Martinis and Your Money Podcast

This Happy Hour episode features my Financial Gym Trainers. Get to know them better with the chance that you get paired with one of them. They share more about themselves, why they became financial trainers and some highs and lows of what I think is the best job on the planet. We had a blast recording this as we do everyday working together so I hope you enjoy getting to know my team a little more. My biggest takeaway is to not be afraid to make career changes in your life - especially when the change feels like an answer to a question you put out in the universe.     Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.    Until next time, take care!!

I’m blonde, not dumb, but the facts around gender roles and personal finance unfortunately speak for themselves: Women earn 30% less than men, they don’t invest as much, and they are targeted for more consumer and credit products than men. And they live longer. Hilary Hendershott is a financial planner and host of Profit Boss Radio. She is hosting a women’s wealth-building event called Profit Boss Live in San Jose on January 19, 2018. She joins me today to talk about what made her become a financial planner focused on helping women and why she thinks Profit Boss Live is worth your time and investment. Hilary is offering an Early Bird discount until December 18th, 2017. There are only 65 seats, so get your ticket at ProfitBossLive.com   Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.    Until next time, take care!!

Today’s episode is airing on the day after Thanksgiving in the US, so with giving on our brains, this episode we’re talking about ways that we give, how it impacts us financially and when it makes sense to give money vs. time. My biggest takeaway is to make sure that you balance financial giving with your current financial situation. I understand a generous heart, but not at the risk of your own financial security. As Mrs. Frugalwoods said, it might not be your time to give financially, but you’re time will come and it will create more joy than headaches for you.   Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.    Until next time, take care!!

iPhone fever? Talatt and Tai McNeely from His and Her Money join me about the euphoria following the new model of iPhone - and what that means for our money. We discuss this problem of prioritizing stuff over financial health -- and how we can fix it. My biggest takeaway is to think about what you prioritize and what comes first in your life. Is it stuff? Or is it something more than stuff? How much is stuff keeping you from achieving something more? I hope that as we head into the holiday spending season that you think about this episode and make financial health a priority instead of spending.   Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.  Until next time, take care!!

The path to financial fitness is a series of small changes that ultimately leads to big results. For others, their path starts with a big, scary, life changing choice that ultimately leads to big results. Today, I’m talking to Financial Gym client, Chante, who along with her husband Mike was faced with one of those scary, life changing choices. She’s going to share the financial missteps that led to this choice and how she’s working through it with not only Mike’s support but her two young boys. Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.    Until next time, take care!!

Ms. Our Next Life and her husband have been blogging about their path to financial independence. The day we recorded her interview was actually the day she “outed” herself on her blog and officially stopped blogging anonymously. We talk about that and her post FI plans which she plans to enact at the end of this year. My biggest takeaway is that Financial Independence - like any goal - is a possibility for anyone and if you decide to make it a goal for yourself, just remember that your vision of Financial Independence will look different than other people’s. But I highly encourage you to start laying out the plan now for how you get there. Notes for this show can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. If you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

The four of us all live with and love our furry children. Today we talk about how we manage our pets financially and how you can prepare for the financial ups and downs of pet parenthood. My biggest takeaway is to remind you that nothing can replace the love you have or will have for a pet. But you can be prepared for that love financially and if you’re going to love a pet, please make sure that you’re financially prepared for how much that love could cost. Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.    Until next time, take care!!

Open enrollment is the time where you can sign up for or change your healthcare benefits to begin in January of 2018. Making the right elections or understanding your options is an important financial decision for you to make so I invited Charleton Lamb from Just Works to answer some questions around this and share my thoughts on healthcare options and picking the right one for you, your family and your budget. My biggest takeaway is to make sure you first have healthcare and secondly have the right coverage. The monthly expense seems like something your budget can’t afford, but I’ve seen may clients with tens of thousands of dollars of medical debts they’re trying to work through because they didn’t have healthcare to begin with. Please take the time to research your options and find the right fit for you and your budget. Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.  Until next time, take care!!

Emma Johnson, founder of the site Wealthy Single Mommy, host of the podcast Like a Mother and now author of the book “The Kickass Single Mom – Be Financially Independent, Discover Your Sexiest You, and Raise Fabulous, Happy Children” talks about building a life that you can be proud of no matter where you’re starting from.    My biggest takeaway is to not just make career and money decisions based on your children or significant other. Make the right choice for you and hopefully you will always choose to want more for yourself. Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.  Until next time, take care!!

These last four years has been a wild and rewarding ride - I’m going to share it all with you: The good, the bad, the ugly and the truly miraculous. I hope your biggest takeaway is to listen to your gut and your instincts about where life is supposed to lead you personally and professionally. It’s not going to hit you over the head, it’s going to come to you subtlety and quietly so listen for those signs otherwise, you may just miss out on the ride of your life. Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.  Until next time, take care!!