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Capitalism won’t love you back so you might as well stop overachieving, right? You don’t have to tell me twice to work less! Money coach and award-winning journalist Leo Aquino is uninterested in helping the rich get richer. He specializes in anticapitalist personal finance for queer and trans folks and believes in leaving behind the economic systems that don’t serve us (we never liked the game Monopoly, anyways). So whether you need help getting off the hamster wheel of emotional spending, cultivating a healthy relationship with money, or budgeting for the occasional Uber Eats because sometimes life’s gonna life – you’ve come to the right place. Also, how Leo is redefining wealth outside capitalism by paying it forward.

This series was created in partnership with Flourish Ventures, an early-stage global investment firm backing mission-driven entrepreneurs and industry influencers working toward a fair financial system for all. Learn more at flourishventures.com.

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You can keep up with Leo @queerandtranswealth on Instagram.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Leo Aquino, X Mayo

X Mayo  00:05

Welcome back to The Dough, a podcast that will support your hot girl activities and teach you how to financially recover afterwards. I’m your host, X Mayo. Let me make something real crystal clear. Okay, we are all about helping you get your dough and retire, but that doesn’t mean we subscribe to all the rules of capitalism. For me, making a lot of money isn’t just about getting mine it’s about supporting my loved ones and my community too. So I wanted to bring on a guest with a new perspective, someone who wants to help you flourish, not win at capitalism, because, trust me, it’s a game none of us are winning. Which reminds me, monopoly is not that fun of a game. Why does it last five hours? And why are we all fighting? Because Jeremy wouldn’t sell Ethan his property, and I know Cheyenne took my money. Okay, I don’t care that she’s six. I know that she stole my little pink dollars, and she was she was blowing on that DICE before I did. I know she put a spell. I’m not stupid. And what does that free parking square mean, okay, you know what we all should be playing. Simon says, yes. Simon says, go to bed. Everybody go to bed. Our guest, Leo Aquino is a financial coach and award winning journalist covering anti capitalist personal finance. He is the creator of Queer and Trans Wealth, and believes that you’re not bad with money. You just have a bad relationship with money. It’s like a bad partner or roommate. It’s not your fault. Capitalism never does the dishes or listens to your needs. Unfortunately, it’s a system we have to live with right now. But Leo wants to help us find our right size relationship with capitalism through personal finance and simple mindset shifts. Leo, welcome to The Dough.

 

Leo Aquino  03:04

Thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited to be here.

 

X Mayo  03:07

Yes, okay, let’s get into a little icebreaker, because I’m nosy. Okay, what is something that you’ve bought recently that brought you joy?

 

Leo Aquino  03:15

A bunch of charcuterie supplies, I know that’s right.

 

X Mayo  03:18

Okay, spill. What kind?

 

Leo Aquino  03:20

Well, first of all, I want to shout out. My friends just opened up a cafe in old Pasadena. It’s called neighbors and friends, but it’s kind of like Chipotle, but with charcuterie. So you get to like, choose, like, here’s all the cheeses I want. Here’s like, the meats I want. It’s like, and then they make it really pretty. And I’m like, wow, this is amazing.

 

X Mayo  03:39

Wait, what is this called?

 

Leo Aquino  03:40

It’s called Neighbors and Friends.

 

X Mayo  03:42

Neighbors and friends, not to be confused with lovers and friends. They don’t make charcuterie. They just make a mess. Okay, but it’s okay so neighbors and friends. So it’s like, there’s Chipotle, then they have kind of, like, charcuterie, right? Like, it’s like, yeah, that’s what it is. Like this, just you get to pick. Do they have like, bougie jams? Do they have like.

 

Leo Aquino  04:03

They do, you can get a little honeycomb on it?

 

X Mayo  04:07

Okay, well now I know Belva. This is, this is your alert, my business manager, I will be at Neighbors and Friends. Tell me again, too. And they were like, tell me again. Friends, yes, and they’re like, Hey guys, that’s a different business. Okay? We just do meats and cheeses. Oh, my God, I love that. Okay, so Leo, you have a really unique take on personal finance, because in America, everything regarding money leads back to capitalism. So how do you define anti capitalist personal finance?

 

Leo Aquino  04:45

Yeah, well, personal finance, from an anti capitalist lens, is actually can be really powerful because we we touch money every day, you know. So why not change your mindset around it so you’re kind of orienting it to, okay? We’re like, leaving behind these, like, gross, you know, systems and ways of thinking, and we’re trying to build a new world and get ready for it. So why don’t we do it with our own money, so that, you know, by the time we’re confronted with new economic systems, like, our mind is right and we’re ready to step into it, and we’ve kind of let go of, like, okay, wealth is about hoarding and Louis Vuitton bag and, like, stocks and stuff. We’re kind of removed from that definition of wealth already and then into a definition of wealth that’s more rooted in community and collectivism and everybody having enough. And, you know, a lot of my clients, when we talk about, you know, what do you really want. It doesn’t have to do with like, I need my stock portfolio to look like this, or I need real estate or, you know, all that stuff. Like, what they really want is their time back, you know, and to be able to, like, live simply and make choices and be creative and just have the time to really do what they want with their time and energy, versus like, being stuck in a nine to five so.

 

X Mayo  06:09

It’s interesting to talk about this during this time right during this political climate. If you’re listening, you’re picking up what we’re putting down. So So tell the people, because I think I might have, like, jumped the gut. Tell the people exactly who you are and what you do?

 

Leo Aquino  06:26

Yeah, well, my name is Leo Aquino. My pronouns are here they. I am a transgender Philippine X immigrant, and I’m also a financial coach, and I, unlike a lot of people in traditional finance spaces, I’m not really trained to make the rich richer. It’s really more like, you know, helping you do what you want with your money in alignment with your values. And I specialize in like, debt payoff or savings, especially for people who are either, like, underpaid or have a lot of student loan debt, for example, or any kind of debt that’s like kind of stopping you from really living your life.

 

X Mayo  07:09

Yeah, my next question for you is, how can anti capitalist finance serve queer and trans people where capitalism has failed them?

 

Leo Aquino  07:18

Yeah, I mean queer and trans folks, we already know, like, capitalism really does not serve us. You know, even just as you’re coming out or as you’re transitioning, like, there’s so many ways that financial systems do not support us. Like, it’s almost like capitalism sees us as this like glitch, or like a bug that’s trying to, like, infect the whole software, or whatever. That’s why Republicans are so obsessed with us, and so for queer and trans folks like we’ve we already have a bunch of economic systems that are sort of baked into our legacy, into our communities that are very radical, right? And, you know, I’m thinking about during the AIDS epidemic, right? There were lesbians who stepped in to take care of gay men when the government, like severely failed us and would not give gay men like the health care that we needed, right? So this is, in a way, like us creating a healthcare system that’s independent from capitalism, you know? So, yeah, I mean, it’s not just that creating radical economies is like serving us, you know, like it’s just a part of our legacy, you know. And it’s not just serving us. It’s like serving everyone, you know, because we’re kind of providing a way out.

 

X Mayo  08:46

And when you say a radical economy, what does that mean? What’s an example of that?

 

Leo Aquino  08:51

Yeah, there’s different kinds, right? Like, for example, instead of, if you have a company, there’s like a CEO, and, you know, it’s like top down leadership, for example, an alternative to that is like a worker owned Co Op, where everyone who works, you know, let’s say there’s 10 people who work there. All 10 of those people own an equal share of the pot. And there’s like democratic planning sessions, where as a collective, you make decisions about what happens next, right? And the thing is, the reason that worker owned Co Ops is, like, very antithetical to capitalism is that capitalism wants, like, faster and more, you know. But like, a worker owned Co Op, it takes a lot of time to make collective decisions, right? So, like, where a CEO would be like, okay, we’re changing everything now. And by tomorrow, I want you to make 100 bicycles, you know, and then.

 

X Mayo  09:48

And we’re might be skimping on quality. And then now you got people, you know, at the beach, everybody just falling off the bike. It’s like, Well, what happened? It’s like, Mark said, we gotta make 100 bicycles immediately. And. Like, well, these wheels have not been properly assembled. They don’t give a shit. It’s like, we need the money. Okay? I like that.

 

Leo Aquino  10:07

And consumers can also say we don’t need 100 bicycles. We have, we have enough bicycles. Yeah, you know. But in a worker, a worker owned Co Op, they can collectively decide, actually, we don’t need 100 bicycles. Um, instead of trying to make that profit, we’re all just going to take some time off, right? Um, besides the democratic planning happening within the worker Co Op, there could also be a consumer Council, and consumers of the town would be like, oh, we don’t need that. Actually, what we need you to make is Pogo six. So the coffee, like, cool. Let’s make Pogo six. That’s what people need. But capitalism doesn’t work that way, right? It’s like, make more grow faster. We don’t care what the people need. We just, like, want to sell some stuff and make a profit.

 

X Mayo  10:55

Yeah, it’s all about the money. It’s not even about how it affects the people, like, what they’re putting in their bodies and all of that.

 

Leo Aquino  12:41

Totally.

 

X Mayo  13:07

The next part I want to talk to you about is something that I is a challenge for me. I’ve gotten better, but it’s still a challenge for me, which is emotional spending, right? I want to talk about that is specifically with food delivery apps. I’m I’m canceling myself right now, okay, like, I have been very open about on the show, I’ve talked about it, you know, on social media and like, you offer your community all kinds of insights and helpful tips. So let’s start with something that I feel like might be a little obvious, but I want you to break it down for us. So talk about the root causes for turning to food delivery apps rather than eating at home. Like, what are you hearing specifically from your client?

 

Leo Aquino  13:52

I mean, first of all, like, you know, it’s inherently not wrong to, like, go buy food instead of eating at home, like everyone needs to be fed, and a lot of people for them, there is just a desire for like someone else, think about food. I can’t think about it right now, right?

 

X Mayo  14:13

Also the labor Leo.

 

Leo Aquino  14:15

Exactly, yeah.

 

X Mayo  14:16

Grocery shopping, bringing it up in chairs, cooking it, cleaning it, yeah.

 

Leo Aquino  14:22

Yeah, so the motivation is, you know, I think from the outside, like a lot of people, like maybe some conservative finance people, will be like, Oh, they’re just being lazy and gluttonous or whatever, like trying to do all these luxuries. And I’m like, actually, that’s not what I’m seeing at all. People are just like, really tired and burnt out from their jobs. And their jobs, like, take up so much mental and emotional energy that by the time it’s time to take care of ourselves, like it’s gone, it’s spent. You know, those emotional dollars have been spent. Um. Elsewhere. So a lot of times it’s like what I like to call decision fatigue, right? We’ve made so many decisions in the day that we don’t want to make any more choices that are probably more creative and really serve us in our health and our emotional well being. And so a lot of the times, that’s where it comes from, especially for a lot of my clients who make more than six figures, right? Or, like, earn $100,000 or more, a lot of them get this feeling of like, okay, me over achieving at my job. Yeah, great. I’m, like, making money sub text, I’m making money for someone else. But, you know, I’m achieving. I’m checking off all this stuff from a to do list, like, I really deserve, like, a little treat. And over time, the little treat I don’t I think everyone deserves a little treat, you know. But over time, that mentality actually, like, works against folks, because it really, it really adds up, you know. And at the at the end of the day, like, what you need is not necessarily like a reward for how well you like perform this system that’s exploiting you, but what you really need is like a little bit of connection with community where, like, someone made this food for me. And I want to say, you know, hey, thanks, thanks for delivering this, you know.

 

X Mayo  16:15

Well, you said that that money kind of adds up. And I am curious to know, because I’m nosy, what’s the most money that you’ve seen a client spend per month on Postmates or Uber Eats? One of the big three? Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash.

 

Leo Aquino  16:32

Yeah, it’s like a sun, moon rising.

 

X Mayo  16:36

I’m a caviar Sun girl. I love my Joeys downtown LA absolutely.

 

Leo Aquino  16:42

I would say, like, $2,100 in a month.

 

X Mayo  16:47

Is that the most you’ve seen someone spend that is a mortgage.

 

Leo Aquino  16:51

Yeah, but also, I guess it’s that, and then they have, like, groceries and stuff.

 

X Mayo  16:56

Oh, my God, I would love to know if you can give us some tips on how to spend less on food delivery apps, and I can share with me, I think what Now, what I’ve been doing is I Because, here’s the thing, I was buying groceries for, excuse me, a family of five. It’s just me in here. So what happened was I was like, coming to seeing like, Oh my God. I wasn’t being strategic. I was like, I’m I’m not making a list for specific meals. I’m making stuff that, like, generally, I put together, but then I don’t have the energy to cook it, then it rots. Now I’m being wasteful. I’m wasting food. So what I’ve been doing now is I’ve been buying groceries every two days, and I find a specific meal on Instagram or Tiktok that I’m going to cook. So now I’m not wasting food. I’m cooking food and I’m cooking a specific meal, like I’ll do, like a salad and then, like, whatever type of shrimp burger that I want to do, or like a good pasta. So that’s been helpful for me. And now I’ve been spending less money on food delivery apps because, like, I have matcha at home, so I won’t order Starbucks. And now the money that I would usually spend on Uber Eats, I get to spend out on experiences with friends at, like, restaurants.

 

Leo Aquino  18:18

Yeah, well, one of the first things and the simplest things, if you have an iPhone, you know, and I don’t, I don’t know if this exists on Android too, but you know, you can set time limits for apps. I recommend that people set time limits for food delivery apps specifically.

 

X Mayo  18:36

Oh, I didn’t know we could do that. Because does it, like, disappear after like, 10 seconds. What happens?

 

Leo Aquino  18:43

Well, you know, you know how, if you set a time limit on Instagram, it’ll show you like, Oh, you’ve hit your limit for the day. Do you want to stay and, you know, remind me in 15 minutes? Or do you want to close out of this app? You know? So it’s not like you’re locked forever. It’s just a little awareness, like, oh, okay, it’s been like, what, 1520 minutes of you scrolling, trying to find something to eat, right? Because a lot of times for my clients, they think like, oh, I’m going to save time by ordering some food, but they spend like hella time scrolling, you know? And I tell my clients, if you set a timer on your phone for like, 15 to 20 minutes for your food delivery apps. Once you hit that 20 minutes, you’re probably better off just seeing either what you have in the fridge or, like, if you can walk somewhere, if that’s accessible to you, if you could walk to a store and, like, get a snack, eat something small, until you’re like, okay, I have enough food in my belly to then make an informed decision about what to eat. You know, the second thing I recommend when people track their spending on food that you would break it down into three categories, which is groceries, your Postmates, Bill, which I also call like decision fatigue, spending. So sometimes people will get, like, a lot of fast food and eat in the car or something. So groceries, decision, fatigue spending, and like, social dining out. And so a lot of people will think, I actually can’t afford to go out with my friends. And I’m like, actually, you can. You just gotta take it out of your decision fatigue spending and put it back into spending time with your friends, because that’s actually probably what you really need more than like the Postmates you know like and spending time with your friends and family is probably going to do a lot more wonders for your mental and emotional well being and help you like, make better financial decisions, then, you know, I just gotta save time and get this post mates, you know.

 

X Mayo  20:46

Also, Leo, I think now that you’re giving your advice, I think a good thing that people could do is, what if you labeled all the things that you’re spending too much money on on these apps, if you put them together in a group on your iPhone, Android? You know, I support you and your community girl, but I don’t know what you’re what you’re doing over there. I don’t know if you can even group. I don’t know if it’ll like, explode. But if you put all your like, food, eating apps into one group on your iPhone and label it decision fatigue, like, How often would you go and click it because you’re like, oh shoot, because that’s what I think I’ve labeled some of my stuff, like, with like, different apps of like, YouTube and different stuff like, that’s labeled, you know, as like, luxury. So I know, like, oh, this is something that I have to go and you only have to, like, dip in and dip out. So that way, like, my brain is kind of like, you know, consumed to, like, think of it like that versus like, just like Doom scrolling, you know, but I think, like, with all the great advice that you gave, Leo, I am concerned about people that still can’t release the emotion that is attached to spending. And I wanted to know, can you give any advice or speak to how we can untangle our emotions from spending and is that even possible?

 

Leo Aquino  22:02

Yeah, thank you for that question. You know, I think, like earlier about food, you were mentioning like, oh, let’s put all the apps that you know, this is where we spend too much money, right? A lot of times, people don’t have a definition numerically, what is too much, you know? And so emotionally, what that does is like, Oh, am I always too much? Or is this always not enough? But I think one of the ways that we stop emotional spending is if we just put some numbers, some almost like, if you have this feeling like, Oh no, I’m overspending on something or this is a luxury, and I can never afford it, and it makes me feel, you know, a lot of people will have low self esteem from like, not being able to afford, like, a certain thing that they’ve been saving for for a long time, right? But if you had some numbers to it, I think it takes away a little bit of the emotion, and it kind of makes you look at the facts, right? So sometimes with my clients, I’ll go over and we’ll see, like, oh, actually, you’re we made this goal, you know, let’s say they were spending 750 on UberEATS, and we’re making a goal for like, $500 you know, instead of 750 right? And so month to month, we’re going to look at it, and we’re going to see, oh, okay, you spent, you know, 600 instead of our goal of 500 cool, like, let’s look at what happened with that extra $100 and you know, no one was ever like, I’m gonna get away with it, and I’m, you know, like.

 

X Mayo  23:43

Yeah, and it’s still less than the 750 Leo that’s still in him.

 

Leo Aquino  23:47

Totally, yeah. So we gotta celebrate the wins, right? And also, you just need someone to be like, hey, the facts are the facts. Like someone might think, like, Oh no, I didn’t hit my goal. Like, I’m I’m so bad. And then it kind of sometimes the emotions are like, oh, I didn’t hit the goal. What’s the point? Whatever. Let me go back to spending the 750 but you do need to be like, Oh, I spent, you know, 150 last like, this is great. And then I’m later, I can decrease it more. Here’s, you know. And so, yeah, I think, I think for me, I’m really grateful that over time, numbers have become less of a trigger point where some people like, if they open up their bank account, they’re like, ah, we’ll look at that, you know. But you really do need to just like, look at the numbers and be like, okay, here’s, here’s the facts.

 

X Mayo  24:44

Yeah, no, I think that what you said was good. Because I think that sometimes we get down on ourselves when we don’t have goals that are realistic. It’s just kind of like, Listen, if you know that you want to, you know, move your body more. Don’t say I’m gonna go to gym five. Days a week, say, I’m gonna walk twice a week, you know, like, just what and walk twice for 30 minutes. Because the thing is, when you set goals that are not realistic and kind of unattainable for where you are, you know, in your life currently, then you don’t meet them, and then you feel down on yourself. And now we’re just back on this hamster wheel of spending too much money.

 

X Mayo  25:53

Is it possible Leo for us to kind of anticipate when we will be emotionally distressed, and plan our spending around that, um, like, is that to a certain extent possible? Because I know there’s, there’s like, pop quizzes that come right, but I’m just, like, just just kind of like projecting, like, even myself, like, I know if I’m about to audition for something, most likely not gonna get it. So I know, like, the rejection is, like, gonna be a thing, and it’s like, Oh, my God, you know, the state of my industry and stuff. So I kind of, like, build like, a self care thing around that. And sometimes the self care thing is just me saying, X, you did a good job. You’re the shit. It was their loss, you know. And then I turn on TS, Madison, you know? It’s just like, you gotta, like, what is that like, you know. So I’m just wondering if you have any advice for us, kind of, like, anticipating emotionally distressed and then, like, how we’re going to manage our spending and emotions around that?

 

Leo Aquino  27:31

Yeah, for sure. Well, first of all, I’m really happy that you’re taking care of yourself, I mean.

 

X Mayo  27:36

Oh, thank you. No, I have to, because then I can take care of you, Leo, you know? Like, I seriously, I have to be easy on me. And my friend told me to always try softer, and so I have to do that, because that literally is how I treat others, so, like, I have to, it’s kind of like a it’s community oriented, yes, it’s for me, but it’s like, I want everybody around me to know that, that I’ll be easy with them, yeah.

 

Leo Aquino  28:02

Yeah, you’re right. I mean, there’s a certain extent to which we can kind of plan for emotional distress. So, for example, around the election, right? Like, besides, okay, me, personally, I was like, I gotta take a few things off my calendar, you know, I gotta reschedule some things until a little after but for me, it was also like, let me make sure there’s groceries. You know, let me, let me make sure, even, like, something really simple, like, there’s enough water in the Brita filter. So I’m not, like, gonna go out and buy, I’m a little Bucha. I love to buy, like, a Fiji water or something.

 

X Mayo  28:45

You know, no, that’s right. Oh yes, I get my alkaline water delivered. I get but I like it because it’s better for the environment. So it’s like, I’m not using any water bottles. I have my same one bottle that I use, and then the bottles that they put the water in, the water in, the company that I use, they rotate the same so it’s no new bottles, yeah.

 

Leo Aquino  29:05

Yeah there’s, and also, that night, me and my girlfriend had a plan. We were like, Okay, we’re gonna go to this really nice sushi restaurant near my house, and that’s gonna be kind of expensive, you know? But also, like, we, we need it, right? So there is, there are sort of certain, like events or like certain industries where you’re like, oh, it’s getting tough right now. I gotta, like, take care of myself. And then other times again, like shit happens. And also, like, we live in a world where, if you are born into a lot of money like that. Kind of person can fuck up anytime they want because they have enough money to fall back on that. It’s like, not an issue.

 

X Mayo  29:50

Or connections, right?

 

Leo Aquino  29:52

Exactly.

 

X Mayo  29:52

Because it’s like, oh, I need to take a trip here. It’s like, well, my my god Mama, my friends, my mom’s friends only. Own that hotel in this estate, you know. So it’s like some stuff doesn’t even require money for them, but the connections and network that they have can allow them to have so much easier.

 

Leo Aquino  30:09

And, you know, for those of us that don’t have a lot of money, it always feels like, oh, we can’t, we can’t fuck it up as much, you know. So it’s almost like, if you’re having a bad day, or personally, like, I’m bipolar, right? And one of the symptoms of having bipolar disorder is, like, impulsive spending. So I’m like, when I’m when I’m really down, I’m like, I want to spend money, you know.

 

X Mayo  30:33

And like, Leo said, I think I want a jet. And your girlfriend’s like, Babe, you’re like, no, I want it. I’m gonna go buy a jet.

 

Leo Aquino  30:40

I want to move to a new city, you know. I want, you know, like, it’s insane, you know, and I can’t, can’t afford that, you know what I mean. But like, I think there’s something to being like, it’s okay for me to say, this is what I want to do. That’s like, quote, unquote irresponsible with money. Let me just say it. Let that thought breathe, and then be like, okay, what is actually, like, I don’t actually want to move to a new city, you know, but I want to do something exciting, you know. I want to have an adventure. Like, what’s something that I can do in the city of Los Angeles, you know, that’s like, I’ve never done this before. I’ve never seen this before. I don’t know. I’ve never been AX throwing. And that’s like, what, $100 or something, versus, like, moving to a new city is, like, what? 1000s of dollars? Like, you know.

 

X Mayo  31:26

I know your girlfriend, probably, she’s like, yes, okay, babe, let’s do that. Let’s throw an ax rather than move to Paris. So, like, okay, so I have to, you know, discuss the, the big orange elephant in the room, you know, Mr. 47 because it’s going to be a hell of a four years coming up under him. And we always want to leave our listeners with some good advice, you know. And I am so blessed to be able to talk to people who are way smarter than me. And you guys have been so amazing and so helpful when it comes to, like, spending and money, and it’s something that we need right, which is, like, why this podcast is so important to me, and I think for others, so in a time now with under Agent Orange, and especially when conservatives, you know, they’ve been targeting, harassing, having very abusive language, let’s just be clear around queer and trans people. Um, what advice? Leo, if any, do you have for queer and trans people on how to protect themselves during this time?

 

Leo Aquino  32:33

Um, yeah, it’s definitely time to invest in our own communities. Um, because you know, when shit really goes down, this is who has your back, right? So let me give you an example, right? Like, I was working with someone who owed a bunch of credit cards at and they were like, Leo, I’m really trying to, like, get ahead of these payments and, like, pay more than the minimum and stuff, but I owe my friends, like, $500 for a trip that we took last year. I was like, Babe, pay your friends back. Your friends need that money before. Like, Wells Fargo, does you know? And not just, you know, paying friends back, but like, making sure your friends, like, if someone’s really down, you know, and like, maybe they don’t have work right now, just taking them out for a nice meal, you know, something like that, because it’s really time to, like, nourish all of our connections. Because we don’t, we don’t know how bad it’s going to be. Really, like, it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen next, right? So, yeah, really investing in communities and, like, the people that are chosen family is going to be key right now.

 

X Mayo  33:43

I think that we just have to continue to plug into our communities, continue to plug into our mental health, mental wellness. You utilize whatever resources that we have, whether they be free or if you can afford it. God bless. You know to do that, but I think that we’re going to see more and more people rallying together, more and more communities coming together in the name of, you know, the black, the brown, the queer and the trans, and so just stay close to them. I think stay close to them. I think we’ve gone through it for four years, honey. And I’m a millennial, honey. I gone through Bush recession, 911 I have gone through it, and I’m an actor and a writer, Double Strike, pandemic. I’m just like, You know what? X you got it? Girl, it’s gonna be fine. It’s gonna be good. Democracy will prevail. I just have to hope for that. But Leo, we are now besties, so invite me over. I want do you make plantain chips? I believe that the Philippines has the best plantain chips that I’ve ever had in my entire life.

 

Leo Aquino  34:43

I don’t make them myself, but I make lumpia, the egg rolls, little crispy egg rolls.

 

X Mayo  34:47

Oh, okay, lumpia. And then if you have a plantain chip, connect, right? I need to know who is your plantain chip person. Get them on a burner phone, yes.

 

Leo Aquino  34:59

We’ll go over to. Carlo in Glendale. Okay, good some good Filipino food.

 

X Mayo  35:02

Yes, okay, I don’t want to let you go, but I do you know you have to give financial advice to the people. Hello, so tell the people where they can follow your work.

 

Leo Aquino  35:12

Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram @queerandtranswealth, and I’m also on sub stack, queer and trans wealth.substack.com I want to I also want to plug a quick thing that I’m doing. I’m giving free financial coaching to people who live in red states. So these are, I have a list of this. I mean, especially like Texas and Florida. But we’ve also got, like Montana, Idaho, Utah and any state that has introduced or passed anti trans legislation. Yeah, this scholarship program is going to go on through the end of 2025 and I am also looking for people to donate so that I can continue giving my services. So, yeah, it’s called the Pay It Forward fund. You can find it on my Instagram page and also the links in bio and all that stuff. But yeah, especially if anyone in a red state is listening to this, please sign up for the scholarship.

 

X Mayo  36:07

Yes, I love that. We’re all, we’re always like, Listen, if you are in no, we have to organize girl, yes.

 

Leo Aquino  36:17

Yeah.

 

X Mayo  36:18

No, because no, we have to be protected. No, the queer and the trans people community, no, they have to be protected. That’s just, that’s just point blank period. They are humans. It’s human rights. It’s ridiculous that we have to keep saying this. But I also know there’s so much unlearning that us as a country has to do. And you know, there has been, um, a small, you know, movement, reckoning with people that are leaving Maga, coming to some type of realization. So, you know, I just have to keep hope alive that more and more of that will happen, you know, and that justice will be served. Truly, Leo, you have been amazing, wonderful, so insightful, and this was so great. Yes, I can’t wait to follow you and more of your work, and please donate to Leo and all that they’re doing and in support of the queer insurance community. And I thank you so much.

 

Leo Aquino  37:12

Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

 

X Mayo  37:14

Yes, bye.

 

CREDITS 37:17

Y’all talking to Leo was like sitting by the fire with a hot matcha little whip on top non dairy. Okay, I feel soothed and comforted. Thank you very much. What I heard from Leo is to be soft on yourself. You need to eat. You deserve joy. So sometimes, if you gotta Uber Eats, you gotta do it. But it helps to look at the numbers and set a realistic budget. And if you don’t hit it the first time, be compassionate with yourself. Figure out what happened and try again next month, just to step up and try again, and plug into your community. Seriously, do it? Look after each other. Look after your queer and trans community, even if you’re not of that identity, okay, tap in. We’ll get through this. I promise you love y’all see you next week. The Dough is a Lemonada original. I’m your host X Mayo.  This series was created in partnership with Flourish Ventures.  This series is presented by the Margaret Casey Foundation. Our producers are Tiffany Bui, and Dani Matias. Kristen Lepore is our senior producer.  Mix and Sound Design by Bobby Woody. Original Music by Pat Mesiti Miller. Jackie Danziger is our Vice President of narrative content.  Executive Producers include me X Mayo, Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer.  Help others find our show by leaving us a rating and writing a review.  You can follow me on IG  @80dollarsandasuitcase and Lemonada @lemonadamedia across all social platforms, follow The Dough wherever you get your podcast or listen ad free on Amazon music with your Prime membership, thanks so much for listening. See you next week, bye.