Couple Money Podcast

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 the virtual academy with school, we knew we had reconfigured a few things to make it work.  We created spaces for school and work and had to adjust our schedules and routines. As working parents, we have to be careful that work doesn’t spill over to family time.  It’s especially hard as an entrepreneur, where you have a huge impact on your business’s bottom line.  This is why I’m pulling from the archives an interview I had with LaTisha Styles. She’s the Founder & CEO of You’ve Got Clients®, a marketing consultancy. Whe

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. Most of us are busy and we're not looking to take on a second job at night or the weekends, especially if we have other responsibilities, including kids. This is where a side hustle can be a practical solution. First, though, let's talk about some of the worries people have about starting a side hustle. Type in ‘side hustle' on the web and you'll get some pretty ridiculous claims. Too many times it's this empty promise of getting rich quick. Or it's all about the grind, where people brag about the crazy hours they put in. When

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, there are a few ways that you can optimize your budget and cut down on some expenses, maybe negotiate some better deals on some bills. Sometimes, though, it isn't just a spending issue. It's an income issue. After your worked a full-time job, Most people I know aren't necessarily looking to take on a second one and being tied down to another fixed schedule for so-so pay. Is there a way for you to earn more, maybe on the side, that caps into one of your talents and can you use that income to either grow your emergency fund

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 because they've hit the pause button for a while. Not getting any worse with their finances, but not making the progress that they want to. Today, we're going to focus on how to get back on track by honing in on key goals to tackle this year. We also have some couples looking forward to buying a house in the near future so something that they want to do now is to raise their credit scores to hopefully qualify for uh, competitive mortgage rate. Finally one lesson that's really sunk in these days is the importance of having a financi

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 try to find solutions that we’re both happy with.  It could be one of persuading the other or it could be putting together a third option. In other words, don’t be surprised when two of you aren’t instantly on the same wavelength.  I believe that’s a strength with marriage – you two are seeing and testing ideas out from different perspectives.  That’s why I really connected with what Jamila said at the top of the show. You can sometimes be enthusiastic about tackling your debt, saving more, or investing towards retirement a

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 fast. We’ve heard from multiple friends how quickly their rents have jumped.  There have been plenty of news stories about it. Rents in Durham 20.1% and here in Raleigh going up 22.1%. Since our theme this month is about saving you money, I’m glad to highlight my chat with Justin Pogue. He's an asset & property management professional and the author of Rental Secrets. Justin shared with me some strategies that can help you get a better deal on your rent and save some serious cash.  In this episode we get into: Six strategi

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 goals: an emergency fund, vacations, down payment for a home or money to start a business. You could be stashing away money towards your 401(k) or IRA so you can have something for retirement. Or you want to help out your kids with college or wedding expenses.  Wait, maybe 50% isn’t enough.  Sometimes it does feel that way.  Hopefully it does highlight why it’s so important for all of us to get into the habit of saving.  The good news is all this month we’re going to examine different stories and ways you can not only save mon

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 about the process. Of course, this isn’t an overnight thing, so something what’s been motivating and encouraging is listening to others share how it felt to get rid of that debt. I think that's going to be the frustrating piece for everybody. Who's thinking they're gonna pay off their mortgage early. That there's going to be some big parties, Guess I’ll just send that payment online and celebrate at home, noted.  By the way, that’s Steve Stewart. He’s the talented editor behind some of fantastic podcasts like Stacking Benjamins, Choo

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. Judging by some reports, it’s a big financial issue. Bankrate recently surveyed thousands of Americans and they found that the balance of 42% of U.S. adults with credit card debt have increased since the pandemic started.  One huge hurdle is how high the interest rates tend to be with credit cards. Now if you have an excellent credit score 13% while those who have fair credit care looking at an average just under 23%. It’s almost like being in quicksand unless you're making some significant payments. This is why I’m happy to share

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 officially retired if you so choose. But the goal of that is, is that you can start to have a lifestyle that kind of mimics financial independence earlier on. If you're very careful and you are paying off debt and you're intentional with your spending, and if you're not letting it get out of control, I think you can actually live some of those benefits sooner. And so that's kind of what I what I believe is that you can have this really cool life if you are willing to do the hard work. Now, you can actually have that life soo

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 of the book, The Great Debt Dump: Running Toward Financial Freedom with the Power of Community. Besides knowing the stats and studies about getting out of debt. Toni has personal experience with becoming debt free. If her voice sounds familiar it's because Toni was on the podcast before when she shared her family’s story of dumping six figures of debt. She had an added challenge because her husband Colin wasn’t on board at first. So if you're in a similar boat, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation where Toni discusses how to f

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 to do in 2022 while of course keeping some flexibility because COVID is still a thing.   A big challenge many families face is creating and sticking with a plan that allows them to pay down their debts, save for priorities, and invest more.  Today’s episode has something that I think will be a huge help.  I had the pleasure of chatting with Joe Saul-Sehy of the award winning Stacking Benjamins and personal finance author Emily Guy Birken about their new book, Stacked: Your Serious Guide to Modern Money Management.  Which is a mou

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.    Most of the numbers reviewed are automated. There are some fantastic options out there like Personal Capital, Mint, Tiller, and You Need a Budget that can pull the numbers from your accounts into one neat dashboard.    However a year end review is just that - a review. If we want to level up for the next year, we have to have some blueprint or plan.    Here’s where it’s key for us to create our family financial goals. They give us a guide on how to allocate or prioritize our money for the year.    Today I want to walk you through some

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 you set things up for a fantastic year in 2022 and beyond. Besides our monthly money review, one of the things we do is a year end review. It’s a way for us to review the numbers, celebrate wins, and see what we need to work on.  We then take that information and use it to plan out the next year.  Today I want to walk you through the process. We’ll go through our goals we made for the year, finding the money to reach them, and whether we’re on track with them or not.   Next week, we’ll then look at how to create goals in a way so

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. If you don’t have some way to work on it, it can hurt your marriage and money.  One of the first things to realize about why couples fight or argue over money is how frequently it’s actually NOT about the money. Seriously.  From personal experience, writing and speaking about this for over a decade, the most common reason couples fight about money is that they are not in sync with each other in either their expectations, values, or priorities. Usually it’s a combo of them.  While you two aren't always going to see eye to eye on e

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 and savings accounts are the backbone to your family’s financial system, but for most of us, it's almost like an afterthought. Much of this goes back to how we chose our accounts in the first place. For my husband and I, with our first accounts, it was based on who we were already banking with. And at the time we had bank accounts with two of the major banks, we had opened student checking accounts. When I say they were basic accounts, that's exactly what they were. Honestly, we just settled with it for way too long. After gettin

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 a tool, not the goal. It’s to help us to care of our kids and lother loved ones,  So while I respect those highly detailed spreadsheets with line by line breakdowns of every cent, I save that for quarterly reviews. Instead, budget monthly and do weekly checks on Fridays that usually are five minutes just to make sure everything is running smoothly.  It took some time, but we’re grateful to have a financial system that allows us to focus on the big stuff. We love even more considering these past 18 months.  If you’re looking to

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 details of the different benefits and options that may be available.  I’m grateful for those experts who took the time to share some of their knowledge and will have those episodes up on the homepage so you can listen to them because much of it is still incredibly helpful.  Today, I’m doing what I did last week, which is to go over those FAQs that typically come up. Again, these questions are the ones I see on my side, from discussing through the newsletter, in the Facebook group  Thriving Families, or those Google searches.  In this

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 a packet of information about your benefits. One of the big things that I want families to focus on- especially busy ones- is going for the big wins. Yes. It is beneficial to get better financial habits and cutting those unnecessary expenses, maybe five or $10 here and using that money towards more impactful family and financial goals. But going for the big wins means that for a little bit of time and effort, you can have reoccurring winds or see a significant drop in your expenses or increase your savings. This is where open

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. The theme of our discussion was managing finances when undergoing a life transition, but it quickly widen out and scope. After my chat with Rich, our discussion stuck with me. Having written about personal finance for 12 years and podcasting, a little over half that time, I noticed a certain rhythm with people in their interests and finances. Beginning of the year, it's all about setting up these big goals, paying off debt, saving up for a huge house down payment. For some, it truly is the beginning of an awesome year. They get th