On Season 4, Episode 2 of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, Daniele had a lot to say about Yohan’s business.
First, the raw meat, sitting out without refrigeration in the open air for flies to land on, horrified her. This hurt Yohan’s feelings, but many viewers could relate.
Then, Daniele had a series of questions about his business. Things weren’t adding up. It looked like he’s losing money with his butcher’s shop.
But an eye-opening look into Daniele’s finances raises questions. And it might explain why Daniele is so adamant about living far from New York.
When Yohan Geronimo brought Daniele Gates to see his shop, he hoped that she would feel proud of him. This is his very own business.
Unfortunately, what she saw was piles of meat sitting out in the open air, on top of a counter. And there were flies landing on the meat with very little interference.
Yohan seemed to not believe that this was a health concern. He told his wife that this is how people sell meat in the Dominican Republic. Daniele felt baffled, but it did explain some things. Namely, why she has become sick after so many meals.
The conversation soon turned to the finances of it all. Daniele clearly had questions and concerns. Yohan shared that he kept his books on a physical ledger, like a shopkeeper in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Daniele did not feel at ease to learn that her husband managed his business like she might run a lemonade stand. That is how she phrased it, anyway.
She used some budgeting software on her laptop to calculate Yohan’s earnings. And his expenses. The latter turned out to be higher than the former.
Yohan was quick to point out that he has a second job. He also argued that most businesses do not start profitable, from day one.
He felt like his wife was judging and belittling him. Daniele sensed that, and did offer some emotional support.
But she explained that she wanted to understand how viable living there will be, especially if they “manifest” a baby. Especially after New York became too darn expensive.
From the start of the season, Daniele has been discussing how pricey New York has been for her.
She longs for the low cost of living that she has experienced while vacationing in the DR. Of course, she still wants to maintain an American standard of living. Even if it baffles Yohan.
This is why she unilaterally changed their plans, insisting that they remain in the DR for more than a year before she even begins to file to bring him to the US. If she ever will.
Now, Starcasm reports that Daniele’s financial woes from the expense of living in New York were even worse than she let on.
In early 2022, Daniele filed for bankruptcy. Every month, it cost more than $1,000 more for her to live than she was making. Yes, that includes the $3,475 in monthly rental expenses.
Daniele owed total financial liabilities to the tune of $224,584.
That is a colossal debt, one that Chapter 7 bankruptcy (liquidation) allowed her to absolve and obtain a clean slate.
Remember, bankruptcy is not in and of itself shameful, and exists to allow people to survive debt.
The stigma that goes with bankruptcy, and the flattened credit score (remember, credit scores are inherently predatory and have only existed for a little over 30 years), sometimes prevent people from exploring it as an option.
Fans wonder if Daniele’s bankruptcy filing will impact her ability to bring Yohan to the US on a spousal visa.
(Presumably, she would need to find a sponsor for him. We have all seen people who are downright destitute who get a family member to provide the thousands of dollars required to apply for a visa)
Of course, she will also have to tell her husband about this financial circumstance. And maybe, if they do move to the US, she can remember that there are more places to live than New York and Florida. Also, meat refrigeration is nearly universal. Like, by law.