How to Money

Virtually all conventional wisdom points folks in the direction of paying off their debt. “Debt is dumb” is a line you’ll hear after listening to most personal finance podcasts for about 30 seconds. It's the mantra and driving force behind many money experts out there. But our guest today wants money savvy folks to take another look, and to reconsider debt. Tom Anderson is the author of the NYT best seller “The Value of Debt” and he has actually written multiple books on the different ways that we can utilize debt to build wealth. While most financial planning experts are only looking at debt as something to be eliminated, Tom advocates for the strategic use of debt. Listen as we discuss optimal debt ratios, the importance of liquidity, the psychological reality of debt, and plenty more on today’s episode!

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

During this episode we enjoyed a Helles Lager by New Park Brewing- thanks, Matthieu!! 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 sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil it 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: a helpful Apple Card feature, apprenticeships that pay, prepping for student loans, Rivian bikes, e-bike rebates, expensive babysitters, end of life plans for your electronics, scammy high interest savings, erupting equity, & disappearing flexible spending dollars.

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

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. Have an awesome weekend!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know something that we’re all currently doing? Breathing. It’s something we rarely actively think about, but it turns out that there are ways to improve our technique- by breathing through our nose instead of our mouths, or by taking deeper slower breaths. Well we’re talking about another basic subject today: buying groceries. This elementary practice seems simple on the surface, but just like breathing there are tactics that you can implement in order to save more money at the supermarket. The cost of food has always been a big deal as it’s typically our third largest expense. But it’s a bigger deal than ever with grocery prices up nearly 12% in December compared to a year ago. Inflation is making it more expensive to eat! Listen for how much you should be spending every month, our take on meal delivery services, and many other money saving tips that you can implement in order to butcher your grocery bill today!

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

During this episode we enjoyed a Darken by Upland Brewing! 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 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 - I took out personal loans to start a BTC mining business: should I use Roth contributions to pay them off?

2 - Should I pursue travel nursing in order to double my salary?

3 - As a teacher, can I afford to invest more aggressively since I have a pension?

4 - Investing via Acorns: smart move or should I consider other providers?

5 - What are some benefits or tax write-offs as we’ve started a new business?

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

During this episode we enjoyed a Lindemans Framboise! 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 sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil it 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: newsletter referral program rewards and shoutouts, tax-free state relief payments, free money for home improvements, how to appeal your property tax assessment, the worst way to invest, using or losing your points, cheating charities, starving to save, sketchy retailer tactics, & the myth of the informed consumer.

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

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. Have an awesome weekend!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cults are fascinating. The amount of gaslighting and denial of reality that takes place in order to perpetuate the movement is simply mind boggling. And one of the most interesting parts is to see interviews with the folks who finally got out. For years they couldn’t see clearly as they were essentially brainwashed, but now they look back on everything they experienced in a completely different light. When you’re in the midst of something so enveloping and all-consuming it can be difficult to know your right from your left, to know the difference between truth and lies. And similarly it can be difficult to discern the magnitude and scope of the impact of something like a global pandemic on our lives until some time has passed. But now that we had a few years between us and lockdowns, we wanted to discuss the specific ways in which Covid 19 has jolted personal finance and how we should respond to those changes.

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

During this episode we enjoyed a Mango Funk Yoself by Meddlesome Brewing- thanks Ben & Rachael for donating this one to the podcast! 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 more to successfully handling your money than just figuring out the financial nuts and bolts. Money has emotional and psychological components to it as well, which is at the core of what our guest today focuses on. We’re happy to be joined by Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, who happens to be the first financial therapist in the state of Michigan. She is a social worker-turned-financial therapist. She’s also the author of the book, The Financial Anxiety Solution, which is a workbook to help folks stop stressing about money by applying therapy techniques to their relationship with money. We’re excited to talk about how having more knowledge may not be the solution to your financial woes, how procrastination and perfectionism are tied at the hip, the value of understanding your financial archetype, how to have productive money conversations with a partner, & much more today!

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

During this episode we enjoyed a Mexican Lager by High Cotton Brewing- thanks Ben & Rachael for donating this one to the podcast! 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 sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil it 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: newsletter referral program rewards and shoutouts, Netflix crackdown, movie theater priority seating, investing through a bear market, 401k raiders, ESG funds falling short, avoiding the officejet shakedown, big game gambling, Valentine’s Day outlay, financial infidelity, & reduced tax refunds.

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

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. Have an awesome weekend!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato

If you’ve been listening for any length of time you know that we like craft beer. But booze can be a polarizing subject. We’ve had emails from folks who say they like our show, but just can’t continue to listen because of our stance on alcohol. At least in some circles, beer can be polarizing and the same thing is true when it comes to the use of credit cards. There isn’t much logical, nuanced, or balanced conversation when it comes to credit cards- they’re either the greatest thing since sliced bread or they’ll ruin you overnight. But the reality is a bit more nuanced. Yes, there are certainly a number of downsides to using credit cards like paying interest and how they might encourage overspending which we’ll discuss today. We’ll also cover if we think using credit cards is ethical. But simultaneously you can’t deny the many benefits that come with responsible credit card use: the ability to help establish a solid credit score, the additional consumer protections they offer, the bountiful rewards, and much more. Plus we’ll explain a basic three card optimization strategy that will work for most folks- have a listen!

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

During this episode we enjoyed The Judge by Memphis Made Brewing- thanks Ben & Rachael for donating this one to the podcast! 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 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 - How do I get my reluctant spouse on board with a plan to budget?

2 - What should I do with an old 529 Plan that I was planning on transferring to my kids?

3 - Am I being frugal or cheap by blending my beers myself at a local brewery in order to save?

4 - Should I max out my Roth IRA or my 403b if both are available options?

5 - Is it a good idea to be a landlord while living abroad?

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

• Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here. 
• Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
• Join a thriving community of fellow money in the HTM Facebook group.
• Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
• Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
• Don’t be cheap and forego getting a life insurance policy. Compare rates with Policygenius.

During this episode we enjoyed a Thyyk Hydra by Mortalis Brewing! 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.