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.
601
Behind-the-Scenes Mastermind Call - with J.D. Roth
#49: If you're a longtime listener, you might remember J.D. Roth, founder of Get Rich Slowly and owner of Money Boss, from . In this previous interview, J.D. shared how he went from being in debt to financially independent. Today, he's back for a...
65 min
602
How to Overcome Procrastination and Perfectioni...
#48: Imagine that your goal is to build a flat stomach and stronger biceps. But deep down, subconsciously, you’re afraid you might fail. So you procrastinate. “I’ll work out tomorrow,” you tell yourself. “Or next week. Or next year.” As a...
22 min
603
How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy, with Cl...
#47: New York Times bestseller, radio and television personality, Clark Howard is known as a personal finance expert, that title doesn't tell the whole story. He started reading stock tables when he was in fifth grade. He began investing in real...
51 min
604
The Unbelievable Power of Building a Community ...
#46: This episode is a little unusual because I interviewed fellow podcast listeners live at FinCon (a conference for financial bloggers). Why? To get to know you and understand you better. I want to know what makes you tick, and where your...
27 min
605
Ask Paula - Should I Invest $5,500 in One Huge ...
#45: Podcast listener Eva is interested in opening a Vanguard account. She noticed that people need $50,000 to access their personal advisor services. It’ll take her several years before she can access this. What should she do in the meantime? Amy,...
34 min
606
"Why I Quit My Dream Job" – with entrepreneur L...
#44: When Leslie Samuel immigrated to the U.S. at age 17, he hoped for the American Dream: an education, a secure job, and a traditional career path. But during his college years, Leslie realized he had an entrepreneurial streak. He made a few...
52 min
607
Jean Chatzky Shares Money Rules for Modern Life
#43: Jean Chatzky, financial editor for the TODAY Show, host of the HerMoney podcast and a frequent guest on TV shows like Oprah, Regis & Kelly, and The View is the bestselling author of many books, including Money Rules, which we discuss in...
33 min
608
The Incredible Value of Deep Work, Instead of D...
#42: Your most valuable asset isn’t your house, car or retirement portfolio. It’s your attention. Most knowledge workers spend their day frantically hopping between meetings, emails, phone calls and social media. But that’s not the best way to...
67 min
609
Ask Paula: Investing, Rebalancing and Renovating
#41: Mollie, a listener, is making smart money moves. She's getting the maximum match on 403b contributions. She's saving for a downpayment on a home. Her husband opened a Roth IRA. What's next? After listening to the Jim Collins episode, Mollie...
31 min
610
The Power of Habit Formation, with Gretchen Rubin
#40: Most of us want to develop better habits. We want to exercise more, eat healthier, get more sleep, watch TV less, pay off debt, or save money. The problem? We make excuses. We tell ourselves we'll splurge "just this one time." We convince...
71 min
611
The Seven Stages of Financial Independence, wit...
#39: It's tempting to think of "financial independence" as a finish line. You've either crossed the finish line, or you're still running the race. But financial independence is more nuanced, says today's guest, Joshua Sheats. We...
85 min
612
Why You're Not As Busy As You Think, with Laura...
#38: There are 168 hours in a week. If you work 40 hours per week and sleep 8 hours per night, you’ve accounted for 96 hours. You have an additional 72 waking hours per week. What are you doing with this time? That’s the...
38 min
613
Chris Guillebeau -- How to Live a Remarkable Li...
#37: Chris writes about life, work and travel. He has visited every country in the world and written a number of New York Times best selling books. He joins us to talk about challenging ourselves, experimentation,and deliberately changing our...
35 min
614
Ask Paula -- Should I Buy a Turnkey Rental Prop...
#36: It's the first Monday of the month, and you know what that means ... Time for another Ask Paula episode! On today's show, I answer a handful of phone calls from listeners who posed questions about real estate investing. One caller from...
25 min
615
How to Start Freelancing on the Side, with Carr...
#35: Carrie Smith enjoyed her full-time accounting job, but she wanted to make extra money on the side. Who doesn't, right? She landed a second job in a tax office, working 9-to-5 for one employer and 5-to-9 for the other. She...
36 min
616
How I Built a Six-Figure Online Store -- with S...
#34: Steve Chou's wife used to work grueling hours at a job she dreaded and despised. When she became pregnant with their first child, she decided to quit. The problem? She earned six figures, and their family needed that...
42 min
617
How I Became a Millionaire on a Military Salary...
#33: After serving in the Navy for 20 years, Doug Nordman, then-age 41, retired from his military career. Most of his peers started second careers in the civilian world. But Doug didn't. He had an ace up his sleeve: he had spent his...
37 min
618
Ask Paula: The Market Might Drop. Should I Sell?
#32: Should you sell your stocks, given that we might be heading for a possible downturn? Also, what are the downsides of index funds? Should you invest in out-of-state rental properties, and if so, how can you figure out where to look? These are just...
41 min
619
The Simple Path to Wealth, with Jim Collins
#31: Jim Collins, also known as popular blogger JL Collins, has been financially independent since 1989. He achieved this in the simplest way possible: he saved half of his income and invested in index funds. Jim says the simplest possible approach...
34 min
620
Okay, I’m Financially Independent. Now What? --...
#30: When Jim Wang was 29-and-a-half, life changed forever. Jim started an online company (a blog) in his mid-20's. His website grew to several hundred thousand readers and started earning five-figure monthly sums. It sounds too good to be true. I...
86 min
621
Ask Paula: Pay Debt vs Buy a Home? Invest in In...
#29: Paula answers questions you sent in about multi-level marketing, paying off credit card debt vs buying a house, and socially responsible investing. For more information, visit the show notes at
38 min
622
How I Woke Up, Removed the Blindfold, and Notic...
#28: Most people only pay attention if there's a problem - that includes money. Guest, Evelyn Connors gets honest and raw about her previous understanding of how money works and her uber-excitement of taking control of her FI (financial independence)....
43 min
623
Pete the Planner, Comedian-Turned-Money-Columni...
#27: Pete the Planner talks about why millionaire-dom is important and why it's important to try a "mock retirement". For more information, visit the show notes at
39 min
624
The Last Show With Jay
#26: Sometimes you need to let go of the good for the great. Jay Money has started a lot of projects, only to let them go because they didn't match his goals. The show must go on - and it will with Paula at the wheel. Jay will be back from time to...
73 min
625
The Stacking Benjamins Roundtable Plays a Game ...
#25: Would you rather...have $15k in quarters or $15k in dollar bills? Today we have fun with Joe Saul-Sehy, Len Penzo and Greg McFarlane (HELLO Greg) from the Stacking Benjamins Roundtable. For more information, visit the show notes at
40 min