Ep 237 - The Devil Has No New Tricks

On Insta. I'm at Mandy Money Mandy with an Ie, and Tiffany is at the Budget Nista. When you tag us, we will share your post and help amplify it even further. Thank y'all for all the love this is just gonna help us give us that little extra brown boost.

But then the songs like I love Already, Oh my god, that's like my favorite song in water, I love who Chap?

about politics and whatever is going on. But anyway, he lives in Georgia, and I was like, I really feel this need to make sure that my family and Georgia is registered to vote, because Loki, I don't think they all are. And I'm not naming names, but I'm like, they're pretty vocal about things, but like, I really don't hear any of them talk about voting. And then when I found out the deadline to register in georgia's actually today. We're taping on Monday, October fifth, Today's a deadline to

register online, and so I was just like texting. I tried to call them last night, they didn't answer. I was like facebooking them. They say that they're registered. So I just like in New York, I don't know, I feel like my progressive views here in New York are not so special, but Georgia is like Georgia could really I mean Georgia's purple and they really could be on the way to a change, like a historic change in

terms of how they vote. And I don't know. I'm just trying to channel all my nervous energy about twenty twent you want into the election, into trying to get people to register. So this is my call to action for everybody. Please make sure you're registered to vote. Check our show notes for a link to how you can check to see if you're registered. I triple checked because I was just like so nervous that I wasn't going

to be registered. And in Georgia, have you heard about, you know, Stacy Abrams, her whole, her whole campaign for governor in Georgia was side railed by blatant voter suppression. In one of the ways in Georgia that they're notorious for doing that is just purging people from the registered polls. So you do everything right, except maybe you forget a letter in your address or a letter in your name or nothing at all, and you can just be unregistered

and not find out so until you show up to vote. Yeah, so even if you think you're registered, triple.

animators because not to be confused with illustrators. Illustrator is you know, they draw great animation, you have to bring it to life, make it move. But I thought, oh, same thing, right, No, no, because literally I just found out that for one second of animation, it might be anywhere from twelve to twenty four drawings. Mandy. I was like, wait, what, So you're looking at a one minute animation going from like three thousand dollars for one full finish minute up

to fifty thousand dollars. I'm talking about Disney movies. And so I was like, yeah, I can't have had that.

that's what you're looking at. But then I remember my illustrator himself. He told me when we first met that he also did some animation, and I was like, you know what, I didn't even reach out to him, let me paying him. I did, and I asked him you know, do you know, do you have any examples of some of your animation? He sent it It looked awesome, and I was like, wait, if could I pay you to be because I had asked me a year ago one day when Molly Moore is big time, I want you

to work for Molly Moore full time, you know. So we kind of like, you know, had like a moment on that, and then I was like, what would it cost to bring you on full time to animate? And then how many videos could I expect? He was like three, three on the low end of twelve minute videos and on the high end, you know, four to six, depending and like what else he's working on? And so he agreed to come on full time. And the price is like, you know, the cost is his salary, but it's more

than reasonable. I'll just say this, it's like the cost of six minutes of animation his annual salary. That's what it would be. And although I don't Molly Moore is not making that as far as consistently like monthly, But I just got a school system just agreed to buy four thousand Molly Moore books, and so it gives me the money I need to be able to pay him to lock him down for a year, including insurance. So I'm like super geeked Ben, I'll be able to like

start developing Molly Moore's own show. You'll have a friend that has her own cartoon that she's making herself.

And he was like, honestly, Tiffany, it would be so nice to have one person that pays me and you you know, we've worked together for a number of years, and you know I don't have to chase down anybody else for my money, and then I can work on some passion things on my own without having to worry about how am I going to eat.

him today, I like to I like to overpay. I like to overpay my my black and brown folks, you know. So I was like, well, let's add like, you know, four or five thousand dollars to that. He was like really, I was like, yes, because you deserve you go above and beyond. And I know that you're going to go above and beyond more even more so than this extra five that I'm going to add to it. And because he did with the book, and so I just feel like, when you pay people, well, then they show up well.

When you pay let me back it up, when you pay good people, well, they show up even better. And so he has already shown me with this first book. He's gone. He went above and beyond what was supposed to be a one year project drug onto two years, and he killed it every step of the way. So so I'm just excited to have him on and I'm like, I would say his name, but y'all so nosy. Everybody was hiring him after I wrote the book and I was like, I need him. Shoot, so I'm not saying his name.

But to the extent where all these people have COVID, it's it's it just seems very logical that he's got it, because it seems like all of his inner circle got it. And the super Spreader event appear appeared to have been this this reception for his Supreme Court nominee Amy It is it comy or cony. I forget Barrett, but yeah, they issue that he is apparently getting discharged, and he went on some like Twitter trade last night. But I

don't even want to focus energy on that. I just need people like this is just a reminder because he I think with the thing that he tweeted when he was discharged today again this is Monday, October fifth, when we're recording, was something about how, you know, don't be afraid of COVID nineteen. Don't be afraid of it. Oh my God, like, oh my, honestly be afraid. You guys be afraid. Please be afraid to wear a mask, please.

I just feel like we're heading into flu season. It feels like there's this some you know, false sense of security. But with the election coming, we need everybody to be healthy and to be out there voting, especially if you're black or brown. Not only is COVID impacting our communities at more like disproportionate rates, We're dying from COVID more than any other group. We have got to take this seriously.

And if you have family who has been impacted by COVID or not, where there they seem to have, you know, flouted regulations or not. Sorry, God forbid, we have regulations flouted, uh, you know, guidance from our you know, scientists and science out there saying to wear masks and sanitize and all that. Just try and and and get them on board. It really is so simple to wear a mask, and I just can't get around like it's so selfish not to It's these people out here saying that wearing a mask

is a choice, it is an individual choice. And how they're exercising, Like, what do they think they're exercising? Just their freedom to be a jackass, That's what it is. Because it's not about you. It's about the person who you don't know walking by you on the sidewalk, who may have a pre existing condition, or may live with someone who has a pre existing condition. And how many people who have indirectly you know, killed someone because of

their own negligence and their own selfish behavior. It just is I blah blah blah. Wear a mask. Please, please, please, please wear a mask and vote.

afraid of what's going to happen November three. I don't know that I can even process a world and with like a thought of what would happen if you know, he coulds re elected.

and we've just forgotten how much power we have. I think, so it's just we we really have and I just never ever want to forget. I never want to forget how I felt watching that ninety minutes, like I wanted to crawl out of my skin at what, you know, what we allowed to happen. And I never want I just I just don't want us to ever forget. You know, this can't be. This can't be a four year period that just just becomes a blip. We have it. I wanted to scare future generations. I want rio to be like,

how did you let this happen? I will never yeah, like do better, do better than us, because I just it can't happen again. And we've got to we've got to like and I guess this is where I can be. I get excited and optimistic. Is that, you know, if we really do take this seriously and will truly change and they come out and vote and they get more involved, not just in presidential elections but all the little ones that really matter, that we'll see lasting change. And that

is so I pray. I'm like praying please again, Like if you're not registered yet or you're not sure, double check check our show notes for the link to where

you can check to see if you're registered. And then I think even the Obama's you know, posted this week and said, if there's one thing you can do for us on it, what is at their wedding anniversary, it's convinced someone who may not vote to vote, please do because on one hundred million people did not vote in twenty sixteen, one hundred million people, Like, we have got to get out there, y'all. So put your centicism in a bag, put it, you know, throw it over your

shoulder and just carry it with you to the polls. Okay, you can be a cynic and still vote, but please wait.

definitely feel like work, I feel like money. I've just been like just hanging on to anything, any hanging on to any any, any little thing that I can to feel like I have some kind of control until I can, like like I wish that when I go to the election, I just want to, like I just want to like stop my foot in it, Like I just want like the not like I'm just imagining the ballot like I just want to take this pen or whatever I'm gonna like, how do you even forget now? Is it like digital?

I don't know what it's going to be. I want to I'm going to put elbow grease into into hitting Joe Biden's name on that ballot. I just and I'm going to skip on out of there because I I I I I can't. I'm gonna stop now, Please stop stop me, Please stop that. I can't. I didn't take myself off today, as you can tell. Oh, I just remembered, well.

nursing it like a little sip babysit. And then I go out there later beer more than halfway in the thing, and I'm like, oh, I hope you fool them into thinking that you're out here just you know, getting down with the boys.

he's been getting me walking. We went on a little hike to this this damn this park nearby, and it's been really nice to have like a little walking buddy. And we went to what an orchard and you know, we had to get the picture of the baby and the pumpkin patch. Although I will say next year, I will save myself the forty five minute round trip ride and just take him to the supermarket and throw him in been a pumpkin, because like, why why did I

pay twenty five dollars for this? Like they literally just dump a bunch of pumpkins in a field and charge people to take pictures for social media. And it's brilliant, you know, it's a brilliant business move. But why why do we need to pay for this? I could just go to Trader Joe's and co op the pumpkin the pumpkin bin. But it was it was nice to get out. Did you do anything fun this weekend?

has the yellow overhang. I'm not even a ribbed person. I never had ribs like it's they it's true barbecue, so not barbecue sauce, just the rub or whatever it's like. And I'm not even a big meat either, but delicious, and so we had that yesterday and it was just nice to like hang out with, like, you know, my it was three three girlfriends. It was four of us and just sit outside in the backyard and do my husband's version of like sitting on Bruski's It was more

like ginger ales. But it was just that, honestly, was a highlight because if you all know me, I'm kind of like a homebody and I know I'm not really big on hanging out necessarily, So it was just nice to have people over at the house and it's just you know, it was a great weekend just because I got to see the people that I cared about.

I mean, you will not stop a Dominican from pulling up at a mini van, opening the doors, training the radio on, and like all of a sudden, there's like six chairs outside of it and a little party going on. We can still wear a mask and keep your distance. But I really feel like if y'all have been and I know people like this, if you've really been like a gorphobic low key for the past I don't know how long has it been. Almost a year now, it's crazy. Just just try for like a tiny, tiny diny bit

of normalcy. Yeah, well we have. We've cried, we laughed, we've we've lamented, we've increased our dosages of antidepressed. Yes, so let's move on to questions. We'll be right back if you're still here, you know, thank you.

this was an interesting question. So this question comes from a listener via email. Her name is Keana, and she has a question about stock options to her employer. All right, so,

Keana says, next month, I will have the option to purchase shares of my company stock through an employee stock purchase plan. The purchase would be after tax payroll deduction at a fifteen percent discount. The first time they offered this stock option, I did not take advantage of it, but now a second enrollment is being made available. I'm

very new to participating in the stock market. I've never done anything other than participate with the companies for a one K. What's your advice on how much I should purchase as a newbie that's not very educated on what and how to move forward? Excellent question. Excellent, I got some thoughts. So stock purchase plan this is one of the perks that you may have if you're lucky enough

to well, I don't know, but lucky enough. But if you work for a company that's publicly traded, this is one of the incentives some of them may offer employees, which is basically saying, you know, there's The other type of stock option is a restricted stock unit, which is essentially the company giving you shares of stock. A stock purchase option is where they say, you have the privilege of purchasing our stock if you'd like it at a discount.

So it sounds like she's getting fifteen percent off of her company stock should she choose to jump on this offer. I mean it can be, you know, it can be. I mean it can be. It can be. It can be. It can be a good idea. The thing is, you know, you have to consider this holistically across all of your investments. So also you have to remember that this company is

paying your salary. So if you're going to purchase stock and hold stock with the company that you also work for, you just don't want to have too much of your investments tied up with that company. And you also want to think about it like this is my opinion, personal opinion, not a stock advisor, not a financial advisor, et cetera, et cetera. Don't come for me in the street. But you know, you have to think like any other stock that you're purchasing. So you're a new investor, you're you know,

you're new to maybe purchasing single stocks. You work for the company that you work for, do you think it's a good company with the bright future ahead of it? Or do you know, you have a bit of an insider's perspective on how things are going, or you know, do you think maybe I'll take my paycheck and you know, invest through my four to one k into you know, mutual funds or other individual stocks instead. It's really up

to you. I would look at this kind of as a you know, just one of the many sort of perks that your employee that your company could offer to you as well as other employees. But don't look don't feel bad if you don't participate in it, because really they are. You know, you can look at this as like like, for example, I used to worok at the Gap and they gave us a fifty percent discount, didn't I know it? I used to buy so much crap,

but a fifty percent discount on Gap clothing? Okay, Well, was it a good idea for me to buy Gap? You know all those you know, Jean jackets and my goodness, all the pairs of genes and all that stuff at fifty percent off. It sure did feel like a good idea. But I also was taking the money that they gave me and then spending it on their stuff. So I was like pretty much negating profit for myself from the job that I had, which in retrospect wasn't like so smart.

But you know, you've just got to sort of look at this as an opportunity to maybe buy some stock in a company at a discount. That's the benefit here. You know, someone walking off the street wanting to buy your company stock would buy it a little bit more, you know, have a higher price and you get a discount. So you have to look at your whole picture and if you feel like I'm pretty well diversified. This is a good deal. The stock you know, could be on

the way up. Fifteen percent off is a you know, a good discount. I'll you know, take advantage of this opportunity to purchase it. And it also you know, let's say you do purchase the stock at a discount, and I don't know, once you're you know, once everything vests and you're able to actually cash out of those shares that you've bought, if the stock price has gone up, like you can stand a profit more than someone who's just walked in off the street and bought it full

quote unquote full price. So that is a benefit. But you just have to look at it, you know, across all of your investments and not you just don't want to, like have way too much of your investments tied up in the same place where you get your paycheck from. And I could tell you the rule of thumb that I feel like people say, but.

to Manday's point, it can be. But here's the thing that you want to be clear because I was actually just talking to my sister, the inventor and engineer shout to Carol. She is like, my she's our go to stock person. Carol'll be like, I'm not that good at stocks as she does her research and makes She literally bought some stock the other day and made four hundred percent back. I'm like, what do stop talking about Carol?

was like girl. Now, she was like, you know, you want to purchase companies that have good you know, she follows a warm buffet method, like solid companies regardless. So she was telling me three companies that she bought more of because she actually worked for these three companies. I would say them, but I don't want to like you know, I don't know, yeah, I won't And these are not like I mean, her major companies. So she worked for

them like with their high school, college whatever. And she said, I have seen firsthand how they navigate, how solid they are. So she was like when things were like falling, She's like, I just bought more of the companies that I knew intimately from the inside. You know, we're well run companies. That's why you know they've done well for these number of years. So I just say that to say you have an insider insight you work for your company. Is it a shit show? Excuse my fronch, or is it

a solid company? If you feel like this is a solid company, the CEO is dope, knows what she's doing. So what I did that she heard and like, you know what I mean. Like, so if you feel that, then yes, then you know you don't want to just get the stock because it's offered if you feel like the company is on its last leg. So just keep that in mind as well.

in the market. All right, Let's take another When this comes from someone who'd like to remain anonymous, very mysterious, that's fine, all right. This listener says, I love listening

to y'all's podcast. You guys always break it down so that it makes sense. Oh, thank you. I was hoping you could offer me some advice. I'm twenty eight years old and a single mob living on one income. I've accrued a lot of debt over the last two years, between credit cards and debt consolidation loans. My debt is about thirteen thousand dollars in total. I have seven thousand dollars saved up in my savings account from tax returns and the stimulus check that came through earlier this year.

On top of that seven thousand dollars in savings, I have eighteen K and my four oh one K. So my question is what it makes sense to pull the four to one K money to pay off my debt and give myself a clean slate. My issue is that my bills are more than I'm making every month, so I feel like I'm eventually just going to hit the same issue again. I know eventually my daughter's childcare expenses won't be as much and then hopefully at that point

I can start to break even. Thank you. Well, this is really really tough.

only have a few thousand dollars left. Yeah, do you want to start? I mean I have a couple of thoughts.

which you know that happens as well. But the fact that you're able to set aside seven thousand, that's tremendous. So clap for yourself. Two, here's my concern. I'll give you the advice that I gave a friend of mine who was like, my friend wants to borrow money from me. And I was like, okay. I was like, you know, she's like, my friend wants to borrow two thousand dollars. This is a friend that's kind of like always struggling. And she's like, do you think I should lend it

to her? And I said this, and I'm gonna I want you to answer this, even though you're lending to yourself, will you lend will? I told her, will, let's pretend to my friend is name Julia, and she wants to lend her a friend named Clara. If Julia, if you lend Clara this money, does it fix the problem? So does this two thousand dollars fix the problem? And she

was like no, I said, well how not? She was like, well, because honestly, Clara, like you anonymous, is behind every month because her bills are more than what her expenses are. I said, So it's not going to fix the problem, then I wouldn't. It doesn't like that's not like you're one, you're never going to see your money back. This is a mean to you talking to you anonymous to yourself,

and also Julia to Clara. And then two, it's actually not going to fix the problem, but it'll enhance the problem because now you don't have money for retirement now because you're already you already have these debt consolidation loans. It means that you've already tried to fix the problem in this way and borrowing money to fit to just delay coming right back here again. You're you're right, You're going to be right back here again. So to me, the real problem that you're needing to solve is how

to make more. That is really the problem you need to solve. Does that look like asking for a raise at work? Does that look like side hustling? I know you have you know you're a single mom, so I know how hard that must be. Does that look like looking interviewing now to see if you can find a position that's going to pay you more. You have to figure out how to inject more income into your household, or else you will be right back here and then there will be no four to one K, no saving,

nothing to fall back on. And so that's what I say, is that, like I would leave my four one K alone because it's not going to fix the problem as far as your savings are concerned. Would is that at least three months of your bare bones essential expensive I

call that in your noodle budget. Is that at least three months, ideally six months if it's at least three months if there's excess, So let's just say three months for you is six thousand dollars or five thousand dollars, and you want to put some of the other towards the principle of what you owe the excess, Okay, But I would not drain my savings of emergency. You have a kid, so emergencies in more important now than ever. And I would not drain my retirement account for a

problem that's not really going to be fixed. I would focus on the solution of how can I make more money in this household?

quality is care for your child. I mean, I can't even imagine, especially in times like this, you want to give your child the best. If there's any other bills that can be tweaked or cut or sacrificed, you can start there, although I honestly think you probably already have at this point. Then whatever you can as a single mom though, and listen, I was raised by a single mom. My mom had four kids under the age of what twelve that she was raised all under the age of twelve,

four kids once she was raising by herself. And I was just who was I talking to about this the other day? Maybe was my therapist or I don't know. But I've given my mother so much credit because she asked for help from family and friends when she was really struggling. Looked like my uncle and aunt letting her rent our house from them that they owned it. Looked like friends at work giving her presence to give to us for Christmas. It looked like a lot of different things.

And if you have, if you have help available to you, you know you really I feel like there's there's options out there, especially as a single mother with a child, if you're if your income is on let's pay for your essentials right now. There may be public assistants available for you, you know, snap, you know, food stamps, other types of public assistance that is there for people in situations that you're in. And there's no shame in that, No,

no shame in that at all. So I would say, ask for help, because you're in a very difficult situation. So I would start asking friends, I would ask family, I would ask other single moms, if you know, anybody you know have any resources been helpful to you, your local food bank that can help you cut down on

grocery expenses. I think, especially as a mom, you know, we went from like a two income household middle like pretty you know, lower middle class but like solidly okay, to you know, being you know, like the vivid memories of like being in line at a grocery store and having my mom just like slowly take things out of the cart when she realized she wasn't going to you know, make the bill or you know, at the checkout line.

And you're used to living a certain way and being able to buy certain things because that's you know, that's what you're used to and that's what's normal. But when your income is so reduced, there's a new normal. And it's so hard because it feels like this isn't right.

I want to go back to how things were. I can only empathize with that, and you know, commend you for being strong, but I really hope that you can find some And you know, you haven't mentioned where you live, but I so we can't give like more specific advice, but I would say, look at your state. Look what is available to you through churches, through like local community programs, anything that can help you stop needing to dig yourself

into more debt. And I would hold on every penny you can, hold on to all those coins and your savings, hold on to all the money in your for one k, Like that's amazing that you even have eighteen thousand dollars at twenty eight years old. Like you're a smart lady. Yeah, your daughter is very lucky to have you. I would hold on to that.

ask about them. They may have a freeze on interest, they might have a freeze on payment or forbearance or deferment.

know for that. And I don't think this is right for you necessarily in my personal opinion, for you to dip into your four one k, but for those of you who are running out of options and maybe withdrawing from your four to one K is something that you're considering. Y'all should know that with the Cares Act, one of the things that they passed in that relief the only relief bill so far, was the ability to withdraw from your four to one k and not get hit with

that ten percent. It's like up to one hundred thousand dollars or something like that, So check the IRS dot gov for specifics. But anyway, thank you so much for your question. Our hearts go out to you. We hope this was helpful, and you can always hit me. I'm gonna hit you up on instant and respond to you. But yeah, well we really hope you get help. But I don't. Yeah. I oh, single mom, single moms, single moms. I just love I just oh my heart for y'all. I it's so hard, it's so hard. It's so hard.

Ten times it is.

wrist since February seventeenth of twenty twenty. I had not put it on my wrist, but I had really gotten into I mean, I have my peloton and it's great, and people who are asking, I've loved my peloton, but I have forced myself with my brother being here and my sister is my new like accountability buddy, even though she lives in Wisconsin. To get myself out of the damn house, I think I have become like a little loki,

agoraphobic or just like too comfortable not leaving the house. Tiffany, I know you can probably relate, but it's really annoying to me how beneficial just going for a walk has been to my mental health, and like how I feel about my day annoying to me because I'm just like why my brain gets in these funks where I just cannot convince myself to put on a pair of shoes and leave the house and walk out of the door. And yet when I do, I feel so much better.

Like what I just I don't it seems like such a burden and so hard to do, And I'm not gonna lie there. Some days when it really feels like I can't bring myself to leave the house, I don't have the energy. There's so many good excuses and good reasons why I can't. But slowly but surely, I am trying to get back on it. And my Apple Watch has been helping because I love a competition so me and my husband are competing, and I'm feeling a lot better.

Free good mental health therapy. Get outside, y'all try to at least no.

guest hold myself back from achieving. And I would always say, like, oh, you know, this level of success I'm good with, but like, oh, man, I can only imagine the kind of work that Beyonce and Oprah have to do. I'm not willing to do that much work to get that level of success. So I've been telling myself that that I couldn't possibly put in the level of work that they must do, because you know that's I mean it sounds like, you know, it makes sense, but I realized that was just limiting

beliefs and thoughts. So I happened to say that during our grill and chill and she was like, I don't believe that. She said, this is what I tell my kids when they say that they're not able to do something. She said, I remind them that what that really means, what they're really saying is I need help. She said, how do you think Oprah Beyonce, Michelle Obama achieve and accomplish at that level They don't do it because they're all alone. Is that they have gotten really good at

maximizing their community and getting help. And I just like it was such an AHA moment because honestly, many I've been saying that, oh, well, like, you know, I'm not gonna be Opra level because I'm not willing to put in Oprah work. And I'm like, girl who taught you that? Yes, internally I tell my what I'm like now, but you know,

and internally I've been telling myself that. And I was like, wow, but it's just something I feel like I've been saying at a fear thinking that like I would not be capable or able to take myself to the next level. So it was just like it was a release that I needed that a reminder that if for whatever reason, I'm unable to do something, it's just a signal that I need help. It just means that I need to hire somebody, I need to talk, I need to reach out.

And I just wanted to share that because you might have, like you know, be a listeners, you might have some limiting thoughts and stories that you're kind of telling yourself that I'm not able, I'm that capable, especially anonymous, that what you're really saying is that I need help, and help is help is available for those who ask. There's a great I don't know if it's like I guess it's a quote and it just goes a problem shared

is a problem solved. So you know that in sharing what's happening and in asking externally for help, the solution

is somewhere out there. It's going to meet you. So I just you know, it was just like, honestly it was when I tell you it's such a small thing but such a life changing lesson because I was like, wait, so for the last ten years I've been saying that you made it tell me that's not true, and I'm like, so I'm releasing myself of I can't possibly achieve Oprah level or Beyonce level, who says they have help and all I need is help, And so that's my boost.

much happier. And my friend was looking at me like, no one's gonna buy this ship.

own Molly Moore action figure. Pixar is probably gonna come knocking to turn Molly Moore to a movie. I want tickets to the premiere. That's awesome, though.

perspective by saying no, I just tell my kid. No doesn't mean you can't do it. It just means that you you need help. And I was like, life change. So I would love Mandy and I would look look on volunteering Mandy Magee and I would love to do that for you. So tag us. It's the BA podcast on IG.