Mad Money Monster

In light of the global pandemic, here are 3 financial moves you need to make to survive and thrive on the other side.

If you're interested in financial independence or the FIRE movement and want to learn more, you cannot miss today's episode with the Chief Economeist and Founder of the EconoMe Conference, Diania Merriam.

If you're super excited to purchase a home, you'll want to avoid the colossal misstep that nearly took place in this episode.

A Brief History Of What's Wrong With Working For The Man

It’s no secret America has a love affair with youth. Everywhere you turn there are romanticized stories of Millennials and  Gen Z-ers doing extraordinary things with their money. On top of it all, “OK, Boomer” has become a household term…and not in a good way. This historical love affair seems to have seeped into the […]

Oftentimes, contentment can be deemed a dirty word and something you shouldn’t want to be. I mean, let’s face it, if you’re content, you must be boring or old or both. Well, in my opinion, nothing can be farther from the truth. Contentment is synonymous with happiness in my book. In this episode, I sit […]

Since finding the FIRE movement back in 2015, things sure have changed. FIRE stands for Financial Independence/Retire Early and recently there’s been a huge shift away from personal finance and into the world of life coaching and happiness. There certainly isn’t anything wrong with setting goals and being happy, but it definitely doesn’t have much […]

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that student loan debt is one of the biggest issues facing young people in the US. Not only are the figures staggering, but the debt seems to be stifling the progress of Millennials to live a normal adult. Some, even putting off buying homes and starting families […]

When it comes to holiday spending, we’ve made enough mistakes over the years to know what not to do if we don’t want to be eating just rice and beans in January. These days, we have our holiday shopping down to a science. Budgets, spreadsheets, and cash is the new name of our holiday game. […]

Geoarbitrage, a lifestyle concept that involves relocating to an LCOL area, has made a big splash in the media lately. If you ever considered moving to a different area of the country or another country altogether to reach financial freedom and retire early, then this podcast is a MUST LISTEN. We’re asking questions you should ask […]

This episode was sponsored by Debt.com. Please read our disclosure for more info.  Imagine you’re on your honeymoon in a beautiful, tropical location. Now, imagine just wanting to take your new bride on a snorkeling excursion, something you’ve always wanted to do. Now, imagine the realization of $61,000 in consumer debt smacking you in the […]

It’s not every day you sit down with your significant other and answer 20 rapid-fire questions about money and how it relates to the relationship, but today was that day. Mr. MMM and I sat down with each other and 20 questions we hand-picked in an attempt to grow more as a couple and gain […]

Financial improvement is another acronym for FI that’s likely better suited for more people than financial independence. Let’s face it, financial independence is a lofty goal even for the most financially astute. If you’re in the midst of adulthood with competing responsibilities, financial improvement is probably a more viable option…at least for now. It’s easy […]

Financial literacy is a hot topic these days. In particular, the lack of financial literacy. Mr. MMM and I are no exceptions with having very little in the way of formal education regarding money. In this episode, we discuss how we learned to handle our money by living life. Mr. MMM and I both had […]

It’s true that frugality can only take you so far. At some point, it’s just vital to earn more money. If you happen to be at the point that you can choose to be frugal, you’ll want to listen to today’s episode all about the hidden benefits of a frugal lifestyle. Although my husband and […]

You don’t often hear you should feel fabulous with debt, but that’s exactly what we’re telling you today. Why? Because you’re taking the first step in facing it, eliminating it, and changing your life. Let’s do this! My husband and I have cycled in and out of debt throughout our adult lives. You name it, […]

I’m not gonna lie, sometimes a DIY attitude doesn’t save any time or money, especially when it’s something that you’ll likely never do again in your lifetime or you need to invest in expensive tools to get the job done. However, sometimes doing it yourself is well worth the expense, frustration, and time. Case in […]

After decades of fostering a love of real estate and design, I finally pulled the trigger on a cedar contemporary home and I couldn’t be happier For years, my husband and I have flipped and flopped on whether or not we should take the plunge and spend the money on upgrading our home and location […]

As promised, this week on the podcast we interviewed a 74-year-old woman to get her perspective on money, poverty, and building wealth. That 74-year-old woman just so happens to also be my mother.  It’s amazing what you learn about your parents when you sit down and interview them. I highly recommend you give it a […]

With so much media making its way into our daily lives we can sometimes forget that parents are still the #1 role models for their children. This is also true when it comes to modeling a financial foundation for children that will affect them for the rest of their lives. In today’s episode, we’re doing […]

Love it or hate it, the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement has gained tremendous popularity over the last decade with no hint of slowing down anytime soon. Along with that comes second generation FIRE, describing the children of pioneering FIRE adherents. There is no arguing the importance of FIRE’s primary principles of living below […]

In recent years, the number of people working side hustles within the gig economy has exploded. But, buyer beware. Extra money can be great as long as you’re not forfeiting all of your time to earn it. In today’s episode, we discuss side hustles and the gig economy, touching on The Good, The Bad, and […]

As many of you know, Mr. MMM and I tried our hand at part-time van life not too long ago. After falling in love with the tiny house movement and discovering this whole new alternative lifestyle of people living in RVs and vans, we were completely taken with the idea of an adventure-filled, nomadic lifestyle […]

When Mr. MMM unexpectedly popped the question in July of 2015, I wasn’t prepared to handle planning a frugal yet fabulous wedding in 3 short months, but that’s exactly what I did. Okay, that’s exactly what WE did. Since having an October wedding was non-negotiable in my mind, Mr. MMM and I scrambled to plan […]

Sometimes you get lucky and your life collides with real life influencers who teach you to live differently and more positively. Separately, Mr. MMM and I had this experience and our financial lives were changed forever.  In today’s episode, we’re doing a deep dive into how we were brought up to think about money and […]

Zoom. Zoom. When it comes to cars, some people have a love for a fine automobile at any price. Other people will go without or drive around with duct tape holding up their bumper. Aside from these two extremes, most people, including us, fall somewhere in the middle. If you’ve been hanging around the personal finance […]

Tiny houses and small living spaces seem to be quite trendy these days, but the fact remains that the size of newly built family homes just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last I checked, the average size of a newly-constructed single-family home is now somewhere around 2,500 square feet. That’s an incredible amount of space […]

Does buying generic products really save money? That’s one question that plagues our frugal minds as we press on through our financial journey toward independence. In this episode, we duke it out over the differences in price, quality, and perception when it comes to generics. Mr. MMM and I stand on opposite sides of the […]

When I was a little girl, going for pizza and a movie was almost a weekly event for my mom and me. I can remember it like it was yesterday. After I finished watching Saturday morning cartoons, my mom and I would go down to the local gas station, pick up a newspaper, and excitedly […]

Ahh, consumerism. It seem like everywhere we turn there are ways for us to spend our money on non-essential things that guarantee to make our lives, well, better. But, what happens when the reality is far from the expectation? Remember begging your parents to buy you the latest toy advertised during Saturday morning cartoons? Boy, […]

I suppose most would call me a member of the Retirement Police, and I’m okay with that. Let’s start by discussing the definition of retirement. Like, the actual definition and not one that’s made up to fit someone’s lifestyle. The actual definition of retirement is ceasing to work or withdrawal from active working life. It […]

“Why Start? You’re not going to finish.” Those two simple questions were all the inspiration I needed to do whatever it took to get a college degree.  After graduating from high school at 17 years old, I worked a plethora of jobs to earn some cash. I did everything from McDonald’s grill girl to sexing […]

If you’re anything like us, you had parents. And those parents likely had a strong influence over your relationship with money. For better or for worse, it happened.  In today’s maiden podcast episode, we’re dishing the good, the bad, and the ugly when it came to their behavior and advice. Our parents might’ve written our […]