Episodes
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Labor Day! A Quote To End The 3-Day Weekend
“It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.” – Theodore Roosevelt
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Don’t Get Sucked Into “Good” Labor Day Sales
We all love a good deal and who doesn’t want to save a bit money in the process of buying the things we want and need. However, some deals aren’t as good as they seem and some deals are designed purely to get you to spend money. For example, be wary of the ones like “Spend $100 and get free...
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Ask For A Lower Interest Rate On Your Credit Card
If part of the debt your fighting is credit card debt, give your credit card company a call and let them know you’d like to negotiate your interest rate. It’ll take a bit of your time to make the call and work through any details, but you’d be surprised just what these companies are able and...
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Side-Hustle Series: Downsize on Facebook Marketplace
This might be a great idea of someone who seems to have the knack of selling things online. They know how to price things and handle negotiations. It’s a great way to de-clutter your space, but your might also start offering up your skill to others for a fee. I’ve done this before where I’ve...
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Side-Hustle Series: Dog walker, Dog sitter, Landscaping, Window Washing
These are some side-hustles that can turn into some serious summer work. The only downside is you need to have the equipment to do the work. So there might be some upfront capital costs, but there are some great ideas that you can do to earn some extra money. (Lawn care, sprinkler installs,...
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Side-Hustle Series: Deliver Food to People
You might not be interested in doing airport runs for strangers or picking up late-night bar goers, but you can pickup food for people who are “too busy” to go get their own food. You can get up with services like Doordash, Grubhub, and UberEats. Walmart Grocery has even partnered with all the...
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Side-Hustle Series: Some Simple Ways to Earn Money
With as often as we are on our phones, we might as well be productive by filling out surveys. There are lots of places out that will compensate you for your time in taking a survey to provide them with information. You can checkout places like SurveyJunkies and Inboxsurveys. These aren’t big…
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Tips to running a marathon and achieving your dreams
DISMISS THE DISTRUCTIVE Never skip an aid station - Update budget. Listen to inspirational podcasts. Take a break. Celebrate the small wins. Comparison and Complaining will kill you! - Complaining is unattractive. The more you are critical of yourself, the less likely you’ll be able to recognize...
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"Pay the price today so you can pay any price tomorrow."
“Pay the price today so you can pay any price tomorrow.” - Grant Cardone. Put the time and effort into things the first time. And stop wasting weekends on nonsense. — This quote showed up while scrolling through LinkedIn (again) from an article of what successful entrepreneurs would tell their 25...
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How I went about buying my car
It occurred to me that I after talking about car buying tips, I never shared with you how I went about buying my car. Inspired by Ramit Sethi, I found email address for all the dealerships I was willing to buy a car from and emailed them.
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Why You Should Automate Your Bill Payments
At the end of the day, you’ll save yourself some money if you do this. First, auto bill pay is great because you’ll always have a payment on-time with no late fees attached. Second, some loans will give you a discount on your interest rate if you enroll in auto-pay. If you missed a payment (and...
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Don’t Buy Things You’ll Only Ever Use Once
Don’t waste your money on something you’ll only ever use once. If it’s an absolute must, see if there are renting options available to save you some money. An example of this might be with a home improvement project that requires a specific tool. Don’t buy the tool (although all us guys want to),...
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What Is Zero-Based Budgeting?
This is an interesting concept, and much lesser known one, when it comes to the topic of how to budget. However, basically this method is that income and expenses balance each other out each month to zero. Sound a bit confusing, well, think of it as every dollar you earn has a purpose or a place…
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Stop Guessing At Your Expenses! #budgetfail
One day at work, my first job out of college, I was sitting in a team meeting and the owner was discussing finances and where we were at with everything. After listening to him talk, I turned to my office manager and said, “I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t sound like he really knows where…
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Do You Thrive On Community? Check out LIFE Leadership
A few years ago I attended one of the LIFE Leadership conferences here in Salt Lake City and it was very motivational to say the least. There were some great keynote speakers and above all, a community of people all thriving on this concept of becoming financially free and taking control of not...
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I’m Saving Money But I’m Not Making Progress
This is a common feeling and one I’m feeling right now. I’ve been starting to get down on myself because with all my effort to save money, it doesn’t feel like I’m getting anywhere. Then it occurred to me… I’ve spread myself out a bit to thin into multiple areas rather than just one. I’m saving…
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A Millennial’s Way of Saving Money: Qapial App
I came across this app because it was being featured in the App Store one day and I thought I would give a whirl to see what all the fuss was about. If you’re looking for creative ways to save money, then this your app. I want a new mountain bike someday and so I have this savings rule setup to...
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Are Branded-Title Vehicles a Good Way To Save Money On a Car?
There is a lot of risk involved in buying a branded vehicle from either private party or a dealership. Branded titles indicate that the car has been in some need of extensive repair simply because the insurance company did not “total” the car. You’re putting all your trust into someone who you…
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If It Has A Motor In It - It Should Only Be Worth HALF of Your Salary
This is some great Dave Ramsey advice. It’s really easy to become car poor these days with the many options and variables. But, the rule of thumb is that all of your cars and recreational vehicles (anything with a motor) should add up to 50% of your salary if you’re making a payment on them. For…
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Life Is Full Of Trade Offs
60 minutes working out: "I wish I had time" 60 minutes on Netflix: "Let's watch another!" Therapist ($130): "Too Expensive" Trip to Walmart ($130): "Good Deals" Professional training course ($1000): "Can't afford it" New iPhone ($1000): "A Necessity" 15 minutes meditating: "An eternity" 15…
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Roadblock: I need help! I need someone to show me the way.
Well, you’re certainly listening to the right podcast for that. As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for the night. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” Or another one, “I can lead you to water, but I can’t make you drink it.” — All of these require some effort…
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Roadblock: Every time I think about a budget, I’m instantly overwhelmed.
Just knowing where to start is very daunting for sure! There are a lot of options out there that people have found success with. The best thing you could do is break it down and then focus on that one thing until you have all the information gathered together for that one thing. Move onto the…
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Roadblock: Just when I think I can pay off debt, something breaks or I have a big expense that happens and shoves me down.
Yikes! Yes. This is a major roadblock and is sure to leave anyone defeated for sure. This was, in fact, my biggest fear of working towards paying off my student loans! I didn’t have a whole lot of room for error or surprises. But, that’s when a little forward thinking comes into play when you’re...
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Roadblock: My Friends Want to Do Things and I Hate to Say, “I Can’t.”
This roadblock I can big-time relate to. For sure! Most of the time, when friends get together it’s bound to be a good time and who wants to miss out on that? (Aka: FOMO). But sometimes, there just isn’t the extra money to go and do all the time. Rather than being the one to wait for the invite,...
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Roadblock: I Was Never Taught, And My Family Always Spent Money
This is something I can relate to, a little bit. It’s not that there wasn’t any effort from my parents to teach me out to budget and track my spending - because there was - but it just never seemed to apply to me. Not to mention at the time, online banking was becoming very popular. But, just...
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Roadblock: I Don’t Want Others to Know I’m In Debt
Generally speaking, we are all very hush on the topic of money. We don’t want unsolicited advice from others who think we should be managing our money differently. We don’t want our friends or family to question our ability to buy a new car or go on a trip somewhere. So why would we then open up...
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Why I Think People Fail Creating A Budget
There are 2 reasons I think people struggle with budgeting. 1) They still need to change their mindset about budgeting and essentially believe they have all that it will take to be successful with it. 2) They don't want to track their spending. They want to keep things as they are, but hope their...
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Why Can’t I Budget?
Budgeting is tough. There are so many different methods and approaches you can learn about. Each one claiming why their method is better than all the rest. In reality, what most fail to realize is that what works for one, doesn't mean it'll work for another. Yes, you need to look into different...
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What Is It Like After Student Loans Are Paid Off?
It's very surreal actually. Whether you're focused at paying them off or going at them with minimum payments, in any case they will have been around for years. They'll feel like they are a part of the family with has much as they hang around that once they are finally gone it is hard to believe....
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How Long Does It Take To Pay Off Student Loans?
Sadly, there is no set timeframe on this except for the set minimum payoff timeline that was established when you took out your loans. Which is typically has a payoff term similar to that of mortgages... 15-30 years. Paying them off sooner than that will depend largely on income and loan size.
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Where Is My Money Going?
I started asking myself this question after college and started to sense the weight of my student loans. Where was my money going? I couldn't account for most of my spending and still felt like I had nothing to show for all the money I was making at the time. It felt like I was dazed, and…
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What is the easiest way to track spending?
What might be easy for me, might not be the easiest or most efficient way for you. Everyone is different and some budgeting methods might come more naturally to you than they do for me. Which is okay, but until you explore or at the very least research into different ways, you'll never be able to...
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What Is The Best Way to Save For Annual Bills?
Using a spreadsheet, I've listed out all of my annual bills (and even my semi-annual bills) and then added them all up. That gives me a total for the year, and then in another cell, I enter a basic math formula that divides that total by 12. I know have a number I save every month into my savings...
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Jump out of your comfort zone
Wow! This can be really hard sometimes. You probably already feel that you’re out of your comfort zone and can’t possibly handle any more than you are. That’s okay, but growth and change will only come when we keep putting ourselves out there - whether by our own choice, or someone else’s.
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Why is self talk important?
This is script we are using to frame our lives and guide are actions. When we are negative and doubt, we respond to life in that way. When we believe that we can do hard things, then we start to accomplish the impossible.
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How to Celebrate on a Dime: Part 2
Throwing a party can be stressful, especially when you aim to impress. However, I have learned that most people just like getting together and are more than willing to bring something to contribute to the party if you just ask. But you have to have a plan and be organized - the less thinking…
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How to Celebrate on a Dime: Part 1
How to celebrate a birthday without breaking the bank. Especially when celebrating a birth week. Going out to eat is often the least stressful way to celebrate, which means you might be eating out a lot around the week of your birthday. To save money, be sure to sign up for the different birthday...
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How to Buy Gifts On A Budget
Buying gifts in the first place can be difficult, especially if the person you’re buying for isn’t very good at dropping hints at what they would like to have. However, if you have time to plan and shop, you buy gifts on budget. What I like to do is set a budget... whatever it is I’m comfortable...
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Keep it Simple and Still Play Hard
I love the summer time. There are so many different things you can do outside with your family and friends that will cost you next to nothing. I did things like float the river. Ride bikes along the Greenbelt. Attend local festivals and other events that were free to get in.
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How Do I Afford To Travel?
Traveling can be addicting and just as expensive. Without careful planning, any trip or vacation could seriously hinder your financial goals because things cost more than you were expecting and all your spontaneous spending went on the credit card. Wherever you go, you need to create a plan of…
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Plan Now For The Holidays
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years seem to happen all at once! But planning ahead can really make a difference in being able to afford the travel, the food, the gifts, and all the festivities. Even having a quiet holiday season can cost a little bit of money. The key to planning for the...
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How to Budget and Plan For Summer Fun?
With Memorial Day still in the rear view mirror, all of the pools and water parks are officially open - Summer is here! Here are some great ways you can still have all the fun in the sun while not breaking the bank. 1) Buy season passes on discount to water parks. 2) Do BBQs with neighbors to…
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I Can’t Get Out of Debt On My Own
I think it’s important to believe that this is a myth and a mental roadblock. What is your roadblock? What is holding you back from even just believing that you’re capable of getting out of debt? Once we are able to identify that (even if it’s multiple things) then we are address them one by one....
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Getting Out of Debt- TIP #5- Go Gazelle (As Dave Would Say)
It’s time to dive in head first, or at least with both your feet. At this point, you have a budget and you’ve already identified different things you can do or change to create some extra money for you each month. It’s just a matter of putting it all into practice. Spend a weekend make whatever...
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Getting Out of Debt: TIP #4: Let it Soak In
You probably weren’t expecting me to just say, “Take a chill! Soak up some sun.” Well, I am. Before committing to big lifestyle changes, it’ll be worth the time spent thinking through everything. This isn’t a time for doubt or to give up, it’s a time to reflect on you imagining yourself living…
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Getting Out of Debt: TIP #3: Add Up Your Extra Money
Getting out of debt sooner than later relies 100% on the amount of extra money you’re able to put towards your debt every month. This tip basically requires you to add it all up. How much extra money do you have from your paycheck every month, and how much could you have after making those...
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Getting Out of Debt: TIP #2: Find Spending Adjustments
Now that you’ve created a budget, meaning, you’ve setup some spending categories and now know how much you’ve been spending in each of them. It’s time to evaluate what you’ve been spending money on and if there are any adjustments that can be made to save some money. This could be realizing that...
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Getting Out of Debt: TIP #1: Create a budget
Creating a budget is no easy task. Don’t let anyone fool you if they are saying otherwise. The most important thing you need to figure out is which method you’re going to use to track your spending. You might even have to try a few before deciding which budgeting system works for you. Once you’ve...
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5 Tips to Getting Out of Debt
Knowing where to get started is tough, but if you can do these things, you’ll find success: 1) Create a budget. Know where your money is going. 2) Find areas you can make adjustments to with where you are spending money. 3) Add up how much extra money you have. 4) Let it soak in and take a deep...
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What can I sell to get out of debt?
Oh man. What do you have?! Honestly, selling of random things is great for the sprint, but not the marathon. Sell your couch, but where will you sit? Sell your car, but how will you get to work? I believe its less about what we are able to sell as much as it what we are able to change or switch…
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