The Goodbye July Podcast

Wondering what to do with your tax return? Learn how putting it to work — instead of spending it quickly — can quietly improve your long-term financial picture and create more flexibility over time. ***** Rate, Review, and Follow If you’ve been listening and something here has been helpful for you, I’d really appreciate you taking a minute to rate or review the show. It helps more people find it —...

Let's confront the looming specter of layoffs head-on. If your anxiety mounts when it comes to layoffs, fear not: we're unveiling 4 savvy strategies to navigate the turbulent waters of corporate restructuring. From setting measurable goals aligned with company objectives to keeping your manager smiling, we've got you covered. Plus, don't miss our bonus tip for securing financial peace of mind in t...

When a coworker betrayed me, I learned a valuable lesson. I was a fresh-faced, eager 21-year-old who had just relocated to a new city for work.  It was an exciting time, however, before long I started to see storm clouds that threatened to cast a shadow over my otherwise sunny outlook. It felt difficult to gain respect at work, especially with one man in particular. I remember him so clearly - thi...

Once a year, global management consulting company McKinsey releases its “Women in the Workplace" report about women in Corporate America. It's full of interesting data on how we’re stacking up when compared to our male counterparts, the struggles we face, and what the companies themselves can do to help. Whether it's learning what you're up against, which promotion will be the hardest, or how the...

Every February, I like to remind you (and myself!) that outside of the love you share with others is the very special and important kind of love you share with the *most* important person in your life... yourself. And, although self-love is important in more ways than I can say, I’d like to discuss a more practical reason self-love is important… Specifically, how self-love shows up in your BANK AC...

When I was in corporate, I placed a heavy focus on benefits when I was first considering a job, but then I'd get so busy doing the job I'd forget to use, optimize, or even just try to UNDERSTAND all the different benefits I had – especially the confusing acronym ones. Same for you? Well, it wasn’t until I used my benefits package to negotiate a raise *4x the national average* that I realized just...

I had the privilege of getting to know the CEO of one of the world’s largest real estate franchises and, in the ~2-year period that we all spent time together, I quietly observed him – it’s amazing what you can learn by simply watching someone who has skills you admire and would like to adopt. Much of what’s included in this episode comes from my observations of this man, whom I came to respect, a...

IMHO, one of the best things you can do to move leaps and bounds closer to a lower-stress life with more freedom is to consistently get pay increases… and invest all of them. If you’re already living comfortably and can work out a process for getting regular pay increases and investing all of them, you’ll be amazed at what becomes possible and the doors that open up for you financially. But first,...

Welcome back for Part 5 of our 5-Part Mini-Masterclass on Investing. In Part 1 you learned about 9-steps to get started investing, in Part 2 you heard 5 common mistakes most new investors make and what to do instead, in Part 3 you explored 5 types of investments and which might be best for you, and in Part 4 you saw various investment models ranging from $100 to $1M and everything in between. In t...

Welcome back for Part 4 of our 5-Part Mini-Masterclass on Investing. In Part 1 you learned about an A-Z 9-step roadmap to investing, in Part 2 you heard 5 little-known mistakes *most* new investors make and what to do instead, and in Part 3 you learned about 5 different asset classes. In this episode, I am excited to show you that you don’t have to have tens of thousands of dollars to invest every...

Welcome back for Part 3 of the 5-Part Mini-Masterclass on Investing! In Part 1 we discussed The Foolproof A-Z Investing Roadmap for Beginners and in Part 2 we covered 5 Little-Known Mistakes *Most* New Investors Make - so you have an overview of what to do and what to look out for. Today, we’re going one click deeper and digging into different TYPES of investments you can buy. Ready to ditch the g...

Welcome back for Part 2 of the 5-Part Mini-Masterclass on Investing! Ready to supercharge your money? This mini-masterclass is structured to help you learn about investing, remove doubt, and increase your confidence so you can get started making your money grow. While money can’t buy happiness, it CAN buy freedom… freedom of time, location, and choice. It can put you in total control of your life...

Welcome to Part 1 of the 5-Part Mini-Masterclass on Investing! I know you’re excited to grow your wealth and this mini-masterclass is structured to help you learn about investing, remove doubt, and increase your confidence so you can get started making your money grow. While money can’t buy happiness, it CAN buy your freedom… freedom of time, location, and choice. It can put you in total control o...

After a 9-day drive from Texas through Mexico and Guatemala with a trailer and 3 dogs in tow, our feet hit El Salvador soil and it’s been an adventure ever since. Moving abroad has always been one of my dreams. Experiencing a new culture, a different way of life, a new way of viewing the world… I always found the idea exhilarating. Now, having done it, it’s been nothing short of magical and, thoug...

You've seen it before: people talking about their "net worth" as a success metric. Heck, you've probably even seen me talking about my own net worth on my website! But what *is* net worth, and why does it matter? And, most importantly, how do you calculate YOURS? I'm spilling the details in this episode of The Goodbye July Podcast. I'll meet you inside! SHOWNOTES: jessicatolar.com/032 Rate, Review...

If "buy a home" is on your to-do list, more power to you! There’s nothing like having your own space in which to create a home - no feeling comes close. Having bought 3 homes, I’d say the hardest part (especially for your first home purchase) is saving for your down payment. From how much you can afford to save, where to keep your money, and how to make sure saving remains a priority, we're coveri...

Gut-check: is this you? Between gifts, celebrations, and travel, Americans spend upwards of $1K+ every holiday season. Crazy, right? Although it can be fun, we sometimes forget that when we spend money on the holidays, we’re giving up other things. Today, we’re talking about what those are… 5 specific opportunities you can use your holiday savings on next year. From making over 400x more money by...

Do you know those life-changing moments that happen in an instant but stay with you for the rest of your days? Maybe you didn't realize it at the time, but now you know for sure it was a defining moment in your story. In this episode, we're talking about one of those moments. Many years ago, I was working for my first employer out of college. I was enjoying the things you would expect: my first sa...

Picking stocks is simply knowledge you do not need to start investing with confidence... So if that doesn't interest you, that makes two of us! You can absolutely be successful at investing without this skill. There are, however, 3 things you do need to know to start investing in a way that feels good (especially if you don't want to pick your own stocks!). Join me in this episode as I break them...

Everything I needed to know from my college finance class came to me on the last day of school in the form of 2 very specific things my finance professor said. All semester we learned how to read company financial reports, pick “good” investments, and calculate return on investment, but the truth is: none of that matters as much as the 2 things he told us that last day of class. I was 20 years old...

A harm reduction advocate, substance use & recovery researcher, and musician, Jasmin Blue is a mental and community health professional obtaining her Master's Degree in Public Health. In this episode, Jasmin shares her thoughts on healthy living, 5+ practical strategies to support mental health and well-being, and 3 steps to help stop financial anxiety. I'm thrilled for you to meet Jasmin; she...

Cory and I spent my birthday reviewing old photos from when we first started dating. It made me feel hopeful for the girl I was in those photos and excited for the future that lay ahead. It also provided an opportunity to reflect on this past year specifically… and it’s been a wild one. From selling our first home to buying a house in El Salvador to prepping another house for rental to driving to...

After a health scare in her early twenties, Alyssa Dotson vowed to *truly* live her life... and she has. In the last 2 years alone, she moved abroad solo (twice), is learning to surf and skateboard, and got her financial sh*t together so she could calmly rebound from a layoff. I invite you to meet my client-turned-friend as we explore the emotional journey and mindset strategies she used to overco...

I’m just getting over a 2-month hibernation that came on as the result of burnout. For the last 2 months, the thought of work or being on my phone/computer in any way made me cringe. I couldn’t bring myself to do it, although, for the months leading up to this, work is ALL I wanted to do. And therein lies the problem. In the months leading up to my burnout, I was overdoing it. I used the excuse th...

The daily habit of taking the time to check in with yourself and ask these key questions is SO SIMPLE yet SO POWERFUL, but many of us aren't making the time to pause to prioritize investing some time in our needs and well-being (even for just 5 minutes). Over and over again, we prioritize the needs of others (our employers, managers, co-workers, etc.) and we're left with little to no time to give...