Crushing Debt

Why does one unexpected legal expense knock your entire financial life off track?

How do you create, fund and use an emergency fund?

Is your emergency really an emergency, or something you could have planned for?

In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about emergency funds and the apparent inability to absorb an unexpected expense without:

• Using a credit card, personal loan, or incurring more debt
• Borrowing from family or friends
• Invading retirement
• Skipping another bill that needs to be paid
• Buy now, pay later
• Ignoring it.

Can you budget for the unexpected? Of course! The easiest way to save $1,000 is to save $100 and do that 10 more times! You can automate your savings so you don't even feel it. You can give yourself a (small) reward for achieving your savings goals.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

Now that the World Cup is over, we can turn our attention to "American Football." The NFL Preseason kicks off on August 6, 2026, at the Hall of Fame Game - Carolina Panthers v. Arizona Cardinals.

What are the hidden costs of football season?

How can you tailgate without sacking your budget?

What is the Fantasy Football trap?

Do you bet on sports?

What is your financial winning playbook?

On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn and George tackle all of these issues and more!

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

How do you teach your kids about money?

How do you teach your kids without it seeming like a chore?

On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn and George talk to Greg Junge about his book "Tenn Money Mindset: 8 Essential Money Skills They Don't Tech You in School."

With a proven track record as a Four-Time Best-Selling Amazon Author, Real Estate Investor and entrepreneur, and Personal Development Enthusiast, Greg has made it his mission to empower individuals to unlock their full potential and achieve extraordinary success in all areas of life.

Drawing upon his diverse experiences and entrepreneurial spirit, Greg's books serve as powerful guides for those seeking to transform their lives and realize their dreams. Covering a wide range of topics including creating successful habits, personal development, mindset mastery, goal achievement, and personal finance for teens, his insightful writings offer practical strategies and invaluable insights that resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Passionate about empowering the next generation, Greg is dedicated to equipping teens and their parents with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Through his engaging writing style and relatable anecdotes, he inspires teens to take control of their financial future, cultivate healthy habits, and develop a mindset for success that will serve them for a lifetime.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com

What costs are involved in pet ownership?

Shawn's late wife promised their son that they would buy a dog if he earned straight A's in school. That happened in the last quarter of the 2025-2026 school year, so the Yesner Family welcomed Luka to the pack on the fourth of July.

That came with some large and some small expenses, including:

• Vet bills
• Pet Insurance
• Training
• Toys, Food / Treats, and Supplies
• And others

What expenses or costs are there that a new pet owner might not expect? And how can you deal with the cost increase if you decide to get a new pet? That's the discussion in this week's podcast episode!

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

Although we're in summer, the start of school is just around the corner. Are you ready?

How do you get ready for school every year?

Shawn has two kids - one in high school and one in middle school. George has one in college (and one who just graduated college).

Some of the expenses you may incur for kids going back to school:

• Books
• Supplies
• Lunches
• Clothes / Uniforms
• Sports / Extracurricular Activities
• Electronics (computer, calculator)

What hidden expenses are there that we have not mentioned?

Where can you cut costs, like hand-me-downs, splitting supplies between kids, and taking advantage of sales tax holidays.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

Back in March (episode 507), we did a show about the "Sweet 16" worst money habits to see which was the worst for your wallet and budget. We decided to bring that episode back, but with 16 new "bad" money habits based on a World Cup-style seeding.

Group A: Everyday Leaks

• Subscription creep
• Food delivery apps
• Impulse buys ("just this once")
• Convenience store runs

Group B: Big Ticket Traps

• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)
• Car payment stretching (72–84 month loans)
• Lifestyle creep after a raise
• "It's an investment" purchases (boat, timeshare, unused home gym)

Group C: Emotional Spending

• Revenge spending (stress/reward shopping)
• Retail therapy after a bad day
• Keeping up with social media lifestyles
• Guilt spending on kids/grandkids

Group D: The Excuses

• "I'll start Monday" mentality
• "It's just one swipe" thinking
• No budget or tracking at all
• Balance transfer as a permanent fix instead of a plan

Which money habit do you think will "win" (and by that, we mean which will be the worst? This is all in good fun; the goal isn't perfection — managing money is genuinely hard, and just noticing a pattern is real progress. Do you agree with our analysis?

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

Why will paying off debt not make you wealthy?

What is the tax trap inside your debt payoff plan?

What is the difference between being debt-free and financially free?

Most business owners who end up in financial crisis did not get there because they failed to earn enough. They got there because nobody ever showed them how to keep what they earned. Revenue is not wealth, and that gap is where the real damage happens.

This week's guest on the podcast is Rachid Barry, and for 11 years he has helped entrepreneurs and high-income professionals build financial systems that reduce cash leakage, resolve IRS debt, and create real alternatives before bankruptcy ever becomes the only option. Rachid works with business owners across the U.S. who are profitable on paper but structurally exposed, and that is a story your audience knows well.

You can reach Rachid at [email protected].

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

What are the known and hidden costs of getting sick?

What about a medical emergency?

Are you prepared for the cost of unexpected health issues and how can you protect yourself, your family, and your bank account?

On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about Shawn's son, who broke his arm recently, requiring surgery to fix. His son is expected to make a full recovery but the incident taught Shawn a few things about the costs of staying healthy and what to do when an accident happens, including known and hidden costs like:

• Emergency Room visit
• X-Rays and other tests
• IV
• Surgery
• Anethesia
• Pain medicine and pain management
• After-effects, like cancellation of future plans, medicinal needs after the fact, and other necessary care supplies.

We also talk about insurance coverages and how those play into the analysis, and what to do to mitigate the out of pocket costs of a medical incident.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

Are money problems spilling over to work?

What can you do for your employees to reduce stress? Reduce down time?

What can you do for employee retention?

What is a "stop for this" purchase?

As an employer, how can you reduce the chance that you get asked to give advances of payroll to employees?

In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk to Barry Sanborn about the cost of employee turnover, and what to do about it.

Barry is the founder of Sanborn Financial Coaching, LLC, in Joplin, Missouri. He started his business on June 1, 2021, to help clients pursue and eventually achieve their personal money goals. Barry provides personal financial coaching services for individuals and couples. He has a degree in business from Missouri State University and is involved in two professional financial coaching organizations. Barry's specialty involves delivering financial coaching as a unique employee benefit designed to help small business owners attract and retain great workers. The employees are offered personal financial coaching services in one-hour sessions, either in-person or online, as a benefit of working at a particular company. You can reach Barry at [email protected] or visit his website at www.missourimoneycoach.com.

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026

What are some of your more expensive habits?

What impact does summer have on your spending?

In this week's episode of the podcast, Shawn & George talk about summer's most expensive habits, including:

• Weddings / Vacations / Family Outings
• Summer Camps & Kids Activities
• Concerts
• Home Improvement Projects
• Pets
• Subscriptions
• Back to School Shopping
• Cost of Living Changes

What other summer spending habits do you have?

Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!

Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt

To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach

To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.

And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team (until June 30, 2026) at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MyLegacy2026