How might your approach to budgeting change if you started by prioritizing your goals, instead of thinking about the things you can’t have? In this episode, John and David Auten-Schneider (who you might know as The Debt Free Guys) explain how you can build a budget that works for your lifestyle, whether you’re doing it on your own or budgeting with a partner. John and David also talk about the biggest financial issues facing LGBTQ Americans, the importance of a prenup, 3 things to focus on when planning your financial future, and much more!

Episode Recap:

• Today we’re talking with The Debt Free Guys, John and David Auten-Schneider (1:10)
• Finding the best city for LGBTQ people in each state (2:19)
• John and David’s journey to becoming The Debt Free Guys (11:02)
• Debt affects so many more people than we often realize (13:47)
• What did your tradition from your financial services jobs look like? (17:25)
• Once your financial life is in order, focus on these 3 things (24:08)
• What are the biggest financial issues facing LGBTQ people today? (29:26)
• Marriage is a partnership, and prenups help you have important conversations (35:04)
• Tips for creating a budget with a partner (39:40)
• When budgeting, try leading with your goals (43:06)
• What concerns you most right now? (50:10)
• How to learn more from David and John (56:47)

Resources:

• Find every episode of the Fiscal Feminist podcast
• “The Fiscal Feminist” book
• Best LGBTQ City in Each State podcast
• “4: The Principles of a Debt-Free Life” book
• Debt Free Guys Website
• Queer Money Podcast 

Quotes:
“With the now 430-some plus anti-LGBTQ+ bills on the floors of state legislatures across the country, according to the ACLU, and Supreme Court Justices saying they specifically want to target marriage equality, a lot of same-sex couples specifically in the community are kind of feeling like we’re going back to 2014 or even earlier again, where we had to do this sort of patchwork of legal maneuvering to protect our assets and to protect the person we live with and love.” - John

“Money is not a ruler, it’s a tool. And it’s not a ruler to be used to judge yourself against anyone else. There are amazing, beautiful, wonderful people in this world who make 40 or 50 thousand dollars a year. That doesn’t make them any less than the person that’s making 4,5,6 hundred thousand dollars a year. Does the outward appearance of their life look different? Absolutely. But there are plenty of ways to enjoy and have an abundant and happy life on a lower amount of money." - David