Budgeting for a Brighter Future

How many of us look at our bank account and ask: How did I get here? The truth is we know just look outside your front door—Amazon much. Truth is you didn’t budget. We see this type of situation play out with married couple, Donnell and Monique. They need to get their finances in order so they can pay down their $200K debt and buy a house. In order to make it happen, Donnell and Monique agree to be transparent with one another about their spending. But change is hard. Donnell finds himself struggling to maintain transparency, when Monique checks him for buying sneakers that aren’t part of their budget. What’s so real about this story is that it’s relatable AF. Budgeting can be challenging especially when it’s something you haven’t practiced. In episode 4, New Cash, Old Problems, Donnell has a vulnerable moment when he shares his reason for investing so much in his sneaker game. “I grew up poor…there’s no talk about finances because there was no finances"—many of us know what it's like to not have money when we were younger. As adults we want to fill that gap from childhood and we end up spending like we have endless cash flow. However, deep down inside we know that just because we have more now doesn’t mean all of our purchases are financially sound.

Level the Playing Field

In the first episode the series gets real, real quick. Viewers are immediately introduced to a young married couple, Amani and Matt.They are a high income family with two kids. Amani is the sole breadwinner while Matt is a stay-at-home dad. Despite their income they are still struggling with money management. This challenge leads to revealing a deeper issue: navigating gender roles in a marriage. Matt feels

less and less valuable as Amani makes more and more money. He admits that he doesn’t have financial autonomy or influence within the household. Amani feels she’s earned the right to make all the money decisions as the breadwinner. Insert gender wars. By the end of episode 1 it’s unclear that the audience will be seeing Amani and Matt again. Essentially, they have a huge fight, a la Real Housewives Reunion style. While it makes for great TV, the major takeaway is that no matter who brings home the bacon, communicating with your partner about finances can be hella hard but it is still very necessary.

Budgeting for a Brighter Future

How many of us look at our bank account and ask: How did I get here? The truth is we know just look outside your front door—Amazon much. Truth is you didn’t budget. We see this type of situation play out with married couple, Donnell and Monique. They need to get their finances in order so they can pay down their $200K debt and buy a house. In order to make it happen, Donnell and Monique agree to be transparent with one another about their spending. But change is hard. Donnell finds himself struggling to maintain transparency, when Monique checks him for buying sneakers that aren’t part of their budget. What’s so real about this story is that it’s relatable AF. Budgeting can be challenging especially when it’s something you haven’t practiced. In episode 4, New Cash, Old Problems, Donnell has a vulnerable moment when he shares his reason for investing so much in his sneaker game. “I grew up poor…there’s no talk about finances because there was no finances"—many of us know what it's like to not have money when we were younger. As adults we want to fill that gap from childhood and we end up spending like we have endless cash flow. However, deep down inside we know that just because we have more now doesn’t mean all of our purchases are financially sound.

Level the Playing Field

In the first episode the series gets real, real quick. Viewers are immediately introduced to a young married couple, Amani and Matt.They are a high income family with two kids. Amani is the sole breadwinner while Matt is a stay-at-home dad. Despite their income they are still struggling with money management. This challenge leads to revealing a deeper issue: navigating gender roles in a marriage. Matt feels less and less valuable as Amani makes more and more money. He admits that he doesn’t have financial autonomy or influence within the household. Amani feels she’s earned the right to make all the money decisions as the breadwinner. Insert gender wars. By the end of episode 1 it’s unclear that the audience will be seeing Amani and Matt again. Essentially, they have a huge fight, a la Real Housewives Reunion style. While it makes for great TV, the major takeaway is that no matter who brings home the bacon, communicating with your partner about finances can be hella hard but it is still very necessary.