Queer Money®: How Gay People Do Money

Get the bundle here: debtfreeguys.com/142 Is your money situation stressing you out? Maybe you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, and you’re nervous that you couldn’t cover even a simple emergency. You know that following a budget is step one in improving your financial health, but you’re not sure where to start. Here’s the thing: You DON’T need to create a budget. That’s because we’ve done it for you! Today, we’re sharing the tools included in our plug-and-play Budget Buster Bundle. We discuss the current statistics around budgeting in the US and explain why it’s crucial to your financial wellbeing. We go on to describe the value in a dynamic budget that gives you the wiggle room to live a real life and allows for spending on the things that make you happy. Listen in for insight around automating your budget and find out if the Budget Buster Bundle is right for you! Get the bundle here: debtfreeguys.com/142

While the fundamentals of money are the same for all of us, our experiences, risks and concerns are all unique. In that way, queer money is different from straight money. And within the LGBT community, the degree of struggle varies. Our experience as cis, white, gay men is different from that of a transgender individual who may find it challenging to open a bank account because they don’t look like the picture on their driver’s license. So, what can we learn from listening to their stories? Brynne Conroy is a personal finance writer who started covering money when she didn’t have any. As she discovered ways to save and earn more, Brynne shared them on her blog, Femme Frugality. In October of 2018, she published the Amazon bestseller The Feminist Financial Handbook: A Modern Woman’s Guide to a Wealthy Life. One of the women featured in Brynne’s book is Nicole Lynn Perry, a transgender veteran and rainbow community advocate based in Seattle. Today, Brynne and Nicole join us to discuss The Feminist Financial Handbook. Brynne explains what drew her to Nicole’s story and why she chose to include it in the book, and Nicole shares her background serving in the US Marine Corps before transitioning and eventually becoming an activist for the queer community in general and transgender service members specifically. Nicole also explains what life is like for a transgender person in the US, describing the challenges around changing your name and gender marker and the difference in quality of life based on location. Listen in for insight into the transgender experience and learn why you should always take the time to listen to someone else’s story!

5 Unique Steps to Initiate the Money Conversation with Your Spouse Initiating a conversation about money is never easy. You may even feel a certain amount of shame around your financial situation and talking about it can be incredibly uncomfortable. On the other hand, you know how important it is to be on the same money page with your partner. So, how do you broach the subject with a significant other who is resistant to discussing money? Today, we’re sharing five unique tactics for initiating the money conversation with your partner. We explain how to soften the money discussion by blaming us or bringing it up in a quiet public place. We go on to offer insight into the value of exposing your own vulnerability first and focusing on how to achieve your shared hopes and dreams. Finally, we cover the strategy of sharing your feelings and concerns with the intent to find a solution for yourself. Listen in to understand the many benefits of having an open, honest conversation about money with your partner—and learn how working on your finances together leads to more happiness AND better sex!

Life Insurance When HIV+ with Sau El of Simply Insurance Life insurance is incredibly important. Not only does the death benefit cover funeral costs, the payout can provide long-term financial security for your loved ones. But what if you are HIV+? How challenging is it to secure a life insurance policy if you have the human immunodeficiency virus? Sau El is the Co-founder and CEO of Simply Insurance, a platform providing a simple and fast way to purchase insurance online. Sau is a licensed life and health insurance agent with 10-plus years of experience in the insurance industry. In addition to being an ambitious entrepreneur, Sau is an insurance educator and field underwriter on a mission to get one million families insured. Today, Sau joins us to explain the fundamentals of underwriting as well as the benefits of securing a no-exam policy. He offers a brief history of the no-exam option and discusses the difference between a group and individual policy. Sau walks us through the life insurance options available to people who are HIV+, covering the ONLY company willing to underwrite those individuals, the additional requirements for someone who’s HIV+, and what factors may STILL prevent them from being approved. Listen in to understand the benefits of buying a policy as soon as possible and serving as both owner and insured—and learn where to go for resources and support in choosing the most affordable life insurance product for your situation!

At the end of our lives, we tend to regret the things we didn’t do, the opportunities missed, the risks we didn’t take. Yet in the day-to-day, the familiar holds us back. We stop ourselves from pursuing ‘crazy ideas’ and chase the cultural idea of what it means to be successful. But what if success is less about wealth or fame—and more about living the life you want? What if taking a leap could help you discover the real you? Don’t you owe it to yourself to give it a shot? Justin McCarty was living in Denver, working 60 to 70 hours a week at a job he’d had for 12 years. He made a lot of money, but he was constantly connected to his phone and had very little free time. On a trip to Barcelona, he felt an overwhelming sense of liberation and got curious about making his vacation a little more permanent. Today, he is living and working in Spain, teaching English and experiencing a level of joy he never dreamed possible. On this episode of Queer Money, Justin joins us to explain how he made the decision to move to Barcelona, sharing what his life was like in Denver and how his priorities shifted after experiencing Spanish culture. He shares the logistics of moving to a foreign country and his experience as an ex-pat living in Europe. Listen in for Justin’s insight on acclimating to a new culture and learn how he is achieving new levels of happiness and confidence in beautiful Barcelona!

How long have you wanted to be debt free? This is the year! The statistics are bleak: The average LGBTQ family has roughly $12K in credit card debt. We assume 17% more student loan debt than our straight peers—which translates to about $40K—and 79% of queer students have both credit card AND student loan debt prior to graduation. The financial burden of owing money also takes a toll on our mental and physical health, creating additional stress and diminishing our quality of life. So, it’s no wonder credit card debt is a leading concern of the LGBTQ community. Today on Queer Money, we’re addressing that concern with the Credit Card Pay Off Course available for a limited time through our website. We start by explaining how financial freedom serves as a way to RESIST, allowing us to spend money on education or organizations that support the queer community. We also share our objectives for the course, describing how removing the burden of debt can improve our outlook and allow us to work toward other financial goals. Finally, we walk through the main components of the Credit Card Pay Off Course, from instructional videos and reading material to easy-to-use checklists and tools to a custom Facebook support group. Listen in to understand how we used this system to pay off $51K of our own credit card debt in just 2½ years and learn how it has helped other couples and individuals prioritize financial self-care, save thousands of dollars, and lift the burden of credit card debt!

Get full notes here: debtfreeguys.com/bad-with-money If someone approached you in a coffee shop and asked about your favorite sexual position, would you be willing to share? What if they wanted to know your bank balance? While most of us are open to the topic of sex, money is considered taboo. Talking about our financial situation is deemed ‘too personal,’ and most of us carry around a lot of embarrassment about our money situation. So, why are we more inclined to discuss sex than money? Why do so many of us continue to struggle with money despite all the advice that’s out there? And why do we feel so much shame around being ‘bad with money’? Gaby Dunn is the writer, actor and New York Times bestselling author behind the YouTube comedy channel Just Between Us, the novel, I Hate Everyone But You, and the nationally-recognized podcast Bad With Money, a finance show for ‘the rest of us.’ Gaby brings a queer, feminist point of view to the money conversation, and her new book, Bad With Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together, explores our inability to speak honestly about money and offers practical personal finance advice like how to choose an insurance plan, buy a car, or take out student loans. Today, Gaby joins us to share her experience with being internet famous, discussing the fans’ assumption that creators make a lot of money and the demonetization of LGBTQ content. She explains the impetus for her podcast and book, offering insight on why people are turned off by traditional financial advice and the stigma around talking about money. Gaby also describes the systemic issues faced by marginalized communities and outlines some of the unique financial challenges among the queer community. Listen in for Gaby’s thoughts on ‘unwiring the carpe diem mentality’ and learn where to go for LGBTQ-specific money advice!

Would you like to be debt free by 2020? If financial security is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, we’ve got nine simple moves that will help you WIN the money game in 2019. We start with the concept of a Dinero Detox, explaining how to clean out your ‘money system’ by eliminating discretionary spending for a weekend—or longer! We go on to discuss retirement savings, sharing resources to help you track and grow your nest egg. We also cover credit scores, describing how our free tools can help you lower interest rates and ultimately pay off your debt more quickly. Finally, we talk about reducing your food spend, sharing the templates and apps we use to shop more efficiently and save thousands of dollars every year. Listen in for insight on planning your social calendar in advance and learn how to find freebies and discounts so you can have a fabulous life—for less—in 2019! Topics Covered Tip #1—Perform a Dinero Detox • Eliminate discretionary spending for the weekend Tip #2—Crunch retirement numbers • Take advantage of Magic Money Calculator Tip #3—Sign up for Blooom’s free portfolio analysis • Reduce fees and increase your potential return Tip #4—Complete the Credit Score Checklist • Better score = lower interest Tip #5—Use the Credit Card Comparison Calculator • Compare interest rates, pay off debt faster Tip #6—Utilize a grocery list and menu • Save thousands on groceries, dining out Tip #7—Download the AnyList app • Grocery list updates in real time Tip #8—Plan your social calendar in advance • Good quality of life AND control budget Tip #9—Get discounts/freebies with the Entertainment Book • Ideas for things to do, don’t pay full price For links to all the tools in this episode click here: https://debtfreeguys.com/best-year-ever/

In the queer community, we still run the risk of losing a job or being denied services due to our sexual orientation or gender identity. In fact, there are 30 states where it is perfectly legal to discriminate against an individual because they identify as LGBTQ. And we know that such inequity impacts our quality of life. But have you ever stopped to consider how it might impact our financial health? Leslie Tayne is the founder and lead attorney at Tayne Law Group, a debt solutions law firm based in New York City. Leslie has 20 years of experience in the practice of consumer and business financial debt-related services, and her work has appeared in Inc. Magazine, Forbes and the Huffington Post, among many other media outlets. Tayne Law Group has been voted Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s best debt consolidation service four years in a row, and Leslie has twice been honored as one of Long Island Business News Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business. She is also the author of Life & Debt: A Fresh Approach to Achieving Financial Wellness. Today, Leslie joins us to offer her insight on LGBTQ discrimination and share what steps to take if you are being discriminated against. She discusses the impact of discrimination on our finances, explaining why a healthy savings account is crucial for the queer community. Listen in for Leslie’s top tips on managing debt and learn how short-term financial discipline can lead to long-term rewards!

Sometimes it's the simple changes that we make that have the biggest impact on our lives. When those changes become habits that we put into our daily or weekly lives, the impact can be dramatic. If you're looking to save some money and get ahead financially, look at the things you do every day or every week and ask, where can I make a small change that will have a bit impact? We did this with our grocery shopping and it saved us tens of thousands of dollars a year. Listen to this episode to hear our simple three-step strategy that not only saved us money but helped us pay off our debt fast! Get the menu and grocery list templates here: https://debtfreeguys.com/grocery-and-menu-templates/