So long, Budgets and Cents. Hello, Honest Money Conversations! In this short bonus episode, we tell you why we decided to rebrand and what it means for the future of the podcast.

This week's episode is all about staying curious and becoming a critical thinker. These are traits that allow you to experiment, try new things and be open to more opportunities in your life. And we both talk about how curiosity has helped us with our money and the various experiments we've done with our budgets, income and expenses. How do you become a curious person if you're not curious by nature? How do you get the courage to put yourself and your ideas/thoughts out there? We answer all of these questions and talk a bit more in-depth about how doing so has changed our lives. As always, we close with a few tips on how and why you should become more curious in your own life.

We’re sorry to say this is our final episode of the season - but what an incredible season it has been! We have loved each and every one of the conversations we shared with you, and are so grateful for all of your support these past few months. To finish things off, we are switching things up and answering your questions! Some of the topics we discuss in this episode include: travel hacking and credit card bonuses; the expert financial advice we disagree most with; what we would do if someone gave us $100,000; how we balance client work and our business work (for real!); how we make money; our real life routine and how we fit in self-care practices; and the books we're reading and podcasts we're listening to. While this is the last episode of this season, don’t worry – we’ll be back with Season 4 in June 2017! We share more details about that at the end of this episode. And of course, you can still connect with us in between seasons on social media or via email. Thanks again, friends! We'll talk to you in June :)

Does any of your self-worth come from your net worth? That's the topic we're discussing today, as well as how we both measure our individual worth. We have both let money affect our self-worth, in the past, but agree that's a flaw we are constantly working on. Trust us when we say that it's a lot easier said than done. Since numbers are usually tied to your self-worth, Carrie reveals what it's like to not be the breadwinner for the first time in her life. And Cait opens up about how her past salary determined her work ethic and how she valued herself amongst her co-workers. Since seeing this about ourselves, we've both been trying to measure our worth against other metrics. One thing we've heard in the past: how you measure your self-worth will directly affect how you act in life. We share some examples of what this looks like, at the end of the episode. And we close by giving a few ideas for how to measure your worth instead, including knowing how you treat people and who you are at your core.

This week is an extra special episode of Budgets and Cents because we're hosting our first guest! Jessica Moorhouse is a millennial money expert, speaker, award-winning personal finance blogger and host of the popular Mo’ Money Podcast. She's also been a great friend to both of us for many years, and was the one and only person we knew we wanted to interview this season. In January of this year, Jessica quit her day job to become a full-time blogger and podcaster, which is actually something she had told us she would never do. So, why did she change her mind, and how did she decide to make that career change? That's what we're talking about today: being open to change. Jessica starts by giving us a real look at how the first few months of self-employment have been and what her plans are for this year (including: producing future Millennial Money Meetup events, offering money coaching services to clients, and launching her first e-course about financial and physical fitness!). But we also discuss the various fears that come with being open and how to find the confidence to try new ventures. We're so grateful Jessica was willing to share part of her story with all of us. There are a lot of great tidbits of insight and advice in this episode, so you won't want to miss this one!

It's easy to look at someone else's life or social media accounts and assume they're able to manage everything successfully. But this is the curated version of the story. It's not an accurate representation of how you can manage your time. And, the truth is, we're not big fans of the idea that you can "do it all" anyway. So today we're sharing an honest look at what happens when we try to balance our work, money, chores, social lives and relationships. Trust us when we say our lives are not always dreamy! Some days, we even forget to put on deodorant. But that's what real life looks like. In order to actually do it all, you have to make room in your life for specific things during specific times. Doing it all requires flexibility and patience with yourself and those around you (especially those who help you do it all). It takes time, commitment and communication, but it can be done… just maybe not all on the same day of the week!

The summer is coming to an end, and so is this season of the podcast. But we’re making the best of it by tackling one of our favorite topics: working on the road! Right now, Cait is on her two-month-long road trip through the U.S., and Carrie just got back from a week-long trip visiting family in Texas - so this episode couldn’t be more timely for us. First, we discuss how to prepare for working on the road, starting with how to communicate it with clients. We also talk about what to pack so you have everything you need to get your work done, as well as how to schedule your days so you can stay productive and enjoy your trip. And we would be bad personal finance bloggers if we didn’t share ways to stay safe, from packing an emergency kit, to making sure all your insurance needs are covered, and protecting your belongings (including work files). Before you dive into the “location independent” life, there’s a lot to learn – and we share all our experiences in this episode.

As co-hosts of this podcast, this week’s topic is near and dear to our hearts: we’re talking about partnering up and collaborating on projects with other people. We mostly focus on online projects (courses, webinars, this podcast, etc.) and share our first-hand experiences with them. We also talk about how to know if it’ll be a good “fit” (and when to say “no” to potential partner projects), how to define roles, how to make it official - and all the benefits that come with finding a partner to work on a project with. At the end, we talk about mastermind groups and how having accountability partners can help you build a successful business. When you work for yourself, it’s normal to need a little help and support from time-to-time, and that’s exactly why we think partnering up with others is a great idea.

Last week, we explained the various systems we’ve setup to help us manage our clients and get our work done. We mentioned it briefly, but the most important system any freelancer can setup is the one(s) that helps them GET PAID. It all starts with setting your rates and having the confidence to charge them (and raise them!). We also talk about deposit structures, payment methods and terms, how to follow-up with clients who don’t pay you on time - and we even explain what it’s like to work with clients who pay you in foreign currencies. Whether you’re just getting started with your freelance work or side hustle, or are getting ready to make some pricing changes in your business, there’s a little something in this episode for everyone.