.

[A]

Okay, fun fact. We probably can't afford doordash then.

[B]

Okay, it was either that or.

[A]

Oh my. It was either that groceries would.

[B]

It would have been better to say HEB.

[A]

Yes. Because that amount of money at HEB could stretch further. That could get you two meals instead of one DoorDash.

[B]

I. That it was two meals.

[A]

That could get you four meals instead of two DoorDash.

[B]

Have you bought eggs lately?

[A]

You don't have to. It's. Oh, guys, hey, fun fact, fun fact. Go walk into a grocery store tomorrow. You'll find that the only thing they sell there are eggs.

[B]

No, I'm just saying if you're. If you periodically go to the grocery store to buy necessities. $25, because that's the amount that we're talking about. For DoorDash it was $26 and some change. That is not gonna get me four.

[A]

Meals example because it's meal prepping. There's $25 here, you take that. That's close to 10%. 10% of the monthly budget. I am able to get you to get three solid meals a day plus snacks in a healthy caloric way for a whole month. That's almost 10% of a monthly budget. I can get 25. I could. Oh my. Do you understand what 25 is? 10% of $250.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So also eggs you can get a dozen, double age.

[B]

$4. Yes. 380 something.

[A]

340.

[B]

See, so like I said, like it's either relations.

[A]

I don't know if you know this. Oh, I'm. I'm legitimately very angry right now. Am I angry because of something before this episode? Probably not because nothing happened, but I'm angry. You are pissing me off. You could get seven and a half dozen eggs. Seven and a half dozen eggs. I'm doing like trump hands right now. That's how pissed you're making me. Fantastic eggs. The most fabulous eggs. You could have had so many eggs. And you could have the meals. The scrambled eggs you could have had in just your example. Because eggs is what you care to bring up when I push back on door dash. The dozens of eggs you could have had.

[B]

Cuz I would have been eggs. Right?

[A]

Huh?

[B]

Cuz yeah. All I want is eggs.

[A]

It was your example that was an incorrect.

[B]

But I was trying to make a point. You were making a point. I was making a point.

[A]

But your point is incorrect.

[B]

No, it's not.

[A]

It objectively is. We just went over how, how, how in what way?

[B]

Because your statement was for the amount of money that I spent that day on doordash, I could have bought four meals.

[A]

Yeah, seven and a half dozen eggs could stretch further than four meals.

[B]

Nobody is going to eat that many.

[A]

That's your choice.

[B]

Nobody's going to eat that many eggs, Caleb.

[A]

Great. So it's eight meals.

[B]

That's not good for your cholesterol.

[A]

It's a. How are you? How have you existed.

[B]

Are you a blood pressure medicine?

[A]

This is. I probably should be after this conversation. This is probably why your business hasn't launched in two and a half years of trying. Because you don't know how to think through anything Critically. That's ridiculous. $25. Okay. Okay. Rotisserie chicken. Boom. There's a meal. $5. Heb. You could go get the little meal. They have the meal. Prepped meal, or they have the frozen or refrigerated meals.

[B]

I've never seen a rotisserie chicken for $5 at HEB.

[A]

Okay, then you've just never had eyeballs. I don't know what the to tell you. Okay, Yes, I have. It's right here. Are you kidding me? It's literally right here. What are you talking about? How do you. You push back on everything. Shut the up. Something's just r. Some things just are okay. Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Maybe I just preferred to have a salad that day.

[A]

There it is. It's a preference. There it is. You should have said that the whole damn time. That's all it was. Was you wanted. You wanted.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

You could have done better. You chose not to. So why are you arguing this?

[B]

I'm not.

[A]

Capital one regular one. $1,308.50. It's a $47 minimum payment. Oh, we're over the limit again.

[B]

So yes. Yes, we are.

[A]

Oh, you want a salad? You could get one for $5. Southwest Chicken Entree salad. Very nice. Ooh, Chef entree salad. That's $5.72 from Hub. Interest is accruing. Paid a little more than the minimum. Trying to get it under Capital One. Walmart. We're addicted to capital one. What do you what. Sorry, I want to calm down for a second. I want to know what do you actually hope to get out of this conversation? Because I think one of the reasons why I'm pushed over the edge right now is because you just feel like, oh, you want to plug your candle company. You want to get a little bit of attention. You've wanted to be on reality TV and want this, and it's pissing me off. What do you hope to get out of this conversation?

[B]

Well, I came on the show because I need help. I am 46. I'm closer to 50 than not, and I'm running out of time to get my financial together because retirement is.

[A]

So what do you. What do you hope? What's the help you're hoping?

[B]

I'm hoping that somebody can help me create a usable budget. My issue with budgets is they're usually. Don't buy anything. You don't need to buy anything because you're so much in debt. You're so poor, you don't need to get anything. Eat air.

[A]

Okay. You're objectively not poor. You make a lot of money.

[B]

You know what I meant? I'm not gonna do that. I'm not going to work to spend every dime on bills. That will never happen in my lifetime.

[A]

Okay. You might never. You might never get out of debt.

[B]

And honestly, with the student loan debt that I have, I kind of had already resolved that, but. Or resigned to that fate. But what I do want to do. So you've given up on the student loan part? Yes, absolutely. But I feel like I can turn the rest of my financial situation around, and I want to do that. I genuinely want to do that.

[A]

But if you're not willing to come.

[B]

The candles was a gift, by the way. So to say that I'm here to plug my candle company.

[A]

No, I don't know, because I didn't.

[B]

Even mention the name of it.

[A]

Just makes me a bit nervous.

[B]

If it was about that, I think I would have mentioned the name of it.

[A]

Just makes me a bit nervous, all.

[B]

That kind of stuff. And I never did any of that. So I'd appreciate an apology for that. Thank you very much.

[A]

No. So I film four to five of these a week. So I've seen a lot of different people try to come on here for a lot of different reasons. Many episodes we have not uploaded.

[B]

Okay, fair.

[A]

And this resembles a lot of them, and that's what upsets me. But I am going to treat this regardless as you genuinely wanting help. I've given myself a chance to take a deep breath, and I. Your situation is scary for your age.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. All right, calm down. I'm trying to be. Trying to bring us back into happiness.

[B]

Well, I'm just saying, like, I don't appreciate the accusation, because if that was the case, like, I could get berated by, you know, anybody else and actually plug my candle company that hasn't even launched yet.

[A]

Well, no, you didn't get accepted to be on any other show. But the thing is, Your retirement's at 10,000, but you have a loan against it.

[B]

Against it. Yes.

[A]

That's what scares me.

[B]

It scares me as well.

[A]

But you just specifically told me that you're not willing to cut back.

[B]

No, I didn't say I wasn't willing to cut back. I said I was not willing to eat air for the rest of my life because I'm in debt.

[A]

Oh, I don't think about rest of your life. We're talking about temporary sacrifice here. That's what this show's all.

[B]

I'm not willing to do it for a year, six months maybe, actually. No. Air is not sustainable. It's not nutritious.

[A]

Okay, well, obviously we're not going to do that. I'm giving to give you a 300 grocery budget and you can follow our meal plan.

[B]

Okay, that's fair. I can do that.

[A]

Well, who would say don't eat? No one practically.

[B]

David Ramsey says that.

[A]

No, he says baby and rash. Beans and rice. Rum. Dave Ramsey. That's what he says. That's still food.

[B]

He's like, you can't go out. You can't go. I'm like, that's not enjoying life. No, no, no.

[A]

Yeah, but why do you think you're entitled?

[B]

Because tomorrow is not promised. I could die tonight. I could get struck by lightning when I walk out of this building.

[A]

You're right.

[B]

That light could fall on me and end it.

[A]

Absolutely. You are totally right. So we may as well sacrifice for the higher percentage that tomorrow is going to exist. Because if you get struck by lightning tomorrow, you won't know that you suffered and sacrificed. It won't have mattered anyway. So do it. Be an adult. That's what I say. But no, he says you're never going to see the inside of a restaurant unless you work in there. I mean, obviously that makes sense when. When we're talking about per person, per calorie, you are spending more at a restaurant than if you're eating at home. When we're talking about not going out to eat for a little bit, it's so you can take care of your debt. It's because fast forward 20 years for your life right now, your retirement doesn't exist and you'll never be able to retire.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

So I don't give a fuck if you feel a little upset that you're not eating out for a year. If I get you to a point where you're able to retire. If I'm evil for that, fine. I'm evil because I want someone to actually have a chance at retirement. Oh, no.

[B]

How horrible.

[A]

I think it's literally, first of all, you're trying to be a business owner. No business gets to any point. I didn't get here without sacrificing different things. No one gets that. But you're someone who's put putting their sacrifice on a time limit of six months. And you have total debt of $229,544. A lot of that being a mortgage. But that is your total debt.

[B]

No, it's not a mortgage. Student loans.

[A]

Oh, kill me. Capital One. Walmart card. Let's try to get back to this.

[B]

Okay. He used that exclusively.

[A]

Oh, and it's the smallest balance.

[B]

That's why I let him use it.

[A]

That's why blaming him for all of the credit card debt doesn't make any sense. You said the credit card debt.

[B]

I did say I was out of debt before I got married and now I'm back into it. I did say that. You're absolutely right.

[A]

This. What are you. What are you. What am I getting from this conversation?

[B]

This is banter.

[A]

Now, I don't even know what's true anymore that you're saying, because this has objectively been false.

[B]

I mean, if I knew where he was, I could have had him here, but I don't know where he is.

[A]

You're now an unreliable narrator when it comes to your own finances because you completely lied how the credit card debt was formed.

[B]

No, I didn't lie. I miss recollected. That's different.

[A]

By a lot. By thousands of dollars. Buddy, friend, bestie. This is at 209. You said this is his credit card. The card regards that we went over before this were 2,000 and 1,300. So I don't know what the you're talking about. Of course, this is basically at its credit limit. Interest is accruing. A payment was made. I think I hit the table too hard.

[B]

Reset your ambia with the ambiance.

[A]

I don't think that sets nerves.

[B]

I'm sorry.

[A]

It's okay. Just gonna massage my wrists. Okay. Credit union. Okay, so you have a line of credit to the credit union. Is this. Is this.

[B]

I've had that line of credit for like five years.

[A]

Oh, wonderful.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What's the max? You're allowed to borrow $2,000. Oh, wonderful. So it's been at probably max out for the two years.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

Wonderful. So a plus debt. I guess we'll call it a plus debt.

[B]

It's.

[A]

The credit union is at $1960.23 with a 12.9 interest rate better than all the other credit cards. Still absolutely horrendous. For example, you know, I don't know. I don't feel like going.

[B]

What? No, tell me.

[A]

Yeah, you're not going to beat it in the. You're not going to beat that. You're not going to beat that interest rate in the market. So we would Want to pay it off?

[B]

Okay. Okay.

[A]

Oh, Ally. This is the episode where I finally lost it.

[B]

That is a new credit card.

[A]

People have always asked, and I've asked myself as well. Two and a half years into this thing, what's the episode? Or I'm gonna lose it. I've lost it. It's happened. We've reached the moment.

[B]

Can I help you get it back? No, no, no. There's nothing I can do to help you get it back.

[A]

Not you.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I think you're the one that made me lose it.

[B]

Oh, well, then I feel responsible.

[A]

No, it was some. It was some teamwork.

[B]

I think teamwork makes the dream work. You want to talk about my Ally card now?

[A]

I'm just.

[B]

Or do you want to skip it because it basically looks like the others?

[A]

No, that's not how the show works. Okay, but I'm just nervous of us teaming up. Because the last time you teamed up, it ended your blood pressure. No, it ended in eight months.

[B]

It technically ended in the second month. He just really. I couldn't get him out of the house because he was on the lease.

[A]

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[B]

Oh, I kicked him out. I put him out to a hotel. He called the police.

[A]

Called the police.

[B]

He called the police on me because I locked him out of the house and the police told him what I did was not illegal and he should spend the night somewhere. The hell else. When he came back, he was resigned to the second level of the home. That's where he lived for the next month and a half until he finally left.

[A]

Okay, you have two floors. You don't need two floors. You can live in a cheaper place. Candles don't need another floor.

[B]

All of my candle business information, inventory slash stuff is literally in my dining room. I have no.

[A]

And you definitely don't need two floors.

[B]

I eat on my couch, but all the upstairs is my bedroom and my off my home office because I do work from home.

[A]

Oh, okay. So we're double office scene. That's wonderful. I do both. Out of one or from the couch.

[B]

It's. It's kind of hazardous. So, like, because of the. You have to keep things to a.

[A]

Certain level, but you're keeping them on the dining room table? I. Okay.

[B]

No, no, no. Just to cool it. To heat the wax that's in the kitchen. So the entire island of my kitchen has, like, melting pots.

[A]

Ally. Is that $259.25 again? Basically maxed out.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

27. Minimum fee payment.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, we're purchasing. Wonderful. What are we getting?

[B]

Food.

[A]

Yeah. Tiff's treats. It's cookies. LinkedIn Premium.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Wondered who trying to find a new job. Okay. Yeah. I mean, in your field, you could make more money. Again, you're not making an insignificant amount of money, obviously. You just don't know how to manage money.

[B]

Correct, I admit that. I admit that. Openly. That's why I'm here.

[A]

I know. Yes. Okay. That's why everyone's here. Okay, easy. And yeah, $20 of cookies. The sugar cookies from Tip Streets are pretty good. Unfortunately, Tiff Streets has gone downhill quite dramatically these last few years.

[B]

I was a little obsessed with the. The ones that they have with the. The fancy middle. Like, they had a peanut butter with a raspberry jam in the middle. It was so.

[A]

Sounds good. I'm gonna give them a shout out, though. Tiny's Milk and Cookies. Go there. Have you been?

[B]

No.

[A]

Oh, go there. It's just. I think it's just a small local place. It's really nice. It's off of mopac.

[B]

I have your permission to go eat out at Tiny's Milk and Cookies if.

[A]

You go find another man that you're gonna marry in three weeks and he pays for it. And then you went to 711 and got some bullets? Probably.

[B]

I got gas at 7 11.

[A]

Okay. Very little amount of gas.

[B]

I don't drive anywhere.

[A]

Okay, but you don't. You fill up your tank when it's like three fourths or something.

[B]

I fill up my tank when it's at a quarter and then.

[A]

Okay. Then you only put in an additional quarter.

[B]

Yeah. Because I don't go anywhere.

[A]

Okay. So 31 thing I could do. Please help you. I think, I think course cruise has some cyber security. Really Certifications. And I can gift that for free.

[B]

Okay. Because I have. I do have two okta certifications.

[A]

But that's awesome.

[B]

Not really. Help me get another job.

[A]

Well, I guess anything that just boosts the resume, you know, the more the merrier. So let me look into that though. Cuz they have certifications for so many things. Let me remember.

[B]

I appreciate that.

[A]

Oh wow. Credit one. That's when we really know we're in a bad situation.

[B]

That is another one that he did use because he had some dental work done.

[A]

We use credit one for dental and he has a card that shows up in the mail.

[B]

And he had a colonoscopy and he wanted a vasectomy.

[A]

You guys were married. Did you not get him on your health insurance?

[B]

Yes, he is on my health insurance.

[A]

This with the co pays or I.

[B]

Have a deductible dollar deductible on my health insurance for the balmy price. $180 every paycheck.

[A]

He's probably still on your health insurance.

[B]

It is until I get my divorce decree so I can remove him.

[A]

Are you almost there?

[B]

I. I'm waiting on the court date. I've sent all my paperwork and it was accepted by the court. I'm waiting on the court date. Eagerly waiting.

[A]

Oh, I thought she said E girl. Okay. I was like, whoa, what's happening? Okay. Losing my mind. Oh. $433 a purchase on credit one.

[B]

Also got his suits dry cleaned because he was going to sell life insurance.

[A]

You know, he was obviously just marrying you for like money or something.

[B]

I see that now. Yes.

[A]

Did you guys have like good healthy activities consistently?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay. He was marrying you for the money.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm sorry. He was married for the money.

[B]

I know. I need. I know now.

[A]

Which is actually I will after rounds of roasts and things back and forth. I will give a compliment. You absolutely look fantastic for your age. So like, I think we could find you someone very pleasant who isn't bad.

[B]

This is. This is. I will. I will say this on your show. I am perfectly willing to relinquish all financial responsibilities to my husband. That can manage our finances. I'm not good at it. Oh, I'm just not good at. Give me one card. Put whatever he thinks is necessary on that one.

[A]

Do you want to be like, a trad wife or something? What's happening?

[B]

I'm sorry.

[A]

You want to be like a trad wife? I feel like this is, like, a theme.

[B]

No, no, I have to work. If I don't work, I get really bored, and then I start buying.

[A]

But you want him to, like, control the money?

[B]

If he's good at it, absolutely. I will relinquish that because I'm. I'm. I suck at it.

[A]

What's do. Sierra Creations.

[B]

That's okay. Those. Those lovely lids. That's where I get those from.

[A]

Okay. It's expensive. Okay. I wanna. Oh, let's go. I want to talk about a million things. Okay. Let's go back to the candle one at a time. Sure. Okay. What do you sell? What. What is your product line?

[B]

Candles, ambiance spray.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And bath salts.

[A]

Walk me through the price of this.

[B]

That is a 45 candle.

[A]

Oh, wait, no, no. The price it takes for you to make it.

[B]

Oh, to make it 15.

[A]

Okay. What does this lid cost?

[B]

That lid?

[A]

Per lid? I'm sure you're ordering in bulk, but.

[B]

I do order a dozen at a time. They're $30 a dozen. I'm horrible at math.

[A]

I like the smell of this one. I really do.

[B]

So whatever that works out to be like. I'm really bad at math. I don't know.

[A]

So you think these are 15 to make?

[B]

I have it in a spreadsheet at home. I don't have it, like, right here.

[A]

Yeah, it's 15.

[B]

Because the vest.

[A]

Do we trust your spreadsheet?

[B]

Well, because I have to put. I put in what I buy the lids for, and then I use one lid, then I put in.

[A]

So it's 15.

[B]

Yes. Now that handle is 15.

[A]

And then is the customer going to be covering shipping?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay. So shipping is going to be included on your side. And obviously, these has heft. That entire box was very, very heavy.

[B]

But keep in mind, you had four products in there.

[A]

Yeah, that's okay. Well, do you. Can you buy just one, though?

[B]

Yes, absolutely.

[A]

Okay. I mean, that shipping, this within itself. This is like, you know, this is dense, probably because this is, like, real glass. Yeah.

[B]

Yes, it is.

[A]

Yeah, it's. Well, it's very heavy. That's going to eat into your margin. So I guess that's why you have to charge it at such a premium.

[B]

But it's also a very long lasting candle.

[A]

Okay. Which, which is fine. But like that's expensive though. You know it's expensive. That's like a Le Labo type price.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Oh, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just I don't know when first getting started because you have to have that price in order to generate any kind of profit because of the shipping costs. It just, it makes me a little nervous.

[B]

What I would like to do, subscription model to where they send back. Everyone does the empty vessels and I give them another one for it and they get it at a discount. So it's only like that hefty up.

[A]

So you're paying for their shipping back too?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, buddy. Okay, that's gonna be expensive. So that means the subscription is gonna have to be expensive. So your launch, what is your launch plan?

[B]

Huh?

[A]

Your launch plan.

[B]

You mean like where.

[A]

How do you plan to launch this online? So you just click.

[B]

I have. I have a website.

[A]

Go live.

[B]

I have a website.

[A]

That's all your plan is.

[B]

No, I have influencers that are going to help unbox and promote and go on like what on Tick tock.

[A]

How many followers in total across all influencers?

[B]

Oh, I don't have that many. Fall. Oh, for the influencers, there's at least 500k.

[A]

What have you paid?

[B]

They get a candle and they're doing it. Yeah.

[A]

500K across the board.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What are they getting consistent views on a monthly basis across each of them?

[B]

Oh, that I don't know.

[A]

Well, at least it only cost you a candle. But if you're paying for it, I would have been upset if you didn't know. Well, hopefully that's good. Actually that's a cheap way in. I'm more curious about their views and seeing if it actually leads to anything. You're not gonna do any paid marketing in terms of like Facebook ads?

[B]

I thought about Facebook ads, but I'm not 100% sure where to go with it.

[A]

Just because Facebook ads are pretty good if you can really dial it in.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

They're pretty cheap too.

[B]

Okay, I'm open to that.

[A]

Because I mean I obviously haven't burned this, but you know, just smelling this here, the feeling of it, the look of it. I do like this.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

You know, and just in general, just like the, the instant, you know, off the cuff. What about a pop up? Oh, actually even better. You know what they have all over town, there's the little markets, but it starts building your in person customer base.

[B]

You're right.

[A]

That's how I started enjoying. Obviously, it's not a mountain. This is. That's how I've started enjoying some local products.

[B]

My fear is the integrity of the product because it's wax and it's Satan's balls hot outside. I don't want things to melt.

[A]

Other people do candles, though. At these markets. I go all the time.

[B]

And then I don't have. I don't have a table for that. I need to have.

[A]

We can get a cheap table.

[B]

Okay. And then. Do I need a sign?

[A]

Yes. You'll probably have to invest a little bit of money into it. But again, you're just getting in front of customers.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

In front of wanting customers, too. Because people go to the markets to browse new products.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And support local businesses.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I'm not saying that is the first. Also. That's also a great place to get customer feedback to tweak before major launches as well. I almost actually wish you did that for about a month or two before a full launch. I don't like that. This. This is like, kind of sticky. That would be my only negative feedback. Because I don't like that it's sticky. The negative feedback of the small. The other one's not fair. Just because I just don't like that smell.

[B]

But I understand.

[A]

Huh? Okay. This. Yeah. You just like. Okay, now let's. So the Credit one. You did the. The. The. Okay. Okay. Here's the thing about the business. Let's keep talking about it for a second.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

If you're funding the business and inventory on credit one, out of all the debts, this is. This is essentially like the last step before payday loan in terms of how bad Credit one is. This is like the worst credit card you can get out there. The monthly fees, all this. These show up in the mail and that's how you get them. And you're funding your inventory based on that. It's. At that point, I'm almost not even doing the business. If I'm funding on Credit one. That means you've pushed it to the absolute limit.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Plus two and a half years would have you been doing. And then there's also an apple bill on there. And then the flaming candle. What's that?

[B]

That is a candle supply company. So I get fragrance oils from there. Like there's various things.

[A]

So you're funding that and then your energy bill.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Onto credit one.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, we might need to. Okay. Can. How long do the launch after the launch. After the. The launches? You might. For the influencers. If it goes well, you Might get a little bit of influx, but then it dies down. Consistency and profits and that. That might take a long time to get to. How long do we allow. What's the Runway on this? On using Credit one to fund inventory? What's the Runway on your business that you're going to allow yourself before we finally just cut our losses and say that, okay, our retirement is literally zero because we've borrowed against all of it and we're almost 50 at that point. What are you allowing your Runway to be? Because that's terrifying.

[B]

Yeah. I really don't want to give up on it because I put too much in.

[A]

I know you don't want to, but what Runway are you allowing yourself? And also that sunk cost. Just because you've lost money into it doesn't mean we need to lose money forever.

[B]

On it. I granted.

[A]

So what have you. Have you given yourself a cut off.

[B]

Yeah, like six months.

[A]

So it's a time thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. But it's not a.

[B]

Once I launch.

[A]

Sure. Which is next month.

[B]

If I haven't sold anything, I don't. Because this is the thing that in my mind I don't anticipate generating a profit because it's, you know, you gotta like put whatever you make back into it to buy more materials, to make more things.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You gotta find and so like purchase.

[A]

Orders for this kind of stuff.

[B]

Yeah. So like I don't anticipate generating a profit, but I'm trying to give myself at least six months to actually make sales.

[A]

I'm just a little concerned that this is a hobby that's gone a bit far.

[B]

Okay, fair, fair.

[A]

It's taking a long time, a lot of debt, and we're funding it on credit one. If it was like a business, small business loan or even a personal loan would be like, okay, I'd feel gross.

[B]

But don't think I can qualify.

[A]

No, not at this point. Not at this point. But before the credit ones, maybe energy bill and Credit one. Gosh. So I don't even know if I said the balance, but it's 415.73 with a 30 minimum payment. Oi. Oy. They. Oh, good. We have another credit one, credit one, number two.

[B]

There's three total.

[A]

Okay. $1,655. 68. Oh, I thought I saw pass two for a second. I was about to lose my mind. This is the fees, cuz Credit one always has fees. Gosh. Credit protection, express payment fee. What even is that? Whatever$58 minimum payment. Thank you for not purchasing. You probably Can't. It's at the limit, isn't it? Yeah, it's basically at the limit. Oh boy. Oh yes. Credit 1 number 3 LinkedIn premium on here as well.

[B]

2 LinkedIn premiums not in the same month.

[A]

These statements are all from the same month.

[B]

Well, the dates one was because one was paid. Oh, I know what I did. So I, I upgraded the LinkedIn Premium so that I could actually send emails to recruiters because I was. You only get like five or something like that. And so if I, when I upgraded then I got 15.

[A]

I wonder if that even works.

[B]

No, so I didn't renew purchases and it was that.

[A]

And then of course there's unlimited fees. Cuz it's credit one minimum payment, $53 and the balance is at $1052.97. You need, you can't. You're not a card person. You need to use a charge card like the fizz card. Something where you. Yeah, something. Well, essentially where you, you put the money on the card. You can only spend what you put it on. Okay, what are these? Yeah, secured cards as well. Charge card, Secure card. Charge cards are more like you have to pay it all back by the end of the month. Like it forces you to. Okay, what is this? Well, now I know what online divorce.com is. Yikes. We're overdue two payments.

[B]

Yes. We are so wearing collections for the entire balance right now.

[A]

Your marriages and collections and the divorces, income elections. My goodness.

[B]

Yeah, big mistake. I regret it. I have regrets.

[A]

Yeah, but which is. Why aren't you paying?

[B]

I'm sorry, just.

[A]

Why aren't you paying this?

[B]

I don't have anything extra. It. I'm, I'm not prioritizing it. I'm not. I don't have anything extra to prioritize that.

[A]

Okay, you spent $697.11 going out to eat. And 630, 37, $633 on miscellaneous BS, which is essentially just endless crap. And then $156 on subscriptions. So that is incorrect. You do have extra money. You're just spending on going out to eat and down your throat.

[B]

There's going out to eat and there's also taking care of my cat that I had to put down recently. That was 800. That's probably somewhere under miscellaneous in there.

[A]

No, no, it's not. I said miscellaneous is 600. If it's 800, it wouldn't be in that. That doesn't make any sense. Also going out to eat is not putting down a cat that's true.

[B]

True, true, true.

[A]

I'm sorry you did. I'm sorry that happened. I've. I love cats, I love dogs, I love every animal. And I'm really sorry because that's like one of the hardest days. That really is. But that was not the expenses I was calling out. That is a necessary expense. I didn't call out necessary expenses. So you did have money left over. You were choosing to DoorDash. It was $641.50 on Door Dash alone.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

In the month.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's laziness. You're lazy. You're a lazy 46 year old child.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

When it comes to your food.

[B]

Okay, that's fair. I don't like to cook.

[A]

Yeah, well, there you go. That's being a baby. And I don't think we get to be a baby when we have $0 in retirement because we've leveraged against it.

[B]

Sorry, I have no comment for that.

[A]

Yeah. Doesn't mean you're a baby in every aspect of life, but in your food, you absolutely are. So we owe. And you said this is in collections now?

[B]

Officially, yes.

[A]

Internal or like they sold it to a collection?

[B]

I believe it's internal.

[A]

Okay, so you owe 199.50 to.

[B]

That's like three online divorce all together.

[A]

Okay, so it's 300.

[B]

Yeah, like three something. 390 something. I forget.

[A]

Okay, well, so 400. Okay. 390 online divorce. Can I ask. This is going to be personal. This is going to be inappropriate. It's going to involve. Did you guys. I just. I'm so curious about this marriage. Did you guys ever consummate? Once.

[B]

Yes, absolutely.

[A]

Okay. Not necessary to know, but it's a curious, very intriguing marriage.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So I want to like, know if you guys even like touched.

[B]

Yeah, we did at first.

[A]

At first it was three months. What's at first considered in three months?

[B]

The first month. Ish.

[A]

Roommates with benefits.

[B]

Yeah, that's what it turned into. And then no benefits. Just you take up.

[A]

See, at least. Handsome. Suave. Hey.

[B]

Yeah. He really was cute. Short, but cute.

[A]

What's short?

[B]

He's my height. I'm five four.

[A]

Oh, short. King. No, not a king. Kings don't send. Kings don't cheat.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Short. Loser. And dingo. Indigo.

[B]

Indigo.

[A]

Indigo. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Adding an extra.

[A]

Oh, the Spanish. The. His South American heritage was on my mind. So this is because.

[B]

It's okay. I won't say what it sounded like then.

[A]

And dingo.

[B]

Please don't say it.

[A]

What does it sound like?

[B]

It Sounds like mandingo, and that is not South American.

[A]

What's mandingo?

[B]

That's African.

[A]

Oh. What is it?

[B]

Huh?

[A]

What is it?

[B]

I can't tell you that.

[A]

Is it a tribe?

[B]

No. Oh, no, it's a. It's. We'll have to save it.

[A]

Can we talk about in the post show?

[B]

Yes. Yes, we can.

[A]

Oh, guys, stick around. If I make it okay for Indigo, you owe a hundred dollars and 48 cents. Yeah, with the 40 minimum payment, I'm just surprised we don't just even. Just like, kill that.

[B]

Kill it. Yeah, I should.

[A]

An annual fee is kind of what hit and that's what brought it up.

[B]

Exactly. Because it was paid before.

[A]

Close it. If it has an annual fee and we're not even using it, this is like.

[B]

I didn't want to take the hit on my credit score. That already sucks.

[A]

Yeah, but that's the thing. It already sucks, so you may as.

[B]

Well take the hit.

[A]

I. What are you like? I don't know.

[B]

It's because here's the thing. I can't move into a cheaper apartment unless my credit score is above like 600. So I'm kind of potentially.

[A]

You might be able to move within the same complex, but it wouldn't be.

[B]

A cheaper apartment in the same complex.

[A]

How many rooms do you have?

[B]

I have two, but they don't have one bed. They have one bedrooms that are more expensive than what I'm paying for my two bedroom.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right.

[A]

One main financial. Oh, my goodness. How many debts do you have so far? We're at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. I want to take a nap. We're an hour and eight minutes into this thing. This is going to be one of the longest episodes.

[B]

I'm sorry.

[A]

No, it's fine. It's fine.

[B]

That is a title.

[A]

If you walk away with something positive, legit. It's fine. Even if I lost my mind there for a bit.

[B]

That is title loan. That is what I used to pay the credit cards before I got married.

[A]

So you didn't ever pay off your credit cards. You consolidated them on this?

[B]

Yeah, guys, well, they were at zero. So for me, that's paid off.

[A]

I can't even, like, react to this anymore. Like, all my. All my reactions, my ability to react is gone. So I'm not surprised anymore. But it's also. It's just like, again, you're an unreliable narrator of your own financial situation.

[B]

I mean, I'm not using the right terminology. I'm sorry about that, but.

[A]

Well, that's okay. But that's what makes you unreliable.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

Just like if you say something about your finances, I can't just take your word for it anymore.

[B]

Oh. Okay.

[A]

Not because of why necessarily, but thank you for that.

[B]

What, and saying I'm not lying?

[A]

Well, for at least this one, you're not. I think the guy. I think you did lead us astray on that one.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yes. 455$.

[B]

Basically. 460.

[A]

58 cents a month is your payment and the consolidation not. First of all, it's a 24.84%, so you barely even saved any money on it. Like 4% interest, depending. So I don't even know what the point was. You just allowed yourself to build up the credit cards again. 14, $724.10. And you try to blame building the credit cards back up on the guy. But we now we know you didn't ever even pay these ones off anyway. You just consolidated them and then built it back up. Yeah. This is horrendous. This is horrendous. That's an insane debt, and I have no energy to react to it. Okay, What? Two failed payments for what? Fashion Nova. What are we doing? You. This is just. You're just so indicative.

[B]

Is that a firm? That probably is a firm.

[A]

Is it? You owe 405 to a firm. Wonderful.

[B]

I lost weight. I need it close.

[A]

That's good.

[B]

I lost £85. I need a close.

[A]

Dude. Congratulations. That's sick. That's good. That shows you do have discipline abilities. That's good. That. That gives me a little more hope over the finances. So we owe 405. Is that all owed at once or.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

You have any more?

[B]

I don't think so.

[A]

I probably don't let you. Well, you said this is a firm.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

I mean, maybe we just wear baggy clothes until you can go to the store and just buy the clothes, though. Kind of sucks, but. Oh, my. Are we behind on our energy bill?

[B]

No, that is not an energy bill. That is a statement for my rent. My. That. That's how they send it to you. So you're not gonna see how much the rent is.

[A]

You're not behind.

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay, here you are. Kind of the summary of what have a lot of Americans experience. A lot of people think they come on the show and the income is the problem. You. You're not. You have a very blessed income. You put in the work for it. You worked for it. So don't get me wrong. It's not like you were just giving it, but you Have a great income. Income is not the issue. You've inflated your lifestyle way beyond it.

[B]

Yes, I. I admit that. Yes. And now I'm comfortable. And that's the problem.

[A]

Okay, so walk me through your schooling, because the fact that you owe 273.288.44 on student loans is vomit inducing.

[B]

Okay. So I started going to college immediately after I graduated high school, which was in 1995.

[A]

That was the year I was born.

[B]

Congratulations.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Good year. But I had.

[A]

Apparently not for you.

[B]

No, I had to take a break because I had to work. So I. I had to finance this by myself. My parents did not help me at all. So I had to take out loans as I got to be in a. Like, where I had to have my own apartment and things like that. I found myself in transition often, as in, like, I didn't have a job. So I'm like, my student loan payment would come through, or financing rather would come through, and I would just take the maximum so that I could support myself while I was looking for another job. Yes. Absolute wrong thing to do. Yeah, but at the same time, at.

[A]

A private institution out of state or what?

[B]

It was initially community college. Then it. Then it went too high for that. But that was in the beginning.

[A]

And then you went to.

[B]

Then I ended up going to a private school for six months. I got kicked out. And then.

[A]

Why'd you get kicked out?

[B]

I didn't pay like they told. Okay. I had a pre approval for a loan.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And then after that, and then once I got there, the pre approval.

[A]

After you got kicked out.

[B]

And then after I got kicked out, I moved here to Texas and I started from Kansas City.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I started school online. And that's where the intermittent job thing kept happening.

[A]

But you borrowed so much money. So how long were you in School?

[B]

Between 2007 and I finished my master's in 2011. I experienced three periods of unemployment during that time.

[A]

Yeah, but the amount of money you borrowed to live, I don't think you were living on your minimums, your needs. You were living high.

[B]

And I had to pay rent and I had to pay utilities.

[A]

No, we know based on how you live right now, where you blamed your rent.

[B]

No, I was not doing doordash then. Doordash didn't exist then. This is 2000 DoorDash.

[A]

And restaurants still existed before.

[B]

I wasn't eating out. I was eating hot dogs. I'm not lying.

[A]

I can't believe there's no way you borrowed 273, 000 to live for.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

Five years.

[B]

No, no. It accumulates. I kept deferring.

[A]

You're right. You took it 193, right? There's no way you borrowed 193,000 hours without living above your means. And now you're just hurting yourself even more because again, yeah, you're not. You're. You're not doing anything. And you're allowing interest to accrue, and you've taken it from 193 to 273. Why ruin your life with this?

[B]

I just don't.

[A]

It's 100. Your choice. @ least get. You could at least try to get on something like the save plan.

[B]

I am on the safe plan.

[A]

Oh, you're on the safe plan now?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Bad news. It's getting challenged dramatically.

[B]

I know, but like right now, payments are on hold until they work that out.

[A]

What was your payment? Your monthly payment?

[B]

It's like 2000 something in.

[A]

Once you're in the safe plan.

[B]

Oh, I'm sorry. In the safe plan, it was 255, I think.

[A]

Again, I've lost all ability to react. But that be wild. Instant cash.

[B]

Bridget.

[A]

Huh?

[B]

Bridget, what are you doing? What do you mean, what are you doing? What am I doing with Bridget?

[A]

What are you doing with Bridget? Who's your gal, Bridget?

[B]

Getting. It's. It's like Dave or you know, we borrow against your paycheck.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's a crutch and I need to stop using it.

[A]

Well, you're just, you know, payday borrowing.

[B]

Your constantly robbing from Peter to pay Paul.

[A]

Robbing from Peter to PayPal.

[B]

Dave, a.

[A]

What's it. What's this called again, Bridget?

[B]

Uhhuh.

[A]

It's okay. Dave's a. Okay, you. $133.99. Wonderful. Oh, boy. Yeah, you're just payday in constantly.

[B]

Yeah, it's a crutch.

[A]

Is that it? Is that all the debt? Is that all the test? Or is there any more debt? I need more debt for us to suffer through together.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

Okay. The fact is, what's kind of interesting is I'm almost like, if your situation was that bad, if the vast majority of that debt was like consumer debt, I would be like, okay, let's just go bankrupt at that point. It's student loans that's not going to be forgiven through bankruptcy. It might be worth looking into like a debt payback plan thing, like through relief app.

[B]

What is that?

[A]

Might check that out. I can get you connected with them. They have some debt repayment negotiations. And strategies. But it's gonna just depend on your, you know, working with them. So I can get you connected with that. Because that. I don't know. Those is. The death situation is just really scary. That. Oh no. What's your 401k loan? You do have more debt. What is it?

[B]

I don't recall.

[A]

I think it's.

[B]

Honestly, it should be on my page. Subs.

[A]

I usually have retirement at the end of the stack. And your stack be thick. $10,561. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. That's your vested balance. But you owe 9,185. So you have a thousand dollars in retirement.

[B]

They only let you borrow half that. 10,000 is what I. Is my vested balance.

[A]

What's the interest on this?

[B]

What? I owe three something.

[A]

It's 3% interest. That's it?

[B]

I believe so.

[A]

It's actually not horrendous, but.

[B]

But still not good. I get that.

[A]

No, I don't need caffeine producers. I've just lost all hope and joy and existence. I'm not tired. I'm dead. $8 in our checking account.

[B]

One of them.

[A]

Okay. Wow. Have you ever opened your phone and not clicked on the Amazon app?

[B]

Elderly cat. I've been trying to figure out. Before I put him down.

[A]

Can I see your order history on my phone again? You're not a reliable narrator. So I have to see. Yes.

[B]

Okay. I have to go get it. Is that.

[A]

You can go get it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay. Fabric softener. I know what that is. Yarn eyeballs.

[B]

Evil eye.

[A]

Can I. I'm gonna screen record.

[B]

Okay, sure.

[A]

So you can send it to us. Sponges. Citric acid. Baking soda.

[B]

Bath salts.

[A]

Cleaning Salt, Salt, salt, salt, salt, salt, salt, salt. New clothes because you lost weight. More salt. Salt for days. Plastic plates. Maybe you just do dishes instead. Paper plates. They're a luxury. Plastic coated. But I don't think you can.

[B]

Are you sure?

[A]

Oh, sorry. No, I. I apologize.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It was free. Well. Or grain free. Wet cat food. Lickable things. Okay. Looked like Sudafed. Were you ill?

[B]

Sinus headaches.

[A]

New underwear. Cat foods. Cat things. Greenies. Hold those. Your count?

[B]

He was six. Sixteen.

[A]

That's incredible.

[B]

He only wanted water.

[A]

I think we can all, you know, just. Just. That's horribly sad.

[B]

My sister is 12, so I'm trying to. She seems to be okay at the moment, but I think she's figured out that her brother is no longer around.

[A]

I'm a little. That's sad. I'm a little nervous of the. I mean, you get A lot of household things in here. And the clothes. I understand what happened with your clothes, but again, you just can't. You can't afford a lot of this stuff right now. Well, maybe we're getting a couple new pair. But you're buying new clothes, like, every day.

[B]

Not every day.

[A]

It was pretty damn close because this is Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon. Amazon.

[B]

With underwear, if you buy under. Because that's when I was buying. I'll be transparent. Okay, well, that.

[A]

That was one of the purchases. No, I saw more than underwear.

[B]

No, there was underwear on there a couple of times. This particular dress actually was supposed to be for a date, but anyway, underwear, you can't return that if it doesn't fit. It's a health hazard. So it's trying to find the right size. And sometimes things are not made in the United States and you're just kind of stuck.

[A]

But there was more than underwear.

[B]

I know that, but did you end.

[A]

Up going on the date?

[B]

No. No.

[A]

So we paid without.

[B]

But I wore the dress here.

[A]

It's not a date. $100 went out through Zel. What's replica? I'm just going to zoom. This is Amazon. Apple bills. Door dash. Uber trip. We're not surprised. More door dash. Okay. $900 in here in this checking account. Thank you for having at least a few hundred dollars in this one. Uber shocker. Netflix Dating coach.

[B]

I was lonely.

[A]

No, I get it. I am scared. I do have the fear. Can I say this? Can I say without? No. No. You seem like someone who gets insulted easily. Well, that insulted you. Sorry, I'm just very blunt and open with my thoughts.

[B]

Just say what's on your mind.

[A]

I fear to be you. I think scares me, like, so I get it. I get where you're coming from.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And that's, like, one reason why. It's just like, you know, I. I'm kind of afraid of also being single when I'm older.

[B]

Okay, fair.

[A]

But a dating coach? Whatever. What are they doing? What are they doing?

[B]

They were trying to help me navigate finding a meaningful and actual relationship.

[A]

Did they help you meet people, though?

[B]

Sometimes.

[A]

Why did you not go on the date the other day?

[B]

I chickened out.

[A]

Why?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

That's on you.

[B]

Why? It is on me. I felt like maybe like I wasn't going to meet his expectations or something.

[A]

Like, oh, don't think that this whole.

[B]

Like, weight loss loss thing has really been a complete mind for me. And, like, my confidence is, like, way off really? Yeah.

[A]

And you're going to therapy, you said?

[B]

Yes, I am, I am.

[A]

You look great. Thank you. Great. No, get out there. There's one of my producers went to one. I was supposed to go but I bailed at the last minute. I decided not to because Scary. But a few months ago he went to a speed dating thing. Speed dating?

[B]

Yeah. I saw that the age maximum was 45.

[A]

Is there 45 to like 55 year old ones?

[B]

I didn't see that.

[A]

Or 35 to 55.

[B]

I didn't see it. I mean I'll, I'll get back out there but I want to get my financial, my financial together first and then.

[A]

Well, I agree but also this is going to take a long time. So I want you, you're like. I think you go on dates as well. Hinge.

[B]

No.

[A]

You're doing Hinge Life.

[B]

No.

[A]

Tinder.

[B]

Bumble tinder for kicks.

[A]

Match.com.

[B]

Hell no. I can't get Facebook dating back.

[A]

Farmers only.

[B]

You know what? I wanted to date a farmer for the eggs.

[A]

For the ax.

[B]

For the eggs. Must have chickens that produce eggs.

[A]

$3.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Yeah. I mean you could have got about.

[B]

I know 27 dozen eggs for the amount of money I spent on doordash.

[A]

No, no, no, no no no no no no. The amount of money you spent on the dating coach, you could have got four dozen eggs.

[B]

Yeah, it ended up not being really good.

[A]

So I, no, I mean I think it's just more probably try to just get out there a little more. I'm not the person to be able to give good advice on this. Our budgeting program which is provably the best that can be taken anywhere online is now bundled with our investing program where you can get a hundred dollars in cash gifted into your moomoo account. This is literally the best education you can take in your life right now to turn around your financial life or take where you are and make your life even better. These are bundled together for a limited time for 15% off. Check them out links in the description below. Lots of Amazon. Lots of Amazon. Zel. Well actually I, I, I go on a decent amount of dates. I just, I, I guess haven't been relationship well. Okay, okay. It's not a competition. I don't know what this conversation is.

[B]

It's just free flowing. Go with it. I'm take the vibe.

[A]

My vibe is dead.

[B]

No, don't say that. That makes me feel bad.

[A]

Oh no, no no no no.

[B]

Like cuz I, cuz I it implies that I killed it.

[A]

No, no, no, you're. You're. You're pleasant when you're not talking about finances.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I think. Right. Look, you have a nice laugh. Like, look at that, everyone. No, that doesn't make sense. I was going to tell everyone to ask you out, but that's a. That's a horrible thing.

[B]

Please don't do that.

[A]

That's why people use fake names. Anyway, what is happening? Spiritual society.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

What?

[B]

We're in Mercury retrograde right now.

[A]

Oh my. You're delusional.

[B]

No, these are important.

[A]

All hope.

[B]

Planetary alignments are important. Think about it.

[A]

Over the centuries, over thousands of years, that changes.

[B]

When was the last time there was an earthquake in New York?

[A]

I don't.

[B]

You can't think of one. You can't think of the same. You can't think of the last time there was an earthquake in New York immediately after a blizzard.

[A]

I don't live in New York, so I don't track that.

[B]

Okay. That aside, there is stuff happening. It behooves all of us to pay attention to what's going on. I'm not saying you got to invest in it like I did, but I want to understand my birth chart and I want to understand what triggers my moods and what.

[A]

Like that doesn't. It doesn't.

[B]

Because you've consulted.

[A]

Huh?

[B]

You've consulted someone that does that.

[A]

Why would I consult? No, I like science.

[B]

It is science based.

[A]

Yeah. It gets peer reviewed and goes through the whole scientific method. And there's a scientific theory based on all that.

[B]

Let's do. Let's. Let's just agree to disagree. No, there's a whole country.

[A]

No, it's this.

[B]

A whole country does it.

[A]

And what country is that?

[B]

India.

[A]

Oh, great. They don't have a GDP per capita even where close to the United States. So I don't give a. India does.

[B]

People there live a long time.

[A]

Okay. Registered earthquakes in New York. October 28, 2022. February 16, 2023. April 5, 2024. June 28, 2024, July 31, 2024. That's New York. Let me get New York City.

[B]

Don't forget there was a tsunami as well.

[A]

In New York City?

[B]

No, not in that.

[A]

Tsunam. That happens.

[B]

I'm just saying welcome to the earth. Been happening in the last six months. That's all I'm saying.

[A]

You shouldn't have access to the Internet because you like that been happening since the planets existed. No, we just hear about it more because we have access to all the information happening at once.

[B]

No, I. I disagree.

[A]

I don't know how you disagree, but the fact that you gave me hope for a second by the discipline of losing weight, but you live in complete delul. Land of the world. I mean. So I've now lost hope again. It's not to insult you, but no.

[B]

I'm not taking it.

[A]

Planetary movements and star systems.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You care about the stars, the pattern of the stars. Do you care about that?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Astrology. You know, our solar system, with the way it's traveling. 100,000 years ago, the star patterns in the sky looked. Look different than they are now. Not completely different, but different. So it's the whole structure of the. What's it called?

[B]

The solar system?

[A]

No, not the solar system. Just how the night sky looks in our lives is completely different than it is hundreds of thousands of years apart. That system's complete bull.

[B]

No, no, you gotta believe in something, dude.

[A]

No, you don't.

[B]

Well, I do.

[A]

You don't have to.

[B]

I choose to.

[A]

Okay, no, that's fine. That's fine. You can, but you don't have to. I do, but you don't have to. Okay, you can exist without believing in anything.

[B]

There are people that do that.

[A]

Well, I'm sure everyone believes in things. What do you mean, believe in anything? I don't even know what you're talking about. Oh, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon. Masky. Doordash. I'm gonna just. Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon. Doordash. Hims and hers. What are you getting through him's and hers? I get finasteride to prevent myself going bald. Oh, what's that? What? What?

[B]

Minoxidil.

[A]

I know. I don't. I asked where, but I don't want to know. Doordash. Fiverr. Fiverr.

[B]

Who are you fibering people to help with the nonprofit that never did anything?

[A]

Oh, boy, that's very recent. Cash app. Hbo Max can't afford it. Amazon. Oh, no. Oh, no. Spiritual society. More of that. It's also that it's just draining your money that you don't have doordash like a million billion times on here and Uber in and just Kindle and Alexa skills and a million more doordashes and Amazon and a million more DoorDashes. 25 in your business. Checking account thriving. $60 in cash app. Oh, good. It's four more DoorDashes and cash in app out into someone else. You know, Michigan doesn't have earthquakes either. But when I was there, we had an earthquake once.

[B]

I'm just saying.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

It seems like this year and we're.

[A]

Not even at last five recorded earthquakes. In New York City are July 1, July 31, 2024, April 5, 2024, February 16, 2023, August 14, 2022, March 20, 2021. So they happen. They're small scale, but they're registered. So, you know, we had one in.

[B]

Texas, like, last month.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Did you feel it here?

[A]

No, I did. Okay.

[B]

Just saying there's things happening and should pay attention. That's all.

[A]

But if you don't live in the real world, how are we going to. Like, I just.

[B]

Okay, let's not focus on that.

[A]

I don't know. It's hard for me to move beyond someone being delusional. Okay. I mean, you spend double what you make, so this is also. Do you feel that? Do you feel. No, you didn't because you thought you spent exactly what you made.

[B]

Yeah, I'm still trying to add that up in my mind because it doesn't. If I didn't have it.

[A]

Here's the spending categories. You can look over these spreadsheets. It's exactly what you spent your money on. There you go. Do I even do a budget? Man, I. People hate it when I don't. But, like, you don't know what it's like to be here. This is insane. I want to. Can't say I want to die, but I want to die.

[B]

So three.

[A]

Gosh, I wonder how much of this episode is going to be cut. I'm curious. 850 minimum debt payments. You know, again, for your income, technically, you can afford it. Do you owe money on your car?

[B]

The title loan? $460 a month.

[A]

I know, just half your debt. What's your rent to get?

[B]

$2,000.

[A]

Including all utilities.

[B]

No, it includes cable, pet, rent, water, trash, and Internet.

[A]

What do you say? 2,000. No, I see. 1,693.

[B]

Oh, that was because it. It just went up. My lease renewed that much.

[A]

You just allowed that? You didn't threaten to leave?

[B]

They don't give a.

[A]

Yes, they do.

[B]

They really don't. I forced them to fix my apartment.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, buddy. I have a lot of friends. Apartment jumping. Absolutely you can. Austin has. Austin. Austin.

[B]

Credit score.

[A]

Well, yes, you yourself, but you could have gotten better rents, likely in that same unit. Because Austin has an actual decent supply of housing right now. Because we had the biggest apartment boom in the United States because they fixed zoning laws, they're gonna try to get as much money as possible. You just allowed them to. You didn't play the game. So 2,000 utilities on average.

[B]

I pay for electric. It's about 200 on average. Cell phone just went up because I. I've got home Internet as a redundancy because spectrum was out for like eight hours and I work from home so that that can't happen again.

[A]

How much is your phone bill?

[B]

I'm so sorry. Phone Bill is now 2:40.

[A]

Oh, someone prepare my office noose. I need to walk in there and make sure I never film one of these again. 300 for groceries, $100 for TP fund. Anything else you need to survive TP? Yep, it's anything else you need to survive stands for toilet paper fund. It's like you get your toilet paper but you also get your makeup. You get whatever else you need. Gas. Vroom, vroom. Drive. Drive. How much monthly basis?

[B]

20 to 50.

[A]

50. Car insurance?

[B]

Oh, I pay that in full every. Every six months.

[A]

How much every six months?

[B]

920.

[A]

150. Three CO pays anything like that? Therapy. What's your CO? How much do you have to spend on just medical stuff on a monthly basis?

[B]

200.

[A]

Gym?

[B]

No.

[A]

Do you have pet insurance?

[B]

I do not have pet insurance.

[A]

Highly recommend. It might be hard with your cat's age though.

[B]

Yeah, that's why I don't.

[A]

But next time. How much for cat food on a monthly basis?

[B]

60 bucks.

[A]

And no subscriptions. That's canceled. Okay. Anything else you need to survive that I haven't. We haven't talked about?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay. You have no excuse. No excuse. You've just completely done this yourself. You make $5,357.68 a month. Congratulations. Your necessary to live is $4,153.58 a month.

[B]

Okay, you know what?

[A]

I'll give you fun money of even 200. No fun plus business. Whatever. $200. Boom. You have $1,000 left on a monthly basis.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Buddy, it's nothing. Are you sorry? Huh?

[B]

Did you count my student loans in there?

[A]

Well, we don't know when those payments are going to start. When they do start, your fund gets to zero and you still have a thousand dollars left over. Okay, essentially. But either way. Ah, the one main. The, the, the, the, the, the, the the title loan. That's what's really killing it. But the. All the other debts except for the student loans. Just want to give you an idea of what you. When you do the sacrifice, which you're only willing to do for six months, which makes this entire conversation hopeless. That kind of threw me over the edge, remember? Because I know it's going to take plus Bridget. Okay, so Totally worth it, buddy. Literally just under two years. And all of your debt besides your student loans and 401k. No, your 401k will probably. Because that comes out of your paycheck.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So when is that projected to be paid off?

[B]

I think three, four years, something like that.

[A]

Okay, whatever, do that. It's a 3%, don't do it again. But literally under two years and everything's gone except for your student loans. Your life has changed in two years.

[B]

Okay, I can do two years.

[A]

You can do two years.

[B]

I can do two.

[A]

And I'm giving you 200 of fun spending too. You could probably make it even a year and a half. Really? If you really wanted to, you can make it a year and a half. But again, this is also dependent. If you start, you know, pumping this up with a ton of money to make the dream. And I, I, I cheer for the dream, but we're just not doing it on credit one, you know, but if you're spending a lot on this, you extend it to maybe three years or something. You know, it really depends. So. But retirement, you are going to be playing the catch up game. At least 25% on a yearly basis of your income. But that's fine. You still have 25 to spend on fun. The fact is with how bad you've put your situation in because your income is so incredible and it can be better and will get it better. If it does, you cut this down even more dramatically. But even still, two years of sacrifice is nothing.

[B]

You're right, nothing.

[A]

So you're willing to do more than six months?

[B]

I am willing.

[A]

Well, again, I gave you a fun budget, so it's not even.

[B]

Yeah, it was just what, what I was not willing to do was not have anything at all.

[A]

What does that mean?

[B]

I have anything like. No, you can't have a pizza. No, you can't, you know, go to Vegas for your birthday. Okay, I mean, that, that was, that was an exaggeration.

[A]

I'm done.

[B]

I'm saying like, I'm not. But if, if you're saying, if you're saying with this budget that you've created for me, if I just, just discipline myself and I follow this budget and I will have credit cards will be paid off and eliminated. Even though I'm going to take a hit on my credit. But okay, we'll do, we'll do what you say. I know how to follow instructions mostly so I, I will do what you tell me to do. I will do that.

[A]

I hope so.

[B]

I hope so because it's recorded. I will do what you tell me.

[A]

Well, we have a follow up channel for you to come on and prove it, so please do. We'll hold you accountable. But I mean, don't do it for me. This is literally your life.

[B]

Well, yeah, I want to do. I want to be better. Like, I don't want to go into here, I'm gonna cry. I don't want to go into like another bad situation. I don't, I don't want to.

[A]

I don't want you to either be.

[B]

Where I have to be dependent upon like, hey, can I get 20 bucks so I can get gas? You know, Like I don't want to do. I don't want that to be my life, you know, and I don't. I'm already behind, way, way behind the curve when it comes to retirement and I'm gonna have to figure out how to. To move to Belize to retire.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because I can't afford to retire in this country.

[A]

You've got this mathematically now you just need to put in the effort and financial scores, spending your budget. 0 out of 10 because you overspent by double debt. You have collections. So 0 out of 10 and a 401k loan. So yeah, emergency fund is non existent. 0 out of 10 retirement going to give it a 1 out of 10 for getting started. But that's 401k takes it all the way down. Real estate 0 out of 10. Hammer financial score 0.5 out of 10 in the poster. We're going to talk. What was it called? Bogongo.

[B]

No.

[A]

What was it?

[B]

What's the word you said, man? You said and I said it made me think of Bandingo.

[A]

Bandingo, man, we're gonna talk about that. Don't delete that. Don't delete that. There's something, there's something about eggs we're going to talk about as well. That's about to that They've done the math. A lot of egg math. We're gonna talk about a lot of things with you in the post show. So here we go. Make sure to join us for the poster everyone with the links in the description below today on the financial Audit post show. What did this last guy want?

[B]

I think he just wanted somewhere to live for free.

[A]

I was just like existing around each other.

[B]

I hated him. The energy in the house was heavy.

[A]

What did he do to piss you off?

[B]

So he was say things to me like I really prefer when you don't talk.

[A]

Oh jeez. Is he gonna get in trouble with the divorce process and stuff for being undocumented.

[B]

I genuinely don't.

[A]

I know, but. But is he going to Brian?

[B]

Hope ICE can find him before I do.

[A]

Oh, gosh. Jeez. To watch the Financial Audit Post show, click the join button below.