Squanderlust

This week's topic is blended families, which is to say families where at least one partner has children from a previous relationship. Our guest is financial adviser and coach Catherine Thomas-Humphreys who specialises in helping parents and families create new, confident, positive money relationships that work for them, to support what they want to really enjoy in life so they can focus on what really matters most to them.We discuss breaking up and keeping a "channel of civility", finding new partners and getting the money side right from the start, and handling grandparents and your ex's new romantic interest. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ugh taxes.... so stressful and boring.... Most of us just want someone else to sort our tax returns without us having to think about it, but tax experts are kind of expensive, right? You'd think in the digital age there would be a better way.That's the problem that TaxScouts co-founder Tram Abramov set out to solve and it seems to be working. Along the way he's faced some highly relatable business challenges and made an excellent, though unintended, contribution to women's empowerment.In the end though, as he tells us, even though he runs a tech business, the most important place for him to focus is always on the people.Tram gives us some tips for making taxes less stressful whether you use TaxScouts or DIY.Squanderlust listeners can get 10% off their first tax return with TaxScouts by clicking the link:https://taxscouts.com/squanderlust/ (This is an affiliate link. First time users of TaxScouts services who sign up via this link will also be supporting the show.) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Automating aspects of your finances is convenient and ensures that you won't forget to make important payments. On the flip side, automation leads to disengagement, when your finances seem to manage themselves why take the time to pay attention to them? This is especially true for people who lead busy complex lives and those who have mental health needs or are otherwise neurodivergent.There are areas of our finances where it's important to be aware of what's happening, especially because companies combine automated and manual processes carefully to make us pay more for goods and services than we might otherwise do.This episode is about finding the balance between convenience and mindfulness when it comes to our money. What needs our attention and what can we set up and allow to run itself?This episode was recorded at home and without editing. Please be understanding about the sound, ums and ahs.Thank you to TaxScouts for supporting the show. You can get 10% off your first tax return completed by an expert at https://taxscouts.com/squanderlust See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

While we're between seasons, Martha drops in with a round up of favourite episodes from 2021 and some suggestions for getting over the January financial blues. 2021 faves: ep 28. Patrick Hill on recovering from job loss; ep 30. Grace Lordan on applying behavioural science to your career; ep 31. Nick Elston on managing money anxiety; ep 32. Otegha Uwagba on why we need to talk about our own money to reduce racial, gender and class inequality; and ep 41 Will Rainey on teaching children about money.For a brighter financial new year see ep 1. "Resolution Fail" and ep 23. "Debt Advice Avoidance".You can also get 10% off a self-assessment tax return completed by an accredited accountant at https://taxscouts.com/squanderlust thanks to our new listener deal from Tax Scouts (we receive affiliate payments from this).Martha is offering financial coaching. Send enquiries to Martha care of hello (at) squanderlustpod (dot) com to book a free call and find out more.You can find books from the authors who have been on the show and more at our bookshop.org store: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Squanderlust There are also show notes and ways to support the show, so we can keep the wonderful team at Wardour Studios in coffee and pizza, at https://squanderlustpod.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with money coach, financial planner and author, Catherine Morgan from The Money Panel about her own money journey, why women often need specialist money coaching and her new book “It's not about the money: 3 steps to become a wealthy woman” which takes a trauma-informed approach to understanding money behaviours, building wealth and financial resilience. Catherine is host of the podcast "In Her Financial Shoes". (Not, as Martha incorrectly stated, The Money Panel Podcast. Oops!) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When a gift seems very high cost compared to the income or wealth of the giver or the receiver, it can cause feelings other than gratitude. Questions arise about motives and expectations. Can they afford it and what do they want in return? And can I afford that? Some people give for the pleasure of giving, but some give to be recognised, to hide feelings of inadequacy or to place the receiver in their debt.What can we do to make gift giving a pleasurable experience all round? And how can we react when gift giving goes wrong?With Dr Jane Major, clinical psychologist and relationship therapist from The Room Between therapy practice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever thought that your children see you spending money in shops, but they probably don't see when you're saving, investing or paying the bills? So what are they learning about money from what they see you do?Wouldn't it be great if you knew how to teach your children the right lessons about money at the right ages so they grow up with the mindset and habits to build wealth and be confident around money even from a young age.This week our guest is Will Rainey from Blue Tree Savings who is an expert in teaching kids to be great with money. Will makes money easy and fun with stories and games. He has ideas about how your child can practise money skills before they even start school, learning more and more as they get older, preparing them, step by step, for adult life.Will is the author of "Grandpa's Fortune Fables: Fun stories to teach kids about money". See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ever struggled to control your spending, get around to your financial admin, negotiate a raise or navigate arguments about money in a healthy way?Wish you could just let go of financial anxiety and shame and just... do what needs to be done so your finances work to support the rest of your life.Squanderlust is the podcast about the emotional side of money with Martha Lawton a financial educator, coach and former financial adviser. Martha talks to expert guests, like financial planners, coaches, writers, and psychologists to understand why we think and act the way we do about money and what to do about it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with author and broadcaster Iona Bain about the increase in stock market and other types of investing amongst young people. Includes discussion of online investing cultures, finfluencers, apps and social media, memestocks like GameStop, and how young people can invest in ways that reduce risk and are likely to bring long term rewards. We also discussed Iona's new book Own It! and there is a giveaway (running through November 2021) where UK listeners can win one of three copies of the book. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chris Murphy became addicted to gambling at age 17, within weeks of placing his first bet he was gambling daily and beginning a downward spiral that eventually led to a suicide attempt. He's now employed at Sporting Chance as a communications manager and gambling education facilitator as well as working as a darts commentator.This is his inspiring story of resilience and recovery. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ever played a video game long after you meant to stop? What about staying in a toxic workplace or relationship? Ever looked back and thought "Why did I keep doing that?!" It might be operant conditioning - the way we respond to rewards especially unreliable and unpredictable rewards. Skinner Boxes (developed by BF Skinner) are a tool psychologists use to study animal behaviour, which can teach us about our choices as humans, and why we sometimes act against our own interests. Especially when we're faced with casinos, high-stress jobs, and charming but moody people.In this solo episode Martha explains how to spot a Skinner Box and how to get out before it costs you a fortune. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Accidental business coach, Jo Casey, knows it can be uncomfortable to ask to get paid. She has lots of great advice on getting over that feeling and becoming confident to state your price. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Carl Jung said “Until we make the unconscious conscious, it will rule our lives and we will call it fate.” This is as true in our relationship with money as with anything else. So, how can we uncover the subconscious and become the rulers of our own financial fates? Well, money archetypes can help. This episode's guest, Dennis Harhalakis is a money coach who helps his clients reveal the balance of money archetypes they relate to most strongly. They can then use this knowledge to develop a happier relationship with money. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you think if only you talk about your wishes in just the right way the universe will give you whatever you want? Do you believe fortune is a result of positive thinking and being "energetically aligned" for success? We hate to break it to you, but what goes on inside your head stays there. Only what makes it out in the form of your actions, words, tone and body language are affecting the course of your life. So why do people persist in believing that if they daydream just right their wildest fantasies will be manifested? And what's the harm in wanting a little magic in our lives? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Would I Lie to You?" is a tense, fast-paced novel about a woman who has spent the family emergency fund and desperately needs to get it back before her newly unemployed husband finds out. We talked to author Aliya Ali-Afzal about financial infidelity; spending styles in relationships; money, power and motherhood; and writing flawed characters. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Financial Coach, Cathy Boddy, has achieved financial independence and made work optional for her. She's done it without hustling 24/7/365, getting caught up in high risk day trading, owning a string of rental properties, inheriting stacks of cash or compromising her integrity. She talks about some of the mental barriers and misconceptions people have around investing and gives tips and information to help you get started building towards your own financial freedom day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Otegha Uwagba is a Sunday times bestselling writer, speaker, podcaster and much more. Her latest book is part memoir, part cultural commentary on the culture surrounding money in modern Britain. We talked about damaging secrecy around salaries; how social status is more complicated than just being upper, middle or working class; media representation and the race beat; and why being "good with money", in the sense of being very frugal and saving every penny, is not the same thing as financial wellbeing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does thinking about your finances make you anxious? International speaking star, Nick Elston, is known for giving practical tips and techniques for managing anxiety that you can start using today. Nick has forged his lived experience of mental illness into a inspiring career helping others to engage with the topic of mental health. He is a big man with a big heart who shares his story with brutal honesty and gives some great advice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you love your work? What do you want to do long term? How can you build a future career you will not only succeed in, but also enjoy? Dr Grace Lordan, Associate Professor of Behavioural Science from London School of Economics tells us how to use our innate psychology to make wise choices in the workplace and find jobs that are rewarding and fit our skills and personalities. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does it matter if you don't tell your partner everything about your finances? What about actively keeping secrets about your spending, saving, debts and more? How will they react if they find out? How would you feel if your partner was keeping money secrets from you? Clinical psychologist and relationship therapist, Dr Jane Major, unpacks the tricky topic of keeping secrets about money in our most intimate relationships. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Losing a job means a loss of identity, routine, status, social connections, and purpose as well as income. Coach Patrick Hill, founder of Thinking Beyond Now, takes us through the best and worst ways to deal with the sense of grief from redundancy, stay resilient and move forward positively into our new lives. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ever wondered what happens to the money in your pension or ISA. How is it being invested? What do those investments do? Do they fit with your values or are you inadvertently supporting pollution, injustice and corruption? We talk to a Tom Morris, a chartered financial planner, and Georgia Stewart, the CEO of Tumelo, an innovative financial technology company, about putting your money to work for good. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the UK, banks and essential services must offer support to their vulnerable customers, but who even counts as vulnerable? And what support should they expect? Bristol University researcher, Chris Fitch, explains.We also discussed how people react to the word 'vulnerable' and what that means when you're trying to influence a sector like financial services to do right by everyone, not just the fashionable 'deserving' causes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Journalist and activist Emily Reynolds talks to Martha and Alex about the complex relationship between mental health and money, and about her own experiences of managing cash and crisis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Feel like your money situation never seems to change? Then you might have the wrong financial set point. Martha and Alex explain what that is and how to work yours out – and reset it to the level that's right for you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anyone in the UK can get free, expert debt advice. But not enough people know, and most who do, only ask for help when they've hit crisis. Martha and Alex talk about why that is, and what happens when you get debt advice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The amount of choice in our lives can feel overwhelming, so how do we get to answers that work for us and our money? Martha and Alex tackle how to turn choice into decision in the second of a two-parter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Modern life in the West means near unlimited choice, but is this actually a good thing? Or is it making us poorer and eroding our happiness. Martha and Alex delve into choice in the first of a two-parter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jasper Lyons has founded and mentored numerous startups, so Martha and Alex asked him to share what he's learned about how to put a financial value on your time – and feel good about it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shame is a horrible feeling we all want to avoid. But not learning how to deal with it can cost us both emotionally and financially. Alex and Martha explore what shame is and how to tackle it head on. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Drama is no good for you or your money. Martha and Alex discuss the dramatic traps we can all fall into, and how to avoid them – especially if you've ever played the role of starving artist but failed to make any art… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

People often ask us: has making Squanderlust changed how you handle money? Martha and Alex answer that very question, discuss their series 1 and 2 highlights, and talk about what's coming up in series 3. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Believing you're bad with money can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's an area of life where it really pays to be positive. Martha and Alex talk about the power of the mind over money, and how to harness it to sort your finances. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wish you'd learned about money as a kid? MyBnk empowers young people through fun financial know-how. Sharan Jaswal explains how her own money crisis led her to being a MyBnk director, and the change financial education brings. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's gone is gone, whether it's money, time or effort. But we often let "get your money's worth" drive us to illogical decisions. Why do we do it? And what changes can we make towards better financial habits? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

No one likes to think they're a stereotype, but we're all swayed by them more than we realise – and marketers know this. So what can we do to side-step the stereotyping and spend how we choose? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Procrastinating costs you, in missed opportunities, late fees, self-criticism… But you're not just being lazy! Martha and Alex discuss why we really put things off and the key to getting moving on your finances. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Good advice comes from empathy, and that goes for finances too. Greg Ashby and Jerry During founded Money A+E to give BAME and excluded communities money help that works. They tell us their financial stories. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Think you're just "bad with money" and there's nothing you can do about it? We're here to help you change your mind – by changing your mindset. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Struggling to improve your financial habits? You might be stuck halfway around the change cycle. Martha and Alex talk about what goes into change and how to keep moving onwards and upwards with money. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Most people can be irrational about money sometimes, even the professionals. Knowing the ‘right’ thing to do doesn’t always help when our emotions get involved. An ex-financial adviser and ex-accountant discuss why that is – and what we can do about it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Self-care is a bit of a buzzword, conjuring up images of scented candles and duvet days. So what does self-care have to do with money? As it turns out, quite a lot. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A better budget is as much about fitting your personality and lifestyle as setting limits. Martha and Alex talk through five different ways to budget, and how using them might make you feel. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cheap or expensive isn't always about price – in our minds anyway. Factors like place, plushness and percentages all sway our spending decisions. So how can we outwit ourselves to use our money better? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Not all pounds are created equal. Most of us tend to treat money differently depending on where it came from. Why do we do that? What effects can it have? And how can we make smarter choices? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thinking in absolutes can hurt your mental health, your relationships and your finances. So why do we do it? And how can we find a more prosperous middle ground? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Running out of willpower is real! Science says so (pretty much). Martha and Alex dig into the psychology of self-control, and share practical tips for getting to grips with your willpower, so you can make wiser financial decisions See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Spend your money to match your values and you'll feel better about your financial choices – but how do you get there? Martha guides Alex (and you) through some exercises to uncover personal and financial values and influences. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Already abandoned your New Year's resolutions? You won't be alone. Martha and Alex discuss why this happens, and suggest some better ways to improve your life and finances for the rest of the year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Most people can be irrational about money sometimes, even the professionals. Knowing the ‘right’ thing to do doesn’t always help when our emotions get involved. An ex-financial adviser and ex-accountant discuss why that is – and what we can do about it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.