In this episode of Disrupt Your Money, we sit down with personal finance powerhouse Bernadette Joy to blow up the myth that paying off debt means sacrificing joy, self-care, and everything that makes life actually feel good. As a first-gen Filipina-American and eighth of nine kids, Bernadette went from $300,000 in debt to building a seven-figure net worth.
Through real talk, lived experience, and a decade of experiments with habits and routines, Bernadette breaks down why negotiating, raising your rates, and letting go of perfectionist budgeting are all part of a liberatory money plan, not “selfish” moves.
You’ll walk away with practical tools like Screenless Sundays, the 80/20 “rule of world peas,” and Bernadette’s “strive, revive, survive” framework so you can pay off debt, grow wealth, and protect your joy at the same time.
⏱️ In This Episode:
00:00 Introduction: Self-Care, Saving & Smashing Debt
01:42 Bernadette’s story: first-gen Filipina-American, 8th of 9 kids & $300K in debt
06:24 Turning negotiation into a habit
09:31 Separating your self-worth from your prices and paycheck
13:12 Why she wrote Crush Your Money Goals and how habits (not hustle) changed everything
18:54 Screenless Sundays: unplugging from doomscrolling as a money and mental health strategy
20:44 Using the 80/20 “rule of world peas”
27:29 The strive, revive, survive method
32:08 Plot twists, money stories, and what Bernadette wants every reader to feel after her book
🔗 Mentioned in This Episode:
👉 Crush Your Money Goals: 25 Smart Money Habits to Save, Invest, and Fast Track Your Financial Freedom by Bernadette Joy
👉 Crush Your Money Goals® – Bernadette’s money education company
👉 Wealth is Resistance Action Kit → https://equitablemoneyproject.com/kit
💬 Connect with Us:
🌐 Website → https://equitablemoneyproject.com
📸 Instagram → https://instagram.com/equitablemoneyproject
🎧 Podcast → https://equitablemoneyproject.com/podcast
🚀 Your Next Step:
Ready to make your money match your values? Download our free Wealth is Resistance Action Kit → https://equitablemoneyproject.com/kit
