‘Sister Wives’: 3 Brown Family Financial Fails

Sister Wives was supposed to be about the Brown family’s polygamist lifestyle, but there was more to see than some basic polygamy. The Brown family was dysfunctional from the start. Over the years, we have watched Kody Brown, Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, and Robyn Brown treat each other poorly and make some truly terrible decisions. The Brown family’s financial decisions have been particularly odd. We’ve collected their three worst money mishaps. 

Robyn Brown asked the family to sink their savings into a jewelry business, and they agreed 

Robyn Brown was the last of the wives to join the Brown family, but she didn’t waste any time asking them for money. First, the Browns used their own cash to pay off a series of debts so Robyn could qualify for a home loan. Once her Victoria’s Secret credit card debt was cleared away, she proposed a business to the entire family. 

Robyn Brown fancied herself a jewelry designer and requested money to start her business. Kody Brown, still lovestruck and without good taste, believed Robyn’s jewelry doodlings would make the family rich. Unsurprisingly, My Sister Wife’s Closet never really took off. At best, it was a side hobby; at worst, it was a drain on the Brown family’s finances. The website is still up and running, although the navigation is so complicated that they don’t seem to want anyone to buy anything. 

Janelle Brown buys an RV, only to live in it for one season 

Janelle Brown considers herself more frugal than the rest of the Brown family. Her estranged husband and former sister wives all insisted she was the family’s “money manager.” The Brown family money manager isn’t immune to seemingly inexplicable financial decisions, though. 

Janelle Brown’s rash decision to purchase a fifth wheel, brand new, remains the most fiscally irresponsible choice she’s made on camera. Janelle had never lived in an RV before; she had no way of hauling the house on wheels and made the purchase sight unseen. We knew it was a bad idea when she announced her plans, and apparently, we were right. Janelle lived in the RV with her youngest child, Savanah Brown, for exactly one summer before she opted to keep an apartment instead. There is no word on what became of the camper. She sure laid out a lot of money for three months of living, though. 

The Browns’ big move had ‘Sister Wives’ fans questioning the family’s financial choices

Robyn Brown’s jewelry hobby and Janelle Brown’s dreams of living off the land were certainly irresponsible money management moments. Still, there is one massive Brown family financial mistake that trumps all the other inexplicable financial decisions. The family’s move to Flagstaff, Arizona, was their worst financial activity. 

The Browns packed up and left Las Vegas to purchase property in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2018. That would have been strange but mostly financially sound if they hadn’t done it in the most irresponsible and seemingly manic way possible. They opted to purchase undeveloped land before selling their homes in Las Vegas or having anywhere to live once they got to town.  

The family discussed their financial issues during season 15 of Sister Wives. All agreed that they were in a tough financial position because of how they went about the move. Somehow they all seemed surprised. We were not. We could have told them that paying mortgages on their Las Vegas homes while purchasing additional land and a home, plus paying rent on three more properties, was too much to take on. While financial stress isn’t what ultimately did the group in, it surely sped up the process. 

Over the years, the Brown family made a lot of silly decisions. Their financial mishaps were the most astonishing to watch on Sister Wives, though. TLC has yet to announce season 18, but we are confident we’ll be watching more financial tomfoolery shortly.