Shows
Ways to Means18. Goodbye for Now!Welcome to our last episode! Join us as we reflect on our lives since starting Ways to Means and particularly how our decisions and milestones have been influenced by the podcast. We look back on our favorite moments and lessons learned.
Thanks to all our listeners for being a part of this experience. We learned so much and we hope you did too. 2023-02-1626 minWays to Means17. Year End Tax Tips!Welcome to our last episode of Ways to Means for 2022! Today we are counting down to midnight with our top ten tax tips to help you maximize your finances ahead of the 2023 tax season. There are plenty of things you can do RIGHT NOW before the end of the year to reduce how much you pay in taxes for 2022. And if you don’t have time to get to them all, you can set your new years resolution to make 2023 your best tax year yet.
Mentioned in this episode:
Renting residential and vacation property: https://www...2022-12-2722 minWays to Means16. Abortion Funds Post Dobbs: Beyond Personal FinanceIn today’s episode, we welcome Tannis Fuller, the co-director of the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund which we often refer to as BRAF throughout the episode.
BRAF provides support for people seeking abortions including covering costs of the procedure, travel, childcare and more. They serve central Virginia, which includes the Charlottesville area and are members of the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF), a membership organization of over 76 funds across the United States.
This summer, the Supreme Court ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization functionally overturned Roe v. Wade which has been protecting a wo...2022-12-0835 minWays to Means15. NegotiationOn today’s episode we are talking to three different people who embraced the power of negotiation. From moving industries and negotiating salary increases to buying a house for under asking in one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, they’re going to show us everything is negotiable!
Our guests are Kim Tran, Alyssa Cardin, and Ashley Suzanne. Kim Tran (@yourworkinspires on instagram), offers 1:1 career and leadership coaching.2022-11-0333 min
Ways to Means14. Money Mindset MinisodeIn today’s episode, we zoom out to talk philosophically about money and how it makes us feel. We talk about two articles from the Atlantic, called “What you’re really worried about when you’re worried about money,” and another article “who actually feels satisfied about money?” In these articles we explore peoples’ relative perception of wealth, the correlation between money and happiness, and what we can do to ease our money related anxieties. Who can name the Friends episode our episode title is referencing?
"What you're really worried about when you're worried about money," Arthur C. Brooks
"Who actu...2022-06-2120 minWays to Means13. Design Psychology and Ethics in Personal FinanceOn today’s episode, we speak with Jes Koepfler, the Head of Client Experience Research for Vanguard's Retail Division. Vanguard is a registered investment advisor that has been around since 1975. The company is known for its four core principles
Define clear goals,
invest with balance and diversification,
minimize cost, and
stay disciplined over the long term.
The founder of Vanguard, Jack Bogle, is also known for starting the first index fund, which we discuss in our stock market primer episode.
We talk to Jes about what it means to design for the user, how design ca...2022-04-1435 minWays to Means12. Taysha Runs for Congress in Virginia's 9th DistrictIn this episode, we speak with Taysha Devaughan, an activist and resident of Wise county, Virginia, about her decision to run for US congress in Virginia’s 9th district. We discuss her motivations for running, her vision for her community, and the practical considerations involved with mounting a campaign while working full time and running a household. Mentioned in the episode:
Appalachian Community Fund
Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards
Rural GroundGame
2022-03-2632 minWays to Means11. Max, the New Orleans MusicianThis week Susanna is in New Orleans for Mardi Gras so we caught up with a friend of hers, Max, who is a full time professional gig musician playing upright bass with different groups and at different venues across the city. As he explains, he and his peers are holdouts, operating as part of a cash-based industry in an increasingly cashless economy. He’s also self-employed, earning uncertain income that fluctuates according to erratic impacts to demand, such as covid. We talk to him about how he secures gigs, navigates a unique compensation structure, and how he approaches things li...2022-03-0229 minWays to Means10. Rent vs OwnThis week, we continue talking about home ownership and compare the financial impact of renting vs owning a home. We talk through common costs and benefits to home ownership, the average US homebuyer and home purchase, how local markets should affect your decision, and how policy and structural forces influence who benefits most.
Sources:
“Is Buying a Home a Good Investment?” Nick Holeman, CFP
“Millenials Should Be Happy They are Stuck Renting,” Gary Shilling (paywall)
“Where to Buy: Price-to-Rent Ratio in 84 U.S. Cities,” Nice Wallace
“OK Boomer: Renting is Better than Owning,” A Lawyer and Her Money: Finan...2022-02-0242 minWays to Means9. Lou Buys Her First HouseThis week, our mutual friend Lou joined us on the podcast to discuss her recent first time home buying experience. We talked to her about the process, from wishlist to loan closing, and captured the good the bad and the ugly of searching for a home during this hot stretch. It's been a seller's market lately, thanks in part to the pandemic creating some unpredictable demand patterns, so we wanted to learn some secrets from someone who has braved the frenzy. If you are a first time home buyer, or get sick pleasure out of tales from the pandemic...2022-01-1947 minWays to Means8. Building and Rebuilding a Career as an ArtistPursuing a career in art and running your own business are two of the most insecure and challenging pursuits in the realm of personal finance. It’s a commitment that requires accepting uncertainty, persevering through setbacks, mental grit and a lot of hard work. Finding success on this path, therefore, is an impressive achievement that warrants celebration.
On this episode, we talk with Jessica Wachter, an abstract expressionist artist based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Her pieces have been shown in public and private collections throughout the world and are her sole source of income. After years of un...2022-01-0543 minWays to Means7. Love it or LatteAnd now for something completely different! This week, Hannah and I decided to take a break from guests and get a little introspective. The way we cover personal finance topics on this podcast is influenced by our own money mindset, as our guest from last week, Walli, calls it. One thing we’ve made sure to emphasize is that we are not finance experts, but just as important is to expose our own biases, and be transparent about how our backgrounds and perspectives color our opinions here. This week, you get to know your hosts a little better, as Ha...2021-12-2247 minWays to Means6. Facilitating Financial Empowerment with Walli MillerWalli Miller is a financial coach from the Bronx who guides women towards financial wellness and freedom, and has made it her mission to help 25 women become the first millionaires in their families. She takes a holistic approach with her clients that includes helping them to understand how their mindset and attitudes affect their money management habits. In this episode, we talk about the difference between living within your means and building wealth, how to build generational wealth and mitigate the allure of materialism in younger generations, the importance of financial independence for women, and how knowledge is power f...2021-12-0842 minWays to Means5. Going Back to SchoolA professional degree or accreditation is a huge factor that influences your personal financial outlook. In some industries, a masters degree comes with new job opportunities and wage premiums, and in others it doesn’t boost your earning potential at all. Getting an advanced degree means time spent not earning and money spent, not saved, so it’s a weighty decision. In this episode, Susanna does a retrospective, back-of-the-napkin cost-benefit analysis of her own masters degree, before we bring our guest Taylor on to talk about her decision to pursue an advanced degree in accounting. Taylor spent her early care...2021-11-2444 minWays to Means4. Stock Market PrimerThis week we are covering the stock market with an introductory primer tailored to the uninitiated and intrigued. Investing in the stock market can feel opaque and overwhelming, but it’s something anyone can learn and everyone should aim to understand when planning their long term finances. We’re no Gordon Gekko or Wolf of Wall Street, but you don’t have to be in order to enjoy the benefits of managing your money. Over the past few months, we have both sought to gain knowledge and confidence in investing, and we’re sharing what we’ve learned so far. If yo...2021-11-1039 minWays to Means3. Suzie's SabbaticalSusanna spent the first ten months of the pandemic transitioning a city's housing department to remote work and launching an emergency rental relief fund, while trying to keep existing projects on track and her sanity intact. She saw an opportunity to take an extended career break in early 2021 and she seized it. Learn how she financed her mid-career sabbatical and how it's going.
At the top of the episode, Hannah mentions that Susanna’s sabbatical mirrors a broader trend among employees in the covid era. These are the sources that Hannah used for the statistics she shares in...2021-10-2735 minWays to Means2. Amy's Approach to Lifestyle OptimizationAmy is an optimizer, and she also knows how to pace herself. She approaches her lifestyle and personal finances by setting objectives and periodically reflecting on her progress towards them, an approach that also serves her well in her career as a product manager. She wants to enjoy her life along the way so she strives to balance her short and long term goals and to value joy as well as financial stability. In this episode we discuss budgeting, setting authentic goals, lifestyle minimalism, and more.
For reference: Amy mentions Gabrielle Collard and the Coach Space blog...2021-10-1339 min
Ways to Means1. Renai's RetirementRenai is ready to retire at the age of 36. No, she’s not a tech founder who just sold her company; she was raised working class by a single mom and has worked in non-profits most of her life. We asked Renai to come on the podcast and share how she was able to reach financial independence so early in her career, because unlike many such stories, hers is as attainable as it is aspirational.
A few things that come up in the episode:
-- We discuss the FIRE lifestyle movement. FIRE stands for Financial In...2021-09-2233 min