10/5/26 A Better Money Game Plan + DreamFest 2026

The Moneywise Radio Show and Podcast Monday, October 5th BE MONEYWISE. Moneywise Wealth Management I "The Moneywise Radio Show & Podcast" call: 661-847-1000 text in anytime: 661-396-1000 website: www. MoneywiseGuys.com https://www.moneywiseguys.com/ facebook: Moneywise_Wealth_Management https://www.facebook.com/moneywiseguys/ LinkedIn: Moneywise_Wealth_Management https://www.linkedin.com/company/moneywise-wealth-management-bakersfield/ Guest: Amber Ranger & Lettie Gurrola, Kern Down Syndrome Network website: https://kerndsn.org/ email: [email protected] mailto:[email protected] phone: 661-605-7440 facebook: Kern_Down_Syndrome_Network https://www.facebook.com/kerndsn instagram: @kerndsnetwork https://www.instagram.com/kerndsnetwork/ The opinions voiced in this podcast are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a decision. Amber Ranger, Lettie Gurrola & Kern Down Syndrome Network are not affiliated with nor endorsed by LPL Financial or Moneywise Wealth Management

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Live from the basement inside the historic Woolworths building in downtown Bakersfield.

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  Call or text in at 661-396-1000.

• 0:29Speaker 02

  Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through LPL Financial. LPL Financial and MoneyWise Wealth Management are independently owned and operated.

• 0:37Speaker 00

  Now, let's start the MoneyWise Show.

• 0:40Speaker 03

  Welcome to the MoneyWise Show. We're live from the basement of the historic Woolworths building in downtown Bakersfield. For the next hour, you are on News Talk 96.1 and 1230 AM KERN, streaming live at MoneyWiseGuys.com. You can call or text into the show 24 hours a day at 661-396-1000. Today, we are your hosts. I'm Sammy Abia. We're with?

• 1:04Speaker 00

  Steve and Nicholas.

• 1:05Speaker 03

  Steve and Nicholas. This is not a first, but I really actually enjoy our, our shows just sometimes you and I.

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  Just kick back, start the week.

• 1:13Speaker 03

  Back and you know, talk about our losses over the weekend, you and I both Dolphins lost, Steelers lost.

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  But we're getting better.

• 1:22Speaker 03

  I don't know.

• 1:23Speaker 00

  I get that every time. Yeah, I get a laugh every time I say, well, hey, we're getting better.

• 1:27Speaker 03

  Well, we have Dumb and Dumber at the Steelers level, you know, the coach and the quarterback. Both need to go in my opinion, but maybe I'm just the only one.

• 1:36Speaker 00

  You, you think so? I mean, I could totally understand and agree with Aaron Rodgers, but do you think it's really a McCarthy?

• 1:44Speaker 03

  I've never liked him as a coach.

• 1:45Speaker 00

  Oh, really?

• 1:46Speaker 03

  Yeah, I never liked him as a coach. I think he's got a big ego. He, he's a Super Bowl coach one time, and I think there are circumstances there that allowed him. He's got, he had a stacked up team.

• 1:56Speaker 00

  Yeah, I was gonna say that helps.

• 1:57Speaker 03

  Stacked up team the, the year he won that Super Bowl, but I've never, I've never liked him. His ego is too big for me.

• 2:03Speaker 00

  Was that with the Packers? Yeah. Yeah. And speaking of ego, I mean, it couldn't be any bigger than Aaron Rodgers.

• 2:10Speaker 03

  No, no, no, I, I agree with you. I'm frankly, I'm not watching football this year just because of those two. I didn't, I didn't volunteer. I didn't do any fantasy this year for the first time in almost 15 years. Just because I'm, I'm not over it. I'm just gonna wait the season and see what happens.

• 2:29Speaker 00

  See fantasy is the opposite for me. I, I play in seven leagues. And it helps me to take away from what I'm watching in my Dolphins football, but I kinda knew going into this season with all the rebuilding, all the players that they cut. I mean, we, we are the youngest football team by far. And just starting the season, losing to the Raiders. And then each week I'm starting to see, okay, they're, they're growing, they're getting better, they're getting that close, but still 0-4.

• 2:59Speaker 03

  Are you looking, are you looking, I mean, I think there is a talk about zero and 17 this season for the Dolphins.

• 3:05Speaker 00

  I don't, I don't see it. I, I think a win is coming very soon.

• 3:08Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 3:09Speaker 00

  I mean, they almost beat the Chiefs last week. They almost had the Vikings. They had them on the ropes this week. I, I think it's coming. I just don't, I, I, I can't say they're gonna go eight and nine. But I could get a win or two out of there.

• 3:23Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 3:24Speaker 00

  Their, their schedule is only getting tougher.

• 3:26Speaker 03

  Well, good luck to, good luck to them. In the meantime, we have a bunch of listeners' questions, so keep, keep those coming. Stephen and I enjoy answering those and, and just discussing them. So keep those questions coming. Stephen, can we go over the first one?

• 3:41Speaker 00

  Yeah, our guest just got here. Um, the first message is, I know budgeting is a big step of being money wise. I'm in my early 40s, married, work a good job and have two kids. But am I not, or I am not living check to check, but I don't really have anything saved for retirement besides my 401k. I started about 10 years ago. Is there any account like a 401k that I can have taken out of my check? I find it easier than putting it back, back that way, which I totally agree.

• 4:19Speaker 03

  This, I agree too. This, this person is talking about automatically taking some money out of their paycheck, uh, which basically facilitates savings. I have some recommendations here. First, take a look at your 401k percentage. And if there is room for you to bump it up, maybe a 1% or 2%, go ahead and do that. Uh, then ask your HR about your Roth 401k option. Many plans offer it inside the same 401k on the same paycheck deduction. It's an after-tax money going in, a tax-free coming out.

• 4:59Speaker 03

  It's useful for tax diversification and if everything, uh, so far is pre-tax. HSA accounts, uh, it's a payroll deducted and arguably the, the best tax deal available. Uh, if, if you're married, your limit is 8,750. For an individual is 4,400. So that's, that's another option. Uh, as an ex-banker, uh, I always liked to have three or six months of operating cash. Now just don't put the cash in your checking account. Try to automate the deduction from your checking account where you receive your, your W2 income.

• 5:42Speaker 03

  And maybe open a savings account or a high interest rate money market account to automatically deduct from the money coming in. So you don't see it.

• 5:52Speaker 00

  Is that an easy thing to set up?

• 5:53Speaker 03

  Very, very easy. Now a lot of banks offer, especially if you are a client and existing clients, they offer opening these accounts online even. Because there's something called CIP, a customer identification program. And if you're meeting it because you're already an existing customer, now opening another account is, is a lot easier. So there, there are high yield, either savings account or money market account. The difference between the two, uh, is it's just the money market account is a checking account. You can write checks. Uh, and, and the savings account you, you cannot, you just have to transfer the money and then operate through that. So those are some of the, the options that, that, that you can have, but definitely look at

• 6:36Speaker 03

  being liquid too, because you said you're a family person. So you want to have at least three to six months of operating cash just in case something happens, whatever that is, you have an emergency fund.

• 6:46Speaker 00

  Emergency fund.

• 6:47Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 6:48Speaker 00

  The, uh, the next one says, great show, guys. I am a third generation MoneyWise listener.

• 6:53Speaker 03

  Woo-hoo.

• 6:54Speaker 00

  That's awesome. I'm a, I'm sure you guys hear this all the time. But my grandma recently told me that my generation won't receive social security benefits. He says, I am 30 and she told me, don't believe what you hear on the news. Just ask the MoneyWise guys.

• 7:14Speaker 03

  Well, thanks grandma. Grandma Norma, we love you. Keep listening.

• 7:20Speaker 03

  Very good question. We've tackled this question multiple times in the past. So social security, money or social security is running out of funds and that's what a lot of people are saying. So that's, to me, that's the myth that we want to bust. That's the myth we want to talk about. Social security is not running out of money per se, meaning like we're gonna have zero dollars in that because we have a workforce that's contributing towards that fund on a monthly basis. Okay. So that's not gonna stop unless we don't, we have zero workforce, which is not gonna be the case in America. In fact, we have a bunch of jobs that need to be filled. All those jobs, all these labor force is putting money away in social security.

• 7:59Speaker 03

  What's gonna happen potentially by 2032, 2034 is potentially a reduction to the benefits at a certain percentage, whatever that percentage is. That depends on the beneficiaries that are taking social security versus us still in the workforce contributing towards that. A lot of people are living longer, Stephen. Okay. So people used to live up to 75, 80, well now people live at 95. Right? That's a good thing, right? But at the same time, their benefits now are extended, another 10, 15, sometimes 20 years. That's what's put.

• 8:33Speaker 00

  Probably another thing about saving.

• 8:35Speaker 03

  Correct. And you know, just correlating that to the, the first question. That's why saving and investing. See, a lot of us W2 income earners, we don't think about investing. We think that investment is only available to the people that are making six figures or a certain amount of money. No. You can invest small. A lot of this banks now, especially large banks, the five largest banks, they offer some type of an investment desk. Take advantage of that. And you don't have to be really, really like rich to invest. Just a couple of shares here and there. If you, if you have some extra cash, invest it. Take that little risk, right? That's the one piece that us W2 earners, sometimes we miss that we feel like only institutional investors,

• 9:20Speaker 03

  that stuff is only available to certain people making a certain amount of money. No, it's available to all of us. And now with AI, you can do a quick search. Hey, give it, give it, this is my job. This is my income. This is how much I'm saving. What are my options? You know, my 13 year old has a little bit of investments, right? Because he saved money by working a couple of hours a year at Woolworths. So.

• 9:42Speaker 00

  I, I know I've heard the same thing about, you know, I, I can't invest. I don't make enough money.

• 9:48Speaker 03

  Yes.

• 9:48Speaker 00

  Um, I'm too worried if, if I invest, I'll lose it all.

• 9:52Speaker 03

  Yep.

• 9:52Speaker 00

  That does always the same kind of things and I've heard and learned. From you guys over the years that you don't have to be as aggressive. You don't have to put in as much.

• 10:02Speaker 03

  No.

• 10:03Speaker 00

  And I mean, is there, is there a certain amount? Obviously, you want to get that three to six month emergency before you do anything.

• 10:10Speaker 03

  Correct.

• 10:10Speaker 00

  But I mean, if you're only making a certain amount, say, say, I'm making eighty thousand dollars and, you know, I have about five to ten thousand after everything that I can either put back or invest.

• 10:24Speaker 03

  Correct.

• 10:25Speaker 00

  You don't always have to be as aggressive as what you see on TV.

• 10:28Speaker 03

  No, no, you, you, you, like I said, I mean, you, you, you can either talk to a financial advisor, but if you feel like, hey, I'm not ready for that. There are certain things you could do. Robin Hood is a great platform, for instance, for me. That's what I have my son on, right? I, I opened the account. I funded the account for very small money. But he's thirteen, he's turning fourteen, and I'm teaching him how to do that with hundred dollars, two hundred dollars. And he picks his own. He goes and he researches, for instance, things like Starbucks. Why, why am I investing in Starbucks? I ask him, why are you investing in Starbucks? Well, I see my mom going there every day, spending seven dollars. Well, this is not going away anytime soon. Okay, that makes sense, right? Or, or Disney.

• 11:10Speaker 03

  Or like that, the stuff that he, he, a thirteen year old is thinking is like, Disney is always going to be here. Well, I'm not always, but it's busy. People are always going to have kids and kids are always going to go there. And so, hundred dollars, two hundred dollars, whatever you can, you can, you can, at least it gives you access to this market, to this return that typically you will not have access to unless you take that step. Of course, your 401K is putting you in that bucket, right? But if you are wanting a little bit extra diversity, take a look at that.

• 11:44Speaker 00

  And we'll get another one in before we take our break. The next one says, is the diner open on the weekends?

• 11:51Speaker 03

  Definitely open the weekends. Saturday, we're open between the hours of eleven and eight. Um, full menu. And Sundays, we're open between the hours of ten and two for a brunch menu, exclusive brunch menu by Chef Richard Yoshimura. If you have not been to the building, I highly encourage you, not because I'm biased, just because it's really, really good.

• 12:11Speaker 00

  I am biased. I, I went out there a couple of weeks ago and took the family out. It was, uh, it wasn't expensive and that was probably one of the best brunches I've had in a while.

• 12:21Speaker 03

  I agree with you. We try to keep the prices at a certain level. This is something I want to talk about today from an affordability standpoint, while maintaining quality. Uh, but, but the, the breakfast or the brunch we have, especially that French toast, it's unique in a sense where it's not your regular bread. It's the fruits inside, the cream that's homemade. Uh, Chef Richard does a really, really good job. I highly, highly encourage, um, my, my sugar is going up, I guess. Sorry.

• 12:53Speaker 00

  You're thinking about brunch.

• 12:56Speaker 00

  It's a telling you. No, no, no.

• 12:58Speaker 03

  No, no, no. Yeah, there is, there are options. There's the Moroccan eggs. I can eat those without any, any bread. So that's, that's always good. So there's a, there's an array of items you can, you can choose from. And yes, we are open between the hours of, uh, ten and two. So yeah, please come on in.

• 13:13Speaker 00

  All weekend long.

• 13:14Speaker 03

  All weekend long.

• 13:15Speaker 00

  We'll take this break and, uh, we'll get to, uh, the rest of these messages. And, uh, I, I heard something about, uh, getting into the price of beef here in a minute. We'll get about the, uh, the price of gas and groceries right here when we come back on the Money Wise Show on Kern Radio.

• 13:38Speaker 03

  Welcome back to the Money Wise Show. I'm Sami Abiyaw here with Stephen Nicholas. Um, we have a lot of stuff to talk about. Then we have a guest coming in, uh, uh, after the second break. Uh, Stephen, we started talking and we have one more listener question. Before we start talking about, a little bit about affordability, especially around gas and especially in store.

• 14:01Speaker 00

  Uh, this one from, uh, Friday show says, I heard Friday's show. And the topic came up with one of the messages you read was about paying employees using Zelle or Cash App. I don't get my check through these types of apps, but I do receive payments from some side projects. And it made me wonder if I need to make sure to not receive payments that way. Or is it there going to be another form to show, uh, when I do my taxes? Sorry, I thought the state allowed payments that way. Thank you.

• 14:33Speaker 03

  Uh, very good question. Um, it really depends if you're Zelle. I don't, I don't know if Zelle or any type of payment, uh, app allows, uh, for these payments to go directly to your business account. Uh, if, if, if it is, then you're in the clear because you're, you're supplying that to your bookkeeper or CPA, and they're taking that payment into consideration and calculating your, your taxes. A vendor or a client of yours that you do business, uh, with eventually has, uh, the ability to issue a ten ninety-nine. Ten ninety-nine is going to show the income that you've received and that that person paid for.

• 15:15Speaker 03

  If that's not the case, then you have to make some adjustments. Either transfer the money into your business account or whatever account you're operating out of. That way you are accounting for the, for that income in your, in your tax.

• 15:30Speaker 03

  Um, if you're not receiving a ten ninety-nine or, or, or whatever, you, there, there are rules. You, you, and you received outside income, you have to report that as, as well. That's what the IRS, uh, calls for. So, um, you can receive the payment as long as it goes into the account.

• 15:50Speaker 00

  The correct account.

• 15:51Speaker 03

  Correct. Yeah. And if not, you're going to have to make a transfer. And that's a tax event. If an income, if, if, if cash is coming into that account, you have to explain what that is. Is it a capital injection from you as the owner? Or is it payments coming from a client? And if so, um, then it has to be accounted for in calculating your taxes.

• 16:14Speaker 00

  Do you want to tackle this one?

• 16:16Speaker 03

  Which one?

• 16:17Speaker 00

  The, the next one.

• 16:19Speaker 03

  Yes, I'm gonna ask, answer half of it. So go ahead.

• 16:23Speaker 00

  All right. This, uh, this new one says, why don't we have pensions anymore? Weren't they safer? And why do government employees still get them?

• 16:32Speaker 03

  Well, I'm gonna do the short version and then share this on the show tomorrow. We can tackle the financial advisor answer of that. Um, short version, pensions didn't die because they were bad for, for workers. They died because they were expensive and risky for the employers who had to promise them. Okay. So imagine you have a pension and you're Enron.

• 16:54Speaker 03

  Guess what? It's gone, right? So, so, so government kept them because the taxpayer stands behind them. Either state government or federal government. That's the difference between the private and the government sector. And that's where the 401K, uh, came in. Uh, and, and where you contribute and then your employer contributes and you have a match and it's invested in a certain way where it's safe.

• 17:20Speaker 00

  Safer.

• 17:20Speaker 03

  Safer.

• 17:21Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 17:21Speaker 03

  Right? So that's, that's the difference. But there is, there is, there is a part of this question that a financial advisor, a licensed financial advisor needs to answer. And we'll leave that up to share for tomorrow.

• 17:31Speaker 00

  Yep.

• 17:33Speaker 00

  So when it comes to the, uh, I know we were talking about gas prices and groceries. And one of the things that really piqued my, my thought, which I know we're gonna, we're gonna get into at the end of the show, but the price of beef. You know, we've talked about, um, you know, grocery shopping, gas prices over the last few weeks. And I'm really seeing it, you know, at, at, at the grocery store.

• 17:56Speaker 03

  Yeah, you're seeing, you know, we talked about to Chad Hathaway last week, the prices of diesel, uh, seven dollars and seventy-nine cents at Costco, right? Um, eight dollars and fifty cents around town. If you're on the freeway, it's even ten to, uh, nine to ten dollars, sometimes even more. So that translates in that passing, past dawn over to you and I in the form of beef prices, oil, I mean, butter price, tomatoes, lettuce, whatever you're buying at the grocery store, uh, basically. I was thinking about this over the weekend because I have a diesel truck. And, and it's so expensive to fill up right now. I mean, I want to go visit my sister, for instance, in Orange County. I'm like, ah, do I love my sister that much?

• 18:40Speaker 03

  She'll spend two hundred and fifty dollars.

• 18:42Speaker 00

  You can just jump on a, a, a video chat.

• 18:44Speaker 03

  Video chat. Hey, how you doing? You know, and just be done with that. No, it's, it's, it, I mean, I know it's not funny, but it is in the sense where you start now measuring the love for your relatives based in gallons.

• 18:56Speaker 00

  Yeah, and you're double checking any type of traveling.

• 18:58Speaker 03

  Yeah. And, and, and, and what I think is happening is you and I are going and spending a, a hundred dollar, seventy-five dollar extra a tank. Every time, time that by four, if you fill out one, one, uh, once a week. That's deducted from your income, right? Well, so when you go to the store, you're seeing less in your checking account. So less to spend at the grocery store because you're spending a lot more at the gas pump. That's what a lot of us are seeing. It's, it's, it's, it's, uh, something's got to give. And I'm, and I'm hoping we can talk a little bit to, uh, later around the price of beef because I think there is a reprieve coming. So. We'll, uh, take our second break. When we come back, we have a guest to introduce. So stay tuned. We'll be right back.

• 19:46Speaker 03

  Love the song. Welcome back to the Money Wise Show. I'm Sammy Abia with Stephen Nicholas. Uh, we are now joined by Amber Ranger, President of Kern's Down Syndrome Network and Leti?

• 20:01Speaker 04

  Leti.

• 20:02Speaker 03

  Okay. And you're the Vice President. Is that correct? Okay. Well, welcome to the show.

• 20:05Speaker 05

  Thank you for having us.

• 20:06Speaker 03

  Very happy to have you both here. And I just got educated a minute ago off air that October is?

• 20:13Speaker 05

  Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

• 20:14Speaker 03

  All right. Uh, and, uh, you guys started this, this outfit. Uh, how long ago was this?

• 20:21Speaker 05

  Over 11 years ago, we got started, um, as the, we're, we're the only Down Syndrome organization in Kern County. So yeah, that started as just volunteers and a group of moms that, that needed some support.

• 20:35Speaker 03

  Well, I'm, I'm glad you guys started it because, I mean, you're doing such a great stuff here for the community. And, and we want you guys to continue doing that and whatever help we can, we can provide. And, and, and today we want to advertise and market as much as possible because you have a great event coming up in the month of October. Is that correct?

• 20:54Speaker 04

  Yes, we actually have Dream Fest coming up. It's our biggest fundraiser of the year and it's our biggest Down Syndrome Awareness Celebration. So we focus on highlighting our people with Down Syndrome in the community, um, their abilities, accomplishments, contributions that they bring to Kern County. And, you know, we always say they're our neighbors, they're your friends, your classmates, your students. So we encourage the, the community to come out and celebrate. It's not just for families with raising a child or caring for a person with Down Syndrome. It's for the entire community to come out and spend the day with us and celebrate. We have a huge event. Um, we have pony rides, petting zoo, rock wall.

• 21:32Speaker 05

  Phone party, the list goes on. We've got crafts, temporary tattoos. Yeah, it's a really fun family event.

• 21:39Speaker 03

  There you go, Sammy. Yeah, temporary tattoo. I love tattoos, but I can't have permanent ones.

• 21:43Speaker 00

  Get some temporary ones, ride a pony.

• 21:45Speaker 03

  Yeah, because I want to be, I want to, I want to do something for Halloween. So maybe that's what I'll do.

• 21:49Speaker 00

  Yeah, there you go.

• 21:50Speaker 05

  Come on out.

• 21:50Speaker 03

  When, when is the event?

• 21:52Speaker 05

  October 17th at Stramler Park.

• 21:55Speaker 00

  So what, where does the money go? How, I mean, were you raising it?

• 21:58Speaker 05

  It all stays local with Kern Down Syndrome Network. Yes. So it does stay local with our organization to support our ongoing programs throughout the year.

• 22:07Speaker 00

  And for any business owners that are talking, are you looking for any sponsorships?

• 22:12Speaker 05

  Always. We really, we do rely on our community, um, to, to help and sponsorships are still available. Um, our presenting sponsor is Staycation this year. So we're, we're super proud and excited to have them on board. But we still have plenty of opportunities available.

• 22:28Speaker 03

  And you have, on your website, people can, can donate on your website directly?

• 22:32Speaker 05

  Yes. KernDSN.org. And they can just, yeah, they don't have to be a sponsor. If they just want to contribute to what we're doing and support and really just show their support for inclusion in the community. Just donating is a great way to get involved.

• 22:46Speaker 03

  And your organization has the 501(c)(3) designation. So, so the donation is tax deductible?

• 22:53Speaker 05

  100% tax deductible. Yes.

• 22:56Speaker 00

  You're, you're talking to a former banker. So he had, he had to go that route.

• 23:00Speaker 03

  Well, yeah. A lot of people sometimes they want to donate, but then they hesitate because they want their dollars to go a certain way or certain organization, but also they want to take advantage of the donation as well. So reminding them of the 501(c)(3) designation is important, in my opinion.

• 23:15Speaker 00

  Very. And I mean, we were just talking for the first half of the show on, you know, money is tight. You know, we were talking about the gas prices and groceries and it's, it's really hitting our great fundraiser or our great nonprofits here in town. Small business owners. So if we can come out, we'll put all the information in our podcast notes. So if you're driving and you can't write everything down, it'll be on our notes today.

• 23:40Speaker 03

  So, so why, why did you guys start this? I mean, 2015, what, what prompted you guys to do this?

• 23:47Speaker 05

  Well, um, I had a daughter, I was, my daughter was born in 2014 with Down Syndrome. And, um, when she was born, you know, we were floating through life. Everything was fine and dandy, but I started connecting with some other parents in town just through Facebook. And, uh, we realized that there wasn't a Down Syndrome specific organization. It wasn't something that we, we immediately thought like, oh, we, we all have a baby with Down Syndrome. Let's start it. It was, um, just realizing that there was a need and that there wasn't much support out there. We'd, nobody had reached out to us, not just for general support, but really learning to advocate for your child and, um, just educating yourself. Everything was Google, you know?

• 24:28Speaker 05

  And so, um, between myself and Leti and a few other moms, we got together and decided, okay, is there a need? What would this look like? And, um, sure enough, I mean, there was a big enough need for us to start. So we've been volunteer ran ever since 2015. Actually, just recently, um, we did, we did get a small grant to help us, but, but still 98% volunteer ran. So.

• 24:53Speaker 03

  Volunteer and donation?

• 24:55Speaker 05

  Yes.

• 24:55Speaker 03

  So nothing from federal or state or beside, I mean, besides the grant?

• 25:01Speaker 05

  Correct. Yes.

• 25:02Speaker 04

  This is our first one.

• 25:03Speaker 05

  Yes, up until just a few months ago.

• 25:06Speaker 03

  Well, congratulations. I hope there's more of that.

• 25:08Speaker 05

  Thank you. Yes, we're very excited.

• 25:10Speaker 03

  Yeah, very, very much so. Uh, uh, so talk to us a little bit about the organization. Besides this event that you do and your biggest event coming up, what else do you do to raise money, uh, in, in the community?

• 25:24Speaker 04

  Well, oh, I'm sorry. Well, to raise money throughout the year is we rely on, we kind of post different fundraisers throughout, smaller fundraisers throughout the year. And the Dream Fest is our biggest. Um, but we've always just relied on just local companies, local organizations that have, a lot of them have come to us and really wanted to support us and help us. And so we've had some companies, I think this is our first year that we've had an office. We've actually all, we've operated from, out of our homes for the past, you know, 11 years. And this is the past, the first year that we had several or a couple of companies come to us and want to help us, support us and so we can grow. And we've actually seen a lot of growth this year from that. So I think it's just smaller fundraisers that we've done throughout the year.

• 26:07Speaker 04

  And it's, it's great to see our community. We've always been community, supported by our community. So it's been really nice to see that.

• 26:14Speaker 05

  Supporting, having the support from our community has, um, helped us be very resourceful. We realize that this is our, these are our friends, our neighbors, our families, local businesses giving. And so we've learned over the last 11 years, going on 12, to make sure that we're using our resources, our volunteers first before the fund. So we've been so honestly, just really lucky to, to have the community put forth what they have. Um, you know, even just having special speakers when we have our programs, having those, them volunteer their times, having experts volunteer their time, um, so that our dollar is stretched, you know, pretty well. So, um, but with a grant comes a lot more programs and a lot more work. And so.

• 26:57Speaker 03

  Well, I'm very happy for you guys that you've got the grant and, and, and hopefully through this show, we can raise a little bit more awareness for, for the organization.

• 27:05Speaker 00

  My last question is, I mean, from the other side, you know, some say a listener is listening and they have a family member that has, you know, a Down Syndrome child and needs more education or needs, you know, just some, someone to talk to, somewhere, you know, where to start. How, how would they get ahold of you guys?

• 27:25Speaker 05

  The best way is probably on our, on our website, KernDSN.org. We also have a link tree. So it's just the link tree, um, Kern

• 27:36Speaker 05

  DSN. Uh, there's no .org or anything, but anyway, um, there, we have several links there. So if they want to get connected, if whether it's a teen or adult, we have teen and adult tribes. Maybe it's just a parent that wants to, um, have a mom's night out, a dad's night out. We also have monthly programs for our zero to fives. We have like zero, zero, ages zero to five. Um, and then we have our monthly pathways program. So it's a great way to get connected, you know, for everything on that, on the website.

• 28:06Speaker 03

  We're, we're a financial show and we try to educate our listeners on financial things. So for, for a family that's potentially getting a diagnosis either at birth or pre-birth, what are some of the financial things or items that they need to maybe think about? From treatment to just therapies, to just joining clubs, what are some of the things that, you know?

• 28:30Speaker 00

  You know, be prepared for.

• 28:32Speaker 05

  Yeah, I think the biggest thing to prepare our new families is connecting with other families, connecting with, with an organization like ours. We call ourselves like a one stop shop, but also, um, through Kern Regional Center, the finances, I mean, it can be scary. You don't know what's ahead. You're not sure what's expected when you get the diagnosis, whether it's prenatal or postnatal. Um, and I.

• 28:57Speaker 05

  What would you say to that, Letty? Like, I don't think that the finance, there's not a huge financial burden. Now, you may, there, you may come across some barriers, right? And where do I start with schooling, or what's going to be different, or why is, you know, therapies, right? But if you are connected through Kern Regional Center, they will be able to help you with therapies. The school districts are great with helping through therapies.

• 29:20Speaker 04

  Yeah, I feel like it's pretty much typical of having a typical child, you know, anything that comes along with that. It doesn't, like she said, it doesn't feel like it's, you may have a little extra doctor's appointments, and I think just making sure, you know, your health insurance is in line. But other than that, I mean, I feel like it's like having, you know, the same worries, yeah, the same worries.

• 29:41Speaker 03

  Same worries as a child, typical child.

• 29:44Speaker 05

  There's no extra diapers, no extra, well, there might be, potty training might last a little longer.

• 29:51Speaker 04

  Yeah, maybe with the diaper cost, yeah, I think that might be, you know, a little longer for, it takes our kids a little bit longer to learn that, but yeah, it's pretty much the same, you know, we have the same worries.

• 30:02Speaker 03

  Lastly, for me, where do people go to register, volunteer, or sponsor before Friday's deadline?

• 30:08Speaker 04

  They can actually go to our website, too, kerndsn.org, and it's all on our front page, and it's, they can register, they can sponsor, they can donate, they can sign up to volunteer, and we are also looking for volunteers. So even if someone's unable to give financially, if they're able to give their time, we're always looking for volunteers. I mean, being volunteer-run, we rely so heavily on our volunteers through every event, not just this event. So we have, we have, I think, 14 different programs. It seems like they keep adding up, but yeah, we have 14 different programs that are all completely volunteer-run, so we're always looking for that, too.

• 30:42Speaker 03

  Well, you ladies are heroes. I'll tell you that.

• 30:46Speaker 04

  Thank you.

• 30:46Speaker 00

  You're doing the hard work.

• 30:47Speaker 03

  Yes, you are, and thank you.

• 30:48Speaker 05

  Just trying to make Kern County a little bit better for people with

• 30:51Speaker 03

  And I thank you from the bottom of my heart personally for doing that.

• 30:55Speaker 04

  Of course, it's a pleasure.

• 30:56Speaker 03

  I appreciate you guys coming in. Thank you so much for what you're doing for the community. A great pleasure meeting both of you, listening to you, learning from you.

• 31:06Speaker 03

  Stephen, we're gonna have all these notes in our podcast for our listeners.

• 31:11Speaker 00

  Of course.

• 31:12Speaker 03

  All right, guys, well, thank you so much.

• 31:13Speaker 05

  Thank you for having us.

• 31:14Speaker 03

  We'll take our last break. We'll be right back.

• 31:26Speaker 03

  Welcome back to the Money Wise Show. I'm Sammy Abiau with Steve Nicholas. Great, great, great ladies, man. I mean, I can only imagine sometimes the pressures that people go through, especially when they hear about the diagnostic, or it's post-birth, it's just, just sometimes heartbreaking, but kudos to these ladies for starting.

• 31:52Speaker 00

  Kudos, 100%. And I mean, this community, I mean, they just come together, they help out anytime they can. So we'll put all the info on their, on our podcast notes anytime you can help, even if it's just volunteering.

• 32:06Speaker 03

  Yes, yes, I love, and that's the reason, a lot of people ask, like, why do you live in Bakersfield, man? Well, this is why I live in Bakersfield. I live in Bakersfield because of this, because it's a very, very giving community. Yes, it's hot. Yes, it smells sometimes, but at the end of the day, there's a lot of good people in this community that give back and help others, and that's the reason why I stay here, and I love it here. Talking about living here and loving it here, I'm not loving the price of the pump, and I just want to go over, go over this again, because I know a lot of listeners, you know, this is a big deal. Spending $300, $400 a month extra at the pump just reduces your disposable income

• 32:50Speaker 03

  that you could be spending some, some on fun things, or even sometimes at the grocery store. And I know a lot of our listeners are having the same problem. So the pump, I mean, the average price right now in Bakersfield, $6.34.

• 33:08Speaker 00

  Ouch.

• 33:08Speaker 03

  California overall, $6.39. That's comparison to a year ago, $4.65. That's, that's almost $2 extra, right? No, no, no, no discounts from the state as far as their taxes, you know, we're spending about 17% of the price that you paid, the pump is all going to taxes, both federal, state, and other things, cleanup, whatever. 18, 0.18 is the federal, is how much we pay for the federal, and 0.90, 90 cents for state, Stephen. We, we are by far the highest paying state when it comes to taxes. And that, that adds to our dilemma,

• 33:52Speaker 03

  because we have this special blend that only California wants and needs because of all the laws and things.

• 33:59Speaker 00

  And ever since that show you guys did with Hathaway, and talked about the additives, and, I mean, we've had so many texts just asking about that.

• 34:10Speaker 03

  Well, yeah, look, I'm, I'm not against a clean air. Like, let's not, let's, it's, it's just when I, when I see how much we are paying, right? I understand we have freeways, and we don't pay, we don't pay toll in the state of California, unlike the east coast, right? But there's a certain amount of people that can take it, and then it gets to the point where people can't take it, right? And when, when you hear that the average American does not have the ability to pay for $400, you know, sudden thing that comes up, then we have a problem. $400, you know, I mean, for, for some people, is a dinner, like.

• 34:53Speaker 00

  Yeah, big families.

• 34:55Speaker 03

  Correct.

• 34:55Speaker 00

  I mean, I was just thinking, you know, I, I just drive a four-cylinder truck, I couldn't imagine, and now I'm seeing all these diesel trucks that I'm, that have probably always been around, and I'm like, thinking, wow, you add an extra $75, $100 to that, what I'm paying, on top of, you know, I'm, I'm a small family, three, and, you know, we would get by to $250 every couple of weeks at the grocery store, but now, you know, we're talking a little bit more than double. And of course, my son is a teenager, so he eats more than a goat, but I will say.

• 35:32Speaker 03

  And he drives, he drives now?

• 35:34Speaker 00

  And he drives. Luckily, it's a little four-cylinder Toyota, but, I mean, I was just thinking, we've saved money just in the last couple of months, because we have started, you know, pre-planning our dinners. We, we knew, okay, well, Ryan's gonna be home on these three nights, well, we'll eat at home on these, but it, it's gotta, it's gotta hurt, man.

• 35:55Speaker 03

  And I think that's, I mean, what you just said is key, is pre-planning, and that's, that's what I think I want to stress, is the pre-planning, especially in circumstances like we're living in today. Pre-planning, making sure that you go to the grocery store and buy things versus eating out at times. And I know we own a restaurant upstairs, and we try to balance those two, because we have 30 or so people working for us. So we want them to also keep these jobs, and we want them to put food on their tables and pay for their gas. So I, I see it firsthand personally, but to your point, it's the planning, it's the budgeting, especially in circumstances or times like these, very, very important

• 36:34Speaker 03

  to, to still live a life, but with a certain budget in mind. It's super, super important right now to, to do that.

• 36:44Speaker 00

  And what I'm seeing, a lot of normal people that I've talked to are just charging it on the card.

• 36:50Speaker 03

  Yeah, that's plastic expense or interest, interest expenses on, on plastic is going up.

• 36:56Speaker 00

  And they're all saying, oh, it'll, it'll get better, it'll get better.

• 36:59Speaker 03

  Well, we just had interest rates go up. That, that affects us directly, in our credit cards and our home equity lines of credit. And it does not affect your mortgage, really, especially if you have a mortgage, because it's a fixed interest rate, but definitely affects the other two. So highly encouraged to pay the revolving debt off. A revolving debt is something that goes up and down, like your credit card or your home equity line of credit. Those two, if you can manage those and keep them down as much as possible, that's where the planning comes in, the budget comes in. And it's, it hits us even more here in Kern County, Stephen, because of the type of jobs we have. We have logistics,

• 37:39Speaker 03

  we have oil, and we have ag. So people drive long distances to get to their jobs, either in logistics, or in ag, or in oil.

• 37:49Speaker 00

  And where do they usually drive?

• 37:51Speaker 03

  Big, big, big trucks.

• 37:53Speaker 00

  Big diesel trucks.

• 37:54Speaker 03

  Correct, correct. And eventually, if nothing changes, we will see some of these prices hit the grocery list. I think I've seen some, some, some changes, but not as drastic as they were, like I've seen in the past. So it has not hit us yet at the grocery, like the impact it's having at the pump, yet. But if something doesn't change, definitely, we're gonna, we're gonna see that. And again, I can't stress enough the importance of budgeting and just planning, so you can keep things under control.

• 38:26Speaker 00

  And then when, when it comes to, you know, the grocery stores, I mean, you work upstairs at the diner, are you, are you seeing that for, you know, restaurant owners?

• 38:36Speaker 03

  Definitely. In fact, I talked to some owners last Friday, restaurant owners. Small restaurants are suffering, first because of labor costs, right? So restaurant owners, they want to pay and people more than minimum wage, right?

• 38:53Speaker 00

  Try to keep them, yeah.

• 38:54Speaker 03

  Correct. And the ratio is typically is, you know, the industry gives you 30% labor, 30% food costs, and then 30% for other things that you need to be paying for. But that formula is, is not the case anymore. We just saw Eureka's closing, right? We have multiple restaurants closing, and that's, in fact, the labor costs going up, and food costs going up. And if you, if you don't have a good management system in place to plan accordingly, then we're seeing, I've seen small restaurants, burger places, and other things that are going out of business because of that.

• 39:31Speaker 00

  Do you know, actually, I mean, not to the number, but the price that they were paying a year ago, or two years ago?

• 39:38Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think we, we, we went up from a food cost standpoint, I mean, this year, for instance, from January 1st to just September 30th, we had multiple increases in beef, for instance, right? Lettuce, for instance, just because we use it a lot in salads and burgers, right? Lettuce went up. The case of lettuce went up from $34 to $100 some dollars a couple of months ago. Just lettuce, dude, right? But we didn't pass that on to the client, we just absorbed it. That just eats at your margins, because you don't want to just keep pricing things up and down, up and down, just, just based on, no.

• 40:12Speaker 00

  I know veggies, tomatoes, stuff like that.

• 40:14Speaker 03

  Especially beef. Beef has been like almost 6% increase, and at one time, it was when they had that problem, it was, it was out of hand. Great show today, Stephen. Thank you for our guests today. Please help if you have the ability to do so, either by volunteer or donating.

• 40:33Speaker 00

  And join us tomorrow, we've got another show, no guest, just we'll get to your text messages that we didn't get to today. But until then, be smart, be safe.

• 40:43Speaker 03

  Be money wise.

• 40:51Speaker 02

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