BiggerPockets Money Podcast

John and David didn’t have "the money talk" right away. They both worked in the financial industry, and each thought the other would be great with money. About a year and a half in, they discovered they were both AWFUL with money. Both had lots of debt with no real plans to pay it off. Enter the spreadsheet. David is a self-professed numbers nerd. He entered every expense from the last 12 months into a spreadsheet and discovered some shocking spending habits in several categories. These were places they could easily cut their spending so they could start paying down their debt. And like everyone else who finally figures out money, they hit it hard—planning menus, making grocery lists, and clipping coupons. (They didn’t buy anything they didn’t have a coupon for!) Rather than the debt snowball or debt avalanche methods, they approached their debt paydown with a new method: the debt lasso. They gathered up all their debt—mostly credit card—transferred it to 0% interest cards, and hit the payments hard. In the process, David and John discovered that no one is talking about money in the LGBTQ community. So they set out to change that, opening up the topic to help their community stop being fearful of money and start aligning their spending with their values. In This Episode We Cover: David and John's journey with money How they amassed such a huge debt Having a "money" conversation in regards to their expenses The importance of having a conversation about what their life goals are Cut about $30,000 of food spending a year Using the spreadsheet and looking at their net worth each month Paying off the smallest loan and gaining momentum Debt Snowball versus Debt Avalanche Their investment approach after their paying off their debt Built up emergency savings of $1,000 Ways to get yourself out of debt (by spending less than you make!) Why people are afraid to talk about money And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Forums Waffles On Wednesday BiggerPockets Money Podcast 07: How Breakfast Food Motivated Financial Freedom with Mr. and Mrs. Waffles on Wednesday BiggerPockets Money Podcast 11: Financial Freedom in Less Than Five Years with Joel from FI 180 Financial 180 BiggerPockets Money Podcast 73: Ramit Sethi Will Teach You to Be Rich! Dave Ramsey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin grew up without a lot of money in a small town. His parents divorced when he was eight, and his mother eventually quit her job to attend school. Necessity is the mother of invention, and a year of no income led to some very creative ways to squeeze more value out of every dollar. This "invention" stayed with Justin for his entire life, and he applies it to every facet of his finances. From his very low rent (in a high rent area) to his ridiculously low grocery bills to collecting travel rewards points, Justin gamifies every cent he spends. Today we hear how Justin actually made money from his college scholarships and military stipends, how he negotiated a smoking deal on his rent, and how his five tenets of grocery shopping pay off. Justin calls this "the lazy path to financial independence," but really he’s just being incredibly efficient with his resources. If you’re looking to cut expenses, listen to this show with a notepad handy. In This Episode We Cover: Justin's journey with money The idea of squeezing the amount of a dollar and cutting something out of your life Joining the military through the ROTC program and getting free tuition from the government What a career starter loan is and what his decision-making process was What his position looks like after going to college The moment he got serious about creating wealth The reason he is still very unhappy after achieving his goals The first investment he made On his expenses How he lived on $24,000 a year in Boston What's inside his sacred freezer The importance of getting to know your specific local grocery store His commandments on groceries On saving $69,000 a year Investing in real estate On retirement How he found his apartment And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Forums BiggerPockets Money Podcast 26: Graduating College on Track for Financial Independence with Cody Berman BiggerPockets Money Podcast 71: 5 Years to Financial Freedom Through Real Estate Investing With Sarah P. Mr. Money Mustache BiggerPockets Money Podcast 03: Cutting Your Grocery Bill in Half with Erin Chase from $5 Dinners BiggerPockets Money Podcast 57: Financial Freedom, House Sitting & Travel Hacking With GoWithLess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Side hustle is a big topic on BiggerPockets. But finding the right one—and one that isn’t a scam—can be difficult. Today’s episode focuses on not only a legitimate side hustle, but also one that involves real estate AND can be as much or as little as you want it to be. Best of all, the most popular time to use this side hustle is at night and on the weekends. Signing agents work when their clients don’t—meaning they’re busiest at night and on the weekends—perfect for an actual side hustle. Startup costs are extremely low. They hover around $1,000. Working four to six jobs will pay off your initial investment! Mark Wills shares what you need to get started and how to find jobs once you’re all ready to go. If you’re looking to generate extra income, this episode is right up your alley. In This Episode We Cover: What a notary signing agent is The only requirement to become a signing agent How he became one What signing services exist for Biggest skillset you need to be a notary signing agent Startup cost when doing appointments On doing 10 to 15 appointments a day Who are not ideal candidates for the position The importance of paying attention to details On getting a notary commission The importance of taking a course to become a notary signing agent Other ways to make money through notary commissions outside of loan signing Kind of salary for signing appointments Attorney states versus escrow states And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Forums BiggerPockets Money Podcast 03: Cutting Your Grocery Bill in Half with Erin Chase from $5 Dinners BiggerPockets Money Podcast 04: Eliminating Over $30,000 in Debt Through Extreme Organization with Former State Trooper Rosemarie Groner Newsletter Signup - I Will Teach You To Be Rich The Jerry Springer Show Bogleheads forum Bogleheads Investing Advice and Info Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten years ago, Ramit Sethi released his groundbreaking book I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Now he’s back, with an all-new, updated version, delivered with the same authority and enthusiasm as the original. But wait, there’s more—MUCH more! Ramit... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dawn Brenengen’s money story begins a bit differently than most. Dawn’s parents shared their finances with her. She knew what things cost, she knew her parents worked hard to pay off their mortgage, and she saw her mother writing checks to pay bills every month. She went to college and graduated with relatively little debt—around $21,000 in student loans and credit cards combined. After graduation, she stayed at her low-paying college job until her father suggested she get a real estate license. Dawn completed the work for the license and got a job making almost the same money, working for a builder and selling their new homes. But she was the assistant to the agents who were making the BIG BUCKS, and she knew that’s what she really wanted to be doing. At the time, real estate agents were eligible to take the test to open up their own brokerage simultaneously with the licensing test, so she did that. While working as an assistant, she laid the groundwork to strike out on her own, eventually ramping up her income to multiple six-figures—with virtually limitless potential. Here Dawn share her story of how hard work and determination paid off tenfold—and all in just four short years! In This Episode We Cover: Dawn's background with money How she grew up in a financially literate household The debts she accumulated during and after graduating college How she paid off her debts Is it possible to invest your student loan? What happened after she got her real estate license How she got serious about making money and building her financial position Having a goal to get a job where she was making a bulk of the commission Started her own brokerage business on 2010 People she recommend to hire out on starting a business How much time and money needed on starting a business The benefits of having a business partner Applying all the money she makes in terms of her wealth building philosophy Dawn's investment approach Private lending on her surplus cash What a private lending is Her annual spending and her income And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Forums Mr money Mustache Frugality as a Muscle - Mr. Money Mustache BiggerPockets Money Podcast 26: Graduating College on Track for Financial Independence with Cody Berman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like so many of our guests, Sarah P. did not grow up understanding how money works. She wasn’t bad with money, she just wasn’t very good with it. She learned about financial independence through Mr. Money Mustache and completely revamped her... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J Scott is a successful real estate investor (to say the least). But he’s also a student of the markets—and his studies have shown him that we are teetering near the top of this current real estate cycle. In this week’s episode, J shares three reasons why he believes we’re at or near the peak based on past market cycles, and he details seven things investors should be doing to prepare for a softening market. His number one piece of advice? Educate yourself! J brings his A-game in this episode, just like he does with every other podcast he's featured on. And make sure to stick around until the very end of the show for a special BiggerPockets announcement you'll definitely want to hear! In This Episode We Cover: Reasons J believes a market crash is coming On the 33 case studies of what economic cycles look like Talking about the last 2 recessions J Scott's analogy with economy to the seasons Phases of the economic cycle and indicators he knows the market is on the peak What a yield curve and GDP is The reason why the price drops in the market How can someone who is considering jumping into the real estate market invest with confidence What might happen in the next recession of the market How does a newbie investor get affected by the potential of being on peak phase of the economic cycle What should people be doing now in preparation for the next phase The importance of building credit and paying your debt on time His recommendations for someone who is investing right now The biggest mistake he sees people make And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast BiggerPockets Bookstore J Scott's Books on Amazon Using the Power of Goal-Setting to Fundamentally Alter Your Financial Path with J Scott (episode) BiggerPockets Forums Mint Credit Karma Annual Credit Report TransUnion Equifax Experian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz has always been a frugal gal and self-proclaimed personal finance nerd. Discovering The Wealthy Barber as a teen cemented her course down the financial independence path, even if there wasn’t a formal name for it at that time. And it’s a good thing for her family that she was so frugal - a botched surgery for her husband turned a routine procedure into a nightmare that involved a coma, a month in the hospital and years of recovery. Without her financial savvy, her family could have been financially ruined! Now, 7 years later, she has paid off her house and replenished her emergency fund using a Tiered Emergency fund that allows her maximum liquidity while also maximizing her earnings on those funds. Her unique plan combines online savings with CD ladders, savings bonds and money market funds. Liz explains just how important it is to her family to have the peace of mind a paid-off mortgage can provide, and how planning for unforeseen events is truly the best course of action.   In This Episode We Cover: Liz’s background story On being smart with money throughout her 20s and 30s What happened after her husband's surgery On her work and immediate debt consequences while working towards financial independence On having the mindset of saving for retirement, for college, and for an emergency fund Having various accounts: Flexible Spending Account, High-Deductible Health Plan, Health Savings Account, & Health Reimbursement Account Learning financial independence through the book "The Tightwad Gazette" How she cuts off their expenses and the free entertainment they did Paying off their house for financial security The importance of not depending on stocks Tiered emergency plan On the concept called college compact Her philosophy on paying his son's college Financial independence retirement elective And SO much more! Links from the Show Mad Fientist HSA - The Ultimate Retirement Account BiggerPockets Money Podcast 64: Scholarships and Other Ways to Pay for College with Zach Gautier Harvard Business Review - Case Study BiggerPockets Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J Grayson grew up poor. But with food on the table every night, he didn’t realize it. Then his sister tragically passed away from brain cancer, financially ruining the family. J fell into a pattern: skipping school, drinking, and doing drugs. A few... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Donovan graduated from high school and went to college—because that’s what you do. He graduated from college but got cold feet when it came time to get a “real job.” So, he bounced around random jobs with no plan and no focus. Despite... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices