July 8, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of About That Wallet, host Anthony Weaver speaks with Wanda Belle, a financial wellness coach and founder of Bell Financial Services. They discuss the challenges of the Sandwich Generation, who financially support both children and aging parents. Wanda shares her journey from financial struggle to empowerment, emphasizing planning and discipline.
The conversation covers practical strategies for budgeting, debt elimination, and building financial confidence. Wanda highlights the importance of monthly financial check-ins with her son to foster open communication about money.
Wanda reflects on her past experiences and the lessons learned, reminding listeners that anyone can transform their financial situation. She also stresses the value of continuous education in navigating the financial landscape.
💬 Question of the Day: How do you approach financial discussions with your family? Share your thoughts in the comments!
🔗 Connect with Wanda Belle:
Website: https://bellfinancialservices.com
Social Media: @BellFinancialServices
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=|| 📚 Chapters ||=
(00:00) Welcome and Introduction
(02:30) Wanda's Journey to Financial Wellness
(10:15) Navigating the Sandwich Generation
(20:00) The Importance of Financial Check-Ins
(30:15) Budgeting and Debt Elimination Strategies
(40:00) Managing Credit Wisely
(50:30) Negotiating Bills and Reducing Expenses
(55:00) Final Thoughts and Resources
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⚠️ DISCLAIMER:
This content is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a licensed financial professional when needed.
#AboutThatWallet #FinancialWellness #SandwichGeneration #Budgeting #DebtElimination
Episode 302
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
>> Wanda Belle (00:00):
M. When he was 18, I
took my hands off of like, his bank account, things like
that. So he was tied to my bank account,
but I. We separated it because
I wanted him to feel the independence,
but also know, like, I'm still there if you need
me. And that's why we do the monthly check ins because
(00:21):
at this point it's almost like we're kind of
roommates because he lives in his basement apartment
and there are times I don't even see him because he works and goes to
school. And so I think check ins are
really important, not just in terms of finances, but
I, I ask him like, all the time, like, how you doing, what you
going through, everything. All
right. Just because I want him to feel,
(00:44):
I want him to feel supported.
>> Anthony Weaver (00:50):
Welcome back to another exciting show, the about that Water
podcast, where we help the sandwich generation build
strong financial habits so that they can talk about money, spend
money, and enjoy their money with confidence.
Today I have somebody who is a
financial wellness coach dedicated to helping
individuals take control over their finances and
overcome past money mistakes. As a
(01:12):
founder of Bell uh Financial Services,
she specializes in
personalized one on one coaching, group
workshops, and financial education, providing
practical strategies to eliminate debt,
building, uh, savings and
gain financial confidence. How you doing today,
(01:33):
Wanda?
>> Wanda Belle (01:33):
I'm doing pretty good. How are you?
>> Anthony Weaver (01:35):
I'm doing good. Welcome to the show.
Um, the reason why I would love to have you on this
show to talk about how in the world as a
sandwich generation, can really get out of the
rut. You know, the kids asking for money, the
parents are asking for money, and it's like when you
finally look at your own savings
in your own expenses, it's like, I have nothing
(01:58):
left.
>> Wanda Belle (01:59):
Yeah.
>> Anthony Weaver (01:59):
So how can somebody really,
what, uh, is the best advice would you give to
somebody who's going through that?
>> Wanda Belle (02:07):
So I think it's really easy to get overwhelmed
by finances, by what you don't have, what you
think you should have, and also comparing
yourself and your financial situation to others.
I tell everyone, including myself sometimes, like,
you have to take it one step at a time. Like, I'm a
planner at heart, so for me it's really
(02:28):
important for me to evaluate what's important to
me and make like, um, an action
plan of steps I can take to get there, if that
makes sense. So like, at one time I
was like, super overcome with debt and
it was really weighing on me for a long time and
I literally had to like, take a step back and
(02:48):
tell myself, like, okay, I can't fix it today. I can't
Fix everything overnight. Let me create
a plan, and let me use that plan to
guide my actions, to just take, like, one step at a
time.
>> Anthony Weaver (03:01):
Yeah, and that's really good that you're a planner, because,
you know, um, that's the only real way to make things
work. To me, in my experience, it
seems like planning is such a beautiful
thing. So why is planning important to you,
though?
>> Wanda Belle (03:16):
Um, I think because at one
time I did not have a plan and my life came
crashing down. And
I'm probably a planner to a fault. I
plan everything.
I plan everything. If I don't have a plan, I
feel out of control. And especially
(03:37):
when it relates to my finances. I like
to be in control of where my money is going.
I don't want my money to tell me
where it's going because I have overdue bills or something like
that. Like, I have to have a plan so I
can point things in the direction that I want them to go.
Otherwise, anxiety.
(03:59):
Anxiety is real. So
financial anxiety is really real.
>> Anthony Weaver (04:04):
Yeah. And for the people that are looking to. Well,
the person that's listening to this right now, and
they feel like everything is tight.
We talked about planning, but what are the recommendations to even just
creating a budget?
>> Wanda Belle (04:17):
Okay, so I, uh, actually talk to a lot of clients
who have never created a
budget. They don't know what they're spending
versus what they're making. So I think
one of the first steps to take when you're
getting ready to build a budget is
review. You need to take a look at where your money
(04:38):
has gone in the last, I would say, 30
days. I wouldn't look beyond 30 days because
it can be very overwhelming if you do that.
But, um, doing something like taking your bank
statement, literally printing it out, printing out your bank
statement and evaluating where your money
has gone for the past 30 days,
highlighting what those fixed expenses are.
(05:01):
Like, what. What were the bills that had to be paid?
Um, figuring out how much money you're spending on
those variable expenses those want, you know,
Uber Eats, Amazon, things like that.
And really, like, taking a look to see, okay,
this is where my money has gone. And
thinking about, like, where do I want my money to
(05:21):
go? Thinking about where you want your money to go
will help you to build a budget that aligns
with. With that thought process. Um,
and then from there you just, you know, you gotta kind of
list out what you owe, who you owe,
when you. When it's owed, and you gotta track
the money that's come, like, coming in. And so
(05:42):
over time, like, I feel like when you're first
starting to figure out your budget. It can be a little
rough, it can look kind of crazy,
but once you get into the habit of doing it, like
there are so many tools that can help you, there are so many apps.
Ah, um, I'm a spreadsheet girl, so I
still to this day just stick to a spreadsheet.
Um, but you can, you'll get to a point where it's
(06:05):
kind of like your money bible. Like it's literally
like your plan for your money.
>> Anthony Weaver (06:12):
I like that.
Now you also specialize in helping people with their
credit.
>> Wanda Belle (06:18):
And I said I do.
>> Anthony Weaver (06:21):
Yes. And one
of the things that Mark Cuban has
is he actually recommends paying off high interest
debt as the best place to kind of invest
due to the guaranteed returns. But he
continues to say that the best place to invest is
to pay off all of your credit cards and burn them.
(06:42):
Adding if you, if you're paying
15% of 20% interest,
me or 20% interest, paying that down
is like earning 15 or
20%. Do you agree or disagree with what he
said?
>> Wanda Belle (06:56):
Okay, so
I do agree that it's very important to get
rid of high interest debt for sure.
Credit cards with, uh, 18,
20, 29% interest rate, you're
literally just throwing your way or your money.
But I am, um, a credit card girly, okay?
(07:17):
I have a couple credit
cards and they all serve a purpose. I like
rewards, I like points and all of
that. So yes, I agree
that it's important to get rid of that
debt. You don't want to carry a balance on your credit card month to
month. It's better to invest,
(07:37):
yes, for sure. But if
you are a disciplined individual and you can
use your credit cards
responsibly, you can also benefit from the
rewards. Like I have a platinum, um, Amex that is my
best friend because I use it
consistently. I pay it off every month, but
(07:58):
I build points and rewards and I get
first class flights. I get upgrades
to different things. So it's kind of like a double
edged sword. Like you don't want to carry
a balance now because it really does. It not only
affects your pockets, but it does affect your credit. Um,
having high utilization will bring your credit score
(08:19):
way down. But also if you're disciplined
and you can manage the way that you use your credit cards
effectively, you can actually benefit from the
rewards. So I agree, but I
disagree. But I agree though.
>> Anthony Weaver (08:35):
Because it goes back to having like an authorized
user now. Uh, you have a child
now. Do you actually have them as an authorized user
on any of Your credit cards.
>> Wanda Belle (08:45):
I do. So, um, when my. So my son
is 19, when he was 15, I
added him to, um, one of my Capital
One credit cards as an authorized
user. And the reason I did that was, number one,
I had had that card for about 10 years,
and, um, I never carried a balance.
(09:06):
My credit limit was, I think at the time it was
like $17,000 or something.
So I knew I had, um, a good amount
of credit age, plus a good amount of
credit history that he would benefit from.
Um, that was the only card that I added him to when he
was 15. So by the time he was 18,
he had three years of, um, being on that
(09:28):
card and it being managed very well. So
when we checked his credit score, when he
turned 18, his credit score was a 761.
And then at that time, I had
him open his own credit card to
start building, um, history and age in his
own name. So he manages that himself.
(09:49):
He, he knows, you know, the do's and don'ts of, uh, your
credit card, because I'm his mama.
Um, but now he's like, building
his. His credit score is. Is even more
solid and secure because he's,
um, and payment history in his. In
his own name.
>> Anthony Weaver (10:08):
That makes sense. Did your parents teach you about that?
>> Wanda Belle (10:11):
Absolutely not.
No, they did not. Um, I love my
parents. They're the best things. If it wasn't for them,
I would be here. Um, but unfortunately,
I did not learn.
I did not learn a lot of financial
topics when I was a kid.
(10:32):
Um, I did
not. And because of that, when I left
home, I did
not pay attention to
credit debt, things like that.
I became, uh, a teen mom,
married young, and did
(10:53):
not manage my finances at all. I
let my husband manage my finances for me.
So by the time I was divorced, I was
in a hell of a lot of debt. I was in
a lot of debt. My credit score was
insanely low. I had
$87 in my pocket. I always say that when I
(11:15):
left my. When I left, I left with
$87 in my pocket, a 472 credit score,
and a mountain of debt. And this is one
of the reasons why I tell everybody. I tell
my clients, I tell my friends, I tell my. If
I can change my life the way that I did
coming from that, anybody can.
(11:36):
Because I had no idea where to even start.
But I forced myself to
evaluate my problem, evaluate
my finances, and create a plan
to get me out of that mess.
But I love my parents, but no, they did not. Uh.
>> Anthony Weaver (11:55):
What was, uh, the plan to get out of the rut, like, what was the first
thing you did?
>> Wanda Belle (12:00):
So the. Honestly, it was
very jarring when I realized just how bad my financial
situation was. I honestly had no
idea. And that was a lesson
learned. I put my trust in someone else. I thought
that they were looking out for my financial future, and they were
not. So, um,
(12:21):
it became clear that I needed to figure something
out when I went to apply
for an apartment and got denied.
And so I then had
to take a step back, look at
my finances, look at how much I owed.
That was the first thing I did, was put a.
(12:41):
Literally, uh, write out what I owed and
who and just like,
kind of sit with that for a while. And
then I started to brainstorm, like, okay, this is what I owe.
I have very limited savings. What am I going
to do? And I went
into survival mode. Honestly, I
(13:02):
started working my butt off because I knew I had to
increase my income if I wanted to
take care of this debt and get to a point where I could actually,
like, have my own place and provide for my
kid and things like that. So that was like priority
number one. It was like, okay, I know what I owe.
I know what I have in savings. It's not
(13:23):
adding up. I need to figure out how
to bring in more money so I can take care of these
issues. And it took a while, but
I did it. I was very, very. I
was very, very determined and disciplined. And over
time, I think I did it
right.
>> Anthony Weaver (13:42):
So, like, education, like, did you go to like, the
library or was it like mentors or something
like that to help you build up?
>> Wanda Belle (13:50):
So I did not. I did not really have
mentors. I started to read a lot.
So, um, I did. There were a couple
books that I read that even today
I reread at least. At least
every couple years. Um, one
was. It was literally like, focused on just
(14:10):
like financial literacy for women.
And it was bare, bare basics.
It was literally like, this is a budget.
That's how you allocate your money to. To
want me savings, things like that. And I
just kind of. I started
really, like, just falling in love with
(14:31):
learning about different financial topics.
And I read something
somewhere that sticks with me
through everything. And it was,
you are on nobody's time timeline but your
own. And that was something that I
constantly told myself as I was
(14:52):
getting through this. This period in my life. It was
like I was getting frustrated at the fact that
these paychecks aren't big enough. Like,
paychecks aren't big enough. I owe a lot, you
know, but I Had to give myself some grace. It
was like, I can only do one thing at a time. Like, yeah,
the credit score sucks right now. The debt
(15:13):
is mounting, but I can only take it one step
at a time. And developing that
mindset of, um, I'm not going to compare myself
to anyone else. I'm going to focus on just
one step at a time. I'm going to educate myself.
All of that together, just like, it
really worked in my favor. I had my head down for a couple of years
(15:34):
where I'm sure people were like, where's she at?
What, what is she going through? But I
mean, and at the same time, you know, I'm a mom,
so I had to do what I had to do for my kid.
And it was really important for me to get my
life together so that I could be in a position
where I'm teaching him the, you know, what to
(15:54):
do and what not to do as it relates to your finances.
>> Anthony Weaver (15:58):
And I think that's the beauty of
being a mom and actually not giving up
on yourself is that you transferring the information of what you're
comfortable with and that you knew for certain that actually
shared, going back to like how your parents only shared,
but so little with you, but it was just enough
because that was what they were comfortable with sharing.
>> Wanda Belle (16:17):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Anthony Weaver (16:19):
And now look at you now.
>> Wanda Belle (16:23):
Yeah. Money, uh, having a
positive money mindset and just being disciplined
is very important in this household. My son is
19 and he,
uh, he's a, he's a really cool
human, I gotta say. He's like,
he's a cool person. Um, but seeing
(16:43):
how responsible he is with his finances and I'm
not saying he hasn't made mistakes. He has, he's made
a couple mistakes where he,
um, he's ambitious like his mother. He likes to take
risks sometimes and sometimes those risks don't work out for
him. Um, but he knows the importance
of paying your bills on time, budgeting,
(17:04):
making sure you have a, um, certain
amount in savings. Um,
and we check in, we have
financial check ins once a month where I just
simply ask him like, how are we doing? How are you
doing? You know, you have, you know, this bill coming up,
like, what is your savings look like? And things like that. And he's really
honest. He's really honest and open about, um,
(17:26):
how his, how his finances are doing.
And I tell him all the time, like, I would rather if
he ever got in trouble financially, he would come to
me, take a loan from the, the bank of mom,
rather than, you know, trying to figure it
out on his own out here. Um,
so he knows, he has that sense of security. He knows that
(17:47):
if he doesn't, if he has questions
about different financial topics, he can come and talk
to me. And so that, that's something that I wish I had
with my parents when I was a kid. Um, and
I'm really trying to just instill just a certain
level of discipline with him because
he's, he's such a great person and I just know his future
(18:07):
is so bright and I just, I want to just
foster him being the best version of
himself as much as I possibly can.
>> Anthony Weaver (18:17):
So, yeah, I want to commend you for, you
know, taking that time out to even have those open
discussions on a monthly basis because,
you know, I can't. I don't even think
my mom ever sat me down to even say, like,
hey, you know, how you doing financially? Like,
let's have this moment to kind of talk about it,
um, you know, finances, or even talk about her finances.
(18:39):
It's mostly I grew up in an era where they was like,
you know, your child stay out of grown folks business,
you know.
>> Wanda Belle (18:47):
Yeah, that's, uh, literally, that's how I grew up too.
But I don't know, like, maybe because
I had my son when, when I was younger,
I've always been very transparent with him in
every aspect, and I just,
I want him to be the best version of
himself. And now that he is
(19:07):
technically an adult, he's
still a baby. Um, I
just don't want him to feel like he has
to make certain mistakes that I
made, you know, So I made
it a point. When he was 18, I took my
hands off of like, his bank account, things like that.
(19:27):
So he was tied to my bank account,
but I, uh, we separated it because
I wanted him to feel the independence.
But also, no, like, I'm still there if you need
me. And that's why we do the monthly check ins, because
at this point it's almost like we're kind of
roommates because he lives in his basement apartment
and there are times I don't even see him because he works and goes to school.
(19:50):
School. And so I think the check ins are really
important, not just in terms of finances, but I,
I ask him like, all the time, like, how you doing, what you going
through? Everything all right.
Um, just because I want him to feel, I
want him to feel supported, you know, no matter how old
he gets, he's still my baby.
>> Anthony Weaver (20:10):
So, uh, can you take us back
to 20, 23 when you took
your mom to Spain.
>> Wanda Belle (20:18):
Oh, my God. So honest.
Okay. So
one thing that is super important to
me, um, financially, is
being able to spoil my mama.
I. At this point, I don't
think. I don't have nothing left to give, because
(20:39):
I've done it all. Lord. I have surprised her with trips,
chefs, all kinds of things.
Um, but the Spain trip was something
that came, um, from more of
a. I travel with my son,
uh, by, like, every other
year. We take an adventure. So we've been to
Italy, Africa. Uh, we've been all over.
(21:02):
Um, and I was trying to
plan out where we were going to go, and I just
got this idea, like, well, what if we took
Gammy? Like, what if we took my mom? Because
she's never been on a trip with us before.
And I can always tell just in, like, talking to
my mom, like, it would be something that she would love to do.
(21:22):
And so we settled on Spain because it's
somewhere we had never been before, like, my son
and I had never been. I knew she had never been because she doesn't
travel internationally a lot at all.
So, um, I settled on Spain,
did my budget for it, because we plan everything.
Okay, Plan everything.
(21:43):
I decided, uh, the time of the year that we
were going, and then I had to figure out, like, how was
I going to tell her? So I came up with the idea of telling her
during, like, Christmas Day, because I was
hosting Christmas that year. So I had my siblings in,
I had my father in, and I had her in.
Um, I created a video within
(22:04):
Canva, which was literally like, kind
of, guess where you're going. She had no idea. She
had no idea. Um, she lost
her mind when she realized that she was going
somewhere, and then she lost her mind even more when she
realized she was going with us. Like, the fact that she was going
with me and my son, um, we went
for, I want to say, six days.
(22:27):
And it was one of the best
experiences ever. Um, Spain is
like, I have to go back because it's
incredibly beautiful. She didn't have to pay
a dime for anything. And that, uh,
is always something that I try and do for her. I like
to surprise her with experiences.
And, you know, I don't
(22:50):
ever want her to have to worry about the financial piece of
it. So to see her be able to just relax
and enjoy and not have to worry about money
was. It's one of my most
favorite memories, for sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (23:08):
That's amazing, because a lot of people
wish, uh, they could do that, and they just feel as
though. But again, it goes back to Your timeline is your
own timeline and you can, you can
do it, um, for a trip.
And I would love to actually probably bring you back on, I might to
talk offline about how you plan that trip.
>> Wanda Belle (23:28):
Oh, yeah, yeah. That's, that's another
thing too though. Um, I always
say that so many things
look like they're so, um,
extravagant or so hard to do. If
you plan for them, you can do it. I
promise. I plan for that trip for about a year
(23:50):
and, and that when I say I planned for it,
once I chose where we're gonna go, I started
saving consistently for it. I knew how much it was going to cost
me. I started saving like
automatic, automatic transfers into my Spain fund.
You know, like, it's something that you really can do if you
plan for it. Um, and all the other
(24:11):
things that I do, like, it might look like
I live an extravagant life at times, but I promise
you, I am like the most frugal.
I'm the most frugal person. If there's not a plan for it,
I'm not doing it.
>> Anthony Weaver (24:24):
So I like it.
Um, obviously, you know, I like it because, you know, we
plan everything, I mean, just from finance to finance.
Like, that's kind of what we do. Because if it's not in the plan,
it doesn't happen.
>> Wanda Belle (24:37):
Exactly.
>> Anthony Weaver (24:38):
And that's called the boundaries.
>> Wanda Belle (24:40):
If it's not in the plan, it doesn't exist. Like,
so it has to be in the plan. I'm planning like
three trips right now.
>> Anthony Weaver (24:48):
Amazing. I'm just planning one big trip. Uh,
well, throughout this year. Yeah, I got two coming
up. But just like a big trip probably like,
like next year and then probably one later this year.
I'm hesitant, depending on how the finances go.
>> Wanda Belle (25:03):
Yeah. You know, you're on nobody's timeline but.
>> Anthony Weaver (25:06):
Your own, so, so true.
Um, so we're going to move over to the future side
of the house, which is like, what skills or habits do you feel that's
going to take you to the next level?
>> Wanda Belle (25:17):
Um, so one skill
that has taken me to every
level is discipline. So even now,
um, life looks different
for me these days, um, simply
because I've been a mom my whole adult life and now
I'm, um, kind of an empty nester, but not. And
(25:37):
so my finances are my own. I'm not
spending as much towards, you know, raising
my, my son.
Um, so things look a little different.
But I'm very disciplined. I know what I want my future
to look like. I'm not one of those people
who are, I'm not going to work a corporate job until I'm 65.
Will not happen. Will not happen.
(26:00):
Um, so I know that that is a. That's the
ultimate goal for me is to be able to be in complete control of my
time with that takes discipline. I need to be
able to direct my finances where I need them to go
to support that lifestyle. So investing,
saving, things like that. Another
habit is, um, just educating
(26:20):
myself on different financial
topics. Financial literacy. I have
several books that I, I literally will
reread, um, depending on where I am in my
life. And I just like, kind of a
refresher on certain financial
concepts. I like to review
my budget. I'm. I'm a planner, but I
(26:42):
also review everything. Like, I like to take a
look back at my cash flow on a quarterly basis
to see what I'm spending my money on.
Um, I like to negotiate bills.
That's a big thing of mine is
negotiating my bills. Um,
so just, you know, continuing to follow that,
the discipline and just the education,
(27:05):
I think that's going to set me up, uh, for. For really
enjoying this, this phase of my life.
>> Anthony Weaver (27:11):
Okay, um, what is one bill? Because I'm
sure the person has listened to this was like, negotiating your
bills. What is one bill that you always negotiate?
>> Wanda Belle (27:20):
My cell phone bill.
>> Anthony Weaver (27:21):
Oh, sweet.
>> Wanda Belle (27:23):
Okay.
>> Anthony Weaver (27:23):
Yeah, I just paid, uh, my
cell phone bill for a whole year for 300 bucks.
So that's not bad, right? For 12 months
for 300 bucks, I was like, sold.
>> Wanda Belle (27:34):
Yes. Yeah. So, um, I would say my cell
phone bill and then my car insurance, too.
Um, car insurance.
It's kind of a hit or miss, but I always try
and it's dependent on.
I've been with progressive for 15
years. And so every so often you
(27:55):
got to call their bluff. You gotta. I'm gonna go
to another insurance.
Um, and every so often, you need to check to make sure you're
getting the discounts that you should be getting based on how
long you've been with them. The last time I did that, there was one discount
that was missing from my profile, and that
lowered my. It lowered my
(28:16):
monthly, um, cost
by like, 40 bucks.
>> Anthony Weaver (28:20):
Oh, wow, that's good.
>> Wanda Belle (28:21):
Yeah, just like doing things like that with my
cell phone bill. I like to look at my itemized,
like the itemized bill every so often just to see what
fees, like, what am I paying for
and why am I paying this?
>> Anthony Weaver (28:35):
That's the reason why I went prepaid, because I was like, I don't have those
itemized fees. It's just like, hey, this is One flat fee.
>> Wanda Belle (28:41):
That was very smart. Yeah, I. I've
considered going prepaid, but I
still. I still pay my son's
cell phone bill to one bill that he's not paying.
One bill. Um, but I do like
our plan. Um, I get quite. I get a really good
discount just because of who my employer
is, too. So it's kind of one of those things
(29:03):
that I just do. But, yeah,
I negotiate. Look, I
not only negotiate my
everyday bills, but I also.
I've, um, enrolled in certain programs
that will
make my variable
(29:24):
expenses a fixed expense. So, like my.
My gas bill, my electric bill. I
know exactly what I'm paying month to month because I'm on their
budget billing schedule. So
I know, like, gas. Gas
and electric. I know exactly what it's going to bill. It'd be month to
month, and it's great. And all I did literally was go on the website
(29:45):
and sign up for their budget billing. That was,
um, works. I'm telling you, you just gotta.
You gotta just, you know, do your due diligence and
figure out a way to just lower some costs, because
everything is high out here, and it's important
that we just are mindful of what we're paying
out and just finding ways to just
(30:07):
lower expenses when we can.
>> Anthony Weaver (30:11):
Well, uh, with that being said, is there
anything you wanna leave the audience before we dive into the final
four questions?
>> Wanda Belle (30:18):
Um, see, I will say this
right now. Um, with the way that our economy
is going and just the way that life is, life in
it is easy to get
discouraged or intimidated by
your current financial profile, your
financial structure right now. And I
(30:39):
think it's very important that
we just take a minute to just stop,
Stop and think. Look at
our finances. Look at what we're bringing in versus what we're.
We're putting out. Like, look at our cash flow.
And if you're not happy with it, don't get
overwhelmed, but just take it one
(31:01):
step at a time. Figure out what's most important to
you and then create a plan around that.
Because it's very easy to just get caught up in the.
The weight of, um, not having the money
that you want or having just mounting bills. But
if you just take it one step at a time, you stop comparing
yourself and your finances to others, and
(31:22):
you just keep your head down and focus. I
promise it. You can. If I can do
it, anybody can. And once you get to the other side,
life is amazing.
Life is amazing.
>> Anthony Weaver (31:37):
All right, you ready for the final four?
>> Wanda Belle (31:39):
Sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (31:52):
Uh, number one, what does wealth
mean to you?
>> Wanda Belle (31:56):
Freedom. M. It's. It's.
It's freedom. It's the ability
to, uh, do things and not
worry about how they're getting paid or
what is this going to take away from. It's the ability
to spoil my family,
my friends. It's. It's the
freedom to be able to book a
(32:19):
trip home because I want creds. Like,
it's. It's freedom,
and it's the, uh. It's being
able to be carefree
and not be so consumed
about what the future
looks like. Like, I feel pretty
(32:39):
confident that, you know, I'm,
um. I'm cool. I'm good with
the finances. I'm. We're in a good space.
>> Anthony Weaver (32:49):
Number two, what was your worst money
mistake?
>> Wanda Belle (32:54):
Putting my trust in someone, uh,
who did not have my financial.
Anything about my financial future in their best
interests. So just being oblivious and
thinking that the person that I was with was
taking care of the finances,
um, that was the worst mistake I ever
(33:16):
made. Worst mistake I ever made. So
never again.
>> Anthony Weaver (33:22):
Yeah. So another episode.
Number three. Is there a book that inspired your
journey or change your perspective?
>> Wanda Belle (33:31):
Um, let's see.
Okay. There's a book called
Smart Women Finish Rich.
It's by David Bach. And
I have read that book probably four times
throughout my life. It breaks
down financial topics
(33:53):
and concepts based on just,
like, what you should be thinking about
as a woman. And it is.
It has, like, a workbook
aspect of it as well, where there's
activities that, um, you can do and
come back to and refer to. That is.
That's a book that will forever be one of my
(34:16):
faves, for sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:18):
Nice. And he actually has it on his
website, so you can download the PDF if you need it.
>> Wanda Belle (34:23):
There we go. See? Is it a PDF version
now? I have the book.
I have the paperback.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:34):
Number four.
I'll edit this out.
>> Wanda Belle (34:42):
Um.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:43):
It's okay. It's my fault.
Everything's funny.
>> Wanda Belle (34:48):
I'm trying my best.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:56):
Number four, what is your favorite dish to
make?
>> Wanda Belle (35:00):
Favorite dish to make. Okay, so I'm pescatarian,
so I don't eat chicken, beef, pork. None of that.
None of that. Okay. No judgment, but no
judgment.
>> Anthony Weaver (35:09):
We don't listen and we don't judge.
>> Wanda Belle (35:11):
Okay. Um, so I love
all types of fish. I make a
really good, like, it's a miso
and soy sea bass.
Um, it's such a. Sea bass is such a great
dish. Um, but I make it
in this, like, miso soy marinade.
(35:33):
And I love Korean sweet potatoes,
so I'll pair that. I'll pay. I pair this sea bass
with a Korean sweet potato and then, like, asparagus
or Brussels sprouts. So it's a
very filling meal, but it's, like,
healthy too.
Oh, it's really good. Okay. Um, you
(35:53):
should try it.
>> Anthony Weaver (35:54):
I'll take your word for it. I'll ask you for the
recipe for the marinade.
>> Wanda Belle (35:59):
Yeah, it's simple. Just. It's
miso. It's miso. Soy sauce, sugar. Like, it's. It's
simple.
>> Anthony Weaver (36:05):
Okay. I make things difficult for
some reason. Even though they simple, I'm trying to do better
with that.
Okay, um, the last question of the show,
which is where could people find out more about you?
>> Wanda Belle (36:19):
Okay, so you can find out more about me on my website.
So Bell Financial services dot com.
Um, on the website you can actually sign up for my
newsletter, which is literally just
some money tips on a monthly basis.
Um, since April is Financial literacy month,
I've been sending out, like, weekly,
(36:40):
uh, newsletters with it's just
judgment. Free money tips for any
and everyone. Um, I'm also on
Instagram, so Bell Financial Services,
um, Facebook, Bell Financial Services. But
the best, the best way to get just
tips and tricks and tidbits is that
(37:00):
newsletter for sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (37:02):
Awesome. Well, Wanda,
it's been amazing, you know, catching up with you
at so many different fincon events.
Um, but, you know, the person
that's listening to this right now, I just want to let you know that
all it takes is a little discipline and really,
it's a mind over matter type deal. You got this.
(37:23):
Don't give up on yourself and continue to run your
race. Stop comparing yourself to other people. You got what it
takes to be successful in whatever financial way that
you want to. All right,
thank you so much, Wanda, and thank you for
listening. I'll, uh, have a good day. We
out. Peace.
M. When he was 18, I
took my hands off of like, his bank account, things like
that. So he was tied to my bank account,
but I. We separated it because
I wanted him to feel the independence,
but also know, like, I'm still there if you need
me. And that's why we do the monthly check ins because
(00:21):
at this point it's almost like we're kind of
roommates because he lives in his basement apartment
and there are times I don't even see him because he works and goes to
school. And so I think check ins are
really important, not just in terms of finances, but
I, I ask him like, all the time, like, how you doing, what you
going through, everything. All
right. Just because I want him to feel,
(00:44):
I want him to feel supported.
>> Anthony Weaver (00:50):
Welcome back to another exciting show, the about that Water
podcast, where we help the sandwich generation build
strong financial habits so that they can talk about money, spend
money, and enjoy their money with confidence.
Today I have somebody who is a
financial wellness coach dedicated to helping
individuals take control over their finances and
overcome past money mistakes. As a
(01:12):
founder of Bell uh Financial Services,
she specializes in
personalized one on one coaching, group
workshops, and financial education, providing
practical strategies to eliminate debt,
building, uh, savings and
gain financial confidence. How you doing today,
(01:33):
Wanda?
>> Wanda Belle (01:33):
I'm doing pretty good. How are you?
>> Anthony Weaver (01:35):
I'm doing good. Welcome to the show.
Um, the reason why I would love to have you on this
show to talk about how in the world as a
sandwich generation, can really get out of the
rut. You know, the kids asking for money, the
parents are asking for money, and it's like when you
finally look at your own savings
in your own expenses, it's like, I have nothing
(01:58):
left.
>> Wanda Belle (01:59):
Yeah.
>> Anthony Weaver (01:59):
So how can somebody really,
what, uh, is the best advice would you give to
somebody who's going through that?
>> Wanda Belle (02:07):
So I think it's really easy to get overwhelmed
by finances, by what you don't have, what you
think you should have, and also comparing
yourself and your financial situation to others.
I tell everyone, including myself sometimes, like,
you have to take it one step at a time. Like, I'm a
planner at heart, so for me it's really
(02:28):
important for me to evaluate what's important to
me and make like, um, an action
plan of steps I can take to get there, if that
makes sense. So like, at one time I
was like, super overcome with debt and
it was really weighing on me for a long time and
I literally had to like, take a step back and
(02:48):
tell myself, like, okay, I can't fix it today. I can't
Fix everything overnight. Let me create
a plan, and let me use that plan to
guide my actions, to just take, like, one step at a
time.
>> Anthony Weaver (03:01):
Yeah, and that's really good that you're a planner, because,
you know, um, that's the only real way to make things
work. To me, in my experience, it
seems like planning is such a beautiful
thing. So why is planning important to you,
though?
>> Wanda Belle (03:16):
Um, I think because at one
time I did not have a plan and my life came
crashing down. And
I'm probably a planner to a fault. I
plan everything.
I plan everything. If I don't have a plan, I
feel out of control. And especially
(03:37):
when it relates to my finances. I like
to be in control of where my money is going.
I don't want my money to tell me
where it's going because I have overdue bills or something like
that. Like, I have to have a plan so I
can point things in the direction that I want them to go.
Otherwise, anxiety.
(03:59):
Anxiety is real. So
financial anxiety is really real.
>> Anthony Weaver (04:04):
Yeah. And for the people that are looking to. Well,
the person that's listening to this right now, and
they feel like everything is tight.
We talked about planning, but what are the recommendations to even just
creating a budget?
>> Wanda Belle (04:17):
Okay, so I, uh, actually talk to a lot of clients
who have never created a
budget. They don't know what they're spending
versus what they're making. So I think
one of the first steps to take when you're
getting ready to build a budget is
review. You need to take a look at where your money
(04:38):
has gone in the last, I would say, 30
days. I wouldn't look beyond 30 days because
it can be very overwhelming if you do that.
But, um, doing something like taking your bank
statement, literally printing it out, printing out your bank
statement and evaluating where your money
has gone for the past 30 days,
highlighting what those fixed expenses are.
(05:01):
Like, what. What were the bills that had to be paid?
Um, figuring out how much money you're spending on
those variable expenses those want, you know,
Uber Eats, Amazon, things like that.
And really, like, taking a look to see, okay,
this is where my money has gone. And
thinking about, like, where do I want my money to
(05:21):
go? Thinking about where you want your money to go
will help you to build a budget that aligns
with. With that thought process. Um,
and then from there you just, you know, you gotta kind of
list out what you owe, who you owe,
when you. When it's owed, and you gotta track
the money that's come, like, coming in. And so
(05:42):
over time, like, I feel like when you're first
starting to figure out your budget. It can be a little
rough, it can look kind of crazy,
but once you get into the habit of doing it, like
there are so many tools that can help you, there are so many apps.
Ah, um, I'm a spreadsheet girl, so I
still to this day just stick to a spreadsheet.
Um, but you can, you'll get to a point where it's
(06:05):
kind of like your money bible. Like it's literally
like your plan for your money.
>> Anthony Weaver (06:12):
I like that.
Now you also specialize in helping people with their
credit.
>> Wanda Belle (06:18):
And I said I do.
>> Anthony Weaver (06:21):
Yes. And one
of the things that Mark Cuban has
is he actually recommends paying off high interest
debt as the best place to kind of invest
due to the guaranteed returns. But he
continues to say that the best place to invest is
to pay off all of your credit cards and burn them.
(06:42):
Adding if you, if you're paying
15% of 20% interest,
me or 20% interest, paying that down
is like earning 15 or
20%. Do you agree or disagree with what he
said?
>> Wanda Belle (06:56):
Okay, so
I do agree that it's very important to get
rid of high interest debt for sure.
Credit cards with, uh, 18,
20, 29% interest rate, you're
literally just throwing your way or your money.
But I am, um, a credit card girly, okay?
(07:17):
I have a couple credit
cards and they all serve a purpose. I like
rewards, I like points and all of
that. So yes, I agree
that it's important to get rid of that
debt. You don't want to carry a balance on your credit card month to
month. It's better to invest,
(07:37):
yes, for sure. But if
you are a disciplined individual and you can
use your credit cards
responsibly, you can also benefit from the
rewards. Like I have a platinum, um, Amex that is my
best friend because I use it
consistently. I pay it off every month, but
(07:58):
I build points and rewards and I get
first class flights. I get upgrades
to different things. So it's kind of like a double
edged sword. Like you don't want to carry
a balance now because it really does. It not only
affects your pockets, but it does affect your credit. Um,
having high utilization will bring your credit score
(08:19):
way down. But also if you're disciplined
and you can manage the way that you use your credit cards
effectively, you can actually benefit from the
rewards. So I agree, but I
disagree. But I agree though.
>> Anthony Weaver (08:35):
Because it goes back to having like an authorized
user now. Uh, you have a child
now. Do you actually have them as an authorized user
on any of Your credit cards.
>> Wanda Belle (08:45):
I do. So, um, when my. So my son
is 19, when he was 15, I
added him to, um, one of my Capital
One credit cards as an authorized
user. And the reason I did that was, number one,
I had had that card for about 10 years,
and, um, I never carried a balance.
(09:06):
My credit limit was, I think at the time it was
like $17,000 or something.
So I knew I had, um, a good amount
of credit age, plus a good amount of
credit history that he would benefit from.
Um, that was the only card that I added him to when he
was 15. So by the time he was 18,
he had three years of, um, being on that
(09:28):
card and it being managed very well. So
when we checked his credit score, when he
turned 18, his credit score was a 761.
And then at that time, I had
him open his own credit card to
start building, um, history and age in his
own name. So he manages that himself.
(09:49):
He, he knows, you know, the do's and don'ts of, uh, your
credit card, because I'm his mama.
Um, but now he's like, building
his. His credit score is. Is even more
solid and secure because he's,
um, and payment history in his. In
his own name.
>> Anthony Weaver (10:08):
That makes sense. Did your parents teach you about that?
>> Wanda Belle (10:11):
Absolutely not.
No, they did not. Um, I love my
parents. They're the best things. If it wasn't for them,
I would be here. Um, but unfortunately,
I did not learn.
I did not learn a lot of financial
topics when I was a kid.
(10:32):
Um, I did
not. And because of that, when I left
home, I did
not pay attention to
credit debt, things like that.
I became, uh, a teen mom,
married young, and did
(10:53):
not manage my finances at all. I
let my husband manage my finances for me.
So by the time I was divorced, I was
in a hell of a lot of debt. I was in
a lot of debt. My credit score was
insanely low. I had
$87 in my pocket. I always say that when I
(11:15):
left my. When I left, I left with
$87 in my pocket, a 472 credit score,
and a mountain of debt. And this is one
of the reasons why I tell everybody. I tell
my clients, I tell my friends, I tell my. If
I can change my life the way that I did
coming from that, anybody can.
(11:36):
Because I had no idea where to even start.
But I forced myself to
evaluate my problem, evaluate
my finances, and create a plan
to get me out of that mess.
But I love my parents, but no, they did not. Uh.
>> Anthony Weaver (11:55):
What was, uh, the plan to get out of the rut, like, what was the first
thing you did?
>> Wanda Belle (12:00):
So the. Honestly, it was
very jarring when I realized just how bad my financial
situation was. I honestly had no
idea. And that was a lesson
learned. I put my trust in someone else. I thought
that they were looking out for my financial future, and they were
not. So, um,
(12:21):
it became clear that I needed to figure something
out when I went to apply
for an apartment and got denied.
And so I then had
to take a step back, look at
my finances, look at how much I owed.
That was the first thing I did, was put a.
(12:41):
Literally, uh, write out what I owed and
who and just like,
kind of sit with that for a while. And
then I started to brainstorm, like, okay, this is what I owe.
I have very limited savings. What am I going
to do? And I went
into survival mode. Honestly, I
(13:02):
started working my butt off because I knew I had to
increase my income if I wanted to
take care of this debt and get to a point where I could actually,
like, have my own place and provide for my
kid and things like that. So that was like priority
number one. It was like, okay, I know what I owe.
I know what I have in savings. It's not
(13:23):
adding up. I need to figure out how
to bring in more money so I can take care of these
issues. And it took a while, but
I did it. I was very, very. I
was very, very determined and disciplined. And over
time, I think I did it
right.
>> Anthony Weaver (13:42):
So, like, education, like, did you go to like, the
library or was it like mentors or something
like that to help you build up?
>> Wanda Belle (13:50):
So I did not. I did not really have
mentors. I started to read a lot.
So, um, I did. There were a couple
books that I read that even today
I reread at least. At least
every couple years. Um, one
was. It was literally like, focused on just
(14:10):
like financial literacy for women.
And it was bare, bare basics.
It was literally like, this is a budget.
That's how you allocate your money to. To
want me savings, things like that. And I
just kind of. I started
really, like, just falling in love with
(14:31):
learning about different financial topics.
And I read something
somewhere that sticks with me
through everything. And it was,
you are on nobody's time timeline but your
own. And that was something that I
constantly told myself as I was
(14:52):
getting through this. This period in my life. It was
like I was getting frustrated at the fact that
these paychecks aren't big enough. Like,
paychecks aren't big enough. I owe a lot, you
know, but I Had to give myself some grace. It
was like, I can only do one thing at a time. Like, yeah,
the credit score sucks right now. The debt
(15:13):
is mounting, but I can only take it one step
at a time. And developing that
mindset of, um, I'm not going to compare myself
to anyone else. I'm going to focus on just
one step at a time. I'm going to educate myself.
All of that together, just like, it
really worked in my favor. I had my head down for a couple of years
(15:34):
where I'm sure people were like, where's she at?
What, what is she going through? But I
mean, and at the same time, you know, I'm a mom,
so I had to do what I had to do for my kid.
And it was really important for me to get my
life together so that I could be in a position
where I'm teaching him the, you know, what to
(15:54):
do and what not to do as it relates to your finances.
>> Anthony Weaver (15:58):
And I think that's the beauty of
being a mom and actually not giving up
on yourself is that you transferring the information of what you're
comfortable with and that you knew for certain that actually
shared, going back to like how your parents only shared,
but so little with you, but it was just enough
because that was what they were comfortable with sharing.
>> Wanda Belle (16:17):
Yeah. Yeah.
>> Anthony Weaver (16:19):
And now look at you now.
>> Wanda Belle (16:23):
Yeah. Money, uh, having a
positive money mindset and just being disciplined
is very important in this household. My son is
19 and he,
uh, he's a, he's a really cool
human, I gotta say. He's like,
he's a cool person. Um, but seeing
(16:43):
how responsible he is with his finances and I'm
not saying he hasn't made mistakes. He has, he's made
a couple mistakes where he,
um, he's ambitious like his mother. He likes to take
risks sometimes and sometimes those risks don't work out for
him. Um, but he knows the importance
of paying your bills on time, budgeting,
(17:04):
making sure you have a, um, certain
amount in savings. Um,
and we check in, we have
financial check ins once a month where I just
simply ask him like, how are we doing? How are you
doing? You know, you have, you know, this bill coming up,
like, what is your savings look like? And things like that. And he's really
honest. He's really honest and open about, um,
(17:26):
how his, how his finances are doing.
And I tell him all the time, like, I would rather if
he ever got in trouble financially, he would come to
me, take a loan from the, the bank of mom,
rather than, you know, trying to figure it
out on his own out here. Um,
so he knows, he has that sense of security. He knows that
(17:47):
if he doesn't, if he has questions
about different financial topics, he can come and talk
to me. And so that, that's something that I wish I had
with my parents when I was a kid. Um, and
I'm really trying to just instill just a certain
level of discipline with him because
he's, he's such a great person and I just know his future
(18:07):
is so bright and I just, I want to just
foster him being the best version of
himself as much as I possibly can.
>> Anthony Weaver (18:17):
So, yeah, I want to commend you for, you
know, taking that time out to even have those open
discussions on a monthly basis because,
you know, I can't. I don't even think
my mom ever sat me down to even say, like,
hey, you know, how you doing financially? Like,
let's have this moment to kind of talk about it,
um, you know, finances, or even talk about her finances.
(18:39):
It's mostly I grew up in an era where they was like,
you know, your child stay out of grown folks business,
you know.
>> Wanda Belle (18:47):
Yeah, that's, uh, literally, that's how I grew up too.
But I don't know, like, maybe because
I had my son when, when I was younger,
I've always been very transparent with him in
every aspect, and I just,
I want him to be the best version of
himself. And now that he is
(19:07):
technically an adult, he's
still a baby. Um, I
just don't want him to feel like he has
to make certain mistakes that I
made, you know, So I made
it a point. When he was 18, I took my
hands off of like, his bank account, things like that.
(19:27):
So he was tied to my bank account,
but I, uh, we separated it because
I wanted him to feel the independence.
But also, no, like, I'm still there if you need
me. And that's why we do the monthly check ins, because
at this point it's almost like we're kind of
roommates because he lives in his basement apartment
and there are times I don't even see him because he works and goes to school.
(19:50):
School. And so I think the check ins are really
important, not just in terms of finances, but I,
I ask him like, all the time, like, how you doing, what you going
through? Everything all right.
Um, just because I want him to feel, I
want him to feel supported, you know, no matter how old
he gets, he's still my baby.
>> Anthony Weaver (20:10):
So, uh, can you take us back
to 20, 23 when you took
your mom to Spain.
>> Wanda Belle (20:18):
Oh, my God. So honest.
Okay. So
one thing that is super important to
me, um, financially, is
being able to spoil my mama.
I. At this point, I don't
think. I don't have nothing left to give, because
(20:39):
I've done it all. Lord. I have surprised her with trips,
chefs, all kinds of things.
Um, but the Spain trip was something
that came, um, from more of
a. I travel with my son,
uh, by, like, every other
year. We take an adventure. So we've been to
Italy, Africa. Uh, we've been all over.
(21:02):
Um, and I was trying to
plan out where we were going to go, and I just
got this idea, like, well, what if we took
Gammy? Like, what if we took my mom? Because
she's never been on a trip with us before.
And I can always tell just in, like, talking to
my mom, like, it would be something that she would love to do.
(21:22):
And so we settled on Spain because it's
somewhere we had never been before, like, my son
and I had never been. I knew she had never been because she doesn't
travel internationally a lot at all.
So, um, I settled on Spain,
did my budget for it, because we plan everything.
Okay, Plan everything.
(21:43):
I decided, uh, the time of the year that we
were going, and then I had to figure out, like, how was
I going to tell her? So I came up with the idea of telling her
during, like, Christmas Day, because I was
hosting Christmas that year. So I had my siblings in,
I had my father in, and I had her in.
Um, I created a video within
(22:04):
Canva, which was literally like, kind
of, guess where you're going. She had no idea. She
had no idea. Um, she lost
her mind when she realized that she was going
somewhere, and then she lost her mind even more when she
realized she was going with us. Like, the fact that she was going
with me and my son, um, we went
for, I want to say, six days.
(22:27):
And it was one of the best
experiences ever. Um, Spain is
like, I have to go back because it's
incredibly beautiful. She didn't have to pay
a dime for anything. And that, uh,
is always something that I try and do for her. I like
to surprise her with experiences.
And, you know, I don't
(22:50):
ever want her to have to worry about the financial piece of
it. So to see her be able to just relax
and enjoy and not have to worry about money
was. It's one of my most
favorite memories, for sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (23:08):
That's amazing, because a lot of people
wish, uh, they could do that, and they just feel as
though. But again, it goes back to Your timeline is your
own timeline and you can, you can
do it, um, for a trip.
And I would love to actually probably bring you back on, I might to
talk offline about how you plan that trip.
>> Wanda Belle (23:28):
Oh, yeah, yeah. That's, that's another
thing too though. Um, I always
say that so many things
look like they're so, um,
extravagant or so hard to do. If
you plan for them, you can do it. I
promise. I plan for that trip for about a year
(23:50):
and, and that when I say I planned for it,
once I chose where we're gonna go, I started
saving consistently for it. I knew how much it was going to cost
me. I started saving like
automatic, automatic transfers into my Spain fund.
You know, like, it's something that you really can do if you
plan for it. Um, and all the other
(24:11):
things that I do, like, it might look like
I live an extravagant life at times, but I promise
you, I am like the most frugal.
I'm the most frugal person. If there's not a plan for it,
I'm not doing it.
>> Anthony Weaver (24:24):
So I like it.
Um, obviously, you know, I like it because, you know, we
plan everything, I mean, just from finance to finance.
Like, that's kind of what we do. Because if it's not in the plan,
it doesn't happen.
>> Wanda Belle (24:37):
Exactly.
>> Anthony Weaver (24:38):
And that's called the boundaries.
>> Wanda Belle (24:40):
If it's not in the plan, it doesn't exist. Like,
so it has to be in the plan. I'm planning like
three trips right now.
>> Anthony Weaver (24:48):
Amazing. I'm just planning one big trip. Uh,
well, throughout this year. Yeah, I got two coming
up. But just like a big trip probably like,
like next year and then probably one later this year.
I'm hesitant, depending on how the finances go.
>> Wanda Belle (25:03):
Yeah. You know, you're on nobody's timeline but.
>> Anthony Weaver (25:06):
Your own, so, so true.
Um, so we're going to move over to the future side
of the house, which is like, what skills or habits do you feel that's
going to take you to the next level?
>> Wanda Belle (25:17):
Um, so one skill
that has taken me to every
level is discipline. So even now,
um, life looks different
for me these days, um, simply
because I've been a mom my whole adult life and now
I'm, um, kind of an empty nester, but not. And
(25:37):
so my finances are my own. I'm not
spending as much towards, you know, raising
my, my son.
Um, so things look a little different.
But I'm very disciplined. I know what I want my future
to look like. I'm not one of those people
who are, I'm not going to work a corporate job until I'm 65.
Will not happen. Will not happen.
(26:00):
Um, so I know that that is a. That's the
ultimate goal for me is to be able to be in complete control of my
time with that takes discipline. I need to be
able to direct my finances where I need them to go
to support that lifestyle. So investing,
saving, things like that. Another
habit is, um, just educating
(26:20):
myself on different financial
topics. Financial literacy. I have
several books that I, I literally will
reread, um, depending on where I am in my
life. And I just like, kind of a
refresher on certain financial
concepts. I like to review
my budget. I'm. I'm a planner, but I
(26:42):
also review everything. Like, I like to take a
look back at my cash flow on a quarterly basis
to see what I'm spending my money on.
Um, I like to negotiate bills.
That's a big thing of mine is
negotiating my bills. Um,
so just, you know, continuing to follow that,
the discipline and just the education,
(27:05):
I think that's going to set me up, uh, for. For really
enjoying this, this phase of my life.
>> Anthony Weaver (27:11):
Okay, um, what is one bill? Because I'm
sure the person has listened to this was like, negotiating your
bills. What is one bill that you always negotiate?
>> Wanda Belle (27:20):
My cell phone bill.
>> Anthony Weaver (27:21):
Oh, sweet.
>> Wanda Belle (27:23):
Okay.
>> Anthony Weaver (27:23):
Yeah, I just paid, uh, my
cell phone bill for a whole year for 300 bucks.
So that's not bad, right? For 12 months
for 300 bucks, I was like, sold.
>> Wanda Belle (27:34):
Yes. Yeah. So, um, I would say my cell
phone bill and then my car insurance, too.
Um, car insurance.
It's kind of a hit or miss, but I always try
and it's dependent on.
I've been with progressive for 15
years. And so every so often you
(27:55):
got to call their bluff. You gotta. I'm gonna go
to another insurance.
Um, and every so often, you need to check to make sure you're
getting the discounts that you should be getting based on how
long you've been with them. The last time I did that, there was one discount
that was missing from my profile, and that
lowered my. It lowered my
(28:16):
monthly, um, cost
by like, 40 bucks.
>> Anthony Weaver (28:20):
Oh, wow, that's good.
>> Wanda Belle (28:21):
Yeah, just like doing things like that with my
cell phone bill. I like to look at my itemized,
like the itemized bill every so often just to see what
fees, like, what am I paying for
and why am I paying this?
>> Anthony Weaver (28:35):
That's the reason why I went prepaid, because I was like, I don't have those
itemized fees. It's just like, hey, this is One flat fee.
>> Wanda Belle (28:41):
That was very smart. Yeah, I. I've
considered going prepaid, but I
still. I still pay my son's
cell phone bill to one bill that he's not paying.
One bill. Um, but I do like
our plan. Um, I get quite. I get a really good
discount just because of who my employer
is, too. So it's kind of one of those things
(29:03):
that I just do. But, yeah,
I negotiate. Look, I
not only negotiate my
everyday bills, but I also.
I've, um, enrolled in certain programs
that will
make my variable
(29:24):
expenses a fixed expense. So, like my.
My gas bill, my electric bill. I
know exactly what I'm paying month to month because I'm on their
budget billing schedule. So
I know, like, gas. Gas
and electric. I know exactly what it's going to bill. It'd be month to
month, and it's great. And all I did literally was go on the website
(29:45):
and sign up for their budget billing. That was,
um, works. I'm telling you, you just gotta.
You gotta just, you know, do your due diligence and
figure out a way to just lower some costs, because
everything is high out here, and it's important
that we just are mindful of what we're paying
out and just finding ways to just
(30:07):
lower expenses when we can.
>> Anthony Weaver (30:11):
Well, uh, with that being said, is there
anything you wanna leave the audience before we dive into the final
four questions?
>> Wanda Belle (30:18):
Um, see, I will say this
right now. Um, with the way that our economy
is going and just the way that life is, life in
it is easy to get
discouraged or intimidated by
your current financial profile, your
financial structure right now. And I
(30:39):
think it's very important that
we just take a minute to just stop,
Stop and think. Look at
our finances. Look at what we're bringing in versus what we're.
We're putting out. Like, look at our cash flow.
And if you're not happy with it, don't get
overwhelmed, but just take it one
(31:01):
step at a time. Figure out what's most important to
you and then create a plan around that.
Because it's very easy to just get caught up in the.
The weight of, um, not having the money
that you want or having just mounting bills. But
if you just take it one step at a time, you stop comparing
yourself and your finances to others, and
(31:22):
you just keep your head down and focus. I
promise it. You can. If I can do
it, anybody can. And once you get to the other side,
life is amazing.
Life is amazing.
>> Anthony Weaver (31:37):
All right, you ready for the final four?
>> Wanda Belle (31:39):
Sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (31:52):
Uh, number one, what does wealth
mean to you?
>> Wanda Belle (31:56):
Freedom. M. It's. It's.
It's freedom. It's the ability
to, uh, do things and not
worry about how they're getting paid or
what is this going to take away from. It's the ability
to spoil my family,
my friends. It's. It's the
freedom to be able to book a
(32:19):
trip home because I want creds. Like,
it's. It's freedom,
and it's the, uh. It's being
able to be carefree
and not be so consumed
about what the future
looks like. Like, I feel pretty
(32:39):
confident that, you know, I'm,
um. I'm cool. I'm good with
the finances. I'm. We're in a good space.
>> Anthony Weaver (32:49):
Number two, what was your worst money
mistake?
>> Wanda Belle (32:54):
Putting my trust in someone, uh,
who did not have my financial.
Anything about my financial future in their best
interests. So just being oblivious and
thinking that the person that I was with was
taking care of the finances,
um, that was the worst mistake I ever
(33:16):
made. Worst mistake I ever made. So
never again.
>> Anthony Weaver (33:22):
Yeah. So another episode.
Number three. Is there a book that inspired your
journey or change your perspective?
>> Wanda Belle (33:31):
Um, let's see.
Okay. There's a book called
Smart Women Finish Rich.
It's by David Bach. And
I have read that book probably four times
throughout my life. It breaks
down financial topics
(33:53):
and concepts based on just,
like, what you should be thinking about
as a woman. And it is.
It has, like, a workbook
aspect of it as well, where there's
activities that, um, you can do and
come back to and refer to. That is.
That's a book that will forever be one of my
(34:16):
faves, for sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:18):
Nice. And he actually has it on his
website, so you can download the PDF if you need it.
>> Wanda Belle (34:23):
There we go. See? Is it a PDF version
now? I have the book.
I have the paperback.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:34):
Number four.
I'll edit this out.
>> Wanda Belle (34:42):
Um.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:43):
It's okay. It's my fault.
Everything's funny.
>> Wanda Belle (34:48):
I'm trying my best.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.
>> Anthony Weaver (34:56):
Number four, what is your favorite dish to
make?
>> Wanda Belle (35:00):
Favorite dish to make. Okay, so I'm pescatarian,
so I don't eat chicken, beef, pork. None of that.
None of that. Okay. No judgment, but no
judgment.
>> Anthony Weaver (35:09):
We don't listen and we don't judge.
>> Wanda Belle (35:11):
Okay. Um, so I love
all types of fish. I make a
really good, like, it's a miso
and soy sea bass.
Um, it's such a. Sea bass is such a great
dish. Um, but I make it
in this, like, miso soy marinade.
(35:33):
And I love Korean sweet potatoes,
so I'll pair that. I'll pay. I pair this sea bass
with a Korean sweet potato and then, like, asparagus
or Brussels sprouts. So it's a
very filling meal, but it's, like,
healthy too.
Oh, it's really good. Okay. Um, you
(35:53):
should try it.
>> Anthony Weaver (35:54):
I'll take your word for it. I'll ask you for the
recipe for the marinade.
>> Wanda Belle (35:59):
Yeah, it's simple. Just. It's
miso. It's miso. Soy sauce, sugar. Like, it's. It's
simple.
>> Anthony Weaver (36:05):
Okay. I make things difficult for
some reason. Even though they simple, I'm trying to do better
with that.
Okay, um, the last question of the show,
which is where could people find out more about you?
>> Wanda Belle (36:19):
Okay, so you can find out more about me on my website.
So Bell Financial services dot com.
Um, on the website you can actually sign up for my
newsletter, which is literally just
some money tips on a monthly basis.
Um, since April is Financial literacy month,
I've been sending out, like, weekly,
(36:40):
uh, newsletters with it's just
judgment. Free money tips for any
and everyone. Um, I'm also on
Instagram, so Bell Financial Services,
um, Facebook, Bell Financial Services. But
the best, the best way to get just
tips and tricks and tidbits is that
(37:00):
newsletter for sure.
>> Anthony Weaver (37:02):
Awesome. Well, Wanda,
it's been amazing, you know, catching up with you
at so many different fincon events.
Um, but, you know, the person
that's listening to this right now, I just want to let you know that
all it takes is a little discipline and really,
it's a mind over matter type deal. You got this.
(37:23):
Don't give up on yourself and continue to run your
race. Stop comparing yourself to other people. You got what it
takes to be successful in whatever financial way that
you want to. All right,
thank you so much, Wanda, and thank you for
listening. I'll, uh, have a good day. We
out. Peace.
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