Crushing Debt

What is Revenge Saving? What is Revenge Spending? Why is any of this important and how do you use it to your advantage? In this week's episode Shawn & George define Revenge Saving - basically a mindset to save regardless of your personal financial condition.  Instead of spending without regard to your budget (Revense Spending), you save without regard to your budget.   How do you know if you're Re...

Do you doomscroll? Do you watch the news? Are you excited or nervous about the economy? Despite sensational news headlines and social media panic, most households aren't experiencing a collapse, and many financial indicators remain strong.  On this week's episode, Shawn & George talk about terrifying headlines, the actual economic indicators (not what social media wants you to believe), personal e...

Often people burdened with debt feel bullied, hopeless and that there's no way out. But what would you do if you were in a near fatal accident and had to re-learn how to walk, talk or eat? How do you deal with trauma in your life? At 14, Nick Prefontaine suffered a traumatic, life-threatening snowboarding accident and was put in a coma. His parents were told he wouldn't ever walk, talk, or eat on...

When should parents help their high schoolers with College Applications? Should kids stay in state or out of state for college?  Private or public schools? What are some of the top things that colleges look for in applicants? Is it better for your kid's application to be involved in extracurricular activities? Scouts? IB Programs? AP Programs?  Honors Programs? Today's guest on the show is Lee Nor...

Are you ready for retirement? Do you know what you need or need to do, so that you can retire? When my late wife would ask me when I wanted to retire, my answer was normally "yesterday." But are we ready for retirement?  Can being a podcast host only support me in retirement? Today's podcast guest is Michael A. Scarpati, co-founder and CEO of www. Retire. US who shares a vision in financial empowe...

Have you ever had a bus fall on your house? What is the difference between Passive and Active Income? How do you make money for tomorrow? For the next generation? On this week's show, Shawn & George talk to Whitney Elkins-Hutten, the founder of Ash Wealth Consulting and Director of Investor Education at PassiveInvesting.com. She hosts the  Passive Investing Made Simple podcast and is a partner in...

Have any spare change? Do you still use cash and coins? The US Treasury Department and US Mint announced that it will stop making pennies after it runs out of the blank templates used to make the coins, saving the government $56 million a year in materials costs.  There is no indication that pennies will be taken out of circulation, only that new pennies will not be produced. This move should have...

Everything on the Internet is true, right? What can Tik Tok (and social media) teach us about getting out of debt?  How much of the advice is legitimate and how much is, shall we say, a bit "out there"? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podccast, Shawn & George watch (or listen to) Tik Tok videos from influencers who are trying to help people get out of debt. We'll then comment on the go...

Why are garage sales the perfect sales and negotiation training ground? What is the golden rule of negotiating? What are some negotiation tactics that work, and some that don't? Each year, in October and May, Shawn's neighborhood hosts a community-wide garage sale. Shawn has tested and practiced different sales techniques at these bi-annual events in a low-risk, low-pressure environment! Please go...

What is Soft Savings? Why would you want to embrace it? What are some tips to balance soft savings and hard savings? What are some red flags to avoid with Soft Savings? In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about Soft Savings, basically savings practices that may not be measurable or something that can be quantified. It involves spending for experiences, rather t...

Have you been paying your Student Loans? Have you been waiting on forgiveness of your Student Loans? Recently, the Department of Education has begun collection efforts for Student Loan borrowers behind on their payments, who have not repaid their debts or entered into some type of workout plan regarding their Student Loan debts. The government estimates that there are 6.4 million Student Loan borr...

What documents need to be notarized? What can a notary do or sign, or not? How or when can notarized documents help you to get or remain debt free? On today's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George interview our friend, Amanda Loeffler, owner of I Need a Notary, a remote online notarization company.  That means Amanda can notarize documents anywhere and you do not need to be sitting...

Why are grocery prices so high? Is it because of tariffs? Is it because of supply chain costs, or the Bird Flu? And how can you continue to budget while the cost of most products continue to increase? On today's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George discuss these issues, including some strategies to deal with the rising cost of goods, including Budgeting Using Cash Envelopes (or a s...

Spring is when many people spring clean their home. But how many of us Spring Clean our finances? How many of us declutter our debt? April is also Financial Literacy Month, and for most of the Country April is the month when income tax returns are due.  Did you file on time, or did you file for an extension? On this week's episode, Shawn & George talk about how to spring clean your debt, which is...

How does your financial life change when you are childfree? What is the difference between FIRE and FILE? How does your investing change when you are childfree? How does childfree impact your estate planning and long-term financial goals change? How often have you asked a newlywed couple, "so when are you having kids?" How often have you asked a couple married long-term, "any plans for kids soon?"...

They took care of us, but what do we do when it's time to take care of them? Can you help care for your aging parents or grandparents, while also taking care of your kids? Do you find yourself a part of the "sandwich generation?" In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George discuss the hidden costs and other pitfalls of helping the older generation, while still potentially t...

Did you get your 2024 Company Return filed on time in March, or at least get that extension filed? Did you already file your 2024 Personal Return, or are you waiting until the April deadline? What happens when you owe the IRS? This week's guest is Stephen Weisberg, who has over 10 years of experience representing individuals, businesses, and their owners with tax debt issues, audits, and other pro...

Are you single and looking to date? How do you manage your budget and expenses while trying to put yourself out there to find a new friend, a new relationship, a new romance? On this week's epsidoe, Shawn & George talk about your budget and dating (whether single or dates with your spouse). Some do's and dont's: DO budget DON'T fake what you cannot afford DO be upfront about your money, your budge...

How does a single mom, with a minor child, recover from overwhelming debt? Does more income, and multiple businesses solve financial problems? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk to Shannon Miller-Lutz, the founder of SML Coaching, who empowers individuals to shift their mindset, overcome obstacles, and take bold action toward success. Known for her natural abi...

Have you ever had a relationship that started out amazing, made you feel like you had everything you ever wanted, until one day you realized it was ruining your life? No, we're not talking about your ex, we're talking about your credit card! Let's talk about the warning signs of a  toxic  financial relationship and how to finally break up with  debt for good! At first, you go through the honeymoon...

What happens if you are in a situation where you need to sell your house?  You're in foreclosure? Or you've filed a bankruptcy? How can you avoid predators and scams if you're in a situation where you're forced to sell your home, or if you're in financial distress? This week's guest on the Crushing Debt Podcast is Sandra Cantu, who brings over 25 years of real estate expertise and a deeply persona...

What are some comfort lies you tell yourself about money? What are some future lies you tell yourself about money? What are some identity lies you tell yourself about money? In this week's episode Shawn & George talk about the money lies we tell ourselves.  Things like: I deserve it. I'll start saving when I make more money. Everyone has debt, it's normal. I'll work forever, so I don't need to sav...

What are the five money personas? What are the four "F's" of money (nots this is not an explicit] episode). How do dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin and seratonin factor in to your attitudes about money? On this week's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk to Gino Barbaro of the Jake & Gino Show to talk about your attitudes towards and relationship with money.  Gino is a published...

Do you get a tax refund every year?  Is that a good thing? If you're in financial distress, what can you do with your tax refund? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt podcast, Shawn & George talk about tax refunds, how tax refunds are treated in Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy, what to do so that your refund is less but your take-home pay is more, and other topics related to bankruptcy. For exam...

Do you want an extra hour each day for yourself? For your employees? Do you know the purpose of work meetings? Who spends more time working on priority activities? How is AI changing productivity? The three areas of life that people tend to focus on the most: (1) body image, (2) time management and (3) financial management. On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George spend...