Meaning Over Money

The stock market just hit a new all-time high. Well, 31 new all-time highs just this year alone! It’s the million-dollar question we keep hearing. “Should I sell?” In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton answers this question as clearly, concisely, and emphatically as possible. If you take this advice, we strongly believe you’ll thank yourself later! If you have questions or would like to connect...

We call it keeping up with the Joneses. The constant pursuit to materialistically keep up with our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses this topic and why he calls it The Arms Race of Materialism. A lot of people are about to get burned, but we each get to make our own choices. While we can’t stop the cultural pull toward more, we can lay ou...

Do you ever feel like you have more financial obligations than you do income? Whew, glad we aren’t the only ones! In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton shares some insights on how we can navigate these types of situations without losing our heads (or our control). It’s not easy, but there is a way to step through a process to ensure your priorities are honored and your goals are achieved.  If yo...

Life is wild. We can live years, or even decades, before discovering a new passion or skill. Sometimes, these newfound skills and passions can change everything! We call them unearthed gems. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses this concept through the lens of one of his sons. In the pursuit of a meaningful life, these little unearthed gems can be ever so valuable.  If you have questi...

Do you drive a used car and sometimes feel like all you’re doing is pouring in money to fix it? In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton addresses the narrative that it’s better to buy newer and more reliable cars in order to save money on maintenance costs. In that argument is a gross oversight of the bigger picture. Through a specific example, Travis explains why although used cars may cost more...

We humans have a habit of making bad decisions in the name of making good decisions. In our defense, though, these decisions actually seem good…..in a vacuum. However, we don’t live in a vacuum. Often, if we were to take a step back and think about the bigger picture, we would likely make different decisions. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance of taking a broader pers...

Does life ever get overwhelming and your finances fall behind as a result. Whew, we’re glad we aren’t the only ones. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton walks through a simple but effective way to get caught up if/when we get behind in tracking our finances. We can either let it overcome us and quit, or we can take the one-at-a-time approach and step through the mess.  If you have questions or...

Simplify, simplify, simplify. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance of making handling our finances easier, simpler, and repeatable. It’s not about perfection, but progress.  If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:  Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.travisshelton.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Do you have any old 401(k) or 403(b) accounts sitting around after leaving a job? We thought so! In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains the steps to simply and efficiently consolidate your old accounts into a place that's easy to manage. The decision and process may seem overwhelming, but hopefully, we can demystify it for you.  If you have questions or would like to connect with us...

Our culture has a lot of opinions. The right time to buy a house. The right time to get into the stock market. The perfect time to buy a car. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone apparently knows what the future will hold. Whether it’s interest rates, house prices, or any number of uncertain variables, everyone seems to know the perfect timing. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why...

For many people who have some level of control over their finances, their best advice to people is to “just do better.” Just spend less. Just save more. Just quit being stupid. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. If it was, far less people would be struggling. Instead, people face numerous roadblocks when it comes to getting right with their money. Instead of guilting them or simply telling them...

Do you have any areas of your life that you continually whiff on? Yeah, us, too! One of the primary roadblocks that holds us back from living the life we deserve is excuses. In today’s unedited and raw episode, host Travis Shelton explains why excuses are the ultimate dream killer….and how to combat them.  Episodes referenced in today’s episode: 081 - The Power of Not Having Excuses: https://pod.f...

Do you have job security? Most people believe they have job security….until the day they don’t. We believe this narrative around job security is hurting people in several ways. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains the various risks we subject ourselves to when we (falsely) believe we have job security. Here’s a question to ponder: If you don’t actually have job security, would you stil...

It seems like everyone has a sexy product to sell. Become a millionaire in 24 months! Increase your income by $10,000/month! Create passive income so you can sit on a beach! Sexy, sexy, and sexy. On the other hand, it’s funny how unsexy our meaning over money ideas are. “It’s not about getting rich.” “We shouldn’t glorify retirement.” “Work is just as important as fun.” To be frank, these messages...

Why do 7 out of 10 Americans dislike or hate their jobs? In a country as free as ours, and with technology that allows for infinite possibilities, it’s hard to believe this is where we are. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why he thinks the seeds of workplace discontent are planted when we are children. Then, every step of our journey is curated to show us that work is supposed to...

One common narrative around the topic of investing is the idea we shouldn’t buy when the market is at or near an all-time high. Instead, we should be patient and wait for the market to crash…..you know, “buy low, sell high.” In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why this is a short-sighted and costly mistake for most people. You might be shocked by just how often the stock market hits n...

We talk a lot about the idea of sinking funds, or as we like to call it, smoothing out the lumpy stuff. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton walks through the steps for a simple and effective execution. Enjoy! If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us: Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.travisshelton.com/podcast⁠...

It’s quite common for us to think about the risk of making this decision or that decision. We (hopefully) objectively look at the choices before us, and assess the risk and rewards of each. However, we don’t often think about the risk of NOT doing something. Let's call it the risk of not taking risk. In many situations, we would argue, the risk of not taking risk is far greater than the risk w...

Warning: This episode may offend personal finance traditionalists. There’s a shadow side to being completely locked in and focused on our goals. Sure, that focus allows us to crush our goals and make ridiculous progress. That’s amazing! However, it can also lead to burnout if we’re not careful. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses a weird and counter-cultural challenge he issued to on...

Have you ever noticed that sports coaches never talk about their desire to quit working? They don’t say things like, “Only 5 more years until I can retire,” or “I can’t wait to finally hang it up.” Instead, they talk about their desire to coach as long as they are able. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses this unique dynamic, and why we all could learn a thing or two from the coaches...

When the idea of pursuing meaning over money is discussed, many people equate meaning to lack of money. We treat the decision as if we’re pursuing meaning OR money. However, that’s not how it works. Pursuing meaning is just that, pursuing meaning….and where that leads is a mystery to be unearthed. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses how the road to meaning is typically far better tha...

Have you ever tried to help a loved one by telling them about a better way? Yeah, it doesn’t work very well, does it? In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why our words often don’t make the impact we desire…..and in many cases, can have a negative effect. Instead of telling people what to do, we should simply show them through our own actions. When we live these meaning over money prin...

What’s fascinating about human behavior is that our bar and definition of “boujee” varies wildly. What one person might consider boujee, another considers a “need.” Is one right? Is one wrong? The answer to that question doesn’t really matter. What matters is how these vastly differing opinions are twisting people up and causing them to make decisions that don’t align with their interests and valu...

Can we be honest? Delayed gratification sucks! When we want something, we want it NOW! We also live in a culture (with easy debt at our fingertips) that encourages us to just do it. It’s easy! It’s simple. It will make us “happy.” However, that doesn’t make it wise (or healthy). In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the beauty of delayed gratification through the lens of his dream car...

When we’re young, most of our financial fate rests in the hands of our future selves. We must invest, make good decisions, and invest some more. Then, one day in the very distant future, we’ll be in a solid financial position. As we age, however, future us has less time to make things happen. For this reason, it’s critically important that current us makes wise and proactive choices. When we do, w...