Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 17, 2019

I’d like to see both Bernice and Tiffany have a chat with Cynthia (that’s not the doll of Angelica Pickles, is it?).

Well, it least Bernice is trying to “help.” And She’s not being a jackass in the process, like she does with Luann. I’ve always wondered ‘Why’ Bernice and Luann were “friends” anyway.

Now if Bernice and Tiffany had been ‘pals’ since third grade, who knows how things might have turned out? Bernice could have taught Tiff better study habits and Tiff could have shown Bernie how to be popular. Or at least more tolerable.

Perhaps with this new found Bernice/Tiffany friendship, there some interesting adventures coming down the pike. Maybe Tiff and Bernice in Paris one day?

Or Better still, Tiffany giving Bernice another “make-over” like she did in high school. As a reward for her counsel and advice…….,

For some, “Less” is “More.” ✨❤️✨

Cynthia sounds a lot like Ann Eifle

Tiffany’s spending habits mirror that of congress: spend spend spend while someone else picks up the tab. She doesn’t care how the stuff gets paid for, as long as it’s not her having to work to earn the money to do it. She wants freedom and independence, she just doesn’t like the “price tag” that comes with freedom and independence.

Bernice, you’re living a simple life hence you don’t have lofty goals. Tiffany aims big so she will do her damnedest to achieve that. But she will do well only if she knows she can’t only spend, spend, spend and needs to balance her money, makes plans for her expenditures, develop a budget, spend wisely rather than wantonly on her personal items, pay her bills on time, understands how finance works and capable of reading a spreadsheet. A lot for her to learn. While you, Bernice, proceed to earn a simple degree in counseling and settle for a simple job somewhere and adopt 20 cats and take them to your simple bungalow. You can go to Tiff as Nails for our Self-Care Day and visit with Tiffany and simply be jealous.

Boy, Tiff is pretty dense. I get it… she doesn’t understand how credit cards work. Based on the comments here, a lot of real-life young adults don’t either. But in today’s strip, she doesn’t understand the concept of money (and not having any)? What happened to her job at Kidz First? Weren’t her hours cut way back, or she left that job? I don’t quite remember. She was last seen with two dollars in her purse. So, if she wants to follow Cynthia’s advice, she’ll need to “Make more [money] to get more [money]”. But she’s still at Square One! And buying a $500 power suit isn’t going to make her money… in fact, she’s going deeper into the red with no means of digging herself out.

“But you don’t have a book…”

No. She has a brain.

Cynthia’s advise is actually spot on when you think about it. If you want more, you have to spend more. If you want to spend more, you have to make more. To make more, you have to work more. The last step (or first step, practically speaking) is the one Tiffany needs work with. And Bernice to be honest. If you are trying to establish yourself in business, you have to be willing to spend necessary capital. No one wants to do business with a timid entrepreneur. It indicates there may be something wrong. The trick is knowing what to spend money on.

Oh Bernice. That way of thinking led to the Great Depression. Tiffany’s plan is much closer to FDR’s New Deal.

Cynthia’s plan is absolutely correct: “Make More Get More.” Note the order in which each of these actions need to occur.

Last frame: Tiff keeps looking slyly like she knows something Bernice doesn’t. We’ll see. Sometimes G & K like to surprise us with Tiff.

Ann’s book: “Steal More, Get More, Make More” (as in put the make on more sugar daddies)

What’s happening between ann and tiffany is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Ann is a control freak; she’s controlling tom with her body and using the fact that he wants a family against him. And she’s controlling tiffany through the flow of $$$$.

I suppose it never occurred to Tiffany to use the credit card to invest in starting up her new nail salon. Sure, she’s not allowed to do business in the dorm – but maybe she could rent a corner at the Fuse or something. Oh, I guess we’re supposed to totally forget about that now.

No way this going to end well.

If Bernice really wants to help Tiffany, maybe she should go talk to Tom Ferrell. She’s Tiffany’s RA so she could say she needs to talk to him about Tiffany’s well being and education. And if Ann tries to butt him she could say, "This is a CONFIDENTIAL matter that can only be discussed with FAMILY.

Bernice is trying to help but tiff does not to except any advice.

“Luann” is a fine comic and I enjoy it. But I don’t understand why it has such a huge following, far more than many other strips just as worthy.

I’d be grateful if someone could explain that to me.

In that book the Tiffany has, bet there is a section that starts ‘Ten Easy Steps to Make a Quick Million Dollars’.

STEP 1 – Get a hold of $500,000 ……………..

She need take to Clark Howard’s advice: “Save more, spend less”.

Bern, that makes as much sense to Tiff as: “waste not, want not”, “make love, not war”, etc… basically, easy for you to say!

The operative word is “make”.

It must be said that Tiffany’s reasoning about follow the book is logical. Too bad she’s an university student with no money. At least Bernice is with her and tries to help. If Bernice will be able to help Tiffany she may become a great therapist.

That’s too stupid to even respond to, Tiffany…

“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” ― Ellen Goodman

One way to have more is desire less. {That’s kinda Zen, ain’t it? Ohmmmm…}

I made the comment on another forum that the Middle Class is spending itself into extinction and someone argued with me. When your 5 year old has an iPad, you are a Tiffany.

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I appreciate Bernice’s willingness to help and also her “mildly hidden” sense of exasperation.

Tiffany’s “guru’s” advice is actually pretty good as is Bernice’s… bascially enantiomeric forms of the same idea. Either option would serve anyone well.

Again, I am hoping this will lead to Tiffany either working at the Fuse, or at Weenie World or perhaps giving Fish Pedis at a salon…. that would provide ample fodder for humor.

But, also…. I am putting forth a wish…. with Bernice being in the picture again…. it would be wonderfully fun and interesting if Piro suddenly again showed up. I do hope that Greg has not simply “volcanoized” Piro… and that somehow he comes back to muddy the perspectives of the Moony Dorm kids. I found those arcs very, very interesting and hope they return as well.

Wouldn’t it be funny if………………

“How To Make Money By Selling Books to the Gullible”…

How to get rich in three easy steps:

1. Write a book about how to get rich. The advice you give doesn’t actually have to work, it just has to sound good.

2. Think of a good name for the book and have it published.

3. Wait for a bunch of gullible people to buy your book and watch the money roll in.

Silly mother – what do parents know about money management?

Schoolhouse Rock did do a series about money. They covered things like budgeting, both allowance and household, taxes, investing, checking accounts. The one thing they didn’t cover was CREDIT CARDS. the closest was one about getting a loan from the bank.

So extremely often the best ways to achieve MULTIPLE GOALS:

1. Save money for future needs and “rainy days”

2. Reduce fears and nasty consequences during times when jobs go away for a while

3. Create less pollution

and

4. Live with less stress and less pressure

are by living smaller and making things last. (“Make it do. Wear it out. Use it up. Do without.”)

Those of us whose parents weathered the Great Depression learned these valuable lessons.

Sadly, I have encountered too many younger people, even ones who are now in their 40s who, like Tiffany, can not put together that money equations have an output side as well as an input one.

I’m tired of this arc. It’s hard to believe that Tiffany is so ignorant about money. A college freshman this dense is a little incredible.

Many people have believed things in books were more trustworthy than what people just said. I figure part of the reason is that they already know regular people are often wrong. You have to read a bit to realize authors are still fallible people.

(Except for us, of course.)

Tiffany, Bern has many books, and she studies them.

well Tiffany you don’t have a book either. If you can write another one that convinces people they can effortlessly have anything they want, then you might make some $ too… but in the meantime you have a bill to pay and deadline for doing that. Tomorrow Bernice will tell Tiff that if she doesn’t pay the bill by the set date the amount due will grow larger.

Most comics are funny one-day submittals. Luann, on the other hand, is an on-going story, like “For Better or Worse.” People enjoy wondering what’s going to happen next. I think there are other story strips but I’m not sure what they are.

Interesting how comment numbers have become rather “tepid” for Luann with this arc. I wonder if folks are less enamored with this arc (I know that “ditzy Tiffany” is not as fun to me as is Tiffany with a plan or a mission.).

How does one explain a personal preference? Luann touches me thru the realistic situations the characters find themselves as they have grown up throughout the years. One of the few comix whose characters age and their concerns and issues age with them.

Does that book have a preface chapter entitled " On your back for beginners" ?

Right now, I am amazed that Tiffany can even read…

When I was in my mid-20s and could not afford the paper as I was trying to pay off my college debt and trying to support myself, my dad would save the comics for me. We both enjoyed several of the strips one of which was Luann. I always thought it was funny that he liked Luann as an adult male and he would always tease me about what had happened when he gave me a bag with two weeks worth of comics as he knew I hadn’t read it yet. That was 35 years ago, and he is gone, but I still love this comic. It is the only one I still read, partly because I have always enjoyed it and partly because it was something we shared.

Tiffany’s assumption is that advice from a friend (face-to-face) is worth less than advice from a ‘self help’ book. Not only does she lack understanding of basic personal finance, she also doesn’t know what it is to have a friend who might actually care and tell you what you need to know.

See? Write that Book and you too will have Money to Spend.

This topic is becoming tiresome but maybe this arc will finally see a change in Tiffany. Now, excuse me while I see if the knock on the door is from Publisher’s Clearing House.

Can’t argue with the Tiffster’s logic, Bernie. Let’s just hope for Tiff’s sake that following Cynthia’s advice (ahem!) pays off….

But the make more part comes before the get more part.

That book put her over her credit limit!