Listen Money Matters - Free your inner financial badass. All the stuff you should know about personal finance.

You have no idea where all your money goes, huh? I’ve been there before. I know it’s frustrating when you can’t seem to get ahead. If you are in this boat, you probably don’t have a budget or at least one that is working for you. In order to start to making smart conscious decisions about your money, you’ll first need to get an idea of your overall financial health. Creating a budget will help you do just that. Remember, a budget is not a magic wand. It is a tool that will help guide you but it takes some commitment as well. Full Article HereShow NotesMint: The easy way to budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve all heard the cliché that if you’re renting, you’re wasting your money. But is that true? Is it better to rent or buy? Home ownership used to be a hallmark of the American dream achieved. It showed that you were an adult and that you had “made it.” But that is no longer the case for many young people. Lots of them have decided it’s better to rent than buy. Earlier this year, US homeownership rates fell to a 48 year low. For those under age 35, the rate of ownership is just 34.1%. That is about half the rate of overall homeownership in the US. Clearly, Millennials either didn’t get the memo outlining the American dream or they disagree for various reasons that renting means throwing your money away. Full Article HereShow Notes5 Year Adjustable Rate Mortgage:  This is the mortgage that Andrew is leaning towards.I Will Teach You To Be Rich: A great personal finance book.The Simple Dollar Book:   Long considered a PF classic.Betterment: The easy way to invest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every time we make a purchase, we have to decide between using a credit card, a debit card, or cash. They all have their pros and cons. Will there be a clear winner? Credit vs. debit vs. cash: the ultimate showdown. Those shiny credit card offers with their promises of free flights, and cash back can be seductive. We like our debit cards because they help keep spending under control. And some die-hards still like cash because it can make some purchases cheaper. What and when should you choose when it comes to credit vs. debit vs. cash?Full Article HereShow NotesMint: You should be using this FREE online software to track your expenses and setting up your budget.American Express Credit Card: This is the credit card that Andrew uses to get cash back bonuses.Discover Credit Card: This is the credit card that Matt uses to get cash back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saving money can be hard and sometimes it feels like you’ll never get ahead. But saving money doesn’t have to be hard. We will show you how to save money fast and automate it to make the process easier and less painful. Most of us want to save money fast, and we know how to do it. But there are ways to make saving money faster and easier. You can’t effectively save money fast without a budget. If you don’t know how much is going out each month, you don’t know where your spending leaks are. So if you want to know how to save money fast, setting up a budget is the first step.Full Article HereShow NotesZipCar:  Don't have a car? Don't want a car? Join this awesome car-sharing service.Groupon & Living Social: Group buying coupon site. Get random stuff for at least half off, like restaurants.Netflix & Hulu: Online movies and TV shows for just $8 a month each. Ditch cable and get one or both these packages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Listen, Money Matters.  We are a personal finance podcast for people who love beer and swearing as much as they love money! Andrew is the finance expert. He’s always been a guy predisposed to ranting about money. His parents taught him the value of a dollar as a little kid. He has managed to build up an impressive portfolio at 28 and plans to retire at 35. On the other side of New Jersey, Matt, his co-host, is not very good with money. In fact, as he puts it, “I flat out suck with money and make things harder than they have to be.” But since early 2013, with Andrew’s help, he has managed to get his finances in order. There is a lot of personal finance advice out there but none of it spoke to us.  It was either for old people or people who already had some financial savvy.  We wanted a show that would help everyone but would be geared toward issues facing those in their twenties and early thirties. We plan to talk about every facet of personal finance, including getting out of debt, how to save money, and how to make more of it. We also want to talk about ways you can improve your life and make it easier. Tools to help you automate your finances, tips to improve your productivity, great beers you should drink.  We want to take the intimidation factor out of investing.  It seems complicated and it can be, but it doesn’t have to be. We also want to take away the taboos around money.  So many people feel ashamed because they think they’re alone.  Whatever money problem you are facing, there are others out there facing the same. So welcome to the inaugural episode.  We hope you’ll enjoy what we do! Show Notes Mint: The easy way to budger. Betterment:  The smart way to invest.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices