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Couple Money Podcast

Build Your Marriage and Grow Your Net Worth

Meal Planning: Eating Well Without Breaking the Budget

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Does your food bill blow your budget? Today you’ll learn how to master meal planning to save you a ton of time and money! 

How to Save with Meal Planning

One of the biggest bills couples have – especially busy ones – is their food.

Between eating out and buying food for the family, there doesn’t seem to be enough money to cover everything.

We discussed saving money when eating out a few episodes ago. Now we’re looking at the other side -mastering your groceries and meals at home.

I asked my buddy Jen Smith to come on board. She’s the creator of Saving with Spunk and the author of the new book Meal Planning on a Budget.

In this episode we discuss:

  • how meal planning doesn’t mean leftover every night
  • the magic of slow cookers
  • how seasonal and sales eating is lower your bills and be better health wise

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Save Money While Eating Well

Want to cut your spending on food without sacrificing quality? Here are some resources to check out.

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

  • Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
  • Automate your money
  • Pay off your debt faster
    Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

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How to Save for Your Biggest Goals Together

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Do you two have several dreams you want to achieve, but not making any real progress? Today I’ll share how you can save for your big goals together! 

How to Save for Your Biggest Goals

Today we’re going to tackle the three biggest hurdles to saving and achieving your goals:

  • Getting your spouse on board with saving
  • Getting on the same page with your goals
  • Finding money to save

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Define Your Priorities and Big Goals

Whether it’s a joint or personal goal, there are handy resources available to help you two achieve your dreams.

Handy Tools to Save More Money

Here are a few of my favorite tools that make saving money much easier!

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

  • Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
  • Automate your money
  • Pay off your debt faster
    Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here. 

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

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20 Ways to Have Fun This Summer and Still Save a Ton of Money

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Looking to kick things up a notch? Learn how you can have fun this summer and still save some serious money! 

Summer Saving Fun

I’m so ready for summer!

The tricky part of summer, especially if you have little ones, is making sure you don’t go broke while still having fun.

So to wrap up this season, I challenged myself. Today I’m going to share how you can save a grand this summer!

We’re going to look at 4 areas and show you 5 ways to save.
  • Getting the Best Deals
  • Boost Your Savings
  • Frugal Foodie
  • Vacations/Getaways

Hope you enjoy!

Getting the Best Deals

If you’re out shopping make sure you’re getting the best deals! Some of my favorite apps and sites are:

  • iBotta
  • Camel, Camel, Camel
  • Honey
  • Paribus

Your family’s smartphone plan shouldn’t cost you a fortune. There are some fantastic deals out there. I use Republic Wireless and love them. They have an incredible line of phones. I have two lines with them and pay less than $50/month!

You may also want to look at providers like Ting, Freedom Pop, and StraightTalk.

When shopping online, hold off on those impulse buys you may be able to score a better deal by leaving before the purchase. I had a site send me an email afterward with a cheaper price. You may also want to switch to incognito mode.

Boost Your Savings

If you’re looking to ramp up savings here are some great apps and services to try out.

They can help you track your money quickly and easily.

You also want to make sure you’re keeping a visual reminder of what you’re saving towards. It can keep you motivated when you’re in the middle of things.

And of course, automate your savings. It’s not doing you any good until it’s stashed away.

Frugal Foodie

I’ve been writing for Couple Money for almost nine years and I will tell you that one of the biggest budget busters that couples have is eating out. Break this cycle by:

  • Plan Your Meals for This Week
  • Prep a Meal Ahead
  • Have Go-to Meals
  • Think Global with Your Dishes
  • Have a Potluck

Vacations/Getaways

Summer is a fantastic time to get out of town and explore someplace new. Using sites and apps like Skyscanner and CheapOair can make your money go further next trip!

  • Be Flexible
  • Learn How To Bid
  • Stay Like a Local
  • Budget for your Trip

 

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

  • Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
  • Automate your money
  • Pay off your debt faster
    Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

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Helping Your Kid Graduate College Debt Free with The Scholarship Shark

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Want to help your kid graduate college debt free? Learn the strategy and tactics one mom used to snag her son $700,000 in scholarships! 

The Scholarship Shark

College is expensive.

I don’t think that’s news to you, but did you know that graduates in the class of 2017 are on average carrying student loan debt of just over $39,400?
And that the student loan delinquency rate of 11.2%?

If you’re a parent, you’re probably worried about how that can affect your child’s financial future.

You need to hunt down as many scholarships as you can.

That’s why I’m grateful Pam Andrews is here on the show. She’s not only the College Admissions Coach and Scholarship Strategist behind The Scholarship Shark, she’s a mom.

A mom who managed to help her son snag $700,000 in scholarships.

Yep.

So if you are interested in helping you kid minimize or skip those student loans, you’ll want to really pay attention to this episode.

Today Pam and I discuss:

  • how they worked together to find which schools to apply to
  • the strategy of getting scholarships
  • out of the box ways to make college affordable

Hope you enjoy!

Tips on Paying for College

If you two are looking to help your kid skip out on student loans, here are some resources to help you save up.

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

  • Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
  • Automate your money
  • Pay off your debt faster
    Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

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Working Together to Pursue your Dreams (without Going Broke!)

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Do you two have a couple of dreams you’d love to get started on but right now the money isn’t working? Today we’re going to discuss how to pursue your dreams without going broke!

Working Together to Pursue Your Dreams

Real life isn’t that smooth.
There are a dozen and more ways things can go sideways with the business. If you’re married, you have to work as a team.

Today Alex Grodnik from Wall Street Oasis’ podcast Moving Up and founder of Payclub is here to share his story and offer from tips from the trenches. His career has a had a few shifts. He and his wife are working together to a find a flow that allows them to pursue their dreams, pay their bills, and prepare for the arrival of their daughter this summer.

In this episode we discuss:

  • why he choose to get an MBA and the unexpected pivot he made
  • how they went to from living off two incomes to one
  • the real truth and finances of being a startup entrepreneur

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Help You Launch a Side Hustle

If you’re ready to make the leap, here are some more resources to help you build another income stream.

 

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

  • Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
  • Automate your money
  • Pay off your debt faster
    Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

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Becoming Debt Free Together with Mighty Bargain Hunter

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Want to become debt free, but you haven’t figured out how to do it together? Here’s what you need to know to knock out your debt faster! 

Debt Free Together

I’ve yet to meet a couple who became debt free by accident.
I mean it’s kind of easy to slip into credit card debt or take on loans because that’s considered normal.

But to move away from that mentality takes effort.
And being a couple, you have two minds to shift.

There are things to consider together.
Like your approach.
Do you gravitate towards earning more money to knock out that debt or do you find it easier to slash your expenses?
How fast do you do it?
How do you two work as a team and use your personal talents to knock this debt off?

Every couple has their approach, so what worked for us might not work for you.
Which is why I love chatting with others and hearing how they did it.

John Wedding, the creator of Mighty Bargain Hunter, is on the show today to offer his take. He and his wife are debt free except the house.

In this episode, we get into:

  • how things shift from being solo to a couple
  • why debt free was an important goal to them
  • how they work as a family to be smart with their money

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Dump Your Debt Faster

Tired of being in debt? Here are some resources to help you dump it.

Never Miss an Episode!

Get the latest episodes sent to you along with exclusive bonuses and behind the scenes info with our FREE weekly newsletter!  

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

  • Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
  • Automate your money
  • Pay off your debt faster
    Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS | More

How to Budget Together for Savings and Fun

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Want to stop living paycheck to paycheck, but not sure where to start? Learn how to create a budget together so you can have fun now and some savings later!

Create a Budget You Both Love

How do you feel about your budget?

Be honest.

Chances are you’re not exactly thrilled about it.

A survey conducted by Experian found that nearly half – 42% to be exact – don’t use one because they feel like they’re ineffective and unnecessary.

So how do you create a budget that you both love?
Peter Polson from Tiller, one of the coolest money apps out there, is joining me today to offer some fantastic suggestions and ideas.

In this episode we’ll discuss:

  • how a budget can fit into your life and grow with you through your marriage
  • how to fit your personal hobbies into your budget
  • why there is no one size fits all budget

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Budget Together

Do you two want to get on the same page with budgets? Here are some helpful resources mentioned in the episode and more.

Budget Templates to Try Out

Thank You to Our Partners

Support for this podcast comes from partners like Personal Capital. Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Did I mention it’s free? Why don’t you give Personal Capital a try today?

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS | More

How Hobbies Fit on the Your Path to Financial Independence

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Today on the podcast we’re going to be talking about the connection between your hobbies and having a rich life!

Do Your Hobbies Move You Closer to Financial Independence?

So today’s topic – this connection between the hobbies you have and whether or not you’re having a rich life –  is fascinating to me. It’s kind of a continuation of this past Tuesday’s episode where we were talking about breaking the switch with mindless spending.

there focus there was making sure we were breaking that habit of unconsciously spending more and turning that into something more productive.

One way is through hobbies we take on. However, are there certain hobbies that can make a real difference with getting to financial independence faster and having a rich and fulfilling life?

In this episode, we’ll get into:

  • different hobbies between high earning and low earning households
  • how your hobbies can help you on the path to financial independence
  • aligning your hobbies to a richer life

Hope you enjoy!

Financial Independence and Hobbies

If you want to explore and pick up some new hobbies, here are some resources to check out:

Thank You to Our Partners

Support for this podcast comes from partners like Personal Capital. Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Did I mention it’s free? Why don’t you give Personal Capital a try today?

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. I also want to thank Lee Rosevere for music in this episode.

 

 

 

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5 Key Ways to Pay Your Mortgage Off Faster

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Want to be completely debt free, including your house? Find out the key changes one couple made to pay off their mortgage in less than 5 years! 

Pay Your Mortgage Off Faster

What would you do if you owed your home free and clear like Andy does now?

With no mortgage payment what options would open up?

There’s a good chance you’d love to get rid of your mortgage, but the idea of getting rid of such a huge amount makes it seem impossible.
Forget paying it off in 5 years, you may struggle to even see a way to reduce it in half.

Right now median purchase price of a home here in the United States is $235,000, with 10% down. Now if you live in D.C. you’re looking at $400,000 with my buddies in Cali close behind at around $350,000.

Not cheap. Probably the biggest purchase you’ll make.

Which is why I asked my buddy and Marriage, Kids, and Money creator, Andy Hill, to come on. He’s an awesome guy, really excited to get couples closer to their debt free goals.

We both know that not everyone can replicate what Andy and his wife Nicole did – we all have different circumstances – but there’s a lot to their process that could make all the difference with you and your home.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • why they were adamant about knocking out their mortgage in 5 years
  • steps that made the difference with paying off their mortgage
  • tools to help you be debt free faster

Hope you enjoy!

Speaking of Andy, we’ve teamed up with friends on a free Facebook community called Thriving Families.

It’s a fun group where we share our wins and ideas with each other on how to thrive as a family. Come join us!

Resources to Dump Your Mortgage Faster

If you’re looking to dig in deeper for ways to pay your mortgage off faster, here are some resources to check out:

And if you two are looking for more ideas on how to find, save, and make extra cash to pay down or debt, please sign up for my free 5 Days to $5K course.

It’s a week-long special email series that will help you get some extra money in.

Thank You to Our Partners

Support for this podcast comes from partners like Personal Capital. Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Easy to set up & easy to use. You can have all your investments, income, and expenses all pulled into one place.

Did I mention it’s free? Why don’t you give Personal Capital a try today?

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. I also want to thank Lee Rosevere for music in this episode.

Play

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Financial Success Doesn’t Always Move in a Straight Line

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Have you ever been frustrated with how long it was going to take to get out of debt? Learn how to handle setbacks, define your family’s path, and knock out your goals together! 

Defining Your Family’s Financial Success

Do you ever feel frustrated with how things are going? You read these awesome stories like This Couple Paid Off $72,000 in Debt in 22 Months or Couple shares how they wiped out $162K debt in less than 3 years.

You’re thinking, ‘wow we’re working at a snail’s pace’.
That can be discouraging.

I want to highlight a different story.

Today Steve Goodwin from My Family on a Budget shares his family’s more down to earth journey to becoming debt free.

In this episode we discuss:

  • how financial Peace University transformed their finances
  • Steve’s big mistake with investing and how he fixed it
  • making the transition to being a stay at home dad

Hope you enjoy!

Resources to Help You Get Out of Debt

Tired of being in debt? Here are some resources to help you dump it.

Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money Course

Want to give your marriage and bank account a boost? Pick up Jumpstart Your Marriage and Money course.

Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:

  • Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
  • Automate your money
  • Pay off your debt faster
    Plus more!

You can get lifetime access here!

Music Credit

Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS | More