Pre-Marriage Conversations about $, Packs of Wedding Rings on Amazon and Convo with Swell Advisors

Thankfulness in 2020 and Money Memories

Today Dan, Drew, and Jessica are joined by Ilona from the podcast, Money Memories. In the first half of the episode, Dan, Drew, and Jessica talk about their Thanksgiving celebrations for 2020 and how thankfulness affects finances. In the second half of the episode, Dan and Drew talk with Ilona from The Bear and the Bull blog and the Money Memories podcast. They talk about everything from travel memories and Ilona’s earliest money memory to capitalism, marginalism, and racism in financial institutions.

Ilona has worked in finance on Wall Street and Silicon Valley. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated with her parents to the United States at the age of 5, and grew up in Louisville, KY. She is fluent in Spanish, Russian, and German, and as an avid world traveler – her current tally for countries visited stands at over 60.

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at [email protected].

Talking Points:

• Thanksgiving
  • Turkey versus Chicken
  • Dan’s special Jell-O and Drew’s spinach madeline
  • COVID Thanksgiving plans
• The effect of gratitude on people’s spending behaviors
  • Having a sense of gratitude for your life
• Things to be thankful for in 2020
  • Back to the basics
  • We survived this very long year
  • Being an introvert during the pandemic
  • Different household dynamics
• Ilona and Money Memories
  • The history behind The Bear and The Bull & Money Memories
  • Travel and money
  • Most memorable guest stories
  • Ilona’s earliest money memory
  • Educating and helping first generation in personal finance
  • Capitalism and marginalism
  • Systemic racism in lending practices
  • Ilona’s favorites:
    • Advice for personal finance
    • Articles and series she has written for Forbes
    • Money Memories, NPR, and Ilona’s white whale
  • Ilona plays “Why’d You Buy It”

Resources/Links:

Website: The Bear and the Bull

Podcast: Money Memories

Instagram: @bear.andbull

Instagram: @money_memories

Twitter: @bearandbull1

Money Memories Episode: “Demystifying the Unicorn” with BuBu

The Steele Maiden Blog

Weekly Budgeting App

Singles Day and Values-based spending with the Money Script

On today’s episode Dan, Drew, and Jessica are joined by Yohance Harrison from Money Script Wealth. Yohance began his financial services career over twenty years ago and now finds himself living his passion as the founder and CEO of Money Script Wealth Management, PLLC. Today he’s here to talk to us about behavioral financial planning as well as his goal of increasing financial awareness, intelligence, and literacy in the black, brown, and indigeonous communities. He also plays Why’d You Buy that, and gives us one of the healthiest responses we’ve heard yet. 

We also go over what Singles Day is and compare the differences in online shopping services as well as digital flash sales. Are these examples of how digital marketing and sales will go in the future? What are the odds that we’ll see a house for sale on Amazon soon?

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at [email protected]. 

Talking Points:

• “Shopping” Holidays
• The history of Singles Day (November 11th)
• Alibaba (the Chinese equivalent of Amazon)
• Streamed live events
• Singles Day versus Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Prime Day, and... Pi Day
• Yohance Harrison from Money Script Wealth
• What is behavioral financial planning?
• Yohance’s background and journey to being an independent
• Strategies for how to change your financial habits
• Steps and plans he makes with his clients
• Working with couples with different values
• Our views and first impressions of money
• What is a “money script?”
• Increasing financial awareness, intelligence, and literacy in minorities
• The role of money in the Black Lives Matter movement
• The Money Script podcast
• Why’d You Buy That:

Resources/Links:

Money Script Wealth

Instagram: @themoneyscript

Twitter: @themoneyscript

Doom-Scrolling, Cereal in Bulk and Shoes of NY with Lexi Cross

On this episode Dan, Drew, and Jess are joined by Lexi Cross, the cofounder of ShoesOf, a website dedicated to footwear, fashion, and the stories behind the shoes of New York. In the first section of today’s podcast, Dan, Drew, and Jess discuss "doom-scrolling" and social media as it affects the youth of America as well as our spending habits. In the second portion of the episode, they're joined by Lexi Cross to talk about how she founded Shoes Of, her favorite street style moments and the issue of sustainability in the fashion industry. Then Dan, Drew, and Jessica close out the episode with a round of Why’d You Buy That. This week’s purchases include a breakfast essential as well as two forms of fall fun.

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at [email protected].

Talking Points:

• Doom-scrolling and social media
• Dan, Jess, and Drew’s thoughts on The Social Dilemma
• Purchasing phones for middle school age kids
• The purpose of apps and what they want of you
• The responsibility that come with smartphones, social media, and plastic
• Advertising and being targeted by ads
• Cancel Culture

Lexi Cross of ShoesOf

• Stories and anecdotes since Lexi started ShoesOf
• Plastic, sustainability and fast fashion
• The Desert Island Question

Why’d You Buy That?

• Dan’s serial cereal habits
• Jess' fall foliage foray
• Drew’s price-gouged gourds

Resources/Links:

The Steele Maiden Blog

Shoesof.com

Weekly Budgeting App

Pet Costumes, Haunted Home Depot + Emotional Spending with Financial Therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin

In this episode Dan and Drew are joined by friend of the podcast Jessica Steele, and financial therapist and coach, Lindsay Bryan-Podvin from the Mind Money Balance. In the first half of the episode, Dan, Drew, and Jessica talk about the upcoming Halloween season, the spooky trends they've been seeing and altered plans due to COVID.

In the second half of the episode, Dan and Drew talk with Lindsay about what it means to be on a budget and the psychology behind personal finance. What has the lack of financial literacy done to our mindset? What are our emotions which we correlate to our finances? How can we change all of that?

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at [email protected]. 

Talking Points:

• Halloween Season
• • DIY costumes and personal Halloween practices
  • Kicking off the holiday season
  • How much does the average consumer spends on Halloween
  • Halloween purchases
  • Top Pet Costumes
  • How Coronavirus has changed Halloween plans
• Lindsay Bryan-Podvin from Mind Money Balance
• • What is financial therapy?
  • What does “Monday is emotional and psychology” mean?
  • What is “money mindset”?
  • • Abundance versus scarcity mindsets
    • History, data, and your emotional viewpoint on money
  • Typical money neurosis and problems with money
  • What role does shame play in our financial lives?
  • Tips for the emotions that come up when you have to make big financial decisions
  • Financial literacy
  • The psychological reasons why people fail to stick to a budget
  • The Financial Anxiety Solution which highlights that there are different ways to follow a budget
• Why’d You Buy That: hygge at its finest
• • Hygge - the feeling of coziness on a dark, cold day

Resources/Links:

The Steele Maiden Blog

WeCroak

Mind Money Balance Website

Mind Money Balance Instagram

Mind Money Balance Podcast

Mind Money Balance YouTube

Mind Money Balance Email: [email protected]

The Financial Anxiety Solution: A Step-by-Step Workbook to Stop Worrying about Money, Take Control of Your Finances, and Live a Happier Life, by Lindsay Bryan-Podvin

Weekly Budgeting App

Netflix (and other charges), the Runway Chef and a Tribute to RBG

In this episode Dan and Drew are joined by friend of the podcast Jessica Steele, and lifestyle blogger Alyssa Ponticello.

In the first half of the program Dan, Drew, and Jess talk about the subscription economy. It seems like you can buy a subscription (or a subscription box) for absolutely anything these days. They also play a fun “Guess this streaming service” quiz. For the second half of the show, Dan and Drew are joined by Alyssa Ponticello from the blog, Runway Chef. Her expertise focuses on life’s luxuries on a budget. From luxuries to bargains, Alyssa talks about bargain hunting. Dan, Drew, and Jessica end the episode by talking about the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and her contributions to financial equity.

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at [email protected].

Talking Points:

• Blockbuster vs Netflix, and subscription services
• • Software subscription services
  • • Adobe subscription
  • Subscription boxes and “ship-to-your-home” models
  • • Food-based subscription services: Blue Apron
    • Fashion subscription service: Nuuly, Trunk Club
  • Entertainment subscription services
  • • Movie, music, and other digital streaming services
    • Book subscription services
  • Family and household subscription services
  • • Amazon Subscribe and Save, 
    • Dollar Shave Club, 
    • Farmer’s market boxes
    • Printer Ink subscriptions
  • Decision fatigue
  • Budgeting apps are now helping people manage subscriptions
  • Movie subscription quiz
• Alyssa’s financial philosophies and what fuels her blog
• • When to spend money on big purchases and when to go for the sale prices
  • Her favorite luxury purchases
  • Alyssa’s hierarchy of bags and prices
  • • Counterfeit versus authentic bags
  • Cooking experiences and cooking on a budget
  • • Developing recipes
    • Challenges for creatives
    • Food subscriptions
  • The art of being a social media influencer and blogger
  • • When you know you’re onto something
    • The oversaturation of social media influencers 
  • Best bargain resources
  • • Facebook Marketplace
• The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg
• • Looking back on some of RBG’s greatest achievements for financial equity in America 

Resources/Links:

The Steele Maiden Blog

The Runway Chef Blog

Twitter: @runwaychef

Instagram: