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.
351
PSA Thursday: What’s Happening with Student Loans?
An update on the latest news in student loan forgiveness and forbearance, plus smart strategies for student loan repayment in 2021.
14 min
352
Business Principles that Improve Your Life, wit...
#289: Josh Kaufman, bestselling author of The Personal MBA, discusses the five parts to every business and how this information applies to everyone - not just entrepreneurs. He shares many examples and ideas on how to level up your business or career...
60 min
353
Ask Paula: How Should You Invest a $1 Million L...
#288: Karen and her wife are in their 50s, financially independent, and partially retired. They need $150,000 to buy a new home, and they aren’t sure which option is best. Should they take advantage of the CARES Act and pull money from their...
73 min
354
PSA Thursday: To Buy or Not to Buy?
Many people in the personal finance / FIRE community have a complicated relationship with the concept of consumer spending. They may see family, friends and neighbors demonstrate one extreme -- they’re profligate spenders who will buy anything --...
12 min
355
Put Yourself on the Hook, with Seth Godin
#287: Seth Godin is the author of 19 bestselling books on mastery, creativity, business and marketing. His books have been translated into 35 languages, and one of his books was the top bestselling marketing book of the last decade. He’s an inductee...
54 min
356
PSA Thursday: How to Slash Your Food Budget, wi...
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, Americans spent just over $8,000 on food. If you're on a tight budget, slashing your grocery bill is one of the easiest ways to spend less. But what if you don't want to compromise on healthy...
30 min
357
Ask Paula: How Long Will It Take Me to Become a...
#286: Kaitlyn has $78,000 saved for a property, but she isn’t sure whether she should buy a personal residence, a rental property, or both. How can she best use this money? An anonymous listener wants to lower their housing expenses. Should she and...
64 min
358
Ask Paula: How Can I Pay for Grad School?
#285: Sam wants to use the funds in her Vanguard S&P 500 index funds for a downpayment on a house. She isn’t sure if she should keep her savings in the market. Should she move her money, and where? Hailey purchased a duplex in March and is...
48 min
359
PSA Thursday: Broadcasting Live from FinConX
Paula Pant and Andy Hill broadcast from Dallas, where they’re part of a bare-bones skeleton production crew that’s hosting the 10th annual FinCon, a conference for a community of personal finance podcasters, YouTubers and bloggers. On the evening...
22 min
360
The Psychology of Money, with Morgan Housel
#284: Morgan Housel is an award-winning financial journalist, and he’s a leading thinker and author in the world of investing. His new book, The Psychology of Money, highlights the influence that our behavior has on our financial success. We discuss...
65 min
361
PSA Thursday: Teaching Technology to the Elderly
Many of us have experienced disconnection from our loved ones this year, especially with older family members. It can be difficult to stay in touch when parents and grandparents aren't technologically savvy. They might not know how to text, how to use...
36 min
362
Ask Paula: Could the Stock Market Be Too Much o...
#283: Andrea’s parents have a seemingly salesly financial advisor. He tried to get them to purchase a second life insurance policy, among other potentially pushy moves. Are her parents better off without his advice? Teresa can’t shake the feeling...
64 min
363
PSA Thursday - The Affordable Care Act, with Ta...
With the uncertainty of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) looming before us, many are asking: How can we plan for healthcare - now and in the future? How much will I need to save to cover healthcare in retirement? What can I do if I can't afford the...
48 min
364
The Smart Way to Start a Side Hustle, with Alan...
#282: Alan Donegan is the cofounder of PopUp Business School. His mission is to change the way entrepreneurship is taught and to make it more accessible. If you’ve daydreamed of starting a side hustle, Alan’s simple advice and actions will give...
68 min
365
PSA Thursday - What’s in Store for the Rest of ...
After a brief hiatus, PSA Thursday is back! For this episode, we take a short break from covering current events to 1) reflect on why this show exists, and 2) give you a sneak peek of future PSA Thursday episodes. Enjoy! For more information, visit...
11 min
366
The Art of Decision-Making, with Annie Duke
#281: Annie Duke, best-selling author of Thinking In Bets and former world champion poker professional, discusses the decision making strategies and tools outlined in her new book, How to Decide. Learn how to make quicker decisions, overcome hindsight...
72 min
367
Ask Paula - Could This NYC Couple Contribute On...
#280: Amy and her husband have $900,000 saved for retirement. They’re 40 years old and plan to retire at 65. Due to a job change + pay cut, they might only have $10,000 per year to save for the next 25 years. Will this be enough, given their yearly...
78 min
368
How to Avoid Financial and Life Disasters, with...
#279: You might know several decision-making principles, but do you have a step-by-step strategy that pieces those principles together? Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is an internationally-recognized thought leader on decision-making strategies. He shares two...
58 min
369
The Loopholes That Destroy Our Ability to Form ...
#278: Does this sound like you? You want to exercise, but you can never find the time for a workout. Eventually, you grow tired of putting exercise off. You commit to working out every morning. You become so enthusiastic, you buy new gym clothes for...
71 min
370
Timeless Financial Lessons from My Grandma, wit...
#277: Michelle Singletary writes a Pulitzer-nominated personal finance column, The Color of Money, for The Washington Post. Her column is syndicated in more than 100 newspapers nationwide. She’s the author of three finance books and holds an MBA...
64 min
371
Cut the Fluff and Become a Digital Minimalist, ...
#276: Have you found yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds over the last few months? Have you also found yourself in a state of sadness, anxiety, or aggravation afterwards? We live in an increasingly noisy world. A world in which...
77 min
372
Avoid These 13 Hidden Money Mistakes That Most ...
#275: Even the nerdiest of money nerds are susceptible to making a dumb financial mistake. “Nope, not me! There’s no way I make any financial mistakes. I live and breathe this stuff.” You’re not capable of making any financial mistakes? Even...
70 min
373
Finding Hope and Happiness in a Confusing World...
#274: What does it take to create a sustainable sense of hope? That’s the question that I invited Mark Manson, megabestselling author of Everything is F*cked and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, to answer. Mark says that three basic factors...
60 min
374
The Emotional Complexity of Money, with Dr. Dan...
#273: Dr. Dan Ariely, famed behavioral economist and best-selling author of Predictably Irrational, returns to discuss how to handle the emotional and financial volatility of 2020. Specifically: Preparing for a job loss The value of resilience...
50 min
375
PSA Thursday - How to Avoid Parental Burnout, w...
Andy Hill, father of two and founder of Marriage, Kids, and Money, joins us to discuss parental burnout in the midst of the pandemic. He shares his best tips on creating a family schedule, learning to embrace the reality of working from home with...
30 min