Episodes

  • The #1 Money Mistake Keeping Women Stuck Right Now (Your Money Questions Answered) | 540

    The #1 Money Mistake Keeping Women Stuck Right Now (Your Money Questions Answered) | 540
    Mar 16 2026

    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

    Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

    In this Q&A episode, we’re answering real questions from our budget besties straight from our Facebook group and email. We’re talking about the biggest money mistake we’re seeing right now, why so many of us end up using credit cards for groceries and gas, why using your emergency fund can feel weirdly guilt-inducing, and what to do when life feels too nonstop to stick to a budget.

    This episode is your reminder that money management does not have to feel complicated, scary, or overwhelming. When we know our numbers, automate what we can, and create simple systems that work in real life, everything starts to feel lighter.

    In This Episode, We Talk About:
    1. The biggest money mistake we’re seeing right now: avoiding your numbers
    2. Why looking at your budget is usually not as scary as you think
    3. How clarity creates instant solutions and less stress
    4. Why people keep putting groceries and gas on credit cards
    5. The problem with having one “black hole” checking account
    6. How separate spending accounts can help you stop overspending
    7. Why grocery spending can be more predictable than you think
    8. How setting weekly or biweekly limits creates built-in accountability
    9. Why using your emergency fund for an actual emergency feels so hard
    10. The difference between true emergencies and expected irregular expenses
    11. Why savings buckets can reduce guilt and give you more peace of mind
    12. Why it’s so hard to stick to a plan when life is nonstop
    13. How automation helps you stay consistent without constant effort
    14. Why setting guardrails is a form of being kind to your future self

    Let’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:

    1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

    2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

    3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching


    This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.

    This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.


    Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    16 mins
  • How to Stop Overspending at Target: Decluttering + Boundaries That Actually Work with Emily McDermott | 539

    How to Stop Overspending at Target: Decluttering + Boundaries That Actually Work with Emily McDermott | 539
    Mar 13 2026

    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

    Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

    Check Out Emily's Podcast!

    Budget besties, this one is for all of us who have ever walked into Target for one thing and somehow left with a cart full of “why did I buy this?” items.

    In this episode, we’re joined by Emily McDermott, host of Moms Overcoming Overwhelm, to talk about what clutter really means and why it is about so much more than stuff. We dig into the connection between overspending, emotional clutter, identity shifts, and the overwhelm so many women feel in this season of life.

    Emily shares practical ways to declutter your home, your mind, and even your habits around shopping. We also talk about how creating simple boundaries around your money and your stuff can lead to more peace, more clarity, and way less stress.

    If you’ve been feeling buried by clutter, tempted by impulse buys, or just craving a fresh reset, this conversation will leave you encouraged and empowered.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    1. Why Target feels so hard to resist for so many women
    2. The connection between clutter, emotional overwhelm, and identity shifts
    3. How the “experience” of shopping can lead to overspending
    4. Why the pause gives you power before making a purchase
    5. What to do instead of buying bins and baskets first
    6. The real reason most people feel disorganized
    7. Emily’s quick decluttering reset: Trash, Relocate, and Anything to get rid of
    8. How “container limits” can help you manage your home and your spending
    9. Why freedom works best inside clear boundaries
    10. How simplifying your home can support the life you’re living right now

    Let’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:

    1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

    2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

    3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

    This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.

    This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.


    Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    33 mins
  • Make Property Taxes Easy, Stop the HELOC Habit, Let Kids Pay Their Own Bills & Budgeting Amazon Categories (Lessons From The Sessions) | 538

    Make Property Taxes Easy, Stop the HELOC Habit, Let Kids Pay Their Own Bills & Budgeting Amazon Categories (Lessons From The Sessions) | 538
    Mar 11 2026

    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

    Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

    Hey budget besties, this episode is all about one very grown-up truth: the financial stuff that sneaks up on us usually is not actually a surprise. It just feels that way when we are not planning ahead.

    We are talking about why property taxes should not be a yearly jump scare, how relying on a financial “Plan B” can keep you stuck, and why teaching kids to manage their own money matters so much. We also dig into Amazon spending guilt and why tracking after the fact is not nearly as helpful as budgeting on purpose from the start.

    This episode is packed with real client stories, practical budget shifts, and the reminder that financial peace comes from planning ahead, not scrambling after the fact.

    In this episode, we talk about:
    1. Why saving monthly for property taxes can change everything
    2. How escrow keeps your money out of sight and earning for the bank instead of for you
    3. Why relying on mom, credit cards, HELOCs, or your emergency fund can make it harder to stick to your budget
    4. The power of committing to Plan A and removing easy financial fallbacks
    5. How to teach kids real money lessons by letting them spend their own money
    6. Why boundaries around money help both adults and kids build confidence
    7. How to stop shaming yourself over Amazon spending
    8. Why separating spending into clear budget categories makes money easier to manage
    9. How intentional budgeting creates freedom without guilt

    Key reminder from this episode

    We want you to be your own bank.

    That means planning ahead, saving for the things you know are coming, using your budget on purpose, and building a system that helps you rely on yourself instead of defaulting to outside help or last-minute fixes.

    What we want budget besties to remember

    You do not need to feel ashamed about spending money when it is already part of the plan. The goal is not perfection. The goal is clarity. When your money has a job, you can spend, save, and prepare with a whole lot more confidence.

    Let’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:

    1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

    2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

    3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

    This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.

    This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.


    Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    19 mins
  • The 5 Hardest Money Habits to Break (and How to Finally Break Them) | 537

    The 5 Hardest Money Habits to Break (and How to Finally Break Them) | 537
    Mar 9 2026
    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!Today we’re diving into the top 5 hardest financial habits to break — straight from our community. We’re talking about the real-life stuff that keeps showing up in our budgets again and again: eating out, impulse spending, credit cards, grocery overspending, and living above our means.But we’re not just calling out the habits, budget besties — we’re also giving you practical ways to start changing them without going from one extreme to the other.Because this is not about perfection. It’s about creating a money plan that actually fits your real life.In this episode, we talk about:Why eating out and delivery can quietly wreck your budgetHow to make food at home more convenient, realistic, and actually enjoyableThe truth about Amazon, home decor, clothes, and impulse purchasesWhy random scrolling often turns into random spendingHow credit cards keep you disconnected from what’s really happening with your moneyWhy your grocery budget probably needs to be updatedWhat it really means to live within or below your meansHow separate spending accounts and realistic budget categories can make all of this easierThe 5 hardest financial habits to break:Eating outShopping and impulse buyingUsing credit cardsOverspending on groceriesLiving above your meansBiggest reminders from this episode:We are not saying you can never eat out, shop, or have fun.We are saying you need a plan for it.A realistic budget works better than an overly strict one you can’t stick to.Convenience is okay — it just needs to fit your numbers.You have to stop investing in everyone and everything else before you invest in yourself.Practical takeaways:Make meals at home easy, fast, and appealingPut guardrails around spending with a set budgetUse separate accounts for spending categories when possibleRemove credit cards from your wallet, apps, and auto-pay if they’re causing problemsUpdate your grocery budget to reflect today’s pricesStop guessing with your money and start getting clear on what your life actually costsLet’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coachingThis podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    22 mins
  • How Angie Paid Off $72,000 in Debt Without Cutting the Fun | Budgeting Tips for Busy Couples | 536

    How Angie Paid Off $72,000 in Debt Without Cutting the Fun | Budgeting Tips for Busy Couples | 536
    Mar 6 2026

    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

    Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

    Budget besties, this episode is such a good one. We’re sitting down with Angie, a longtime listener turned client, who shares how she completely transformed her finances by getting organized, simplifying her accounts, and building habits that actually work in real life.

    Angie and her husband were juggling a lot: personal finances, business finances, two homes, four adult kids, and plenty of money stress. Even though they were making good money, it still felt messy and unclear. Once she started using a simple system that separated bills, spending, gas, and groceries, everything started to click.

    In less than a year, Angie paid off $72,000 in debt, bought a car in cash, got a month ahead on personal bills, became more generous, and started making financial decisions with so much more peace and confidence.

    This conversation is a reminder that financial success is not about making more money. It’s about having a system, building habits, and being intentional with what matters most.

    Let’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:

    1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

    2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

    3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

    This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.

    This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.

    Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    31 mins
  • How to Pay Off $3,000 in Credit Card Debt and Fix the $3 Gas Budget Problem with Coach Michelle | 535

    How to Pay Off $3,000 in Credit Card Debt and Fix the $3 Gas Budget Problem with Coach Michelle | 535
    Mar 4 2026
    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!Coach Michelle is back in Office Hours every Wednesday, helping budget besties get unstuck—whether you’re brand new, you’ve got the budget system already, or you’re still trying to save up to buy it. This episode is basically a peek into the kinds of questions that come up every week… and the little shifts that create BIG momentum.What we coveredOffice Hours = judgement-free help Bring your questions. Bring your chaos. Bring your “I don’t even know where to start.” Michelle helps you build a plan that actually fits your life—without making you feel behind.The $3,000 credit card win (in about a month!) One budget bestie started in November and by the end of December had paid $3,000 off her credit card—because she:organized the budget clearly,separated accounts,set up automation,and finally saw what her money could actually do.Why separation of accounts creates “discipline” without the stress When everything sits in one account, it becomes a black hole. When you separate money by purpose, you instantly know:what’s for bills,what’s for spending,what’s for saving,and what can go toward debt.And then the “discipline” isn’t you white-knuckling—it’s the system doing what it’s designed to do.The “$3 left for gas” problem (aka: detail overload) A budget bestie was dialing gas and groceries down so tightly she ended the month with $3 left for gas. Michelle’s coaching: Stop budgeting down to the last penny in categories that fluctuate. Gas + groceries need a buffer so you don’t create anxiety, second-guessing, and late-night panic math.We are NOT the frugal besties If you’re looking for “rice and beans forever” or “never go out to eat again,” we’re not your girls. We’re here for bougie on a budget—a budget built in abundance, with breathing room, that supports a life you actually enjoy.The $3,000 car insurance bill (semi-annual stress) One bestie had a $3,000 car insurance bill due in a few months and only had $1,000 saved. The strategy:calculate the gap,temporarily pull back on other savings buckets or extra debt payments,fund the insurance first (because it’s non-negotiable),then return to debt payoff after the bill is paid.The big breakthrough: once annual bills are set up properly, you stop “magically finding” thousands of dollars every few months.Order of operations (so you don’t sabotage yourself) We want you to build this in steps:get spending (gas/groceries/etc.) realisticbuild savings bucketsthen go hard on debt That’s how you avoid having to put surprise expenses right back on a card later.Getting your husband on board (and ending the swipe-stress) One bestie was constantly transferring money to cover her husband’s spending and carrying all the stress alone. The game-changer:separate accounts,give him his own spending account,agree on the amount together,turn off overdraft transfers so the limit is real,and make him responsible for managing his account.It shifts the dynamic from parent/child to teammates.Acorns in the budget (and why “investing on purpose” matters) The round-up investing sounded fine… until she started paying attention to her numbers. Tracking tiny, random round-ups can create unnecessary chaos. Our take:either assign a consistent monthly investment amount (on purpose),Let’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coachingThis podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    31 mins
  • The Real Reason You’re Overspending (And How To Fix It) | 534

    The Real Reason You’re Overspending (And How To Fix It) | 534
    Mar 2 2026

    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

    Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

    1) Overspending is the norm… and shame is lying to us

    A lot of people walk around thinking:

    1. “I’m terrible with money.”
    2. “I can’t do math.”
    3. “I have no discipline.”

    But y’all… that’s not the real issue. The real issue is not knowing what’s safe to spend in the moment. So we guess. And guessing gets expensive.

    2) The rebellious spending spiral is real

    When we feel like we never have money, we get that “fine, whatever, future me can deal with it” energy:

    1. drain the account
    2. swipe the card
    3. turn it into a later problem

    Separate accounts remove that fight because there’s nothing to rebel against—you already planned for spending.

    3) Separate accounts = micro-decisions, not daily math Olympics

    Instead of:

    1. “Did we pay rent?”
    2. “Do we have grocery money?”
    3. “Can I go to Target or will I regret it?”

    You get:

    1. Spending account balance = what you can spend. Period.
    2. That’s the whole decision. That’s the freedom.

    4) Replenishment changes your brain (and your habits)

    When your spending money gets refilled every paycheck (or weekly transfer), it stops feeling like:

    1. “now or never”
    2. and starts feeling like:
    3. “I can spend, and it’s coming back.”

    That’s why people naturally spend less without doing a bunch of willpower tricks.

    5) Tracking culture is exhausting and unnecessary here

    Some systems want:

    1. receipts
    2. categories tracked to the penny
    3. apps yelling at you like you’re grounded 😅

    But with this approach, you don’t need to track every little thing because:

    1. it’s already separated
    2. it’s already capped
    3. it’s already visible

    You can literally look and go: “Yep. Target did that.” The end.

    Let’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:

    1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

    2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

    3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

    This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.

    This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.


    Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    15 mins
  • Hormones & Your Budget: How Your Cycle Impacts How You Spend Money and What to Do About It with Leisha Drews | 533

    Hormones & Your Budget: How Your Cycle Impacts How You Spend Money and What to Do About It with Leisha Drews | 533
    Feb 27 2026

    Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

    Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

    Check Out Leisha's Podcast!

    Today’s episode is a female-focused conversation on something most of us have felt but never connected to our money habits: your hormones and your spending.

    We’re talking with Leisha Drews, nurse and host of the Happily Hormonal podcast, about how different phases of your cycle can affect your mood, decision-making, impulse spending, and even how “motivated” you feel to stick to the budget.

    You’ll learn:

    1. Why your period week can actually be a great time to plan your budget
    2. Why ovulation week can make you feel more social, optimistic, and a little more “add to cart” 😅
    3. Why the luteal phase can bring comfort spending and lower stress tolerance
    4. How awareness helps you stop making money decisions feel like a personal flaw

    If you loved this conversation, go check out Leisha's show Happily Hormonal and search: cycle tracking or cycle syncing for more episodes on learning your patterns.

    Let’s Take Our Relationship To The Next Level:

    1️⃣ Facebook Group ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

    2️⃣ Be on the Podcast ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

    3️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

    This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not personal financial, legal, or tax advice.

    This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase.

    Click here to view our privacy policy.
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    29 mins