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Budget besties, February is basically a blink—so we’re not letting March sneak up on us without a plan. In this episode, Shana and Vanessa walk us through their simple, repeatable monthly budget process: close out the current month first, then build the next month’s budget in a specific order so your money feels calmer, more automated, and way less “where did it go?!”

We follow a real-life client example (two teacher incomes, lots of moving parts, still totally doable) to show how every income source counts, why we only list minimum debt payments at first, how to wrangle subscriptions without shame, and how to create spending categories that stay consistent month to month.

And yes—sometimes savings buckets pause when life is life-ing (hello trips + birthdays). The win is that the plan still works, and you can still make progress—without defaulting to credit cards.

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.

Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

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Amanda joined us to talk through a super relatable moment: they’ve built a solid budgeting system… and now the question is what to do with a big, scary student loan balance once the car is paid off. Add in military life + possible paycheck disruptions, and you’ve got a perfect “real life” money crossroads.

The best part? Amanda’s already doing the work—multiple spending accounts, savings buckets, paycheck-ahead living—and it literally protected their family during a potential shutdown pay delay. Budget bestie win of the year. 🥳

1. A huge win: Being a paycheck ahead so a shutdown/pay delay doesn’t force a panic loan.
2. The real question: Car #2 will be paid off in July—should they roll that payment straight into student loans Dave Ramsey-style?
3. Why it feels impossible: Doctorate-level debt + preschool-hours income + three little kids + a spouse who’s gone a lot.
4. The mindset shift: Doctorate-level debt can be tackled more aggressively when you’re closer to doctorate-level income.
5. Storm Mode permission: When life is unstable (shutdown uncertainty, limited work hours, heavy family load), it’s okay to pause aggression and pay minimums temporarily.
6. Quality of life matters: Not as an excuse—as a sustainability strategy. Date nights, small “fun money,” and feeling less tight can keep you consistent for the long haul.
7. Tactical tip to reduce overwhelm: Even if the loans are “one balance,” they’re often broken into multiple smaller loans inside the account. Tracking them separately can make the mountain feel climbable.
8. Meet-in-the-middle plan: After the car payoff, consider splitting the freed-up payment:
9. top off key savings buckets (annual bills, gifts, essentials)
10. increase spending accounts to reduce day-to-day stress

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...

🎧 Want the free Podcast Bootcamp + VIP upgrade? Click here.

Today is a short, fun, behind-the-scenes episode where we’re taking you back to the VERY unglamorous beginning of Financial Coaching for Women. 😂🎙️

If you’ve ever wondered how you even found us, why this show feels so “meant to be,” or what it looked like before we had any clue what we were doing… this one’s for you.

1. The moment Shana accidentally started a podcast (yes, on purpose… but also not) 😳
2. Vanessa’s reaction: “How do you accidentally start a podcast?!”
3. Our first “studio”: a garage + yoga mats + blankets + towels
4. The umbrella era… because we thought it would stop sound waves 🫠
5. Why people tell us, “I feel like God led me to your podcast” and why we fully agree
6. The pivot point when we realized: “Oh… this podcast could actually be a thing”
7. How we went from 3,000 plays to 1.5 million plays and 500+ episodes later

If this episode has you thinking, “Okay… maybe I could start a podcast (or finally get serious about mine),” we’re inviting you to join Steph Gass’ free Profitable Podcast Bootcamp (Feb 23–27).

✅ Grab your spot here: stefaniegass.com/budgetbesties

Use code: BUDGETBESTIES for a free VIP upgrade.

We’ll see you over there. And if you’re just here for the origin story, we love you the most. 😉

Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

Tax season is here, budget besties—and while it might not be anyone’s favorite, it is inevitable. In this episode, Shayna and Vanessa walk you through a simple, step-by-step plan for what to do with your tax refund (or what to do if you owe), so the money doesn’t disappear the second it hits your account.

We talk about why refunds often vanish without a plan, how “I’ll pay it off when the refund comes” keeps you stuck in a behind cycle, and how to use your budget to decide what comes first. You’ll learn how to choose between the three main refund options—debt, savings buckets, or a splurge—based on what your real life and your full-year budget actually need.

Plus, two pro tips: what to consider if you’re getting a big refund every year (hint: it may be time to revisit withholding), and how to prepare now if you owe taxes so next year doesn’t feel so painful.

The goal? For your tax return to feel like a bonus—not the thing holding your whole financial year together.

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.

Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

Hey budget besties — today we’re hanging out with Jamie (Twin Cities, MN!) to talk about what it actually looked like to go from “shooting from the hip and hoping for the best” to having a real plan, real peace, and real progress.

Jamie and her husband Kevin have been together since they were teenagers (married 23+ years), and like a lot of us, they weren’t raised with money skills modeled clearly. They’d do “a program” for a while, fall out of rhythm, and then drift back into chaos. Add in big-life curveballs (home repairs, medical stuff, kids getting older, college around the corner), and it hit a breaking point: the stress and uncertainty started feeling too expensive to ignore.

So they brought in coaching — and everything changed.

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.

Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

Today we're pulling back the curtain and sharing real stories from our private coaching sessions – because if our clients are dealing with it, chances are you are too.

From job transitions messing with pay schedules to college visits sneaking up on us (hello senior year!), we’re breaking down exactly how we helped our clients navigate these challenges without falling into a debt spiral.

We’re talking about:

1. Why funding your grocery account is non-negotiable
2. What to do when your paycheck date shifts and the bills don’t care
3. The sneaky stress of college visit expenses – and how to stop pretending it’s not happening
4. How skipping a debt payment to build a buffer is actually a smart move
5. The power of planning ahead (even if your kid is just a freshman)

These are the kinds of wins that may not look flashy on paper — but the

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.

Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

Hey budget besties! 💸

This episode is for every single one of us walking around with invisible—but very real—money baggage. Whether it came from childhood sayings like “money doesn’t grow on trees” or past relationship drama, Shana and Vanessa are breaking down where our money beliefs come from and how they shape the way we spend, save, and stress about money today.

💼 What is money baggage anyway?

It’s the beliefs, habits, and emotions around money that you’ve carried—sometimes without even knowing it. And they’re often rooted in family dynamics, cultural expectations, or past financial experiences.

🎯 In this episode, we explore:

1. The most common money messages we heard growing up (and how they STILL influence us today)
2. How fear of spending or scarcity mindsets show up in our relationships
3. Why two people can bring wildly different money habits into a marriage—and how that causes tension
4. The weight of cultural or family pressure to live a certain lifestyle
5. The emotional toll of money trauma from past relationships
6. And most importantly, how to recognize your patterns and choose a new path forward

💬 Shana shares how her childhood taught her not to ask for things (because the answer would be no), and how that belief showed up in her marriage—even when it didn’t make sense. Vanessa gets real about how her parents losing their jobs drove her to pay off her mortgage early. These stories aren’t just personal—they’re universal. And they show us just how deep this stuff runs.

✨ But here’s the good news: You get to decide what comes next.

You’re not stuck in the patterns you were handed. Whether you're scared to spend or scared to talk about money at all, you can shift how you handle your finances—and we’re here to help you do it.

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.

Curious? Watch Our Money Makeover Bootcamp!

Ready? Buy Our Simplified Budget System Now!

Check out Kallai's Podcast!

This one’s for all of us who grew up with “just make it work” energy—and are ready to do things differently.

In today’s powerful episode, we’re joined by the incredible Kallai Plummer, founder of The Kal + Co, operations expert, and host of That Big CEO Energy podcast. Kallai is sharing her real, raw story of financial survival, motherhood, breaking cycles, and building a business that puts her family and her freedom first.

Kallai grew up with a single mom who made it all work behind the scenes—but didn’t talk about money. Later, she found herself in a similar spot as a young single mom, following the “do it right” playbook of college, career, 9-to-5… and still feeling stuck.

Together, we unpack:

1. The generational patterns around money (and silence) that so many of us are navigating
2. Why saving money can feel uncomfortable when you’ve never seen it modeled
3. How our upbringing shapes not just our finances—but our relationships, communication, and even self-worth
4. Why it’s so important to let our kids in on age-appropriate money convos
5. What it really looks like to walk away from burnout and build a business on your terms
6. And how to create safety, strategy, and sustainability—at home and in business

Whether you’re a single mom, a business owner, or just someone trying to change your money story, this episode is full of heart, healing, and straight-up real talk.

The biggest takeaway?

You’re not stuck. You’re learning. And you can teach your kids something different. 💛

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.