The Debt Free Mom Podcast

In today's episode of the Debt Free Mom podcast, we're talking about medical expenses. How do we get ahead with the other goals we have for our money when we constantly feel like we are paying for medical expenses that happened a long time ago? Sarah Gonzalez, a mom of two, comes on to talk about how she is going about paying off past medical expenses and reworking her budget so that she doesn't have to keep going into debt for medical bills. We talk about how to adjust your budget to make room for increased expenses, how you should prioritize paying off medical debt with your other money goals, and some practical ways to reduce the impact of debt payments on your day-to-day life.Then, Kyle joins the show for another segment of Financial Fortune Cookie to talk about what the future might hold for your money. He asks "How could you still be worried about money if you had a $2.3million net worth?"When it seems like there should be more left in your bank account, and your money seems too complicated to keep track of, the Debt Free Mom Custom Budget service takes the guesswork out of your next budget. Send us your real numbers, and you’ll receive two versions of your pay period budget: the original so you can see how your money is currently flowing and a suggested budget with changes we recommend to prioritize your money goals. Sign up for your Custom Budget today at debtfreemom.co/custom Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story like Sarah of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It is so easy to focus on what makes our own finances the exception to the rule. Why other people can budget, but we can't. Why other people can put money in savings, but we can't. Why other people can eat food from home, but we can't.But what if we started challenging ourselves to find the positive side of our financial picture, whatever that may be? Because it is there. Today's guest has taken the challenges of variable income and learned how to plan wisely for her family, even as they face an unpaid maternity leave. Plus, Kyle joins Carly for a brand new segment we're trying out called Financial Fortune Cookie. If you love it or (if hate it), let us know what you think! Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Let us build your budget for you! Send in your numbers - spending, income, frustrations, and goals - and we'll send you back a crystal clear picture of your finances with practical advice you can use to improve you money situation and reach your goals. Sign up for your Custom Budget today at debtfreemom.co/customAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Since tax season is here, I wanted to answer a very common question I get this time of year: how do I use my tax refund?Everybody has a different response to receiving a tax refund.Some people purely see it as fun money as extra money. They can do whatever they want with it.Other people have been scraping by the past couple of months and feel a sense of relief when they receive a tax refund want to use it to catch up and add a little bit of breathing room back into their finances.Other people sometimes feel paralyzed by receiving a large chunk of cash all at once, because they're trying to figure out what to do with it, and it tends to disappear rather quickly.So on today's episode, I share a few questions to think through as you receive that tax refund so you can make sure it's going to be used to not only feel good in the moment, but also to change the trajectory of your finances longterm.If you want a personalized look at your finances to help you decide the best way to use your tax refund, sign up for a Custom Budget. Send in your income, expenses, and what your tax refund will be, and you’ll get back two versions of your budget: the original budget so you can see how your money is currently flowing, and a suggested budget with changes we recommend to prioritize your money goals. Sign up for your Custom Budget today at debtfreemom.co/customDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What does a professional chef want us home cooks to know about cooking food at home? Today's guest is Sandy Leibowitz of Plantains & Challah. She's a trained chef with experience in restaurants as a personal chef, and now as an educator teaching people like me how to be more efficient and effective in their kitchens. As a note, we had a few technical issues with audio during this episode, so you'll notice the sound quality is a bit different than our episodes normally are. Sandy's advice is so good that I did not want to skip this episode just for the sake of the audio, so I hope you enjoy.If you want to dive into more of what Sandy has to offer, she's offering a few exclusive discounts for Debt Free Mom Podcast listeners. Check out her courses below, and use the discount codes to save!Cook Without Recipes (self paced cooking skills course) Code: DFMPOD50 for $50 off until 4/3/24 Link: https://tinyurl.com/CookWithoutrecipesChop It Like It's Hot (knife skills foundation class)I'll be having a free onion dice class in April before opening enrollment for this class. Code: DFMPOD19 for $19 off until 4/8/24Waitlist link: https://tinyurl.com/knifeskillswaitlistInstagram: instagram.com/plantainsandchallahFree cooking essentials guide + weekly emails on cooking: https://tinyurl.com/cookingessentialsguideManaging your money shouldn’t be a lonely experience! The Care Creates Community from Debt Free Mom is a safe, private membership community created specifically for women who manage their home’s finances. Together, we find realistic ways to make the most of our home finances & stick with our plans! Get the support you need to reach your financial goals by joining today at www.carecreatescommunity.com.Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Our Feed the Family mini series continues with a replay of my conversation with Amy Cross - an expert in food storage and preservation. She shares practical approaches to reducing food waste and spending even while accommodating food allergies, sensitivities, picky eaters, and everything in between. Listen to what Amy has to share today about making the most of our grocery budget.You can find Amy Cross on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thecrosslegacy), and on her website (https://www.thecrosslegacy.com).Get started with pay your period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at https://debtfreemom.co/templateDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at https://dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I talk about grocery spending and feeding my family well on a relatively low budget all the time, but I live in the rural Midwest, the heart of farm country where grocery prices are relatively low. What about when you live somewhere with a high cost of living like San Diego, California? Today's guest, Allie Powell, also known on Instagram as Grocery Getting Girl, is here to share about grocery shopping and meal planning for her family in such a high cost of living area. She talks about how to decide where to grocery shop, how to by in bulk the right way, and how to find time to cook at home when your schedule is packed. Kyle also returns for another segment of Not Worth Your Money where we discuss a recent controversy over Wendy's food prices.Connect with Alli Powell to get more of her great food spending advice:Instagram: @grocerygettinggirl Website: https://grocerygettinggirl.com/Alli also wrote a book called "How to Save on Groceries." If you're listening to this in March of 2024, later this month in the Care Creates Community I'm going to do a live call talking to the members about grocery spending and meal planning. We will be giving away three copies of Alli's book. She's generously given us a few copies to get it out into a lot of hands, but this giveaway will only be available to members of the Care Creates Community. Get the support you need to reach your financial goals by becoming a member today for just $9/month at www.carecreatescommunity.com.Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome to the first episode of our mini series, Feed the Family.This episode kicks off a very special month with Debt Free Mom. On the podcast, in the community, and on Instagram, we are taking the entire month of March to talk about feeding the family. In today's episode, I set the stage for the month. What are the ground rules? What are the things we will be focusing on when it comes to feeding the family and what will we not? Why does it matter to talk about eating most of our meals at home? Managing your money shouldn’t be a lonely experience! The Care Creates Community from Debt Free Mom is a safe, private membership community created specifically for women who manage their home’s finances. Together, we find realistic ways to make the most of our home finances & stick with our plans! Get the support you need to reach your financial goals by joining today at www.carecreatescommunity.com.Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the previous episode, I talked to Jessi Fearon about sinking funds: how she uses them, why she uses them, and how they are helpful in her budget. I thought it would be helpful to record my own episode talking about why I choose not to use sinking funds.Like I said in the conversation with Jessi, I don't think sinking funds a bad thing. I think that a lot of people could benefit from them, especially if you're trying to go from having no budget or organization behind your money to wanting to be on top of handling unexpected expenses. In today's episode, I'm going to talk about why I use saving sprints instead of sinking funds. My hope is that you'll be able to find a method that works for you, not that you'll be convinced that one is objectively better than the other.Managing your money shouldn’t be a lonely experience! The Care Creates Community from Debt Free Mom is a safe, private membership community created specifically for women who manage their home’s finances. Together, we find realistic ways to make the most of our home finances & stick with our plans! Get the support you need to reach your financial goals by joining today at www.carecreatescommunity.com.Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When it comes to finding a budget method that works well for you, I always say, if it works well for you, then it works! It doesn't have to work for other people. One thing that doesn't really work well for me is sinking funds, but people ask about them all the time. So I asked Jessi Fearon, who is a mom of three, a finance expert, a CPA, and an author who uses sinking funds to come on today and share her experience with them and her recommendations.Here's a few places you can connect with JessiInstagram: @jessifearonWebsite: https://jessifearon.comGet her book, "Getting Good With Money" on Amazon.Managing your money shouldn’t be a lonely experience! The Care Creates Community from Debt Free Mom is a safe, private membership community created specifically for women who manage their home’s finances. Together, we find realistic ways to make the most of our home finances & stick with our plans! Get the support you need to reach your financial goals by joining today at www.carecreatescommunity.com.Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

For some people, the fact that their income is variable means goals like paying off debt or saving a full emergency fund will simply always be out of reach. For Samantha and her husband, who are both personal trainers, they decided that their variable income would not stand in the way of their dream of buying a home. Today, Samantha shares her story of paying off $50,000 in consumer debt while managing 3 different sources of variable income.Get started with pay your period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at debtfreemom.co/templateDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the last episode, I shared my story about switching from set salary based income to a highly variable income, and what that was like both personally and in my budget. Now, I'm opening the conversation to other people in similar boats.Jessica joins me today to talk about how she's managed her variable income budget, and to ask for some advice in handling the pieces that make her feel overwhelmed. As a stay at home mom, she's been budgeting with her husband's variable income as an auto mechanic for the last several years. Now, she's ready to switch from her pen & paper method to a spreadsheet budget! When it seems like there should be more left in your bank account, and your money seems too complicated to keep track of, the Debt Free Mom Custom Budget service takes the guesswork out of your next budget. Send us your real numbers, and you’ll receive two versions of your pay period budget: the original so you can see how your money is currently flowing and a suggested budget with changes we recommend to prioritize your money goals. Sign up for your Custom Budget today at debtfreemom.co/customDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this episode of the Debt Free Mom podcast, I am answering one of your most frequent questions: How the heck am I supposed to budget if my income is variable? I understand how frustrating this can be and why it seems like it would prevent you from being able to budget. About a year and a half ago, our family went from a set salary paycheck to fully self employed with a highly variable income. The way we manage our business budget connects our personal paycheck to our revenue. As our revenue goes up, our paycheck will be higher, but if the following month our revenue is lower, our personal paycheck is also going to be lower.There were many reasons that transitioning from salaried position to self employed were a challenge, both personally as Kyle went from working outside of the home to working inside the home, as I increased how frequently I was working, and also as we added this stress of more risk, more variable, more unpredictable.So in this episode, I'm going to share our experience of making that transition and then answer some of your most frequent questions about how to budget when you have a variable income. Get started with pay your period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at debtfreemom.co/templateDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

You do not have to follow me long to know that my love of libraries runs deep. I grew up going to the library and I'm raising my kids to love the library. Today I have a special guest with me, the director of my local library! Alissa Williams is here to share with us some of the lesser known resources and services available from libraries, because it has so much more to offer than just books.Get started with pay your period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at debtfreemom.co/templateDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I want you to notice the first couple of things that come to your mind when I hear the words "frugal living." For some reason, these words tend to carry so much baggage. There are so many negative thoughts around the idea of living frugally. Today on the podcast we have Jen Smith, who is personal finance expert and the co host of Frugal Friends podcast. Since paying off $78,000 worth of debt, Jen has been on a mission to help people spend in alignment with their values. She joins the Debt Free Mom podcast to talk about how frugal is not an F word.You can connect with Jen over at the Frugal Friends podcast:@frugalfriendspodcast on Instagram jen@frugalfriendspodcast.comwww.frugalfriendspodcast.comGet started with pay your period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at debtfreemom.co/templateDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join us for the FREE Know Your Numbers Challenge starting Sunday, January 7th. It's 5 days of email prompts to help you gather your real numbers and reflect on your approach to your finances this upcoming year.Disclaimer: This episode was entirely recorded, edited, and uploaded by Carly while Kyle was sick in bed. This is not the norm. If anything seems off to our tried and true listeners, that would be why. Happy New Year, DFM Family! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As we close out 2023 on the Debt Free Mom podcast, we are rebroadcasting one of my favorite conversations from this season with Paige Pritchard from Overcoming Overspending. When we aired her episode originally, we had an issue with pushing it out to some of our providers. And so we want to make sure that everybody gets a chance to listen to it because it's so important. Plus, before we replay the episode we have a brand new segment of Not Worth Your Money: Christmas Edition!Get started with pay your period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at debtfreemom.co/templateDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As parents, we can feel an immense amount of pressure to create memories & joy for our children at all times of year, but especially around the holidays. As we're in the thick of the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we can feel that pressure mounting. Even when we're accomplishing everything on our to-do list, and no matter what we do, we can feel like it's not enough - like there's always one more thing that comes up that we're supposed with our kids.In this episode, Kyle and I talk about how to create that joyful memories for our family without relying on a massive budget. We can find ways to fully enjoy the holidays, and it doesn't have to be a second rate experience if you need to spend less this year on the holidays. Get started with pay your period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at debtfreemom.co/templateDo you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Want to know one of the most common budget categories I see with a note that says, "I would love to add this someday!" when I'm building custom budgets? It's giving. Most people want to give to causes and organizations they love, but many struggle to fit it into their budget or think that the amount they can give won't matter. Today, I'm chatting with Nathan Hill from NextAfter about the impact you can make through giving regardless of the dollar amount.You can find out more about what Nathan's doing with NextAfter at decodinggenerosity.com/Learn how to confidently move from stuck to stable in your finances with the budget system that's build around your unique pay periods. Pay Period Budget Academy gives you everything that you need to grow your confidence, contentment, and your net worth. Join Pay Period Budget Academy today at debtfreemom.co/pba, and use the code PODCAST at checkout to get 20% off!You should be a guest on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Head over to dfmpodcast.com to fill out the guest application and talk with Carly about your money questions, triumphs, and insights.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

YNAB is one of the major players in the world of budgeting apps. For some people, it's features like requiring a plan for each dollar, spreading savings plans evenly over time into sinking funds, or syncing with your bank accounts and credit cards are very helpful. For others, like today's guest, Sarah, it can seem like a great idea, but fall short in execution. Today we'll talk about her shift from YNAB to pay period budgeting.You can start pay period budgeting today with the best selling $9 Mini Course & Template. Get the signature Debt Free Mom spreadsheet budget template plus some quick lessons on how to get started. Start today at debtfreemom.co/templateIf you'd like to be a guest on the show and ask Carly your money questions, fill out the application at dfmpodcast.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When two adults with two very different interests, priorities, and stressors come together to manage one budget, it can become contentious and not budgeting at all feels better. Today, my husband, Kyle, and I are going to share about how we each contribute to managing our family's finances in very different ways. Kyle has experience managing a business budget in his previous role as a nonprofit executive. We chat about the three kinds of financial reports every organization and household should understand.Get started budgeting by pay period today with the best selling template and mini course from Debt Free Mom at debtfreemom.co/templateYou can join Carly as a guest on the podcast by filling out the guest application at dfmpodcast.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy