Couple Money Podcast

How to Use Vision Boards to Achieve More

Are you looking for a way to stay motivated with your goals for the year? Michelle Jackson walks us through how vision boards can help you achieve more!  How to Use Vision Boards to Achieve More t's the second day of the 2017 and I'm betting that you're probably flooded with a ton of goal setting tips, hacks, and trips. On one hand, I think taking a step back and having some clarity on what you want to accomplish is a wonderful first step, but I'm not a New Year's Resolutions woman. ...

Life After Debt: Rebuilding After a Short Sale

Stressed and overwhelmed by debt? Learn how you can rebuild your finances and life. Miss Mazuma shares how she overcame $500k of debt, short sales, and found happiness!   Rebuild Your Finances It's the beginning of a new year and while so many right now are all jazzed up about knocking down their debts, saving more, or spending less, that enthusiasm will die down. And if you still have a huge amount of debt or just a big goal you want to tackle when that happens, you can discourage. An...

How to Master Your Small Business Finances (Even If You're Busy!)

Looking for a less stressful way to handle your business' finances? Learn what mistakes to avoid and the tools that will help you master money even if you're a busy entrepreneur! Small Business Finances Around 27 million working-age Americans began or are running a business you may be one of them. I remember when I started freelancing it was a supplemental income. Eventually, though, it transitioned into my main work. I knew I needed to step it up and run it like a business. So I took...

Merging Finances? Skip the Money Talk, Go on a Date Instead!

Are you two stressed over money? Do your talks more often than not end up in fights? Learn how money dates can be effective and fun way you get on the same page and talk about money! The Money Talk vs Money Dates One of the most popular questions I get is, when should we talk about money? Having THE money talk is not only intimidating but unproductive. Find out a better, less stressful option in today's episode. In this episode, we'll get into: why talking about money matters how y...

Best Travel Apps to Snatch Last Minute Deals

Ready to take a last minute getaway or weekend trip? Use these travel apps and get the best deals! Going away for the weekend doesn't mean you break your budget. With a little planning and the right resources, you two can score some nice trips and still save money. So if you're looking at getting away from it all for a few days, save this post. Travel Sites to Bookmark for Your Weekend Getaways There are more sites than ever for travelers. Besides snagging last minute deals on popula...

Blended Family Finances: How to Thrive Together!

Merging families and finances can be especially tricky with blended families, but you two can succeed and thrive. Get tips on how you can make this big transition go a lot smoother!  Blended Families and Finances Anytime you're merging lives, there are so many things to talk about and discuss. When you're blending your families that's another layer of complexity. If you have kids, you two are figuring out what the house rules apply now with things like curfew, chores, that you're under...

Dumping $200k of Debt By Right Sizing Into a Tiny House

Tired of your debt restricting your options? Learn how Claudia & Garrett from Two Cup House dumped $200k in two years by simplifying their lives and moving into a tiny house! Achieving Financial Freedom By Dumping Debt Whenever I hear neighbors, friends, and family talk about their debt, there are a couple of reactions. Some are frustrated being trapped with certain things because of debt. Maybe they'd love to switch jobs to start a new career, but can't because they got bills to pay. ...

The Opposite of Spoiled: Teaching Kids About Money

Ron Lieber,  NYTimes columnist and author of The Opposite of Spoiled, discusses how to raise money smart kids who are generous.  Talking About Money with Our Kids Whether we plan to or not our kids will pick up their financial habits based on what we say and do around them. We can look back at our parents and get an idea of how they shaped us. So how can we make sure we’re giving our kids a good start with money? In this episode Ron Lieber, NY Times columnist and author of the newly r...

Teaching Kids About Money: Allowances

Marriage and Money Q&A: Better Bank Options Plus Loaning Money to Family

We're doing a listener Q and a, and we're answering two big marriage and money-related questions: finding better banking options and how to decide whether or not to loan money to friends or family! Answering Your Marriage and Money Questions Last Q&A we covered getting back on track with financial goals, raising credit scores, and jumpstarting your financial cushion.  So what’s on your minds now?  For one, it looks like you’re looking for a better banking option. That’s a smart move ...

Family Adventure: Year-long RV Trip Across the Americas

Ever dream of getting away from it? Learn how to prepare and plan your own adventure as Mike shares how he and his wife took their family on an RV trip across the Americas! Family Adventure: How to Plan for an Epic RV Trip We've been talking in a series of episodes about travel all this month- how to plan these different types of trips for your family that you'll enjoy and remember for a long time. But have you thought about doing something bigger?  Something where you don't just go awa...

Family Travel Hacking with Points with a Crew

Want to see more of the world, but are limited by budget? Learn how one couple used travel hacking so their entire family could take fantastic trips!  Travel Hacking as a Family While, I know many families are eager to get out there and traveled to summer. I also know that one of the holdups they have is their budget. Whether you're flying, renting cars. Staying at an Airbnb hotel. Everything has gotten more expensive. Traveling as a couple can be pricey, but still feasible. But it can ...

Planning and Taking Cross Country Road Trip

Want to Take Cross Country Road Trip Together? How many times have you guys thought about traveling? Not just a weekend getaway or a vacation, but really seeing another place? What's stopping you?  These last few years with the pandemic have been..well, alot. We’ve had lockdowns, restrictions, and having to adjust work for the norm. On top of that, if you have kids, school looked completely different.  While we’re understandably cautious and keeping an eye on things, I believe many of ...

Travel Hacks: Couples Edition

Want to get out and travel more this year without breaking your budget? Learn how you can use travel hacking as a couple to get great deals on your trips!   Travel Hacking Together As we move into May, I’m hearing more and more couples talk about travel. With better weather and after an unprecedented - yeah I said it - two years, many are looking for a change in scenery.  According to Trip Advisor, 68% of Americans are looking to travel domestically and 29% are considering a trip abroad...

How to Get Top Dollar When Selling Your House

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 So far this month, we’ve been focused on buying a house. We looked at mortgages last week, discussed how to find some hidden gems in your city, and what mistakes to avoid during your house hunt. Now we’re looking at the other side: selling your place.  Right now in Raleigh, it’s a seller’s market. On the plus side, houses...

Mortgages: How to Find the Best Rates

Buying a house is typically the biggest purchase couples make so you want to have your numbers line up with your goals and budget. Learn how you can find the best mortgage rates when you house hunt!  Finding the Best Mortgages Rates Are you two getting ready to start house hunting? Congratulations! When we were looking for our now current house, I remember the excitement of visiting and touring places. I also remember the other side of the house hunt: getting paperwork for the preapp...

House Hunters: How to Find a Hidden Gem (and Not a Money Pit!)

Looking to buy a house you can comfortably afford? Today we’re going over how you can find a hidden gem and not a money pit!  How to Find and Buy a House You Can Afford I don’t know how things are in your area, but here in the Triangle, the housing market is hot. Prices have shot up. The median price of homes currently listed in Raleigh is $379,000.  To give you some context, a townhouse on our street went for more than double what we paid for our single-family house a few years ago. ...

Most Common Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid

Are you house hunting or about to start? Learn how you can buy the right house for you and your budget.  Mistakes Home Buyers Make Buying a house is usually one of the biggest purchases you can make and the financial paperwork of getting a mortgage gets complicated quickly.  Besides having a down payment ready, you have other costs like  Home inspection Lender fees Appraisal Title search and insurance fees And so forth If you’re buying a $300,000 home, you’re looking at payin...

How to Build a Profitable Side Hustle from Home

Carla Titus shares the realities of running a profitable business from home and how she and her husband created a system that fits their goals and family life! The Realities of Starting a Side Hustle from Home Nowadays it’s become more common for couples and families to diversify their income. Whether it’s because they looking to knock out some debt, save up for a house or another goal, or they want to pivot their career, couples are looking at side hustles.  We’ve had several episod...

How to Side Hustle Your Way Out of Debt

Feeling trapped by debt? Get the strategies, tactics, and resources to help you pay yours off faster!  Using Side Hustles to Pay Off Your Student Loans and Other Debts Faster Depending on where you are with your financial journey you may be dealing with debt. In some cases, a mountain of it.  Right now people are keeping an eye out on student loans and understandably so. It’s been estimated that 62% of college seniors who graduated from nonprofit colleges in 2019 had student loan debt....

Marriage & Money: Finding Your Work-Life Balance

Looking to balance work and family? LaTisha Styles shares her take and story on being a happily married entrepreneur! Entrepreneurs + Marriage One of the ways the pandemic has reshaped things is by seeing how many more people are working from home.  I’ve seen different reports and estimates give ranging from 25-32%.  Working from home offers many benefits, but has its challenges. I’ve been working from home for years and had a flow. When my husband went full-time remote and the kids did...

How to Diversify Your Income with Side Hustles

Looking to boost your income? Learn how to find and launch a side hustle so Are you thinking of starting a side hustle, but you're afraid of burnout? Learn how you can have the best of both worlds – diversify your income and earn money on the side while keeping it sustainable and fit around your schedule! Boost and Diversify Your Income All this month we’re focusing on ways to earn more.  The concern though is about the time and effort involved with building up another stream of income...

How to Launch a Profitable Side Hustle

Want to make extra money to help you pay down debt or explore a new career? Chris Guillbeau shares how to launch a profitable side hustle in 27 days! Want to Launch a Side Hustle? One of the biggest hurdles I see and hear from couples in the community about why they're not able to pay down their debt, save or invest more is that they don't really have a lot of buffer in their budget. They just don't have that extra cash to put towards their goals. Typically, when you look at the numbers...

Marriage & Money Mailbag: Financial Goals, Raising Credit Score, and Starter Emergency Funds

oday we’re answering your marriage and money questions – choosing financial goals, raising credit scores, and how to start an emergency funds! Answering Your Marriage and Money Questions Welcome to another community mailbag episode, where we tackle your marriage and money questions. And we have some great ones today. These past two years have been challenging for many in our community because of the uncertainty. For some couples, the big goal is to get back to their financial goals bec...

How One Couple Saved Over $80k in a Year!

Want to retire early, but your spouse isn't ready? Learn how Jamila and her husband got on the same page with financial independence and saved over $80,000 last year!  Getting on the Same Page with Financial Independence Wouldn't it be fantastic if the two of you were instantly on the same page with your finances? Even though we’re at a place where we’re on the same page with major goals, there’s still times where we have to sit down and figure out the details about how to go about. We...

6 Strategies to Save and Lower Your Rent

Fast rising rents can break a couple’s carefully planned budget. Learn six strategies that can help lower your rent and keep more money in your pocket!  Getting a Deal on Your Rent One of the biggest expenses for couples is housing, especially when it comes to renting in a high cost of living area. According to Realtor.com's Monthly Rental Report, on average the cost of rent was 10.1% higher in 2021 than in 2020.  Living in the Triangle area of North Carolina, we’re seeing rents rise f...

How to Save More Than Half Your Income

Looking to hit your money goals faster? Today we’ll share one couple’s best tips that allowed them to save half their income!  How to Save More Than Half Your Income Did you know that ‘saving more’ was one of the top three goals for finances for 2022? Actually as I’ve been reviewing the data from Fidelity’s Financial Resolutions Study, I’ve noticed it’s been there for several years.  Understandably so because there are plenty of goals families are saving up for.  You have specific go...

Why and How to Pay Your Mortgage Off Early

Want to pay off your mortgage early, but don't know how? Learn how you can find the money so you can own your home free and clear! Pay Your Mortgage Off Early? Have you ever wondered how it would feel to be rid of your mortgage payment to own your house free and clear?    Even though we got a really good deal on her place, I would love to not see that huge chunk of money leave our accounts every month.   Right now, we’re on a plan to knock out our mortgage early and we’re excited a...

How to Get Out of Your Financial Rut and Become Debt Free!

Do you feel frustrated with how slow things are going with your debt free plan?  Maybe you have credit cards, it seems like you’re barely making a dent on them.  Today we’ll go over ways the two of you can have more wins with your money and knock out your debts!  Dumping Debt with Popcorn Finance Nothing is more demotivating than putting a lot of effort into something and not seeing any real results.  For many families, debt – especially credit cards – can be especially stressful. Jud...

Dumping $30k in Less Than Year!

Feeling trapped at a job because you're dealing with debt? Find out how you can pay off your debt faster. Whitney Hansen shares how she eliminated $30,000 in less than a year!  Feeling trapped at a job because you're dealing with debt? Find out how you can pay off your debt faster. Whitney Hansen shares how she eliminated $30,000 in less than a year!  So financial independence in the truest sense is for me when you are officially at a point where you don't have to work anymore, you're offi...

Dump Your Debt Faster Through the Power of Community

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 ...

Stacking Benjamins in 2022 (End of Year Bonus Episode!)

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...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Creating SMART Family and Financial Goals

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.    ...

[Simplify & Enjoy] How to Run a Year End Review for Your Financial Goals

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 ...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Dealing with Awkward Money Conversations as a Couple

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....

[Simplify & Enjoy] Bank Better: How to Switch Your Checking Accounts

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...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Keeping Your Financial System Simple and Effective

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...

[Simplify & Enjoy] 401(k)s: What Couples Need to Know to Maximize Their Retirement

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 det...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Open Enrollment: Keeping Health Insurance, Dental, and Disability Affordable

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...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Keeping Your Budget Flexible and Fun

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. ...

[Simplify & Enjoy] How to Negotiate with Debt Collectors

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 o...

[Simplify & Enjoy] The Power of Community When Pursuing Fi

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...

[Simplify & Enjoy] 5 Biggest Myths Around Financial Independence and Parenthood

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...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Real Estate Investing: Is It Right for You?

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 ...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Mid-Year Reviews: How to Keep tabs on your Investments

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...

[Simplify & Enjoy] Should We Invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum?

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 exa...

[Simplify & Enjoy] How to Diversify Your Income

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 t...

[Simplify & Enjoy] 2021 Summer of Savings

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 ...

The Art of Being Frugal: How to Live Well While Spending Less

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....

[Simplify & Enjoy] How to Protect Your Finances and Identity From Credit Card Fraud and Data Breaches

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 ide...