Episode 188 - How Do You Afford to Live?
Welcome to episode #188 of the Debt-Free Dad Podcast. Let's talk about the big question – how do you manage to afford this crazy thing called life nowadays? The cost of living is up on everything from bills and groceries to fun stuff like travel and hobbies, How do you make it all work, or can you even make it all work? We're going to talk about it on today's show!
What You'll Learn
- As life has gotten more expensive, is it even possible to keep up? Listen to our take.
- Listen as we react to social media posts describing how impossible it is to live beyond just the basics.
- Can the typical American live a stress-free financial life? Can they get what they want and still be able to save? Listen to our thoughts as we all live debt-free and have helped thousands of others do it.
Resources Mentioned
- Brad's Totally Awesome Debt Freedom Planner
- For more help, and a step-by-step process to get started, enroll in Brad's FREE online course, LIFE WITHOUT PAYMENTS.
Free Tools and Downloads at www.therealdebtfreedad.com
Connect With Brad
- Website - https://www.therealdebtfreedad.com
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/therealdebtfreedad/
- Private Facebook Group - http://www.facebook.com/lifewithoutpayments
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brad_nelson_debt_free_dad/
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@debt_free_dad
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtbAadBrWLL81CZbA6sI5pg
Thanks For Listening
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Episode Transcript:
Brad:
Hey everybody, welcome to episode number 188 of the Debt Free Dad. So let's talk about this big question that's been going around how do you manage to afford this crazy thing called Life? Nowadays, with the cost of living going up on just about everything from bills and groceries to fun stuff like travel and hobbies, how do you make it all work? Or, I guess maybe the better question that we're gonna talk about on today's show is can we make it all work? Can normal people make this stuff all work? We're gonna discuss this question on today's episode. Stay tuned.
Intro/Outro:
You're listening to the with Brad Nelson. Brad and his co-hosts experienced the anxiety of living paycheck to paycheck before learning the fundamentals of financial security. They are now on a mission to empower regular people to pay off their debt for good and enjoy happier, less stressful lives. Keep listening for inspirational interviews, tips, tricks and practical advice to gain financial freedom.
Brad:
Hey, hey, hey, how's everyone doing today? You can find us on Facebook, tiktok, YouTube and Instagram. Just search Brad Nelson, and, as always, welcome to today's show. Remember to get all the resources, show notes and links for today's show. You can head over to thedebtfreedadpodcast. com and check out episode number 188. Again, that's and check out episode number 188. So, guys, we're gonna do something a little bit different on this episode. We've done some reaction episodes quite a while ago, last year, last season. Yeah, those are fun, yeah, they are. And today we've got a collection of some TikTok videos and I thought it would be just a good episode just to have this conversation, because I've been seeing just this, and maybe it's my algorithm, maybe it's because of what we do here at Debt Free Dad and some of the topics and stuff that we're posting, but I don't know. Maybe you guys can talk about this too. Have you guys been seeing some of these videos? But of people asking or, I guess, maybe bringing this topic up of I'm just at my wit's end, like how can I make this stuff work? I'm living paycheck to paycheck. It doesn't seem, no matter how much I'm working, nothing. I can't ever seem to get ahead. Things are going up in cost and people are just kind of fed up and I've been seeing this theme coming out. I don't know. Did you guys see what was the Anthony? It was an Anthony Oliver, the guy singing his bluegrass music. Have you guys seen that TikTok video? It like blew up. He's number one in iTunes charts right now number one and he's a normal guy and he came out with this song.
Amber:
Chris is sitting there going like I don't have TikTok Brad.
Brad:
Yeah, or he's on.
Amber:
Facebook.
Chris:
Thank you for pointing that out, because I was about to have to say that. I might be watching TikTok for the first time in my life as we do this activity.
Brad:
I think his name is Anthony Oliver, anthony or Anthony Oliver, one of the two and this guy came out with this like country, old sounding country song and it talks about just the struggle that most people are dealing with right now and I think it was the Richmond and Richmond, I think, is the name of the song and it's number one in iTunes. The record label is like this guy blew up in the last couple of weeks. Record companies have given him, have offered him like an eight million dollar contracts and he has turned them down Because he's like I didn't want to create music, to like have stadium tours and have all these semi truck trailers and travel and be on the road. He's like I just wrote music that I felt talked about some of the things that I was struggling with Mental health issues and he was struggling with alcohol and just dealing with just day to day stress and this guy has turned down these offers and not to do this, which I think is interesting. Now, whether or not he sticks we'll see, we'll see, but anyways, this guy has been just all over the place. I'm surprised. I can't believe you guys haven't seen it.
Chris:
I wish we would have had that video for today. I have heard about it Okay, some of my employees have talked about it and I was told that he turned down eight million dollars, and my first response was he did what? Yeah, he turned down eight million dollars. Maybe that's why he can't afford life. I don't know, but who turns down eight million dollars?
Brad:
This guy, he well, I mean when you get on a record label then, but then you're working for the man.
Chris:
And now they're gonna say what kind of stuff they own you. Yeah, you're gonna get on a record, right. Somebody can own me for eight million dollars.
Brad:
Chris is selling his soul. Chris is gonna start singing. Chris. You guys start singing, buddy.
Chris:
Chris is not gonna start singing. That's what I'm saying, sure.
Brad:
But this guy, yeah, he bought like a piece of property for I think he said like less than a hundred thousand dollars and he put like a travel trailer on it that he bought off of, I think, facebook. For 750 bucks he's got a tarp on his roof. That's where he lives. Just an interesting story.
Amber:
But anyways, where do I sign up?
Brad:
Sign me up when this kind of comes from is just this overall theme of, you know, just everyone's feeling down in the dumps and tired of their money just being terrible and tired of stuff being expensive. So anyways, you know, I've been seeing these videos pop up and I just thought it would be a good episode just to kind of let's play some of these and just, I think, talk about it and feel like where we're coming from on these, based on where we're at, because we're a bunch of normal people living, you know, debt free and we've got ourselves out of that paycheck and paycheck life where we all make pretty normal incomes for the most part and we're kind of doing this stuff different. So I think it's interesting to start watching some of these videos and some of this stuff. So, Ryan, why don't you go ahead and get that video up? And we're going to take these. I think we got three videos we're going to react to here and if you guys want to check this out, obviously, if you're listening to this on the podcast, obviously what you're going to hear is the audio, but if you want to check out the YouTube video, cover to our YouTube channel just search Brad Nelson Debt Free Dad, and you'll see the YouTube video, and you can actually see the videos that we're reacting to as well.
Tiktok Video:
So, Ryan, whatever you're ready, we can't afford our rent, we can't afford our prescriptions, we can't afford insulin, we can't afford healthcare, we can't afford our education. It's just so frustrating that we did everything they told us to do. We went to school, we got educated, we worked hard, we did everything they told us to do. And then we're actually out in the world. They want to charge us $1,800 for a one bedroom apartment. That really ain't shit. And then when they talk about, oh, the future gonna be great for you Just got to work hard, and say now how a Lot of people don't have savings. They're spending it all on basic shit like housing and groceries. And what scares me the most is that more and more people are becoming aware of how fucked it is. And all we do we record a video we posted on tiktok, we posted on Instagram, posted on social media, and then we say, well, I've done my part, and we close out the app and then we go about our day that doesn't fix anything. It's about being a millennial. Is we just got to watch our parents like try their best and be successful, like they all had Homes and 401ks and health insurance. They're like we just did our best. And then they were telling us they're like just go to college and you can do anything. If you just go to college, you can do anything. So we all went to college. Now we're in debt. We have no fucking money or jobs or housing. Everything sucks. And then they're like well, why didn't you go to trade school? We're like you're totally gonna be mad at someone who literally does not have what they need to survive, when it's the corporations that have been underpaying people for years. Rockets are up, productivity is up, our wages up? No, they're not, and our money, our tax dollars, go to welfare to supplement corporations not paying people. Don't wake up in. The first thing on their mind is money. Everybody don't think about a dollar Consistency. I got a hustle 24/7. I gotta have 10 streams of income. I gotta learn how to flip houses. I gotta learn how to sell on Amazon. I gotta go to doze and sell back the place. I can't just have a job and go home and enjoy my money and enjoy my time. I keep it from the United States.
Ryan:
I just want to pause it.
Brad:
first thing, yeah, can we? Yeah, let's talk about.
Ryan:
So I want one of the things. I think I just, you know, I want to just kind of be delicate here, because things are different, things are tight. My son's getting to the point where he's gonna move out and we're looking at apartments and we're looking at things and it is like it's eye-opening. You know, I started working. My wife and I were married. I mean, it's been a long time now 25, 26, 27 years ago and I didn't work 40 or 45 hours a week. You know, I Think there's this idea that like 20, 30 years ago, we all work 40 hours a week and it was just like we all went home and like spent time with our kids and it's like I, I was working like 50, 60, 70 hours a week 25, 30 years ago. So I don't, I'm not, I don't want to downplay like that. You should do that, because I'm not saying that that's fair right. But I also want to make sure and as we talk about this, like it it's not suddenly that you're having to work more. We I worked my butt off for For years and still to this day I'm still working my butt off. I would love to work 40 hours a week and go home. I still don't. But I just, I, just I just want to, I guess, have that perspective of as, as we listen to this and I, we hear this stuff and the struggle of working and all these hours, that's not new, that's not like a new thing that's suddenly appeared in the last few years. I mean, that has been my life for For the longest time and I feel like that is what has led me to have the things we have. Yeah, it isn't. You know, we didn't get all this stuff by working 40 hours a week and doing you know, and going home and doing all that stuff. So, again, I want to be delicate. I want to understand people's things, but I also just it. It makes me nervous when we start pointing fingers at everything, as said, that's the reason why, because I Didn't have that excuse back then and and I didn't do that right.
Brad:
I would totally agree. When I got out of, when I got out of college and we finally bought that first house, when Kelly and I got married, you know, we, I was working two jobs. I was working more than 40 hours a week at my full-time job and then I would work late nights at a local newspaper because I worked in the graphic design industry. So I worked for the newspaper on Fridays and Saturdays and sometimes Sunday nights, and sometimes I was there to, you know, one or two, one or two o'clock in the morning. So here I am, I'm working a normal Monday through Friday job, but then I'm also working pretty much every weekend as well, and I did that for several years, just getting started, and when I finally was able to move over to just my normal job, I Was working, you know, 50 to 60 hours there until up until I had my son Noah, and then I backed down a little bit, but still probably putting in, you know, at least 45, 50 hours a week, you know. So, yeah, I would totally agree. And that's where I, you know some of these videos it's like it's not like all of a sudden, I don't, maybe that, I don't know, maybe they're talking about so many different, you know. But, like you said, ryan, you've been working a lot. I've always been working a lot. I mean I'm, I'm gonna be 44 here in a look, less than a couple weeks, and I mean this was early 2000s, you know. So it's like I've I've always been feeling like I've been working like crazy. So I don't know like I Maybe I'm missing something. So I don't know if they're picking out a certain group of people, but I've never had that and, honestly, a lot of the people that I coach and work with you know they're. They've been doing it a long time too. It's not like it's just Recently, you know right. So, yeah, interesting, yeah, go ahead, chris.
Chris:
Okay, yes, we want to be delicate here, and there are a lot of the arguments that were pointed out that I Can actually agree and understand with. There are some others, like you mentioned, that I don't agree with. I want to pick one thing out, if I can, for a moment, out of what, out of what was played the idea that they told us to go to college. They told us to borrow money if necessary, and if we did that, we would come out and be successful. I have to agree that that has been the message by and large in this country. Young people have been told for jen for for decades now. The only way to be successful, the only way to get ahead, the only way to make more money is to go to college. And as the price of college has gone up, so has the, the availability of student loans and has the, the the number of student or amount of student loans that have been taken out of gone up. So they're absolutely correct. That is the message that they have been told. It's not one that they've heard, it's one that has been very explicitly said you need to go to college. Yeah and I've been preaching against this for a long time. Not that I think college is a bad thing the borrowing money to go to college. I have been harping on this for over a decade. Back when I taught, I looked my students in the eye and I told every one of them you can graduate from college with no student loan debt. And now what's happening is all Of these students that have gotten out borrowed a ton of money because they weren't taught anything different. Nobody said student loan debts bad debt. They were told it was a good debt because it's an investment in themselves. And now they're realizing wait, my income hasn't kept up. Why? Because there's so many college graduates out there and now I can't afford to pay my student loans. That one argument I can totally agree with them on, and I don't know what the solution is. I can tell you I'm not in favor of just forgiving all of it, which has been one solution that's been put out there. Okay, you borrowed the money, you need to pay it back. But at the same time, I can be sympathetic to their position, if that makes sense to y'all, because they did what they were told to do. They did what they were told was gonna be successful, and so if we can find a way to A put a stop to the amount of students borrowing money recklessly for school, I could then jump on board some kind of plan that would forgive part of it if perhaps they did some community service or they went and worked in an underserved area, something like that, where there's a trade off there. Now I went on a rant. I hope you all guys understand what I'm saying here.
Ryan:
No, I totally agree.
Amber:
Can I just say watching these videos and I see them come across my For you page all the time. They give me chills and I can totally relate and I 100% kind of see where they're coming from. I do. I went to college because I was told to go to college, because that's what you do. I had no idea what to take, so I took business. I literally you guys I had no freaking plan. I left college with a ton of debt and then, luckily, when I was first getting an apartment, it was like $400 a month and I was getting I don't know. I'd have to say around $16 an hour at the time. So even if they're getting $20 an hour, it's still not the $2,000 they need for the apartment. They have no money left to live. So I get where they're coming from and I think it's bullshit. Yeah.
Brad:
Well, up in I mean up in, I mean, you're speaking obviously from this perspective up in Canada too, well yeah, but even these people, I don't know if all of them are from Canada, but they mentioned.
Amber:
You know the rent is going way up to $1,800 a month.
Brad:
Right.
Amber:
It's a lot, and that's about what we're paying here in Canadian dollars.
Brad:
Right, I don't know. I mean part of it is is our people, I don't know. I guess for all of us on this podcast, I think let's say I guess you can use the words we've seen the light right In the sense of we recognize that the advertised American life of owning a nice home, two brand new cars, being able to afford a nice fancy vacation every month or every year and, you know, being able to do all of the things that are advertised as the American life, I think we've all realized and come to know that that is pretty unobtainable for most people and if you want to do it debt-free, you've got to be willing to make some sacrifices in your life in order to do it.
Chris:
I mean, would you guys, would you guys all agree that we all have that, I guess, mindset, now that you know it's pretty difficult to have all of that stuff on a pretty normal income now, and I- Well and that's where my dilemma comes in, because then there's the flip side of things is, when I see these videos, the first thing that comes to mind is with a little bit of time, a little bit of effort, a little bit of hard work, a little bit of sacrifice, a little bit of planning, you can get yourself out of it. So, moving forward, there's a solution. The problem, I think, for them, is they. It's just. They lack trust in anything, because everything they've been told has turned out to be a lie or not be truthful.
Brad:
Yeah, that's true.
Chris:
You're right. I mean, we've all seen the light and we know that every one of these people, there's a great future ahead for them, but they got to put it in their mind first. They got to believe it. Sacrifice, work a little bit harder, more hours, and harder is, I think, a relative term. We use that, overuse that word, a lot. Work hard Well, most of us work hard. All right, I think. Work more, perhaps. Be smarter with what you do with your money. That's the flip side of it. Get yourself out of debt so that you can start investing, so that you now become an owner of the very corporations that you believe has put you in the position that you are. Those same bad corporations are the ones that are gonna help you build wealth if you have the right mindset and if you change things. So that's sort of the other side of the equation. For me is what I totally disagreed with.
Ryan:
Yeah, well, I think you say it's unobtainable, and this is where I think, as I watch these videos, it's been unobtainable for years. Right, right, it isn't unobtainable. In the last few years, I mean, I was in $160,000 worth of debt in cars and all sorts of stuff, way before TikTok and way before like the big soda. I mean I put myself in that because that's what I was trying to do. So I just I think that's where, as we watch these videos and we react, I mean my mindset is like, yes, I totally get it. Like I said, I have a son going through it, but I also want to have that perspective of this isn't brand new. This isn't all of a sudden. It's more expensive. It's been more expensive for years. Just the way I handled it in the years before was I just took out loans and borrowed money to make it look like I had it going on, and I just don't do that anymore. So, and now that things are more expensive, we have a little flex to accommodate that when before, when you're already maxed out to the but you know, in debt, and then things get more expensive. I think that's where we're seeing all these videos now, because people are maxed and now student loans are starting up again, the payments are starting up again, and so, all of a sudden, it's like everyone's and we've talked about this before it's like the band-aid's getting ripped off right now and it's like, holy crap, what am I going to do? And so we're hitting TikTok to post videos about it, right, right.
Brad:
But yeah, so I mean, I would definitely agree. I think that's where a lot of people are feeling stressed right now Because, yeah, when inflation isn't up as high as it is and when housing didn't go up as high as it is now, things were much more manageable. You had people could still breathe a little bit, even though they were still, for the most part, living paycheck to paycheck. But now, as prices have increased, it's tightened the grip even more and people are really feeling that pain. But I don't know. I feel like I remember the feeling of inadequacy because I wasn't able to keep up with what the life was supposed to look like the nice house, the two new cars, the nicer clothes and being able to go out to eat and being able to afford to do things with your kids and there are in activities and I remember feeling the stress of trying to live that way and the only way I could do it was going into debt. And I still feel like still that there's a lot of people who are trying to obtain whatever this life or this supposed American life is supposed to be, and the reality is is that they're seeing that it's not possible and it's like you need to think different in order to stop stressing yourself out about a lot of this stuff. And the other perspective that we see too here at Debt Free Dad is that we have people, hundreds of people, in Roots right now 425 some people we have in this program right now and we have people coming in and they're making tremendous progress in saving money, they're paying down debt, they're having less stress. In fact, I had one member just post the other day. They just started a month ago and they're like I can't believe how much better I feel with just in a month, in a month, of doing this. So, and these are normal, everyday people. They're not any different than anybody else. So it's not to say that it's not hard right now. We get that, it is, it is. But at the same time, we also have to take accountability for the fact that we still control the majority of the choices and the things that we make with our money the car you drive, the places that you live, the houses that you buy, the stuff you spend your money on. Yes, do inflation and incomes and all that stuff play a role? For sure, certainly. And do those make it more challenging? Yes, for sure. But we still can make better choices for ourselves and still do what we can to improve the situation. And that's where I think some of these videos tend to. And, Ryan, you said this, I'll say it finger pointed. Everybody else but us and I'm here to tell you, I've coached thousands of people on how to get out of debt. There hasn't been there's been a few. There's been only a few medical debt mostly but the other people it's self-inflicted, it's choices that it all came down to. It was just bad choices. It was going into debt with good intentions and then life didn't work out and now they're paying the price for that and now they're hurting, right. But it all came down to choices for a lot of us on where we're at the credit card debt, the cars that we're driving, the things that we're doing and if you can change those, like you said, chris, I mean you can get out of it. It takes time, it takes hard work, but it's possible.
Chris:
So I guess the summary is that we've collectively feel sympathetic to some degree, but at the same time the message is you're all your own worst financial enemy, but you're also your best financial cheerleader and with a mindset change and a positive outlook over time, you can dig yourself out and end up in a better position. Is that sort of the summary?
Brad:
I would say, on this particular video and some of the themes that I'm saying, yeah, I'm totally sympathetic to it because this is the life I used to live and this is one of the reasons why I decided to change it. I just didn't want to live that way anymore and once I finally took 100% responsibility for it and stopped pointing the finger, even though I get, yes, that times are different from when I got out of debt. You know, like Amber, we were just talking about grocery costs up in Canada, and there are definite things that are going to have an effect on your finances that you don't have control over, but you still have a good deal of control over what you do with your money. Do those things make it more challenging now? Yes, but it doesn't mean that you can't make progress. And again, we have people that are proof of that inside roots. I mean, look at Jenny Foster. We just had a podcast a couple episodes ago. I mean, this girl wanted to be debt free by 60. She saved and paid off over $70,000 in the last two years. That's when inflation was the highest right. And I mean, and here she is completely turning around her financial life Now. Did she have to take some different approaches. To make that happen, did she have to sell some property and make some you know different things? Yes, but it's proof that with making different choices and making different sacrifices and making different decisions, you can get out of it. And see, I think that's where people get kind of stuck is that they're not wanting to take a couple steps back, to take a couple steps forward in the future. Right, and that's hard. Is sacrificing now for something that's in the future? It's kind of like what you said, chris. It's like putting your trust into something and hoping that it's gonna work. And here you are, you're gonna take these few steps back. And then what if it doesn't work? And it's like ugh, right, how disappointing. But I feel like you know, you do have to be willing to make some sacrifices in order to make that happen.
Ryan:
But I think too, there's, you know, and this is true with anything, but with these videos, I think there's a danger in when you start to watch these videos, like these videos, and this is what you start seeing, and you suddenly have this huge community of people who are in the same boat and you start to like kind of just feel like it's okay. I think this is the society we live in as well. Like when you're in debt, you know everybody's in debt, it doesn't matter, I'm in debt, you're in debt. Who cares? You know we don't care, because that's just what you wanna do. And that was just one thing I would say is, like, try to remove yourself from that situation. You know, when you're in these videos, because I think once you get around, a bunch of people all saying the same thing, it's just reinforcing. It's reinforcing, like the reason I'm in this is because of that, or the reason I'm in this is because of that, and like this person says this and I agree with it, so it's just constantly reinforcing that behavior or that mindset of there's nothing I can do about this, and I think that's that's dangerous, in my opinion, when you start and everybody starts rallying around this stuff and, like you said, this song. You know it's touching a nerve with people, and then it just becomes like this you kind of internalize that as it's out of my hands, you almost become the victim too. There's nothing I can do. My life is gonna be this way forever, and so I just throw my hands up and, like you said, we have all these people in roots. You don't have to throw your hands up.
Chris:
Right right, we talked about bias here a few few episodes ago and I mentioned in that that there's a thing called confirmation bias as well. And, Ryan, what you're talking about the very thing is, if you have a particular idea about my finances, my struggles, why I can't pay rent, why I can't do this, and you get on social media and you see all these videos of other people saying the same thing, well, it reinforces what you already believe to be true and it helps you to ignore messages like what we're spreading is that there is an alternative. So, yes, I run I. What I'm saying is I agree with you. You've got to be careful To listen to different sources, look at different opinions, read different things, put different ideas in your mind and, Brad, it comes back to the think differently. Okay, something I know that you we both have talked about a lot, right Is you've got to be think differently, put different ideas in your mind, different actions and the social media can certainly keep you from doing that and Confirm in your mind what you believe to be true, because everybody else is doing it. So, ryan, yes, turn it off, look for different alternatives in your life. It's gonna be much better.
Brad:
Hey, ryan, let's go to that Because of time. Let's go to that third video, because the second video is is kind of similar to the first one. Had some other points there that we could have brought up, but I want to watch that, this one right here, yeah. So let's take a look at this one. Guys, I want to get your reaction on this.
Tiktok Video:
A lot of millennials are realizing this. When you arrive at six figures, it's not what we thought of back in the 90s, early 2000s, growing up. A hundred K was it a hundred K Met something in our bones and our soul. I remember talking to the guidance counselor, talking to friends we're gonna make six figures one day, we're gonna have it all. We're gonna do it. And then you arrive at six figures in 2023 and if you live in the city, you realize it is just enough to get by. And when you think about having kids, this is what me and my wife are thinking about. We're 35 and 36 years old, so if we want to have kids, we got to get after this pretty soon. But she has a great job, I have a great job. We both work 60 hours a week, with our side hustles included, and I make six figures. But if my wife were to quit her job and we had a kid and stay home, I wouldn't be able to afford the kid, our life and the house. So we're having to make these decisions. But then we think well, if my wife keeps working, takes a little time off, we'll plan for that. But then if we're gonna have daycare I'm seeing some of the daycare prices I would have never imagined, let alone thinking of the crib and the monitor and all this kind of stuff. But I think a lot of millennials are probably having the same conversation me and my wife are having, where it's kind of sad to have to Decide of. We're on a roll, we're doing great for our savings, investing in career, we want to bring a kid along, but it's like we're like are we gonna be able to do it all?
Brad:
I like that last part. Are we gonna be able to do it all? No, no, no, no, right, like, I mean that's the part that and I this guy's got some actually pretty good videos and I have I have watched a little bit of them and he's got some. He's got some pretty good content out there and I do enjoy some of them, but you know, some of it is just like quit your belly aching, right? I mean, yeah, you live in the city number one, the most expensive place to live. Right? Yeah, it's gonna be hard to make it on six figures and, yes, when you have kids, it is a sacrifice. My kids have better wardrobes in their closets that I have in years. Right, I mean, yeah, these are, these are sacrifices you make when you have kids. It's pretty hard to keep up with your, you know, single or even just couple lifestyle before you have kids, and then you bring in kids and you're gonna keep up doing the same things, I don't, no matter where you live and the income that you make. I don't, I don't think. I think everyone's gonna have to feel some sort of sacrifice when you bring those kids in. What are your guys's thoughts on this one?
Chris:
Okay, I was ready to jump all over this guy. I got a lot more say on this one. First of all, kids have always been expensive. I'm sorry to break it to him. Kids have always been expensive diapers, expensive cribs, expensive strollers, car seats, expensive. Okay, I don't know where he got the idea that he used to be cheap to have kids. We don't know if we can have a kid and maintain our life. You're not gonna maintain your life. You're gonna be up at two o'clock in the morning changing diapers and feeding the kid going. Why can't I get any sleep? Sorry, bucky, you're not. You know you're. Your life's about to change if you want to have kids. So don't have kids. I think that you're gonna.
Ryan:
I always joke with my wife on this. I forget what comedians said it, but I always joke because, basically, after like 22 years, I finally get the big piece of chicken again. Literally like I, the kids got everything right, you raise your kids. Then it's just you like. You, just like this, like I Didn't. I mean I don't want to like, it's not like the sad what thing or any. I mean we had three kids. It takes a lot financially and hundred percent like our life was different. We could not afford the life that we had before kids. We just couldn't was never gonna happen and that was 25 years ago.
Chris:
Yeah, it's, it's ridiculous. You're right at the very end. We don't know if you have it all. Well, first of all, you can't have it all anyway, even if you have a kid or not. Okay, but you're definitely not gonna have it all and have a kid. So gotta make a decision. Do you want kids or not? And if you want kids, get ready to sacrifice a lot love that one.
Brad:
All right, guys, let's go to celebrations and we'll take a quick break here. So the totally awesome debt freedom planner is helping so many people make consistent progress with their finances, whether that be building emergency funds, paying down bills, budgeting, tracking paydays, saving up for larger purchases, goal planning and planning for those irregular yearly expenses that always seem to catch you by surprise. Now the debt freedom planner will help you take the stress out of managing your money. And if the thought is running through your mind, hey, I just need to have a simple tool to get my finances together. This planner is perfect for you. Head over to therealdebtfreedad. com, click on the Debt Freedom Planner in the menu at the top of the page and order your Debt Freedom Planner today.
Tiktok Video:
Let's talk about debt, baby. Let's talk about your money.
Amber:
Let's talk about all the good things, all the bad things, that baby let's talk about debt, and that's how it means it's time for the celebration. So the show. First, we have Kim Schmidt. I am using cash and staying away from things to trigger my spending. Another bag donated to Goodwill.
Brad:
Yeah, way to go, kim. And Kim is one of those individuals that just joined Roots not too long ago and is already feeling tremendously better. So so, so excited for her. Shelly Ann LaRoe, amazon has been a real temptation this week. I was able to hold strong and not hit place order. My goal is to pay off debt, not go further into debt. Shelly, great behavior change. Good for you.
Chris:
And Jody Palmer. She's got $1,000 in the emergency fund, is complete now and she's ready to kick her debts. A dollar sign, dollar sign.
Brad:
Awesome, Jody. Congratulations. Getting that first emergency fund feels great.
Ryan:
Jordan Alexis Leonard. I logged in and started Roots. The overwhelming of looking at the real numbers and starting the hard work is real. It's a tiny win, but it's the first step.
Brad:
Yeah, awesome, awesome job, jordan Congratulations. And last but not least, because Katie is absent here on today's show, we got Liz Feffer Liz says checked in every day with my spending using a fine tooth comb so far on track with my budget, with exception of two autodrafts I forgot about. Now I know for next month's budget, I have a solid picture of where things are now. So, liz, congratulations again, and congratulations to all of you guys who are working your way out of debt. And again, the point of today's episode is just to share is yes, I mean, you can live a pretty great life, but you got to be willing to do some things different. You got to be willing to think different. You got to be willing to make some different choices and challenge your normal thinking when it comes to money. If you're willing to do that, just like we all have on this show, again, we're a bunch of normal people making normal incomes, who live normal lives, and yet we're not dealing with a lot of the financial stress that most people are dealing with today. So it is possible to do some of the things that are happening right now. Make it a little bit more complicated and a little bit more challenging, yes, but, like everything, the storms will pass and things will improve and they will for you too, but you just got to keep at it. So thanks for hanging out with us here today. We love your feedback and it also helps us grow our podcast. So please leave us an honest review and our Apple podcasts. We read every single one of those and, as you guys know, the Debt Free Dad podcast is here to help you live a happier and stress-free financial life. So if you know someone who could benefit from our show, please give us a share. We appreciate you and we will see you guys on an upcoming episode. Take care.
Intro/Outro:
Thanks for listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast. Connect with us on Facebook, tiktok, youtube and Instagram at Brad Nelson Debt Free Dad. If you found value in today's episode, please leave a rating and review. We so appreciate it. For resources, show notes and links mentioned in today's show, visit balancedcents. com. That's . Catch you next week.
