One of the stories we tell ourselves is that our financial stress would go away if only we made $____ more money. So we work, work, work, for that next raise or promotion. Then when it finally comes, the financial stress lingers. So we think to ourself, "ah, it must require $____ more to reduce the stress." Thus the cycle continues. Bad news: no amount of income can eliminate your financial stress. Good news: you already have the tools to reduce your stress today! In today's episode, host Travis...
Jul 28, 2021•17 min•Ep. 36
Studies show 4PM on Sunday afternoon is the most depressing hour of the week. Our weekend is almost over, and we're starting to dread what tomorrow will bring. Sound familiar? Considering 70% of Americans either dislike or hate their jobs, there's a pretty good chance this idea of dreading Mondays may hit a bit close to home. Here's the good news: it doesn't have to be this way! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses this counter-cultural idea of loving Mondays. It sounds odd, but it'...
Jul 26, 2021•18 min•Ep. 35
We live in a culture that's obsessed with small things. "Quit buying those coffees", "you don't need that extra pair of shoes", "that concert is wasting money", "get rid of Netflix". We think this is ridiculous....and short-sighted. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why we need to stop obsessing with the small things and start paying closer attention to the bigger decisions in life. Just a handful of key decisions can result in a multi-million dollar swing for most of us.....espec...
Jul 21, 2021•12 min•Ep. 34
This is going to sound backwards, but we don't think decisions should be judged based on outcomes. Sometimes good decisions have bad outcomes.....and sometimes bad decisions have bad outcomes. Truth is, when we make a decision, all we can do is make the best decision with the information available to us at the time. Hindsight is always 20/20, so it can be easy to beat ourselves up and play woulda-shoulda-coulda. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses this idea of separating decisions ...
Jul 19, 2021•19 min•Ep. 33
We live in a culture that obsesses with credit scores and the idea of "building credit." We think it's ridiculous, unhealthy, and ultimately a fool's game. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why he thinks we need to stop worrying about credit scores, why not having a credit score can be a good thing, and some of the implications (positive and negative) involved with choosing this route. Living life without a credit score isn't perfect....but it's worth it. Even if you ultimately di...
Jul 14, 2021•19 min•Ep. 32
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. There's a common belief in our culture that we need to choose between pursuing meaning and pursuing money.....and conventional wisdom says to pursue meaning. Or if you identify with the FIRE movement, we're led to believe we should pursue money today so someday after we've selfishly hoarded enough money, we can pursue meaning. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why we don't have to choose between meaning over money, why we should always ch...
Jul 12, 2021•10 min•Ep. 31
Sacrifice is hard! A sustained period of intense sacrifice is even harder! This is one of the main reasons why people are unable to gain meaningful traction in their finances and careers. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains how we can shift our perspective of sacrifice, and view it through a different lens. When we look at life in terms of seasons and wrap our head around the bigger picture of life, short periods of sacrifice become much more tolerable! A better life may be waiting ...
Jul 07, 2021•21 min•Ep. 30
We're coming at you with another Q&A session. This time, we answer questions about host Travis Shelton's experience as a financial coach. We share stories of the best and worst parts about coaching, the hardest advice to give, and some of the best accomplishments by his clients. He also reflects on a a few questions about his podcasting experience so far. We hope this episode adds value to your journey, and maybe even inspires a few people along the way. As always, please keep the questions ...
Jul 05, 2021•18 min•Ep. 29
Sometimes when we're trying to do this money stuff right, it can feel like so much pressure. Things like "what if I mess up?", "what if I make a mistake?", and "I'm scared to have a setback" start going through our head. Bad news: you are going to mess up, make mistakes, and have some setbacks." Good news: that's ok! We can't do this stuff perfect, and we most certainly will make mistakes along the way. On today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the fact we're all going to make mistakes, ...
Jun 30, 2021•20 min•Ep. 28
There's a well-known saying that goes something like this: you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. This applies to in-person relationships, but we also believe it applies to online connections. One of our favorite things about young adults is their willingness and desire to absorb other people's ideas and perspectives in the name of personal growth. YouTube, IG, TikTok, books, etc. Some of these people are awesome, but many aren't. Some are flat-out toxic, and are...
Jun 28, 2021•15 min•Ep. 27
Whenever we try to do this money stuff well, especially budgeting, things seem to go pretty well until the moment it doesn't. And that moment is usually tied to an unexpected expense that hits us out of nowhere. We can have all the momentum in the world, then wham (!!!), something unexpected stops us in our tracks. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains how sinking funds can make a profound difference in both our finances and our psychology. We discuss what sinking funds are, why they ...
Jun 23, 2021•18 min•Ep. 26
There are a lot of generalizations and stereotypes about the differences between men and women. Some are good, some are bad. When it comes to money, we think our culture has mislabeled and misidentified these gender-specific generalizations/stereotypes. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares his experiences working with hundreds of men, women, and couples, and tries to clarify common misconceptions. We also explore the question, "who handles money better....men or women?" As you can see ...
Jun 21, 2021•25 min•Ep. 25
We love your questions! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton answers some of the questions recently asked by you, the listeners. Here's a rundown of what you'll find: 1) How to deal with judgmental peers and family who criticize our financial and career choices. 2) Should we pursue advanced degrees? 3) Is buying a house always a good financial decision? 4) What's the difference between Dave Ramsey and Meaning Over Money? If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the po...
Jun 16, 2021•23 min•Ep. 24
Budgeting is typically viewed as something necessary for people who are doing somewhere between “bad” and “ok”. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why budgeting is important for everyone, but even more important for people who make good money. A good income + intentional budgeting = game over! People don’t know what they don’t know, so we are going to provide some real-life examples that will hopefully show you how much better you can do with a budget. If you have questions or woul...
Jun 14, 2021•14 min•Ep. 23
It can be really hard to prioritize our financial goals in life. This is true for everyone, but especially so for young adults. After all, young adults are experiencing many significant life changes......and life is moving fast! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the 10 things we can do to help us successfully prioritize the right goals for YOU. You may not nail all 10 of these, but if we can get some of these right, it can really help us as we work to pursue a life of meaning. Al...
Jun 09, 2021•16 min•Ep. 22
Hot Take: We don't think you should do your own taxes. We think it's one of the biggest financial mistakes most people make. We know, we know...this is a controversial perspective. But we hope you'll at least hear us out before rejecting this notion. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why it's a typically a mistake when we decide to do our own taxes. He explains the risks of doing so, as well as the upsides of having a quality tax professional. This is a huge decision, and one of t...
Jun 07, 2021•11 min•Ep. 21
We live in a culture that tells us to seek security, comfort, and steady. We couldn't disagree more! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses why saying "yes" to doing weird things can change everything. He explains the potential benefits of doing weird things, shares a handful of personal examples, and shines the light on others around him who are living out this idea of "doing weird things." After listening, we hope it inspires you and emboldens you to seek out opportunities to do wei...
Jun 02, 2021•21 min•Ep. 20
As a follow-up to Episode 10 ("What About Crypto?"), host Travis Shelton discusses why the creators of Robinhood are geniuses, what makes it different than other platforms and other points in history, and some of the inherent risks of the platform. We also provide an update on Travis's young client who invested $6,000 into crypto a few months ago. Lastly, Travis shares about his own experience investing in crypto via Robinhood. Episode 010 - What About Crypto: https://anchor.fm/meaning-over-mone...
May 31, 2021•23 min•Ep. 19
One of the most important pieces to winning with money, as well as having a healthy marriage, is getting on the same page as your spouse. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses why it's so important to be on the same page and how to get your spouse onboard if they aren't already. Not married yet? We also talk about how to think about this money stuff when you're open to finding someone. Should you marry someone with a ton of debt? Our answer may surprise you! If you have questions or ...
May 26, 2021•26 min•Ep. 18
In order for us to make financial progress and maintain healthy relationships, we need to start treating ALL income as equal. In this episode, host Travis Shelton explains why treating all income as equal (i.e. important!) is so important for our progress and our marriage. This is one of the most overlooked topics in personal finance, so we are going to shine a light on a better way! After all, you deserve better than normal! If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the ...
May 24, 2021•16 min•Ep. 17
More and more, especially with the prevalence of social media, there's a narrative in our culture that everyone should aspire to be their own boss. "Stop building someone else's dream and start building your own." "You can't become wealthy working for someone else." In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses what he thinks about this narrative. You can probably tell from the episode title that we aren't a fan, but let's talk about why! And while we're at it, let's clarify the real goal he...
May 19, 2021•13 min•Ep. 16
Whenever we decide to take a career path that's counter-cultural, criticism is surely near. The crappy part is it often comes from those who we love and trust the most. Making tough decisions is hard enough by itself, never mind adding hurtful comments, doubt, and criticism by people we expected would support us. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares some of his own experience with criticism and provides some simple but effective ways to navigate it in your own journey. Often, this crit...
May 17, 2021•20 min•Ep. 15
Travis is coming in hot in this episode! Money is NEVER about money. It’s always about something bigger. We continually say it’s not about becoming rich, but rather “living a life of meaning.” What does that even mean? In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton defines what it means to him. These are guiding principles for our business and our own families’s lives. We deeply believe in these principles, and after listening to this episode, we hope you do too!If you have questions or would like to c...
May 12, 2021•16 min•Ep. 14
We find ourselves in this strange reality where everyone is a stock picking “expert”......or so it seems. In this episode, host Travis Shelton attempts to shine a light on the real truth about picking stocks. Are people really this good, or would they be just as good (or better) by picking stocks at random? Let’s find out! This episode includes an appearance by Meaning Over Money co-founder Cole Netten, where he shows off his investing chops. This episode (and our little science experiment) may ...
May 10, 2021•25 min•Ep. 13
When we think about debt and the role it plays in our life, we tend to boil it down to dollars and cents. Interest rates, monthly payments, debt-to-equity ratios. Truth is, debt costs us far more than a handful of dollars. For some of us, it costs us our dreams. For others, our freedom. For many more, the things that truly matter to us. We're willfully selling our livelihoods for things that are fleeting and meaningless. When we think about debt differently, it can change everything! In today's ...
May 05, 2021•17 min•Ep. 12
We live in a culture that says more money = more happiness. Today, host Travis Shelton dives into the psychology of money and why it never makes us as happy as we think it will. We also explore some of the things that DO make us happy, according to behavioral scientists. You'll probably be surprised.....but not surprised at all. Everywhere we look, we find more evidence pointing to meaning being far more important than money. Surprise, surprise!! If you have questions or would like to connect wi...
May 03, 2021•23 min•Ep. 11
In our previous episode, we made the argument for why the stock market has very little risk. The natural next question we receive is, "what about crypto?" In this episode, host Travis Shelton shares his perspective about crypto and the three questions each of us need to ask ourselves if we're thinking about taking the crypto plunge. You'll quickly hear, and we'll affirm once again, Travis isn't a crypto expert and doesn't play one on TV. Rather, we're just trying to provide some perspective and ...
Apr 28, 2021•14 min•Ep. 10
On one hand, it's cool to see how many people are interested in investing these days. The shadow side to this awareness and interest is a handful of very dangerous, very toxic, very pervasive, and very skewed perspectives of what it means to invest. One of the biggest questions we get is "how risky is the stock market?" Some people perceive it as a game and engage it with reckless abandon. Others perceive it as risky gambling where you will most certainly lose. Both viewpoints are prevalent, and...
Apr 26, 2021•19 min•Ep. 9
In today's special episode, host Travis Shelton answers some of the questions we've received since launching the podcast. Here's a rundown of the topics: 1) A newly married young couple is moving to an expensive city. How should they go about finding an affordable place to live? 2) A newly engaged couple is thinking about moving in together to save on living expenses. Is this the right choice? 3) As a financial coach, how many families have I helped get out of debt? 4) A few separate people aske...
Apr 22, 2021•18 min•Ep. 8
We live in a culture that says giving is good, saving is wise, and spending is irresponsible. We couldn't disagree more! Yes giving and saving are important (so important!).....but spending is just as important! In this episode, host Travis Shelton explains why he believes our culture has a toxic perspective on spending, some of the resulting consequences, and how spending can/should add value to your life. If you're someone who's been shamed for your spending your whole life, this is the episod...
Apr 19, 2021•24 min•Ep. 7
