Couple Money Podcast

Are you two dealing with a ton of debt? Hear how Brian and his wife have managed to pay off $100,000 in debt while raising their three kids!

How to Pay Off a Ton of Debt Together

After all the prep, sweat, and tears, the first episode of the Couple Money Podcast is up!

For the premiere show, it’s all about debt, specifically getting out of debt faster and getting rid of massive amounts of debt.

The guest on today’s episode is Brian from Debt Discipline. He and his wife have managed to pay off $100,000 in debt while raising their three kids.

In this episode, we get into:

  • how they accumulated their debt
  • what immediate steps they needed to take to free up money in their budget
  • how they worked as a team to pay it all off

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Become Debt Free Together

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

       

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, here are some ways to support it.

  • 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!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Direct download: CM_001_Paying_Off_Debt_Faster.mp3
Category:money -- posted at: 7:25am EDT

Learn how you can navigate open enrollment season and maximize your benefits to their fullest potential!

Making the Most of Your Benefits

Learn how you can navigate open enrollment season and maximize your benefits to their fullest potential!

When we began our series about open enrollment last week, we got into some key things to consider when weighing the pros and cons of different health insurance options. 

While health insurance is typically the biggest decision couples and families make during open enrollment, it’s not the only one. 

There are so many benefits that can save you some serious money, protect your family’s finances, and give you some significant tax benefits. 

I don’t want you leaving money on the table which is why I’m glad Matt Miner is here today on the show. 

He’s a fee-only, fiduciary advisor with PLC Wealth Management, LLC who specializes in helping families to make sure their finances align with their goals, priorities, and values. 

In this episode we’re discussing:

  • the biggest mistakes couples make with their benefits
  • How to protect yourself with disability insurance
  • what to look out for with your 401(k)

Let’s get started!

 

Resources to Save serious Money

Are you looking for more help with maximizing your benefits and saving more money? Here are some resources:

Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today.

Did you know that Coastal offers a Health Savings Account? If you have a high deductible health plan, you need to take advantage of an HSA.

Find out more about what Coastal offers here!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, here are some ways to support it.

  • 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.

Direct download: S10E21_Maximizing_Your_Benefits_During_Open_Enrollment.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Feel like your premiums are too expensive? Learn how you can significantly save money and find an affordable health insurance plan for your family!

Choosing an Affordable Health Insurance Plan

Like many families, we want affordable health insurance. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy.

In 2019, the average annual premium for a family was over $20,000

That’s quite a bit of money so it’s absolutely crucial that you’re 1) getting the most out of it and 2) if there is a more affordable option, you can make that transition easier. 

The good news is with open enrollment, you can have some big wins with your benefits for next year.

I want to make sure that when you two sit down, I want you to feel comfortable and confident about tackling your benefits.

Of course, every couple is different, I’m grateful Andy Hill, the creator of Marriage, Kids, and Money and the co-founder of Thriving Families Facebook Group is here to chat with me about his and Nicole’s process with choosing a health plan. 

We’re going to compare how each of us approached finding the best health insurance plan for our families. 

In this episode we’ll get into:

  • The differences between the most common options given
  • What to consider when deciding if a high deductible plan is right for you
  • Maximizing your available health care benefits

Let’s get started! 

Resources to Save Money on Healthcare

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

Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today.

They have competitive rates on checking and savings accounts!

Key Takeaways on Finding an Affordable Option for Healthcare

Before we wrap up, I want to focus on a few key takeaways I got from speaking with Andy and preparing this episode. 

  • Invest time in choosing your healthcare plan. Health care can be expensive, but simply going with the cheapest option can hurt you in several ways. 
  • High deductible health plans aren’t for everyone. We have an HDHP and so far love it and so do many in the FI space, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best option for you. 
  • Use tax-advantaged accounts to maximize your money.

If you want to discuss this more, please come chat with us on Facebook in the Thriving Families Group. We’re supportive. We’d love to see you there!

Support the Podcast!

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, here are some ways to support it.

  • 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 and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Direct download: S10E20_Open_Enrollment_Affordable_Health_Insurance.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Today we’ll go over how the two of you can boost your savings rate while still enjoying some fun now! 

Why Your Savings Rate Matters

Last week we talked about three key numbers to track and master your money and one of them was your savings rate

How much you save on your income can have an incredible impact on how fast you reach your big financial goals.

Here’s the thing, though, unless you have a stash of cash under in house or an inheritance coming up soon, that money is probably coming out of your budget.

So how do you become a super saver without deprivation? Can you boost your savings rate and still have some fun? 

I believe you can find that balance, but you need a plan and a system to set things up. 

This is why I’m glad Joe Mecca from Coastal Credit Union is back. He’s the quintessential saver and today he’s sharing how he’s grown his savings while still having some fun. 

In this episode, we’ll dig into:

  • Finding out your current savings rate
  • Tax-advantaged ways to save more to give you a double win
  • path to notching up your savings 

Let’s get started!

Handy Tools to Increase Your Savings Rate

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

Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today.

They have competitive rates on checking and savings accounts!

Key Takeaways on Growing Your Savings Rate

Before we wrap up, I want to focus on a few key takeaways I got from preparing this episode. 

  • Start as early as possible. Don’t worry about being about to sock away 20, 30, 40% of your income. Joe said it was closer to 3-5%, which is about where we began. 
  • Pay yourself first. Automating those transfers makes it easier on you and you’re more likely to stay on target. 
  • Minimize lifestyle inflation. Take any raises, bonuses, windfalls, or tax refunds and set aside a portion of that to go towards savings. You can still enjoy some fun now and save more, without missing that money. 

If you want to discuss this more, please come chat with us on Facebook in the Thriving Families Group. We’re supportive. We’d love to see you there!

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


If tracking your money is so important, what are the key numbers couples need to know? We’ll get into the three to keep an eye on, and the real deal about credit scores! 

Why Tracking Your Money is Key to Mastering It

You hear these stories of couples who got out of debt, became financially independent, travel the world, started a business..basically enjoying life.

They all have different paths they take to get there – debt snowball, avalanche to become debt free. 

They’re saving 20, 30, or even half their income. Maybe they’re going all in with FIRE with their dual income and are investing 70% of their income. 

One of the things I love about personal finance when hearing from others is how varied it can be. Each couple has their own advantages and struggles on their journey. 

However, having written about personal finances and interviewed others for the podcast I do notice that there are certain crucial things they did to create a system that worked for them. 

I wrote about it in detail in my book Jumpstart your Marriage and Your Money, but I want to hone in on one component today  – they became aware of their money. 

And how they did it was by tracking it. 

Once they had that down, they began shifting it towards what mattered most to them. 

 

Money stopped being a source of stress and instead became a tool they could use together. 

The best part is that you don’t have to track a ton of numbers or worry about every penny. It can be something you check in on once a month. 

In this episode, we’ll get into:

  • Which three numbers matters most for gauging your financial health
  • The real deal on credit scores
  • Creating an easy system to track your numbers

Let’s get started!

Resources to Easily Stay on Top of Your Money

Here are some resources we mentioned in the episode as well as some other handy articles to check out:

Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union. If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today!

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union. If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today!

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

Direct download: S10E18_Three_Key_Numbers_for_Mastering_Your_Money.mp3
Category:personal finance -- posted at: 7:54pm EDT

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