"I want our daughter to see us actively choosing a response or a purchase, not because it's about affordability, but because it's about values."

When you have the means to say yes to most things, choosing not to, especially when it comes to your kids’ wants and needs, becomes an act of intention.

As parents to a toddler not yet two, our hosts, Natalie and Dan Slagle, turn the lens on themselves. They face the reality that high earners face a version of spoiling that has nothing to do with being careless, but is the by-product of abundance.

When "no" is always a choice and never a constraint, the values behind it have to be spoken out loud.

Dan lands on entitlement as the after-effect of unchecked giving. Natalie frames it as a failure of appreciation, or not recognizing the work and trade-offs behind what you receive. Neither of them thinks their two-year-old is spoiled yet. But they're already watching for the signs.

Natalie has quietly been front-loading their daughter's college savings, while Dan wonders what they're giving up today: a trip, a night out, a little room to breathe.

A 2025 study by Talker Research, commissioned by Acorns Early, finds the average monthly allowance has reached $52. Two-thirds of parents in the study said they knew exactly how much to give and why; one-third said they'd need to ask other parents for reassurance.

One question Natalie wants every high-earning couple to ask each other is, “What does enough look like for our kids?”

There’s no right answer. But as parents, you need to have that conversation.

Key Topics:

• Micro-Decisions and What They Model (04:58)
• The 529 Tension: Funding Her Future vs. Living Your Own Life (11:37)
• A Client Story: The Apple Note That Drew the Line (16:59)
• Natalie and Dan's Different Instincts Around the 529 (21:51)
• Allowances in 2025: $52/Month, Venmo, and Preloaded Debit Cards (27:40)
• Chores, Allowances, and What Kids Should Never Be Paid For (28:58)
• How Parents Talk About Money Together is What Kids Remember (34:32)
• The One Question Every High-Earning Couple Should Ask (36:15)

Resources:

• The 3 Best Ways to Save for Your Child's Future: https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/moneymatters-blog/the-3-best-ways-to-save-for-your-childs-future

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Natalie Slagle, CFP® and Dan Slagle, CFP® are the founding partners and lead financial planners at Fyooz Financial Planning https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/ — an independent firm dedicated to helping high-earning couples in their 30s and 40s confidently navigate the complexities of managing money together.

At Fyooz, they specialize in turning financial stress into strategy, guiding couples through everything from cash flow and investing to aligning money with shared goals.

Disclaimer: For updated disclosures, please visit https://www.fyoozfinancial.com/