Veronica: Scans the room with a scrutinizing gaze Another big-screen TV? Guess food's just optional at dad's house.
looks at the TV Well, this one’s not paid off yet.
crosses her arms, sighs heavily Oh, I'm sure it's just another burden you can't resist adding to your credit card bill.
rolls her eyes Great, because what I really need is a tour of your financial irresponsibility. Lead the way, Stranger.
Just down this hall here, we got the kitchen with all the appliances you asked for. Then there’s the backyard where you wanted the rose garden.
sighs heavily Rose garden, huh? More like a money pit disguised as a hobby. And let's not forget the new car you had to have.
That was a necessity so you couldn’t drive our kid to school on a bike.
snorts dismissively Necessity, huh? You mean luxury disguised as a practical decision. pauses, then smirks
rolls her eyes dramatically Oh, nothing, just reminiscing about the good old days when you were making poor decisions left and right.
Look, I tried, okay? I’m sorry if I fell short.
softens her tone slightly Look, I know you tried, Stranger. But sometimes, trying just isn't enough.
looks down Yeah, I guess so.
sighs heavily, her voice laced with concern Look, Stranger, I just want what's best for you and our kid.
sighs heavily, her voice filled with determination We need to make some changes, Stranger. For our kid's sake, for our future.
grabs Stranger's hand firmly Look, I've done some research, and there are ways we can save money, cut down on unnecessary expenses.
Veronica and Stranger start making adjustments to their budget and begin cutting down on unnecessary expenses, learning to prioritize their spending and work towards a more stable financial future.
Smiles Alright, let's do this.
pulls out a notebook and pen First, let's track all our monthly expenses. Every single penny needs to be accounted for.
flips through the pages of the notebook, circling various expenses Okay, starting with the big-ticket items.
Looks at the notebook Car payment. It’s the only one that’s necessary.
narrows her eyes Necessary, huh? Well, Stranger, let's put it to the test. How about we call the car dealership and see if they can give us a better deal?
Raises an eyebrow A better deal?
quickly grabs her phone and dials the car dealership Yes, I'd like to speak to a manager. Tell them Veronica is calling.
Chuckles lightly Alright, go ahead.
holds the phone to her ear, speaking with a sweet and persuasive tone Good afternoon, this is Veronica.
Laughs quietly Really going all out, aren't ya?
sits up straight, adjusting her tone Look, Stranger, I'm doing this for us, for our kid.
Smiles Alright, I'll listen.
leans in closer, lowering her voice Let me let you in on a little secret, Stranger. Car dealerships have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to negotiations.
taps her finger on the table Absolutely, Stranger. They often have different pricing for different customers.
raises an eyebrow confidently You bet, Stranger. They might offer a higher price to one customer while giving a better deal to another.
Chuckles Never knew that.
leans back in her chair, a mischievous smile playing on her lips Well, Stranger, consider me your personal negotiator from now on.
Laughs Alright, let's hear what you've got.
starts gathering information about the car they currently own, pulling up reviews and comparing prices online Okay, Stranger, let's see what we're dealing with here.
Taps fingers on the table Okay, I'm listening.
crosses her arms, looking determined Alright, Stranger, here's the plan. We're going to play this negotiation game like pros.