There are secondary costs associated with almost all purchases that we make in our lives. It’s important to consider all of these additional costs that tag along when making purchases, and not just the initial sticker price. In this episode we explain how there are hard secondary costs and then how there are soft or lifestyle secondary costs which are similar to lifestyle creep. And then finally, we go over some helpful and specific tips to remember when making purchases. Keeping all this in mind will help us to manage our money better, specifically when it comes to our spending because everything really does cost more than you think.

During this episode we both enjoyed a Pretty Willie’s Imperial Stout by Against the Grain! And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

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We’re kicking off the week by answering your questions! And if you have a question for us, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask/ , send us your voice memo!

1 - Is it better to buy a new construction or a fixer upper, as an investment property?

2 - What’s the best credit card to replace possessions after an apartment fire?

3 - Should I continue to take advantage of a mortgage deferment even though we could make the payment?

4 - How should I go about dollar cost averaging when my income is seasonal?

5 - What is ‘coast FIRE’ and do y’all recommend it?

During this episode we both enjoyed a Red Wine Foederbier Southern Brewing Company! And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

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It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s news and the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to not just weather this health and financial crisis, but to come out on the other side even stronger. In this episode we cover some practical topics like the rise of fake podcasts, the increased number of new books to be published this fall, digital coupons, what the payroll tax holiday means for you, and how much money working from home is saving our country. After all of that we touch on what airlines are dropping their change fees, the rush of speculative day traders, and the high cost of money therapists.

Also, don’t forget this is your chance to raid our bookshelf! You can win 3 of the dozen books we’re giving away and we’re talking about books of previous guests who we’ve had on the show. Titles like I Will Teach You to be Rich, The Behavioral Investor, Can I Have Your Attention? as well as several others. And the way to be one of the 4 winners is by leaving us a written review over at Apple Podcasts. Once you’ve done that, email us at [email protected] with your screen name, and you’re good to go! We’re taking entries until Wednesday September 9th at noon. We’ll announce the winner during next week’s Friday Flight episode.

Best friends out!

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We could share the best money tips out there with you every single episode, but it would never really matter if you haven’t identified proper money goals for your life. What good is it to know the best ways to earn more, spend less, and invest your money if you don’t even know why it is that you’re doing those things? And unfortunately if you haven’t identified your money goals and the ‘why’ behind your money, then it’s easy for money itself to become the end goal. Gaining more wealth can become the default metric that you think will make you happy, but in reality that happiness is fleeting. So this episode is all about discovering our passions, figuring out what we want to spend our money on, and thinking through how we want to spend our days. And then we talk through the SMARTER approach to goal setting to ensure that we are taking the steps to get us where we want to be.

During this episode we enjoyed an Alpha Abstraction IPA Vol 13 by Wild Leap! And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

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Alan Donegan is our guest on this episode and he is one of the co-founders of PopUp Business School which is on a mission to change the way entrepreneurship is taught. They’re getting folks to create their own sustainable startups by not taking on massive amounts of debt. When almost half of new businesses fail within their first 5 years, it’s clear that this is the type of guidance that is needed today- especially given the uncertain times we’re living in. Alan’s motto is “fail fast and fail cheap”, and through trial and error, he has built up his own business without ever having taken on any debt. Today we dive into his story as well as how you can start a business with zero dollars!

During this episode we enjoyed a Cookies with Cream by Little Cottage Brewery! And as we have ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s news and the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to not just weather this health and financial crisis, but to come out on the other side even stronger. In this episode we cover some practical topics like the true cost of a pumpkin spice latte habit, the delay of the additional refinance fee, but at the same time some lenders are asking borrowers to waive their ability to request forbearance, and how some companies are beginning to restore hours and salary cuts made back in the spring. After all of that we touch on stimulus check updates, why we should be alert to the fact that online spending has skyrocketed, a new proposal pertaining to health sharing plans, and then what to do with a credit card that has an annual fee.

And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Convenience (and the products and services that make it possible) has infiltrated it’s way into our daily spending - so much so, that it’s become our default option. Who doesn’t want things to be a little easier and a little more accessible? Convenience can be a nice perk of our modern economy, but it can also come at a high cost. And the big problem here is that American consumers are spending more money than ever on different conveniences without giving it a second thought. We’re being parted with our money without even realizing it! So our goal for this episode is to shine a light on the different reasons that we often go with the more convenient option. And then we’re also going to suggest some simple solutions for us to overcome these costly options. By recognizing our natural tendencies, hopefully we can resist these urges which will also allow us to save money. We don’t want to take the easy and more expensive way every time we’re faced with a decision.

During this episode we enjoyed a Chimay Grand Reserve! And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re kicking off the week by answering your questions! And if you have a question for us, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask/ , send us your voice memo!

1 - What should I do with the proceeds from selling my house?

2 - Is it better to max out my HSA now or allow it to continue to be regularly deducted from my paycheck?

3 - Should I go with a regular or Roth 401k and does it make sense for me to stick around until I’m 100% vested?

4 - Why did my credit score drop after paying down a bunch of credit card debt?

5 - What advice should I give my parents who are looking to retire within the next decade?

During this episode we both enjoyed a Dr. Fünke’s Sour Pale Ale by Wrecking Bar Brewpub! And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s news and the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to not just weather this health and financial crisis, but to come out on the other side even stronger. In this episode we cover some interesting topics like the cost of the 10 most popular sandwiches you can make at home, why you might be able to negotiate down your monthly rent, a new refinance fee that will begin next month, and how to go about raising your credit score to snag the best rate when it comes time to refinance. After all of that we cover why the increasing cost of new vehicles is a bad thing, executive orders and their impact on student loan payments as well as unemployment relief, the decrease in full-time jobs, and the S&P 500 hitting record highs.

And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More of us need to be considering dropping a car from our lives - especially as so many of us are now working from home indefinitely! Are we even using those vehicles?! But even if you are going in to work everyday, it’s time to question whether or not it makes sense to continue paying nearly $800 in order to own and maintain that vehicle. Transportation costs are typically the 2nd largest expense we have every single month so getting rid of a car can have a massive effect on your monthly expenses. On top of the positive financial ramifications, there are other awesome side effects too. We’ll dive into all of those benefits as well as how you can go about owning one less car in this episode.

During this episode we enjoyed a Ourison by Tired Hands Brewing! And as we’ve ramped up the podcast with an additional Friday episode every week, we could really use your help to spread the word- let friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to spread the word to get more people doing smart things with their money in these difficult times!

Best friends out!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.