Opportunity Knocks

-Zip splits big payments into not-so-big ones and provides the flexibility and control to pay over time.

Available wherever you get your apps.

Learn more at Zip.co.

Zip is a proud sponsor of "Opportunity Knocks."

-Funding for "Opportunity Knocks" is provided by Visa.

Visa.

Everywhere you want to be.

Additional funding provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation, which seeks to strengthen historically marginalized communities by investing in pathways to economic advancement and generational wealth.

"Opportunity Knocks" is sponsored in part by the National Council for Financial Opportunities.

To learn more, visit theNCFO.org.

Support for "Opportunity Knocks" is provided by GreenPath Financial Wellness, a national nonprofit providing financial counseling and education for more than 65 years.

Learn more at greenpath.com.

Every day, millions of families must choose between putting food on the table or gas in the tank.

-It's desperation.

I can't juggle this much longer.

-It's not cheap to buy clothes and shoes for all four of the kids.

-"Opportunity Knocks" is back this season with four single moms, three expert coaches, and resources in their own backyards.

What happens next could change everything.

-Everyone is putting up the facade and trying to live the American dream.

It is exhausting.

-How much debt altogether?

-Talk to me about credit cards or credit.

-Mm.

-I feel like I should not be asking for help because I shouldn't need it.

-The constant stress.

-And I don't like crying about it.

-Will it be enough to overcome the obstacles in their lives?

-I wake up every single day stressed about it because I don't know what's next.

-It's spiraling, and I can't keep up.

I need somebody to show me the way.

-This is the moment when opportunity knocks.

-I coupon, um, every week for sure.

Sundays is probably my busiest day.

My name is Jovanna, and I live in El Paso, Texas.

The earlier you can do the deals, the better, because later in the week, they start running out of things.

Especially if it's a good deal, they're not going to be in stock if you wait too long.

So the first deal that we're going to be looking at this week is on the household products.

These are on promotion for spend $20 and get $4 in extra care bucks.

I love being able to save money, number one, and I like showing people how to save money.

Next, we have a super easy deal that anybody can do.

But remember we're going to get $4 in extra care bucks, which is a great deal because this one alone is $12.99.

I have a TikTok account for all my followers to be able to get the savings, especially with this economy.

Everything's crazy expensive.

So the fact that you can save on all your household needs and essentials is like a big deal for me.

It's a passion.

I love being able to help people.

Okay, so let's get the meatballs.

Easy open.

[ Laughing ] It's just me and my two kids.

I have a 17 year old son and a 14 year old daughter now.

She just turned 14.

Okay.

That's two, right?

Okay.

Cooking with my kids is awesome.

I guess since they see me do it, they want to learn.

[ Laughing ] Family is very important for me.

Dinner will be done, like in an hour.

So I'm going to be meeting with my coach, and I'm really excited about that because I'm going to learn all the different resources that are here in our area that can really help me with what I'm going through as far as, you know, my credit and my finances.

If I had to guess, I think I owe maybe between like $10,000 to $20,000 in -- in debt.

It does really scare me because I don't know the reality of it or how it would affect me and my kids right now.

If I can turn this couponing into a business and then you guys get into it, because I know you did it with me in the summer.

And like, if you get into it, maybe because of the gaming, I know you love gaming.

So if that like brings us all together, and then I can, you know, pass that down to you in the future somehow.

I think that would be like the biggest blessing I could ask for.

My heart's pounding, but I'm ready, and I'm ready for you guys to watch me go through this, as well.

So I love you guys.

Give me a hug.

You too.

-Hey, Mom.

-Hi, Mom.

-How are you?

-Good.

And you?

-I'm doing good, too.

You know, because the other day when I called you, that I was crying, and I didn't know what I was going to do and... -Right.

-Something just, you know, fell on my lap.

And I saw this opportunity, and I took it.

And, you know, everything's kind of falling into place for me.

-Everything's going to work out.

You watch and see.

-Yeah.

-Growing up, my mom was like my best friend.

I could literally come to her with anything.

-Are you nervous?

-Yeah, I'm honestly a little bit nervous because like I said, I think they're going to really, like, lay down everything that I've been doing wrong.

Or maybe the things that I didn't even know I was doing wrong.

-I get very frustrated.

I wish I could do so many things for you, and I can't.

-After the separation, I got left with the home and everything that comes with paying the home.

On top of that, things that I had done throughout the relationship as far as credit cards, personal loans.

I definitely feel a little bit overwhelmed trying to navigate a break up of, you know, 18 years plus figuring out my finances.

It's a lot.

-I just hope that you get strength and then you come out of this because I know you will.

You're a strong woman.

You're like me.

[ Laughing ] -You're my biggest example of why I know I can do better because I watched you do it with us, and I want to do it for my kids, too.

It's a little bit intimidating, but I'm also eager and I'm ready.

I need to make this change for my future and for my kid's future.

-My name is Kristina, and I live in Memphis, Tennessee.

Where is your other shoe?

Okay, well... I have four beautiful children.

They are a ball of energy.

They keep me active.

Very active.

So, where are your shoes at?

-I don't know.

-Go get your shoes.

Okay.

Don't move your foot.

Wait.

No, ma'am.

Not in the front.

-No!

-What's the problem?

And this is part of why I'm late everywhere I go.

No!

You never know what may happen that morning, who's going to cooperate, who's not going to cooperate.

-Mommy!

-One.

-No.

Two.

-Hold my hand.

No, it's this way.

This way.

And then having to work nine to five, five days a week.

And then after work picking up the kids.

Some nights, I get home at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00.

It definitely can be a little rough.

Very rough.

-Yay!

I'm excited for you.

I know you've been trying to get out and get on your feet, and it's been a lot.

I guess, what is your goal?

-Get out of debt first and then of course build my credit so I can get the kids and the house because I feel like they haven't really had a stable place to stay.

Right now, I live with family.

I would love to just have my own house, and it would really just warm my heart to see the kids actually be able to call something their home.

It's just hard in general, like, now that I don't have their dad.

-And you... you want me to give you a hug?

You want big sister to give you a big sister hug?

-Not really.

-I'm gonna hug you.

-'Cause I love you.

It's okay.

-You said there's a coach that's coming, so maybe you could ask, like, what's a good plan for saving?

Like, what's a good amount?

-My sisters are definitely a great support system.

I feel like I can talk to them about anything even though I don't always want to.

-The car repo, does that -- they know about that?

-I definitely have to bring that up because of course the whole situation that happened at work, um... -You got served.

Kristina, you are private.

-Two or three times, to be honest.

-Oh, my gosh.

Why are you smiling like that?

-No.

-Don't do it.

-I do have a couple of loans out, like cash advance loans that I have to pay.

-Oh, Kristina!

I didn't know that.

-But hear me out, hear me out.

It's because I don't like asking people for anything.

For the most part, I definitely feel like it's all on me because no one owes me anything.

-You are so private.

I know we talk about you being private and not sharing a lot, but, um, I mean, don't struggle in silence.

-I never thought like I would have to raise children alone.

Yeah, it's definitely pretty heavy on me.

I do feel the pressure.

-That's a big burden to have.

Not that the family is a burden.

But just the part of taking care of them, that's a lot for one person to handle.

-Okay, Ryder.

Ready for your haircut?

-I guess so.

-All right.

I'm excited to get some stuff off the top here.

Let's hit him with a five.

My name is Ashley.

I'm 37 years old, and I'm from the Seattle area.

-Why you got to do me like that?

I don't want to be a baldie.

-Your hair grows so fast.

I rent a home with my mother and my two children, Ryder, who's 11, and Parker, who's 9.

You're getting too big for me, man.

My identity is pretty much a mom.

And of course, the jobs that I hold, as well.

Do you miss going to the barbershop?

-No.

-It's nice having the barbershop in your home.

-Not having you, like, spend, like, over $100 for one haircut that's only gonna last, like, two weeks.

-I don't know what I would do if I had free time.

I don't know.

[ Laughs ] I don't normally have a lot of free time.

The free time that I do have, I'm doing a side hustle.

Okay.

We're done.

Got to get all cleaned up.

This is kind of the quiet time in the house for everyone to relax before Parker comes home.

Oh, let's go get him.

Yeah.

Miss you, too.

Bye, Barb.

Thanks.

How was the day?

It's cold, huh?

Parker, he is on the autism spectrum.

He's non-verbal.

I'm always worried how he's doing.

He's very temperamental.

So things can change like this.

Today was fantastic.

No self-injurious behavior.

Great communication.

High five.

Whoo-hoo!

Okay.

He can't self regulate.

He's in a chaotic fight or flight constantly.

Parker's home.

Let's crank it up.

He could have a stomach ache.

He could have a headache.

It's really hard to decode.

Okay, we all done?

It's too loud.

Can we be all done?

Can I have?

No?

Just say no.

The world's not to set up for autism.

So it's...it's hard.

I just need somebody to show me the way.

Like growing up, you and dad kind of were just trying to make it work.

I don't really have any financial skills.

Coming from my parents and not having a lot of financial guidance in my childhood, I want to be better, of course.

I want to be able to break the cycle and show the boys financial wellness.

And you don't have to struggle forever.

And there's a way out.

Taking care of a handicapped child is a lot.

-Yeah.

-Parker, a lot of his stimming and his communication comes out in aggression.

It's like he's breaking tablets over his head, and he's throwing things, breaking TVs.

Got to take him to therapy.

Need gas for that.

We go to the pool very often.

I've got to pay for that.

Just trying to keep him happy and regulated and living a normal daily life, it's expensive.

I can't keep up, along with, you know, my personal loan payments and my credit cards, especially when I have so much money being taken out of my check.

And so that's why I have to work other jobs.

Where the hell is the money going?

Like, how am I broke?

Like I've worked three jobs.

Like, how is this possible?

-What's your plan for tomorrow?

-Well, the financial coach arrives tomorrow, and we're going to start getting to work.

I know it's going to be probably hard, but I've been through harder things in life.

-Yes, you have.

-This is something that's, you know, maybe hard at first... -The word is "uncomfortable."

It's going to be uncomfortable.

-Yeah.

-Change is hard.

If you don't address some of this, it's going to spiral and slip out of control for you.

-Yeah.

-It already is.

-I just have to get it together.

Like I'm going to be 40 in a couple years, and I'm probably going to have to take care of Parker the rest of his life.

So I need to reach some financial stability.

I got to get it together because I'm not going to make it if I don't.

-You have struggled for so long.

So long.

You deserve joy.

I would love to see you laugh again.

-My name is Amber.

I live in Bowie, Maryland, which is right outside of Washington, D.C.

I'm a firefighter paramedic.

I'm assigned to Engine 22.

I've been doing it for five years.

Uh, we need some end-tidals.

Seriously, though.

End-tidals.

-End-tidals.

Okay.

-We don't have any on the unit or the monitor.

-All right.

-I really do enjoy it.

I like helping people, serving a community that's always been great to me, building those friendships.

-So you got the nice colored cup.

-Raindrop stuff.

-Yeah, right.

-You need to come through.

-"Pretty" is the key word.

[ Laughter ] -Anybody who says they do this job and doesn't have any fear of them is not telling the truth.

Emergency is never a good emergency, right?

No one's going to call you if they win the lottery.

[ Laughs ] [ Engine starting ] [ Siren wailing] Work is work, and home is home.

Like I'm Mom.

B, can you grab the lunches, please?

I live in an apartment with my 9-year-old daughter and my 6-year-old son.

Can you get your gloves so we won't be late?

You're moving like molasses.

-They could be messed up.

-I have two great kids.

I consider myself a single income household mom.

-I love you.

See ya.

-Love you.

I do have a village.

I do have help, but as far as financially, I take care of all the bills.

It's hard.

So yes, I'm supposed to be talking to somebody tomorrow about it just to kind of go over what -- where my money is going.

The amount of overtime I work with, the salary, there's no excuse why I shouldn't have a savings.

The house thing is something I definitely want, but it's just like it feels like it's taken longer to get there.

-What type of house do you want?

-I want a townhouse.

Something very chill, like three bedroom, two bath, enough backyard for the kids to be able to run around.

-I hope you listen to the financial advisor.

You take what he or she says, and you actually follow the steps.

-Yeah.

-You'll have a house.

-Yeah.

-Speaking it into existence.

-My goal is to definitely become a homeowner.

Nothing fancy, you know, just something to call like our own, like just me and my kids.

So they're a big part of me doing better financially.

-So when did you see your savings actually dropping?

-So the rent here, all that plus the credit card increasing, doubling, and then spending habits that I had.

It all just started to dwindle down.

I feel like it's definitely holding me back from what I want to do.

It's holding me back from saving.

It's holding me back from achieving this goal of home ownership.

-So do you ever ask your dad for help on like how to save money?

-I don't think that they think I need as much help as I do.

I've never sat down and said, "Hey, can you look over my budget with me," like, "Hey, I really need help with like this bill."

Like, I'll just go work another shift at work.

-Why don't you ask about this to your parents?

-I haven't given people a lot of chance to step in and see how they can help me.

Like, if I don't have to ask for help, I'm not vulnerable to getting disappointed, I guess, or let down.

-Sometimes you have to ask for help.

-Yeah.

-It's best to ask for help.

-Yeah.

-Before you overwork yourself, now you stressed out.

-Like I'm frustrated at home.

It's coming out at my kids.

I'm frustrated at work.

I don't want to be like that at work because at the end of the day, I'm supposed to show up for somebody's worst day.

-Mm-hmm.

-And they don't care what's going on at my house, as they shouldn't.

Like I was always told, this job is not about you.

It's about the community we serve.

-Like you always say, you're the mom, you have to do this, you have to do that.

No, ask for help.

You don't -- yeah, you have to.

But you also have people in your corner that will help you.

-I do want to be a good role model to my kids, not just them, but the people that I serve in the community.

I put the uniform on.

They see me as like a hero.

-You're a medic.

A lot is on your plate.

Amber isn't Amber, Amber isn't a good mom.

She isn't a good firefighter.

She isn't a good daughter or a friend.

Let's do what you need to do to get you back to Amber.

-What time do you think you'll be in Michigan?

-I work at Freight Pro Transport.

-I'm a dispatcher there, mainly the inbound coordinator.

-We'll be able to use them kind of like a 3PL.

It'll take time for us to get our driver and then bring them to El Paso.

-Exactly.

So a new solution.

Yeah, it's a great job.

I love my boss and my co-workers.

Saw some of the pictures you posted.

She looked adorable.

-Oh, my gosh.

-And then it was cute because her little feet were like right there.

I was like, "Oh, my God."

They've helped me through a lot of the stuff that I'm going through right now.

-[ Laughter ] -Oh man, that's tough.

That's a tough one right there.

-I know.

I'm still getting mine to grow.

-Challenging.

Challenging.

When I think about a coach coming to help me, they're going to be pretty brutal, I'm sure, and tell me like this is what you've been doing and this is why it's wrong.

I don't like to show it on the outside, but definitely inside, I'm scared for what's next for me and my kids.

[ Knocking ] -Hey!

-Hi!

-How are you?

-Good.

And you?

-I'm Jovanna.

-Thank you for having me.

-Yes.

Of course.

-I'm Patrice Washington, I'm the founder of the Institute for Redefining Wealth.

This is not work that I chose, right?

No one is 8-years-old going, "I'd love to be a personal finance educator.

That sounds great."

Like no one even knows what that is.

But anything to do with moving people forward, I'm going to be a part of it.

Oh, I love these photos.

-Thank you.

-Is this your family?

-Yes, my grandparents.

And then my kids and my cousins.

My mom and my sister.

-I love it.

And I absolutely understand what it's like to be in that position.

And I know how courageous you have to be to be willing to say, "I don't know what I don't know" and let someone help you.

How do you feel?

-Um, nervous.

I'm kind of like, I don't know what you're gonna say or what I've been doing wrong, but I'm ready.

I'm ready to hear it.

-You made it here, so I don't think you've been doing anything wrong.

But we're going to talk about where you are.

So tell me, though, why am I here?

-So I just had a separation from an 18-year relationship.

And so kind of everything fell down on me.

I'm trying to figure out everything as far as paying the mortgage and then all the debt that I collected while I was in that 18 year relationship.

-Mm.

Well, I actually divorced just three years ago and also was in a relationship for nearly 20 years, married for over 15.

I know what it's like to have to rebuild after being in a long term relationship or marriage.

So when do you feel like the financial stress first started?

Was it when the separation began, or was something going on before then?

-The moment that we bought this house, I think was probably when it started, because we went from a small home to up-sizing into this big house.

-And how long have you been separated now?

-Um, it's going on three months.

-Oh, it's very fresh.

-Yes.

-Okay.

So that makes more sense to me now, because as I walked around the house, there's just a lot of family photos.

-After the split, I remember my kids coming home one day and my son made a comment like, "Do I even need to clean my room?

Like, how long are we going to be in this place?

Dad says that you're not going to make it.

The house is going to be taken away."

-How do you feel walking up and down the stairs, looking at those family photos?

-At the end of the day, that is their father.

He was someone that was important to me for 18 years, -Of course.

-So I just couldn't bring myself to take those down yet.

-Taking pictures down doesn't take away the memories that they have had for 17 and 14 years.

And it doesn't change the fact that you were a family.

But the family dynamics are evolving every day that you are walking by those things.

They're a little reminder, and you're still in a season of preparing yourself to do this on your own.

-Yeah.

-We don't have to be ashamed of what we did.

That part is done.

We get to see a new possibility when we're willing to do something different.

So let me ask you this, because you've said a couple of times I didn't have control.

Is it that you were not given control, or did you relinquish what control you did have?

-He's an accountant, so he was the numbers person.

So I kind of felt like, okay, he wanted to do it, he wanted to stay on top of it.

So okay, that's one less thing that I had to worry about.

I think in the Hispanic community, you're kind of taught to be like the backbone of a man.

The fact that I became complacent on relying on him to do all of that, I think, made me a little bit like I didn't pay attention and I didn't learn.

-Here's what I want you to understand, though.

You didn't do anything wrong.

Do you believe that?

-Yeah.

Maybe letting go of a little bit control.

But besides that, I think I didn't.

-Yeah.

-I was a good wife, and I really wholeheartedly believe that.

-So often we feel so isolated, and you feel this burden of, what did I do wrong?

And we pick ourselves apart.

I always tell people to actually thank yourself because he or she did what was necessary to survive.

So tell me about what type of debt you're dealing with right now.

-Definitely credit cards, I think.

-How many?

-Maybe five that I can think of.

Most of them are maxed out.

And then personal loans, I believe I have like two.

And then student loan debt from when I went to school.

So yeah, it's a lot.

I don't think there's much like getting out of this ever.

If you're just relying on making your monthly just to get by, I mean, it really never goes away.

-It feels like there's all of this weight just kind of looming, or this darkness that's looming over the what if this and what if that.

Do you even sleep at night right now?

-[ Chuckles ] I try.

-Okay.

-My head's like spinning because I'm still trying to figure out how to keep this home for our kids.

The worry is losing my home, losing my car.

If I don't have a home and I don't have a car, how do I work?

How do I help my kids?

How do we survive?

That's my biggest worry.

-Next time on "Opportunity Knocks"... -Talk to me about credit cards or credit.

-Mm.

Credit is not good.

-How does it feel living at the margins like this?

-I am a single mom of two.

My 9-year-old was diagnosed autism spectrum level 3.

-Okay, so I know you have some big goals, which means we have to put some work in.

-Everyone deserves opportunities.

Find yours at OpportunityKnocks.net.

-Zip splits big payments into not-so-big ones and provides the flexibility and control to pay over time.

Available wherever you get your apps.

Learn more Zip.co.

Zip is a proud sponsor of "Opportunity Knocks."

-Funding for "Opportunity Knocks" is provided by Visa.

Visa.

Everywhere you want to be.

Additional funding provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation, which seeks to strengthen historically marginalized communities by investing in pathways to economic advancement and generational wealth.

Opportunity Knocks is sponsored in part by the National Council for Financial Opportunities.

To learn more, visit theNCFO.org.

Support for "Opportunity Knocks" is provided by GreenPath Financial Wellness, a national nonprofit providing financial counseling and education for more than 65 years.

Learn more at greenpath.com.