Frugal Friends Podcast

How do we respond when money is tight or when we reach a point of financial crisis? This can bring feelings of anxiety and overwhelm to any person especially when it seems we don't have enough to cover the essentials. On this episode we hope to reduce the panic financial upheaval can bring and discuss some tangible ways to care for ourselves and our budgets when things aren't going 'according to plan'.Sponsors:  An awesome mobile app jam packed with features that make managing your money easier. With a high-yield checking account offering 1.6% APY, and direct access to their financial coaches; Empower is an obvious choice in mobile apps! For more info about Empower, visit: empower.me/FRUGAL and use offer code FRUGAL to get a $5 bonus when you reach your savings goalEmpower: that feeling when you can barely make ends meet and you are wringing out that dollar for all it’s worth - sometimes our financial situation can feel like a tight squeeze; but our sponsor wants to remind us that this term can also refer to the best most warmest hug from our loved one. So when you’re looking at your budget wondering how you’re gonna pay your bills don’t think of it like a snake coiling around you causing anxiety and panic; think of it like a warm hug coming from your finances. Tight squeeze - when feeling constricted is a good thingTight Squeeze: Notable Notes:What the Internet has to say:This article from Investopedia highlights a few simple ways we can prepare for a financial crisisWhat Jen+Jill have to say: 1. Maximize liquid cash 2. Make a budget: know how much you have coming in/going out each month (helps ID how much you should have in emergency fund) 3. Prepare to Minimize Your Monthly Bills 5. Take stock of ‘non-cash’ assets and maximize value (i.e. utilize points, gift cards, extra food in house, 8. Look for ways to earn extra cash 10. Keep up with routine maintenance More from the Internet:This article from Very Well Mind gives tangible tips on ways to manage our stress and emotions during financially stressful timesMore from Jen+Jill: Remain calm Ask for help- friends and family, financial planner Reframe the situation - watch the internal narrative and find ways to shift perspective Pushing through the difficulty and identifying ‘kindness’ to invest emotional time and energy into Take a break - strike the middle ground between ruminating/obsessing and abdicating/avoiding Ask for help- find a mental health professional, especially if your stress, overwhelm, or feelings of anxiety are inhibiting daily activitiesUse this code for a discount for online therapy Thank you Jess for saving us with your bill about ALL the Bill's who have contributed to making St. Pete Florida so great!BILL OF THE WEEK - If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a billLightning Round: What we’re doing to prepare Jen- longer and simpler meal plans Jill- NOT PANICKING!! cooking at home more Jen- taking extra work Jill- re-evaluating budget; spending only on essentials - now’s not the time for extra luxuries :) Wrap-Up:Thanks so much for listening! Keep leaving us reviews on iTunes or Stitcher, and sending the screenshot to frugalfriSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Where does all our money go? It can often seem like we've cut back on spending but somehow we're not 'crushin it' like we thought we would! We quickly learn that our budget's don't work well on autopilot. Thankfully we have Alyssa from Mixed Up Money to share with us some tips on how to increase our level of intentionality with our finances so we can see the results we want!Sponsors:  An awesome mobile app jam packed with features that make managing your money easier. With a high-yield checking account offering 1.6% APY, and direct access to their financial coaches; Empower is an obvious choice in mobile apps! For more info about Empower, visit: empower.me/FRUGAL and use offer code FRUGAL to get a $5 bonus when you reach your savings goalEmpower: The sleek athletic dog breed and star of Disney’s 101 dalmatians. These dogs are intelligent, playful, and typically non-agressive. They’re patient and generally good with children as well. That’s why it’s reasonable to keep 101 of them as pets. We had 2 dalmatians growing up. One was sapphire because she had blue eyes and the other was choca because she had chocolate brown spots.Dalmatians: Notable Notes:Alyssa gave us some background about herself AND her top 4 tips for being more intentional with your finances. We're excited to share these tips with you!Create a goal that is specific and achievable Track your spendingSave money each weekReflect on behaviors and habits- Thanks for sharing your bill with us Alyssa! BILL OF THE WEEK If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a billLightning RoundWhy we value putting pencil to paper with our finances: Alyssa - accountability; opportunity to look at bad AND celebrate success Jen - like the tangible; breeds intentionality Jill - enjoy walking through a process Get more from Alyssa at MIxed Up Money! AND... Check out Alyssa's  100 day financial goal journal  that comes out April 7, 2020 Follow on IG @mixedupmoney See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do we keep up motivation and effort with the ebbs and flows of our financial journey? Once we know how to budget, cut spending, pay down debt, and increase savings the challenge can become how to maintain these practices over years! On this episode we're talking all about tips for motivation + focus to keep us working towards our goals and maybe even have some fun along the way!Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There's a lot of uncertainty right now and depending on where we live some of us are feeling this burden more than others. We are not doctors, policy makers, or financial planners, but we are encouragers and we recognize our current situation is leading to profound financial impact for many. So what can we do? In our current climate how do we harness the most of our time and energy and take the best steps forward? Join us in our short bonus episode on ways to respond to what's happening.Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do we know how much is enough? What are our measuring tools for knowing this? Today we explore the topics of contentment, gratitude, and minimalism as a means to embracing frugality and being kind to our finances. Listen in as we explore why these principles are foundational to our frugal journey.Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Saving money and spending less is an ongoing journey and can have additional difficulties when this is paired with raising young kids! We know everyone's financial story is different but we also know that it is not uncommon to have children before accomplishing major financial goals. For this reason (and many more) we are thrilled to have Caroline Vencil to share some encouragement and tangible tips for those living on a budget with small children!Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes spending money is a whole lot easier than saving money! Spending money often gives us what we want in the moment, but it can derail us from our financial goals or debt payoff plans. Today we're talking about strategies to move from spending to saving so that we can get the most out of budgets!🎙️ https://bit.ly/3Hgf7OE📑 https://www.frugalfriendspodcast.com/ebook📣 https://www.frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill-of-the-week/💸 https://www.frugalfriendspodcast.com/club-bff-waitlist/👉🏼 https://www.youtube.com/frugalfriends💃🏼 https://www.instagram.com/frugalfriendspodcast/Get full show notes here!Get our FREE Modern Frugal Living eBook here!Submit your bill of the week and get a shoutout from usJoin the waitlist for Financial Freedom MentorshipSubscribe for more on YouTubeHang out with us on Instagram!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Insurance; it's not everyone's favorite topic to talk about, but it is an important one! We'll keep it short and sweet for you, reviewing which insurances you can skip, and which ones are the 'must-haves'.Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Debt can feel insurmountable and even debilitating at times, especially if our debt reaches the 6-figure mark. This is exactly where Kate from 'Living that Debt Free Life' was at prior to tackling $105K of student loan debt and she's got some great insights and tips in her story to help the rest of us on our debt payoff journey. Regardless of the reasons we find ourselves in debt we hope Kate's story will provide encouragement and motivation for your financial goals!Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's never too early to start saving for retirement, but with all the weird acronyms and other necessities vying for our money it is easy to push this off to the 'someday' category. On this episode we're breaking down more of those barriers to saving and making retirement feel a bit more attainable!Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.