Subscriptions You Don't Use | DISC 6: Vitality | 411 Podcast🍾Reading Between The Wines (Episode 14) - video Dailymotion

Lerin Gaines

Subscriptions You Don't Use | DISC 6: Vitality | 411 Podcast🍾Reading Between The Wines (Episode 14)  Featuring: Wine Down Wednesday, Mentorship Series  Wednesday | February 25th, 2026  Streaming LIVE on all social media platforms @LERINGAINES  https://leringaines.com https://linktr.ee/leringaines https://www.facebook.com/leringaines http://instagram.com/leringaines https://www.tiktok.com/@leringaines http://twitter.com/leringaines https://www.youtube.com/@leringaines https://www.twitch.tv/leringaines https://dlive.tv/LerinGaines https://dailymotion.com/LerinGaines  Song of The Day: "I Want You Around" by Snoh Aalegra Released 2019 | Ugh, Those Feels Again  Burning Questions for Reflections! What "invisible" expenses are silently keeping you from financial clarity? Share your response to tonight's Burning Questions... Text: (609) 200-1098 | Email: Info@LerinGaines.com  DM on any social media platform @LERINGAINES (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, DLIVE, Twitch, DailyMotion)  Sign up for my FREE Monthly Newsletter 'Whispers of Wisdom' for updates, exclusives, and inspiration!  Subscribe now at LerinGaines.com  #Facebook #Instagram #TikTok #X #YouTube #DLIVE #Twitch #DailyMotion #DebtFreeLiving #FinancialCoach #LerinGaines #411Podcast #RBTW #ReadingBetweenTheWines #BurningQuestions #BlackDiamondConsultations #VacationWithMe #WhispersofWisdom #DISC6 #Vitality  DISCLAIMER: The content and information provided by Black Diamond Consultations are intended solely for educational and entertainment purposes. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the materials, and any reliance you place on them is strictly at your own risk. Our content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or judgment. Black Diamond Consultations shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in the educational and entertainment content or for any actions taken based on the information provided.  411 Podcast🍾Reading Between The Wines DISC 6: Vitality Track 14: Subscriptions You Don't Use ©️ 2026 Black Diamond Consultations Network LerinGaines.com

Transcript

00:26Thank you for joining us.

02:302. 1. You're now tuned into the 411 podcast and reading Between the Wines, powered by the Black Diamond Consultations

02:39Network.

02:39More than a podcast, this is a sanctuary for self-discovery, healing, and personal growth.

02:46Here, we explore what it means to live debt-free, not just financially, but spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

02:54Every episode is part of a journey across our weekly mentorship series, Spiritual Sundays, Mental Mondays, Transformational Tuesdays, Wind-Down

03:04Wednesdays, Coaching Sessions Thursdays, and Financial Fridays.

03:09Each day holds space for wisdom, clarity, and real conversation.

03:14So grab your journal, pour your glass, and prepare to go beyond the surface.

03:19Because here, we don't just talk, we transform.

03:22And now, here's your guide through it all, entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of Black Diamond Consultations, Laren Gaines.

03:44Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome on in.

03:48What's going on, y'all?

03:50Welcome to another episode of Reading Between the Wines.

03:56Yeah, we're here another Wednesday, and we are getting ready to get on to this here, episode 14, Subscriptions You

04:11Don't Use.

04:13But before we do that, I want to see how y'all feeling out there tonight.

04:19I want to say good morning to those of you who have been rocking with us in the morning.

04:24I appreciate that.

04:26Y'all be up early in the morning, and I definitely do appreciate y'all for that.

04:30And of course, you know, for those of you who are, you know, checking us out at our original time

04:38when we used to do this.

04:40You know, I used to really do it late at night at like 10 p.m.

04:45My, how things have changed.

04:47I remember when I first started, I said, wow, I'm going to keep rocking until 10 o'clock and be,

04:53you know, wrapping up at midnight.

04:57Yeah, that was short-lived.

04:59As I continued to evolve and grow, I was like, yeah, we definitely ain't doing that.

05:05But here we are basically just flipping the script and taking it to a whole nother level when we start

05:12super early in the morning.

05:14So you can get this inspiration, you can get this motivation to help you on your debt-free living journey

05:21first thing in the morning.

05:23And so check us out wherever you listen to your podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, iHeartRadio, streaming live on Facebook, DLive, Twitch,

05:37YouTube.

05:40Try to be wherever we could be, wherever we fit in and wherever it makes sense.

05:45That's where I try to be.

05:46But of course, I could not do this without each and every one of you rocking and supporting.

05:51And I definitely do appreciate you.

05:53Thank you all so much.

05:54And of course, I have to give a very special thank you to my executive producer.

06:00I want to thank God for giving me another opportunity to come out here and give you all the 411

06:05podcast, Reading Between the Wines.

06:07Thank you for the lessons, the growth, the wisdom behind it all.

06:13And yeah, I'm thankful to be here.

06:15I'm thankful to still be here.

06:17And I'm thankful to have people, you know, such as, you know, all of you out there, family, friends.

06:25Thank you all so much for everything.

06:26I appreciate y'all.

06:32Now, you know, we're going to do this song of the day.

06:37This is going to be a deep one.

06:39It's going to be a short one because I ain't going to try to keep y'all too long.

06:43Hopefully it's going to be a deep one because it's coming straight from the heart.

06:48So let's get in.

06:54Beautiful singer.

06:56Beautiful woman just in general.

06:59Miss Snow Allegra.

07:01And I love this record.

07:02I want you around.

07:04Released in 2019.

07:06Now.

07:08Hmm.

07:09I want you to look like my girl Mary says, look at my life and see what I see.

07:15But instead of you telling somebody to look into your life, I want you to look into your own life

07:23because everything starts with self.

07:27And, you know, I can get out here, you know, I do the teaching and I, you know, share lots

07:33of things, lots of content out there.

07:36But doing so, I have to make sure that I just don't do too much.

07:40And sometimes I got to look at my own life to see what I'm seeing.

07:45But Snow Allegra, she got this record call.

07:49Well, I want you around.

07:50So when I look at my life, I think about all of the things, all of the people.

07:58That I wanted around.

07:59And sometimes the things that I wanted around me, which is no good for me.

08:05And when God said no, sometimes I stepped in and I thought I knew and I would say yes.

08:12And it was this tug of war constantly back and forth.

08:15But I'm so thankful and so grateful today that I have the mindset of knowing better.

08:21That, listen, God, more of you and less of me because of the things that I want around.

08:27Sometimes they are no good for me.

08:29I don't know who I'm speaking to, but I'm only speaking from real life experiences.

08:32Let's think about that relationship that you wanted so bad.

08:38And you wanted that person around you so bad, but they were just no good for you.

08:42And just as much as you push for it.

08:45That's as much as you, you know, took those steps backwards.

08:49The more that you tried to hold on tight, the more that you fell deeper in a ditch.

08:55I don't know who I'm speaking to.

08:56I'm only speaking from real life experiences.

08:58It has even jumped into, you know, the job sector.

09:05I just wanted that job and I just wanted that promotion so bad that once I got it.

09:12When the next thing, you know, I turn around and look up and realize that that thing that I wanted

09:17so bad and love so much.

09:18I hate what, you know, there is a thin line between love and hate.

09:26But I just wanted around so bad.

09:28I just wanted around me so bad.

09:33Let's take it to the financial aspect as I wrap this thing up, because, listen, I just started, but I

09:38can stay on this.

09:39This could be the whole show.

09:40So, the things that we want around that are no good for us.

09:45Let's take it to the financial aspect of it.

09:50Look at your bank account.

09:53Scroll through.

09:55Let's do a little bit of inventory.

09:58The things that you wanted so bad, the things that you wanted around you so bad.

10:03Is that the reason why you are struggling financially?

10:07Is that the reason why you are struggling spiritually?

10:11Let's get even deeper.

10:13Is that the reason why you are struggling mentally?

10:16Because of the people, places, and the materialistic things that you just want around you?

10:20You just have to have it around?

10:23Song of the day.

10:24I want you around.

10:26By Snow Allegra.

10:28Released in 2019.

10:31Let's get it.

10:32Let's get it.

10:33I'm ready to get into this tonight.

10:45Now, I need your help tonight a little bit.

10:48Keep the energy levels up.

10:50I've had a very draining day today, but I'm not going to let that spoil anything that we got going

10:55on here.

10:56So, if you're out there listening, please use your virtual voice.

11:00That's the best way that you can support the show.

11:02Drop it in the comments.

11:03Share.

11:04Subscribe.

11:05Tag a friend.

11:06Do whatever you need to do.

11:08But use your virtual voice.

11:09Let me know you out there.

11:10Shout out to SOS.

11:12Thank you so much for always coming through.

11:14I appreciate you.

11:15Shout out to Dre Dre Kings.

11:17I appreciate you as well.

11:20And I do want to let you all know that, yeah, it's going to be a dry episode tonight.

11:25I'm not sipping tonight, but I definitely am going to give you this wisdom.

11:29So, again, I got my little mug here.

11:34It's cold.

11:35I'm in Jersey, and it's snow all over the ground.

11:39So, yeah, it would be a nice night for a bottle of wine, but it's just great to have this

11:45nice ginger lemon tea.

11:48So, that's going to be the substitute.

11:52But I want to talk about spicy, powerful red wines.

11:57It's wintertime.

11:58I recommend, you know, spicy red wines.

12:03It's great to heat you up a little bit.

12:04So, these are the most mouth-filling wines of them all.

12:09Grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Ziffindel, which is my favorite, dominate this category.

12:17The wines will look inky, black in a glass, really dark.

12:22They show intense, sweet black fruit on the nose, then dense, velvety, smooth, inky fruit on a palate.

12:30The key here is rightness.

12:32These wines are mainly from grapes, tough enough to survive in hot vineyards such as one of my favorite places

12:41in the world, Napa Valley in California, Australia.

12:45Many will evolve in a cellar, but their overwhelming ripeness also makes them fruity enough to drink young.

12:53They need all of the oak to balance their powerful fruit flavors.

12:57Many come from the new world, but parts of Europe create these wines too.

13:01So, I want to say thank you all for out there listening and joining in to Reading Between the Wines.

13:08We made it here, episode 14, another episode of Reading Between the Wines.

13:13Cheers.

13:15Toast up your glasses.

13:17Get your journals out because we're definitely getting ready to go in tonight.

13:21And, of course, I could not do this without each and every one of you, so I want to say

13:25thank you all so much.

13:26Cheers.

13:30All right, so we're getting ready to get into this.

13:34So, without further ado, I'm going to go ahead and bring in my special guest, author, poet, Birdman313.

13:56What's going on?

13:57How are you?

13:58Hey, how's it going?

13:59I'm doing great, man.

14:02That's good.

14:02That's good to hear.

14:03I'm doing good, doing good.

14:04It's a little chilly up in here.

14:08Yeah.

14:09It's a little warm here.

14:15Oh, you know what?

14:17You know what?

14:18That ain't right.

14:21Let's start us off the show like this.

14:23Oh, man.

14:24Come on.

14:26My son, it's hot today.

14:28I was talking with him.

14:30I told him I went to the park, got me a little walk-in, and he said, well, that's good.

14:36You know, he's glad I'm getting around more now, and I'm doing my little walk-in, and I'm taking pictures,

14:43you know, shooting videos, just having a good time.

14:47And I told him, I said, yeah, man, I said, it's 75 here, kind of windy.

14:52He said, wow, that's good, Dad.

14:54He said, it's 80 with no wind.

14:56And I'm like, oh, man.

15:00He's just up the road from me, you know.

15:04It's like a three-hour drive to San Antonio from my house, so, you know.

15:12But he said he was out and about.

15:14He said, I got some shirts on.

15:15That's how he say shirts.

15:22You know, little tank tops.

15:24And I'll be like, yeah, okay, man.

15:27I said, enjoy this stuff.

15:28Is this the son that listens to us?

15:32Yes, yes, yes, yes.

15:33My other son, he's so busy.

15:35You know, he's a chauffeur, and he be all over, man.

15:39So, you know, me and him, we get a chance to talk, especially when it's sports on TV.

15:46We chat it up.

15:50Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

15:51Well, shout out to him doing that job.

15:53Yeah, I did that for once, and it only lasted a couple months.

15:59That didn't work out well.

16:00Well, I mean, he be chauffeuring some, you know, big-time people, Cisco.

16:09One of the guys from Don't Bug.

16:14Oh, I got you.

16:15I got you.

16:16Let me bone.

16:17Yeah, he chauffeuring them.

16:21One of the fighters that's from here, the middleweight, he chauffeures.

16:25You know, people like that, that's who he be really chauffeuring in, you know, when people

16:31going to, like, treatment centers and they want to go, you know, like, out of town, he

16:37does that.

16:38So, you know, he go to Nebraska, go to Kansas, and, you know, a few more other places.

16:45So, he get a chance to see the country.

16:48No, that's what's up.

16:49Yeah.

16:50That was my first concert, Bone Thugs and Harmony.

16:53Yeah, yeah, yeah.

16:54Yes, yes, yes, yes.

16:55Mm-hmm.

16:58All right.

16:59I got so much to talk about.

17:00But, you know, before we get into this tonight, I wanted to ask you, are you going to go see

17:05that new Michael Jackson movie that's coming out next month?

17:08No, it's not next month.

17:09Excuse me.

17:10Two months from now.

17:10Of course.

17:11April, I believe.

17:11Of course.

17:12Okay, okay.

17:13I got to go see, you know, MJ, you know, he's still, he's still on my list.

17:20Yeah, I know we were talking about him.

17:22I was listening to one of the replays, and we were talking about the Off the Wall, and

17:26I was like, I got to ask him if he's excited about that new movie that's coming out.

17:30Yeah.

17:31Oh, yeah.

17:34All right.

17:35So, let's get on into it tonight.

17:37We're getting ready to get into our Money Hacks segment.

17:41So, what number you got for me?

17:4345.

17:48All right.

17:49Let's see.

17:4945.

17:51What kind of conversation are we going to have tonight?

17:5445.

17:55All right.

17:56Here we go.

17:5945.

18:00Let's see.

18:00We got, don't take out federal loans unless you are on track with your retirement savings.

18:07Parents can take out federal plus loans to help pay for child's undergraduate years.

18:14Like a Stafford loan, the rates, excuse me, like a Stafford loan that interest rates on a

18:20plus is fixed.

18:21The formula for the plus loan is the interest rate on a 10-year Treasury note, and then they

18:29have 4.6%.

18:32For 2013, the 14-year, and this is outdated, but when this was written, for 2013 to 14,

18:44the year, the years of that rate was 6.41%.

18:49Once the loan is dispersed, the interest rate does not change, but when you go to borrow

18:55for the next year, your rate for that loan will be set based upon the prevailing 10-year

19:00Treasury rate.

19:01The maximum interest rate that may be changed in subsequent years is 10.25%.

19:08At 6.25%, a fixed rate plus loan is still better to deal with than a variable rate private

19:16loan.

19:17But here's the deal.

19:18Parents, you should not borrow a penny for your child's college education if you are not

19:22on track with your retirement savings.

19:25You think that sounds harsh?

19:27It's anything but.

19:28Putting your retirement ahead of your child's college costs is the most loving decision.

19:35I want you to be financially secure in your retirement so you don't have to turn to your

19:39adult children for help.

19:41These are loans.

19:46There are loans for college your child can take out probably in retirement.

19:52So I guess that's the moral of the story.

19:55Don't put your child's education before your own retirement because at the end of the day

20:02when push comes to shove, you ain't going to be able to pay it back and you're going to

20:08have to ask your children for help.

20:11So I guess the flip side of it, you help them get a great job so that they can help

20:16take

20:16care of you because you basically blew all your money on their college education.

20:21How does that sound?

20:23You know, I don't, you know what, taking out a loan, I don't care what kind it is, it's

20:28a disaster to me, you know, because I taken out a loan, went to school and for me, I still

20:38didn't learn nothing because I couldn't even get a job and what my degree was in.

20:43I know that happens all the time.

20:46But, you know, I mean, and, you know, it put a handcuffs, get taken alone, I'll put a

20:53handcuff on you at the beginning and it can really, you know, like, I admit I defaulted

21:05on my loan and it haunted me for years and I finally got it cleared up.

21:11Matter of fact, I had, I had a letter I had to carry around whenever I, if I went to

21:18another

21:18school and wanted to try to get money, like scholarships and all that, I had to show the

21:25college that I had paid off the loan.

21:28I mean, even for some jobs, I had to show this letter that I had paid off the loans.

21:36Oh, that's craziness.

21:38It starts to affect the job.

21:39Yes.

21:40Yes.

21:41Because they, you know, it's, it's always a thing where it was always told, you know,

21:48once you start something, you finish it.

21:50If you, if you can't finish it, you won't finish anything.

21:53And that's how a lot of, a lot of instructors used to say that, especially in college, you

21:59know?

21:59You know, so, you know, I just feel like, man, taking a loan out, if you, if you, you

22:07know what, put it like this, if you need to take it, take it.

22:13If you don't really need it, don't take it.

22:18And I know people who got money and dropped out on, and, and once they got the money,

22:23you know, they, you know, they, they got so much paid for their schooling and whatever

22:30was left over.

22:31I don't know if that ever happened to you, but you always got a little bit left over.

22:36And I know people who actually took the money and ran with it and didn't even go back to

22:41school.

22:43Took the money and ran with it.

22:45And how far did they get?

22:46Not far.

22:48Yeah.

22:51They going to come money back one way or the other.

22:54That's one loan.

22:57Student loans.

22:58Yeah.

23:00Is that as unforgivable, but they going to get their money.

23:02Oh yeah.

23:03Oh yeah.

23:04Like I said, you know, my taxes got held up for 10 years behind that.

23:0910 years.

23:10Taxes.

23:11Yeah.

23:11My taxes, my income tax for 10 years, I didn't get because it was paying off a loan.

23:18It had a cure so much, you know, interest.

23:22And then it was, well, actually it was being split between that and child support, you know,

23:29got behind in child support, got behind, you know,

23:32things just went crazy for a while for me.

23:35I hurt my back, couldn't work.

23:37And so, you know, I fell behind and Hey, you know, for 10 years, I didn't receive an income

23:46tax cut.

23:47It was paying off child back, child support and paying off a loan.

23:54And then I also heard that after they get done doing that, of taking all of your income tax

24:03and garnishing your wages and everything else that they know how to do, that they'll even

24:08take your social security.

24:10They can.

24:12That's why I got my, you know, that's what I'm glad I, you know, I was blessed.

24:17I got all of that taken care of before I start, you know, my retirement.

24:25Yeah.

24:26Yeah.

24:26Hmm.

24:29Well, word to the wise.

24:33That's basically what you said.

24:34Don't take it out.

24:35Yeah.

24:35Don't do it.

24:36If you don't need it, don't take it.

24:40I mean, I know some people don't get me wrong.

24:44Everybody just can't pay for, you know, a college education out their pocket.

24:48I understand that.

24:49That's why I said, you know, if it's not a necessity, then don't do it.

24:55Mm hmm.

24:57Mm hmm.

24:58I hear that.

25:02Well, we are going to get into our assignment tonight.

25:08Uh, this is a interesting one.

25:11I was just having this conversation with somebody this week and it just comes up so naturally.

25:16And, uh, here we're going to be helping out Miss Caitlin tonight in Columbus, Ohio.

25:23So Caitlin says.

25:26Laren, I didn't think I had a spending problem until I started reviewing my bank statements,

25:31streaming apps, meal kits, fitness memberships, a premium meditation app.

25:36I use once a subscription box.

25:40I forgot I signed up for all quietly eating anywhere from 200 to $300 a month.

25:47I never notice it because it's automatic.

25:49It feels invisible, but it adds up.

25:53And when I realized what's happening, I feel frustrated with myself.

25:56I tell my tools or investments in myself, but most of the time they just sit there and

26:02they're unused.

26:04I want structure.

26:05I want clarity.

26:05I want my money to serve me, not leak out while I scroll my phone.

26:09How do you take control of these small but persistent expenses without feeling like you're

26:15denying yourself?

26:17What do you have for Miss Caitlin?

26:20First of all, it's hard for me to believe somebody wouldn't be paying attention to, you

26:27know, their bank statements and their credit card statement and looking at what bills, what

26:33they're being charged, you know, like credit card, what they be in charge for or bank account

26:38what's coming out their pocket.

26:40Oh, you'd be so surprised.

26:43Oh, you'd be so surprised.

26:45Yeah, I know.

26:46You know, and when I seen that, I'm like, is this real or is this a fairy tale?

26:53You know, I mean, because every month, well, for me, I always check my statements.

27:03Plus, you know, doing that, you know, that monthly period, I'm checking my state.

27:10I'm checking my credit cards.

27:12I'm checking my bank statements, seeing what's being taken out.

27:17Don't get me wrong.

27:18I did get caught up one time where something was being taken out.

27:23And I'm, you know, and I'm like, why is this being taken out?

27:28And when I called her by, they said, well, you know, this has been taken out for like

27:35the last four or five months.

27:37I said, whoa, stop it, block it.

27:40And then a lot of people, what they do is they call to tell, tell the company to block and

27:47to stop their payments.

27:51And if you don't tell the credit card or your bank about it, they will still try to hit you

27:58up like and see what they can get out of you.

28:05And I always, I don't mean to cut you off, but what's big for that is gym memberships.

28:11You got to be very careful because you can tell them to block it, but they got this work

28:15around thing to where if you don't physically go in the gym and handle it with them, they

28:23can still take it out.

28:24But go ahead.

28:26I was getting ready to say that too.

28:28Yeah.

28:28You know, I mean, we had, like I said, we had a gym membership and we made sure, you

28:35know, that it was completely blocked.

28:40And I know one time I would, we, we, we went back and it was new people there.

28:48And I'm like, why is this extra coming out?

28:51And then she, and you know, she kind of, oh, hold up.

28:55That's because, and I said, but you didn't tell us that when we sign up, I said, okay,

29:01then I said, I'm, I said, look, I'm done with this period.

29:05Don't hit my account no more.

29:08A matter of fact, the credit card that's on that, that's on my account.

29:13You ain't got to worry about bothering them.

29:15And I always call my credit cards and I tell them, Hey, this here is supposed to be stopped.

29:23I'm going to tell you somebody else is big for it.

29:26I hope I don't get in trouble for mentioning the name, but ESPN, they good for that.

29:33I had, I had, you know, that, you know, you have that package, ESPN, Hulu, and, oh, shoot,

29:41there's another one that's in with them.

29:44And I had called to have it stopped because I'm like, I don't even watch ESPN on my phone

29:53or tablets like that.

29:55And when I realized they was taking money, I went on and I'm still getting a charge and

30:02I called them and the bank, no, my credit card, they said, well, sir, did you tell, or did

30:10you also tell Disney and did you tell so-and-so?

30:15And I'm like, I told, that's what it was.

30:19They said, you have to let each one of them know.

30:22So if not, money will be taken out of your account.

30:28Mm-mm, mm-mm.

30:30Yeah, that's craziness.

30:31And that's why, you know, I'm like, this must be a young lady who just, you know, she said

30:37that she just realized, how can you just realize when you get a bank statement, don't you look

30:44at your bank statement?

30:46Don't you look at your credit card statements?

30:49And if not, shame on you.

30:53Not them, that's on you.

30:56Mm-hmm.

30:58I remember it all so well.

31:00I used to do the same thing.

31:02And, you know, Diana and I, we be talking about that.

31:06And, you know, she the one really got, she said, oh, you need to check it every day if

31:12possible.

31:13And I'm like, all right.

31:15And I found out, checking it every day, I kept what was being taken out.

31:21I just, you know, and lately here, I have, it's things like, okay, streaming.

31:27I used to do the streaming with Amazon.

31:29And then I put a hold on it for a while.

31:32And I was like, oh, man, it's so good to have that, you know, even though it ain't much,

31:37because I wasn't really doing, I wasn't that much listening to a lot of people.

31:47And I didn't realize all the CDs that I bought, I'm thinking, I'm going to get them back.

31:53You know, I'll be able to keep them.

31:56And when I, and I found out, you paid for them, but you can't keep them.

32:02And I'm like, what?

32:03But see, what I did was before they changed that, I downloaded music from Amazon.

32:11And I downloaded it on my computer.

32:14And I have, I have a lot of CDs that I did buy that I did do that with.

32:19And so I started back.

32:23And then finally, I said, you know what?

32:26I don't use this a lot.

32:29So guess what?

32:30I'm getting ready to go ahead.

32:32And I, and I did, I ended that.

32:34And I, they haven't tried to hit me up for no money or nothing.

32:37But there have been times when my credit card will let me know that, hey, this is something that you

32:44end it.

32:45But they try to click some money from you.

32:48Hmm.

32:51I guess the best way to, and I'm probably have the terminology wrong, but the way that the society is

32:59set up today.

33:00And excuse me again, if my terminology is not right, but have everything like you, but you own nothing.

33:07So with all these streaming apps and things of that nature, even your gem membership and.

33:15You know, meditation apps and subscription boxes have everything right.

33:22But on nothing, because the minute that you stop paying, the minute that you default on payment, the minute that

33:28you say you don't want to sign up for this plan anymore.

33:31It's over now.

33:35I, I, you know, I, I have some of these subscriptions as well.

33:41They got me with the music.

33:43They got me with the music because I have every single album at my fingertips and I can listen to

33:50it, replay it, play it whenever I want.

33:51I've never been in this position in my life where I can have any CD album artists right at my

33:59fingertips.

34:00So yeah, have everything right, but on nothing.

34:04The minute that I stopped paying that, I can't listen to that anymore.

34:11So yeah, Netflix and all of that stuff that everybody signs up for the minute that you stop paying.

34:20And you have nothing.

34:21Exactly.

34:22And that's, that's what I tell.

34:23I tell a lot of people that too.

34:26I didn't mean to cut in on it.

34:28No, no, no.

34:29That, that, and just, you know, like one of my, my sayings is you can have a little bit of

34:36everything you want in life.

34:37You just can't get too crazy over any one thing.

34:41And that's it.

34:42It sounds like Ms.

34:43Caitlin got crazy over a whole bunch of things and thought that she can have it all streaming apps, meal

34:48kits, fitness memberships, meditation apps, subscription boxes, things that you forgot to sign up for.

34:55And the next thing, you know, it's eating away to $300 a month.

34:59That's insane.

35:00Yeah.

35:01That is insane.

35:03That's true.

35:03And I, you know, I, you know, like I said, I talked to my sons, we, we talk about that

35:08a lot, you know, and, you know, like my, you know, like my youngest one, he's into that.

35:14And, you know, I was telling him about how I was trying, been trying to save the albums and he's,

35:20or CDs, I shouldn't say albums.

35:22I'm so, I'm so used to saying that, but saying, you know, the CDs and then we were talking.

35:30And he said, dad, anything that you download now, when you cancel that streaming service, you lose all of it.

35:43Yeah.

35:44You get, you get the false idea of thinking you have it because you hit that download button.

35:48Right.

35:49And I, and, and I said, well, and then he said, but dad, all that music you have on your

35:55computer already.

35:57And I'm like, yeah.

35:58And I said, I've been trying to add more.

36:00And, you know, um, I said, that's why I don't really need the streaming service.

36:07Cause I have what I want to listen to.

36:09And I'm happy with it.

36:11I mean, I, I have a friend out in LA.

36:14I was talking with her the other day and she's on Spotify and I don't pay for the service, but

36:21you know, um, like she can, she can watch my, um, videos.

36:28And I can listen to her music and, you know, I often heard how, um, musicians are on Spotify and

36:40they only get 2% of whatever.

36:45You know, like if they sell a CD, they only get 2% of that.

36:49I'm like, wow, man, that's crazy.

36:532%?

36:54And they have, yeah.

36:56And they have to have like so many different streams in order to make, you know, a couple thousand dollars.

37:03So they got to have like, you got to be like superstar status in order to really make something.

37:09Well, even, even, well, I date, I, they were saying one time they said Snoop Dogg has, I forgot how

37:16many millions he has sold.

37:20And he was like, well, where's the money at then?

37:25Exactly.

37:27You know, and that's why a lot, a lot of them, a lot of them is, is, is fed up

37:33with these streaming service.

37:35But I mean, where else is you going to go?

37:37You know, that's why so many, and a lot of them, that's why they do concerts because that's really honest.

37:45That's where they make their money at.

37:47This is like authors who sell their books on like, like on Amazon and all these other services.

37:59You make your money going to open mics and book festival.

38:04That's how I do, because I can sell a book and I, you know, I send a book for $10.

38:09I may, I may get a check for, you know, three or four.

38:13I mean, we talked about that three or $4.

38:16If I'm looking.

38:19And when I go to, when I go to an open mic and somebody say, Oh, I want to get

38:24one of your books.

38:25You're okay.

38:26I got it right here.

38:27They say, Oh, you got it.

38:28Yeah.

38:28How much?

38:2910 down.

38:29I get, I get the whole 10.

38:30I get a chance to feel, you know, the whole 10, but if, if they buy it on Amazon, Amazon

38:39get the 10 and then, you know, they send me whatever.

38:44And I, I, I've been hearing a lot of people, a lot of authors complaining about Amazon.

38:50Amazon now is taking most of their money and they're sending them like, you know, a dollar and, you know,

38:58$25.80 checks for their books.

39:04I'm still waiting for a few checks to come in.

39:07I, I basically told them to keep it, keep it at this moment.

39:13I'm, I'm pivoting and moving and doing something different.

39:17Yeah.

39:18So that's why, you know, I try, I always on hand try to keep physically.

39:23Honestly, I won't, I will not sell a person.

39:29Like if I don't know you, you won't get my home address.

39:35I had issues with that.

39:37I had issues one time with that about, you know, um, I, I used to use my email address and

39:44person wanted to buy books.

39:46And then they said, well, we going to come to your home.

39:50I know you're not.

39:50Uh, uh, oh no.

39:54Yeah, you know, but I try to keep up with everything when it comes to hitting my bank account and

40:07my credit cards.

40:09So, you know, like I said, I, I pretty much, I sit down and I look at my, uh, credit

40:17cards and I go, I may, I may look at them four or five times.

40:22That may sound crazy, but I'm making sure nothing is being charged that I don't know about or that I

40:30approved of.

40:31Right.

40:32Right.

40:32I look at, I look at my bank account statement and I do it the same way.

40:37I make sure that there's nothing being hit to my bank account that I didn't approve of because like I

40:47said, that's why I said she had to be a young lady who just didn't care.

40:53And then now she, she, she's worried about where my money going to.

40:58Well, just like she was, she said she brought one subscription or one app and she only used it one

41:04time.

41:05Well, you don't remember that you got this app, even if it was one time and you had never used

41:13it again, but you pain on it.

41:14And that sounds kind of strange, like she just don't care.

41:23You know what, what I say for, uh, Caitlin, as we get ready to wrap this up with this type

41:31of added attitude, it's just game over.

41:35Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

41:38Because you think that you can rack up all this stuff and scroll on.

41:43I know a lot of young people, y'all go through this with the scrolling and tick tock and all

41:48of this stuff.

41:48And they make it so easy for you to just push a button and you link your card to your

41:51phone and Apple pay and I pay all of this nonsense, Google pay.

41:58And it's easy for you to just do stuff like this, but you're going to sit here and say, without,

42:03how can you do all of this stuff without feeling like you're denying yourself?

42:09How can you change your habits without feeling like you're denying yourself?

42:13See, this, this is a problem that I have.

42:15And I know that this might not be right.

42:17You know what?

42:18Just keep on doing it.

42:19Keep on doing it until you hit your financial rock bottom.

42:23And then you're going to learn because with all of the things that we have at our fingertips, sometimes we

42:28need to stop acting like we got it so bad and we're not privileged in the state and era that

42:34we are living in today.

42:35We have lots of things at our fingertips and you want to sit here and say that you're denying yourself.

42:41Yeah.

42:41No.

42:42Yeah.

42:43That's why I'm like denying yourself of what?

42:46Because you decided to drop this prescription.

42:50You know, I don't, I don't push, I'm a subscription.

42:55I'm sorry.

42:56I said, push scripture.

42:57You decided to drop this subscription and you feel like you denied, denying yourself from what?

43:05And, you know, and it's always seemed like everybody, you're trying to impress somebody.

43:12They all trying to impress somebody.

43:18She didn't say how old she is, but, uh, and again, that doesn't matter either.

43:23Cause you got some older people that do some reckless things too, but this is no good.

43:27So, yeah, no, no good.

43:31All right.

43:32So, um, yeah.

43:34If you want to chime in on tonight's assignment, let us know how you feel about the show.

43:38Let us know how you feel about the vibe.

43:39Please go ahead and drop it in the comments and let us know how you feel about it.

43:45You can also text 609-200.

43:49Let us know how you feel.

43:51And, uh, yeah, it's almost that time, Bert, man.

43:54What you got going on this week?

43:57Oh, let me see.

43:59Tomorrow night I have two readings, one with, um, Journal of Expressive Writing.

44:09Uh, that one is at this time.

44:11And then, um, LA Poetry Society is doing, it's a new, it's a new, uh, month, end of the month,

44:19uh, open mic that they're trying to, uh, build up.

44:22I'm signing up for that.

44:24Then Saturday I have, uh, it's called Saturday Night, Saturday Night Special, uh, a poetry reading.

44:36And that one's out of Austin.

44:39And then Sunday, there's one Sunday afternoon, uh, called The Line and the Pirate.

44:47And that's also out of, um, Austin.

44:51And all these readings is, you know, they're monthly, you know, once a month.

44:56Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

44:57So I got, I got my feel, I got my feel of, uh, poetry that's, you know.

45:01And then I'm also trying to, trying to get my, um, my manuscript done so I can go ahead and

45:08get it into the, this publishing company so they can start looking at it, so.

45:15Well, that's good.

45:16That's what's up.

45:17Yeah.

45:19I don't think I got much going on.

45:22Um, I know I'm gearing up for the financial wellness strategy session, which is not next week, but it's the

45:32following week.

45:33Uh-huh.

45:34And, um, yeah, I listen, I have been focusing on some behind the scenes stuff and I'm so glad that

45:40that's, I've, I've come over.

45:44Yeah.

45:44It's about to close some things and wrap things up.

45:47I'm looking forward to recording, you know, some new podcasts and stuff.

45:52We got the live version coming up soon.

45:56I've just been doing a lot of behind the scenes things.

45:58Oh, that's good.

45:59That's good.

46:00You know, sometimes, sometimes it takes, it just takes time for everything to, I guess, uh, start working.

46:11You know, and I tell people, people ask me how long I've been writing, I say all my life, you

46:18know.

46:18And then they say, I just, you know, things just start turning, you know, um, what was it?

46:27Two, uh, 10 years ago, it just started really turning or going to open when I was going to open

46:35mics here.

46:36And it was always that it wasn't that friendly feeling, you know, um, and now I started going to Austin

46:47and it was a different vibe there where,

46:49you know, I mean, anytime they have something, they, they invite me, man.

46:55I don't care what it is.

46:57They invite me.

46:58They say, Hey, if you can make it, the door is open.

47:02We got, we got room for you.

47:04Um, uh, co-op radio state radio out of Austin is like that.

47:09Um, talking with one of the guys the other day and he said, Hey, you're always welcome.

47:15He said anything we have and I have something to do with it.

47:19He said, you always going to be featured.

47:21Don't worry about that.

47:23He said, if you make it up here, uh, you're going to be featured.

47:26So he always, he's been featuring me at all, all at all his events that he had.

47:32And then he even talked to people and said, Hey, uh, invite Birdman, let him be a feature.

47:39You know, a couple of them kind of like overlooked me and he's made comments to him about it.

47:47I told him, Hey man, don't worry about it.

47:49You know, it just wasn't meant to be.

47:52Right.

47:53Like when one door closes, the next one just might be open.

47:57Exactly.

47:58Exactly.

47:58So, you know, that, that's the, that's the good thing.

48:01You know, I know, I know, I know I'm welcome and it's funny, man.

48:05And people, people say they don't understand it.

48:08They say, how come you're not, it's not like that for you in Houston.

48:12I'm like, Hey, because you know, um, here most, most of everybody's into that slam.

48:18Um, in the slam poetry.

48:20And so, you know, I said, I don't do slam and I said, I don't try to compete at all.

48:28So, you know, Hey, I, that's not my style.

48:32And I've had several people, you know, they, you know, my name came up, but now it's, that's, that's, this

48:42style is not for, for this, you know?

48:44So it's cool.

48:46That's biblical because, you know, he called us to get up and move from, you know, where we are, our

48:55home station is.

48:57You may not get the love, you know, paraphrase doing it my way.

49:01You may not get the love within your own four walls.

49:04You have to get up and go and uproot yourself and go somewhere else.

49:11You might be called to move and then that's when the blessings come.

49:15So your hometown, sometimes we don't get the love in our hometown.

49:19We got to go out and we got to go somewhere else to get what, you know.

49:23And you know what, it's sad, even LA, if, if I go out there and I, and I call the

49:30host and tell them, Hey, I'm in town.

49:32They'd be like, Oh, come on out.

49:34You know, we got a spot for you, you know, just like that.

49:37You know, I'm in, and I'm like, and they, didn't they, uh, one, another one of my friends, she's a

49:43musician.

49:43She live out there and she, she was like, we met her for lunch one time and she kind of

49:50like, well, why, why didn't you do anything in Houston?

49:53And when I told her, I said, Hey, I get a chance to do more reading here in LA than

49:58I do out there.

49:59And she said, that's crazy.

50:00I said, yeah, but you got, you got to know your audience.

50:04And I said, uh, I said, there's a lot of them that they, they, they just like that slam.

50:10They, you know, and it's, you know, that's the way music is.

50:14You know, you got the rap and, you know, everybody is for the rap and for the, you know, other

50:19like R and B, they kind of like, Oh, okay.

50:21That's cool.

50:22Uh, you know, and they kind of push it to the side where poetry is becoming that way too, where

50:27the slam they want, they want to slam.

50:31They hype to slam up so much here because there used to be a lot of festivals, a lot of

50:38festivals here now, you know, they, you know, it, it done died down.

50:47Cause if it's not slam, then they, they don't have a platform.

50:52Wow.

50:52That's craziness.

50:53Yeah.

50:57All right.

50:58We got to go on, go ahead and get on up out of here, pay our bills.

51:02So, yeah, I want to say, I appreciate you for coming on, of course, and adding your insight as always.

51:10And, uh, look for, look forward to next week.

51:15See what we have next week.

51:17I do my best, man.

51:19You know, I don't expect people.

51:21Like I tell people, my kids don't listen to me, so I don't expect nobody else to listen to me.

51:27You know, people, you, you, we write our own stories.

51:31We just here to give our opinion.

51:34We're not here to give any advice.

51:35So listen, you do what you got to do.

51:37You do your own thing.

51:38It'll all come full circle and you'll be like, Oh yeah.

51:41Remember when those guys were talking about, Oh, you're absolutely right.

51:45Yeah.

51:46Oh yeah.

51:47Oh yeah.

51:49But I was that way too.

51:51I was that way.

51:52So I don't, you know, that's why I just like, I keep doing what I'm doing.

51:56Either, either you clap for me or you, or you turn your back.

51:59You don't make me no difference anymore.

52:03I know that's right.

52:07All right.

52:08I will talk to you next week.

52:09You have a good night and take care.

52:11You too.

52:12Okay, man.

52:14Good night.

52:15Good night.

52:18All right, ladies and gentlemen, that was author, poet, Birdman, three, one, three.

52:32And we're going to go ahead and get out of here.

52:34Please head on over to laryngaines.com.

52:38Sign up for that free 15 minute consultation and we will see you next week.

52:42Take care of y'all.

52:43Have a good night.

52:46Take care of y'all.

53:16Take care of y'all.

Subscriptions You Don't Use | DISC 6: Vitality | 411 Podcast🍾Reading Between The Wines (Episode 14)

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