Bala’s Podcast
This isn’t another channel about spreadsheets and sacrifice. Personal Finance Coach Bala goes deeper — into the survival patterns, money behaviors, and mindset blocks that no budget can fix. Whether you’re struggling to get ahead or earning well but still feeling stuck, the problem is rarely the math. This channel covers wealth building, money psychology, investing behavior, and the practical strategies that actually stick. New episodes weekly.
Episodes
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E93: Has Religion Shaped How We Think About Money?
We've all heard phrases like “Money is the root of all evil,” “Money can't buy happiness,” and “Be content with what you have.” But have we ever questioned how these messages influence our relationship with money? In this episode, I explore how religion, spirituality, upbringing, and personal...
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E92: What I'd Tell My 20 Yr Old Self
If you could sit across from your 20-year-old self, what would you tell them? In this episode, I reflect on lessons I've learned about dating, relationships, career choices, money, and personal growth. From handling rejection and knowing when to walk away, to changing career paths, investing...
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E91: Why I've Spent Thousands Investing in Myself
Over the years, I've invested thousands of dollars in personal development, coaching, seminars, and programs to better understand myself and grow personally and professionally. From Tony Robbins and Dale Carnegie to relationship coaching, sales training, and business development, each experience...
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E90: Why Do You Want More Money?
Everybody wants more money. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? In this episode of Bala's Podcast, I explore one of the most common questions people ask about their finances: How do I make more money? But instead of focusing on earning strategies, I want to challenge you to think about...
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E89: How Do You Actually Change Your Relationship With Money?
Everybody talks about having a better relationship with money. But how do you actually change it? In this episode of Bala's Podcast, I share how my own relationship with money evolved from the beliefs I grew up hearing to the way I understand and interact with money today. From questioning old...
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E88: How Much of Your Time is Really Yours?
Have you ever stopped to think about who actually determines how your week is scheduled? In this episode of Bala's Podcast, I explore a simple realization about work, time, and personal freedom. When we work for someone else, much of our weekly schedule is determined by the needs of an...
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E87: What If You Looked at Your Career Differently?
When you think about your career, do you think about your job title, your degree, or the work you do to earn a living? What if there were another way to look at it? In this episode of Bala's Podcast, we explore how our natural interests, skills, and abilities can develop into opportunities...
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E86: When Did Being Practical Become Looking Poor?
Have you ever looked at someone taking public transportation, driving an older car, or renting instead of owning a home and made assumptions about their financial situation? In this episode of Bala's Podcast, I explore how our perceptions of financial success don't always match reality. From the...
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E85: Why are we so obsessed with other peoples net worth (my ramble)
Why are we so obsessed with how much money other people are worth? From billionaire headlines to social media debates, we're constantly talking about the fortunes of the ultra-wealthy. But why does someone else's net worth capture so much of our attention? In this episode of The Bala Podcast, we...
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E84: How long are you willing to stay in the game?
How long are you willing to keep going when the results haven't shown up yet? We've all heard the investing saying, "It's not about timing the market, but time in the market." But what if that applies to our careers, businesses, relationships, and personal goals? In this episode of The Bala...
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E83: Are you afraid to admit you need help with money?
Remember sitting in a classroom when the teacher asked if anyone needed help? Maybe you did—but nobody else raised their hand, so you stayed quiet too. Money can feel the same way. We can feel like we're supposed to already know how to manage money, understand investing, deal with debt, or make…
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E82: What is actually wrong with your money?
When something doesn't feel right with your health, your car, or even your pet, identifying the symptom is only the beginning. You still have to figure out what's actually causing the problem. Our financial health can work the same way. “I need to make more money.” Why? “I need a budget.” What's...
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E81: When Does Your Money Start Working for You?
You've probably heard the phrase, “Make your money work for you.” But what does that actually mean? How does money make more money without you having to work for every additional dollar? In this episode, I break down the idea of putting your money to work, how investing and compounding can allow...
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E80: What are you Compounding?
Compounding isn't just about money. Sometimes the things we do consistently are creating results long before we can actually see them. In this episode, I talk about what compounding really means, how it shows up in investing, and how I experienced it in my own life after years of consistently…
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E79: My Guest Appearance on The Transcendent Farmer Podcast
This episode is a little different. I'm sharing a conversation from my guest appearance on The Transcendent Farmer Podcast with Emily. We talk about money, identity, and the stories that shape the way we think and behave financially—from childhood beliefs and earning and spending patterns to...
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E78: What is my ROI?
What's My ROI? Before you say yes to an investment, do you know what you're actually expecting to get in return? Whether it's coaching, a business opportunity, real estate, education, a community, or something else, an investment isn't only about the price. It's also about the value you're...
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E77: What is your relationship with Money?
Have you ever heard something about money when you were young that stayed with you longer than you realized? For me, it was two simple phrases: “We couldn't afford it” and “We didn't have enough.” It took me years of learning about personal finance—budgeting, saving, credit, investing and...
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E76:Being Honest With Yourself
We talk a lot about being honest with other people—but how honest are you with yourself? Sometimes the truth is uncomfortable. Maybe the career isn't working. The relationship isn't going where you hoped. You're unhappy with where you are. Or maybe you're trying to force yourself to become…
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E75: What are you revealing without saying anything?
How much could somebody learn about you without you ever telling them anything about yourself? We often think about money as deeply personal. We don't always talk openly about what we make, what we spend, what we have, or what we don't have. But at the same time, we're constantly revealing pieces...
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E74:Keep Moving
What do you do when the thing you've been waiting for just isn't happening? Maybe it's the job, promotion, opportunity, relationship, breakthrough, or goal you've been working toward—and all you're getting is rejection, silence, or “not yet.” In this episode, I talk about what it means to keep...
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E73: What Having Less Teaches Us
What Having Less Teaches Us Financially tight seasons can be difficult, but they can also teach you things about money that are easy to overlook when you have more. In this episode, I share what having less is teaching me about the economics of everyday life—what it takes to earn a dollar, where...
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E72: Getting to Know Bala
Getting to Know Bala After more than 70 episodes, I realized something: I’ve shared a lot of thoughts, lessons, and experiences with you—but I’ve never really told you much about me. In this episode, I wanted to change that. No polished résumé. No pretending I have everything figured out. Just an...
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E71:Why Do You Really Like Them?
Why Do You Really Like Them? What is it about someone that makes you truly like them? Is it attraction, chemistry, status, or simply how they make you feel? Or is there something deeper underneath all of that? In this episode, I explore a question that came to me in a dream: “Do you really like…
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E70:The World You Choose to See
The World You Choose to See Every day, we're surrounded by messages about everything that's wrong—recession, inflation, war, politics, affordability, inequality, and everything else happening around the world. But how much of what we see every day are we actually choosing to see? In this episode,...
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E69:Making Money isn't the same as Building Wealth
Making money and building wealth are often talked about like they're the same thing. But they're not. In this episode, Bala explores the difference between earning income through your time, energy, skills, and work—and using some of what you earn to begin building wealth beyond your own labor.…
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E68:Do You Actually Need a Budget?
Do You Actually Need a Budget? Budgeting is often treated like one of the basic rules of managing money. But is a traditional budget the only way to stay in control of your finances? In this episode, Bala shares why he doesn’t budget in the traditional sense and the track-and-plan method he uses...
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E67:You Can't Manage Time
We talk constantly about time management—but can you actually manage time? The clock doesn't stop. We can't slow it down, save an hour for later, or get yesterday back. Time continues moving whether we're productive, distracted, working, resting, traveling, or doing absolutely nothing. In this...
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E66:The Life of a Dollar
Every dollar has a life. What happens to yours? First, you have to earn it. That can require hours of your time, energy, knowledge, skills, and effort. Then comes spending it—and today, a dollar that took hours to earn can disappear in seconds. But there's a third part of the dollar's life that…
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E65: The Psychology of Ownership
What changes when something finally becomes yours? We talk about the psychology of money, spending, investing, and so many other parts of our financial lives. But what about the psychology of ownership? In this episode, Bala explores what can happen when we move from renting, borrowing, leasing…
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E64:When Luxury Becomes Normal
We rarely think twice about turning on a faucet, flipping a light switch, opening the refrigerator, taking a hot shower, or adjusting the temperature in our homes. But many of the things that feel completely ordinary today were once considered luxuries. After watching 1883, Bala started thinking...
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E63: The Messy Middle, I got what I wanted, Now what?
We spend so much of our lives working toward the next thing—the degree, the job, the money, the relationship, the house, the goal. But what happens when you finally get it? In this episode, Bala explores the messy middle: that uncertain space between achieving something you wanted and figuring…
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E62: What Happens After Heartbreak
The hardest part often isn't the moment itself—it's everything that comes after. In this episode, Bala reflects on the emotional aftermath of heartbreak, rejection, and unanswered feelings. From the stories we tell ourselves to the well-intentioned advice we hear from others, this conversation...
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E61: When was the last time you let yourself cry
When was the last time you gave yourself permission to cry? For many of us, tears are something we hide, avoid, or only allow during life's biggest moments. But crying isn't weakness—it's part of being human. It's a release, a reset, and sometimes the healthiest way to let go of everything we've...
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E60: Why We Make Bad Financial Decisions Under Pressure
Have you ever felt pressured to make a financial decision before you were ready? Whether it's a countdown timer, a limited-time offer, a seminar, or a salesperson telling you the opportunity disappears tomorrow, urgency has a powerful effect on the way we think. In this episode, Bala explores the...
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E59:Turning 37, Life doesn't follow one time-line
After celebrating my 37th birthday, I found myself reflecting on how different my life has been from what I once expected. No home yet. No wife. A non-traditional career path. And surprisingly... I'm okay with that. In this episode, I share some honest thoughts about getting older, dealing with...
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E58: What "Mindset" Really Means (It's not what you think)
We hear the word mindset all the time, but have you ever stopped to think about what it actually means? In this episode, Bala explores the idea that a mindset is exactly what the word suggests—your mind is set. From the stories we carry to the labels we use, like broke and poor, this conversation...
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E57: Money Will Demand a Better Version of You
We all make financial mistakes. Some are small. Others feel like they set us back years. But what if those mistakes aren't proof that you're bad with money? What if they're part of the process of becoming someone who handles it differently? In this episode, we explore why every stage of financial...
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E56: What People Really Mean by "The Language of Money"
What does it actually mean when people say you need to "learn the language of money"? In this episode, Bala breaks down one of the most misunderstood ideas in personal finance. Using examples from sports, Monopoly, investing, and everyday life, he explains why money isn't about secret knowledge...
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E55: Life Was Never Meant to be Linear
Most of us grow up believing life is supposed to follow a certain sequence: school, career, marriage, house, success. But what happens when your life doesn't follow that timeline? In this episode, Bala explores why questioning the path you've been given isn't rebellion—it's part of…
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E54: What Are You Tolerating?
Most people don't realize how much of their life is shaped by what they're willing to tolerate. In this episode, Bala explores the stories, beliefs, and conditioning that influence how we think about wealth, abundance, and what's possible for our lives. From faith and family to identity and...
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E53: How much time can your money buy?
Most people know how much money they make. Very few know how much time their money can buy. In this episode, Bala explores the importance of knowing your 90-day, 6-month, and 12-month numbers, why understanding your true cost of living creates financial clarity, and how building runway can help…
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E52: The Real Reason People End up in Debt
A story about debt is rarely just a story about money. In this episode, Bala reflects on a powerful story of credit card debt, financial stress, avoidance, and ultimately finding hope. Together, we explore the emotional side of spending, why people often avoid facing financial problems, and how...
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E51: Why We Fear the Unknown
Life would be easy if we always knew what was coming next. But we don't. In this episode, Bala explores why uncertainty feels so uncomfortable, how challenges often become our greatest teachers, and what it means to trust yourself when the path ahead isn't clear. Through personal stories,...
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E50: Your Relationship with Money Started Before You Made Any
Episode 50 is personal. In this episode, Bala reintroduces himself and shares the two phrases that shaped his entire relationship with money: “We can’t afford it” and “We didn’t have enough.” From financial literacy to behavioral finance, this conversation explores the emotional side of money…
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E49: Why You Can't Force What's Meant for You
Sometimes the hardest thing in life is trusting your own timeline. In this episode, Bala talks about patience, comparison, emotional discipline, and why forcing relationships, careers, opportunities, or success often creates more anxiety than fulfillment. Not every opportunity is meant for you —...
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E48: Calming Your Mind When Life feels like AHHHHHHH!
The world feels loud right now. Constant stress, pressure, uncertainty, comparison, bad news, and the feeling that you’re supposed to have everything figured out. In this episode, Bala talks about surrender, nervous system regulation, grounding yourself emotionally, and learning how to focus on...
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E47: What Your 20's Actually Do to You
Your 20s aren’t what you think they are. You’ll feel lost, behind, insecure, and unsure… and that’s part of it. In this episode, I break down the real lessons your 20s teach you—through experience, not advice.
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E46: Money feels heavy...But what if It's not the Money
Money isn’t just numbers—it’s emotion, meaning, and the story you carry about it. In this episode, I go beyond budgets and strategy to explore why money can feel so heavy, stressful, and controlling… even when nothing has changed. What if it’s not the money—but your relationship with it?
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E45: How I Paid Less by Doing Nothing
My check engine light came on last week. On a Saturday. With no shop available, no certain timeline, and no guarantee anyone could fix it. Most people in that situation pay whatever it costs just to make the stress stop. I didn't. In this episode I walk you through exactly what happened — the...
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E44: Why Most People Quit Before it Works
Everyone talks about starting. Everyone celebrates the finish. But no one prepares you for the middle. In this episode, I break down why the long stretch—where nothing seems to be happening—is exactly where most people quit… and where everything is actually being built. If you’re in that phase...
About this show
This isn’t another channel about spreadsheets and sacrifice. Personal Finance Coach Bala goes deeper — into the survival patterns, money behaviors, and mindset blocks that no budget can fix. Whether you’re struggling to get ahead or earning well but still feeling stuck, the problem is rarely the math. This channel covers wealth building, money psychology, investing behavior, and the practical strategies that actually stick. New episodes weekly.
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