“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value” – Joe Biden

Is it possible to build a financial plan that sparks joy? How can we ensure our money is funding our goals and dream life, instead of causing more strife? Let’s face it, budgeting isn’t the sexiest thing, but there is a new way to ensure your finances are on track. Value-based spending. 

Value-based spending is being a more conscious consumer and more mindful of your expenditures. It’s easy to compare your budget and lifestyle to someone else’s and think that’s what you should be doing. Instead of blowing all your money on things you think you should be, i.e. expensive clothes if you have no interest in fashion, fast food after a busy day, or a 3,000 sq ft house in the country, value-based spending is all about using your money to purchase things that actually spark joy.

Sure, you’ll have the boring necessities you have to buy to live, some student loans, and maybe other debt that has to be attacked, but how can you ensure your excess funds are supporting your happiness and things you value? 

In this episode, we help you identify what you even value if you’re stuck in the comparison game, how to diminish expenditures on things you don’t value, and how to build sustainable financial plans that adhere to your goals.

Have any tips on value-based spending and how to be a more conscious consumer? We’d love to hear from you on twitter @simple_mind_pod 

And if you’re loving Simple Minded Millennial, leave us a review on iTunes!!!

 

From $35k a year in NYC to retiring at 30.

We are so excited about our guest this week! We have Purple, from A Purple Life, detailing her move from NYC to Seattle, how she grew her salary in advertising and the strategies she’s implemented to set herself for early retirement AT AGE 30. We also discuss career sabbaticals, funemployment, and knowing your worth.

Starting out at $35k in NYC, helping her partner, and struggling to pay that Manhattan rent, she moved to the West Coast with no job lined & managed to grow her salary to over $100k by 27. Despite a few layoffs, she fought for salary increases, job hopped, and finally hit that elusive six-figure salary.

Despite her salary increases, she was slow to come around to the idea of investing her extra money and leaving the rat race early. Her partner finally convinced her, and she started living on less to grow her portfolio to over $300,000 (yes, THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS at age 29). She is set to retire at thirty with $500k in investments.

She also lives on less than $20k a year in expensive Seattle, she’s a machine! Even if FIRE isn’t your dream or feels out of reach, Purple has incredible tips on taking big risks in your life, growing your salary and career, and how to live on less.

Check Purple out on her blog, A Purple Life. She has so many posts on how to advance your career, addictive spending breakdowns, and so many great food pics on her Instagram. 

 

Thanks so much for tuning into another episode of Simple Minded Millennial! Be sure to leavea  review on iTunes & follow us on Twitter at simple_mind_pod 

Over a month has passed in 2019- how are your goals progressing?

 

“Strive for progress, not perfection.”

 

Happy Valentine’s Day, Simple Minded Millennials! We’re back this week with a solo episode! Erik and Steph break down how they’re doing on their 2019 goals, and plans to improve for the remainder of 2019. It is hard to stay motivated when you don’t see overnight results, isn’t it?

How long do you think people stick with their resolutions? Take a quick guess! A recent study shows most people give up on their New Year’s Resolutions by… JANUARY 12th! Whaaat.

 

We get it, setting big goals like increasing your income, saving $100k, or losing 50 lbs don’t happen over night. It takes extreme dedication, lots of failures, and a long, long time. Giving up is SO much easier.

 

In this episode, Steph and Erik:

* discuss how to deal with slow progress

* dissect their goals and measure how they’re doing

* how to handle setbacks and failures

* learning to appreciate the process and not the results

* will motivate you to stick with your resolutions, even when they don’t seem to be panning out

Thanks SO much for listening! Please leave us a review on iTunes, we love feedback!

And tune in next week for an amazing interview with a personal finance blogger that grew her salary from $35k/year in NYC to over six-figures, before she turned 30!

Ever felt stuck and unmotivated in your life but were too afraid to make a change?

 

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, constantly repeating the past, and not seeing progress day to day. Fear keeps us in our comfort zones, paralyzed to make any change. But our guest today is an expert on major life changes, from changing colleges AND majors nearly every year, bouncing around from city to city fearlessly, and make a huge career pivot from PR to the military.

Liz, from Rose Colored Water, was unhappy with her life and career trajectory and went for her dream life of joining the military and attending nursing school. With her dog Motley Crue, she packed everything up from Colorado and moved down to Florida last year to pursue her nursing degree.

 

Tune in to learn how to take major risks, leap out of your comfort zone, and go for those scary dreams.

Ready to get motivated to make a major change? And if you need more inspiration, follow Liz on her blog!

Thanks for tuning in! If you’re loving Simple Minded Millennial, leave us a review on iTunes!

 

 

 

Feel like you’re drowning in student loan debt?

You’re not alone. Over 44 million people graduate with student loans, with the average balance hovering above $32,000. It’s easy to feel defeated and just ignore the ever-mounting student loan balance and just pay the minimum.

Bob, who runs The Frugal Fellow, knows exactly how it feels to graduate with a six-figure student loan debt. He got motivated to pay them off in his 30’s, and made his last student loan payment in August 2017! His blog chronicles his debt freedom journey, and how is focusing on growing wealth now.

Ready to crush those student loans? Listen to learn how Bob stayed motivated during his debt payoff journey, tricks he used to accelerate his payoff date, and how he survived some major roadblocks on his debt freedom path.

Major thank you to Bob for coming on the show! Be sure to get more student loan and personal finance tips from The Frugal Fellow.

 

Thanks for tuning in! If you’re loving Simple Minded Millennial, leave us a review on iTunes!

 

Ready to crush 2019?

 

In this episode, Erik and Steph wind down the year with a candid chat about their wins, loses, highlights, and reflections of 2018.

 

They also discuss their 2019 goals, and how they plan to finally accomplish some of their big dreams. From growing income, saving money, scaling online hustles, and weight loss, they outline how to dominate 2019 and rock your goals! Ready to seriously change your life for the better?

 

Ready to end your year inspired, motivated, and excited for the future? Cheers to making 2019 your BEST year yet.

 

And a giant thank you for listening to Simple Minded Millennial! We couldn’t ask for a better audience. If you haven’t already, subscribe to our e-mail list, leave a review on iTunes, and follow us on Twitter!

You’ve heard “you are what you eat” to inspire a healthy lifestyle.

 

But that sentiment applies to your finances, mind, and life!

 

Ever stopped to think about everything you are consuming? From the movies and TV you watch, the books you read, and the people you hang out with. All these external factors have an effect on your life.

This week, we discuss how to be a more mindful consumer, from everything to what you eat, buy, and to what you read. It feels great at the time to eat junk, watch trashy television, and mope around with friends, but it’s crucial to infuse healthy habits and positivity in your life.

 

Erik and Steph also breakdown:

 

* Importance of a healthy lifestyle

* How to be a more conscious consumer

* Ways to minimize noise and focus on your goals

* How to surround yourself with positivity

* Ways Erik is getting his beach bod ready

 

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode!!!!

Thank you for listening to Simple Minded Millennial! Please leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher! & spread the love by sharing this post with your friends!

 

How to Crush Your Consumer Debt and Save More Money

Let’s Destroy that  Debt and Live the Life You Were Meant to Live

Here at Simple Minded Millennial, we know how it feels to be naked and afraid with debt. Debt sucks. Being in debt literally means you are a slave to the banks, and is not the best position to be in for long term personal finance success.

Destroying your debt, while tough, can certainly be accomplished over time. This episode goes into debt, saving money, and gift ideas for the holiday season!

Erik and Steph also discuss:

* Is all consumer debt bad?

* What are interest rates and interest expense

* Are 0% interest rate debts bad?

* The Avalanche and Snowball Methods for eliminating debts

* How you can save more money each month

* What are some frugal gifts for the holiday season

* Bath salts being the worst gift

Thank you for listening to Simple Minded Millennial! Please leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher!

 

How to become successful through goal setting

Ready to finally set goals AND achieve them?

Here at Simple Minded Millennial, we know how it feels to be lost and confused. Ever wonder what you REALLY want out of life? How can you actually identify your goals and how to crush them? It’s hard to figure out what you really want in life & design your dream life, especially in your 20’s when you don’t have much experience. It is even harder to make those dreams become a reality.

This episode will show you how to identify your dream life, and what goals to set in place to make that become a reality. We will show you how to set big, scary goals and actually conquer them.

 

Erik and Steph also discuss:

* How to identify your dream life

* How to set supportive goals for your dream life

* Tips to get started on those goals

* How to stay motivated to crush your goals

* What shiny ball syndrome is and how to avoid it to find success

* Ways to make 2019 your best year yet

Thank you for listening to Simple Minded Millennial! Please leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher!

 

Ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day?

“You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic.”

Balancing career, social life, side hustles, and hobbies feel IMPOSSIBLE. Staying motivated is even harder. It’s easy to avoid doing work in favor of bar hopping, dating, and napping. But staying productive and motivated is crucial to becoming successful.  We’ll show you how to master time management in this episode so you can achieve your dreams.

We get it. Working hard and hustling while everyone is going out sucks. It’s hard to tackle those tasks when you have so much resistance towards it. Steph and Erik are here for lifehacks on productivity, time management, and motivation.

This episode teaches you:

* How to schedule your day to reach your goals

* How to take action despite no motivation

* Time management skills

* Prioritization skills

* Difference between consumption and creation & how to balance them for success

* Minimizing anxiety and fear around new endeavors

* Finding the energy to hustle

* Dating and bathroom tips

 

It’s also time for you to subscribe to our e-mail list AND leave a review on iTunes to get entered into our holiday giveaway. For free money! 

Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed the show, please share with your friends! Want to be the COOLEST millennial? Leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher!