Financial Audit Podcast – “She’s Back” | January 5, 2026

Host: Caleb Hammer
Guest: Rachel
Setting: A follow-up episode revisiting one of the podcast’s most infamous guests, discussing her life, career, financial situation, and ongoing personal challenges.
Tone: Direct, occasionally combative, self-reflective, and emotionally charged.

Episode Overview

This episode is a follow-up with Rachel, previously the first guest to (semi-)walk off the show. Still generating significant viewer interest, Rachel returns for an unvarnished conversation on how her financial and personal situation has evolved over the past year. The episode probes her job situation, disability claims, lifestyle choices, debt repayment, relationship history, and the practicality of budgeting with chronic illness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rachel’s Life & Job Since the Last Appearance

• Employment Update:

  • Now employed as a Registered Vet Tech (RVT) in a hospital in Sacramento—her field of passion and expertise.
  • Hired shortly after previous filming, started 10 months ago.
  • Pay: $28/hr, 32–40 hours per week (company’s definition of full-time; schedule adjusted for physical health).
    • “My body don’t do well… if I work five days in a row… I sleep for two days because my body’s…” (04:25)
  • ADA accommodations secured after significant paperwork and doctor’s visits.
  • Discusses challenges of balancing work with chronic illness and the importance of a supportive workplace.

• Living Situation:

  • Continues trailer (“house”) living for mental health and cost reasons, cycling between campgrounds using a Thousand Trails membership.
    • Annual camping fee: approx. $500.
    • Supplemental weekly site: $350 for one week per month.
    • Her trailer is her main residence, not an appreciating asset, but much cheaper than standard rent.
    • "That membership opens me up to all Thousand Trails throughout the nation...I get to stay wherever I want as long as I book it out." (20:19)

• Pet & Family Issues:

  • Had to have dog move in with her mother due to job constraints; dog experiencing injuries (raccoon attacks) at mom’s property.
  • Notable moment: Linguistic misunderstanding over the term "coon" and its offensive racial connotations, leading to an educative—and awkward—moment with Tyler from the team. (10:03–11:31)

2. Disability, Chronic Illness, and Spoon Theory

• Medical Background:

  • Suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS): a genetic disorder affecting connective tissue, leading to chronic pain and fatigue.
  • Describes accommodations at work and daily management with braces, compression sleeves, energy monitoring.

• Disability Benefits:

  • Multiple attempts at California disability benefits repeatedly denied since 2019.
  • Hammer critiques possible overreliance on self/online diagnosis and “excuse” narratives.
  • Rachel maintains her challenges are real and documented by clinicians but recognizes the system considers her not “disabled enough.”
    • "Invisible illnesses are still invisible. Disabilities are still disabilities. Like somebody doesn't have to look disabled to be disabled." (48:14)

• Spoon Theory Controversy:

  • Deep dive/argument about Spoon Theory (a metaphor for chronic illness energy budgeting):
    • Host skeptical: Critiques as unscientific, possibly enabling excuse-making.
    • Rachel: Defends as a means of self-advocacy and planning, not an excuse.
    • “I budget my energy just as everybody should, but because I have a chronic illness, my budget is lower. And that’s okay.” (42:15, Rachel)
    • “What I often see… is a lot of people find ways to group their excuses… into different terms...I feel like...you’re using it. I’m all out of spoons today, I don’t have to do this thing. …If there was something scientific backed…” (42:25, Caleb)
  • Both admit to talking past each other on “real world” vs. “chronic illness world”.

3. Finances: Income, Spending & Debt

• Income Overview:

  • Job (RVT): Avg. $1,450 biweekly ($2,900/mo); additional ~$900/mo from side gigs like pet-sitting.
  • Total take-home: ~$3,700–$3,800/mo.

• Expenses:

  • Cheap trailer membership; occasional high weekly rent for supplemental site.
  • Pet expenses, groceries, mobile phone/internet, storage unit ($100/mo), car insurance ($260/mo), whole life insurance ($35/mo since age 16).
  • Spending tracked in detail; food costs are high, featuring significant Amazon/UberEats/PetSmart outlays.

• Debt Breakdown:

  • Multiple forms of debt, some inherited from previous bad decisions:
    • Campground loan: $3,165 left, 17% interest, being aggressively paid down.
    • Car loan: $18,759, 5.2% interest.
    • Affirm pay-later debt: Two loans—$350 (plane tickets), $2,733 (photography shoot, 0% interest).
    • Apple Card in collections: $8,593.
    • Other collections: about $2,000.
    • Student loans: On hold; repayment resuming in ~6–9 months; Hammer estimates plan payments will be manageable on new income.

• Financial Progress:

  • Emergency fund: ~$3,000 in savings.
  • Retirement accounts: ~$20–$25k (including pending rollovers), behind schedule but at least funded.
  • Major past impulse spend: $2,500+ for a “healthcare hero” birthday photo shoot (contest “win” resulted in salespersonly upsell—a fact discussed and critiqued at length).
  • Noted ongoing struggles with sticking to tight budgets due to “bullshit” or unnecessary spending, particularly on food/pets.

4. Notable Personal & Emotional Moments

• Mental Health & Relationships:

  • Short, intense post-divorce relationships, admits pattern of “serial dating,” and ongoing effort to work on herself.
  • Recent breakups due to infidelity, despite attempting polyamory arrangements (“poly only works when you have honesty and communication, and he would lie to me and hide”). (18:43)
  • Open about history of trauma, emancipation at 16, running “the streets” young, and past homelessness.

• Storm-Off Legacy & Emotional Tension:

  • Rachel’s “walk-off” in the prior episode: Both argue about whether it was “storming off” or “excusing herself.” Returning to this sparks a minor panic attack and tears from Rachel midway through (16:10–17:21).
    • “You did something I asked [not to do]…” (16:50, Rachel)
    • Hammer apologizes, both clarify boundaries (17:06).
    • Several additional crying moments, especially when discussing identity, finances, or the show’s tone.

• Tone/Therapy for the Show:

  • Rachel objects to the show’s roast format, reveals she doesn’t watch “Financial Audit” because she doesn’t like watching people be made fun of. (56:03)
  • Hammer defends the value: “Tens of thousands of people have improved their lives and many people from guests on the show as well. So there has been more positive than negative. The show is a roast fest with lots of gooniness.” (56:47)

• Humor and Banter:

  • Exchanges throughout remain sharp-edged—mixing personal jabs, rants about California/NIMBYism/housing, and “goon” jokes.
  • A discussion of “gooning” (the hosts use it as “being a silly goose,” Hammer notes its original NSFW usage).
  • Banter about septum piercings and online stereotypes:
    • “Every single person with the septum piercing except for a small minority are ... crazy online that cancel everyone and go crazy and are weird—not saying you are...” (63:59, Caleb)

• Rachel on why she came back:

  • “Because she [producer] said she wanted me. ... So do I. So does the audience. Of course, I’m an asshole.” (55:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|-------| | 00:15 | Opening banter: Rachel returns, discussing last episode’s walk-off | | 02:10 | Rachel’s job today as a vet tech, ADA accommodations, injuries, why back in the workforce | | 05:02 | Housing update: still in trailer, discussion of address issues for jobs, “burnt down house” mailing address | | 09:22 | Dog living with Rachel’s mom, raccoon attack, language misunderstanding (“coon”), Tyler enters to explain racial connotations (10:03–11:31) | | 11:44 | Disability benefits: repeated denials, host/guest debate around diagnosis, state standards | | 13:09 | Explaining Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, why still able to work a physical job, accommodations at workplace | | 15:02 | Relationship status, post-divorce serial relationships, recent breakups | | 16:10 | Emotional segment—mention of brief marriage triggers panic attack, discussion of boundaries, apology | | 18:18 | Polyamory, trust issues, problems with communication in former relationship | | 21:21 | Trailer/campground logistics, moving between sites, cost breakdown | | 22:52 | Spoon Theory: energetic capacity for chronic illness, heated debate over its validity | | 31:29 | Rachel’s plans: only 3 years left in current role due to physical limitations, intention to eventually transition remote or desk job | | 35:23 | Financial journey: moving out of the alley, use of referral bonus, housing logistics | | 41:00 | Budgeting, Spoon Theory (continued), is it an excuse or necessary self-advocacy? | | 42:25 | Host’s skepticism about “justifications” and science vs. anecdote | | 48:44 | Hammer: "When will CA see this as a viable disability?" Rachel: "I don't know, don't care." Disagreement about state denial rationale. | | 58:58 | Rachel’s loose attempt at a Hammer Financial Score (settles around 1.5–2, host wants number) | | 60:13 | Topic: Affirm debts, 0% interest payment plans—airfare, $2.7k birthday photography (Rachel details rationale for photo shoot) | | 68:19 | Rachel gets emotional again about celebrating new body, self-worth via professional photos | | 71:26 | Professional photographer guest weighs in: Rachel overpaid for shoot, marketing tactics discussed | | 75:45 | Heart monitor: $250 constant monitor, “visible” data for doctors and self-advocacy, host suggests this can enable over–self-diagnosis | | 78:39 | Banter around “gooning,” being silly, measuring offense and cultural differences (Sacramento, California jokes) | | 84:05 | Debt recap: Car loan, Apple Card in collections, campground loan, loans in collections, student loan payment pause, retirement account, savings, storage unit | | 94:07 | Budget construction: $1,203/mo in minimum debt payments, rent, insurance, storage, groceries, miscellaneous | | 99:42 | Financial priorities: no more 0% purchases, aggressive payoff of high-interest debt, prepping for student loan repayment | | 101:34 | Reflection: job as milestone, but debt progress limited; host issues new Hammer Financial Score; both acknowledge need for ongoing discipline | | 103:10 | Real estate and asset assessment | | 104:10 | Score summary: up from .5 to 2.5/10 (income, emerg. fund, retirement); post-show promo teasers for drama, money laundering, ex-sister-in-law issues |

Memorable Quotes

• On accommodations and work:
  • “My body don’t do well. If I work five days in a row, I sleep for two days because my body’s…” —Rachel (04:25)
• On Spoon Theory:
  • “I budget my energy just as everybody should, but because I have a chronic illness, my budget is lower. And that’s okay.” —Rachel (42:15)
  • "What I often see… is a lot of people find ways to group their excuses… into analogies or tools and use them as justifications. ... Spoons. Sounds like it.” —Caleb (42:25)
• On disability denial:
  • “Invisible illnesses are still invisible. Disabilities are still disabilities. Like somebody doesn't have to look disabled to be disabled?” —Rachel (48:14)
• On trauma & emotion:
  • (After triggered by brief marriage reference) "You did something I asked [not to do]…" —Rachel (16:50)
• On relationships & polyamory:
  • “Poly only works when you have honesty and communication. And he would lie to me and hide.” —Rachel (18:48)
• On photo shoot splurge:
  • "I wanted to kind of replace that memory in my head, and I think it did a lot of good for me, and it’s something that I’ll have forever." —Rachel (69:41)
  • “31 pictures for $3,000. That’s crazy. Is that. Is that how not great is that?” —Caleb (70:32)
  • [Photographer] “I'd do, like, a thousand.” —Madison (71:29)
• On the show and its impact:
  • “Tens of thousands of people have improved their lives and many people from guests on the show as well. So there has been more positive than negative. The show is a roast fest with lots of gooniness.” —Caleb (56:47)
  • “More than Caleb losing his virginity?” —Rachel, joking on which is the bigger milestone (104:19)

Hammer Financial Score & Advice (Final Recommendations)

• Score: 2.5/10 (noted as improvement from previous ~.5/10).
  • Positives: Has reliable income, emergency fund, and some retirement savings.
  • Negatives: Still deep in debt, only moderate progress on repayment, significant recurring “bullshit” expenses, tendency to rationalize/enjoy wants spending prior to addressing debt.
  • Advice:
    • Stop stacking up “0%” short-term debt for non-essential purchases.
    • Aggressively pay off high-interest campground loan first; minimum on car until that’s done.
    • Prep now for impending student loan payments—they will be deducted from future monthly surplus.
    • Focus on maintaining and growing emergency fund after debts prioritized.
    • Catch up on retirement; strive for 20% of take-home invested once debts lower.
    • Broaden career/role search to increase options as chronic illness progresses; "don't lock yourself in a narrow window."

Final Thoughts

This episode is a raw, often contentious but occasionally funny window into what it means to live on the economic and social margins in 2020s America. Rachel is candid, self-aware, and sometimes defensive. Caleb balances tough love with real concern, pushing Rachel to take fuller responsibility for long-term planning and financial discipline, but often running up against the limits of empathy and real-world complexity.

Strongest Takeaways:

• “Good enough” is a moving target when chronic illness controls your budget and energy.
• Real improvement (both financial and emotional) takes slow, deliberate effort—one paycheck, one paid-off bill at a time.
• There are no easy shortcuts, and excuses—no matter how well-intentioned or cleverly named (“spoons”)—can impede recovery as much as adversity itself.

For deeper drama (sister-in-law slander, alleged prison money laundering), listeners are invited to the post-show.