Meaning Over Money

Yes, it’s true that each of us experiences hundreds of expenses each month. Countless transactions, ranging from our most profound needs……all the way to the frivolous wants. However, not all transactions are created equal. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains the importance of locking in our big rocks. If we inject creativity and perspective into them, it can free the rest of our finan...

Have you ever trusted someone you thought was an “expert,” only to be burned by incompetence, misdeeds, or lack of performance? It’s more common that it should be, unfortunately. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses examples of how this regularly plays out in the financial world.  If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can f...

Every action causes a reaction. Each time we make a financial decision to add an expense, it requires a corresponding decision to decrease a different expense. When we look at our finances through that lens, it fundamentally changes how we approach our decisions. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explores this idea with examples from his coaching, as well as his family’s journey. If we appro...

When we’re working toward a big financial goal, sometimes we run out of steam. The journey gets long, we get tired, and we lose momentum. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why pushing pause to give yourself a reset can be just what the doctor ordered. If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:  Podcast website: ⁠⁠...

Do you ever hear the crazy stories about how someone did something crazy, and it massively paid off? A wild investment idea. A trip to the casino. A funky-sounding business plan. Ideas that, on the surface, seem risky at best, and insane at worst. However, you continually hear success stories about them. It’s disorienting. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses survivorship bias and why...

Have you ever used a known and real need to justify doing something grander that you already wanted? If you’re a human, you probably have. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton talks about this phenomenon through the lens of one of his coaching clients. It’s ok to buy wants, but when we use needs (the crack) to justify our wants (the foot), we oftentimes end up kicking in the door. Be careful, t...

We live in a culture obsessed with financial inheritances. People want to get them, and people want to leave them. Here at Meaning Over Money, we don’t actually believe in inheritances. Well, not financial ones, anyway. In today’s episode, we discuss inheritances, legacy, and something far richer than money. After listening to this episode, we hope that you might view this topic differently (or at...

This finance stuff can be tricky….and time-consuming. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance and power of automation. He also details out the various ways which we should consider automating our finances. Spend less time on your money, and more time living a life of meaning! If you have questions or would like to connect with us ou...

60% of Americans have some form of a variable income. Whether it’s an hourly wage, commission, or some other form of unpredictability, most Americans live with the reality of income volatility. Let’s be honest: that can be hard to deal with! In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton shares a few ideas to gain control of something that’s seemingly uncontrollable. This can be a huge game-changer for m...

Today’s episode is different, for a reason. Meaning Over Money co-founder and podcast producer Cole Netten joins host Travis Shelton to discuss life. It’s an inside look at the types of conversations and considerations millions of families are having at this very moment. Through social media and the typical masks we wear, we’re led to believe that everyone else is always doing better than us. In t...

Did you know that the stock market recently got crushed? Of course you did!!! That’s all people talked about for a solid few weeks. Did you also know that the stock market immediately bounced back and is again sitting near and all-time high? Probably not. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance of getting full context in a world of half-truths. Doing so is imperative for o...

If you’re human, there’s a high likelihood that you’ve experienced pain and suffering in your life. Debbie Downer intro, but it’s true! While we can’t undo the pain each of us has experienced, what if we could harness that pain and use it for good? That’s the call (and opportunity) we each have. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton shares examples of Tyler Joseph (Twenty One Pilots) and Joni Ea...

There’s a problem with “normal”: It only exists in our imagination. Inevitably, reality will play out much differently than whatever scenario we plan in our head. However, we often structure our finances as if everything will be normal. The end result is a gap between our plan and the life that’s hitting us in the face. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the importance of planning f...

Have you ever considered the fact none of us ever have a truly original idea? It’s true. Everything we do and every idea we have is born from another idea. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton takes a moment to process this idea that everything can be attributed to someone or something else. When we learn and grow, we get better and produce better ideas. Those ideas, in turn, will help other pe...

Can we all agree that we’re entering (or already in) weird times? Unemployment is going up, inflated prices continue to rock families, interest rates are up, and political unrest is escalating. Bad news: we can’t control any of that. Good news: there is something we can control! In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton makes the argument that we need to make building cash a near-term priority. Whet...

In the second episode recorded at the end of a dock, host Travis Shelton talks generosity. More specifically, the kind of generosity that happens when we quit dwelling on what we don’t have, and instead focus on what we do have. Generosity comes in many forms, and many times, the non-monetary forms are the sweetest and most impactful. We hope today’s episode inspires your generosity in new and ama...

Sinking funds are awesome, but none are more enjoyable than the travel sinking fund. During a recent family vacation, host Travis Shelton spent some time on the mobile mic to discuss how families can simply and effectively execute the travel sinking fund to add a ton of value to their lives. It’s not rocket science, but it is a game-changer. Enjoy! If you have questions or would like to connect wi...

We love small businesses. In fact, we own and run a few small businesses of our own. We believe small businesses are the lifeblood our our economy. With that context, we ask that you listen to today’s episode with an open mind. Host Travis Shelton explains how small business owners are inadvertently sabotaging themselves when they advocate for “support small” and “support local.” There is a better...

Yes, we need to be financially responsible. Yes, we need to make wise decisions. However, not everything needs to be about money. When we boil everything down to a financial decision, we sell ourselves short. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton goes on a rant about this topic, pulling in various stories from his coaching. This one hits hard, and we hope it fires you up like it did for us! If y...

There’s nothing more enjoyable than listening to the various finance experts in our lives spouting off about hot stock tips, market timing theories, and the most recent get-rich-quick ideas. In contrast, investing done well is shockingly boring. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton shares the story of a client who endured the mocking words of all the finance bros in her life, only to crush her...

One of the biggest questions we receive from listeners is how to teach kids how to handle money. Not teach them how to simply hoard money and make them feel guilty for spending, but to build healthy and balanced perspectives/habits that will enable them to grow into healthy and balanced adults. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton shares the basic principles, and shares how to walk alongside yo...

Nobody’s life changes as quickly and as extreme as young adults. People in their 20s will experience a lifetime worth of major life changes in less than a decade. At the same time, they are being encouraged, guilted, and pressured into making significant financial decisions. Buy a house. Get a new car. Go deeply into debt. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton explains why this advice (and the d...

“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” We hate that quote! It corrupts the idea of meaningful work and cons us into believing that our work shouldn’t actually feel like work. Truth is, even meaningful work feels like work. Rewarding, fulfilling, life-giving work…..but still work. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton hashes through this idea to portray a different pictu...

In the finance world, everyone talks about the principle of compounding. You know, the concept where your money grows this year, then a bit more next year, and even more the year after that. Whenever we talk about compounding, it seems like this far-off-in-the-distance idea. Our reality doesn’t ever seem to reflect this pie-in-the-sky aspiration…..it seems so slow! In today’s episode, host Travis...

There’s one universal truth that becomes more apparent as life goes on: there’s more in us. Whatever we think we can do, there’s more. Whatever we think our ceiling is, it’s higher. There’s more in us, and there’s more in you. In today’s episode, host Travis Shelton shares some recent and relevant stories portraying this idea. Once we understand this concept (and actually believe it’s true), that’...