Janelle Brown: Smarter Than Your Average Brown (Maybe)

[Fosca]

RVs started to go up in price last summer, so if she bought hers this spring it surely was at (or near) the top of its value.  I bought mine in April, and only got a deal because it's a bit too big/heavy for weekend warriors and a bit too small/simple for full-timing.  

I'm sure Janelle paid a LOT for it, if she bought it (and if she didn't, she'd not be putting it in storage, unless she is returning it and then pulls a "I decided to get a different trailer" thing in the spring if she goes back).  

[SunnyBeBe]

Well, regardless of how Janelle got the RV, I wonder how she survives.  In my mind…and I have nothing to base this on…..I envision that she makes at least $100,000. annually from TLC.  But, that’s not much when considering her expenditures, imo.  

[LilyD]

4 hours ago, Sasha888 said:

Janelle...who apparently cashed in her gov't retirement fund when they ran off to Vegas, to pay for everyone's rentals (so that selfish Meri could have the biggest rental house, and then get snippy with Janelle about it).

And then to think she probably did it at the whim of Kody Brown...I just want to weep at the stupidity of this woman, and then they are all like "OH yeah, Janelle's the one who's good at finances!" And it's probably true, the rest of them are probably worse. DEAR GOD.

She was set for retirement, and instead she stupidly gave it all up for "the family" - and now they don't care at all that Janelle is over 50 and probably has no retirement savings, and never will. I go between feeling terribly sorry for her, and wanting to shake some sense into her!

Sorry for picking apart your great post: I was trying to focus on Janelle’s alleged financial wisdom😉. You forgot another pretty important “smart” decision of hers. They were only able to afford the Lehi house because Janelle poured her inheritance in it. That house was sold at a loss btw…

[GeeGolly]

So it turns out Janelle wasn't the fiscally responsible one, but was the one with money.

Well shit, before the family falls completely apart, Janelle should call in this debt.

(Did you read that Janelle? Get your money back!)

[ginger90]

In my opinion, Janelle’s real estate expertise delayed the sale of the Vegas houses. She priced too high (probably at someone else’s insistence). Hers sat for 6 months, with a different real estate company ultimately selling it.

[bobalina]

13 hours ago, deirdra said:

A good reason to take Kootie off the deed & mortgage! He cannot have 4 principal residences. I wonder if this caused problems when they sold the Vegas houses - Christine probably would have complained that the IRS discriminates against polygamists.

But as long as the women were living in the house they could exclude the profit.

[Sasha888]

6 hours ago, LilyD said:

Sorry for picking apart your great post: I was trying to focus on Janelle’s alleged financial wisdom😉. You forgot another pretty important “smart” decision of hers. They were only able to afford the Lehi house because Janelle poured her inheritance in it. That house was sold at a loss btw…

I was absolutely thinking about this as I was writing my post! But it was getting so long I decided to stick to just the one thing...

But yeah, we are sharing a brain, that's another thing I was thinking about. She gets an inheritance, at a time when she is so fed up with her sister wives Meri that she has moved away from the family, and what does she do with it? She runs back to them and buys the ingrates a HOUSE. (Not the whole house, I believe it was enough for the down payment....but still.)

And then to thank Janelle for her investment, they end up doing a short sale and basically losing Janelle's inheritance for her.

She's the ultimate team player...she worked at a real, full time job for years, she gave them her retirement, she gave them her inheritance, and her "family" wasted all those things and left her with nothing.

And then, they are not even grateful. I will exclude Christine from this, I felt that those two getting their girls together to go to Disneyland, AFTER Christine left Kody, really shows that those two actually have a relationship with each other, even outside of the marriage, and they are the one example of anything working in this family...

But I don't see anybody else being grateful for all the money Janelle has poured into them over the years. 

[Sasha888]

5 hours ago, ginger90 said:

In my opinion, Janelle’s real estate expertise delayed the sale of the Vegas houses. She priced too high (probably at someone else’s insistence). Hers sat for 6 months, with a different real estate company ultimately selling it.

Not to mention her complete laziness and lack of salesmanship, as described by one of our fellow posters who went to an open house when Janelle was in charge.

And that's how bad she was at trying to sell her own home, when she should have actually cared....imagine how bad she was at pricing and selling someone else's home.

[xwordfanatik]

1 hour ago, Sasha888 said:

I was absolutely thinking about this as I was writing my post! But it was getting so long I decided to stick to just the one thing...

But yeah, we are sharing a brain, that's another thing I was thinking about. She gets an inheritance, at a time when she is so fed up with her sister wives Meri that she has moved away from the family, and what does she do with it? She runs back to them and buys the ingrates a HOUSE. (Not the whole house, I believe it was enough for the down payment....but still.)

And then to thank Janelle for her investment, they end up doing a short sale and basically losing Janelle's inheritance for her.

She's the ultimate team player...she worked at a real, full time job for years, she gave them her retirement, she gave them her inheritance, and her "family" wasted all those things and left her with nothing.

And then, they are not even grateful. I will exclude Christine from this, I felt that those two getting their girls together to go to Disneyland, AFTER Christine left Kody, really shows that those two actually have a relationship with each other, even outside of the marriage, and they are the one example of anything working in this family...

But I don't see anybody else being grateful for all the money Janelle has poured into them over the years. 

Spot on!  Great post.

[Libby]

I can't figure Janelle and Kody's relationship out. Kody makes no secret of the fact that Robyn is the only wife that matters now. Janelle seems genuinely happy in her relationship with Kody in spite of the fact that he basically has a manogamist marriage with Robyn. Is she delusional, thinking that she still has a marriage,  or is there something I'm missing between Janelle and Kody?

[Elizzikra]

Quote

Is she delusional, thinking that she still has a marriage,  or is there something I'm missing between Janelle and Kody?

I think that she got what she wanted out of the marriage part - a father (at least biologically) for her children. They're mostly grown and I think she has a companionable friendship in which he largely leaves her alone and lets her do whatever she wants to do. For her part, she doesn't do anything that would reduce the value of the family "brand" such that it is. It's a symbiotic relationship and they both realize that.

[Joan of Argh]

13 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

I think that she got what she wanted out of the marriage part - a father (at least biologically) for her children. They're mostly grown and I think she has a companionable friendship in which he largely leaves her alone and lets her do whatever she wants to do. For her part, she doesn't do anything that would reduce the value of the family "brand" such that it is. It's a symbiotic relationship and they both realize that.

Exactly I don’t think Janelle wants a 24/7/365 husband…. She seems to enjoy doing some things on her own, she enjoys traveling and sightseeing with Savannah, visiting Maddie etc and she also seemed to like living on their land in the RV…. She likes having Kody nearby in case she needs help with something and she wanted kids… other than that she doesn’t seem to need or want his constant companionship. 🤷‍♀️

[Sasha888]

55 minutes ago, Libby said:

Is she delusional, thinking that she still has a marriage,  or is there something I'm missing between Janelle and Kody? 's ears?

Yes and yes.

😆

In all seriousness though...several posters above me have described this so well, and I believe you guys are correct, but I will NEVER be able to wrap my head around why this is "enough" for Janelle.

[TurtlePower]

10 hours ago, Joan of Argh said:

Exactly I don’t think Janelle wants a 24/7/365 husband…. She seems to enjoy doing some things on her own, she enjoys traveling and sightseeing with Savannah, visiting Maddie etc and she also seemed to like living on their land in the RV…. She likes having Kody nearby in case she needs help with something and she wanted kids… other than that she doesn’t seem to need or want his constant companionship. 🤷‍♀️

And then complains how traveling messes up her “routine” (the lack of a routine is the only routine thing about Janelle). 

But I totally agree. Janelle is content with the way things are between her and Kody—she has her own life and activities that don’t involve him—and she’s not constantly on social media screeching about how happy she is like Meri has to.

Aside from being annoyed about moving and properties, Janelle seems to be enjoying life. I can’t help but wonder if she’s hoping Meri will be next to go, given their poor relationship. Maybe Janelle should join forces with Robyn and Kody and put a boot in Meri’s backside to get her out the door. 🤣

Edited November 13, 2021 by TurtlePower
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[lookeyloo]

10 hours ago, Sasha888 said:

Yes and yes.

😆

In all seriousness though...several posters above me have described this so well, and I believe you guys are correct, but I will NEVER be able to wrap my head around why this is "enough" for Janelle.

Because perhaps people are different in what they want?  I have friends who live apart most of the year 6 hours apart.  They like each other, travel together sometimes, visit each other sometimes, talk on the phone daily, etc.  It works for them.  It wouldn't work for everyone obviously.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

5 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

And then complains how traveling messes up her “routine” (the lack of a routine is the only routine thing about Janelle). 

But I totally agree. Janelle is content with the way things are between her and Kody—she has her own life and activities that don’t involve him—and she’s not constantly on social media screeching about how happy she is like Meri has to.

Aside from being annoyed about moving and properties, Janelle seems to be enjoying life. I can’t help but wonder if she’s hoping Meri will be next to go, given their poor relationship. Maybe Janelle should join forces with Robyn and Kody and put a boot in Meri’s backside to get her out the door. 🤣

She does seem to be enjoying life, but I still feel she wouldn't be averse to more time with her husband.  

[Sasha888]

5 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

Because perhaps people are different in what they want?  I have friends who live apart most of the year 6 hours apart.  They like each other, travel together sometimes, visit each other sometimes, talk on the phone daily, etc.  It works for them.  It wouldn't work for everyone obviously.

Yes, but I didn't say it was wrong or anything like that. I just said I can't wrap MY head around it. I didn't say Janelle or your friend can't do what they want. I said I wouldn't want it.

If Janelle is going to make money from showing her very different type of marriage on TV, then I have a right to have an opinion on her unusual situation.

[lookeyloo]

44 minutes ago, Sasha888 said:

Yes, but I didn't say it was wrong or anything like that. I just said I can't wrap MY head around it. I didn't say Janelle or your friend can't do what they want. I said I wouldn't want it.

If Janelle is going to make money from showing her very different type of marriage on TV, then I have a right to have an opinion on her unusual situation.

Gotcha!!

[Twopper]

Can anyone make sense of the promo for the new season where Janelle says "you give me the property and you can move."

I can only see that directed at Christine.  Robyn isn't moving.  Meri basically has moved, and she is in a rental so Janelle has no control over her.  Also Christine was the owner of her house after they removed Kody.   I can't see Janelle being able to prevent anyone from moving.

The sound just went out on my tv so I may have to rely on you snarky types to find out the answer to this question.

[Sasha888]

29 minutes ago, Twopper said:

Can anyone make sense of the promo for the new season where Janelle says "you give me the property and you can move."

I don't believe I've seen the promo where she says this, but I did just go look up the promo that's linked earlier in this thread (this phrase wasn't in it). BUT...what I did notice was in one scene they are all sitting around with a map of Prairie Poo Flats, and the lots are all numbered 1, 2, 3, & 4. They appear to be discussing (again...Dear Lord...) who will take which lot.

Perhaps when Janelle says "property" she means one of these lots, not a home? 

As in, someone has been assigned a lot they don't want (maybe one with TREES, SNARK!!!) and Janelle's saying that she actually would like it, so she says well, then give me that property and you can move?

That's the only way I can see that it wouldn't be directed at Christine. But more than likely I suspect you are right, it's likely directed at Christine, but perhaps not in regards to Christine's house, which Janelle would have nothing to do with. It may just be C talking about wanting to move to Utah, and J getting frustrated and saying " fine, give me the property (on Coyote Pass) and you can move."

Does that make sense? Saying it in a frustrated way, not in a "I can actually prevent you from moving" kind of way?

 

[Joan of Argh]

I wonder if Christine leaving solves the “poop pond access” problem 😋

they were all worried that Meri would block peoples access to the poop pond if it was on her lot like she used to forbid the kids passing through her portion of the Lehi house and made them go outdoors to travel between janelles suite and christines suite.

[deirdra]

The description for the Nov21 show on my cable lineup says that Kootie wants a plot of his own at the Prairie Dog Plague properties. So maybe Christine gives him her plot to take him off the deed to her house.

Edited November 15, 2021 by deirdra

[Sasha888]

12 minutes ago, deirdra said:

The description for the Nov21 show on my cable lineup says that Kootie wants a plot of his own at the Prairie Dog Plague properties. So maybe Christine gives him her plot to take him off the deed to her house.

You've got be kidding me! What a colossal horse's ass this guy is!

Is he back to his "my own place" nonsense like when he had those plans drawn up to have them all in one house, and thought he deserved his own space? He kept referring to the central spaces as "my living room" and "my kitchen". 

No way, Kody! You signed up for life with multiple women, and it's the whole reason you have a show. You've been a crap husband for years, and now you've got 3 cranky, depressed wives left. And I want to see you live with at least one of them or you can get off my TV screen!

No bachelor pad out at the poop pond for you, buddy. You get back in your dog house with Robyn!

[ginger90]

The meal kit is from Hello Fresh.

[Absolom]

Hello Fresh is probably healthier than what Janelle comes up with on her own.

[Teafortwo]

RAMEN??!! On the nose!

[deirdra]

5 minutes ago, Teafortwo said:

RAMEN??!! On the nose!

Perhaps Savanah was missing her Daddy & this is the closest Janelle could get.

[DakotaJustice]

I've considered trying meal kits but just can't accept all the waste e.g. packaging. Besides ramen is super easy to make just buying ingredients at the grocery store.

 

[iwantcookies]

20 minutes ago, deirdra said:

Perhaps Savanah was missing her Daddy & this is the closest Janelle could get.

Well Savanna can pony up $ and get a cameo from daddy Ramen head.

[iwantcookies]

Guess daddy didn’t drop by for al fresco dinner 🤣

[LilyD]

It wouldn’t surprise me if Janelle is being sponsored or receives a hefty discount from Hello Fresh,  Why else naming the business? We’ll have to see how often we get treated to Hello Fresh promotion posts over the next few weeks  I guess. 

It would definitely fit their lazy, easy “work ethic”

[Elizzikra]

48 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

I've considered trying meal kits but just can't accept all the waste e.g. packaging. Besides ramen is super easy to make just buying ingredients at the grocery store.

 

I struggled with that too and some are better than others. But I did have less overall food waste when I was regularly using meal kits. I never had a bad meal from Hello Fresh. I've seen meal kits in Target and in a couple grocery stores too and they seem to have less packaging waste? For someone like Janelle, who doesn't seem to cook well or really enjoy cooking, I think meal kits are a great idea.  

[ginger90]

17 minutes ago, LilyD said:

It wouldn’t surprise me if Janelle is being sponsored or receives a hefty discount from Hello Fresh,  Why else naming the business? We’ll have to see how often we get treated to Hello Fresh promotion posts over the next few weeks  I guess. 

It would definitely fit their lazy, easy “work ethic”

If it was a sponsored post, she didn’t acknowledge it. It was an answer to a question in the comments.

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

Many of the grocery stores by me now have prepared dinners to take and bake, I am a little weary of having it shipped to my home, how long its been in the truck or whatever, but that is just me. I went to a friends for dinner one night and I don't recall what was the company she had the meal from, it was decent, until about 2am when I got sick. 

[lookeyloo]

Seems like a decent option for Janelle.  How much landfill is used from Frito/fast food packaging.  We ate a few Blue Apron meals.  Very nice but too much skillet use.  For a treat we get ourselves Instead of Flowers and it is restaurant quality cooked food and just heat up the hot stuff.  It has been delicious and none of us ever got sick.

[xwordfanatik]

I used to get Schwan's every so often when the pandemic started.  The truck would stop by and leave what I ordered on the porch.  Then, they seemingly did away with delivery by truck in my area, and went to shipping only, so I stopped using them.  I liked getting it like a store delivery, in bags, and didn't want to dill with all the boxes and packing materials involved in shipping.  It was nice and handy while it lasted.

The bowls Janelle used aren't chipped, for a change.  I wonder how many visits from Kootie she's getting these days.  I'm thinking he only stops by when King Sol and Areolabella are getting on his nerves, along with their demanding witch of a mother.

Poor widdle ramen head brainless twit Kootie.

[laurakaye]

On 11/12/2021 at 10:14 PM, Elizzikra said:

I think that she got what she wanted out of the marriage part - a father (at least biologically) for her children. They're mostly grown and I think she has a companionable friendship in which he largely leaves her alone and lets her do whatever she wants to do. 

And yet....when she met him, she looked at him and it was like she "suddenly remembered something she'd forgotten."  She's mentioned several times that she still has the hots for him (especially when he's got that crunchy ponytail going on).  And then, she gained a lot of weight (of course, having six kids contributed to that), she made pretty good progress losing it, but then gave up.  She also moved away from him, and I think the timeline is correct that she and Kody conceived Savanah when she was living apart from him.  And then there's her ex - Meri's brother.  The majority of couch sessions, she barely registers a pulse.  I also think she got out of him what she wanted - kids - but there's some weird disconnect where I think she still desires him, but her weight gain is keeping him at arms' length?  I don't know.  She's the one wife who I cannot figure out, at all.

 

22 hours ago, deirdra said:

The description for the Nov21 show on my cable lineup says that Kootie wants a plot of his own at the Prairie Dog Plague properties. So maybe Christine gives him her plot to take him off the deed to her house.

If Christine did this, then allow me to stand up and applaud her.  Christine wins - he's off the deed so any money she makes from the house is hers.  She also gives Kody his own plot of land to build his macho-man dude house, which - if true - would surely piss off the remaining wives (especially Robyn).  Although I think Kody would spin it that he wants to build another house for when all of his kids come home (as if), but in the meantime, he can use it himself as a man cave after he slips some Benadryl into Robyn's afternoon tea.  

[Sasha888]

1 hour ago, xwordfanatik said:

I used to get Schwan's every so often when the pandemic started.  The truck would stop by and leave what I ordered on the porch.

I love some of Schwan's products. I'm spoiled by their broccoli and can't stand the woody, inedible garbage at my local store now.

Kody used to be a Schwan's guy. 😜

Probably one of the few times in his life he earned an honest dollar.

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

I was so bored watching this show last season, but being I am not into football, I kind of watch while folding laundry. I am interested to see Janelle when she says "then give me your land" or something..whoa Janelle, first time I heard something forceful from her mouth. But just like when she was quasi forceful with Kody not wanting to rip Gabe out of school and then she folded like a cheap lawn chair. 

[xwordfanatik]

1 hour ago, Sasha888 said:

I love some of Schwan's products. I'm spoiled by their broccoli and can't stand the woody, inedible garbage at my local store now.

Kody used to be a Schwan's guy. 😜

Probably one of the few times in his life he earned an honest dollar.

That's right!  I remember now, I think I read that here.

It's hard to believe anyone in this bunch of MLM'ers ever worked a legit job.

[LilyD]

We’ve always been pretty critical of Janelle so I thought I should highlight something beautiful about her that I never really noticed until I watched parts of season 3 today:
Janelle was reflecting on the family finances and Meri’s role in it. She said how she resented Meri’s entitlement at first. (The same budget and house as everybody else)
She then said how she was able to accept it eventually because if things had been different, Meri would have needed the house and budget for her 8 kids, the kids she never got. She felt it was unfair to punish Meri even more for something that wasn’t even her fault and that she deserved a big house like everybody else.

While she should have stepped up against Meri’s crap, I can’t help but admire her generosity. Few people are able to set aside their own needs in favor of somebody else. She shared her inheritance with the entire family too. Also,  throughout the show it was Janelle who seemed to be satisfied with the little things in life and never wanted the most expensive and biggest house, despite having 6 kids. She definitely earned some Brownie points from me today!

[ginger90]

[xwordfanatik]

Plug for Plexus?  Please.  Spare me.  🤮

[CalicoKitty]

On 11/16/2021 at 9:15 AM, xwordfanatik said:

I used to get Schwan's every so often when the pandemic started.  The truck would stop by and leave what I ordered on the porch.  Then, they seemingly did away with delivery by truck in my area, and went to shipping only, so I stopped using them.  I liked getting it like a store delivery, in bags, and didn't want to dill with all the boxes and packing materials involved in shipping.  It was nice and handy while it lasted.

 

I use Schwan's, and the truck does deliver every two weeks.  I see they are advertising for drivers in my area, so maybe they will be dropping the delivery service soon.  I hope not, because they are convenient, and their products are pretty good.  I would not use them if the items had to be shipped to me.  Schwan's might be a good option for Janelle.  They do have a lot of ice cream and desserts.

[MargeGunderson]

What exactly is in Plexus that our body “is in lack of?” I never thought I would miss the days when Janelle babbled on about Ayurveda. 

[CalicoKitty]

 I am sort of surprised that Janelle and Maddy are so into Plexus.  I do not know a whole lot of Mormans, but LDS folks that I do know avoid stimulants, including coffee.  I don't understand the effects of coffee myself, as I am one of the "odd" people that do not like the taste, or the smell, of coffee. I have never had a cup in my life. ( Mocha flavor in anything  and the aroma is enough  for me to stay away.)  But I'm guessing that the Brown clan does not follow dietary rules any longer.  Or they pick and choose what rules to follow.  But I am surprised that the Plexus MLM seems to be popular in the LDS community.  And I am surprised that the product does not list percentages of ingredients on the label.

[Cetacean]

24 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

 I am sort of surprised that Janelle and Maddy are so into Plexus.  I do not know a whole lot of Mormans, but LDS folks that I do know avoid stimulants, including coffee. 

Dollars to donuts they have never read a list of ingredients.  They probably stopped at "all natural" and decided that was good to go.

[TurtlePower]

17 hours ago, ginger90 said:

So, what Janelle is saying is that in all the years she’s been a health “coach”, she found dietary balance in none of those years? She’s also telling us she needed a gimmick to find it?

Doesn’t exactly exude confidence. True health coaches don’t rely on MLM concoctions. 

Edited to Add: I do applaud Janelle for being able to do a turkey trot. It’s more than Whitney Thore can do (who would be whining and hobbling after 2 miles). 

Edited November 19, 2021 by TurtlePower

[Cetacean]

10 minutes ago, TurtlePower said:

I do applaud Janelle for being able to do a turkey trot.

Well, we don't know if she'll actually DO any trotting. She's "hosting" which probably means she's blathering about it and pushing Plexus at the same time.

[Sandy W]

14 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

Well, we don't know if she'll actually DO any trotting. She's "hosting" which probably means she's blathering about it and pushing Plexus at the same time.

The Turkey Trot is also a dance from the early 1900s...and we all know Janelle don't dance. No siree Bob, she will not appear foolish bumpin' and grindin'.🤦‍♀️