Single Dad Comes Back to Shore (Part 2)
What We Spend
Audacy
4.6 • 689 Ratings
🗓️ 25 June 2025
⏱️ 39 minutes
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Summary
Last week we heard from Michael, a single dad of twins in Massachusetts. This week he’s leaving all the hidden fees and mishaps of the cruise and returning home—where it’s much harder to ignore the weight of his current financial situation.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A heads up before you listen. This podcast is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. |
| 0:07.6 | We are not financial advisors. You should always do your own research and consult your own financial advisor before spending or investing your money. |
| 0:16.5 | Please note that all income, financial information, and expenses in what we spend are self-reported. |
| 0:23.6 | Last time on what we spend, we met Michael, the single dad of 10-year-old twins who |
| 0:29.6 | feels caught in a cycle of debt that he's not sure he'll ever get out of. |
| 0:33.6 | If you missed that episode, pause right now and go back and listen to that so you can get the full story. |
| 0:40.4 | When we left off, Michael was just about to leave his cruise, with all the hidden fees and fun and mishaps that come with traveling with kids. |
| 0:48.5 | On this episode, Michael returns home to the reality of his life, with all his bills and his two jobs and another |
| 0:55.5 | really big thing his family is navigating right now. |
| 0:58.8 | Back home, it's much harder for Michael not to feel the weight of his current financial |
| 1:03.1 | situation and not to think about what it would mean if he could finally be free. I'm Courtney Harrell, and this is what we spend. |
| 1:19.8 | What was money like growing up? |
| 1:22.3 | Money in my family is so fascinating. |
| 1:24.7 | My grandfather was an immigrant, came over on the boat from Italy, |
| 1:29.6 | has been written up about, he's no longer alive, but he was written up about as the American dream. |
| 1:37.4 | He had a third grade education, came over on the boat, didn't speak any English, started his own business and became a millionaire. |
| 1:47.0 | The business was an icebox business that turned into a successful furniture business that supported the family. |
| 1:55.0 | Michael's grandparents were the ones who took care of him and his mom growing up. So everything was always provided for. |
| 2:01.7 | But even though they had money, things weren't fancy. |
| 2:05.6 | My grandparents were extremely humble and they never really showed that they had money. |
| 2:16.0 | They lived in a one-story ranch that's actually at the top of the |
| 2:21.3 | street in my house. It had one bedroom and then like a very small, large closet that my mom |
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