Afford Anything
You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
276
Ask Paula: I’m Worried My Parents Are Getting R...
#360: I’m worried my parents are getting ripped off by their financial advisor. What should I do? My wife is trying to qualify for student loan forgiveness … but we might lose a bunch of tax benefits in the process. Is it worth the risk? I’m...
55 min
277
The Four Quadrants of A Successful Life, with A...
#359: Money, relationships, health and purpose: life is running smoothly when all four of these elements are working together in tandem, like wheels on a car. But how can we make spending and investing choices that facilitate stronger relationships,...
64 min
278
Ask Paula: Should I Invest in Index Funds More ...
71 min
279
Practical Investing and the Efficient Frontier,...
#357: Discussing advanced investing topics with me is former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy. You may recognize him from the Ask Paula episodes, but we discuss financial topics shared in his new book " " - co-authored with Emily Guy Birken. Subscribe...
65 min
280
Ask Paula: FIRE vs. FOMO -- How Do You Balance ...
#356: How do you find balance between smart money management vs. missing out on opportunities? Should you pile money into investments or take that dream trip to Tanzania? What should you do when your heart leads you to a decision that doesn't make...
51 min
281
A Hospice Doctor's Advice on Financial Independ...
#355: When Jordan Grumet realized he has achieved financial independence, he fell into a deep depression. He didn’t know who he was anymore, he says, and he didn’t know what should come next. He learned about how to deal with us by observing his...
59 min
282
Ask Paula: How Do I Make Sure I Don't Spend the...
#354: Charlie in Cali has enough money saved to pay cash for a house, but she and her husband decided to finance their home, instead. They’d rather invest the money and arbitrage the spread. But one problem: how can they keep themselves from...
62 min
283
The Secret to Perfect Timing
#353: Daniel Pink joins us to discuss an unusual theory: (1) that our energy rises, falls, and then rises again; (2) that this pattern plays out across our days (morning energy, afternoon slump, nighttime second wind); (3) this also plays out across...
81 min
284
Ask Paula: Should I Pull Money from My Emergenc...
#352: Anna and her husband have volatile income, but Anna thinks that having 18 months of living expenses is unnecessary. She’s torn between paying off her student loans ($30,000) or investing the money. Mentally, she always figured she would pay...
68 min
285
The Six Myths of Productivity
#351: Geoff Woods, Vice President of The ONE Thing and host of The ONE Thing podcast, is an expert on ruthless prioritization, habit development, and goal setting. The simple framework he presents allows you to focus deeply and commit to the actions...
73 min
286
Ask Paula: How Much Should We Spend on a Wedding?
#350: Anonymous and her husband have set themselves on the path of saving for retirement. But an old mistake haunts them: a financial planner convinced them to buy a mix of whole and term life insurance, which costs them $700 per month. Do they need...
62 min
287
A Candid Conversation with Mr. Money Mustache &...
#349: A frank and candid conversation about life, dead-lifting, and enjoying the hell out of doing meaningful work. For more information, visit the show notes at
66 min
288
Ask Paula: How Should We Invest to Retire By Ou...
#348: Aja’s mom is 75 and has to take required minimum distributions from her IRA. She doesn’t need the money. Where should she put it? Anonymous from MA is flummoxed by HSA-compatible health plans. His copay and deductible are awful, and even...
70 min
289
The Radical Invention of the Index Fund, with R...
#347: Back in the 1960’s, Jack Bogle thought that actively-managed mutual funds performed better than a passive indexing strategy. He pseudonymously published a paper saying so. But academic data from the University of Chicago challenged his...
54 min
290
Ask Paula: How Can We Reach Financial Independe...
#346: Pensions make Chad uncomfortable, to the point of quitting his job to roll his $175,000 over to an IRA. Is the 12 percent match his employer offers good enough to beat the two percent growth of his pension? Or should he leave and never look...
60 min
291
How to Understand Your Medical Bill, with Marsh...
#345: Let’s talk about one of the biggest expenses you might ever encounter: health care costs. When you get a hospital bill, do you understand it? After all, it looks like it’s written in code (and sometimes it literally is). How do you know if...
47 min
292
Ask Paula: I’m Bored at Work, and I’m 14 Years ...
#344: Russell’s job offers the option to contribute to a 457 plan. Since he’s in the highest tax bracket, should he take advantage of the tax deferral offered through the 457 or invest within a taxable brokerage account? Anonymous is on track to...
58 min
293
Are We Heading for a Housing Crash in 2022?
#343: The real estate market in 2021 has been bonkers. That’s the technical term. From 2012 to 2020, home prices nationwide rose at an annualized average of 5.8 percent per year. From April 2020 to April 2021, home prices climbed 17.2 percent. This...
57 min
294
Ask Paula: How to Make Smarter Real Estate Deci...
#342: Russell is a busy professional who’d like to invest passively in real estate. Is there data he can use to compare this approach to owning and managing their own properties? Laura wants to purchase her first investment property in Miami. Should...
65 min
295
Courage and The Consequences of Inaction, with ...
#341: Imagine a line. Cowardice exists at one extreme end of that line. Recklessness exists at the other extreme end. And in the balanced middle, you’ll find courage. Today’s conversation is about courage. We’re not talking about inspiring...
54 min
296
How to Make $1 Million in Business with No Empl...
#340: Imagine this: You start a side hustle. Maybe you sell planners or lead workouts in the park. You make a few thousand dollars during your first year. It’s fun beer money, but not enough to quit your day job. But you keep growing. You run this...
69 min
297
How to Invest in Real Estate, Debt-Free, from T...
#339: Have you ever thought, “I’d like to invest in rental real estate but there are no cheap properties in my area!” “Homes in my city are too expensive. I’d have to invest out-of-state, but that sounds terrifying.” Or have you ever...
72 min
298
Why Investors Need a Latticework of Ideas, with...
#338: This month, we’re running four episodes based around the four pillars of F.I.R.E. — financial psychology, investing, real estate and entrepreneurship. Today’s episode, which originally aired in April 2018, offers advice to investors who...
59 min
299
Habits are Overrated, with Kristen Berman
#337: Meet Kristen Berman, a top researcher in the field of behavioral economics. She’s the co-founder of Irrational Labs, which designs products that are evidence-based in the behavioral sciences. Her co-founder, Dan Ariely, is the James B. Duke...
55 min
300
Ask Paula: Should We Sell a Condo if We’re Bare...
#336: Anonymous and his partner have a one-bedroom condo that they rent out in Pasadena, CA. The problem? They’re barely breaking even. Should they keep the condo, or sell it and make better use of the profits? Sam wants to know: how much of an...
68 min