BiggerPockets Money Podcast

Travel hacks, spending hacks, medical hacks. If there’s one thing that Chris Hutchins has learned from hosting the All the Hacks podcast, it’s that everything is negotiable. You can travel to over sixty countries for (almost) free, outsource your cooking at a reasonable rate and even get free money once forgotten. Chris should know—he’s done all this and more as he works to optimize every aspect of his life, both financially and personally!

Chris was hacking at a very young age. In high school, he made a fake magazine so he could score free press passes to concerts. When he was away at boarding school, he would buy whole pizzas and sell them by the slice just to afford a few slices of his own. Then, later when he quit his job to travel the world, Chris and his partner hit over sixty countries, using credit card points to globetrott from South Africa to Singapore!

Now, as a father, Chris is more concerned about hacking his time. He’s got kids to take care of and doesn’t want to waste a second of his day that could be spent planning for, or playing with, his children. In today’s episode, you’ll hear some of the most insane life hacks, from hiring a personal chef for a fraction of the cost to getting free champagne at any hotel stay and even snagging twenty to thirty percent off of your dream vacation villa. These hacks work (we tried them in real-time), and you may need a pen and paper to write them all down!

In This Episode We Cover

Credit card points, travel hacking, and how to get flights for free (or at a steep discount)

Outsourcing and delegating everything so you spend more of your time with those who are most important

Simple principles for an optimized life and why conventional wisdom is usually out of whack

How to get deep discounts off of vacation properties during your next big trip

Why you should NEVER cancel a flight until twelve hours before takeoff

Where to find “unclaimed money” you never knew you had (we found some ourselves!)

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

Scott's Instagram

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

All The Hacks Podcast

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-355

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

You’re one bad real estate investment away from being cash flow-poor and debt-rich. That’s right, not every investment property works out, and when leveraged the wrong way, a single property could put your financial future on the wrong track. While it’s easy to watch social media real estate investors flaunt their infinite cash flow and no money down tricks, buying profitable real estate is a little harder than it seems. Today’s guest, Shane, finds himself in this position, as an over-leveraged investment is causing him to hemorrhage cash.

Welcome back to another episode of Finance Friday, where hosts Mindy and Scott bring financial suggestions, no matter how extreme, to guests in many different situations. This week, Shane walks through his numbers, and from the start, Scott picks up on a big problem. Shane and his partner bring in a solid amount of income, but it’s slowly slipping out of their accounts every month as an overleveraged short-term rental property and high consumer debt eats away at their respectable income.

This isn’t an easy position to dig yourself out of, and Scott has some serious suggestions for Shane that could flip his financial position 180 degrees. But, doing so will require Shane to make drastic moves that will force him to reevaluate his relationships with spending and debt. While this “rip off the band-aid” type approach can be painful at first, it could save Shane years' worth of time on his path to real estate riches.

In This Episode We Cover

Staying away from consumer debt and how it can destroy your financial position

Real estate leverage and why too much of it can cause you to have negative cash flow

Sacrificing subscriptions, eating out, and other spending categories that may be tanking your budget

Having a money date with your partner or spouse to get on the same financial footing

The biggest moves to make if you’re serious about getting out of debt and on the path to financial freedom

Budget busters and how to build a more sustainable pattern of spending

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

Scott's Instagram

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

Designing a Frugal But Luxurious FI Life by Age 32

Food Spending Eating Away at Your FI Plans? Here’s How to Eat for Cheap

BudgetBytes.com

The Money Date: What You Should (And Definitely Should Not) Do to Align Your Finances as a Couple

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-354

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

What should retirement planning look like? How can I invest if I am still paying off student loan debt? What makes a perfectly diversified portfolio? And when is the right time to pay off my rental properties? We went to the BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group to ask what you would like to know from a money expert. And thankfully, we found a couple of them who are friends of the show. Amanda Wolfe and Kyle Mast are here to answer some of your most-asked money questions!

Amanda Wolfe was recently a guest on the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, sharing her story of reaching financial freedom after going through serious financial struggles and childhood poverty. Kyle Mast, Certified Financial Planner, has recently “retired” after helping his clients reach their financial goals with minimal stress and maximum freedom. They’re helping Mindy on today’s show to take questions directly from listeners about everything ranging from real estate to retirement planning and never feeling like you have enough.

If you’ve struggled not knowing how to pay down debt, how much cash to have on hand, or are having a mental block when switching from saving to spending mode, this episode could alleviate your worries. If you’d like to get more connected with the BiggerPockets Money community and potentially get your questions answered on a future show, be sure to join the BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group!

In This Episode We Cover

How to invest while paying down student loan debt, or any other debt for that matter

Transitioning from saver to spender when you have enough to finally retire

Real estate vs. index funds and which is more optimal for a post-retirement portfolio

Roadblocks on the way to financial freedom and why you DON’T need retirement accounts to invest for retirement

What a diversified portfolio looks like (it’s much simpler than you think)

Money moves to make if you don’t have much cash, but do have consistent income

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

Episode 200 Special: A Personal Finance Masterclass with Kyle Mast

How to Find the Best Possible Certified Financial Planner (CFP) for Your Needs with Kyle Mast

She Wolf of Wall Street Website

From Extreme Poverty to DIY Wealth and 2 Full-Time Incomes w/The She Wolfe of Wall Street

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-353

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

With so much going on—a recession, rampant inflation, rising interest rates—overcoming your money fears can be more challenging than ever before. The world is changing, and many of us feel like we’re being swept along with it. Our dollars are worth less, our retirement accounts have fallen sharply, and our cash is wasting away. What should we do when it feels like every financial move has a benefit and drawback attached to it? Should we even be making moves right now?

Don’t get overwhelmed with financial anxiety because today we’re bringing you an episode full of financial fixes for the everyday investor! We posted on the BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group a few months back, asking you which money fears keep you up at night. Now, we’ve got answers! Back on the show are J Scott and Kyle Mast! They join Mindy in giving solutions to your greatest financial fears.

J and Kyle give suggestions on topics ranging from rising home prices and the inability to become a homeowner to being nervous about how inflation is eating away at the dollar. We also touch on the age-old question of whether or not we’redoing enough right now to set us up for retirement and how a recession could affect our hard-earned assets. J, Kyle, and Mindy all give their suggestions on these situations and spill some of their own financial fears to show you that even the experts still worry like everyone else.

In This Episode We Cover

Our biggest financial fears and what we’re doing to mitigate them in turbulent times

Growing up with very little and why the “never enough” mentality always lingers

Why buying a home isn’t your only option for building wealth in this market

Setting yourself up for a plentiful retirement even if you got a late start

Whether or not keeping a large cash position is a smart move to make

Changing jobs to get more personal time and when flexibility trumps finances

Inflation, interest rates, and how to stay sane during a recession 

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

J’s BiggerPockets Profile

J’s Personal Website

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

The Money Date: What You Should (And Definitely Should Not) Do to Align Your Finances as a Couple

7 Tips for Successfully Investing in ANY Market Condition With J Scott

Syndications: Everything You Need to Know BEFORE You Invest

Episode 200 Special: A Personal Finance Masterclass with Kyle Mast

How to Find the Best Possible Certified Financial Planner (CFP) for Your Needs with Kyle Mast

BiggerPockets FIRE Planning Worksheet

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-352

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

Stock market crashes aren't good news for anyone. For retirees though, this dip in prices can feel like a death wish, as active income is no longer an option. Have the hopes and dreams of financial flexibility gone out the window? Or is a market crash like we're experiencing today just a small blip on a retiree's radar? Pairing this with inflation, how will someone who has just retired make it?

We’ve got Michael Kitces, retirement planning expert and financial genius with enough acronyms coming after his name to spell out the alphabet, on the show to answer whether or not retirees are in trouble. Michael has advised his clients for decades on the right way to save and invest for retirement. He’s been a proponent of the 4% rule and was bold enough to hold his claim even during the flash crash of 2020. But, with such high inflation and stark drops in equity values, does he still agree with his past predictions?

Michael takes us on a trip down memory lane, visiting some of the worst financial crises in American history, showing how they compare to today. He also proposes that holding large amounts of cash, even during high inflationary times, isn’t the worst move to make, and whether or not he’s still investing as the market finds its bottom. If you’re worried about retiring during times like today, this is the man to listen to!

In This Episode We Cover

The 4% rule explained and whether this sage retirement advice still holds up

How past retirees fared during high inflation, low growth time periods

Which types of market crashes can be “dangerous” to retirees (and who should be worried)

Why some of the brightest minds in personal finance are clinging to cash 

Purchasing power and how withdrawal rates are affected by high inflation

The smartest move to make if you’re worried your retirement savings aren’t enough

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

Scott's Instagram

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

Buckingham Wealth Partners

Bill Bengen (The Inventor of the 4% Rule) Talks Retirement, Past Crashes, and How You Can Withdraw Even More!

Original Article from the Journal Of Financial Planning, October 1994

Are FIRE Naysayers Bad at Math? Yes. with Michael Kitces

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-351

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

Margin loans, medium-term rentals, and potential mortgage rate mistakes summarize what Carl and Mindy have been up to over the past couple of months. It’s been a minute since we’ve checked in on the ever-frugal Jensen family. But they’ve been gone for a good reason. Back at the start of the summer, Carl and Mindy decided that they were finished with rehabbing and big fixer-upper projects. Then they found the perfect opportunity, waiting just a few doors down from them. So, they jumped at the chance to make another deal work.

But Carl and Mindy did this type of deal in a peculiar way. Not only did they find it off-market, but they also funded it without a mortgage. Don’t get too excited—Carl and Mindy didn’t drop hundreds of thousands in cash just to buy one house. But, they did use another form of financing that most real estate investors aren’t aware of—margin loans. These types of stock portfolio-leveraged loans can come with unbelievably low interest rates. But, when equity values start to drop, so too can your safety when you use this type of financing.

But it’s not all about property purchasing on this episode of Mindy & Carl’s Budget Review. The duo also talks aboutwhy their expense tracking has fallen off and how not knowing your expenses can cause far bigger problems than you’d think. They also touch on the medium-term rental strategy and how you can use it to get far higher rents with very little turnover in almost any of your rental properties! If this strategy interests you, we highly recommend grabbing the new book, 30-Day Stay.

In This Episode We Cover

Budgeting mistakes and how easy it is to get off track when you don’t know what you’re spending on

Carl and Mindy’s newest fixer-upper, medium-term rental property purchase

Using margin loans (stock loans) to fund your real estate deals

When it makes sense to use a variable loan over a traditional fixed-rate mortgage 

How to profitably provide housing for those that have been affected by natural disasters

The easiest way to get caught for mortgage fraud (and go to prison!)

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

Mile High FI Podcast

1,500 Days to Freedom

Carl's Email

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

Spending Categories to Cut During a Downturn | Mindy & Carl’s Budget Review

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-350

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

The new vs. used car debate has been going on for as long as automobiles have existed. For almost the entirety of time when cars were being bought and sold, it seemed like a responsible, frugal decision to buy used, save up some money, and take the repairs with the deal. But inflation has changed this debate in 2022 (and beyond). Used car prices are high—sometimes even higher than new cars—prompting shoppers to reconsider what makes the most financial sense.

In the first half of this show, we talk to Liz Frugalwoods, financial blogger and borderline professional at buying and selling cars. She recently made the bold decision to buy new—a shock to many of her readers. How could Liz, a financial independence expert, do something as careless as buying a brand-new car? Had she given up on the path to frugality? Not exactly. Liz shares some good reasons why buying new instead of used makes more sense, especially today.

To close out the episode, we bring on local mechanic Jesse Johnson, who gives a brief masterclass on buying, selling, and maintaining cars. As a mechanic with decades of experience, he knows exactly what car owners do to slowly destroy their daily drivers. He also knows how to get the most bang for your buck and when it’s the right time to sell that clunker sitting in your driveway.

In This Episode We Cover

The reasoning (and math) behind buying a new car vs. buying a used car

Taxes, registration, fees, and other trade-offs when buying new vs. used

The most important questions to ask yourself when shopping for a vehicle 

Tips when selling a used car and the #1 thing to NEVER do 

What parts of a car are worth repairing and which can wait

How to find a great mechanic in your area and get a free car wash

Trade-in tips and what to know to get the most out of a dealer

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

Scott's Instagram

The “Mile High FI” Podcast

1,500 Days to Freedom

1500 Days YouTube Channel

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

Frugalwoods - Financial Independence and Simple Living

Why We Bought a New Car

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-349

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

Unless you’re a money nerd, knowing how to start investing from scratch isn’t as easy as it seems. With so many options out there and the economy faltering, how do beginners avoid getting burnt? Is something like real estate investing out of reach for new investors in times like today? These questions become even more complicated if you’re like today’s guest, Steven.

Steven recently became debt-free (woohoo!) after paying off six figures worth of combined student, auto, and credit card debt. But because he’s been so focused on paying off debt, investing isn’t coming easy to him. With a baby on the way, he wants to be sure he’s making the smartest moves possible to put himself, his wife, and his child in a position to succeed. But real estate investing, stocks, and other assets aren’t his only worry.

With two job offers on the table, both with separate benefits and drawbacks, Steven is suffering from analysis paralysis, unsure how to move forward. Should he take the job with higher pay and remote flexibility or go with thelower-paid job that offers career growth potential? Thankfully, with Scott out on dad duty, Mindy doesn't have to serve as the lone suggester. Joining her on this episode is J Scott, experienced investor, father, and author of the newest book, Real Estate by the Numbers!

In This Episode We Cover

Paying off $100K in debt and how today’s guest did it in just three years

Finding your financial tribe by attending meetups, joining Facebook groups, and connecting on the BiggerPockets forums

Flexibility vs. finances in a job and which is more important for a new parent?

Eating out expenses and how investing a few meals’ worth of expenses could change your child's future

How to start investing as a beginner and the dangers in diversifying for those who want to build wealth

Side hustles, moving to inexpensive areas, and more financial tradeoffs for a flexible lifestyle

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

J’s BiggerPockets Profile

J’s Personal Website

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

The Money Date: What You Should (And Definitely Should Not) Do to Align Your Finances as a Couple

7 Tips for Successfully Investing in ANY Market Condition With J Scott

Dave Ramsey Solutions

ChooseFi Podcast

Our Phantastic Life Youtube Channel

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-348

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

Dollar-cost averaging—you may have heard the term before, but maybe not its implications. According to Nick Maggiulli, it’s probably the easiest way to get rich with stocks, real estate, or really anything else. But what about buying the dip? Wouldn’t investing at historic lows be the wisest move to make when the markets take a tumble? Surprisingly, no! Don’t believe us? Listen on!

Nick’s investing theory is simple. But, the math backs it up. Doing less will make you more money—much more money. In his book, Just Keep Buying, Nick lays down the time-tested, proven ways to build wealth without being an expert day trader, cryptocurrency coder, or stressed-out landlord. This simple system of investing will allow you to build an almost unspendable nest egg without being glued to the market charts and graphs all day long.

But maybe stocks aren’t your thing. Maybe you're chasing hundred-millionaire status? Don’t worry, Nick also gives his take on achieving monumental money goals without following the same path as everyone else. No matter where you’re at in life, this is an investing lesson worth learning as early as possible!

In This Episode We Cover

Dollar-cost averaging vs. buying the dip and which will make you more in the long run

How to invest with a falling stock market, high interest rates, and higher bond yields

Individual stocks vs. index funds and who should pick which type of investment

Cryptocurrency, NFTs, and investing in alternative assets

The downside of diversification and why it won’t help you build a big portfolio

Why even billionaires don’t feel like they’re rich enough

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

Scott's Instagram

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

Are FIRE Naysayers Bad at Math? Yes. with Michael Kitces

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-347

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!

Taking a sabbatical from work requires a few things: time, money, and the willpower to do some soul-searching. Most people think that they can’t take any more than two weeks of the year off work. They rack up excuses, blaming timing, too many projects, and everything in between. But what if taking a sabbatical, gap year, or any other type of long-ish break was the key to building wealth faster and being a happier, healthier you?

Today’s guest Cindy, left a high-paid, stable job to take some much-needed time off. And after doing so, she’s urging you to do the same. Cindy, like most Americans, hasn’t taken time off since starting her working career. Besides the regular vacations and holidays, there never seemed like a good time for Cindy to take a break, recollect, and ask herself what she truly wanted. After taking a mini-sabbatical, she built up the courage to leave her job and hop off the grid for a bit.

Surprisingly, Cindy’s net worth didn’t dwindle during her time off—it grew! This positive push from the markets and her newfound clarity allowed her to discover new passions, try self-employment, and later snag a much better job while continuing to work towards early retirement. If you’ve been debating taking some time off, this episode will give you all the tips you need to do so!

In This Episode We Cover

Building your list of “alternative careers” to widen your job possibilities

Branching out far beyond your job title and doing more than what your degree is in

How to sample a sabbatical to see whether or not you could handle the real thing

Quitting your job during turbulent times and how to temporarily prepare for life without work

Funding life with a job and what to do before you quit

Planning out your passions so your sabbatical isn’t put to waste

How employers look at applicants who just took a sabbatical (it’s not what you think!)

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

Mindy's Twitter

David on BiggerPockets

David’s Site From Military to Millionaire

Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place

Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show

Podcast Talent Search!

Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel

Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets

Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget

Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-

Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Check out our sponsor page!