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.
551
Ask Paula - The Side Hustle Episode
#98: How much money should you invest in a side hustle or side business? How do you know if your side hustle idea is viable? What if you want to start 5 or 6 side businesses? Should you lump these together under a common business umbrella? Or should...
43 min
552
There Are More Heroes Than Villains
There are more heroes than villains in this world. We have seen a tremendous outpouring of love and support today. Please support the cause that's calling you, whether it's supporting the victims of the Las Vegas shootings, or disaster relief in...
7 min
553
How to Be Awesome at Your Job, with Pete Mockaitis
#97: How can you be awesome at your job? That's the question that today's guest, Pete Mockaitis, and I tackle on the latest Afford Anything podcast episode. Pete hosts one of iTunes' top 10 career podcasts, called -- appropriately -- How to Be Awesome...
60 min
554
Ask Paula - Should I Be an Out-of-State Airbnb ...
#96: Today I tackle 4 real estate questions that come from the listeners. Chris, age 25, says: Over the next 30 years, I'd like to acquire 15 rental properties. Then, at age 55, my wife and I can retire and travel. To begin, I'd like to buy a duplex,...
42 min
555
Money for the Rest of Us, with JD Stein
#95: J. David Stein used to manage billions of dollars. He retired at age 46. Now that he's retired, he faces a different challenge: How should he invest his own money? What investing philosophy should he follow in his own life? And what can we learn...
54 min
556
Ask Paula - The Early Retirement Episode
#94: Early retirement? Yes please. This week, I answer questions from the audience community around early retirement planning, health savings and debt pay-off. I'm interested in early retirement. How can I avoid early withdrawal penalties? How does...
43 min
557
The Secret Lives of Introverts - with Jenn Gran...
#93: Do you enjoy spending time alone? Does your inner monologue chatter constantly? When you were a student, did you sometimes stay quiet even when you knew the correct answer? Do you avoid confrontation? Does small talk bore you? Have people told...
48 min
558
Ask Paula - How Do I Hire an All-Star Rental Pr...
#92: If you're interested in real estate investing, and if you've wondered how to assemble an all-star team, today's episode is for you. I'm hosting another edition of Ask Paula, in which I tackle three audience-submitted questions about building a...
36 min
559
How to Spend Less, Earn More and Grow the Gap
#91: Grow the gap between your income and your expenses: How to tackle the 4 biggest expenses in the average American household budget. Also, I share non-obvious tips on how to trim back on these costs. Enjoy! Paula For more details on this...
46 min
560
Ask Paula -- I'm Tired of Paying Rent. Should I...
#90: Curious about real estate investing? I'm rocking the microphone solo on today's episode, tackling the rental property questions that you -- the listeners -- have asked. Rachel from the Ozarks asks: I'm inspired to start investing in real estate....
43 min
561
Imagine You Only Have 10 Years to Live ...
#89: Imagine you’re financially secure. You have enough money to support yourself, your family and pursue your dreams. You’ll need to continue working, but it’s fulfilling work with a reasonable schedule. What would you do with both your time...
42 min
562
Ask Paula - When is Lifestyle Inflation a Smart...
#88: Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I answer 4 questions from the Afford Anything community. We chat about how to control lifestyle inflation, how to break up with a financial planner, how to invest your first $10,000, and whether or not...
41 min
563
Myths about Money - Are Your Ideas Holding You ...
#87: A week and a half ago, I flew to Portland for the World Domination Summit -- a conference with an admittedly eyebrow-raising title. The conference is hosted by Chris Guillebeau, the New York Times best-selling author of multiple books, including...
49 min
564
Ask Paula - Should I Keep My Properties in an LLC
#86: The real estate questions keep coming in, so today I’m answering questions from three Afford Anything listeners: Heather is ready to buy her first rental property. She wants to acquire about one house per year, following a buy-and-hold...
29 min
565
How to Make Money without a Job -- with Nick Lo...
#85: Like many people, Nick Loper used to work a full-time job that didn't excite him. Unlike most people, Loper decided to escape his uninspiring work life. First, he launched a shoe-comparison website that began collecting side income. Over time,...
59 min
566
Ask Paula: No, Really, I'm Asking for a Friend!...
#84: This week, I tackle your questions with my good friend, recovering financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy. Here's what we answer: 1. I'm asking for a friend -- no, really, I'm asking for a friend! My friends are married and buried. They're a married...
53 min
567
This is The Toughest Episode I've Created So Far
#83: Hey. It’s time we talked. I’ve made many tough decisions in my business. I’ve said “no” to thousands of pitches, turned away countless advertising requests, and made difficult choices about content and tone. And sometimes I don’t know...
38 min
568
Ask Paula - How Do You Pick a Rental Property?
#82: Welcome to another Ask Paula episode! This week, I answer three real estate questions: #1: What criteria do you use when you’re shopping for an investment property? What qualities make you say, “heck yeah I’m buying this!!” — and what...
39 min
569
Get Me Out of This Crappy Job! - with Jenny Bla...
#81: Jenny Blake used to have an enviable job. As a Career Development manager at Google, she enjoyed the perks of a Silicon Valley life, plus the satisfaction of helping people everyday. She co-founded Google's Career Guru Program, and helped...
48 min
570
Joe Says Life Insurance Won’t Make the Headline...
#80: Chris, age 30, makes $200,000 per year and saves 50 percent of his income. What accounts should he use in order to maximize his tax benefits? Dee, age 39, is getting tired of apartment living. She found a great neighborhood in which she'd like...
47 min
571
How I Bootstrapped a $4 Million Company, with L...
#79: When Laura Roeder was 22, she quit her job to become a full-time freelancer. She earned $30,000 in her first year as a freelancer; $60,000 in her second year. Ten years later -- (Laura is now 32) -- her company earns $4 million in annual...
58 min
572
Ask Paula (and Will) - How Technology is Changi...
#78: Imagine that you're looking for a rental property. It's a warm Saturday afternoon, and you decide to cruise through a few open houses in the area. Your autonomously-driving electric vehicle pulls into the driveway. Your wifi-enabled contact...
51 min
573
What I've Learned from 9 Years of Nonstop Trave...
#77: “Have you ever tried to stop-peeing midstream? It’s like trying to put spray cheese back in the can. The damage has been done, and the only thing left to do is try to enjoy yourself.” That’s a quote from a deleted chapter in a book...
53 min
574
Ask Paula - How to Handle an Inheritance, Shoul...
#76: This week, my buddy Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer another round of listener-submitted questions. A listener from California asks: My husband and I will be inheriting money, which we plan to invest in index funds. We believe that our...
60 min
575
Jen Sincero says she used to be a "grouchy brok...
#75: In her early 40's, Jen lived in a converted garage, buried in credit card debt and scrounging for spare change. She was the type of person who'd join her friends at a restaurant for dinner , order nothing except tap water, and fill up on the...
56 min