Looking to dump your debt faster? See how you can find a community to support you on your debt free journey! The Power of Community with Dumping Your Debt Faster This month is all about paying off debts. Instead of talking about debt snowballs and avalanches, apps or sites, we're going to look at the community; specifically the support network you may or may not have and how it can affect your success. Toni Husbands is joining us today. She’s the creator of debt free divas and author of the book...
Jan 04, 2022•27 min
In today’s bonus episode, we’re diving into hitting your money goals while still having fun! Ready to Stack Some Benjamins in 2022? Welcome to this end of year bonus episode! As we’re winding down and wrapping things up for 2021, one of the best things we can do is setting things up to make it easier to achieve our family and financial goals. For us, it’s doing a review of the numbers to see what’s worked and what’s not. We’re also spending time now deciding on what we really want to do in 2022 ...
Dec 15, 2021•36 min
Today we’ll go over key steps on how to make and achieve your big family financial goals for next year! How to Set Up (And Achieve) Your Family’s Financial Goals As 2021 winds down, now is a great time to set up some pieces with your finances so you can knock things out of the ballpark in 2022. Last week I went into how we’ve done year end reviews. They’ve been a wonderful way for us to get a snapshot of the progress we made and identify areas where we may want to adjust. Most of the numbers rev...
Nov 10, 2021•21 min
Get a peek into how we did with our goals for this year and see how you can do your year review and set yourself up for an incredible 2022! Why You Need to Do a Year-End Review with Your Money It's November, aka the time of the year where I usually start winding down. As you may or may not know, I take December off from the podcast to recharge and rest things. We also have our anniversary then. With those things in mind, these last two episodes of the season are focused on helping you set things...
Nov 03, 2021•21 min
Today we’re going to look at three common and awkward arguments married couples have around money and how you can tackle them together! Awkward Money Conversations When You’re Married Marriage and money isn’t always easy. Chances are the two of you have different personalities and approaches to finances. Those differences can be a wonderful thing as you two can lean on each other’s strengths and shore up weaknesses. But finding your financial footing as a couple is not automatic. If you don’t ha...
Oct 28, 2021•24 min
How happy are you with your current banking situation? Are you getting real value out of your checking and savings accounts? Or do you feel like you’re getting nickeled and dimed? Today we’ll go over how to find a better banking option and how to seamlessly move your money! Why It Matters Where You Bank These are all important to your financial health and making progress on your goals, however we left the biggest piece of the puzzle last – your day to day bank accounts. Your check and savings ac...
Oct 20, 2021•19 min
Get a sneak peek at how we handle our money system and our accounts. So that we are working towards our goals, even if we have more pressing or urgent things to take care of on the family front or with work! Easy Way to Manage Your Money A financial system that requires you to constantly check and worry about your money isn’t going to cut it for most families. It doesn't for us. With two kids, work, hobbies, and friends, we have a full life and we love it. Quite simply we see money as a tool, no...
Oct 15, 2021•18 min
For most couples, their 401(k)s are an important part of their retirement plans. Learn how you can avoid making big mistakes and make the most out of your 401(k)! Making the Most of Your 401(k) It's just there's a huge information overload and it's easy to get caught in the mess and not be sure how to actually do it. Today we're going to give you a leg up. Usually during this time of year, I pull in the experts like certified financial planners where we dive into the nitty gritty details of the ...
Oct 06, 2021•18 min
It's that time again... open enrollment season and with it, a lot of decisions to make for the upcoming year. Today, we're going to go over how you can maximize your benefits, especially when it comes to health, dental, and disability insurance! Choosing Your Health Insurance, Dental, and Disability If there's one area of finances where families have a hard time -either they're not maximizing or they misunderstand it- it's open enrollment season. It's that time of year where HR sends you a packe...
Sep 29, 2021•20 min
How are you feeling about your progress this year with your financial goals? Are you frustrated because you're not hitting them as fast as you had hoped? Do you feel like managing money is a chore? Believe it or not, these problems are connected. Today, I'm going to break down and show you how to build a flexible financial system that will get you to your goals faster! Keeping Your Budget Flexible and Fun Recently I had a chat with rich Jones for the Paychecks and Balances Podcast . The theme of...
Sep 22, 2021•19 min
Are you frustrated with your debt and feel like you’re stuck in this rut? Today we’re going to see how you can negotiate your debts to lessen the stress and get you closer to your debt free goals! Dealing with Debt Collectors Paying off debt is usually one of the top three goals people make for the year, but struggle to achieve. Depending on where the pandemic caught you on your financial journey, you may have had an extra harder struggle. Perhaps a drop in income meant slowing down or even paus...
Sep 15, 2021•16 min
Today we’ll go over how you can set up your finances so you’ll have more options and time for the things people and projects you love! Pursuing Financial Independence on Your Terms As a kid one of my favorite genres of books to read was those choose your own adventure stories. Remember those? You always began the same, but based on the choices you made, you could find buried treasure. Or your plane crashes. (Wait, not sure that was a thing in a kids book. Anyways…) Fast forward and now my absolu...
Sep 08, 2021•30 min
Can parents pursue financial independence with kids at home? Today we’ll go over the five biggest myths and show how to enjoy parenthood and FI! Are Financial Independence and Parenthood Compatible? Even before we were familiar with the term financial independence, we were intrigued about this idea of gaining flexibility and freedom. When we were first married, we had two immediate financial goals – getting rid of the car loan and building our emergency fund. Our car payment wasn’t a huge burden...
Jul 08, 2021•20 min
Real estate investing can be a way to build up a passive income, but is it the right move for you? Learn about some of the different options you have and what you need to discuss before jumping in! Is Real Estate Investing Right for Us? We've been talking a lot this season about building and diversifying your income streams. Part of it is in reaction to the past year or so we’ve had. With some industries being hit hard with job losses and hours cut, having another source of income – even if not ...
Jun 23, 2021•31 min
It's June. The year is halfway over. Now is the perfect time to hit pause and do a midyear review to see how you're progressing with your goals and make sure that your accounts are moving in the right direction ! Why Financial Reviews Matter While we automate much of our finances, especially the tedious parts. It really does pay to have these times where you sit down. In review the numbers. And having a financial checkup mid year is a fantastic opportunity. Not just to look at your day to day ac...
Jun 16, 2021•34 min
Cryptocurrency is part of the mainstream conversation and in the news, but should it be a part of your investment plan? We decode the terminology and go over the difference between speculation and investments. Should We Invest in Cryptocurrency? We’re talking about a topic that’s been popping up all over – cryptocurrency. Just this year alone, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others are on a roller coaster ride. Coinbase went public just this April. I’ve gotten questions first about exactly how these curr...
Jun 09, 2021•17 min
Learn how you can protect your family’s finances and open up more opportunities by diversifying your income! Why You Need to Diversify Your Income Diversifying income is something every family should consider. It can not only give you a bigger safety net, but it does give you some more options no matter what stage you are in your financial journey. Here are a few scenarios where diversifying and increasing your income can be helpful. We're still not out of the woods when it comes to the financia...
Jun 02, 2021•31 min
We're all looking to reconnect and have fun this summer. Today, we're going to go over ways to enjoy family barbecues, give some ideas on great outdoor ventures you can go on, and offer tips on how to grow your savings this season! Make This a Fun Summer of Savings For many families, summer is the season. Especially after the year we had in 2020, many of us are eager to embrace the warmer weather and be outside and go on vacation. As we mentioned last week, it's possible to have fun and still sa...
May 26, 2021•17 min
We’re all looking to get the best value, but how can you balance saving money, hitting your financial goals, while still having fun? Today we’ll go over how you can master the art of being frugal! Can Being Frugal Make You Rich? Whether you’re pursuing a debt-free path , financial freedom , or independence, there’s one skill that can help you hit your goal faster – being frugal. I’m not talking about being cheap. I’m talking about living a rich life without spending a ton of money. When I say fr...
May 19, 2021•36 min
With credit card fraud and identity theft happening more frequently, we all have to step up our game. Learn keys ways to protect your finances and identity! Fraud Protection I hope you never have to deal with identity theft, data breaches, or fraud but chances are you will. There were 4.8 million identity theft and fraud reports received by the FTC in 2020 , an increase of 45 percent from 2019. The Ascent from Motley Fool reported that credit card fraud was the most common type of identity theft...
May 12, 2021•24 min
Around 82% of Americans said their finances were affected by the pandemic and the fallout according to a recent Fidelity survey. If you’re planning on retiring in a few years, that can be a really scary thing. Today I want to share a resource that can help you get back on track with your retirement plan! The 5 Years Before You Retire: Retirement Planning When You Need It the Most How comfortable do you feel about your retirement? You’re not alone if you’re worried about it. 36% of Americans are ...
May 11, 2021•25 min
Many families are looking for a getaway this year, but also want to stay on budget. We'll go over some great family vacation ideas and ways to plan a wonderful trip! Planning a Family Vacation in 2021 How do you plan for a year where you don't know exactly what to expect? I think that's been the unofficial theme this season. We've been talking about how to create a budget that's flexible enough? How do you figure out your schedule? Now I'm hoping maybe a little cautiously optimistic, how do we p...
May 05, 2021•22 min
Need a boost with your income? Learn how to find the best paying side hustles for you! Finding the Best Side Hustles That Pay Well Sometimes to hit your goal faster, you just have to earn extra mone. Of course that’s not the only thing you’re doing. If you’ve taken my Free 5 Days to $5K course , then you know we look at three pillars when it comes to ‘finding’ money. First we optimize your budget, evaluating expenses to see if they are necessary or they bring you joy. Second, we uncover ways to ...
Mar 10, 2021•19 min
Getting ready to start house hunting? Get tips on how you find and buy a house you love that is still affordable! Are You Ready to Buy a House? Right now with the national median listing price in December was $340,000 , chances are buying a house – it’s typically the biggest purchase a family makes. Depending on where you live it can be a hot seller’s market, making it even more difficult to find a place that you love. That’s why it’s so important to go in prepared not financially, but with an u...
Mar 03, 2021•43 min
Thinking of selling your house? Today we’ll go over how to prepare your place so you can get the best price for it! What You Need to Know to Sell Your House for More Selling a house, especially when it is your first place, can be overwhelming. Even in a seller’s market like we have here in Raleigh, you have work to do. You have to fix up your space, stage your house, and have it ready for showings. Let’s not forget this added layer of social distancing and safety we need to practice while we dea...
Feb 24, 2021•17 min
Who doesn’t love a good DIY home project? But how do you take what you see online or on television and translate that into your home, especially when you are not naturally handy? Today, we’ll look at what you need to know to get started and build up your DIY skills! Getting Started with DIY home Projects Last week we were talking about being a frugal foodie, home brewing, and having a garden at your place. These are some of my favorite topics. I enjoy talking about how to save money and put it t...
Feb 17, 2021•20 min
Just because we’re at home doesn’t mean we can’t still be frugal foodies. Today, we’ll look at how you can jumpstart a garden and start making craft brews at home! Frugal Foodie at Home Frugal foodie is back! If you’re new to this series, it’s where we explore ways you can eat well without breaking the budget. For some though, when you hear frugal. It means cheap. I get it. Maybe, you know, someone who brags about getting the absolute lowest price on everything. Whether it’s good or bad. While y...
Feb 11, 2021•25 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Tax season is here. How prepared are you? Today we’ll go over how to make filing your taxes easier and less stressful! How to Make Taxes Less Stressful Between the paperwork you need to track, tax terms that are dry, and the eye-opening nature of going through your finances for the year, taxes can understandably make you anxious. If you’re looking to optimize your finances, you have to get your taxes done right. Today, I want to give you a quick and easy guide on preparing for your taxes. In thi...
Feb 03, 2021•14 min
How can you plan and budget for a year when there are so many things up in the air? Today we’ll go over how the two of you can create a plan and budget so you can hit your goals while being flexible enough to switch gears if needed! How to Hit Your Money Goals During a Uncertain Year This first month of 2021 is just about wrapped up and already it's been an eventful year! A huge challenge we faced in 2020 and it looks like for a good part of this year, it's going to be creating plans when there'...
Jan 27, 2021•35 min
For many families, 2020 threw us for a loop. Today we’ll look at how you can revamp and build your budget so you can hit your financial goals faster! Revamping Your Budget I think it’s fair to say that last year did not go as any of us planned. I’m not going to recap the year – we were all there- but honestly, we had a lot curve balls thrown at us. Because we had to make so many changes with how we worked, did school, and more, our day to day routines changed and our budgets did as well. While I...
Jan 19, 2021•23 min
