Life is Life!

The Talk Wealth to Me crew breaks down this tweet that was originally posted on Reddit.  This scenario comes up all the time in personal finance. Where do you stand on this???

Am I (29M) the asshole for inviting my girlfriend (28F) to an expensive vacation and expecting her to pay her share. I make a lot more than her. Hello, my, and then here's the body of it.

Hello, my girlfriend, myself, my parents and my brother and his wife all went on vacation to another country a week ago. My brother and I were the only one were the ones who did most of the planning for the itinerary. Although we did ask for everyone's input for background, I make 150,000 as an IT consultant. My girlfriend is a teacher making about 45,000. My parents are very affluent as well as my brother.

And sister-in-law my girlfriend knew this trip was coming and took on a second job waitressing on the weekends for several months to get ready for it. We have always split things. 50/50 in the two years we've been together. There were a few times on vacations where she did not go on outings with us like wine tasting, scuba diving, et cetera. She also would only eat two meals a day. Simply stating that she was on a budget. My family does favor more. High-end expensive places. My parents thought it was very strange that she only eats two meals a day on those. She normally eats three. When we got home, I asked her why she skipped out on several of the outings and only ate two meals a day. I mentioned how I heard her stomach growling one night and said, I was concerned about her having an eating disorder.

Uh, she got teary-eyed and said that three meals a day wasn't financially feasible for her. And neither were the outings that she chose not to go on. She went on three of six outings. She said she was not expecting everything to cost so much. And she was overwhelmed. She also said she doesn't know if it's going to work out long-term if she's expected to go on vacations like that with people who make so much more than her, I feel bad. I did not pick up on her discomfort sooner, but we did agree to split everything 50/50. And I don't know why she agreed to come. If the cost was an issue.
https://twitter.com/AITA_reddit/status/1409476751307194368 

Support the show

The daughter of immigrant parents growing up in Minnesota, Nora Ali grew up thirsty for knowledge and opportunity. Today the Talk Wealth To Me guys sit down with Nora about the launching of a new media venture as well as her incredible path leading up to it.

Nora was most recently an anchor on Cheddar, a business and technology-focused news network which broadcasts live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and its other studios across New York City and Washington, D.C. 

At Cheddar, Nora helped pitch and launch several specialty series, including Fast Forward: Life After Covid-19,  All Hands: Race Toward Inclusion, Business of Buying, and Future of Food.  She is a graduate of Harvard University and was previously a Senior Product Manager for end-to-end customer experience at the e-commerce company Jet.com, which she joined prior to its launch and acquisition by Walmart.  What an inspiration!

Support the show

The word invest can be a source of anxiety for some as they get further down the road of life because they know they should. But... how and what should I invest my hard earned money in? In today's world there are so many options but what is right for you? Today's guest Kyle Woodley the Senior Investing Editor for Kiplinger.com explains some of the options we have and what might be the best options for you.

Support the show

It’s hard to find a show that has had a greater cultural impact on American life than the 90s television sitcom "Friends." From “The Rachel” haircut, to the holiday armadillo, “Smelly Cat”, and even the “I’ll Be There for You” theme song, "Friends" is a show that continues to feel relevant and relatable – even though it’s been more than a decade since the finale aired in May 2004! So relatable that the Talk Wealth to Me crew brought on a guest that wasn't born until 2008!

What does "Friends" have to do with personal finance? It turns out, so many things that the six twenty-somethings encountered in their lives resembled real life; financial decisions and situations were no different. Today, we Shoot the Financial $h!t about many of these classic scenes and topics. That guest? Clayton Peckham, who has watched every episode from season 1-10, multiple times starting at the age of 10. Sit back and reminisce with us!

Support the show

It all started with a tweet... Music, movies, sports and other live and entertainment  events are big business and a lot of people are passionate about them; willing to shell out large amounts of money to experience. Some argue that it is financially irresponsible to spend hard earned money on such experiences. This is obviously subjective so we here at Talk Wealth to Me thought this is a great subject to discuss as this tweet is actually part of the reason we ourselves got into trouble when we were younger.  Is he right???  https://twitter.com/smartmoneybro1/status/1405262922427867137

Support the show

Once upon a time we knew if we saw a billboard, heard a commercial on television or the radio, that we were being advertised to spend money on a new product or a new brand. But over the past few decades, advertisers noticed that pop culture influences us more than these traditional ads. So, they made a change.

 With the use of “influencers,” product placement, and targeted social media ads, we now view ads for the latest and greatest as products that we need in order to be happy and fabulous. This week, Katie joins the Talk Wealth To Me crew for a discussion on how pop culture influences our spending and saving habits.

Support the show

If you have listened to this podcast often you know that we bring up budgeting in some way in just about every episode. This is because creating a spending plan (budget) is crucial to the health of your finances, especially if you are trying to pay back debt that you accumulated earlier in your life. This doesn't mean that you have to do without completely though. In this episode Chase and Phil discuss how you can create that plan to pay back the debt and still leave some for you to enjoy the life you are living now.

Support the show

"Want to go to the concert next weekend?" "Hey let's go to dinner". " Happy Birthday, here's a trip to Hawaii." In life we can all find ourselves financially at different places than others, including friends and family. This can cause anxiety and feelings of inadequacy because we may not be able to afford the same things as our friends or family. The holidays, birthdays, weddings, you name it, we all will go through this situation on one side or the other at some point, maybe even both? This week the gang discuss how to handle those situations and how it doesn't make you who you are based on what you can and can't afford at given times. 

Support the show

Wedding season is right around the corner and this season could see a record number of nuptials as we come out of the pandemic. Last year so many weddings were postponed as we couldn't get together to celebrate two lives coming together as we normally would.  Weddings for some people are the biggest days of some people's lives. It can be a huge cost for the couple and their immediate families. This week the crew discusses all things wedding costs but not for the bride and groom or their families but the wedding party's. Yes, those friends and family that pay for and travel far and wide for the bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, wedding day and not to mention the dresses and tux/suits. Join us for some crazy stories and of course ways to make those incredible days a little less pricey for the ones standing up in honor of you.

Support the show

Summertime feels like childhood! School is almost out and the kids will be off for the summer months and sometimes to parents chagrin. But it also means fun, sun, and lemonade stands. It also means barbecues and outdoor activities and after a year in which most of us didn't leave the house it means reconnecting with friends and family and travel. Summer doesn't mean you have to bust your budget however and the TWTM crew discusses all the fun summertime fun that can be done without adding to the credit card bills!  

Support the show