Simplify and Enjoy Podcast

By: Elle Martinez
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  • Summary

  • Simplify and Enjoy is a podcast and community focused on helping families have less stress and more options by finding the right path and pace to financial freedom that fits them!
    © 2019-2023
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Children's Audiobooks Economics Personal Finance
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Episodes
  • Credit Unions: Better Banking Option Your Family?

    Credit Unions: Better Banking Option Your Family?
    Oct 18 2023

    Not happy with the service you’re getting from your bank? It may be time to switch. Learn how credit unions work and see if they’re a better banking option for you!

    Move Your Money to a Better Banking Option

    Where you bank matters. For most families, their checking and savings accounts are the foundation of their financial system. When it's not working, it just makes everything harder.

    We know because we’ve had some really bad experiences with a few of the big banks.

    Whether it was poor customer service, needless fees, and minimum balances requirements (even though the interest rates they were offering were abysmal), we just felt like it was a headache and chore dealing with them.

    Years ago we decided to move our money to where we could get great service and get perks like better rates with savings. One of the places we picked was a credit union, specifically Coastal Credit Union. We’ve been happy with switching over, but the focus today is not on us, but on you.

    It doesn’t matter to me whether you choose a community bank, credit union, online, or yes, one of the big players. I just want you to be happy where you bank. Seriously.

    Which is why I’m happy to have Emily Nails, VP of Cooperative Strategies and Executive Director of the Coastal Credit Union Foundation on the show today.

    Not only are they a sponsor of this podcast, but they’ve also been our credit union for over ten years.

    In this episode, we’ll get into:

    • how credit unions work
    • the benefits that credit union members can enjoy
    • how credit unions benefits their communities

    Let’s get started!

    Resources to Easily Manage Your Money

    Your money should be working as hard as you, but managing it should be easy. Here are some of my favorite tools and resources to stay on top of your finances!

    • Best Budget and Money Apps: Empower, Tiller, Mint
    • Grab Your Copy of My Book: Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
    • Coastal Federal Credit Union <- Our bank 😉 
    • Credit Unions vs. Banks: How to Decide
    • Send in your family and financial questions here!

    If you’d like to chat more your money system, please join us in our private and free Facebook group – Thriving Families.

    We’re families looking to support and help one another out. Hope to see you there!

    Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal!

    Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! Come check out Coastal today if you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better.

    As a credit union, Coastal serves its members first and foremost including an annual loyalty bonus.

    We've been members for years and love their service and competitive rates on checking and savings accounts!
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    21 mins
  • Open Enrollment: Finding Affordable Health Insurance For Your Fmaily

    Open Enrollment: Finding Affordable Health Insurance For Your Fmaily
    Oct 16 2023
    Open enrollment season is here and I want you to be prepared. Learn what you need to know so that you can choose an affordable healthcare insurance plan that covers your family's needs! Finding Affordable Health Insurance How would you like to help set up your finances for this next year so that it runs smoother and that you are gonna be hitting your money goals faster? That might very well be the case if you take time to carefully to go over your options with Open Enrollment. I know it might not seem like the most exciting thing when you get that packet, but you can have a huge and significant win with your finances if you take the time to really research your options and make sure that you're maximizing your benefits. With open enrollment, there are going to be so many Health insurance is typically the biggest decision families worry about, and understandably so. Health insurance can be expensive. A recent health employer benefits survey found that the average premium for family coverage is $22,463 per year. That includes what your employer pays. However, most only a percentage. On average, employees are paying $6,106 year for premiums for their family plans. Now you add in copays and your deductible and it can be pricey, well you can see how important it is to find the right health insurance plan for you. You might feel like we did – trying to strike a balance. On one hand, handing over that much money month after month when we basically use it for annual well visits seemed like such a waste. But we didn’t want to be under covered either. Have you’ve seen those bills from the doctor’s office or hospitals? If you’re fortunate, your HR department will have prepared a side by side analysis, comparing the major components of your different options. Still, depending on your family’s particular needs such as dealing with a chronic health issue, you may have dig through that digital or paper packet to find answers about whether or not a specific things is covered. So how do you sort through things? Today we’re dive into some of essential things you need to know so you can work together as a family and find the best option for you. In this episode we discuss: exactly how copays, coinsurance, deductibles, and more work so you know what coming out of your pocket and what's coveredcompare how typical base plans work versus high deductible health plansthe ins and outs of health savings accounts We have a lot to cover so let’s get started! Resources to Build Better Family Budgets If you’re looking to start or revamp your budget so you can reach your family and financial goals faster, check out some of these resources below! Best Budget and Money Apps: Empower, Tiller, MintGrab Your Copy of My Book: Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money Are High Deductible Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts an Affordable Option for You? How to Maximize Your Work Benefits During Open EnrollmentSend in your family and financial questions here! If you’d like to chat more your money system, please join us in our private and free Facebook group – Thriving Families. We’re families looking to support and help one another out. Hope to see you there! Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal! Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today. We’ve been Coastal members for a few years have been happy with their services. Did you know that Coastal offers a Health Savings Account? If you have a high deductible health plan, you need to take advantage of an HSA. Find out more about what Coastal offers here! Support the Podcast! Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, here are some ways to support it. Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!
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    18 mins
  • How to Raise Money-Smart Kids

    How to Raise Money-Smart Kids
    Oct 3 2023
    Teaching kids about money doesn't have to be boring! Discover how to make learning about finances fun and engaging for your children! Teaching Kids Smart Money Habits As parents we want to prepare out kids so when they decide to go off on their own, they’re equipped with not just the essential life skills, but also have wisdom on knowing when and how to use those skills. Believe it or not, part of showing them the ropes is teaching them about money. Because if we don’t, they’ll have a much harder time pursuing their goals because they’ll be weighed down by the consequences of bad money habits such as carrying a massive amount of debt. Sadly carrying debts seems to the case for many Americans as I was reviewing some numbers from The Motley Fool about average debts. Average credit card debt $5,733Average personal loan debt $11,281Average monthly new car payment $736Average monthly used car payment $523That’s a lot of baggage to carry Here’s the thing, though – how do you start those lessons? It really is a family project. We have a big role as parents, but others in our circle can also be a wonderful help with getting our kids smarter with their money. Paul Vasey is on the show to talk about how. He’s financial educator and the creator of Cash Crunch Games which is all about helping families have a fun time learning about finances through games. He also recently published a book – Raising Money-Smart Grandkids. As you can guess from the title is focused on the grandparents, but most of those topics apply to parents as well. In this episode we get into: the power of conversations and games in shaping your child's financial mindsethow to navigate discussions about budgeting, saving, and making choices within a limited budgetcreative ways to engage your kids in hands-on experiences that make learning about money fun and relevant to their lives We have a lot to cover, so let’s get started! Resources to Build Better Family Budgets If you’re looking to start or revamp your budget so you can reach your family and financial goals faster, check out some of these resources below! Best Budget and Money Apps: Empower, Tiller, MintGrab Your Copy of My Book: Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your MoneyCash Crunch GamesRaising Money-Smart Grandkids Nuts and Bolts of Creating a Budget That Works Cashing Out: Creating a Flexible Financial Plan That Fits Your Family How to (Actually) Make Managing Your Money FunFamZoo Kids and Money: How to Teach Them About Bank and Investing Accounts Financial Wellness: Tracking More Than Just the NumbersSend in your family and financial questions here! If you’d like to chat more your money system, please join us in our private and free Facebook group – Thriving Families. We’re families looking to support and help one another out. Hope to see you there! Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal! Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! Come check out Coastal today if you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better. As a credit union, Coastal serves its members first and foremost including an annual loyalty bonus. Support the Podcast! Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, here are some ways to support it. Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.Join our coffee group ☕: Get access to exclusive behind the scenes videos, chats, and more!Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in four weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!
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    40 mins

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