Hey, hey, hey, we're back. We're black like the Oscars and brown.
Oscar's so brown?
I know?
Is that a hashtag? Yet?
No? No, I did see someone right like Oscars so black, but I say brown, well yeah, brown because oh my gosh, so many amazing awards. First of all, Regina King, okay, come through Brenda two to seven? What you know about it?
She has owned the red carpet and the awards season for like like the past two three seasons. Like she's having a moment like capital.
M Yeah, I love her and a long time coming. Do you know two two seven, Mandy? Because you didn't say anything, I'm like, let me seef your A brown card is gonna be revoked.
It's revoked. I don't know what that is, ah my heart.
Okay, isn't we.
Vokes because I'm young? Or evoked because I'm that's like the white part of me who watched Save by the Bell instead of whatever that show is.
Actually, I know, I want to say, so to be fair, it is like it's it's not. I mean, it definitely it's you know, Brian and black. But to be fair, you were like, I don't even know you might have been like two so to be fair, I'm gonna allow you to keep your cards there. Yeah. So, but because it was I definitely watched it as like a super little kid. So when you get a chance, so do your googles on two two seven, because that's when I
was introduced to to Regina King. She was Brenda, a teenager on this on the show I believe two two seven was a spin off of Amen. I know some of you guys are gagging, those of you and your people of a certain age, so yeah, they're're googles. It was just a great little show.
Mollie Molly wants to be on the podcast. Oh well, our third co host is Molly's.
Do tell who's got a dog? Yeah?
I got a dog. We just got a brand new dog this past weekend. Sorry, I had to meet myself for a second so I could calm her down. She's a little kiddish. She's a rescue dog and she's been through it. Okay, it was the fight of the century, I have to say to get this dog. But I wanted it. I've been asking for her for years and I won.
Oh well, she looks so cy I saw it on IG I was like, oh, look at Mollie. Do you know what kind of mix she is?
Or yeah, she's It was such a funny story because my friend she's a lab mixed with probably a Boston Terrier. We think she's like a miniature Labrador. She's small, she's perfect, I say it. She's like snuggling up and wanting food. Yeah. So, I mean, I grew up with dogs, so I always wanted a dog. My husband did not and didn't understand why I was so obsessed with it. But I'm like, you get a house, I get a dog.
You are super suburban.
Now, well, my friend Laura was fostering the dog in Manhattan through this rescue in Brooklyn called Muddy Pause, and she just posted a picture on Instagram and I just looked at her and I said, I want that dog. That's my dog. But then the universe said, no, no, it's not, because there was like ten people in line in front of me with appointments to meet this dog. Because in Manhattan, of course, it's like any great real
estate dog. Real estate's also really hard to come by. Really, yes, So you're like to find a dog who has a good temperament, you know, good with kids, good with people, really sweet you know, it's hard because you know a lot of what's in shelters, are you know, the less desirable dogs, you know, sad sad to say, but senior dogs, dogs who have bad reputations, you know, whether they're earned
or not. So when I saw you know, the dog anyway, I got my hopes up, and then they were dashed because I had all these people in front of me. And then they even told me to come out to like Union Square where they have that they roll out this truck with the dogs in it and you can come and see the dogs and maybe take one. And I went out in a limb and I showed up at that event and I waited, like in the freezing
cold for an hour and a half for her. And this little volunteer said, oh, I'm so sorry, she was just adopted. And yeah, and I have my husband drive all the way down to come meet her, and he has, you know, finally, you know, agreed to get a dog. And he came down and we had to turn right back around and go home. But twenty minutes into the ride, I got a call from my friend and she said,
the people who just adopted her changed their minds. Can you come back and yes, I know, it's like it's a really good rom com except for except for it's a dog.
Yeah.
So I went back and then I it was a lot of these adoption agencies, man, they really like they're just I don't know, I guess it's all in good intent, how you know, weirdly rigid they are. But I filled out the application, got my little interview done, and she was mine went home with her like that night.
Oh Molly, Yeah I didn't. I didn't grow I had a cat, but I didn't grow up with dogs. You know. Immigrant families typically are not big on pets, even my cat. My dad's like, so she's gonna sleep in the garage, right, I'm like in the winter in New Jersey. I'm like no, He's like, yes, she is what my dad would go in the house and I'm like, come on inside, Cinder, you're sleeping with me, buddy. So yeah, like animals, I mean, I always wanted a dog, but it's like, you can
barely clean your room. You're not walking this dog. So you can get a cat or fish.
She'll get a dog. She's the best. She's so sweet and she's so comforting and cute, and it just distracts you from everything that's going It might have gone wrong on your day, you just can't think about it because you have to come home and walk the dog and cuddle the dog and fill her toy with peanut butter. And you know, is she what does her poop look like? That's what I concerned myself with.
A yeah, well, moll, we hope to meet you one day.
Well, well, you know, she'll be an Instagram celebrity soon. Check her out on the gram. Back to the Oscars, though, because there were some moments that happened, so Spike Lee finally wedding, Spike Lee winning, jumping into Samuel L. Jackson's arms, which was like really adorable and beautiful, but then apparently he like threatened to he almost walked out of the
theater when Green Book won Best Picture. I don't think it was televised, butther than I read about it, So I haven't seen the movie almost because I'm just already annoyed at all the controversy, Like every movie is like, you know, whatever it handles race isn't handling it the right way according to everybody.
Well, I guess the problem with Green Book is that so so for those who don't know that literally, like aside from the movie, the Green Book was literally this book that worked that was for black motorists that were traveling around the United States of safe places that you could go and eat and sleep and go because it
was really dangerous to travel. I mean it's dangerous now, but even more so in like the fifties and sixties, and so they created this book to say it's safe to eat here, it's safe to park here, it's safe to sleep here. So that's what the Green Book was. And from what I understand from the clips that I've seen about The Green Book the movie, it is very much the white Savior syndrome. Remember remember the Last Samurai. Did you ever see that with Tom Cruise Cruise? Yeah,
sot great movie. I was like, Oh, this is great until you realize, like, oh, so Tom Cruise, the white guy is the last Samurai that saves all these poor Japanese people who cannot possibly defend themselves. I get it. And so Green Book feels very much like that that. Instead of making it about this historic book that really helped motorists of color to be able to experience travel in the United States, it was more so about Vigo Morgansen I think his name is being the white Savior.
Tomherschela Ali and it's like here we go, you know that, go ahead.
It's just funny you bring that up, because like in the acceptance speech, all it was all white guys speaking, and they even like made Vigo the white savior of the movie. Like without Vigo, this movie wouldn't have gotten made, like, and I hadn't seen it, so I just don't know how to feel. But the optics of like the white director, the white whoever they were, you know, being the ones accepting the award and speaking on it did make me feel a certain kind of way because.
You're writing about a historic black experience without anyone on stage being from that culture to be able to say, well, actually, you.
Know what I mean. Octavia Maherschel has seemed to stand by it, though.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, I'm not, like I said to be all, I have not watched the movie, so I can't even say it's terrible. This is just from like the feedback that I've seen from people who have watched it, especially there's a lot of feedback for people who are in the travel industry, where you know, like this is what they do, this is what they study, and their disappointment with the way Green Book was portrayed and written.
I see, well, at least this year you can at least at least this year. It wasn't like Green Book was the only film with the cast with people of color, like there was so there was so much to comfort ourselves with, like Black Panther, Ruth E. Carter, the Cost of Fire winning, Oh my god, I know I'm blinking on everything else that happened. Mahrscha Ali, Okay, he did win for for a green Book. I know, black Pantsina King, yep,
of course, Regina King, Black Panther. But even like the presenters, it felt like the Oscars freshened, even just who was Like they had Queen Latifa what if she introduced now I forget that part. I think she introduced the favorite, But Queen Latifa was there as a presenter. She had Jennifer Lopez as a presenter, Constance Wu who was big with like crazy Rita.
I love that movie. And then Who's Who's a young man? I always forget his name? The one who who played Freddie Mercury and Bohemian Rhapsody.
Oh, mister big eyes Robby Aleck, he's creepy look and come on, yeh.
But honestly, but like I was, I was on a flight it's back in California, and I Watchedhomian Rhapsody. It was really I mean, I get it. A lot of people were like, they really glossed over the the queer part of of Freddie Mercury and made it very, very PG. I mean, all that set aside, like you know, I guess it's the same thing. How I could see how the queer audience would feel about that, the way you know, black audiences would feel about Green Book. But to me,
his portrayal of Freddy mrcury was so amazing. Like they actually have these videos where they have side by side, like you know of Live Aid, where you see Ronnie performing and you see Freddie Mercury and you're like, wow, it's uncanny how he mimicked his his movements and the way he just showed up on saying he was Honestly, he was really good. Even if people have an issue with the movie.
I liked. I mean, the movie was fine. I fell asleep pathway through, like I did with all the mopiics. But that's just because the fun stuffs at the beginning and at the end. But no, I mean I thought he was really good, but I just wouldn't want to run into him. And then the alley that's dark with those big guys.
You know, it's so crazy. Freddie Mercury was like my introduction into LGBT because I remember I was like in high school. Maybe I was in middle school when you know. I think when he Freddie Murcury died and it was of age and I knew, you know, I knew where age was. And then then making this big I think it was like an MTV news then making the big thing that he was gay. But I didn't. I didn't. I mean, I knew gay what gay man that it's like, oh a man and man and a woman and a woman,
but I didn't really understand. I remember watching his video because they were playing you know, Bohemian Rhapssey is one of their most famous songs, and I remember staring at the TV looking at Freddie Mercury to see if I could see the game because I didn't get like, I'm like, what is a big deal? You know, as a kid, I remember thinking like, okay, so how does gay look because he's just like a guy. You know. I just remember being so fascinated with like, why is this thing
called gay? So that's a big deal and this guy just looks like a regular guy. Why why can't I see what everyone else sees?
And I just children the world?
But yeah, so that was I mean, after so brown Black, we loved it. You know, we'll take it. We'll take it. But yeah, it was a you know, it was a I didn't watch the whole show, but definitely some of it. And I love the fact that shallow shallows one in a shallow Yes, I love that song.
With movies, I watched the movie three times. I don't care. It's like my new favorite rom com, even though it's not a comedy, I know, but I love that you haven't WoT it's good next plane ride and you gotta watch it next.
That's why I watched my favorite movie, like, you know, like get all I get caught up on my movie. I'm like, ooh plan my movie. Oh so something special happened yesterday for me.
I have to you know what, I'll do it as a wink, okay, as your brown boost Oh yeah, my brown boots.
Yes, I forgot we'll.
Do it killed the winds is happening in life.
Then honestly, the house is finally like the house.
We haven't heard about the house in a minute.
I know. I've just been like, whatever, girl, if you know, everything that could go wrong goes wrong. I ordered some top from home Depot. First Bank of America canceled the order because they were like, this looks like fun. I'm like, but I called you, I remember the day, yes, and then I ordered it. Finally thought I was gonna come on Friday. Home Depot mixed up my billing and my mailing address. I'm like, I don't live there, so I had to read order it today so to be in
another week. And it's just like little thing. Honestly, it's not the biggest thing in the world. I mean, at the end of the day, I'm going to have a beautiful home. But it's just those things that because you if you don't put the town in the kitchen, you can't put the cabinets. If you can't put the cabinets, you can't put the countertop. So you know what I mean. It's just like one thing holds up another thing. But we're at least talking about paint standing floors, meaning that
we're on like the the last layer. So I think really, by the end of March will be inside the house. Woo woo woop. I cannot wait because it's been a long time coming.
It's so funny how like I know the agony that you're feeling just waiting but online and like, what's she talking about? It's been like that hasn't been that Long's like when you're the one whose house it is. Yeah, it seems like years. I mean those were the long I look back now and like it's only a few months. It's the longest freaking months of my life.
Yeah, and everything seems like such a Like my contractor was like, Tiffany, you know you have to order the Washington dryer because we built like a special closet for it, and like, oh me and super Mario were like almost coming to blows. I mean really obviously, you know, but you know because you're like, well, I don't. Because he's like, I think we should get the gray one. I'm like, babe, the gray one is three hundred dollars more and he's like yeah, but oh so okay, so you don't want style.
I'm like, are you kidding me. I was like, oh, like, what's happening to us? I was like, babe, We're not getting the gray washer and dryer just because it looks more stylist. It's going to be in the closet that no one's going to see except for during the walkthrough, during our one and only when we have our you know, our householding party. Other than that, it's just us that's
going to see this white washer and dryer. Can you imagine, like this is the talk that we have now about like so I gave him so.
We can't imagine? In fact, yes, very very deeply. Now we have the gray washer and dryer. That was a fight that I lost. So good luck to you because I know the white ones white appliances are cheaper. But yes, and yet yeah, it's be nice to look on the other side and hear you talk about that stuff.
Well, he has one veto car, so we had a rule. He was like, as long as you let me do whatever I want in the man cave in the basement, you could do the rest of the house. But he does get one like veto, like one major Veto card. So I was like, you know, we were talking about like what bed we wanted, and I was like, well, I don't want that. I was like, is this your Vito card? He's like, no, I have a feeling that he's going to use his Veto card to break my heart.
It's going to be something that I really want.
Oh man, don't mess around with tile and backsplash. That's very you need to win on those.
No, that one thing for so oddly enough we are on the same page with tile. I cannot believe like we brought all the tile for the house and we have not. It's not been any pushback. It's like, oh I love that me too. So you know, he's really modern his aesthetic and I'm more traditional. But there are places that we kind of meet in the middle. So it hasn't been too too bad. But some stuff I'm just like getting and not saying anything. It'll just show up.
Are you saying on budget though, let's get let's talk about that.
Yeah, no, you know, you're just like, you know what, at this point, as long as we stay I'm not as a stickler as I was where I mean, we're not as bad, you know, I will say that as far as the actual renovation itself, that is staying fairly on budget. I mean, like, we're definitely gonna use our what is that thing called like when you have like the over edge or whatever, yeah's contingency. We're definitely gonna use our contingency because there were just some things and
it's not because of like style things. It's like, oh, you know, like we didn't know that pipe burst that kind of thing, so we'll be under we'll be in budget with the contingency. But now it's more so like the stuff that we want that I'm like, oh, I don't know, We're gonna stay on budget with the stuff that we want, so, yeah, we'll see.
The furnishings is where we got because everything's so pretty. Yeah, and once you see the way that your curtainslick when you buy curtain rings, I cannot tell you. I'm like curtain rings for every window. If those things are like twenty five bucks a box, but they make everything look
so much better and the good quality stuff. I mean, I just the justification in my head was it's not about putting money into the house to get return on investment anymore, because that's not something that makes sense or is logical. You can't bank on making money back on your house. For me, it was about investing in personal happiness so that when I came home it was a
good place, a nice place to be. So that is and then that that was how I wound up going over budget for the furnishings were not too too over budget, And looking back now, I don't know you should do the same thing. But looking back now, if there is one thing I think I regret spending money on, I would say, what can I even say? Can I say the hvac? Really? My husband would be like, you're an idiot, because that was a really good investment, But I haven't.
It hasn't been long enough to reap the rewards of that yet. Right now. It's just like we swapped out the oil for pro pain and I get a five hundred dollars pro pain bill once a month now, and I'm like, what in the holy hell? So maybe a better way to do this is like regret. I do regret how expensive the propane bill has been. But what maybe what I regret regret is that we did not
spend the money to have our living room properly insulated. Okay, yeah, because what's happening is that we're having to crank the heat to keep the living room warm when our bedroom is roasting because it was properly insulated. Because everything that like knew that we got done, the contractor did insulate properly. But the existing living room we didn't think and he didn't think to bring it up and no one else did.
And so it's going to cost us like a couple thousand dollars to get blow in insulation.
Yeah we did.
Yeah, so that's smart because my husband we did buy like extra insulation from home depot and then my husband installed it under the like in the crawl space in the kitchen, but he couldn't do what he couldn't do, So where he put insulation, it's already made a difference. But unfortunately our living room is still like an ice box. And that's a very roundabout way of saying. Insulation is where the real money, say starts, So spend the money on insulation if you can.
And so that's one of the things that it took us. So because the house was built in nineteen twenty, they were like, what's installation?
So hold, yeah, like what did they do? My god, freezing my ass off over here?
And so thank for you for reminding about the crows because we do have a cross space. Oh, I'm gonna say cross space. I'm actually like texting my contractor right now because I'm like, ah, I forgot, Like.
When he based the attic, he did, Yeah, that's how I found those sexy books that are former house owners left in the left under the house. Oh my god, yeah he was. He went under. It's like it's the cross space under the kitchen and he just stuck the yep.
Yeah. And so that's one of the things that like our contractor Justin told us. He was like, you know, like the house because there's some things that he's doing, like you know, we're doing the bathroom, so of course he's putting installation, like you said, in those places. But he was like, I really suggest because you could feel that the house was drafty because you know, it's an older house and there's a lot of the original features. So we paid it was four thousand dollars.
Well that's what I'm paying in eight months of the dam program bill.
So and honestly that's why I said, I was like, you know what, Tiffany, You'll make this back in the year. Like because when we first got in the house and the heat was on, like we were like, you know, because you know, of course we do walk through whatever and it would be chilly. And now when I go in, Mandy, it's like and we don't even have all of the
all of the radiators like plugged up. It's only two of them in the house right now that are that are on, and the house feels warm, and I'm like, you know what, that's if there's anything, it's the best four thousand dollars I've ever spent. Now, I am because my husband did not want the HVAC system. I'm just
pray because it was not it was not cheap. I'm just praying that it worked, like it's worth it because it was really expensive, and I'm like, yikes, I hope that we didn't spend all this money and we don't really need h back like that, so we'll see.
Well, it'll be worth it if your insulation's right, because then you won't have to use it. But then I'm like, then why did we get it? Like yeah, anyway, live and learn. We're gonna get that blow in insulation, which is what you can do if you you don't want to take all your walls down. You can just they poke little holes in the outside of the house and blow it in.
Yeah, you put it like on the exterior walls, and so it's like it's weird to see like all the holes like popo po po po. But yeah, it's it makes a huge difference, just to make sure that whoever does it for you that you really like pack it in, pack it in, you.
Know, because this has been a really cold It hasn't been a snowy winter, but it's been pretty cold the past couple of months. Yeah. Man, those bills are no joke. And that's why, you know. And at this point, I'm just like fatigued from spending money on the house that I'm just like, can we go on vacation. I don't care about an installation right now, just can we go on a vacation. I'm tired of spending money and you know,
I don't know, just on house stuff. So it's a constant, constant battle, but overall happy and you'll be You'll be there soon.
Yeah, I can't wait. And now it's time to take questions from all our family b r o wn and this. Oh okay, every once a while, you I get the little town you know, Okay Whitney, you know Whitney from Newark, so you know there's a little something there happening. There's a little synergy. So it is time for question owns, Question Owned. We have some really great questions. Super excited before we start questions next week is it's our tax episode and it's going to be awesome, Like just because
we have this awesome guest. Her name is Terry's can tell she is amazing. She's an expert inside my literature academy. But honestly I met her because her tax videos were going viral, not just in my DreamCatcher group on Facebook, but just on online. Because she is smart, she is savvy, and she is brilliant when it comes to taxes. So
we're excited to have her on. So if you have cool questions about your taxes, and you know you do because you hit me with them and I'm like, Who'll see who's the CBA not I. I'm the budget lista, not the tax anista. So you can send them in so Terry can answer them at.
Brand Ambition Podcast at gmail dot com.
Dot com, or you can go to brannibisionpodcast dot com and click ask us anything is it? Ask us anything.
It is ask us anything? Yep, I mean know what?
Thanks?
Okay, so let this get these questions pop? And what we have in the question box?
Cool? So we gotta ooh, we got a quest We gotta have a little question from a fellow Uga grad. So, hello, Deja. I love that name. Danger reminds me of the actress from This is Us.
Oh I like that name too.
Okay, Desa, So fellow Georgia Bulldog says, my name is Desa and I'm emailing to ask for help finding a new bank. I'm recently engaged in my fiance and I are looking for a bank to start our joint checking and savings accounts. Brave women, we'd like to bank. We'd like a bank with no fees, has modern technology like online banking, online deposits, and many ATM locations, and could become a borrowing resource when we look to purchase a home.
I love the podcast and go dogs yay Desa ew so must be a new listener, because I.
Was gonna say, first of all, Desa got her list. You know, like when you're like this is the kind of man on one to date, You're like, girl, good luck.
These banks exist luckily. Well, here's the thing. So online if you want like modern technology and no fees, online
banks are the way to go. When you get an online bank, you're banking with the institution that doesn't need to spend a lot of money on people and like locations like light bills and electricity for brick and mortar locations, so they're able to actually pass all that savings onto customers, and they typically have, typically not always have higher rates on their savings accounts, which is great if you're looking to save with your fiance for your wedding or for
your future house. They also offer higher rates a lot time a lot of times on CDs, and because they're online only, they kind of have to have an awesome website and an awesome app, otherwise people wouldn't bank with them. What they don't always have is a lot of ATM locations, but some banks make up for in a couple of ways. Either they tap into all Point like these all Point is one of the ATM networks that's like thirty thousand ATMs.
They're like the ones you see at drug stores and sometimes bodegas or convenience stores, and they'll tap into that network and say as long as you use one of these all point ATMs, then there's no fee. And otherwise they may offer to reimburse you. If you do use an ATM and you get charged that like two dollars three dollars fee, they may offer to reimburse you, you know, fifteen dollars a month or ten dollars a month to take that staying out of it. So I'd recommend an
online bank. And there's actually, you know, I used to have a favorite. I mean I still do. I bank with Ally Personally me too, both we're both fans of Ally and I got my mortgage through them, So they're awesome, and they're not a sponsored you know, not just as
free advertising for Ally. However, they have some competition. There are a lot of new online banks out there, so I'll drop a link to our We update our monthly roundup of best online bank accounts, best online savings accounts every month, so it's always popping with like new accounts. And there's a new account now called Varo Bank, which is brand new and they're offering really competitive rates. They're simple, that's been around for a while. They're a new bank.
Marcus we have Marcus by goldmuth Sachs. They offer personal loans and also I will leave a deposit account product, so FI even has a checking account. Now there's there's tons out there, so.
Even Acorns, I think it's getting in the game. And you know, Acorns was typically like an investment like kind of like online product, but I heard that they're getting like a regular bank account too.
Yeah, tons of options, so there's no excuse to to not have a good a good bank with great rates and low fees. So good luck de Asia.
Yes, and I honestly I like a bank mix. I'm not gonna lie. I like the big bank for like you know, because I do travel a lot, so meaning like you know, the traditional big old banks those who will not name because they're mostly terrible, but still I mean I need to be able to have access, and I also like to have my online bank ally who
I love, hey with your purple self. And then I do have a relationship with a credit union where I might just have a little bit of like savings there so that way I can potentially look into competitive borring rates. So I like a three bank mix, credit union, traditional big bank where I have my checking and then I keep my savings at my online only bank. So don't be afraid to have a little bit of a mix of if you know, if you're open to that as well.
Yeah, that's a good point. I haven't used your credit union in a while. Ever since Georgetelcode credit Union screwed me over and hold my fifty dollars hostage. I want it back, to get it back when I remember my damn code for the phone. Okay, it's been eleven years, but I have hope.
I bet you that fifty dollars is now fifty five. Girl, get your money.
Okay, thank you Dasah for your question. Here's another question from listener who wants to go by the name Gertrude. Very bold of you, Gertrude. We'll go with that. So Gertrude says, I got to meet Tiffany once at a mass women's conference. Not sure if she remembers, but I took some photos of her while she was presenting and sent them to her. Hatis, Hey, I do remember, Gertrude. You remember Gertrude?
Well, I don't. Well, I remember, like you know, the conference, and I remember that there was someone who like I always picked, like my one buddy in the audience. I'm like, ooh, can you take pictures of me on stage and send it to me so I remember that. Yeah, pay Gertrude.
Very clever outsourcing photography. So here's Gertrude's question. Let's get to get to the business here. Gertrude says, my boyfriend and I are paying off a large amount of debt in the next two years. The episode where you had the couple on that paid a ton of debt really inspired us to get our butts into gear this year. Oh that's a good one. Faith in Leo. I think we aired that last June. Go check it out. It's
a great show. She says. We are planning on getting married and we want to get our finances together before we do. Here's what we need help deciding. His credit history is not that long. He opened a credit card three years ago and his credit history in total is six years old. My boyfriend only has two credit cards in total, and his current utilization rate is eighty eight percent. We know, yikes, we are paying on all that credit card.
We are paying on that credit card with all that debt as we speak, though, the problem is that his first credit card, which he doesn't use charges him eight dollars a month, and it's a crappy card, not like a card where you get rewards. I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but that's ninety six dollars a year for a credit card. Do you think he should close that card or will it hurt his credit credit
score too much? I know you said not to worry too much about credit scores unless you're buying a home soon, but we found ourselves in situations recently, like leasing a car where a credit score does matter.
Gertrude Girl. First of all, yay, getting getting boo together. That's what I did. You know, me and manager both did that with our booths ahead of time. You know some such you know, build that husband. But so for Superman, he too didn't have a long credit history. He too had a utilization that was like I think his was like ninety percent. And so sometimes you have to decide when are you going to take the l You want to take it now, you want to take it later.
It's typically better to take it now, meaning pay off that card and get rid of it, because you know, you the thing is your credit score. You have to think about it as your GPA. It is an average of your financial financial choices as it relates to credit. But really they really take into consideration really the last
two years, you know. So if you're thinking you're gonna get married in like two years, that means you have two years to rebuild whatever that dropping credit might be by losing that card, and then that's ninety six dollars times two years that you can pocket. So I would get rid of that card. It's not worth it to keep it because you're worried about length of credit history. It's just not because you know ten years from now
you don't want to. You know, that's like a thousand dollars for what you know versus like take the dip and you know, do right by his credit and he will he will bring those points back pretty quickly.
Yeah, I mean it sounds eighty eight percent utilization is what I'm like bugging my eyes out about here. No, I mean eighty eight percent. I mean that is that'll really drag a score down. And if you're looking at like, like you said, leasing a car, when you're doing things together as a couple, that's when you're his you're you know, you're only as strong as your weakest link. Credit wise
when you're looking at doing things together. So it's good that you're working on improving your credit together and definitely help him pay that down, like Tiff said, yeah, it's a good tip.
May me know, it's sometimes it's hard, like you know, I feel like it's so crazy now that so many like I get so many more relationship questions now, whereas before I used to be like I don't know, like so, but it's just great because now, I mean I would give advice before from a space of like I think this is the best, you know, way to go about it, and now I'm like, oh, I tried it, that does
not work, and this is what's working currently. But Superman and I are still navigating you know, money and marriage and money and relationships, and there's something that we're doing that's totally working well or if they were, and then a year later it's like, yeah, not so much. So we still you know, it's a work in progress. And I just feel like you have to find the right mix for you about what works for you and your relationship.
The hardest thing for us is when talking when to talk about things, I mean I want to talk about I can talk about it anytime, in bed, in the car, eating dinner, whatever, and he's like, I you know, you know, he's just more particular about when we talk about money. And it's really hard when like you have you feel like what you're saying, what you have to say is the most important thing ever, and the fact that they don't want to talk about it right now is like
the rudest thing ever. But we've had to work on like scheduling certain times to have the discussion because he doesn't. He tends to feel ambushed, and you know, I have a strong personality, so me he's like, He's like, I literally just got home and you just pounced on me. And you're like, but this isn't that what.
Are we gonna do?
And we retire? Blah blah blah. Now today I was hounding him about a state planning with his parents and he's like, can you just relax?
So, you know, it's it's hard because like I'll look like like I was looking at the bills of county the other day and I saw like, withdraw twenty dollars, with draw twenty dogs, with draw thirty. I was like, so I add it up, you know, in petty fashion, and I was like, cause, since since January, you've withdrawn two hundred dollars, what's happening? And because see, I'm the type you know when it comes to my finding, Like if I would draw money from like our joint checking
account for Bill, I put a note. I'm like, oh, for groceries for a gat you know what I mean, because like that's what that account is for. But he doesn't, and so he's like, oh, I think I was gas that day. I think I was. I'm like, you think, what are you now? So he definitely he definitely right. He definitely did the look and walk away, which is.
Like yankes my bad because you look like the accountant all of a sudden, I was.
And I was like, I'm sorry, babe, and he's like, no, you're right, Like I could see looking at I mean, it wasn't like a ton he's I could see looking at it, being like, you know, it's small increments, so it's not about the amount, but it's like I want to know, like what is it for? What is it for? And he was like, I'm going to do better by putting notes by things. He's like, didn't thing is right there when it says transfer amount news, so I'll put a note so that way we're all on the same page.
And I was like, thank you, and I'm sorry for being a little pushy about it. He was like, thank you.
That sounds sounds exactly like what the conversation went like. It sounds very accurate.
But you know, I'm learning because I too can be a little pushy, especially when it comes to the money part, you know. And so yeah, and I'm also very dramatic because I'm like, well, this that's gonna be twenty dollars can be two hundred and two thousand and two hundred thousand.
What are we gonna do if you would talk to He's like, what are you talking about?
And then later I'm like, oh, it was a little bit much. So I'm trying to learn how that I can bring something up, but we could talk about it and it doesn't have to be the end of the world, because twenty dollars is not the end of the world. And likely he brought me lunch.
You know, I don't know. I'm with you, it could be the end of the world. I'm not bad. I will just instigate you. I'm like, but what if he spent two thousand dollars and what if it was what?
Yeah, I without my knowledge, I'm like, that's not happy. So I mean it's hard, Like I said, it's navigating that it's you know, you work on the tone, you work on timing, you work on approach, and so everyone's kind of different of how best it is to talk about something. So yeah, good luck to you, Gertrude, and thanks for the pictures.
Thank you. And that was actually a good segue to another question that we have from what is this lovely listener's name? Oh want to be anonymous. So she has a tax question. I'm gonna save that for next week's tax episode with our tax expert Terry. But her second question is she wants to know how do how does each of us track our expenses? She's curious as to
how we budget. So since we're just talking about that, I don't have I probably should do a better job tracking my expenses because I feel like, definitely when it comes to I haven't updated my Here's here's my frustration with those tools like MINT and Personal capital and stuff.
It's like they don't categorize stuff the right way all the time, and I feel like it takes me so much work to go in and say, no, that wasn't a drug store charge, it was a gift, or no, that wasn't a healthcare charge, it was a utility bill. And what I want to know is I just want someone to tell me how much did we spend on food last month? And how much did we spend, you know, at the drug store and on gas. And I don't feel like these apps, they just take too much work
to do. But that's kind of me just whining. I should still maybe take the time to go and look because I know our spending because the house loosened us up to spending in a way, we haven't been loose in a while, and I have to, like, like recently, I've had to check ourselves, like I shouldn't be spending my entire paycheck, you know, that's not I should be saving part of it. And I feel like we haven't.
We've gotten out of that habit of reserve because I used to live off fifty percent of my paycheck and that was enough to pay for everything, you know, and then save the rest plus whatever my husband brought home. And that's not the case lately. And I'm trying to get us back on track in that.
Way, No, I go, So I'm going to call the listener. Maria. Yes, Maria, and I agree Mandy that something about a house, because you and I think are very similar and that we're like a little bit on the tight side. But there's nothing wrong with that, but like that house will have you wide open, like drop down and get your ear going on. Right, You're like, whoa we been?
Because we have been resisting so long that we are like just a kid in a candy store.
Like, oh my goodness, you know I'll be I'm making decisions and I'm like, oh my god, who are you tiddy? Where is my frugal front? So so yeah, I don't I don't say I don't use any of those apps.
So when I when money was tight, like when I was teaching preschool and I wasn't making you know, like a bunch of money, I was very particular, meaning like I had I had an actual spreadsheet that I would like look at every two weeks and I would set aside, you know, this amount for groceries, this amount for going out, this is not for hair. So I was really clear, but I used just an Excel spreadsheet. And now that I'm doing better, I am less constrained in that I
don't particularly like I live more by percentages. So I save, I would say, probably because we live off of mostly Superman's income, and then I give my parents money every month, so that doesn't come from our joint income that comes from mine. So I venture to say, I say probably upwards of eighty to ninety percent of what I make because we live off his income and then we save and invest mine. But still from that money, I still take take out money, you know, to send to my parents.
And then I have like allowance that I give myself. So the percentage that I set aside for myself, I live off the percentages versus like, okay, this amount for groceries, this amount. It's almost like here's your lump sum, Tiffany. Make it work for the month, you know. And so
that's typically how I live now. I'm not as I'm not as detailed because I'm like, okay, this is you know, I might give myself like to be all the way transparent, I mean, Superman and I like, aside from the renovation, we live fairly simply, I want to say, our whole like the way we live now, we don't have a car, two cars. We don't have any cardinal. Our apartment is super cheap because he's a super so we we we
live where he works. So we paid nine to sixty a month in rent for two bed and when I have that, and then like I don't know, our other bills are really really low. So we we're under I want to say, under thirty five hundred bucks a month. We're probably we're closer to really three thousand dollars a month for our total like life, you know, like including groceries and stuff like that. So as a result, you know,
I don't really have to nickel and diamond. I'm like, all right, boom, I just know Superman is going to transfer his three thousand dollars to fifteen hundred every paycheck, and you know we'll give it ourselves, our allowances and we'll make that work. And so I say, it depends on where you are financially, but for me, an Excel spread chief theth and now it's just a percentage that I give myself. And it's like, well, when this money is done, sifty, so are.
You I need to see that spreadsheet? Let me let me see that spreadsheet.
Yeah, what that's what it separates the real fan fake what man it? I used to be what I would make any any accountant proud. Before the spreadsheet, I had a notebook. I was such my father's daughter because my dad is retired now, but he was an accountant and he was using He still uses a yellow Ledger notebook and like with the lines like I that's how I used to do my budget. I was very particular. And then my sister was like, so it's the two thousands
computers that exist. There's something called Excel. I want you to try it, And so I did so I switched to Excel, and so I still see remnants of it, but I have not used. Like I said, it's probably been about three years since I've lived on that tight, tight kind of like budget like that. I'm just more so, here's your alum sum tipany make it work?
Well, I'm about to get back on it because I really do feel like I just don't it just I'm it just doesn't make me feel good the way that we're spending money sometimes, like I just and it's a blessing to like, I just feel like we aren't we worrying, We should be worrying more. And he's always like, why are you worried. I'm like, because you know, we need to be we need to start. I see the I see the territory we're in now, and we've spent this much on the house, and I'm like, we need to
be in a rebuilding phase. And in order to rebuild, we got to cut back. We can't keep we're living as if we're still spending this much money on the house and yet we're not. It's just it's just, you know, we're spending it on things like groceries and eating out and you know, just all kinds of stuff. And maybe the house plans that I buy an Amazon. Amazon is like killing me. I buy so much stuff on there. But anyway, I'm gonna I'm gonna get back on the budget.
I like the idea of setting up like a percentage of how much you're gonna be spending, and I'm gonna like take an hour and do the mint dot Com thing because I really want the ugly, the ugly truth of how much we've been spending in each category lately, because I think it's gonna hurt.
And it's good to see that. I'm not gonna know like I have, Like I said, I'm like, oh at this point, like honestly, like I'm still when it comes to our day to day life, I'm still such a tight wad. It's really just a housewife that I'm like, Oh, it's like Sasha Fears, you know, is doing the house and then Beyonce is doing the like you're evil twin yeah what like And it's so crazy because Mandy, like I will sweat, like what you over talked about two
dollars and I drove back to get it. But when it comes to the house, it's like, oh, a thousand dollars here you go? Yeah, who am I? Now it's time to booster a break or booster a break or booster a break? Whatchu finn to do? Mandra?
I mean, like you saw when I had my house, everything was tied to my house, and now that I have a dog, just get ready for like everything, all dog, all the time. I'm already an expert in their bowel movements and they're in different breeds and their behavioral patterns.
But the first thing we did after we got this dog, because we were not prepared, and anyone who's thinking of getting a dog, listen, do not get do what I do and go to the adoption event, get the dog, and then like on the way home, we were like,
oh shit, we don't have anything. So we had to go directly to the pet store and they were super nice there, and everything seemed reasonably priced, and we somehow walked out of there with just the bare essentials and we spent three hundred and ninety six dollars three hey hundred and ninety six dollars, and I was like, say what, Plus the adoption fee was four hundred and fifty dollars, So I almost spent one thousand dollars in one day on this damn doll I mean.
I love oh Holley girl, you pridey.
I know, but she's potty trained, so I think the money was worth it. But anyway, here's what I did. So the next day I had buyer's remorse and I ended up going on Amazon for the things that we purchased, like the crate and the bedding for the crate, and even the collar that we bought. I found everything, like I can't even tell you. The crate was one hundred and nineteen dollars in the store and it was like
fifty dollars max on Amazon. The bed that we bought, like the thing that the dog sleeps in and gets poop on, and like whatever else was eighty dollars in the store, not even kidding you it was. I got one on Amazon for twenty five dollars. A lot of money difference, Yes, So we returned most of what we got, the big stuff that we got back to the store and kept, you know, like the little things like toys and dog food and stuff. And I was like, never again,
will they catch me like that? Never again? So I probably ended up getting back like, you know, a couple hundred dollars just from that. So I learned my lesson. Don't do what I did, be prepared and if not Amazon, just at least shop around to compare prices before you let your emotions take you out of control with your with your little puppy.
Oh wow, Molly seems like she's totally worth it. And yeah, she's gonna eat all them coins, honey.
They don't think good practice for a kid when they just suck you dry, right.
Yeah, exactly. So I had a booth yesterday. Was really awesome. It's rare that like something happens and I'm like, uh, because you know, I'm a little chatty and a loss for word. So so you guys know, I helped to write this bill that was then signed into law with a friend of mine, Angela Vie McKnight. She's an assembly woman in Jersey City. So a few weeks ago she was like, hey, what are you doing on the twenty fifth.
I was like, She's like, I want to you for your work as a bunch ofista and as an entrepreneur in the state of New Jersey. And I said okay. She was like, you know, it's gonna be in Trenton. I was like, Trenton, that's like an hour and so drive from Newark. And something said this is the kind of thing you should invite your parents to. Because I really didn't have any intention of like I thought, I was just gonna go, you know, get my little paper and come home. No, it ended up being this big deal.
So you know how like you watch like the Senate proceedings whatever, like on TV. So the state of New Jersey, I guess I don't know if every state has kind of like this assembly floor, but it was so beautiful and historic and gorgeous, so at the State House. So Trenton is the Capital of New Jersey. I'm pretty sure it is so at the State House because it was Black History Month, the the the Black Caucus she had, it's the Black Legislative Caucus of New Jersey. She they
honored me right there on the Assembly floor. And the assembly floor looks like when you watch on TV and they're like, you know, Madam Speaker, and so it looked so fancy. And so my parents came. They got to come on the floor with me as they talked about all the good works I've done as the budgetista and as an entrepreneur, and I got to speak to the whole assembly. But they were you know during the Assembly, you know, they vote on things. This is where laws
are written and created and shot down. And it was just it just felt the magnitude of that day was just bigger than I could really just even articulate or even just feel. And so they have my parents there with me. It was awesome. And so the pictures look amazing just because the place it's so beautiful and historic. So you can like look at my ig the Budgetnista
for some of the pictures. And it was just honestly a really awesome day, and it was just so nice to share with my parents because to me all the way, honest, I was a little bit of a handful as a kid up until college. So my parents, you know, they
went through a lot trying to wrangle Tiffany. And so this is for all the handfuls and that the things that sometimes make you a handfuls are also what makes you awesome and that you know, just you know, lean into your what makes you different and you know, maximize
it to make the best life for yourself. And it's just, you know, it was crazy because I brought my videographer, Jermaine, and I said, you know, something said you know, bring him, And I'm so glad because I saw Jermaine asking my dad in the corner on video, you know, what do you think about today? He's like, you know, I'm so proud of Tiffany. And if you have immigrant parents, the word proud doesn't come out of their mouth very often. And he's like, I'm so proud of Tiffany and all
he said something that made me want to cry. He was like, you know, I have high expectations for all my children, Tiffany included. But to be honest, Tiffany has, she has, she has exceeded any expectation I could have ever even like imagined for her, and my dad has It's not one He's not mushy dad. He's not a you get a participation a ward dad, He's a oh you got a ninety six, where's the other four points? Don't get geeked like? That's my dad, you know, Like
he is never satisfied. He always says you could do better. He always says you could be better. He's always pushing you to the next level. So for him to say that I've exceeded expectations, it's not because it's expectations are low. I mean, he has the highest expectations that you know, even more so than for myself. And so that was just a magical moment. And so that is my brown booze. It was just a magical moment. I want to just thank Angela. She's such an awesome, amazing woman. This is
a woman who's had hundreds of laws already passed. She's only been in office I think in twenty eleven. There are legislators that have not gotten one law pass This woman has had hundreds. And she's always bringing me in and just highlighting me whenever possible, and you know the Black Caucus. It was, like I said, Black History Month, so it was not just me that got the resolution. So that's what they honored me with. It's called the resolution.
It's like an official citation that then gets filed away and like official document status at the state House and all that stuff, and they give you like a in a picture frame for you to take home. And yeah, I just want to thank the stay in New Jersey. This is just an awesome honor and not one that
I take lightly. You know, I work really hard and sometimes too hard if you ask me truthfully, But no, it's because whenever I turn around, there's someone who is needing help and I'm like, okay, how can I fit this into my schedule? So yeah, it just yesterday was just really an awesome, awesome, awesome time.
It's nice to be appreciated. It is, honestly, take a step back and appreciate yourself and like all the work that you've done. So that's awesome. The pictures, I can't wait. I want to see some of the pictures that that you remain took or did he just take video?
Whatever he did a bunch of like so I posted some of them, like especially the ones with my parents. This is one picture that's my favorite, where like my mom is taking a picture of me. I look for someone like I'm in third grade because you see like the back of my parent's head, my dad is looking on and my mom is taking a picture of me with her phone and I'm standing in the middle holding my award.
Yeah, they should give out awards to adults because you know why, like why should we stop at the college diploma or the high school diploma, Like we need to just all take a step back and recognize each other.
Yeah, that's fair and.
It's so nice, right. I was like, oh, look at my pant when I saw that picture. It's such a parent picture, like, oh look at my baby. You could just tell they were like, look at my baby.
You know, do your parents still have like my dad's literally has a wall like a shrine. And it's like Mandy Wood aer a eighth grade algebra on her role, Mandy Wood are a fifth grade perfect attendance like you They keep all those little awards and things.
Over there years they do. And I mean, you know you don't think, you know, I don't care, how girl you are? You know, you tell yourself. I don't care because I know I've definitely told myself that when my parents weren't particularly proud of what I was doing, and I'm like, don care, I'm grown at you. I do what I won't, I do what I won't. But there's nothing like having parental approval and for them to be proud of you. It was just like, like I said, like I I, my parents are not touchy feely, Oh
baby baby. You know that's not them. So for them to say I am proud of you, it means everything because it's not It's not a word that I have heard often in my in my career and even just now as an adult. You know, they really reserve that from when they really are proud of me.
When you deserve it. I'm proud of you too, Not that it matters as.
Much, but it do, but I definitely definitely does matter.
Yeah, that's awesome, congrats, thank you. I don't call you the queen in Jersey for nothing.
Okay, Jersey queen. Okay, they need.
A new queen since Whitney's been gone.
Well, you know, I feel like Queen Latifa. Honestly, it's a queen.
I'll be proud okay, sign fair enough.
But you know, just to close, you know, Queen Latifa, it's a seventeen million note fourteen million dollar. She's building homes or like a housing complex or something like that apartment. I think it's fourteen million dollars and I'm just excited to see, like what happens with it, you know.
I heard that. Yeah, that's amazing. It's nice to see people give back to that community.
Yeah, because we who aren't Mark Zuckerberg exactly dope.
All right, Well, another show, another week gone. We'll see you guys next week with our tax episode. Send us your questions brandonbishpodcast at gmail dot com, and really questions about your text we'll try and get to on the show. And what's our expert tam again?
But you wish Terry Chantel so you could do your googles if you want to. But she's amazing. You're gonna love her.
I have my own list of questions, so get ready
I sis exactly because I could to get my face all the way together with Terry