How to Money

We’re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!

1 - HSA: I don’t see how investing money in a Health Savings Account is going to move the needle for me?

2 - Dividend stocks: I keep buying individual stocks, but maybe it’s time to cut bait?

3 - Renovate/rent: We’re interested in getting into single family housing but how do we go about it?

4 - Cash reserves: What steps do I take to have 1-3 years of cash on hand for retirement?

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
• Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

During this episode we enjoyed a Lakeside Kolsch by Lake of the Woods Brewing… thank you David S for sending this one our way! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:

• Friends and money in The Guardian
• Ubiquitious sports-betting
• Friendly financial advice
• Whole Foods on the cheap
• Suveillance grocery pricing
• Student loan pause = mostly bad outcomes
• Goodbye Grad and Parent Plus
• Home equity piggy banks
• Monitoring for fraudulent credit card charges
• Checks are for chumps (Jay Z on the power of cash)
• Vans are back baby!
• “Dumb” cars
• Flock cameras… good or bad?

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
• Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s harder: parenting… or the cost of it? We’re huge fans of having kids. They teach you so much, force you to become less self-absorbed, and – let's be real – it’s incredible to watch little mini versions of yourself running around bringing so much joy, purpose, and chaos to your daily life. But financially? Raising a family can feel more daunting than ever. Between housing, childcare, activities, and expenses that seem to multiply overnight, many parents are left asking: How do we make this work? That’s why we’re joined today by Kristy and Bryce of Millennial Revolution. They’ve written a practical new book, Parent Like a Millionaire (Without Being One), on raising kids thoughtfully and confidently without needing a seven-figure bank account. Today we discuss:

• The impact of money on birth rates
• Myths and facts of the cost or raising a child
• “Big Baby”
• Living smaller and avoiding unnecessary life upgrades
• Nanny sharing and childcare alternatives
• Teaching kids financial autonomy and independence
• Joys of parenthood
• Gift of financial independence while parenting
• And much more!

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!

1 - House poor: What to do when all your money goes towards your mortgage?

2 - Aldi: Is it true that the best budget grocery store isn’t taking the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred anymore?

3 - Expensive babies: Should I plan to carry newborn delivery costs on a credit card?

4 - Car dealership: How can I avoid fees and cut other costs when I shop for a car at the dealership?

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
• Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

During this episode we enjoyed a Juicy A by Flying Monkey Brewing… thank you David S for sending this one our way! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:

• Thoughts on the $20 burrito
• Real wages rise a little
• Cash hoarding
• Big banks are still sticking it to you
• Spendy sports
• Shot-through shirts
• WFH fees
• Pension-ification of your 401k
• Gen Z investing in WHAT?!
• Mandated self checkout
• WhatNot to buy

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
• Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frugality is a cornerstone of personal finance advice: cut back, spend less, reduce waste. And for the average American drowning in debt, that’s often solid advice. But money isn’t meant to just sit there untouched—it’s also meant to be spent, experienced, and enjoyed. In fact, even the money you save is really just deferred spending. And let’s face it: money isn’t easy to come by. We work hard for every dollar we earn. So maybe the answer isn’t simply spending less. Maybe it’s spending with more intention. Our guest today wants you to worry less about money, and he argues that the path there isn’t endless deprivation—it’s changing the way you think about spending altogether. Jesse Mecham is a best-selling author and founder of YNAB, the beloved budgeting app that’s helped millions take control of their finances. Today we discuss his brand new book, Never Worry About Money Again, and dive into concepts like:

• Financial worries are a low grade hum
• Money as an expression of self
• Why Jesse believes we should love money
• Aligning money with life goals and values
• Influence of interior work and self-awareness
• Practical tips for simplifying money systems
• Kids as a status symbol
• What it means to be a “rec league” family
• And much more!

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big money mistakes usually come from doing the “smart” thing too soon. We break down listener decisions that look simple on the surface, but could cost you thousands if you get the timing wrong… from where to park a home-sale windfall, to whether a refi is actually worth it, to why stock-picking advice from family can be a trap, and more! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!

If you’re sitting on cash you’ll need soon, debating whether to become a landlord, or wondering if your mortgage rate is low enough to justify another refinance, we give you the clearest path forward. We also tackle the hidden risk in chasing returns with individual stocks and ETFs, and explain why boring, liquid, diversified choices usually win when the clock is ticking.

You’ll discover:
1 - Home purchase: Why a high-yield savings account or money market fund is usually the right move for short-term home-buying cash.
2 - Refi: How to think about refinancing through payback period instead of obsessing over the interest-rate drop.
3 - Investing tips: The difference between broad index funds and narrow ETFs, and why that matters for risk
4 - Helping others: Paying it forward for others to achieve financial freedom
5 - Financial safety net: When a HELOC can be a backup and why a reverse mortgage is a very different beast.

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

During this episode we enjoyed a Bear Hug IPA by Market Brewing… thank you David S for sending this one our way! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:

• Grocery slowdown
• Cashback for groceries
• Premium credit card trap
• FUNFLATION
• Are you willing to take the bus?
• Money morons
• More credit card debt than investments
• Dwindling Social Security
• Changing homeowner expectations
• Ripoff mortgages
• DIY upgrades  for home insurance discounts
• Skipping the security deposit
• The price of water

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot packed into your 20s. You’re getting an education — formal or otherwise. You’re figuring out what you believe about work, money, relationships, success, and who you want to become. Sure, that process doesn’t stop at 30, but your 20s are especially formative. And there’s no shortage of advice aimed at young adults. Commencement speeches. Career gurus. Personal finance influencers. But a lot of it misses the deeper question of what actually matters. And in a world full of noise, it’s getting harder to separate wisdom from status signaling. Today we’re joined by Jack Raines. He’s a young guy who made some pretty countercultural choices — walking away from prestigious jobs, big paychecks, and conventional definitions of success to build a life on his own terms. His new book, Young Money, is part memoir, part guidebook for the generation coming behind him and today we discuss:

• Embracing risk in your 20s
• Balancing financial responsibility and enjoyment
• Avoiding mindless toil
• Recognizing meaningful work
• FIRE as a mental illness
• Different goals for different life stages
• Why Jack believes “Am I having fun” is the most important question
• And much more!

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join our first ever video podcast as we explore the latest in personal finance, technology, and lifestyle, sharing insights and practical tips to improve your financial well-being and enjoy life to the max! Today we get into:

• Our summer travel highlights and money-saving tips
• Apple's new devices and price hikes explained
• The rising cost of healthcare and how to manage it
• Entertainment on a budget: movies, ice cream, and more
• The industry of sports betting and its financial impact
• Listener questions and summer sabbatical reflections
• The future of technology and personal finance
• Practical tips for family finances and investments
• And a lot more ridiculousness!

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:

• YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - SUBSCRIBE!
• Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
• Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
• Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
• MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.