Couple Money Podcast

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.

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.

Direct download: S6E15_What_to_Do_If_Youre_Struggling_to_Pay_Your_Bills.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 11:00am EDT

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

 

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.

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.

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.

 

Direct download: S6E12_How_to_Save_Money_on_Health_Insurance_and_Expenses.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 4:24pm EDT

Want to make sure your loved ones are taken care of should something happen to you? Learn the essentials about wills and choosing a guardian for your kids! 
 

Essentials on Wills and Choosing Guardians

So this topic - creating your will and making sure you have your guardians in place if you have kids - is one of those areas of finances we tend to shy away from.
 
I get it.
 
It's boring at best and depressing. 
So today I want to give you the essentials to wills and choosing guardians for your kids without weighing you down.
 
Thankfully I'm not alone. Jean Dillion is here to help. She's a certified financial planner at Freedom Financial Counseling
and an Accredited Financial Counselor. 

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:

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.

Direct download: S6E11_What_You_Need_to_Know_About_Wills_and_Guardians.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 8:24pm EDT

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

Direct download: S6E8_How_to_Eat_Well_While_Slashing_Your_Food_Bills.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 10:59am EDT

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