Frugal Friends Podcast

Paying off debt is hard enough, not to mention when you live in an expensive area! Reaching financial goals can feel insurmountable when living expenses are astronomical which is why we're excited to hear from Emma on today's episode talking about how she paid off $46,000 of student loans while living in CA. Sponsors:  As if it wasn’t hard enough to source our own sponsors, now the world has falle...

Once we've sorted through our closets, toy bins, junk drawers, and garages and sold or donated what is not needed; and after we've learned to be content with less stuff and make room for what we want from life - what comes next? How do we maintain what we've worked so hard to achieve? Today we talk about how to continually be aimed at minimalism and some of the lifestyle shifts and changes that wi...

We all have to put our money somewhere, but how do we decide the best banking solutions? On this episode we explore whether an online bank is right for you, if credit unions live up to all the hype, and if you do choose multiple accounts how you should organize your money in them. We'll also go through our recommendations for the best banks with no or low fees! Sponsors:  is a mobile bank with an...

Paying off debt is a daunting task no matter what stage of life, however the older we get the more insurmountable it can feel! For this reason we are thrilled to have Bobbi Olsen on the show to share her story of beginning her debt-payoff journey in her 40's and all that she learned along the way! It's never too late (or too early!) to pay off debt! Sponsors:  is a mobile bank with an awesome user...

It's our most popular episode and we're digging it up out of the archives! Check it out to see where we started 2 years and get back to the basics! Sponsors: A mobile bank with an awesome user interface, no overdraft fees and no minimum balance requirements. If you’re looking for another bank account to hold your emergency fund or something big you’re saving for, try Current because we’re giving $...

During difficult financial times it can be tough to make ends meet, and while finding ways to earn extra income is great, this is not always feasible! On today's episode we tackle how to cover our expenses without pushing ourselves to get another side hustle! Sponsors:  Current: A mobile bank with an awesome user interface, no overdraft fees and no minimum balance requirements. If you’re looking f...

It's our most listener requested episode AND our 2 year podcast celebration! You all asked the questions, and Travis and Eric answered! It's certainly not 'content heavy' but it is fun! Sponsors:  An awesome mobile app jam packed with features that make managing your money easier. With a high-yield checking account offering 1.6% APY, and direct access to their financial coaches; Empower is an obvi...

Decreasing our consumption, decreases our spending, which increases our savings AND creates sustainable practices! Sounds good right?! But how do we do this practically...and frugally?? On this episode we explore attainable ways to decrease our waste in an effort to live more frugally and steward our resources well.  Sponsors:  An awesome mobile app jam packed with features that make managing your...

How do we respond when money is tight or when we reach a point of financial crisis? This can bring feelings of anxiety and overwhelm to any person especially when it seems we don't have enough to cover the essentials. On this episode we hope to reduce the panic financial upheaval can bring and discuss some tangible ways to care for ourselves and our budgets when things aren't going 'according to p...

Where does all our money go? It can often seem like we've cut back on spending but somehow we're not 'crushin it' like we thought we would! We quickly learn that our budget's don't work well on autopilot. Thankfully we have Alyssa from Mixed Up Money to share with us some tips on how to increase our level of intentionality with our finances so we can see the results we want! Sponsors:  An awesome...

How do we keep up motivation and effort with the ebbs and flows of our financial journey? Once we know how to budget, cut spending, pay down debt, and increase savings the challenge can become how to maintain these practices over years! On this episode we're talking all about tips for motivation + focus to keep us working towards our goals and maybe even have some fun along the way! Click here for...

There's a lot of uncertainty right now and depending on where we live some of us are feeling this burden more than others. We are not doctors, policy makers, or financial planners, but we are encouragers and we recognize our current situation is leading to profound financial impact for many. So what can we do? In our current climate how do we harness the most of our time and energy and take the be...

How do we know how much is enough? What are our measuring tools for knowing this? Today we explore the topics of contentment, gratitude, and minimalism as a means to embracing frugality and being kind to our finances. Listen in as we explore why these principles are foundational to our frugal journey. Click here for full show notes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy...

Saving money and spending less is an ongoing journey and can have additional difficulties when this is paired with raising young kids! We know everyone's financial story is different but we also know that it is not uncommon to have children before accomplishing major financial goals. For this reason (and many more) we are thrilled to have Caroline Vencil to share some encouragement and tangible ti...

Sometimes spending money is a whole lot easier than saving money! Spending money often gives us what we want in the moment, but it can derail us from our financial goals or debt payoff plans. Today we're talking about strategies to move from spending to saving so that we can get the most out of budgets! 🎙️ https://bit.ly/3Hgf7OE 📑 https://www.frugalfriendspodcast.com/ebook 📣 https://www.frugalfr...

Insurance; it's not everyone's favorite topic to talk about, but it is an important one! We'll keep it short and sweet for you, reviewing which insurances you can skip, and which ones are the 'must-haves'. Click here for full show notes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do...

Debt can feel insurmountable and even debilitating at times, especially if our debt reaches the 6-figure mark. This is exactly where Kate from 'Living that Debt Free Life' was at prior to tackling $105K of student loan debt and she's got some great insights and tips in her story to help the rest of us on our debt payoff journey. Regardless of the reasons we find ourselves in debt we hope Kate's st...

It's never too early to start saving for retirement, but with all the weird acronyms and other necessities vying for our money it is easy to push this off to the 'someday' category. On this episode we're breaking down more of those barriers to saving and making retirement feel a bit more attainable! Click here for full show notes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Po...

In our fast-paced, busy lifestyles it can be difficult to find time for rest and enjoyment. And beyond that, the things we often turn to for 'self care' are expensive and not always effective. We're excited to spread the message today that self care does not need to break our budgets AND it's about so much more than bubble baths and massages (although they're nice :)) Click here for full show note...

Reigning in our food and grocery bills can be one of the most challenging things to our budgets! We often talk about cooking at home and being savvy with the items we purchase, but what about controlling our food waste? It's staggering how much food ends up in the trash and thereby how much money is wasted, which is why we are pumped to be talking with Debt Kickin' Mom about how to get a handle on...

Have you ever wanted to achieve something, financially or otherwise, but struggled to actually make it happen? You're not alone! It's one thing to desire something, but a whole other animal to take the steps towards accomplishing it! Goal setting is a popular idea this time of year, but let's chat about how we can actually MAKE IT HAPPEN in 2020! Click here for full show notes! See omnystudio.com/...

Out of the biggest expenses we incur, transportation falls in the top 4! So if we are looking to cut spending and save we've got to look at this category! On this episode we talk about the ways we can limit our transportation costs and commute frugally. Click here for full show notes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californi...

Combating the desire for material possessions is crucial in our 'debt-payoff and other financial goals' journey! And it's this desire for 'stuff' that is really at the heart of impulse spending and can be such a barrier to seeing real shifts in our budgets. So today we've invited Desirae Endres from the Minimalish podcast and blog to share her personal story of scaling back on possessions and the...

Budgeting is foundational to this frugal lifestyle, and can be a hard enough muscle to build with a predictable income, but how do we approach this task if our income is irregular? While there are a few more barriers to budgeting when we don't know exactly how much we are making, there are still ways to get the bills paid, and save! Click here for full show notes! See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Talking about finances can feel just as taboo as talking about politics with co-workers; but what if it didn't have to be this way? Today we're chatting about the conversations we all should be having with our friends, family, and partners about money. Listen in, then tell us how you approach your important conversations! Click here for full show notes! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...