TCB Introduces: What We Spend

Summary

The Commercial Break: TCB Introduces – What We Spend

Episode Date: May 19, 2025
Hosts: Bryan Green (A), Krissy Hoadley (not present in episode)
Featured Podcast: What We Spend, hosted by Courtney Harrell

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Episode Overview

This special "TCB Infomercial" episode takes a different turn as Bryan offers listeners a curated introduction to a new podcast, What We Spend. The focus of the episode is on demystifying the taboo and anxieties surrounding personal finances, as Bryan shares a preview clip from What We Spend. The highlighted segment features Courtney Harrell interviewing Kelly, a millennial grappling with the realities of student loan debt and day-to-day economic pressures.

Bryan frames the episode as a refreshing, honest look at how people like Kelly navigate the interplay of money, emotion, and aspiration—inviting The Commercial Break audience to consider how the show’s open conversations around finances can both entertain and comfort.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Money Conversations Matter

• Bryan’s Introduction (00:01–01:59):
  • Emphasizes that candid talk is the hallmark of The Commercial Break, but acknowledges even close friends shy away from deep discussions about personal finances.
  • Notes the universal curiosity we have about other people’s financial lives: “We all want to know what our friends make and what they spend their money on, ... but do we ask? No, we do not.”
  • Praises What We Spend for tackling this topic head-on through intimate, real conversations that are “thoughtful, funny, sometimes emotional, but always raw and real.”
  • Sets up the preview clip, noting the cultural relevance given the “keeping up with the Joneses” pressures of 2025.

2. Introducing ‘What We Spend’ and Its Format

• Courtney Harrell’s Format Explanation (01:59–03:46):
  • Courtney breaks the ice on financial taboo by acknowledging shared nosiness:
    • “You know how you always want to know about everyone else’s money?... I actually think that’s good. I think we should be talking about money more...” (01:59)
  • Describes the show’s structure: Each week, one person’s finances are laid bare for a week, with all the “nitty gritty details” of spending tracked via audio diary, then discussed for emotional impact and introspection.

3. A Week in the Life: Kelly’s Story

• Dealing with Student Debt (03:46–04:31):
  • Kelly shares her hefty burden:
    • “I have $150,000. I had more. I had $300,000 after my master's.” (03:46)
  • Family inheritance allowed her parents to pay off half in one night, yet, “it feels like 50% better... I still have $150,000 of debt.” (04:15)
• Snapshot of Kelly’s Life (04:32–05:46):
  • 31, married, living in Salt Lake City, both she and her husband Ben are mid-career.
  • Together, they earn about $128,000 before tax, “just under the average income for married couple families in Salt Lake City.” (05:19–05:42)
• Money Anxiety (05:42–06:04):
  • Kelly on her relationship with money:
    • “Oh, I would describe it as all consuming... like the monkey on their back… you just can't get away from it.” (05:42)
• Monthly Expenses Breakdown (06:14–08:43):
  • Shows the detail in Kelly’s everyday reality:
    • Rent & utilities: $2,800 (“That’s more than my mortgage.”)
    • Two gym memberships: $108
    • Car insurance and gas: $254 and $125 (no car payments, just buy used)
    • Phone: $75; Pet insurance: $76; Physical therapy: $250 (chronic back pain)
    • Groceries & toiletries: $600 (“This one sucks the most right now, I really feel like everyone will understand.” (07:20))
    • Medications & supplements: $650
    • Streaming? They mooch off family, but pay for Dropbox, SoundCloud, Spotify.
    • Self-care: $40/month for her hair (“just to have someone else wash my hair... and isn't that shitty that... I still feel the need to justify...” (08:14))
  • Rough total: About $4,800/month, not including debt payments.

4. The Weight of Debt & The ‘American Dream’

• Total Debt (08:51–09:05):
  • “If you are including my student loans, we have $202,728 in debt.” (08:53)
• Reflections on College & Societal Pressure (09:09–10:50):
  • Kelly recounts being sold the “lie” that college was the only route to a respectable life:
    • “If you don’t go to college, you’re going to end up working at McDonald’s…probably going to use marijuana…” (09:28).
  • Asked if she planned how to pay off the debt:
    • “I did not think about it... didn’t really have anyone around me who was explaining it... your prefrontal cortex is not developed when you are making those decisions.” (10:11)
  • “I don’t regret anything… but I’m financially trapped.” (10:54)

5. Starting the Week of Financial Tracking (11:05–11:49):

• Kelly expresses nervousness:
  • “Maybe I will just realize …that I’m actually just a dum-dum and I’m very irresponsible and this is all my fault. But I’m feeling curious.” (11:19)

6. Commentary, Empathy, and Takeaway

• Bryan’s Reflection (11:49–12:42):
  • “Like butter cutting through a knife. Listening to that, I recognize myself in it. I recognize my emotions... thoughts and fears around money.”
  • Relates Kelly’s description (“monkey on my back. All consuming.”) to the experience of being an independent creator.
  • Finds comfort in shared experience and in Courtney’s “calm, reassuring voice,” noting that even tough money talk can be “entertaining... but we may also leave feeling better and smarter.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Why We’re Nosy About Money
  • Courtney Harrell (Host, What We Spend):
    • “Even if you don’t want to admit it, we’re all a little nosy... but I actually think that’s good. I think we should be talking about money more.” (02:18)
• On Student Debt Shock
  • Kelly:
    • “I remember pressing submit on [$150,000] payment and just being like, holy shit.” (04:01)
    • “It feels like 50% better... still feels like I have $150,000 of debt.” (04:17)
• On the Emotional Toll
  • Kelly:
    • “I would describe [my relationship with money] as all consuming…like the monkey on their back… you just can’t get away from it.” (05:42)
    • “It really is just my business? I still feel the need to justify… I just need to treat myself sometimes and have my hair washed.” (08:14)
• Generational Perspective
  • Kelly on College Messaging:
    • “If you don’t go to college, you’re going to be a deadbeat, ... probably going to use marijuana, ... you’re going to be a bad person, essentially, if you don’t go to college.” (09:28)
• On Regret and Acceptance
  • Kelly:
    • “I don’t regret anything because I am who I am and I’m happy, but I’m financially trapped.” (10:54)
• Self-doubt and Vulnerability
  • Kelly (starting her tracking week):
    • “Maybe I will just realize through tracking every expense that I’m actually just a dum-dum and I’m very irresponsible and this is all my fault. But I’m feeling curious.” (11:19)
• Bryan’s Personal Reflection
  • Bryan:
    • “I recognize myself in it. I recognize my emotions in it. ...Listen, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out …being an entrepreneur doesn’t always mean multimillionaire or financial comfort.” (11:49)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:01–01:59 – Bryan introduces What We Spend, frames its cultural importance.
• 01:59–03:46 – Courtney Harrell introduces show format and perspective on money taboo.
• 03:46–11:05 – Kelly discusses finances, emotions, expenses, debt, and the college myth.
• 11:19–11:49 – Kelly prepares for a week of financial tracking, exposes anxieties.
• 11:49–end – Bryan’s personal takeaways, empathetic response, and closing thoughts.

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Summary Flow

The episode is a thoughtful and comedic yet empathetic window into the persistent anxieties and social awkwardness that money talk evokes. Through Bryan’s honest setup, Courtney’s inviting approach, and Kelly’s unfiltered self-reflection, listeners are reassured that behind closed doors, the struggles with debt, budgeting, and social pressure are universal—even if rarely admitted.

Those new to the What We Spend podcast are given a clear, relatable sense of its intentions: breaking stigma through transparency, emotion, and humor. Bryan’s endorsement culminates in a clear call to listen for both entertainment and the quiet comfort that comes from shared struggle.

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This summary captures the heart of the episode’s discussion and emotional tone, highlighting key moments and insights for listeners who didn’t catch the show.

Transcript

[A]

Hey there, cats and kittens. It's Brian coming to you on an off day to share more about a podcast that we are enjoying from our network partner, Odyssey. And the new podcast, what We Spend is extraordinarily interesting. Let me tell you why so much of the commercial break is a fly on the wall perspective of the unfiltered conversations that Chrissy and I have about friendship, offbeat topics, things we find interesting, wild, unforgettable, or just a crazy story from our personal life. One thing that always gets a laugh but often doesn't get talked about in a deeper way on the commercial break is personal finances. That's because personal finances are personal. We all want to know what our friends make and what they spend their money on, how they're flourishing or how they're suffering around money. But do we ask? No, we do not. We never dare ask. Well, this new podcast, what We Spend, it does just that. Every episode, host Courtney Harrell talks with just one person, and they document an entire week of their lives and all the ways money plays a factor in it. People from all over the country, in walks of life, they talk about how they make money, how they spend money, all the thoughts and emotions they have around money. These conversations are intimate. They're thoughtful, funny, sometimes emotional, but it's always raw and it's always real. In 2025, when so much of our social media, our news, the people we look up to, our politicians, sports players, all make us feel this keeping up with the Joneses jealousy or desire? I think this podcast has come along at the exact right time. I want to share a preview with you. In this clip, we hear from Kelly as she navigates life with her burden of outstanding loan debt, something I'm sure a lot of you can understand. If you want to listen to the full episode, search for what we spend on your favorite podcast platform, wherever you're listening to this show. Or you can download the free Odyssey app and find it there. What We Spend by Courtney Harrell. Okay, let me drop in that clip. I'll be back in a few minutes.

[B]

You know how you always want to know about everyone else's money? You do, right? Like you'll see someone buying something you want or taking some amazing vacation and you think, how can they afford that? Or you meet your friend's new girlfriend and she has some very impressive job and you think, how much money does she make? I think when it comes to money, even if you don't want to admit it, we're all a little nosy. But I don't know. I actually think that's good. I think we should be talking about money more and all the ways, big and small, that it impacts our lives. On this show, we are actually going to do that. We are going to go somewhere that we almost never get to go, deep into the heart of someone else's finances. Here's how this is going to work. Each week, I'm going to introduce you to a new person from somewhere across the country, and they are going to tell us everything about their finances, how much they make, how much they want to make, what they worry about, or if they don't worry at all. And then for one week, we'll follow them through their daily routine. Every day, they'll record an audio diary with all the nitty gritty details of how they're spending their money. I mean, the coffees, the groceries, the rent that's due, the car accident that suddenly upends everything. And after that, we'll talk about what the week brought up for them, what it's made them feel. Because whatever you're buying or not buying or saving or spending, at the end of the day, money is always about more than your balance. I'm Courtney Harrell, and this is what we spend. How much school debt do you have?

[C]

I have 150,000. I had more. I had 300,000 after my master's. I had a great uncle pass away who was an artist, and my parents chose with their share of that that they would help pay off all my private loans. And so that was a crazy night. I remember pressing submit on $150,000 payment and just being like, holy shit. And they were like, yay. Doesn't that feel so much better? And I was kind of like, it feels like 50% better. And it still feels like I have still $150,000 of debt.

[B]

This is Kelly.

[C]

I turn 32 in one week, and I live in Salt Lake City.

[B]

Kelly is One of the 42.8 million Americans who has student loan debt. And also, like a lot of her generation, she wants to buy a home and have a baby. And she's trying to figure out if it's possible to make all that work. Kelly married her husband about a year ago, and eight months ago, the two of them moved from Tennessee to Salt Lake City, Utah. Ben is an engineer for a software company. Kelly's a director of client experience at a medical spa, and she's also an online mental wellness coach.

[C]

I used to be a therapist, and for lots of reasons, I'm not right now, but I Will always have therapy or coaching in my life, and I will probably go back to that full time at some point.

[B]

Kelly is paid hourly, but she makes about 50k a year, and Ben makes about 78k. That's before taxes and health insurance together. That puts them just under the average income for married couple families in Salt Lake City. How would you describe your relationship with money consuming?

[C]

Oh, I would describe it as all consuming.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The thing that keeps, like, coming to mind is, you know when someone has, like, an addiction or a struggle and they call it like, the monkey on their back. Yeah, because you just can't get away from it. It's just clinging, and it's present with you all the time. It feels like that. And I try really hard to, like, be in control, like, maintain my control.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But it's kind of this tug of war.

[B]

What do you do on a weekly basis to manage your expenses?

[C]

On a Sunday, I will sit down and look at the budget. And I made a spreadsheet.

[B]

Okay. Yeah. So walk me through your spreadsheet. So I would love to hear what all of your regular expenses are and, like, what you kind of typically pay in each category.

[C]

So rent and utilities. $2,800. That's pretty expensive for rent. Anytime I tell someone that they're like, that's more than my mortgage. I'm like, yeah, I. I know. Please don't tell me what your mortgage is. I don't want to know.

[B]

Two gym memberships, $108.

[C]

Car insurance, 254, gas, 125.

[B]

Do you have a car payment?

[C]

No, we just buy used cars.

[B]

Nice.

[C]

Ben's car, basically, the. The roof flies off, but, you know, just don't take it on the highway, you know, we don't have a car payment.

[B]

Who needs a roof?

[C]

Yeah, who needs that? It's a convertible.

[B]

Phone payment, 75. Pet insurance, 76, and physical therapy for 250. It helps with Kelly's chronic back pain and osteoarthritis.

[C]

And then groceries. This one sucks the most right now, and I really feel like everyone will understand. I put 600amonth for our groceries. And, I mean, that include, like, toiletries and stuff, too.

[B]

They have a Costco membership, but they pay that yearly fee with the cash.

[C]

Back they get from their credit card medications and supplements. Like, Ben works out, so he has, like, this huge bag of protein powder that he gets from Costco. So Ben's is mostly workout supplements and just one medication. And mine is, I think, like, four medications and like, a probiotic and some multivitamins total for that is 650 streaming platforms. No, we mooch off of our families.

[B]

Some of the subscriptions are on them, though. Dropbox for 12, SoundCloud for 6, Spotify for 10. Hair.

[C]

My hair. I put $40 next to my hair, and that's so I can spend that $40 and get my hair washed by somebody else one time every month. And it is like the gift to me to have somebody else wash my hair every once in a while. And isn't that shitty that, like, even now, just reading my own budget, that it really is just my business? I still feel the need to justify, like, I just need to treat myself sometimes and have my hair washed.

[B]

What does that make your expenses altogether, your regular expenses?

[C]

Around 4,800amonth. But then you get to debt.

[B]

How much debt do you have?

[C]

A lot. If you are including my student loans, we have $202,728 in debt.

[B]

Where did you go to school?

[C]

I went to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

[B]

Why did you go to school?

[C]

I thought I was supposed to because I was told that, you know, this is. This is the next step. And I think this is part of, like, the. The dream or the lie that was sold to my generation was like, if you don't go to college, you're going to end up working at McDonald's.

[B]

You.

[C]

Know, and, like, you're going to be a deadbeat and you're going to have to live with your parents and you're probably going to use marijuana, even, like, you're going to be a bad person, essentially, if you don't go to college.

[B]

Kelly's degree cost about 40 grand a year. And after undergrad, Kelly went on to grad school at the same university. She has a master's in mental health counseling. But as Kelly sees it now, the math doesn't make much sense. I want to ask you something about that, and I mean, no judgment with this. How did you think you were going to pay off that amount of tuition? Or were you at the time, like, I know I can't pay this off. Like, how did you think about it then?

[C]

Oh, no, it's a good question. I didn't. I did not think about it. I had no clue what I was doing. It wasn't like, I wonder how I'm going to pay this off when the, you know, average annual salary for a therapist is 40 to 60 thousand dollars a year. I was not thinking about that. I had no idea what I was doing, and I didn't really have anyone around Me who was explaining what I was doing. Like, your prefrontal cortex is not developed when you are making those decisions.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Ultimately, I don't regret anything because I am who I am and I'm happy, but I'm financially trapped.

[B]

So that's Kelly. And this week, instead of just tracking it in her spreadsheet, she's going to tell us about every dollar she spends and every feeling that comes with it. How are you feeling about tracking your finances for a week?

[C]

I'm feeling nervous because maybe I will just realize through tracking every expense that I'm actually just a dum dum and I'm very irresponsible and this is all my fault. But I'm feeling curious. I'm just curious to see what comes of it.

[B]

Yeah, me too. I will check in with you on the other side of your week. Okay.

[A]

Like butter cutting through a knife. Listening to that, I recognize myself in it. I recognize my emotions in it. I recognize my thoughts and fears around money. I recognize this specific verbiage monkey on my back. All consuming. Listen, it doesn't take a genius to figure out. Nor do you have to listen to 658,000 episodes of the commercial break to understand being an independent creator and being an entrepreneur doesn't always mean multimillionaire or financial comfort. I'm sure that that clip resonated with a lot of people. And as tough as some of that is to hear, there's a certain level of comfort that comes with knowing some somebody else is out there tossing a turning at night thinking about the same thing. Plus, let's be honest, Courtney has that, like, calm, reassuring voice. I feel like everything's going to be okay for Kelly. And now I feel like everything's going to be okay for me, too. What We Spend is available now. Wherever you're listening to this podcast or on the free Odyssey app, you can go download it from the App Store. Go take a listen to a full episode of what We Spend. This is one of those shows where we will leave entertained, but we may also leave feeling better and smarter. What We Spend by Courtney Harrell. Available now. We'll see you on the flip side. By.