Afford Anything
Episodes
The Pay Cut Price of Freedom
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#496: How much of a pay cut would you take for a lighter workload? Today we hear from Paul, 35, who’s grappling with that question. Paul’s b...
Dr. Cal Newport: Achieve More by Doing Less
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#495: Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. She's famous for her work in radioactivity. Lin-Man...
My Husband Makes Double My Income, But Saves Nothing! Should I Be Worried?
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#494: Tatyana is about to pay off her house at age 39! What’s next? Her husband, who earns twice as much (and whom she met after she bought the home...
Wall Street Secrets, with Your Rich BFF Vivian Tu
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#493: Do you ever wonder what happens behind closed doors on Wall Street? Vivian Tu, also known as Your Rich BFF, is here to spill the tea. Vivian gre...
I’m Earning Extra from my Side Hustle. But Does This Cramp My Chances at Investing?
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#492: Christine’s business is struggling. She needs more income. If she adds a full-time remote job to her plate, how will her retirement and financ...
Why Bitcoin is Back in the News | First Friday
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#491: Welcome, Emma Chamberlain’s fans!! Thanks for joining the Afford Anything community. You can find out how to escape the 9-to-5 grind at afford...
Inside the Mind of a Supercommunicator, with Charles Duhigg
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#490: Great communication will get you a raise. It'll get you promoted. You'll land the corner office. You'll make friends and be the life of the part...
Ask Paula: What to Do with a Six-Figure Windfall?
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#489: Cara made $100,000 in commissions this year, her biggest bonus ever. What should she do with the money if she wants to retire early? An anonymou...
Gut Instincts and Big Decisions, with Morgan Housel
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#488: Ever made a flippant, seemingly minor decision that radically changed the course of your life? Morgan Housel has experienced this. At age 17, he...
Ask Paula: "Should I Put My Dreams on Hold … and Buy a House Instead?"
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#487: Luis’s wife is killing it at her side hustle. The unexpected income has led Luis to YouTube for hacks to capitalize on their surplus. Can a 52...
Stocks are Hot. Jobs are Hotter. What’s Next?
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#486: By every definition of the word, we’re in a bull market. The S&P 500 hit record highs for five consecutive days last week, and remained strong...
How to Start a Business in One Weekend, with Noah Kagan
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#485: If you’ve ever thought: "I’d love a business BUT …” I don’t have TIME I don’t have MONEY I don’t have IDEAS I have TOO MANY id...
Ask Paula: The Hidden Cost of Student Loan Forgiveness
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#484: Kristen’s financial advisor charges a 1.3 percent fee on her investments. They also sold her term life, whole life, and long-term disability i...
Thriving in a High-Pressure World, with Jennifer Breheny Wallace
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#483: Competitive. Results oriented. Driven to be the very best. These are a few ways to describe achievement culture. Achievement culture can also be...
Ask Paula: Should We Drain Our Brokerage to Make a HUGE Down Payment?
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#482: A caller named “M” wonders if liquidating stocks for a larger down payment makes sense in a high-interest rate environment. An anonymous cal...
What’s In Store for 2024? Bitcoin, Home Buying, and Kiyosaki’s $1.2 billion in debt
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#481: Predicting the stock market is a terrible idea. But we can look at economic indicators and upcoming events to get a big-picture, 30,000-foot vie...
Your Blueprint for Life's Toughest Challenges, with Hal Elrod
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
#480: The death of a sibling. Being declared dead after a head-on collision with a drunk driver. Suffering financially during the Great Recession. CAN...
Ask Paula: Is Mom Getting Ripped Off by Her Investment Advisor?!
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#479: Nicole’s 78-year-old mom is paying huge fees for low returns. How can Nicole help her mom make better investments? Paul is a single dad, worri...
Buy the Damn Guac, with Jamila Souffrant
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#478: Ever skipped that extra drink, pricey cheese, or a night out for the sake of your wallet? If this feels familiar, then you’ll appreciate today...
Ask Paula: Investing for the Future vs. Paying Down the Past
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#477: Kayla is torn between paying off a loan early or catching up on missed retirement contributions. Josh wants to retire early and meets the thresh...
Astronaut's Guide to Taking YOUR Moonshot, with Mike Massimino from NASA and Big Bang Theory
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#476: Mike Massimino stared in disbelief at his TV. The date was July 16, 1969, and he marveled as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. ...
Tribute to Charlie Munger, The Man Who Taught Warren Buffett How to Invest
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#475: Born in 1924, Charlie Munger was raised during the Great Depression. At the time of his death on Tuesday, his net worth was estimated at $2.6 bi...
Surviving a $35,000 Credit Card Scam, Job Loss and Foreclosure, with Tiffany Aliche, The Budgetnista
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#474: When Tiffany Aliche was in her 20’s, she fell victim to a credit card scam. A crafty swindler convinced her to take out a cash advance against...
Ask Paula: How to Pay Off a $8,000 Medical Bill Without Going Broke
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#473: Sarah has cash to pay a $8,000 medical bill but she’s reluctant to drain her savings. Should she sign up for the hospital’s interest-free pa...
Happiness Habits, with Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#472: Imagine this: You’re a teenage musical prodigy, a world-class classical French horn player. You drop out of college at age 19 and spend your t...
Ask Paula: I Came Into A Lot of Money. What Should I Do With It?
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#471: Bob split a $350,000 windfall between savings and paying down his mortgage. But now he’s wondering if he made a good choice. Can Paula and Joe...
The GDP Grew 4.9 Percent, Unemployment is at a Near-Record Low … and Everybody’s Stressed About Layoffs
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#470: The economy is booming. GDP grew 4.9 percent last quarter, the fastest rate of growth since 2021. Consumer spending jumped 4 percent. Unemployme...
Ask Paula: Feeling FOMO About Your Home Equity? Here's What to Do
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#469: Lindy feels like her $300,000 of accumulated equity could be put to better use. But she doesn’t want to buy more real estate right now. What’...
How MICE Impacts Your Money, with Bryan Kuderna
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Money management is all about setting priorities. Maybe you have the twin goals of sending your kids to college while also saving enough for retiremen...
Ask Paula: Use One Debt to Pay Off Another?
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#467: Should Knoxville use a higher-interest Home Equity Loan (HELOC) to pay off a lower-interest 401k loan? Joelle’s tenant is interested in a rent...
How to Handle Medical Bills, with Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#466: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported in 2022 that medical debt is the most common reason to get a debt collector call. A Census Bur...
Good News for the Economy; Bad News for the Markets
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#465: The Fed is holding interest rates steady for now. The jobs report is better than expected. Stocks and bonds are both going down. What's going on...
The Science of Friendship (and How It Improves Your Net Worth), with Dr. Marisa Franco
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#464: More than ever, most people's lives are packed to the brim with activity. We are trying to fit in demanding jobs and families, commuting and a n...
Ask Paula: Student Loan Deferment HACK – How Christina Saved $60,000 in Interest
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#463: Mary is struggling to compare two job offers: one from a large corporation and another from a tiny business. How should she decide? An anonymous...
Cracking the Code of the Rich, with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#462: As a society, we’re fascinated by stories of the rich. We hear news, see social media posts, and read books about how others become wealthy, h...
Ask Paula: A Year Off Work, a Career Change, and a Divorce: How to Make It Work
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#461: A special LIVE recording in front of an audience at Podcast Movement, an industry conference in Denver. Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy a...
The Mental Toughness and Confidence Blueprint, with Dr. Nate Zinsser
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#460: Mental toughness is the bedrock of starting a business, growing a multimillion-dollar portfolio, investing in real estate, crushing your debt, r...
Ask Paula | 10-Year-Old Asks: How Do I Save for My First Car?
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#459: Andrey is a savvy 10-year-old wondering what’s the best way to save up for his first car. Ingrid wants to know if her parents’ preference fo...
The Reality Behind High Home Prices, with BiggerPockets CEO Scott Trench
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#458: Today we chat with Scott Trench, the CEO and President of BiggerPockets, a real estate investing education company with more than 2 million memb...
Ask Paula: I Sold All My Stocks Last Year. Now I'm Kicking Myself
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#457: Angie sold all the stocks in her retirement account last year. And now the market’s climbing. What should she do with her $500,000 cash positi...
The Science of Empathy, with Stanford Professor Jamil Zaki
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#456: Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki shares his research and findings around the science of empathy – and how we can apply this to improvi...
Ask Paula: I’m Recently Retired. Do I Pay Off My Rentals Or Buy More Real Estate?
05 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#455: Yvette recently retired with the goal of reaching a $10,000 monthly income from her real estate investments. Should she put her money toward deb...
Ask Paula: Financial Disaster? How to Get Help Before It’s Too Late
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#454: Amy says she hit “rock bottom” with her finances. She says she struggled to ask for help before her situation became an emergency. How can o...
The Importance of Having a Life Outside of Work, with Simone Stolzoff
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#453: Today I chat with Simone Stolzoff, a consultant for organizations ranging from Google to the Surgeon General’s Office, and the author of "The ...
Mind Games: How Confidence Shapes our Financial Markets, with Economist Peter Atwater
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#452: Peter Atwater, an economics professor at The College of William and Mary and author of “The Confidence Map,” joins us to discuss how confide...
Ask Paula: The Hidden Costs of Leverage
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#451: Rachel’s car is nearing its end of life and she’s short on cash. Should she sell before she’s hit with a major repair? Cam wants to arbitr...
The Surreal Business of War: A Reporter's Account of the Russian Economy in Chaos
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#450: On the First Friday of each month, we roll out a bonus episode that’s totally different from what we usually produce. These bonus episodes are...
Ask Paula: Should You Buy Real Estate in Today’s Economy?
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#449: Jackie is a 42-year-old paralegal with two rental properties. She wants to buy three more. She asks for Paula’s thoughts about today’s econo...
Ask Paula: We Make $300k. Why Are We NOT Financially Independent?
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#448: An anonymous caller is dealing with guilt over spending a large cash gift. What’s the best use if she doesn’t have an obvious financial goal...
The Human Side of Remote Work, with Nick Bloom
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#447: We talk to Stanford economist Nick Bloom about his groundbreaking research on working from home. Nick has been studying remote work for more tha...
Ask Paula: How to Build a New Career After Adversity
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#446: Paul suffered a stroke at 48. He’s on disability and feeling lost. How does he figure out what’s next? Should Ashley’s aging parents spend...
Boldly Unemployed: Embracing Entrepreneurship, with Steve Chou
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#445: We sit down with Steve Chou, an accomplished entrepreneur who, alongside his wife, built two businesses that each bring in seven figures – and...
The End of the Student Loan Pause: What You Need to Know
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#444: The student loan pause is coming to an end. A moratorium on student loan repayments has been in place since the start of the pandemic, but start...
Building Your Dream Business, with Amy Porterfield
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#443: As a former corporate powerhouse turned successful entrepreneur, Amy knows firsthand the challenges and triumphs of building a business from scr...
Ask Paula: I Tripled My Income. Now What?
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#442: An anonymous caller is struggling with a tempting offer from her family to buy her first house. Chris recently tripled his income. How should he...
How to Invest in a Volatile Market, with JD Stein
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#441: It’s GRADUATION WEEK! For those of you who’ve been following along this past year, you know that I’ve been completing the Knight - Bagehot...
Ask Paula: Am I Saving Enough For Retirement?
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#440: An anonymous caller wants to retire and travel in 20 to 30 years. How does she know if she’s saving enough? Trace plans to take a mini-retirem...
Banks Collapsing?! What’s Next? – Plus ENCORE episode with Financial Advisor Michael Kitces
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#439: There are massive rapid changes unfurling in the financial world. This week’s biggest news: First Republic Bank collapsed; JP Morgan Chase acq...
Life in Five Senses, with Gretchen Rubin
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#438: “Do you want to save money? Or do you want to enjoy your life?” That’s a common question, but it’s strange. It assumes these ideas are o...
The Five Types of Perfectionists, with Katherine Morgan Schafler
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#437: Do you have a project you want to start … but you’re stuck in analysis paralysis? Do you feel like if you want to do something right, you ha...
Ask Paula: How Do I Pay for Grad School?
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#436: Jeremy wants to attend graduate school. Should he take student loans or cash out his investment portfolio? Andy is wondering if the 4 percent ru...
Ask Paula: How To Prepare for A Layoff
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#435: Lee is 30 and facing a tech layoff. She can live for a year on her savings. She’s thinking about taking the rest of the year off. How should s...
Tips for Tipped Workers, with Barbara Sloan
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#434: The majority of financial advice is geared to people with 9-5 jobs: “Negotiate for a raise.” “Max out your 401k match.” “Budget bas...
Ask Paula: Should I Quit My Cushy Job?
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#433: Should “Walker,” an anonymous caller, give up a cushy job to take a year-long sabbatical in Europe? Blue wants to rent out his East Coast ho...
The Risk of Not Fully Living, with Michael Lynch
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#432: Have you ever worried about running out of money after you retire? Do you keep checking your net worth to make sure you have enough? Does this a...
Mr. Money Mustache Talks About His Dating Life
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#431: The title says it all. Paula Pant interviews Mr. Money Mustache about his dating life. We chat about why he wants to date inside the FIRE commun...
Ask Paula: My Parents Are Drowning In Credit Card Debt. What Should I Do?
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#430: D is worried that she’s going to suffer from her parents’ poor financial choices. Is it time to confront them about it? An anonymous caller ...
How BIG Things Get Done, with Dr. Bent Flyvberg
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#429: Have you ever thought about remodeling a kitchen? Retrofitting a camper van for #vanlife? Converting your basement into an Airbnb? Building a cu...
Ask Paula: Do I really need a Financial Advisor?
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#428: Jamie currently lives at home and dreams of reaching financial freedom by her early 30s. How can she take advantage of her low expenses to acce...
Start a Micro-Business & Build Multiple Income Streams, with Nick Loper
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#427: Okay, maybe the phrase “side hustle” is overused. But it’s also misunderstood. “Side hustle” is a catch-all term that people use to de...
Key Takeaways: Best Lessons from the Last Year
04 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#426: Behavioral researcher, Vanessa Van Edwards, talks to us about the critical importance of charisma - and how to use the perfect blend of warmth a...
Ask Paula: My Dad Died, and My Mom Is CLUELESS About Finances
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#425: Ellen’s dad died unexpectedly. Her mom is clueless about finances. How does she help a 70-year-old unravel financial complexities? Mike has an...
The Power of Knowing When To Walk Away
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#424: We’re taught to stay in the game. Persist. Be gritty. Try, try again. But sometimes, the best decision is to walk away. Move on. How do you kn...
Ask Paula: Can I Make Money With My Passion?
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#423: We’ve heard the warnings about following your passion. People ask if you can *actually* make money doing what you love. They frame the quest...
Ask Paula: We’re Saving 72 Percent Of Our Income … and It SUCKS
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#422: Emily is saving aggressively for financial independence, but it’s hard to enjoy the present. Is it time to increase spending? Monroe wants to ...
How to Schedule Your Day for Peak Enjoyment, with Laura Vanderkam
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
#421: Life is busy. We spend too much time on chores, errands, commuting, emails and other draining tasks. We lack time for joy and hobbies. Or do we?...
What We Learned in 2022
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#420: Harvard professor Arthur Brooks described two types of intelligence – and explained, in scientific terms, the wisdom that comes with age. Dr. ...
Ask Paula: Should I Stay At My Job For the 401k?
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#419: Casey isn’t happy at her job. If she leaves before her one-year mark, she’ll lose her 401k contributions. Should she stay or find a new job?...
Maybe We Should Spend More, with Dr. Jordan Grumet
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#418: When Jordan Grumet was a child, his dad died unexpectedly. That was decades ago. Jordan is a father today, but he thinks often about the possibi...
Ask Paula: Marriage and Money: What Are the Right Conversations?
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#417: Our first anonymous caller is getting married. What are the financial considerations the couple should be thinking through since there is a larg...
The Crypto Crash, the Housing Market, and Hot Takes on the Latest Economic Headlines
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#416: Crypto is tanking. Household debt is climbing. Student loans are tangled up in the court system. And the house market…did what?! Today’s bon...
How I Give Away 41% of My Income, with Bob Lotich
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#415: The average American donates 2.1 percent of their income to charity, according to data from the Giving Institute. But an ordinary couple living ...
Ask Paula: I Think I Can Retire Early. Am I Crazy?!
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#414: Amanda is worried that her recently diagnosed health condition might force her to stop working. How should she financially prepare her family? ...
Why We’re Paying Attention to the Wrong Things, with Dr. Daniel Crosby
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#413: If an idea dominates the headlines, we notice it. But maybe we shouldn’t. Today’s guest, psychologist and behavioral finance expert Dr. Dani...
Ask Paula: Should I Repay Debt or Invest?
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#412: Taylor recently graduated. She wants to reach financial independence as soon as possible. What should she do first: invest or repay low-interest...
Invest Anywhere: Learn About a City Like an Expert
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#411: In the final installment of this two-part mini-series, we walk you through becoming a subject matter expert in your investment city of choice. W...
The Routine Habits of Breakthrough Thinkers, with Jeremy Utley
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#410: You face plenty of problems. But you have a scarcity of good solutions. Stanford Professor Jeremy Utley can help. He says that solving complex p...
Ask Paula: Should I Sell My Rentals to Buy More Stocks?
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#409: Liz and her husband are planning to retire in 5 to 10 years. They have rental income properties, but Liz is bored of managing these, and she’s...
Build Your 15-Year Career, with Kiersten and Julien Saunders
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#408: When Kiersten and Julian Saunders began dating in 2012, they fell in love quickly, and their relationship felt strong – until they started tal...
Ask Paula: The 5 Types of Accountants (and Who To Avoid!)
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#407: Ionnie wants to vet her tax professional as diligently as she assesses her financial advisor – how should she go about doing that? Anonymous n...
Invest Anywhere: I’ve chosen my city…now what?
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#406: In this two-part episode, we first tackle the data points needed to assess various investment locations within your city of choice. We will cove...
Ask Paula: How to Handle a HUGE Bonus, Commission or Windfall
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#405: Daniel and his wife want to go on an extended vacation and leave their jobs next year…and still have money in case there’s a problem at the...
How I Paid off $500,000 in Credit Card Debt, Then Launched a Company With $35 Million in Annual Revenue — with Rand Fishkin
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#404: When Rand Fishkin was 25 years old, he carried $500,000 in credit card debt. Less than a decade later, Rand was the Founder and CEO of a company...
How I Reached Financial Independence Through Real Estate – With Chad Carson
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#403: September Sabbatical continued! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few years, then you know that we’ve entered our September ...
The Psychology of Money, with Morgan Housel
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#402: Do you wrestle with the idea of leaving your savings in an account earning next to nothing versus investing it in the stock market? Do you use i...
You are a Badass at Making Money, with Jen Sincero
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#401: It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few years, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sab...
#400: The Lies Told About Early Retirement
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re sharing three talks given at the EconoMe conference, with each of these talks relating to F.I.R.E. The three discussions are: FI-Landia...
Ask Paula: The stock market is down - Can I still retire?
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#399: Bella is SO CLOSE to reaching F.I.R.E and is worried about her withdrawal rate if the stock market drops. If the stock market does drop, can she...
How To Travel For (Almost) Free, with Chris Hutchins
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#398: Chris Hutchins is an avid life hacker, a financial optimizer and the host of the top ranked podcast “All The Hacks”, where he shares his que...
Ask Paula: Is the bank trying to scam my parents…?
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
#397: Nic’s parents are forced to confront earlier than anticipated retirement…and they aren’t financially prepared. Now, a bank is offering to ...