Listeners of the podcast share their impressive financial wins, including negotiating hospital bills, buying new homes, and launching new businesses. The hosts discuss transitioning from frugality to balanced spending and the importance of building a supportive community for financial success. They also highlight the benefits of asking for discounts and share success stories of reducing medical bills. The chapter ends with the hosts reading emails from listeners expressing gratitude for the podcast and sharing their own money wins.
Negotiating medical bills can lead to significant savings.
Starting a side business can provide additional income and financial stability.
Renovating a house can save money and increase its value.
Using budgeting tools and educating oneself about personal finances can lead to financial success.
Deep dives
Reduced Hospital Bill
Raphael had a medical bill of $700 for his son's minor hospital visit. After a quick phone call, he was able to negotiate it down to $200, saving $500.
Started Successful Painting Business
Brendan's wife started her own painting business, first on Instagram and then purchasing a domain. She now takes commissions from across the nation and has her paintings posted on her website.
Renovated Fixer-Upper Home
Cody bought a beat-up 1960s split-level house and put in a lot of effort to restore it. He renovated the kitchen, restored hardwood floors, and made various repairs with the help of friends. The house is now livable and he saved a significant amount of money in the process.
Saved Money on Cell Phone Bill and Mortgage
Alexis signed up for a Wells Fargo active cash card that provides cell phone insurance for free, saving money on the insurance for her 13-year-old's smartphone. She also decided to put $300 monthly into her HSA instead of paying extra towards her 2.85% mortgage rate. These actions will help her save and invest more effectively.
Joined Buy Nothing Group and Started Shopping at Aldi
Alexis joined a Buy Nothing group to cut down on costs by receiving and giving away items within the community. She also started shopping at Aldi, a budget-friendly grocery store, which will significantly reduce her grocery budget.
Overcame Financial Challenges after Car Accident
Paula and her husband faced financial challenges after her husband got into a car accident and lost his job. Despite a major loss of income, they had a bare bones budget to rely on and were able to prioritize what truly mattered. They have now changed industries, adjusted their budget, and received a settlement check, which they have already planned for to ensure their financial stability and address deferred maintenance.
Listeners share their financial wins
In this podcast episode, several listeners share their financial wins and successes. These include negotiating a raise and promotion, paying off credit card debt, maxing out a Roth IRA, switching to a more affordable mobile phone provider, and successfully budgeting and saving money. The listeners discuss the strategies they used to achieve these wins, such as advocating for themselves, using budgeting apps, finding the right tools for their financial needs, and making smart choices when it comes to expenses. Overall, the episode highlights the power of taking action, being proactive, and making positive changes in personal finances.
The importance of financial education
The podcast episode also emphasizes the role of financial education in achieving financial success. Several listeners mentioned how listening to financial podcasts, reading personal finance books, and using budgeting tools have been game-changers for them. The episode encourages listeners to seek out resources that work best for them, as everyone's financial journey is unique. It also highlights the importance of understanding personal finances and making informed decisions to reach financial goals.
For a year that could be dominated by headlines of derailed trains, wildfires, and global conflicts, we think it’s important to focus on some of the good things that happened this year – and we’re not just talking about The Eras Tour! Not only do we share our financial wins from this year, but a massive number of How To Money listeners have been able to make significant strides with their own money. We love creating this episode, hearing what y’all have been able to accomplish, and sharing it with your fellow listeners. We hope that it’s as inspiring and motivating to y’all as it is to us! Listeners were able to do everything from negotiating hospital bills, to pivoting careers in order to drop commutes, to maxing out IRAs, to buying new homes, to launching new businesses… we could go on. Hopefully we can all learn something from each other today and we’re also hoping that this episode might be the spark for some epic 2024 money wins.
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Knowing your ‘money gear’ is a crucial part of your personal finance journey. Start here.
Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Find the best credit card for you with our new credit card tool!
Massively reduce your cell phone bill each month by switching to a discount provider like Mint Mobile.
During this episode we enjoyed a Chronic Happiness by Frog Rock Brewery- a big thanks to Joe for sending this one our way! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
