In past episodes, we've mentioned the idea of giving anonymously. On the surface, it sounds odd. However, in practice, it's one of the most powerful and life-giving things we can do with money. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains the various reasons why you might want to consider giving anonymously and provides some ideas on how to execute anonymous giving (it can be tricky!). This is a much-requested topic, and we're so glad to discuss it publicly in this forum. Enjoy! If you have ...
Jun 08, 2022•19 min•Ep. 126
There are many obvious benefits to budgeting, but today we're going to talk about a not-so-obvious benefit. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we do something we wish we could undo. One benefit of budgeting monthly is that somewhere between 1 and 30 days from now we'll get a clean slate. It's a beautiful part of this whole budgeting stuff, and one that can save us a lot of stress and heartbreak. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares some real-life examples of how t...
Jun 06, 2022•14 min•Ep. 125
Sometimes when we're generous, we'll get taken advantage of. Host Travis Shelton recently posted a $100 Starbucks gift card on our podcast Facebook group to bless some of our listeners. In addition to hopefully bringing a few smiles to people's faces, we expected two things to happen. The first: people would abuse the gift. Wow they didn't disappoint!!! In today's episode, we talk about how this all played out (you won't even believe it), why it can be so demoralizing when we get taken advantage...
Jun 01, 2022•16 min•Ep. 124
Today's episode is short and simple. We're going to do a self-assessment to determine the top 10 things that add value to your life. It's an odd concept, and probably not something you've thought about much along the journey. Here's how it works. Spend some time thinking about what's really important to you. What are the 10 things that add the most value to your life. It can be anything. A product, an activity, a service, a possession.....be creative as you want. Once you inventory your top 10, ...
May 30, 2022•13 min•Ep. 123
Often, people perceive the idea of handling their money well as "being controlled." Being controlled by their spouse, or a budget, or by an overall lack of freedom. This idea is what can oftentimes push people away from making wise financial decisions. The reality is actually the opposite. This is far less about being controlled as it is having control. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why this distinction makes all the difference in the world and why the truth behind this should...
May 25, 2022•16 min•Ep. 122
As a continuation of some of our previous investing episodes, today we talk about the massive impact time adds to the investing mix. When we think about investing, we tend to think of it linearly. An up-and-to-the-right slope of constant progress. However, reality is a bit different. There's nothing consistent about it.....and at some point in the journey, the line skyrockets upwards. Why? Time! When investing, time is the secret sauce. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares an example o...
May 23, 2022•13 min•Ep. 121
One of the most challenging and frustrating pieces of personal finance is gaining control of a variable income. For a multitude of reasons, many families have an inconsistent income that can make it difficult to manage. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains an odd but simple way for families with variable incomes to regain control. If implemented well, we can actually create an unprecedented level of consistency and predictability....while reducing the amount of pressure we feel from ...
May 18, 2022•13 min•Ep. 120
The stock market is having another brutal run, so it's a great opportunity for us to beat on the drum of risk, patience, and the big picture. Many people are getting anxious about what's happening to their investments. If you've listened to any of our past investing episodes, this is exactly what we've been talking about. This isn't unexpected, but rather is part of normal and healthy stock market. If we're invested patiently and broadly, we have absolutely nothing to fear. In today's episode, h...
May 16, 2022•14 min•Ep. 119
Should married couples combine finances? This has become an increasingly debated topic in the personal finance world. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains our position (very strong position!) on the topic. In short, we believe strongly in the idea of spouses combining finances.....more so than most any topic we discuss on this podcast. We explain why this has become an increasingly common question, why we think this decision matters, and the serious implications stemming from how cou...
May 11, 2022•20 min•Ep. 118
When it comes to money, a common piece of advice you've probably heard is "live below your means." On the surface, this idea makes intuitive sense and indeed can create a debt-free life. It's practical and it's intuitive. However, as one of host Travis Shelton's friends recently explained, this mindset can lead us down a self-serving, entitled, and narcissistic path. It's a path where we continually reward ourselves with nicer cars, bigger houses, and more glamorous trips. It's the pursuit of mo...
May 09, 2022•12 min•Ep. 117
Sometimes we are blessed with a financial windfall. Whether it's a one-time chunk of money coming in (tax refund, bonus, extra paycheck, etc.) or a monthly expense that goes away (which in effect creates additional income), we sometimes have moments where there will be more money coming in than prior months. When this happens, it can be easy to let squander the opportunity or make a poor decision. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains the six things we can do to ensure we're making a ...
May 04, 2022•25 min•Ep. 116
One of the most common criticisms we receive about our content is our perspectives come from a place of financial privilege. Translation: most people can't view and handle work/money they way we discuss it. If we're going to be fair, let's go ahead and acknowledge host Travis Shelton probably does have some level of financial privilege. That's not under debate. What is under debate is whether it's the chicken or the egg. Does he have these perspectives because he has financial privilege....or do...
May 02, 2022•19 min•Ep. 115
In today's episode, host Travis Shelton sits down with Kristina Ellis, who is the newest personality at Ramsey Solutions. Kristina has an amazing story, which includes earning $500,000 of scholarships that propelled her to attend her dream college debt-free. This impacted her life so much she ultimately committed her career to helping others do this money and college stuff better. She is the author of two books (linked below) and has spent much of the last decade speaking to and working with you...
Apr 27, 2022•55 min•Ep. 114
We recently polled our IG followers about what topics we should cover on the podcast. Two people immediately asked about financially preparing for kids, so here we are! It's a bit of a bad news, good news situation. Bad news: yes, kids cost a lot. Good news: they cost whatever we spend on them. In other words, parents have a tremendous amount of control over what kids cost. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses some of the costs needed before a child is born, the ongoing costs incurr...
Apr 25, 2022•25 min•Ep. 113
Generosity is awesome! For us, there's nothing better. But whenever we start to think about generosity and giving, it can be easy to minimize ourselves. "I don't have enough to make a difference." "I'll just wait until I have more to give." "Giving is something those other people are able to do." Don't worry, we've done it too! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton talks about the importance of focusing on what we DO have, rather than dwelling on what we DON'T have. It sounds like splitting ha...
Apr 20, 2022•14 min•Ep. 112
Do you or someone you know struggle to keep spending under control? In today's episode, host Travis Shelton addresses a question that came in from a listener who believes they have a spending problem. Spending isn't bad (we've talked about this idea often), but an overspending problem can cause significant issues. Financial issues, relational issues, psychological/emotional issues. In today's episode, we discuss the nine things we can do to help get our spending in check. And by spending "in che...
Apr 18, 2022•20 min•Ep. 111
We discussed the idea of legacy in episode 106, but we didn't dive too deep into why we're talking about it now. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses his recent experience losing a close friend/mentor. He shares a few memories, reflects on the impact she had on him (and countless others), and explains the profound impact legacy can have in the lives of others. When we talk about the idea of meaning over money, his friend Pat is a perfect example of what it looks like to simply live ...
Apr 13, 2022•20 min•Ep. 110
Oftentimes when people are pursing a big financial goal such as paying off a bunch of debt, saving up for a car or house downpayment, or building their emergency fund, the process can start to get exhausting. After all, this stuff is hard! Doing the right thing isn't easy......which is why most people aren't doing it! At some point in the journey, people can break. We don't want that! Instead of burning out, it can be a great decision to take a break in the middle of the process to take a breath...
Apr 11, 2022•13 min•Ep. 109
Whenever we decide to invest, of course we need to decide what to invest in. This is obvious, and much discussed. Mutual funds, individual stocks, ETFs, bonds, REITS......so many choices. However, there's one major decision that often gets overlooked: where to invest it. What type of account should our investments live in? Conventional wisdom says to jam everything humanly possible into a 401(k) to minimize our annual tax bill. However, there's more to the story. In today's episode, host Travis ...
Apr 06, 2022•21 min•Ep. 108
Do you ever work hard, do the right thing, make the right choices.....only to find yourself waiting (oftentimes impatiently) for the resulting success? We're glad we aren't the only ones! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses how frustrating it can be when success doesn't come when we think it should, how common this phenomenon is, why remaining patient is vital, and why it matters. We can control what we can control, and unfortunately, we can’t control the timing of our success. Thi...
Apr 04, 2022•19 min•Ep. 107
Over the last few weeks, the 15-seed St. Peters Peacocks have made history in the NCAA men's tournament. It has gone further than any 15-seed team in the history of the tournament, forever cementing its legacy in college basketball lore. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the idea of legacy and why it's important for each of us to think about it. We hope this episode shines a completely new light on the subject and gives you something to think about in your own journey. We preview...
Mar 30, 2022•15 min•Ep. 106
Study after study shows the majority of humans struggle handling money. This isn't a surprise to any of us, as all we need to do is look around us. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares a story about a recent experience teaching a group of teens. There was a moment (or multiple moments) where something was quite visible. A few of these teens had not yet been exposed to a lot of financial education (formally or informally), and thus were dumbfounded by "normal" practices and advice. They...
Mar 28, 2022•18 min•Ep. 105
Whether we're talking about investing, buying a house, retirement, careers, or anything else along the journey of life, we have a series of choices to make. Not only that, but each choice is connected to the other. Further complicating matters, choosing one thing often means we can't choose the other. We refer to it as a series of levers. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton dives into this concept and explains how we can make sure we're pulling the right levers in our own respective journeys...
Mar 23, 2022•15 min•Ep. 104
This will surely cause some controversy, but it's a hill we will die on. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton makes the argument your credit card points are actually losing you money. No, not because you're "irresponsible" with your credit card and paying interest. We're going to make the assumption you are perfect with your handling of your credit card......and still losing money. After you listen, we'd love to hear your feedback! Hop over to our podcast community (link below) and share you ...
Mar 21, 2022•17 min•Ep. 103
We open the episode by talking about a recent survey finding 42% of Americans making at least $100,000+ live paycheck-to-paycheck. This is a staggering statistic! How can someone make that much money and still barely make ends meet!?!? In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses why income isn't the most important factor, how so many people end up in this position, why people from all income levels face similar financial hurdles, and how we can best utilize the income we're blessed with (w...
Mar 16, 2022•17 min•Ep. 102
With spring break and summer coming up, we thought it would be fun to talk about travel. Travel is one of those things so many people value, but it can often get neglected when the other bills start coming in. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance of treating travel just like we would our electric bill or our groceries. Why? Because it's important! We discuss how to make it a consistent item in your budget, stay intentional, then simply act when the opportunity to trav...
Mar 14, 2022•17 min•Ep. 101
One of the most frequent questions we get asked is about host Travis Shelton's drastic decision to leave his career and take a 90% pay cut to do something different. Why? Why would someone do that? Why would you take such a hit, especially with two toddlers and being the sole income of the family? Well, the name Meaning Over Money isn't just a name. It inherently represents who we are and how we live our lives. In today's episode, Travis shares the real reason behind his decision. But his decisi...
Mar 09, 2022•21 min•Ep. 100
In past episodes (linked below), we discussed the best life advice we've ever received. Some of it is money-related, and some is not. But money's never actually about money, so it all seemed to merge together. On the heels of those episodes, several of you shared some of the best life advice you've ever received. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares five relevant pieces of advice, shared by you, we think you'll find valuable. We always love hearing your feedback, so please reach out to...
Mar 07, 2022•15 min•Ep. 99
Whenever the topic of debt comes up, especially if we go down the road of talking about "good debt" and "bad debt", the conversation ultimately veers towards the direction of assessing interest rates. We usually justify debt as "good" when it has a lower rate, and often classify it as "bad" when it has a higher rate. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why he thinks we are overlooking the most important consideration. We don't pay interest.....we pay payments. There's a big differen...
Mar 02, 2022•15 min•Ep. 98
When we think about this money stuff, we often perceive those who are hurting or going through some serious financial issues as the most at-risk. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why he thinks we have it backwards. The people who are going through junk have a distinct inflection point to work through, whereas those who are ok most likely don't....and won't. When things are going ok, we can often justify our passivity and instead choose to simply endure/tolerate what's in front of...
Feb 28, 2022•15 min•Ep. 97
