Not happy with the service you’re getting from your bank? It may be time to switch. Learn how credit unions work and see if they’re a better banking option for you! Move Your Money to a Better Banking Option Where you bank matters. For most families, their checking and savings accounts are the foundation of their financial system. When it's not working, it just makes everything harder. We know because we’ve had some really bad experiences with a few of the big banks. Whether it was poor customer...
Oct 18, 2023•21 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Open enrollment season is here and I want you to be prepared. Learn what you need to know so that you can choose an affordable healthcare insurance plan that covers your family's needs! Finding Affordable Health Insurance How would you like to help set up your finances for this next year so that it runs smoother and that you are gonna be hitting your money goals faster? That might very well be the case if you take time to carefully to go over your options with Open Enrollment. I know it might no...
Oct 16, 2023•18 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Teaching kids about money doesn't have to be boring! Discover how to make learning about finances fun and engaging for your children! Teaching Kids Smart Money Habits As parents we want to prepare out kids so when they decide to go off on their own, they’re equipped with not just the essential life skills, but also have wisdom on knowing when and how to use those skills. Believe it or not, part of showing them the ropes is teaching them about money. Because if we don’t, they’ll have a much harde...
Oct 03, 2023•40 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Are you a parent trying to juggle your family's budget while still enjoying life? We’re going to walk you through how to find a balance with raising your kids, managing your money, and have fun! Parenting on a Budget: Strategies for Juggling Kids, Money, and Happiness When you’re a parent, it can sometimes feel like there are so many demands on your finances and times. As we raise our kids, we may have to deal with daycare, school trips, extra curricular activities, family vacations, saving for ...
Sep 20, 2023•27 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Are you looking to have some fun while saving up for your goals? We'll explore ten monthly money challenges that you and your family can try out! Taking On Monthly Money Challenges As I mentioned last week, there's a wonderful opportunity for you to reset things with your finances and have a big win with your family and financial goals. There's three full months or 15 weeks, depending on how you want to look at it left in the year. You can knock out some really big goals in that time. One thing ...
Sep 15, 2023•19 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’ll go over five steps on how to reset and achieve your big family money goals for before the year wraps up! How to Reset and Reach Your Family and Financial Goals It’s the first full week of September. How are things going of you this year so far? Looking back at 2023 so far, it’s honestly been a year of ups and downs for us. Summer break for example had us taking two family trips around North Carolina which we certainly needed. Unfortunately my mom was in the hospital in the first part...
Sep 08, 2023•18 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Are you curious about real estate investing ? Today, we're going to hear from two people who have made that leap and started building up their income streams through real estate ! Getting Started in Real Estate Investing in real estate can be profitable and exciting, but it can also seem daunting, especially if you haven't got started yet. One of the favorite things I like to do, here on the podcast is to share stories from people in real life. What was it like to achieve their financial goals? ...
Jun 23, 2023•33 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Today we’re going over essential house hunting tips so you can find your dream house! The Dos and Don'ts of House Hunting: Expert Advice from a Real Estate Agent Welcome back! These past few weeks, we’ve been focused on our home buying series. We started off with preparing finances to handle becoming a homeowner and building your credit. Next, we got the inside scoop on what lenders are looking for to make it easier to get a great deal on your mortgage. Now we’re talking about the last key step ...
Jun 09, 2023•18 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Are you thinking of buying a home soon? Get the inside scoop on what lenders are looking for so you can get a great deal on a mortgage! How to Find the Best Rates for Your Mortgage It's home buying season and depending on where you live, it could be a hot market. It’s certainly that here in Raleigh, NC. As a buyer that can be additional pressure on finding the right place for you, but if you’re prepared and you snag a great deal on your mortgage, you’ll have a leg up. This is why to have Wendy D...
May 31, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Buying a house can be overwhelming. Learn how to get your finances ready for homeownership so your new home is a blessing and not a burden! Preparing Your Finances to Buy a House Buying a house is a huge personal and financial milestone for many families, but it can also be a stressful and complicated process. One part of the stress is buying a house that’s affordable. You want to be financially prepared There’s plenty of advice on buying a house and not all of it is good. Have you heard ‘buy as...
May 25, 2023•29 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Are you looking to have a true vacation where you can relax and enjoy, but are afraid it’s going to break your budget? Learn how to score amazing deals and travel hack on your next trip! Finding the Best Family Vacation Deals During the last two episodes, we talk about building a better budget. We wanted to see how you can create a budget that allows you to pay the bills, but balances your future financial goals with some fun here and now. We’ve found that you’re more likely to stick to your bud...
May 20, 2023•36 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Are you ready to start building a budget that works and you actually love? Learn the nuts and bolts on how to quickly and easily make a flexible family budget! Creating a Budget That Actually Works for You Last week I mentioned that one report found 73% of millennials are living paycheck to paycheck. When you’re in that situation you can be an added weight on shoulders because if one thing goes wrong – and it will- it can make a mess of your finances. For this week, I want to go from the big pic...
May 10, 2023•27 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Budgets don't have to feel like deprivation. Learn how to create a flexible family budget that fits in what you love while hitting your financial goals! Why Your Family Needs a Flexible Budget Raise your hand if the first time you made your budget it was exactly what you needed and was a perfect for your situation. Yeah, I don’t personally know anyone who got their budget right the first try and there’s a few reasons for that. Chances are what you put down on paper doesn’t match real life. Eithe...
May 03, 2023•33 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast We’ve brought back the listener's mailbag. Today we’re answering your family and finance questions about keep your grocery bills manageable, deciding on how to travel with kids, and getting started with real estate! Listener Mailbag: Spring 2023 One of my favorite parts of creating Simplify and Enjoy is the community. While I’m happy to share our journey as a family, it’s fun when you chime in with your wins, stories, and questions. Today we’re going to be diving into your family and finance que...
Mar 08, 2023•34 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Are you interested in getting started in real estate investing but don't know where to begin? We’ll uncover some opportunities and niches out there that could be a good fit for you! Adventures in Real Estate Investing In our community we have families at different points in their financial journeys. This year we have some who are focused on knocking out debts that have been weighing them down. We also have families who building up their financial cushion or saving up for a huge goal including st...
Mar 01, 2023•26 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Do you want to start a garden this year, but are you worried that you can't keep the plants alive? I'm going to share how you can create an easy to maintain garden that's fun! Learning to Grow a Garden Before we get into gardening, I want to be upfront about something- I used to be the person who kept cacti around because it was the only plant I could keep alive. It's true. I am not someone who naturally has a green thumb. This is something that I had to build up from and learn. Good news, thoug...
Feb 23, 2023•24 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Want to have more work-life balance in your life? Today we’ll explore how the principles of FI can help you make the transition to part-time work! Finding Work-Life Balance as Parents Work- life balance can be a struggle for parents, especially if your kids are young. You wand to have this time with them, but you also have to take care of the essentials like bills. Or maybe you have a job you really enjoy, but it’s very demanding of your time. You want some flexibility so you can work, but still...
Feb 15, 2023•28 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Learn how you can get back into the swing of things and effectively network! Effective Networking Tips for Busy Parents For better and worse the pandemic has shifted how we work. For some families, working from home has now become an option. That’s blessing for sure. Some companies have shifted how they communicate, with in-person meeting being replaced with chats, emails, and video conferencing. However, there’s benefits for in-person events like conferences and team strategy sessions for a big...
Feb 08, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Want more flexibility with your budget and life? Learn how master your cash flow brings you closer to financial freedom! How to Have More Options with Cashflow FI It can be a challenge to break out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle. One recent survey found that 64% of Americans are in that cycle; that's nine and half million more than 2021 . You might be thinking that it is because of income and for sure that’s a major issue, but your income is only part of the equation. Fortune reported that ov...
Feb 01, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you have a huge financial goal you’re chasing, but you’re not sure how to fit it in with everything you have going on right now? Learn how you can be happy with your money and your life! Finding a Healthy Balance with Your Money and Your Life I find one of the biggest challenges when you’re working on family and financial goals is finding that balance. It can be easy to go from one extreme to the other without even realizing it. Before we started knocking out our debts, I wouldn’t say I gave ...
Jan 25, 2023•31 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast How do you translate your wish list into an actual to do list? Learn how you can create an everyday bucket list and an incredible year! Why You Need an Everyday Bucket List for Your Family One of my hopes for you and other families listening is show you how pursuing your financial goals doesn’t mean you have to put your life on hold. There is a certain amount of intensity you need in that initial phase to knock out things like high interest debt. That doesn’t mean you completely sacrifice fun in...
Jan 18, 2023•23 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Has the last few years been a much for you and it’s taken a toll on your health? Today we’re focusing on how you can have a rich life by getting fit! The Challenge: Fit at 40ish These past three years have been quite the ride. The pandemic has definitely affected me. Nothing dramatic, but when you put it together I can see how things have shifted. Good and bad. I have family and friends who are vulnerable to COVID because of health issues they already had, so I’ve been more cautious and that’s t...
Jan 11, 2023•39 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Ready to rest and fresh your family and financial goals? This year we’re exploring how to have a rich life! The Challenge: Make 2023 A Rich Life Okay, that’s a pretty bold statement – have a rich life. Let first back track on how I came up with this theme for the season and then we can talk about what a rich life looks like. Even before we wrapped up this last season in November, something had been nagging me about the podcast. Besides Simplify and Enjoy, I also write and run Couple Money which ...
Jan 04, 2023•23 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Is pursuing CoastFI a smart move for families? Looking for the best personal finance book for you? We dive into these questions and more in this mailbag episode! Listener Q&A: CoastFI Questions and More We’re wrapping up this season of the podcast by focusing on one of my favorite parts of Simplify and Enjoy: our community. While I’m happy to share our journey as a family, it’s fun and inspiring to hear your stories, ideas, and questions. I usually come away with something to explore and I hope ...
Nov 10, 2022•23 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast With the year wrapping up soon, now is a wonderful time to do a year-end review of your money goals and set yourself up for an incredible year ahead! Reviewing Your Money Goals for the Year It’s that time of year again! Besides our monthly money reviews , one of the things we do is a deeper dive year-end review . It’s a way to review the numbers, celebrate wins, and adjust our system as needed to achieve our goals. Everyone has their own system, but the bones of the process are usually the same....
Nov 03, 2022•21 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Data breaches and identity theft are becoming a regularly part of our lives. Learn how you can protect and secure your personal information! How to Secure Your Info from Data Breaches Identity theft, data breaches, and scams are something that many of us are dealing with way too frequently. Recently, I got a letter from the medical system that we use for doctor's appointments and, it, went a little, something like this: Dear Valued Patient: We're committed to improving the health and well-being ...
Oct 26, 2022•16 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Are you frustrated with your bank? Are you getting hit with needless fees? Or feeling like you have to fight to get some good customer service? Today, we're going to look at credit unions and we're going to see why they may be the right option for you. Why Where You Bank Matters One of the most important decisions you can make with your money is choosing where you bank because it's the foundation of your family's finances. Ideally, you want a banking system that allows you to take care of your e...
Oct 19, 2022•21 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Open enrollment season is here and I want you to be prepared. Learn how you can avoid some of the biggest mistakes and instead maximize your workplace benefits to their fullest potential! Open Enrollment FAQs How would you like to help set up your finances for this next year so that it runs smoother and that you are going to be hitting your money goals faster? That might very well be the case if you take time this weekend to go over your options with open enrollment. I know it might not seem lik...
Oct 12, 2022•30 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Traveling as a family can be a fantastic way to connect and to experience new things together. If you have little ones, it can also be stressful. Today we're going to go over some travel tips and hacks that parents can use to make things less stressful and still snag a great deal on your next family trip! Taking a Trip with Children Are you guys planning to travel this season? We are. These past few years, we’ve developed a rhythm where we travel to catch the changing of the leaves. I will say w...
Oct 05, 2022•20 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Not sure how to start talking to your kids about money? One mom shares how she's teaching her teens about budgets, investing, giving, and more! Guiding Your Teens with Finances One of parenthood's joys (and responsibilities) is guiding your kids and teens into adulthood. We all want them to live happy and meaningful lives. That’s a huge goal to work towards, and it takes all 18 years (and then some!) to build them up. One essential skill set they need to get a handle on is their finances. We kno...
Sep 28, 2022•32 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast 
