Today we’re wrapping up the season with how to overcome setbacks and plan for your best year! 

Financial Wins, Overcoming Setbacks, and Planning for Your Best Year

How has this year been treating you? To be honest, things have been a real roller coaster. 

We've made several trips this year to visit loved ones in the hospital, nursing homes, or just to check in on them. 

We've also had a dear friend lose her battle with cancer this past week (hence the delay on the finale). 

I appreciate having this option because I know years ago when we were in debt, this wouldn't have seemed possible. 

It's made me more determined to continue helping families be in a better spot with their money so they can have more options like stepping back.

I hate when money is a source of stress when you have bigger things to think about.

With that in mind, today’s show is focused on how to do a year-end review.

In this episode, we’ll get into:

• Our progress on our goals for the year and doing a year end revie
• What to do when you have a set back with finances
• Why families need to simplify and enjoy

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Having Your Best Year with Finances

Want to learn more? Here are some resources to check out:

• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• Simplify and Enjoy
• 5 Books to Motivate and Guide You to Become Debt Free Faster
• 5 Money Books for Couples Looking to Become Financially Independent

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Today we’re going over to figure out the best money goals for you and how to tackle them together!

Tackling Your Big Money Goals

It's December, can you believe it?

What are your plans for this month?

Last weekend we went up to visit family and friends in Virginia. We had a wonderful time, but we're a bit drained seeing so many people at once. This weekend we're relaxing.

Now that we took care of the last bit of stuff for health insurance and investments that my husband's employer needed for next year, we should have time to chat a bit more on what we want to do overall.

Typically we both have ideas on what we like to knock out and usually, we end up with 2 or 3 big goals for the year. Last year we focused on the basement renovation (1st phase done!), family trips (2 bigger and several weekend trips), and paying more towards the mortgage (upped our monthly mortgage payments).

Proud of what we did and we'd like to build on that momentum. And based on the emails and messages I got it looks like you're thinking the same thing. So today we're going over how to reach your money goals together.

In this episode we’ll get into:

• Why people fail with their goals
• Choosing the right goal for you
• Setting up a system that makes it easy for you to knock out your goal

You’re ready? Let’s go!

Resources to Knocking Out Your Money Goals Together

Want to learn more? Here are some resources to check out:

• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• The Smart Way to Build Your Emergency Fund
• 3 Keys to Knocking Out Your Big Money Goals Together
• Why Most People Fail with Their Goals
• 10 Personal Finance Goals To Help Your Family Build Wealth This Year
• How Setting Financial Goals Will Get You To Financial Freedom with Michael Kay

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Today we’re answering your marriage and money questions - how to earn extra money on the side, figuring out your retirement number, and how to make the most of year-end bonus!

Marriage and Money Mailbag: Extra Income, Your Retirement Number, and More

It's that time again - our community mailbag! 

It's a chance for me to answer your burning money questions. with the year wrapping up have some good ones today. 

In this episode we’ll get into:

• How to make extra money when you don’t have time for a second job
• How to make your bonus go far
• Figuring out how much you two need to retire

Let’s get started!

Resources to Win with Your Money

Want to go ahead and tackle your big marriage and money goals? Here are the resources we mentioned in today's episode along with some extras!

• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Grow Your Stash Faster: High Yield Savings with CiT Bank
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• Rock Your Retirement
• The 4% Rule
• Your Side Hustle Is Worth A Lot More Than You Think
• Kevin's Side Hustle Reports (These side hustles helped him pay off over $87000 in less than 3 years!)

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

You’ve probably heard how giving not only benefits the recipients but the giver. However, what do you do when you’re in debt? Learn how you can pay off debt and give more to the causes that matter most to you!

Giving While in Debt?

When people ask this, two things jump out at me.

First, they have a generous spirit. That’s fantastic.

Second, their current budget isn’t working for them. That's something that needs to be adjusted.

What if I told you there’s a way you can take care of the essentials, make progress on paying off your debts, and still give?

Today Certified Financial Educational Instructor and The Money Speakeasy founder Wilson Muscadin is here to discuss how.

In this episode we get into:

• Why we struggle with money
• A counter-intuitive way to think about how you budget
• How giving can help be wiser with your money

Let’s get started!

Resources to Give Back More

If you're looking to create a budget that reflects your values while still taking care of the essentials, here are some resources to check out.

• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• Partners in Wealth
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• Total Money Makeover
• Giving USA 2018: Americans Gave $410.02 Billion to Charity in 2017
• Charitable Giving in America: Some Facts and Figures

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Part of protecting your finances means managing your accounts, both online and offline. Today we’ll share how you can arm yourself against fraud and scams!

Keeping an Eye Out for Scams and Fraud

With so many people shopping in stores and online, scammers are all too happy to grab your data and financial information.

While there’s nothing you can do to completely eliminate these scams, there ways you can protect yourselves. 

Joe Mecca from Coastal Federal Credit Union is back to wrap up this two-parter.

In this episode we get into:

• Big offline scams and online phishing to watch out for
• Protecting yourself with strong passwords
• Apps and resources to protect you and your finances

We have a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

Resources to Protect Your Identity and Finances

If you’ve had your wallet or purse stolen or lost, here are some resources we mentioned in the episode as well as some other handy articles to check out:

• IdentityTheft.gov
• Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
• FBI Futurist Shares His Top 5 Tips For Protecting Your Identity Online
• How to Fight Back Against Identity Theft
• The Equifax Data Breach: What to Do if You’re Affected
• Coastal Federal Credit Union
• Credit Union Locator
• Annual Credit Report: Free way to review each of your credit reports

For freezing your accounts or putting an alert you need to contact the credit bureaus.

• Equifax: 1-888-766-0008
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-72892

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Protect yourself from identity theft and minimize damage with this handy guide on what to do when your wallet or purse is stolen! 

My Wallet was Stolen, Now What?

If you’re subscribed to the community newsletter you may remember that in July I mentioned that my purse got stolen in Denver.

We were over in Colorado to celebrate my cousin getting married. Beautiful weekend and celebration, but yeah that was a sour note for sure.

We spent a good chunk of time on the phone and online to get things squared away.

As we were working to avoid getting hit with any unauthorized charges and sort out things with TSA since our flight back was only a few days away, I wished I had a handy and quick guide on what I needed to do.

I hope you never have your wallet or purse stolen, but if you do I want to make things easier.

That’s why I have Joe Mecca from Coastal Credit Union on. Here’s joining me today to discuss on what you need to know to protect yourself against identity theft and what steps you need to take to recover or replace what was stolen.

I want to help to minimize the damage and stress so you can get back to your routine and focus on the important things.

Resources to Protect Your Identity and Finances

If you've had your wallet or purse stolen or lost, here are some resources we mentioned in the episode as well as some other handy articles to check out:

• IdentityTheft.gov
• Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
• FBI Futurist Shares His Top 5 Tips For Protecting Your Identity Online
• How to Fight Back Against Identity Theft
• The Equifax Data Breach: What to Do if You’re Affected
• Coastal Federal Credit Union
• Credit Union Locator
• Annual Credit Report: Free way to review each of your credit reports

For freezing your accounts or putting an alert you need to contact the credit bureaus.

• Equifax: 1-888-766-0008
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion: 1-800-680-72892.

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

How much do we need to save for a baby? How do we handle medical expenses and finances with a disability? We answer your biggest marriage and money questions! 

Marriage and Money Q&As

Welcome to another edition of our community mailbag show!

This is where we take a break from our regular episodes which usually deal with one topic and instead tackle several of your marriage and money questions in smaller bites.

Today we have Phillip and Julia Olson as well as Brynee Conroy here on the podcast to help answer them

In this episode we get into:

• How to handle the costs of having a baby
• Dealing with disabilities and finances
• What to do when the traditional advice does not apply

Let’s dive in!

Resources Mentioned

Want to dig in some more? Here are some of the resources we mentioned in our episode plus more!

• The Art of Finance 
• Two Cents
• The Feminist Financial Handbook
• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Tired of getting hit with fees from your bank? Today we’re going to see how you can find the best place to stash your cash to save and earn more money!

Best Banks for Your Money

All this month we’ve been talking about big decisions you need to make about health insurance and investing that will have an impact not only on your finances next year, but beyond.

These are things you should care about for sure, but I want to cover pretty much a crucial decision you don’t want to ignore - your bank accounts.

Where and how you bank can either help you reach your financial goals faster if you got a great banking partner or it can hinder you and drain your wallet if you have a dud.

In this episode we’ll get into:

• why / where/ and how you bank matters
• 3 alternatives to the big banks that can save and make you more money
• How to easily set up and automate your money

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Get the Most Out of Your Bank Accounts

Are you two ready to master your joint accounts? Do you want to create a system that fits your priorities and styles?

Here are some resources to check out:

• Coastal Federal Credit Union <- We bank with them
• Want a Happier Marriage? Combine Bank Accounts
• Finding the Best Banking and Investing Accounts
• Optimize Your Bank or Credit Union Accounts
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• Track These 2 Key Numbers to Master Your Money
• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Smart Retirement Moves for Your 401(k)

Last week we look at retirement planning from a high level - figuring out a ballpark of what you’d like your retirement to look like as well as how it fits in with what you’re doing now.

This week we’re focused on a very specific part - figuring out what to invest in when there are plenty of options.

Since I’m not a financial planner and I have no idea of your very specific finances, this episode will cover the process.

In this episode we’ll get into:

• Prioritizing your investments
• Look at whether index funds are really a smart move
• Optimizing your 401(k) 

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Rock Your Retirement

Ready to invest for retirement? Here are some fantastic resources to set things up and help you plan for your retirement together.

• Rock Retirement
• Investing Made Simple
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• The Secret Sauce to Financial Independence & Early Retirement
• Retirement Answer Man Podcast 
• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• Financial Independence and Parenthood
• Setting Up Your Retirement with the Right Tools
• How to Get on the Same Page with Financial Independence

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Feel like you have a full plate and not enough time (or money!) to plan for retirement? Learn step by step how you two can rock retirement and still have fun now! 

Real Retirement Planning for Real Life

Gotta love analytics. You all that data floating about.

Once a week I look over things including what people searching when they discover Couple Money. And you know what I found?
Believe or not, I noticed pretty much every day people discover my site with some variation of this one question.

How much do we need to retire?

It’s a big question for sure, but I don’t think it’s the right question.
At least not to start with.

As you probably discovered with that first question I asked, retirement can be completely different things to everyone.

And sometimes you two can have differing opinions.

So how do you figure what you need to do? You have to look at it at two different angles. Of course, there’s the technical part with the specific investments in your portfolio.

But you before you do that you need a game plan. One that is robust and at the same time, can adjust as your life changes.

Which is why I brought the Retirement Answer Man himself - Roger Whitney!

Not only is he is a Certified Financial Planner who’s worked for over 25 years and he’s the author of Rock Retirement.

His mission is to shift people’s mindset from investing in a portfolio to investing in what they love.

Because this is a huge deal, we’re having a two-parter.

In this episode we’re discussing:

• The problem with traditional retirement planning and calculators
• Striking that balance between taking care of things down the line while still loving your life now
• How to rethink and plan your retirement as a couple

Let’s jump right in!

Resources to Rock Your Retirement

Ready to prepare for retirement while ill having some fun now? Here are some fantastic resources to set things up and help you plan for your retirement together.

• Rock Retirement - Roger has written an incredible book that breaks down how you can plan and save not just for retirement, but a life you love now!
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• The Secret Sauce to Financial Independence & Early Retirement
• Retirement Answer Man Podcast 
• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• Financial Independence and Parenthood
• Setting Up Your Retirement with the Right Tools
• How to Get on the Same Page with Financial Independence

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure for more info.

Trying to sort through all the health insurance plans HR has given you? Find out how you can choose an affordable health insurance plan that covers your family's needs! 

Affordable Health Insurance for You

Health insurance is a huge expense.

Last year when we reviewed the health plan options, we found out that premiums were going up. again.

No surprise there, but the amount did catch us off guard.

If we were to stay with the 'basic' family plan we had, our monthly premiums would be almost the same as our mortgage payment!

That seemed ridiculous.

If you're in the same boat - looking for an affordable health insurance plan that will cover your family's needs, save this episode.

Michael Dinich is back to help decipher and decode health plans so you two will be armed to make the best choice for you and your situation.

In this episode we discuss:

• exactly how copays, coinsurance, deductibles, and more work so you know what coming out of your pocket and what's covered
• compare how typical base plans work versus high deductible health plans
• the ins and outs of health savings accounts

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Save Money on Healthcare

Are you looking for more help with keeping health care within your budget? Here are some resources:

• Work with Michael: He's a certified financial planner who specializes in assisting families to navigate their health care options.
• How to Save Money on Your Health Insurance and Expenses
• Why We’re Switching to a High Deductible Health Plan
• Hack the Affordable Care Act Guide
• How to Spend Less on Insurance
• Save Money on Health Insurance
• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure for more info.

We open up the community mailbag again and answer your biggest marriage and money questions. Today we're discussing how to build your credit and raise your score, winning your spouse over with finances, and how to do a money date! 

Raise Your Credit Score, Money Dates, and More

Today’s episode is kind of brought by..... you.

Yep, it's community mailbag again and this time we have quite a varied plate on our hands!

I appreciate you sending your questions in.

In this episode we get into:

• The biggest myths and bad advice about credit score
• How to work together on tackling money
• How money dates work for us

If you’d like your question to be a part of the next mailbag, send it here moneyqa@couplemoney.com

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Build Your Credit and More

Here are some resources we shared on today's show to build your credit, become a team with finances, going on a money date, plus more. 

• Self Lender
• Your Money, Your Marriage by Cherie and Brian Lowe
• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Automatic Saving: Qapital
• Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• How to Talk About Money Without Starting a Fight

We’re going to discuss the ins and outs of merging finances and personalities in our private Facebook group over at Thriving Families. It’s free and fun – please join us!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Are you two frustrated because you're financial opposites? Learn strategies and conversation starters so you can get on the same page and win with money! 

When Financial Opposites Attract

Money fights are an incredible source of stress with marriage when left unchecked.

it doesn't have to be that way.

There are couples who have achieved huge goals - like paying off massive amounts of debts, buying their dream home, or travel together by harness the advantages of their differences.

The key is learning how to work together even when they are financial opposites.

I usually don’t do two guests, but I wanted to show how 1 - there are certain principles that can help every couple and 2 - there are times when you have to carve your own path.

Her Money Matters author Jen Hemphill and Zeta CEO and founder Aditi Shekar join the show today.

In this episode we get into:

• Creating your goals and money take
• Finding a budget you’re both on board with
• How to deal with tricky situations - like lending money to family - without straining your marriage or money

Think you’ll hear a lot of familiar stuff and get some new ideas with this episode. Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Combine Your Finances

Here are some resources to dive deep into how you two can work together as a team with your finances. 

• How to Talk About Money Without Starting a Fight
• Managing Financial Conflicts as a Couple
• How to Use Money Fights to Strengthen Your Marriage with Jayson Gaddis
• Build Your Marriage & Wealth with Money Dates
• Three Toxic Habits to Stop When Talking About Money
• Jen Hemphill's Money Coaching

We’re going to discuss the ins and outs of merging finances and personalities in our private Facebook group over at Thriving Families. It’s free and fun - please join us!

Zeta: Helping Couples Master Their Money Together

So happy Aditi could join us on this episode. If you two are looking for a customizable solution with your finances, please check out Zeta.

Zeta helps you stay on top of your finances together by helping you understand where your money is going. Track all of your accounts in one easy to use spot.

Stay on the same page about money! Drop memos on specific transactions, add monthly notes to remember what happened, or split spending as needed. Go to Zeta to get more info!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

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Want your kids to leave the house money savvy? Learn easy techniques and ways on how to teach your children how to save and invest like a pro!

Teaching Kids to Save and Invest

Do you remember how you handled money growing up?

I can’t recall when I got my allowance, but I remember being in second or third grade going around the neighborhood collecting bottles and cans to recycle and earn some extra money.

And as grateful as I am for learning what I did, from how I mismanaged money later on and got into debt in college, I can see there were some gaps in my financial knowledge.

My husband and I both want our girls to know the value of a hard-earned dollar and how to use it wisely.

That won’t happen by accident. It’s going to take a plan.

If you two want to help your little ones, make sure you save this episode.

Bill Dwight, creator of the amazing family banking app famZoo is here today on the show.

Besides being a tech whiz, he’s a father of five who’s had plenty of experience with the ups and downs of raising kids to become adults.

In this episode we get into:

• When to start introducing finances
• Getting your kids comfortable with saving and investing
• Why your kids need to get a loan from you

I think we’ll have plenty of comments on this one. :)  Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Teach Your Kids about Money

If you're looking for ideas and resources to prepare your kids to be money-savvy, here are some to check out!

• FamZoo
• Thriving Families
• How to Teach Your Kids About Money (w/o Being Boring!)
• Cash Crunch Junior
• Goalsetter
• Collegebacker

We’re going to discuss this in our private Facebook group over at Thriving Families. It’s free and fun.

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast!

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

Dream of quitting your job, but worried about your finances? Learn how one couple saved 70% of their income, quit their jobs, and pursued their dreams of financial freedom!

Quitting $250K Jobs to Travel the Country Together

September is here which means this week we're nailing down what we like to do before 2018 closes out.

How about you? What goal or two do you want to knock out these next few months? There’s still time to do something big.

Today Alison and Matt from Owen Your Future are here to break down how they’re pursuing financial freedom on the road after they quit their jobs.

Whether you want to pivot your career, travel more, or just want to have some more options in your life, there are some wonderful strategies and tactics you can use.

• Why they wanted to pursue financial independence (and what that means to them)
• The process and steps they took to save 70% of their income
• why they shifted and quit their jobs early, even though they did not reach their FI number

 Let’s see if we can get you a few steps closer to your big goal. Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Get on the Path to Financial Freedom

If you two are ready to make some real progress on your big goals, here are helpful resources to check out.

• Couple Money Toolkit
• Owen Your Future - Site | YouTube | Instagram
• Why We Quit Our $250k Per Year Jobs
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• The Secret Sauce to Financial Independence & Early Retirement
• Setting Up Your Retirement with the Right Tools
• How to Get on the Same Page with Financial Independence
• Retired at 30 on $56,000/year

Connect with the Owens 

Matt and Alli Owen saved 70% of their incomes for 4 years and are now enjoying a "mini-retirement" traveling the Americas in their self-converted bright red Sprinter van, Clifford.

While they haven't yet reached their "FI" number, they chose to leave their jobs early with the confidence that they will make up the rest with the skills they acquired through pursuing FI.

It is their hope to help more people to get out of debt and maximize their savings so that they can pursue their own version of financial freedom. Download this checklist to follow the exact process they used to ramp up their savings in 10 minutes a week or less!

Support the Podcast

Thank you so much for listening! 

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share. 
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher. 
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

I appreciate your help. Let's make talking about marriage and money fun! 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere 

Today I'm opening up the community mailbag and answering your biggest marriage and money questions!

How do you maximize your paychecks while still making sure you don't owe the IRS come tax time?

How do you tackle multiple goals and make real progress on them? 

Marriage and Money Mailbag

We're here - the summer of savings finale!

It's been an incredible and fun six weeks. I hope you got inspired with ways you can save money while still having a good time now.

And I thought the best way to wrap things up is to chat with you and answering marriage and money questions.
In this episode we go over:

• maximize your paychecks
• knocking out several goals
• best money tools for busy couples

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Help You Tackle Marriage and Money

Want to jump in and get your finances squared away? Here are some cool tools and resources to make mastering your money easier!

• Get More Money in Your Paycheck: How to Calculate Your W-4 Withholding
• TurboTax W-4 Withholding Calculator
• 5 Tips for Adjusting Withholding Allowances
• 5 Days to $5K 
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• How to Focus and Prioritize Your Goals
• Where Should Our Money Go? Prioritizing Your Goals
• Trim: With Trim, you can cancel subscriptions and negotiate your bills.
• Billshark: They contact your service providers and negotiate the best price on your behalf.
• Paribus: Bought something and a week later the price drops? Paribus can get you back the difference.

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere.

School's out - what are you up to? Today we're talking about frugal and fun summer activities for your kids and for you!

Fun and Frugal Summer Activities for Kids

Summer break is here and so far, it's been a blast.

As school was finishing up with my little one we headed over to Denver.

My cousin's wedding was beautiful. We took the girls to the park to play and relax.
Got to go downtown, explore.
Eat.
We tried some local brews.
Thanks to my mom, we had some extra date nights.

the next week was a bit more low key at home, but still fun.
with a couple of weeks left before our oldest goes back to school, we're mixing things up so it'll be a memorable summer and won't break our budget.

if you're in the same boat, I have some good news.

Today we have two guests to give some ideas. Aja from Principles of Increase and Paul Vassey of Cash Crunch Games are here to help make things easier.

In this episode, we get into:

• how to find enriching and frugal activities around town
• giving your kids skills and knowledge to handle money like a pro
• getting out for date night for just the two of you

Hope you enjoy!

Helpful Resources on Kids and Money

If you’re trying to figure out a system that can work for your family, here are a few resources to check out:

• Cash Crunch Games Jr: Our girls love it!
• FamZoo: Fantastic solution for families. We not only use it to handle allowances but track our oldest's progress for her big savings goals. You can customize it to your family's situation.
• Chicago EcoHouse
• The Opposite of Spoiled
• 6 Tips for Building the Charitable Giving Muscle with Your Kids
• 5 Reasons I Don’t Buy Toys for My Kids
• Tips For Giving Kids an Allowance
• Boost Your Kid’s Money IQ with a Simple Spreadsheet
• 29 Tips for Teaching Your Kids to Stack Benjamins

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

While it may seem doctors have it easy with their healthy incomes, the reality is much more down to earth as many are also dealing with massive amounts of debt. Learn how to balance dumping debt, saving, and having some fun now! 

Financial Residency with Allison and Curtis 

A few years ago when we were like trying to dig out of debt I thought they would be so much easier if we had a healthy income. And yes having a certain amount does make a big difference but that's only part of the equation.

That's why I bought Ryan here to co-host. He's not only familiar with the technical stuff as a financial planner over at Physician Wealth Services, he has practical knowledge and real-life experience as a husband to a physician. 

Today he's talking to Dr. Allison Webster, an ER physician, and her husband Curtis, creator of Dads Married to Doctors. They're going to discuss:

• the financial challenges (and massive amounts of debt) that come with becoming a physician
• working through their difference when it comes to handling money
• whether or not you can retire when you're dealing with a massive amount of debt

Hope you enjoy! 

Resources to Dump Debt and Save Together

Want to make talking about money less stressful? Are you ready to tackle that massive amount of debt? Here are some resources to make it easier to stay on top of your money! 

• How to Define Your Financial Priorities Together: Ryan shares how he helps his clients get onthe same page with their finances
• Financial Residency: Ryan's excellent podcast 
• Money Tracking and Budgets: Personal Capital, Mint, and Tiller are fantastic options
• Qapital: Free tool that makes saving automatic and fun
• How to Pay Off Your Student Loans Faster: Kevin shares how he paid Off $87,000 in 2 1/2 years

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

The Debt Free Story Behind Popcorn Finance

One of the first things I ask when you join the community is to share what goal you're tackling. By far, the two biggest goals are dumping debt and having some savings for emergencies.

And that makes sense, seeing as the average household that has credit card debt, has a balance of just under $16,000. The average American under 35 has about $1500 in savings.

That can be a real burden on a marriage. But you two can get out of your financial rut and start making real progress.

My buddy Chris, creator and host of Popcorn Finance is on the show to share his story.

We get into:

• how Chris and his wife 'K' got into debt
• the system they use to budget and knock out their debts
• what's his favorite money app

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Get on the Same Page with Your Finances

Want to make talking about money less stressful? Here are some fantastic resources to motivate and nudge you to debt freedom faster!

• What’s Your One Page Financial Plan?
• Our $27,000 Debt Story
• How to Successfully Budget as a Couple
• 2018 Listener Goals on Popcorn Finance

Handy Tools to Save More Money

Here are a few of my favorite tools that make saving money much easier!

• Money Tracking and Budgets: Personal Capital, Mint, and Tiller are fantastic options
• Qapital: Free tool that makes saving automatic and fun
• iBotta: Redeem cash while shopping
• Camel, Camel, Camel: Free Amazon price tracker
• Honey: Free browser extension that searches for coupon codes for you during check out
• Paribus: Checks for price drops and works to get you a refund

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Does your food bill blow your budget? Today you'll learn how to master meal planning to save you a ton of time and money! 

How to Save with Meal Planning

One of the biggest bills couples have - especially busy ones - is their food.

Between eating out and buying food for the family, there doesn't seem to be enough money to cover everything. 

We discussed saving money when eating out a few episodes ago. Now we're looking at the other side -mastering your groceries and meals at home.

I asked my buddy Jen Smith to come on board. She's the creator of Saving with Spunk and the author of the new book Meal Planning on a Budget.

In this episode we discuss:

• how meal planning doesn't mean leftover every night
• the magic of slow cookers
• how seasonal and sales eating is lower your bills and be better health wise

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Save Money While Eating Well

Want to cut your spending on food without sacrificing quality? Here are some resources to check out.

• Grocery Price Books: Slash Your Food Bill and Save Time!
• Easy and Smart Ways to Eat Well and Cut Your Food Bill
• Kill your $1,000 Grocery Bill
• Frugal Friends Podcast 

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Do you two have several dreams you want to achieve, but not making any real progress? Today I'll share how you can save for your big goals together! 

How to Save for Your Biggest Goals

Today we're going to tackle the three biggest hurdles to saving and achieving your goals:

• Getting your spouse on board with saving
• Getting on the same page with your goals
• Finding money to save

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Define Your Priorities and Big Goals

Whether it’s a joint or personal goal, there are handy resources available to help you two achieve your dreams.

• 20 Ways to Have Fun This Summer and Still Save a Ton of Money
• How Our Financial Goals Followed Our Family
• What’s Your One Page Financial Plan?

Handy Tools to Save More Money

Here are a few of my favorite tools that make saving money much easier!

• Money Tracking and Budgets: Personal Capital, Mint, and Tiller are fantastic options
• Qapital: Free tool that makes saving automatic and fun
• iBotta: Redeem cash while shopping
• Camel, Camel, Camel: Free Amazon price tracker
• Honey: Free browser extension that searches for coupon codes for you during check out
• Paribus: Checks for price drops and works to get you a refund

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Looking to kick things up a notch? Learn how you can have fun this summer and still save some serious money! 

Summer Saving Fun

I'm so ready for summer!

The tricky part of summer, especially if you have little ones, is making sure you don't go broke while still having fun.

So to wrap up this season, I challenged myself. Today I'm going to share how you can save a grand this summer!

• Getting the Best Deals
• Boost Your Savings 
• Frugal Foodie
• Vacations/Getaways

Hope you enjoy! 

Getting the Best Deals 

If you're out shopping make sure you're getting the best deals! Some of my favorite apps and sites are:

• iBotta
• Camel, Camel, Camel
• Honey
• Paribus

Your family's smartphone plan shouldn't cost you a fortune. There are some fantastic deals out there. I use Republic Wireless and love them. They have an incredible line of phones. I have two lines with them and pay less than $50/month! 

You may also want to look at providers like Ting, Freedom Pop, and StraightTalk. 

When shopping online, hold off on those impulse buys you may be able to score a better deal by leaving before the purchase. I had a site send me an email afterward with a cheaper price. You may also want to switch to incognito mode. 

Boost Your Savings

If you're looking to ramp up savings here are some great apps and services to try out. 

• Tiller
• Personal Capital
• Mint

They can help you track your money quickly and easily. 

You also want to make sure you're keeping a visual reminder of what you're saving towards. It can keep you motivated when you're in the middle of things. 

And of course, automate your savings. It's not doing you any good until it's stashed away. 

Frugal Foodie

I've been writing for Couple Money for almost nine years and I will tell you that one of the biggest budget busters that couples have is eating out. Break this cycle by:

• Plan Your Meals for This Week
• Prep a Meal Ahead
• Have Go-to Meals
• Think Global with Your Dishes
• Have a Potluck

Vacations/Getaways

Summer is a fantastic time to get out of town and explore someplace new. Using sites and apps like Skyscanner and CheapOair can make your money go further next trip! 

• Be Flexible
• Learn How To Bid
• Stay Like a Local
• Budget for your Trip

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Want to help your kid graduate college debt free? Learn the strategy and tactics one mom used to snag her son $700,000 in scholarships! 

The Scholarship Shark

College is expensive.

I don't think that's news to you, but did you know that graduates in the class of 2017 are on average carrying student loan debt of just over $39,400?
And that the student loan delinquency rate of 11.2%?

If you're a parent, you're probably worried about how that can affect your child's financial future.

You need to hunt down as many scholarships as you can.

That's why I'm grateful Pam Andrews is here on the show. She's not only the College Admissions Coach and Scholarship Strategist behind The Scholarship Shark, she's a mom.

A mom who managed to help her son snag $700,000 in scholarships.

Yep.

So if you are interested in helping you kid minimize or skip those student loans, you'll want to really pay attention to this episode.

Today Pam and I discuss:

• how they worked together to find which schools to apply to
• the strategy of getting scholarships
• out of the box ways to make college affordable

Hope you enjoy!

Tips on Paying for College

If you two are looking to help your kid skip out on student loans, here are some resources to help you save up.

• Tips on Paying for College Without Going Into Debt
• A Simple Guide to College Financial Aid
• Paying for Your Kid’s College (without Going Broke)
• 9 ways to pay for college without student loans
• Is College Worth It?

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Do you two have a couple of dreams you'd love to get started on but right now the money isn't working? Today we're going to discuss how to pursue your dreams without going broke!

Working Together to Pursue Your Dreams

Real life isn't that smooth.
There are a dozen and more ways things can go sideways with the business. If you're married, you have to work as a team.

Today Alex Grodnik from Wall Street Oasis' podcast Moving Up and founder of Payclub is here to share his story and offer from tips from the trenches. His career has a had a few shifts. He and his wife are working together to a find a flow that allows them to pursue their dreams, pay their bills, and prepare for the arrival of their daughter this summer.

In this episode we discuss:

• why he choose to get an MBA and the unexpected pivot he made
• how they went to from living off two incomes to one
• the real truth and finances of being a startup entrepreneur

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Help You Launch a Side Hustle

If you’re ready to make the leap, here are some more resources to help you build another income stream.

• 79 Side Hustle Business Ideas You Can Start Today
• Developing a Money Making Hobby
• The 5 Step System to Quit Your Job In the Next 12 Months
• Launching a Business as a Creative Entrepreneur
• Building a Location Independent Business of Freedom and Travel — Even With a Family

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Want to become debt free, but you haven't figured out how to do it together? Here's what you need to know to knock out your debt faster! 

Debt Free Together

I've yet to meet a couple who became debt free by accident.
I mean it's kind of easy to slip into credit card debt or take on loans because that's considered normal.

But to move away from that mentality takes effort.
And being a couple, you have two minds to shift.

There are things to consider together.
Like your approach.
Do you gravitate towards earning more money to knock out that debt or do you find it easier to slash your expenses?
How fast do you do it?
How do you two work as a team and use your personal talents to knock this debt off?

Every couple has their approach, so what worked for us might not work for you.
Which is why I love chatting with others and hearing how they did it.

John Wedding, the creator of Mighty Bargain Hunter, is on the show today to offer his take. He and his wife are debt free except the house.

In this episode, we get into:

• how things shift from being solo to a couple
• why debt free was an important goal to them
• how they work as a family to be smart with their money

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Dump Your Debt Faster

Tired of being in debt? Here are some resources to help you dump it.

• Debt Free Charts
• Attacking Debt: Which One First?
• The Great Debt Dump: Running Toward Financial Freedom with the Power of Community
• Which Debt Payoff Method Is Right for You?
• 5 Books to Motivate and Guide You to Become Debt Free Faster

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Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Want to stop living paycheck to paycheck, but not sure where to start? Learn how to create a budget together so you can have fun now and some savings later! 

Create a Budget You Both Love

How do you feel about your budget?

Be honest.

Chances are you're not exactly thrilled about it.

A survey conducted by Experian found that nearly half – 42% to be exact – don’t use one because they feel like they're ineffective and unnecessary.

In this episode we'll discuss:

• how a budget can fit into your life and grow with you through your marriage
• how to fit your personal hobbies into your budget
• why there is no one size fits all budget

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Budget Together

Do you two want to get on the same page with budgets? Here are some helpful resources mentioned in the episode and more.

• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• The Total Money Makeover
• Real Life on a Budget: 17 Practical Challenges to Live and Thrive on a Budget
• How to Successfully Budget as a Couple
• Track These 2 Key Numbers to Master Your Money
• Six Tips for Newlyweds to Manage Finances

Budget Templates to Try Out

• The Net Worth Tracker Spreadsheet
• The Weekly Expense Tracker

Thank You to Our Partners

Support for this podcast comes from partners like Personal Capital. Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Did I mention it’s free? Why don’t you give Personal Capital a try today?

Today on the podcast we're going to be talking about the connection between your hobbies and having a rich life!

Do Your Hobbies Move You Closer to Financial Independence?

So today's topic - this connection between the hobbies you have and whether or not you're having a rich life -  is fascinating to me. It's kind of a continuation of this past Tuesday's episode where we were talking about breaking the switch with mindless spending. 

there focus there was making sure we were breaking that habit of unconsciously spending more and turning that into something more productive. 

One way is through hobbies we take on. However, are there certain hobbies that can make a real difference with getting to financial independence faster and having a rich and fulfilling life? 

In this episode, we'll get into:

• different hobbies between high earning and low earning households
• how your hobbies can help you on the path to financial independence
• aligning your hobbies to a richer life

Hope you enjoy! 

Financial Independence and Hobbies

If you want to explore and pick up some new hobbies, here are some resources to check out:

• The Value of Hobbies
• American Time Use Survey
• FI subreddit discussion: What are your hobbies/what do you do for fun? 

Thank You to Our Partners

Support for this podcast comes from partners like Personal Capital. Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Did I mention it’s free? Why don’t you give Personal Capital a try today?

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. I also want to thank Lee Rosevere for music in this episode.

Do you feel like you've hit a wall with your money? Learn how to find your financial blindspots and break the mindless spending twitch!

How to Break the Mindless Spending Cycle

We all do it.

It might be small amounts every day perhaps driving by to grab coffee and breakfast on the way to work or going out for lunch with colleagues. It could be those Amazon deliveries that show up at our doors, tucked away from necessities that we ordered.

Some people call it the spending leaking, impulse buying, mindless spending. The label doesn't really matter - what does is understanding that we all have blind-spots. Little places in our finances where we know we're spending something, but we're not aware of just how much it is.

Inspired by the incredible site and story of Break the Twitch, I want to share some personal about how easy it was for us to slip into mindless spending and how we found a way to make sure they don't sabotage our finances.

In this episode we get into:

• finding your financial blind spots
• breaking the mindless spending twitch
• developing habits that can enrich us and allow us to spend better

Hope you enjoy!

Resources for More Intentional Living

Are you ready to have your spending more aligned with what really matters to you? Here are some great resources to shift your mindset and create better habits!

• Break the Twitch: An Intentional Living Philosophy
• Is Impulse Spending Ruining Your Financial Goals?
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• The Ground Up Show by Matt D'Avella
• The More of Less
• 10 Simple Ways to Beat Impulse Buying
• The Year of Less
• No couch, one car: How these Minnesotans are living with less

Thank You to Our Partners

Support for this podcast comes from partners like Personal Capital. Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Did I mention it’s free? Why don’t you give Personal Capital a try today?

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. I also want to thank Lee Rosevere for music in this episode.

Want to be completely debt free, including your house? Find out the key changes one couple made to pay off their mortgage in less than 5 years! 

Pay Your Mortgage Off Faster

What would you do if you owed your home free and clear like Andy does now?

With no mortgage payment what options would open up?

There's a good chance you'd love to get rid of your mortgage, but the idea of getting rid of such a huge amount makes it seem impossible.
Forget paying it off in 5 years, you may struggle to even see a way to reduce it in half.

Right now median purchase price of a home here in the United States is $235,000, with 10% down. Now if you live in D.C. you're looking at $400,000 with my buddies in Cali close behind at around $350,000.

Not cheap. Probably the biggest purchase you'll make.

Which is why I asked my buddy and Marriage, Kids, and Money creator, Andy Hill, to come on. He's an awesome guy, really excited to get couples closer to their debt free goals. We both know that not everyone can replicate what Andy and his wife Nicole did - we all have different circumstances - but there's a lot to their process that could make all the difference with you and your home.

In this episode, we discuss:

• why they were adamant about knocking out their mortgage so fast
• steps that were crucial to paying off their mortgage
• tools to help you be debt free faster

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Dump Your Mortgage Faster

If you’re looking to dig in deeper for ways to pay your mortgage off faster, here are some resources to check out:

• Mortgage Payoff Calculator
• Paying Your Mortgage Off Early
• Paying Off The Mortgage Wasn’t Our First Priority (but we did it anyway)
• 5 Reasons to Choose a 15-Year Mortgage

And if you two are looking of more ideas on how to find, save, and make extra cash to pay down or debt or use for whatever gal you have, please sign up for my free 5 Days to $5K course. It's a week-long special email series that will help you get some extra money in.

Thank You to Our Partners

Support for this podcast comes from partners like Personal Capital. Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Did I mention it’s free? Why don’t you give Personal Capital a try today?

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. I also want to thank Lee Rosevere for music in this episode.

With money fights being the main cause of divorce, many couples could use some financial therapy. Learn habits and techniques you can use to make money talks less stressful and more productive!

Is Financial Therapy Right for You? 

Money problems are usually symptoms of a much deeper issue. It can be within our relationship - how we communicate or it can an issue we ourselves have like anxiety or depression.

From our personal experience and hearing from other couples, it can be more common than you think.
And that matters because if you don't get to the root, it can keep popping up.
And in some cases cause damage.

Financial education is crucial, but sometimes you need to a specialist. I'm not a therapist, but I do know one and she's here to help.

Kine Corder is here on the podcast to cover some problems and bumps couples experience when dealing with money.

In this episode, we get into:

• common issues couples have when they come to her for financial therapy
• ways to communicate better so things are less stressful with your relationship and money
• habits to help you two move forward

Hope you enjoy! 

Resources to Get on the Same Page with Money

Learning how to work as a team isn't automatic. Here are resources to give you the tools to stop fighting about money and win. 

• Top Sites and Podcasts for Marriage and Money
• Prosperity Report: Love and Money Podcast 
• How to Shift Your Money Mindset and Finally Knock Out Your Goals Together
• Build Your Marriage & Wealth with Money Dates
• 3 Habits to Grow Your Wealth and Strengthen Your Marriage
• How to Connect and Develop Financial Intimacy in Your Marriage

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Have you ever been frustrated with how long it was going to take to get out of debt? Learn how to handle setbacks, define your family's path, and knock out your goals together! 

Defining Your Family's Financial Success

Do you ever feel frustrated with how things are going? You read these awesome stories like This Couple Paid Off $72,000 in Debt in 22 Months or Couple shares how they wiped out $162K debt in less than 3 years.

You're thinking, 'wow we're working at a snail's pace'.
That can be discouraging.

I want to highlight a different story. 

Today Steve Goodwin from My Family on a Budget shares his family's more down to earth journey to becoming debt free.

In this episode we discuss:

• how financial Peace University transformed their finances
• Steve's big mistake with investing and how he fixed it
• making the transition to being a stay at home dad

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Help You Get Out of Debt

Tired of being in debt? Here are some resources to help you dump it.

• Money for Meaning
• Attacking Debt: Which One First?
• The Great Debt Dump: Running Toward Financial Freedom with the Power of Community
• Which Debt Payoff Method Is Right for You?
• 5 Books to Motivate and Guide You to Become Debt Free Faster
• Best Strategies to Get Out of Debt
• Should You Use Peer to Peer Lending To Get Out of Debt?
• Knock Out Your Credit Card Debt

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

How would your life change if you were debt free? No credit cards, car or student loan to worry about. Not even a mortgage.

Today one couple shares their journey and advice to a happy and debt free life!

Living Debt Free

Living debt free can seem like an impossible dream depending on where you're starting from. For some couples and families taking on debt seems to be just a normal thing you do.

But just because this is common and going on with your neighbors and friends even with yourself does it mean that that's the path you have to go on.

Mark and Milhila, the couple behind Money for Meaning, are here to share their journey and how they refocused their lives and are now live debt free. They wrote a guest post early this year about how they live on cash.

Yep, they have no mortgage. 

In this episode we get into:

• why they wanted to get into this debt free lifestyle
• how to build wealth as a side effect
• how they figure where to spend and where to save

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Help You Get Out of Debt

Tired of being in debt? Here are some resources to help you dump it.

• Money for Meaning
• Attacking Debt: Which One First?
• The Great Debt Dump: Running Toward Financial Freedom with the Power of Community
• Which Debt Payoff Method Is Right for You?
• 5 Books to Motivate and Guide You to Become Debt Free Faster
• Best Strategies to Get Out of Debt
• Should You Use Peer to Peer Lending To Get Out of Debt?
• Knock Out Your Credit Card Debt

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Frustrated with your credit card, car payments, and student loans? Learn how you two can come together to dump your debt faster and retire early! 

How You Can Retire Early

• Where are you guys right now? 
• Where do you want to be in five years? 

The good news is that the skills you use to get out of debt are transferable. Instead of sending in those extra payments to your credit cards and student loans, you can direct to savings and investments.

Deacon Hayes, personal finance author and Well Kept Wallet founder, is on today and we're getting into how he and his wife Kim made this transition.

In this episode, we talk about:

• how they managed to pay off $52,000 in debt in 18 months
• the system they used to keep one another in the loop with money
• planning and following through financial independence

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Dump Debt and Retire Early

If you’re looking to get ahead with your finances as a family, here are more resources to check out!

• Retire Early By Rethinking Your Priorities
• Financial Independence Through Big Wins
• Setting Up Your Retirement with the Right Tools
• The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Do you feel like you guys are kind of stuck with your finances? Have you hit a wall and don't know the next move? Today I'll share how you can find the best financial advisor for you! 

Finding the Right Financial Advisor

What do you think about when you hear financial advisor?

You may have been to one of those luncheons where you get some information about investing or maybe insurance but the financial advising piece really isn't there.

It's left a bad taste in your mouth and you're wondering if it's really a smart move to hand over money to someone to manage your money.

From personal experience, there are some great financial advisers out there, ones that are not only looking at what's in your portfolio but the real big picture. sometimes, though, it takes a little bit of effort upfront to find a just the right person for the job. 

Today Michael Kay is sharing his expertise along with some tips to make the process less stressful. He's a fee-only financial planner at Financial Life Focus. 

In this episode we get into: 

• questions to ask your financial advisor (including the red flag to run!)
• looking at your finances in a holistic way
• finding the best advisor to build wealth

Hope you enjoy! 

Resources to Find the Right Financial Planner

Want some help with your money? Here are some resources to find the best advisor for your money. 

• GuideVine
• 6 Dangerous Myths About Financial Planning, Debunked
• How to Review a Financial Advisor: The Definitive Checklist
• How to Find a Financial Planner You Can Trust

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Do you feel like all of your paycheck plus some is going towards your bills and making no headway on your goals? Today we'll cover 5 ways you can get caught up and begin getting out from under your debts!

Struggling to Make Ends Meet?

I've been getting your emails and I want to say thank you. Sharing your wins and questions has been wonderful and I'm grateful that I can help in some small way.

I try to find positive stories and offer practical ways to save more, get out of debt, and start investing for your future, but we're all at different points in our financial journey.

Some of us are working paying off that debt ASAP while others are saving for their home, baby, or business. You might be working hard towards that dream of traveling together or exploring the possibility of financial independence.

Or you might just be starting your journey. perhaps you've heard some of the stories here or on other personal finance sites and you want to join in.

However, currently, you're in a really tight spot with money.

there's no wiggle room in your budget so it's hard to get ahead with your payments. you could be trying to just make the minimums. It's like you're a doctor dealing with multiple injured patients, trying to triage things with little equipment.

It's stressful and you feel like you're just dealing with one crisis after another.

Today I want to give you some relief.

The first step is getting caught up on your bills and begin creating a positive gap between what you're making and your expenses.

America's Money Answers Man - Jordan Goodman is on the show to share some ways you can get the ball rolling to becoming debt free.

In this episode we get into:

• getting better rates credit cards and in some cases, settle them
• how to get out from medical debt
• what to do when you can't afford your car payments

Hope this helps!

Resources to Get Out from Under Debt

If you two are struggling to pay your bills, here are some handy resources to check out.

• AnnualCreditReport.com
• Disputing Errors on Credit Reports
• GuidetoCreditCard.com
• Cambridge Credit Counseling
• Medical Bills Are the Biggest Cause of US Bankruptcies: Study
• Healthcare Advocates.com
• What to Do When You Can't Make the Minimum Payments

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Are you a parent of a child with special needs? We share some of the essential conversations and resources that help you cope and succeed! 

Taking Financial Care of Your Child with Special Needs

Being a parent is an incredible gift and responsibility. Even though the most important things in life are free, I think we also know there are expenses with raising kids.

When you have a child with special needs, those expenses can skyrocket. It can be a challenge to keep things manageable, but it's not impossible.

Today we'll get into the essentials and conversation to have so you two can get started.

Since this is something I'm not qualified to speak on, I'm grateful that Michelle Gershfeld is here today.

Michelle is a certified financial counselor and attorney. Michelle also a mother who has had to work hard to make sure her daughter's special needs was taken care of.
So this isn't an academic exercise, it's something she understands well.

In this episode we discuss:

• putting together a team to help make sure your child's needs are provided for
• financial and legal considerations to keep in mind when planning
• dealing with the unique financial scenarios that come up

Hope this helps! 

Resources

If you two are looking to speak with Michelle, you can reach out through her law firm. 

• AFCPE: Special thanks to them for connecting me to Michelle. AFCPE® is the nationally recognized leader in financial counseling, coaching, and education. 
• Benefits For Children With Disabilities - Social Security
• List of Grants and Resources for Families with Special Needs
• Financial Assistance | |Autism Speaks

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Have you ever felt stressed and limited with options because of an emergency that came up? 

Today we're going to share how you can prepare and protect yourselves from financial disasters!

Keys to Avoid Financial Disasters

While we can't predict every curve ball thrown at us, we can improve our chances of minimizing the damage done with a little bit of work upfront.

Shannon Harvey is here to offer up some ways you can be better prepared.

He has over 15 -years of experience as a Trusted Risk Advisor, and owns an insurance agency in Greenville, South Carolina.

In this episode we get into:

• what financial disasters you need to be on the lookout for
• why cheaper is not always better with insurance
• how to prepare your family should the worst happen

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Avoid Financial Disasters

If you two want to be better prepared dealing with financial disasters and bumps in life, here are some resources to get you started.

• How To Avoid Financial Disaster: Protect Yourself From The 7 Biggest Risks You Face Daily
• Covering Your Family’s Needs with Life Insurance
• Life Insurance for Stay at Home Parents
• How to Spend Less on Insurance (While Still Getting the Coverage You Need)!
• Insurance Coverage Families Need with Matt Becker

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Do you feel like your health care costs have exploded? Get the tips you need and learn how you can save money on your health insurance!

Working to Lower Healthcare Costs

I remember not too long ago, it used to be that the three biggest expenses we had were rent, food, and the car.

We then paid off the car loan early and now avoid loans on them. We worked hard and were grateful to get a good deal on our mortgage on this current house.

Food, well it's food. We're smarter about what we spend.

But there is one expense that has shot up since we got married and Im almost sure you have seen it explode as well - health insurance.

We actually had to switch out

Though we have had some wins dealing with insurance, Michael Dinich is here to offer his expertise. He's a financial Advisor who helps hardworking people get the retirement they deserve.

Part of that includes making sure they're getting good deals with health insurance.

In today's episode we get into:

• the trend of shifting costs from the insurance companies to us
• how to decide if those high deductible plans are really a good deal
• getting the coverage you need at a more affordable price

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Save Money on Health Insurances Expenses.

If you two want to dig deeper into finding ways to save on your healthcare costs, here are some resources to check out.

• Your Money Geek - Connect with Michael to see if he can help you out with your specific needs
• Why We’re Switching to a High Deductible Health Plan
• How to Spend Less on Insurance
• Save Money on Health Insurance
• New pharmacy discounts may lower your prescription drug bill

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Essentials on Wills and Choosing Guardians

In this episode we discuss:

• the essentials of a will
• choosing guardians to take care of your loved ones
• whether or not those do it yourselves will online kits are worth it

Hope you enjoy!

Resources on Estate Planning

If you want more information about setting things up for your loved one, here are some posts to check out:

• Estate Planning for Young Families
• Wills, Guardianship, and Estate Planning
• Five Essential Items for Your Estate Plan
• Choosing Legal Guardians for Our Baby
• Estate Planning Lessons We Can Learn From Cinderella

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Overwhelmed by paying down debt, saving for emergencies, and investing for retirement? Learn how to prioritize where your money should go to maximize returns!

How's this year going for you?

For us, it's pretty good. We made some big goals at the beginning of the year including saving up to finish our basement, planning a family trip outside the country, and paying down our mortgage faster.

If you're trying to tackle several goals at once, you probably understand how slow progress feels sometimes. 

Today financial advisor and Family Inc author Doug McCormick and I chat about how to prioritize your goals. 

Hope you enjoy! 

Resources to Define Your Priorities and Big Goals

Whether it’s a joint or personal goal, there are handy resources available to help you two achieve your dreams.

• What is It Like to Be Married to a Financial Planner? 
• How Our Financial Goals Followed Our Family
• What’s Your One Page Financial Plan?

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Want to stop living paycheck to paycheck and start moving towards financial independence? Learn the process the Frugalwoods took to retire early together! 

What are you two working towards, big picture wise? How often do you guys talk about it?

Talk can be cheap or it can be the start of an incredible journey. Four years ago a conversation Liz had with her husband Nate was a trigger to achieving their huge dream of becoming financially independent and retiring early.

Working as a Team to Retire Early Together

What would you do if you were retired right now? 

You might expect me to say you too can retire early with just a few easy steps. But the truth is it's much more complicated than that to break the cycle of consuming and working. It's going to take something very powerful a change in your mindset your finances and your lifestyle.

Today Liz, author of Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving financial Independence Through Simple Living, is here to share their journey and hopefully inspire you to examine where you can start setting that path up towards financial independence.

In this episode, we get into:

• what moved Liz and Nate to go from dreaming about financial independence to making it a reality
• how they build a sustainable and enjoyable frugal lifestyle
• why do it yourself is not only good for your wallet but your marriage before their dream became a reality

Hope you enjoy! 

Resources to Retire Early & Money Hacks

If you two are looking at early retirement or to become financially independent, check out these resources.

• Uber Frugal Challenge
• Why We Don’t Micromanage Our Money
• Financial Independence and Parenthood
• The Joy That Comes When Less Is Enough
• The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement
• Seven Characteristics of The Millionaire Next Door
• How To Score a $50 Car Payment For Life

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Are you a foodie? Is eating out killing your budget? Learn insanely smart ways you two can eat well while slashing your food bills!

Slashing Your Food Bills

Since this America Saves Week, I thought that this would be a perfect time to tackle a typically huge expense - food. Whether it's groceries, lunch out at work, or going out as a family, this is something that can snowball quickly.

It's tricky because food at the essential level is a true need. Many of us go, though, beyond the essentials and if we truly evaluate how we're eating and spending, there's much room for improvement.

However, this is not an episode of roughing it or deprivation. I personally find food to be an awesome part of my social life and we enjoy eating.

Just like fad diets rarely lead to anything meaningful, seriously slashing and burning your groceries to their bare minimum can backfire.
I'd like to share a way to be balanced and to disprove this myth that clean eating and delicious meals are expensive.

Amy and Tim Rutherford, the couple behind Go with Less, are here to help out. They were big spenders and that included a lot of eating out and living it up.
Today we'll discuss:

• what triggered them to change how they were spending
• ways they're able to enjoy eating out and eating well without killing their budget
• coming up with go-to meals that rock and don't require you to become a chef

these changes helped them to retire early so take what you can and try them out.
You could very well find yourselves having a good time and growing your bank accounts.

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Save Money While Eating Well

Want to cut your spending on food without sacrificing quality? Here are some resources to check out.

• Free Frugal Foodie Challenge
• Grocery Price Books: Slash Your Food Bill and Save Time!
• Kill your $1,000 Grocery Bill

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Ready to merge finances? Find how you can master your bank accounts together and get the most out your hard earned money! 

Master Your Bank Accounts Together

Does it seem like you two keep having the same argument over and over? Do you feel like you're spinning your wheels with money? You're not alone.

Today we're going over how we form our money habits and how we can change them for the better to finally achieve your big goals together! 

Mindsets and Money Stories 

It's funny how unaware we can be about our money habits. When we first began talking about money, it was a real eye-opener and not just because of the numbers.

Here we were ready to spend our lives together and we realized that we had completely different views when it came to money. 

But digging into how we pick up those habits and figuring a way to work with what we have so to speak is somewhat tricky - which is why I'm really happy Jen Hemphill here.
She's an accredited financial coach and author of her new book, Her Money Matters: The Missing Truths From Traditional Money Advice.

It's a fantastic book and one aspect I really appreciated is how Jen dives into mindsets and money stories.

In this episode we discuss:

• how your past can influence how you handle finances now - for better or worse
• how to help your spouse to open up and understand their money mindset
• a tip for getting them onboard

Hope you enjoy! 

Resources to Understand and Change Your Money Mindset 

If you two are looking to improve how you talk and work together with your finances (and lives), please check out these resources.

• Her Money Matters
• Conversation Starters and Ice Breakers with Money and Marriage

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Do you want your wedding day to be beautiful, memorable, and meaningful without spending a ton of money or getting into debt? Learn how you can plan your dream wedding on a budget! 

How to Plan Your Dream Wedding on a Budget

Right now in the United States, the average wedding costs over $35,000!

Thankfully the Budget Savvy Bride, Jessica Bishop is here to help. In this episode we discuss:

• defining your dream wedding
• ways you can splurge and where you can save
• a handy resource to help you plan your dream wedding without breaking your budget

Hope you enjoy!

If you want to hear from another bride who had a beautiful wedding on a small budget, listen to my interview with Jessi Fearon. she and her husband managed a sweet and special wedding for $500!

Resources to Plan a Fantastic Wedding

If you're getting married, please check out these resources so you can plan out your special day without going into debt.

• The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer: Checklists, Worksheets, and Essential Tools to Plan the Perfect Wedding on a Small Budget
• Planning Your Dream Wedding on a Budget
• Wedding Planning: My Ultimate Lesson in Budgeting
• The Best Kept Secrets to Planning a Wedding on a Budget
• Have a $50,000 Wedding on a $3,000 Budget

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Today we're answering your big marriage and money questions. We'll discuss lending money to family, getting the best deal on insurance, and seeing if those high deductible health insurance plans really save you money! 

This week we're doing a community mailbag show where I answer what's on your mind with marriage and money. In today's episode we cover quite a few things:

• how to save money on insurance
• finding out if those high deductible health plans are really good
• whether or not you should love to family

Hope you enjoy! 

Thank you for sending these in. 

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Ready to dump the debt and build wealth together? Here are three crucial questions to discuss to achieve financial security together! 

Finding Financial Security 

Ryan Inman from Physician Wealth Services and Financial Residency is on the show to share three crucial questions to help you two build financial security together. 

In this episode we discuss: 

• how you two can approach talking about money
• how Ryan helps his clients hone in on their priorities
• conversation starters you can use on your next money date

Hope you enjoy! 

Want to hear from another couple working together on their finances? Check out my interview with Tai and Talaat McNeely from His and Her Money! 

Resources to Define Your Priorities and Big Goals

Whether it’s a joint or personal goal, there are handy resources available to help you two achieve your dreams.

• How Our Financial Goals Followed Our Family
• What’s Your One Page Financial Plan?

Ryan asked three crucial questions on the podcast. 

1. I want you to imagine that you are financially secure, that you have enough money to take care of your needs, now and in the future. The question is, how would you live your life? What would you do with the money? Would you change anything? Let yourself go. Don’t hold back your dreams. Describe a life that is complete, that is richly yours.
2. This time, you visit your doctor who tells you that you have five to ten years left to live. The good part is that you won’t ever feel sick. The bad news is that you will have no notice of the moment of your death. What will you do in the time you have remaining to live? Will you change your life, and how will you do it?
3. This time, your doctor shocks you with the news that you have only one day left to live. Notice what feelings arise as you confront your very real mortality. Ask yourself: What dreams will be left unfulfilled? What do I wish I had finished or had been? What do I wish I had done? What did I miss?

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

• Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
• Automate your money
• Pay off your debt faster
  Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

It's 2018 for some reason that beginning of a new year, Everyone is excited and thrilled this week making some big goals.

Unfortunately, the majority don't reach them. I don't want that to happen to the two of you especially with your big money goals.

So in today's episode, we'll get into:

• what are the top three money goals that people have
• how you can get your spouse on board with money this year 
• how to achieve the right money goal for the two of you.

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Reach Your Big Money Goals

Whether you're dumping debt, saving more, or investing for your future, here are some resources to help make managing your money easier this year! 

• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• Budget Tools: Mint | Honeyfi | Tiller | Honeydue