Oh My Dollar!

How to care about money when nothing is okay

05 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How the heck do you pick financial goals when 1 in 4 people are unemployed, there are murder hornets, police are battering people in the streets for h...

Can they take back your unemployment check and what to do with $1,200?

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Three questions that didn't make the livestream this week: what to do with your $1,200 if your job is stable right now, can they take back your unempl...

Freelancers and Gig Workers Can Get Unemployment Now + It Pays

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Freelancers and gig workers (and musicians and more) can file for unemployment now for the first time ever. And for the moment, it actually pays enoug...

How get health insurance when you lose your job + those $1,200 checks

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you get health insurance if you lost your job? Are we all really getting 1,200 extra free dollars from the government? what is the catch If you...

How to Meal Plan

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is episode touches on everything you need to know to get started meal planning. If you have a question for the Special Financial Chaos episodes c...

Track your time to enjoy life more ft. Laura Vanderkam

13 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Time is money! But many of us know exactly where our money goes, but have no idea where our time goes. Once you know where the time goes, you can make...

The March of Time Challenge and The Flu

28 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We're off this week due to mysterious flu-like illnesses BUT never fear, we have cool OMD things coming up this week. Tomorrow (leap day, Saturday, Fe...

Job-hopping isn't bad & how to beat the job-stealing robots ft. Nicolle Merrill

14 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We all know careers aren't the same as they once were. Nicolle Merrill joins us to discuss why job-hopping is actually an advantage, how to "network" ...

Listen Before You File: US Taxes 101

07 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian is joined by Nina, who asks questions about taxes and we cover what you need to know about witholding, saver's credit, and more. Check out the...

How much should you put in an emergency fund

31 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian talks about how much you really need in your emergency funds in response to a listener question from Ken, and she tries to get Chase, our engi...

Why You're Failing at Your Budget + Getting Rid of the Financial Shame

24 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes it's hard to stick to a budget. But that shouldn't make you feel ashamed. How to get over feelings of shame and deprivation when things are ...

Great Work Benefits You Might Actually Use

17 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What work benefits might you actually want to use and negotiate for? We asked the Oh My Dollar! community for the work benefits they actually used - a...

What is worth doing yourself vs paying someone else?

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is worth paying someone else to do and what is a waste of money? I asked people what they outsource due to health, disability, time, quality, and...

When to Give up on Goals this Year

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you know when to quit a project, a goal, or something similar? And how does a to-do-list role playing game teach you about financial goals? Che...

All that money you didn't save: Opportunity Costs

14 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's the real cost of choosing one path vs another? What happens when you could've bought a house instead of spending your money on scented candles ...

How to Balance Being a Human and an Employee

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When you're an employee, you're also an employee with health needs. How do you balance both? We talk with Mac Prichard about how to bring up health ca...

What the heck is a co-pay vs co-insurance?

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Untangling the difference between a co-pay vs co-insurance and which kind of health care plan is better. Plus, depressing health care headlines. This ...

What you can pay for with Health Savings Accounts, ft Jean Chatzky

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's health care month on OMD for the third time and we're kicking it off with Jean Chatzky and talk about why Health Savings Accounts are rad super s...

The Real Cost of Will's Cross-Country Move

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's Will's final Oh My Dollar! episode and we talk about how much it cost for him to move cross-country - and also about our halloween themed budget ...

California is about to change the gig economy for everyone

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

California just passed legislation that will require gig economy companies like Uber, Lyft, and Amazon to classify workers instead of contractors. Thi...

A recession is coming, how can you be ready?

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A recession is coming, what should you do to be ready? Can you really prepare for a recession? Check out our transcript and full shows note at ohmydol...

See you next week!

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hey folks, we're off this week due to Lillian mostly losing her voice. Back next week at the usual time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

Managing Money as a College Student

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What are some tips for managing your personal finances as a college or university student? What do we wish we had known about money when we started ou...

How to split rent, first dates, and retirement accounts in relationships

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Splitting date expenses is hard, especially when you're queer.  How do you split rent when one person makes a lot more money? Plus, what who should g...

Getting your spendy partner on board with budgeting

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest barriers to getting your money together can actually be other people - we talk about strategies for talking with your partner, room...

Does retail therapy actually work?

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ohhhh the siren call of retail therapy. That “add to cart” button luring you in from the wild seas of despair. If you’re feeling down, feeling s...

Investing in your first IRA with $100

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you don't have the minimum for an investment in Vanguard, how do you get started with a Roth IRA? And what the heck is a settlement fund? What is a...

Negotiate Your Bills ft. Tori Dunlap

17 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You’re an adult now! Congrats. Now you owe everyone money!  Paying bills is part of adult life, unless you’ve manage to go completely off the gri...

The Cost of Being Intersex ft. Hans Lindahl

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The alphabet soup of the GLBTQIA+ community includes one letter many people don't know about - "I"  - which stands for "intersex", a term that refers...

America vs The World: Personal Finance Edition

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's 4th of July (American Independence Day), so here's an episode about things that America does differently in personal finance.  America America -...

How We Saved Our First Emergency Funds

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Saving up that first emergency fund can be hard - especially if you don't make a lot of money, if murphy keeps knocking on your door and stealing from...

Should you get a 529 for college savings? ft Abby Chao

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

WTF is a 529? Should you use one for saving for education or is it easier to just have a savings account. Abby Chao from CollegeBacker walks us throug...

State of Queer Money

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's pride month! And here at Oh My Dollar!, we're queer af, so we're here to talk all things under the rainbow. I thought in the midst of this histor...

Are perfectionism & procrastination screwing up your finances?

05 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You "should" do this [unpleasant money thing.] Sound familiar? I know many of you admit to financial procrastination, but often perfectionism is a the...

How much does it cost to have a hobby?

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Some hobbies are pricey, some hobbies actually save you money. The OMD community tunes in to share how much their hobbies cost them. Plus, Lillian sha...

How to Fund a Creative Project without Going Broke (Risk + Money)

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Big announcement! Oh My Dollar’s cat-filled purrsonal finance book, A Cat's Guide to Money, is going into the second printing, and we need your help...

How to find car insurance without pulling your hair out ft Andrew Rose

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Figuring out car insurance can be an absolute hair-pulling nightmare. What is comp & collision? What does 50/100/50 mean? Do red cars really pay more?...

The 100th Episode - What Would You Do with $100?

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For our 100th Episode, we turned the mic on our listeners and asked: If I handed you $100 and you had to use it in the next 24 hours in a way it would...

Is $3,000 on an e-bike worth it?

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Are you thinking about taking the plunge into the world of e-bikes or cargo bikes? At $1,000 – $5,000, it can be hard to justify the expense. We hea...

What items are worth splurging on?

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do you choose which things to spend more more money on - and what things can you cheap out on? Listeners write in with their best consumer investm...

Is the ACA going away? Do you need to panic?

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you haven’t been following - and who can blame you - the law is an absolute mess -  the Affordable Care Act, the law that provides health care c...

Everything You Need to Know To Get Started Saving for Retirement [replay]

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is rebroadcast of an episode from our archives. Back to new episodes next week!  The episode originally aired on February 13, 2017. Lillian answ...

Creative (And Boring) Ways to Use a Tax Refund

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Alright, so you got a tax refund. Or some other fun chunk of money. How should you use it? Save, splurge, or...? Maybe cash it into twenty dollar bill...

How to Choose An Employee Retirement Plan as a Small Business

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's so many options out there for small business retirement plans for employers! How do you choose one you can afford and that won't cause headach...

How I world travel for cheap with travel hacking

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian travels to 2-13 countries a year, and mostly flies and stays in hotels for free or cheap - through credit card travel hacking. She walks you t...

How much should you budget for clothing?

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Clothing - it can be a luxury item but it's also a necessity, if you live in polite society. How much should you spend on clothing in a year? How do y...

Is balancing your checkbook still a thing?

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Balancing your checkbook-  is that an adulting skill you should have? What exactly is a checkbook? Do you still need to do this? What is the digital ...

Stop Eating Your Budget

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Are you tired of eating and drinking your money away? Lillian and Will (plus some helpful listeners) share their tips for spending less at restaurants...

The Feeling of Money Control

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Something we always say on this show is that money is highly personal. Well, one thing I’ve learned is there’s no specific “accomplishment” mo...

How to Pay Quarterly Taxes

03 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have a profitable side hustle? Are you entirely self-employed? Do you send invoices to get paid rather than than get a paycheck with tax deduct...

No More Shoeboxes! Complete Guide to Receipt Management

03 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the time of year where I just get MAD at one thing in my life: receipts. They just suck - they're crinkly, they pile up, but theoretically you ...

6 Financial To-Dos before the end of the (Longest) Year

29 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Before 2018 closes out, we give you a list of a few things you should do wrap up your finances before the end of the year. Here's a few things to try...

What money goal should you focus on next year?

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It can be hard to choose a financial goal when it feels like you need to be doing everything - Pay off debt! Get a new job! Get a side hustle! Save fo...

A Genuinely Messed Up Situation with An Arm And a Leg Podcast

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

I’m really excited to have on reporter Dan Weissman to talk about his freshly-launched show, An Arm And a Leg podcast, which dives into the unique s...

Debt-Free and Queer ft David Auten and John Schnieder

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are you ready for a cute, heartwarming, and thought-provoking interview this week? I hope so, because after a month of American health care on this sh...

Open Enrollment is like playing Dungeons & Dragons… with a drunk dungeon master

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We have two listener questions this week for health care month: Anna wants to know how to fix an accidental over-contribution to her HSA without getti...

The $30 Spooky Health Plan You Probably Don’t Want

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Just in time for halloween, we have an episode about some of the spookiest health insurance plans of all – “junk” health insurance plans, or “...

Save money on dental – with or without insurance

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Teeth can be expensive! Lillian breaks down some unexpected ways you can save on dental – from taking a trip to Hungary to opening a FSA account, an...

How to choose a health insurance plan during open enrollment

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look at how to choose a health insurance plan – should you get a PPO, an HMO, or a HDHP? What is an HSA? And what do those acronyms mean an...

Finding a Place to Live with Poor Credit

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you have poor or no credit, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck living in your parent’s basement forever. Here are some strategies for findin...

How to Conference Travel on the Cheap

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In a short episode recorded from a Hilton hotel closet in Orlando, Lillian shares some of her tips for traveling to conferences on the cheap – from ...

What if your life decisions were made by the stock market? ft. KmikeyM

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In a casual interview episode, I’m joined by Mike Merrill. Mike, or KMikeyM, has been doing one of the longest-running art project on capitalism as ...

Creativity vs. Financial Security

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Does financial uncertainty make you more creative or does it break your creative muscles? Lillian and Will reflect on their plethora of jobs, and Lill...

The Art of Debt ft. Cathy Byrd

05 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s guest is not to be missed. Cathy Byrd from Fresh Art International reinvented herself as an artistic nomad after she got laid off in her mi...

How to start index investing in your 401K + using extra money

29 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly realized that she is doing “real investing” (picking individual stocks) and want to move into index funds instead (which is still investing!...

Money and Business as a Freelancer without “Selling Out”

22 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Did you wake up one day and realize you’re accidentally a business owner? When you are a freelancer, you are the business. Danny Schuman accidentall...

How to make financial choices without overanalyzing

15 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Maddie asks how to pick a bank from all the different options: credit union, online bank, local bank, multi-national – how do you choose?! Choosing ...

The Myth of “Money Mindset”

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian goes on a calm rant about the common refrain that you simply need to work on your “money mindset” to improve your financial outcome…whil...

How to take the home office tax deduction under new tax law

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian and Will walk through the basics of the home office deduction – and how things have changed under the new tax plan for 2018! You don’t nee...

Should Jessica buy a house or keep her cheap apartment?

19 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jessica asks if she should buy a house or keep renting in her cheap apartment longer, and more listeners share their experiences with homeownership. E...

How to Kick Butt at Money as a New Graduate

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian & Will share their own post-graduation money mistakes and give some tips for new college graduates on dealing with student loans, budgeting, a...

Variable Income for the Perpetually Anxious

14 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Variable Income. We’ve mentioned it a lot on this show because the more variable your income, the less traditional finance advice helps you. Today w...

Live Episode from The Outlet PDX

04 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Will and Lillian dive into a meta-episode about Oh My Dollar! at Outlet PDX for the launch of the Get Your Money Together book in front of a live audi...

Should Eva invest in only stocks or also bonds in her 401k?

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Listener Eva asks a question about picking investments in her 401K – should she stick with just a stock index fund or also a bond index fund? Here’...

Bonus How to find your objective function (life purpose) ft Malcolm and Simone Collins

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This bonus episode is probably one of my favorite dense episodes that’s a departure from our normal topic: Malcolm and Simone Collins are a married ...

Financial Mothers of History + Making Money as a Creator ft Jason Porath (Long cut)

14 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Author and illustrator Jason Porath, of the Rejected Princesses series, joins us to talk about some financially savvy women in history we might not kn...

The Case Against Homeownership

08 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian walks through a lot of the misconceptions about homeownership – including the idea that you haven’t “adulted” until you’ve insta-bra...

What are Will & Lily’s largest purr-chases ever?

30 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A free form episode where Will & Lily talk about the Get Your Money Together book, when the right time is to follow up on an unpaid invoice, how to pa...

Do you need a financial advisor? with Michael Dinich!

24 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Many people wonder how to figure out how to find a financial advisor without getting screwed over. Michael Dinich helps us untangle all different type...

Messy Money Mistakes ft. Jen Hemphill

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Money mistakes. We’ve all made them. Those blunders or miscalculations that end up costing you money – and maybe upset a financial stability you’...

Money alone doesn’t solve problems

09 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One of the wonderful things about modern society is that when I have have a material need, if I have some money, I can usually exchange money to help ...

Should Adam’s project be a business or non-profit? + Figuring out Patreon Tiers

01 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We answer two listener questions: How to figure out if you should be a non-profit, LLC, or become a corporation?  and L asks how to set their patreon...

How should Allison spend her $25,000 inheritance?

25 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Allison writes in to ask about what to do with a “medium” inheritance, and Lillian helps explain how PHD students might not qualify to save in a R...

Capitalism is immoral, but making money isn’t bad

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Inspired by Jesse Horn at the Bond conference, Lillian and Will talk about why you shouldn’t feel bad about acquiring money, just because capitalism...

Talking to your parents about money ft Eric Brotman

06 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Eric Brotman from Brotman Financial Group joins us to talk about how to have the hard conversations about money with your parents, and help them plan ...

Stop Worrying about Other People’s Budgets – Relationships and Money

26 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We bring back a new spin on an old topic from the archives: how to make a budget based in your own values – and how to talk about money with your sp...

What if you defaulted on your student loans? + other listener questions

19 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We answer a potpourri of listener questions: Where do you keep an emergency fund? A money market? (1:21 timestamp) What is a CD ladder? (5:58 times...

Money when Depressed

12 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When you’re depressed, it can be hard to get off the couch, let alone worry about your budget. Lillian shares some tips for handling your personal f...

How to get life insurance when you’ve been hospitalized for mental health (and other listener q’s).

05 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Eva asks if she really has to adult-up and get disability insurance (yes!) Rebecca wants to know if whole life insurance makes sense if someone can’...

Early Retirement: It’s Simple, But Not Easy ft Deacon Hayes and Douglas Tsoi

29 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Early Retirement? I always thought that sounds like something only for silent velcro millionaires or tech bros – but it can be achievable without a ...

Curbing Impulse Purchases + Regrettable Spending

16 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We share tactics to curb impulse purchases and regrettable spending. Also, we learn that Will owns every Animorphs book and is a sucker for odd citrus...

Setting Non-Boring Money Goals that Don’t Suck

09 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lillian and Will talk about how to set non-boring money goals that won’t set you up for new year’s resolution failure. Save more money! Spend less...

New Year’s Resolutions: Ask For More Money ft Alicia McElhaney

03 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Alicia McElhaney of the She Spends newsletter joins us to talk about one of the best ways to make more money in the new year: ASK FOR IT! We talk abou...

New Year’s Resolution: Pay Less Taxes

27 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Listener Eva asks how she can maximize her retirement savings and minimize her taxes as a self-employed person; Lillian talks her through SEP IRAs and...

Building a budget with “little wins” + how to tax-deduct your health insurance

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren asks how to build a realistic budget with “little wins” and Lillian asks her to figure out what her wins and necessities are. Sara asks how...

Are Health Savings Accounts an evil Republican tax loophole or actual magic?

12 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Listener health insurance questions answered: Are Health Savings Accounts an evil republican tax loophole for rich people or actually useful? How do c...

Mistakes not to make with health insurance ft Jack Hopper (long cut)

04 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There’s so many confusing terms when you’re looking for health insurance: OOP, HMO, deductible, co-insurance, co-pays – how do you untangle them...

Is Dan money laundering? Should Alice cash out a 401K to avoid credit card debt?

27 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We answer rapid fire questions: Should Alice liquidate a 401K to avoid credit card debt? Can Charlotte use her spouse’s income on a credit card appl...

How to reduce your budget + recognize emotional spending

21 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We answer listener questions about budgeting. Tamás asks how to reduce his budget when he can’t figure out what’s too high, and Sara asks how to ...

Oregon is making retirement plans a requirement for everyone ft. Joel Metlan

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Oregon is trying to start a retirement planning revolution- every single business in Oregon will be required to offer a retirement plan of some sort b...