Basic Training

Former IRS attorney Deborah Gregory talks with Steve about beating the tax man – and saving money - by planning ahead.  Find out:

What to expect from a Trump tax plan and how you can take advantage.

If you have losses there is a way to capitalize on how you report them.

How to dig yourself out from under a big tax bill.

Why getting an extension doesn’t buy you any more time to pay.

Kyle James, founder of Rather-Be-Shopping.com spends his days trying to find the best online coupon codes, printable coupons, and bargains at all your favorite online stores.

Steve and Kyle take about:

- Developing in-store relationships to find insider tips and deals

- Which stores have the best deals on which days (like Anthropologie, Best Buy, CVS, Old Navy)

- How to spot the products that haven’t reached their lowest price

- Which stores will likely give you price adjustments on clearance items

- How to get access to coupons that aren’t usually available to everyone

Coupons aren’t just for your parents anymore!  Casey Runyan joins us from BradsDeals.com - a team of deal experts scouring the web every day to find the best deals on just about everything.  Casey and Steve talk about:

- Customizing deals available just the ones you want

- The best way to prepare for Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales to max out savings

- Good news about Xbox and Playstation pricing this year

Jen Freeman is a television personality, nationally acclaimed speaker, was featured on TLC’s ‘Extreme Couponing’ and ‘Extreme Couponing All-Stars’.  Steve talks with Jen about:

- Taking the ‘extreme’ out of extreme couponing and still getting the savings

- Why printed newspaper coupons are still the best way to save

- Timing coupons and sales so that you don’t get worn out by constantly clipping and saving

- How to get deals (including meat and produce) without having to overstock

One store – LOTS of savings!  Katie Cooksey runs KrogerKrazy.com, a wrap-up of the best deals from Kroger.  In this episode, Steve and Katie discuss:

- Changes in couponing (no more double-triple coupons) and new ways to save

- Details on Kroger “Mega Events”

- How to use your store loyalty card to its fullest potential

- Saving up to a dollar per gallon of gasoline at Kroger fuel stops

- Stocking up on coupons for full-price items and waiting until they go on sale

Steve talks about improving your child’s diet to help their school performance with nutrition advisor Alaina O'Daniel from Natural Grocers.  

Topics include making healthy grab-and-go breakfasts, getting vegetables – yes, vegetables – in your breakfast, how food choices affect attention and school performance, best brain foods and ‘Good Fats’, and how to buy the most nutritious eggs.

Steve talks about keeping a busy house under control with the start of the new school year.  
This week’s guest is best-selling author and ‘Family Manager’ Kathy Peel.  Topics include setting up a family Control Center and working as a family team, school activities and how to prevent over-scheduling your child, why school is the child’s career, just like their parents and managing your child’s time with their electronic devices.

Steve talks about school start “jitters” with Nicholas J. Westers, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist at Children’s Medical Center and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

In this episode - telling the difference between nerves and fear, how to be a supportive parent and not a “helicopter parent”, finding your child’s strengths in life and school, helping kids deal with the pressure of social media, and avoiding competition with other kids and other parents.

Two sisters from Fort Worth, Ashley & Whitney, describe themselves as “two power tool wielding DIY queens, on a mission to create beautiful and affordable furniture, turning houses into homes.”  Steve talks with them about how they turned their hobby into a career building – and teaching others how to build – home furnishings.

- Biggest misconceptions about starting your own woodworking projects

- What the essential tools you should have to start a building project

- The basics on selecting lumber and other building supplies

- Picking starter projects

- Making the change from local woodworkers to national TV stars

Realtor, author and TV host Egypt Sherrod has been named “America’s most beloved real estate agent” as host of HGTV’s top-rated show, “Property Virgins”, now in its twelfth season, and the upcoming “Flipping Virgins”.  Steve and Egypt talk about: 

- When to sweat and when to relax when you’re just getting in to real estate

- How to keep from getting emotional about buying and selling a home

- Why Egypt snickers when Steve mentions real estate websites like Zillow!