Meaning Over Money

Big announcements were just released regarding federal student loans.  We want to address anyone who has already paid off their loans.  Some of you are very angry. We get it....and we don't blame you.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses why your accomplishments were worth far more than $10,000.  We hope this content gives you a renewed perspective on your own situation, as w...

It's back-to-school season! For host Travis Shelton, it's the first official full-time school season for his twin boys, who are starting Kindergarten.  Like most parents, Travis and his wife thought long and hard about what path to take for their children's education.  Ultimately, they chose a local private school.  In today's episode, Travis discusses the cost, considerations, and...

Risk is a weird thing with us humans.  Sometimes we grossly underestimate risk, while other times we grossly overestimate it.  The biggest reason we whiff?  Fear!  We tend to rely too much on emotion, and not enough on what really matters.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton talks through a simple but effective way to analyze and assess risk.  It's based on an article he was working o...

With benefit election season quickly approaching, we are going to spend some time on the topic of health insurance.  Specifically, how to pick the plan that's right for you and your family's situation.  Oftentimes, by default, people choose the plan with the best ongoing coverage.  Lower deductibles, lower co-insurance, more coverage, etc.  However, that's just part of the story.....an...

This is a very common question we receive from people who are working to pay off their debt. Many financial experts have a black-and-white approach to this question, but we believe it's nuanced....and each person needs to assess their own situation. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains the questions and considerations to ask yourself as you're assessing your own decision.  ...

When people want to make financial progress, one of our first pieces of advice is to NOT immediately start cutting back and slashing expenses.  Doing so will cause them to burn out quickly or quit before they even get started.  Instead, we walk them through a three-step process that is proven to work.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains these three steps, how to execute them, and...

Fact: pursuing meaning over money can be hard.....very hard.  Yes, it's an amazing and fulfilling journey.  But it would be disingenuous for us to pretend it comes without a cost.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains some of the costs he and others have paid, how he perceives and navigates it, and why he's more convicted than ever about his decision to pursue the meaning....

We've all done things we regret.  Poor decisions, mistakes, or actions resulting in significant negative consequences.  We have in the past, and we will in the future.  When this happens, we sometimes shrug it off and convince ourselves we don't regret it.  Why?  Because some positive things have likely come from it.  One terrible decision can lead us down a completely different path in li...

We rarely take a polarized position on topics, but this is one hill we would die on: keeping our business and personal finances separate is critical.  There's no better way to create uncertainty, lack of clarity, and frustration in our financial life than to muddy the waters between business and personal finances.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares why this is so important, an...

One of our favorite days of the year is Amazon Prime Day.  No, not because of the sales.  It's one of our favorite days because that's when all the spend-shamers come out of the woodwork to demonize people for buying things they "don't need."  In today's episode,  host Travis Shelton explains why this is a toxic perspective, how it leads to financial hoarding and deep fee...

In past episodes, we've made the argument life can actually get more complicated the freer we become (out of debt, more income, etc.).  One example of this is a situation we see time and time again.  So many possibilities start to open up.....so we say "yes."  And "yes."  And "yes" again.  If we're not careful, we can start to go down a dangerous road where we...

When host Travis Shelton was in high school, he worked at a cheese factory.  This job taught him many lessons, but none greater than an older couple who worked there together.  At the time, Travis looked at them as an example of what he didn't want to become in life.  As time when on, however, and as Travis leaned into these ideas of meaning over money, this couple seemed wiser and wiser.  See...

As host Travis Shelton was recently loading up his family's vehicle for a family camping trip, a very clear and convicted idea crossed his mind:  "I need a new car."  It was clear his existing vehicle didn't have enough space, and playing Tetris with luggage and equipment was getting old.  In today's episode, we discuss the idea of need vs. NEED.  Sometimes we think we need s...

The stock market is a crazy world right now!  Therefore, it's only natural more and more people are asking the question, "what should I do about it?"  Our answer is always the same:  if you're invested broadly and cheaply, simply do nothing.  Let the market take care of itself.  It's a hard thing to do, as we want to do something, but nothing is always better than something....

In episode 103, we discussed why most people are actually losing money from their credit card points.  Our argument is a combination of psychological and tracking issues, resulting in a net loss even after receiving the benefit of various rewards, miles, and cash back.  We received a lot of questions and feedback about this episode.  The most notable question is whether we believe there's a wa...

In a previous episode, we talked about the idea of inventorying what really adds value to our life.  We gave all the listeners (and ourselves) a homework assignment: make a list of the top 10 things that add value to your life.  In today's episode, we discuss a reality most people will recognize when they do this exercise.  The things that REALLY add value to most people's lives are either...

There are certain months that will inevitably cause people a lot of frustration in their budgeting.  The problem is they don't know everyone else is also struggling with them as well, so they can easily feel defeated.  May, August, and December are particularly hard for most people.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why some months are just harder than others, and what you...

From time to time, we have conversations with people who are experiencing financial success and/or finding meaning in their work, who feel somewhat guilty. Why?  Because they are aware of how much stress and frustration other people around them are experiencing.  Much of this stems from a high level of compassion, but there's also a piece where it can feel undeserving.  In today's episode,...

We all have influence.  The who, where, what, when, and how all vary, as does the size of our influence, but we all have influence.  We're also living in a time where we have the tools and platforms available to say anything we want about anything we want.....and are encouraged to do so.  We've spent so much time asking the question "can we?", that we perhaps have failed to answe...

Countless people are experiencing a tremendous amount of pressure in life, and it's closing in from all angles.  Financial, work, relationships.....sometimes it can feel like too much.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton describes a common scenario so many people are facing, how all the pieces are interconnected, and what you can do to unwind them.  If any of this resonates with you,...

Summer travel is upon us!  We love travel, and suspect many of you do as well.  The only down side: travel can cause financial stress that leaks into our everyday life.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses a different way to look at and execute travel.  It's a small but meaningful tweak that a could make all the difference in the world.  If you have questions or would like to...

We received a lot of feedback from episode 124 where we talked about the importance of not letting the selfishness of others steals our generous sprit.  Today's episode is dedicated to one person's feedback.  Our friend Jill shared how people will ask, "why would you do that?" whenever she talks about a major event she volunteers for or other acts of generosity.  We've experi...

The world tells us to do anything and everything to avoid failure.  After all, failing = losing, right?  We couldn't disagree more.  Rather, we think failure is the entry price to growth and success.  If we aren't willing to fail, or to take it a step further, actually pursue failure, we put an artificial cap on how far we can go.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why t...

In past episodes, we've mentioned the idea of giving anonymously.  On the surface, it sounds odd.  However, in practice, it's one of the most powerful and life-giving things we can do with money.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains the various reasons why you might want to consider giving anonymously and provides some ideas on how to execute anonymous giving (it can be tr...

There are many obvious benefits to budgeting, but today we're going to talk about a not-so-obvious benefit.  Sometimes we fail.  Sometimes we make mistakes.  Sometimes we do something we wish we could undo.  One benefit of budgeting monthly is that somewhere between 1 and 30 days from now we'll get a clean slate.  It's a beautiful part of this whole budgeting stuff, and one that can sa...