More Money Podcast - 064 Finding Your Roadmap to Financial Wellness - Jason Vitug, Author & Founder of Phroogal

Episode Date: October 12, 2016

Jason Vitug is an author, entrepreneur, speaker and founder of Phroogal.com, and he's on a mission to teach everyone that financial freedom is possible no matter who you are or where you live. I chat with him in this episode about his latest book, You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Freedom, and how he went from working in Silicon Valley to road tripping it across the United States to inspire and teach others about the power of personal finance. Long description: If you're looking for some #WednesdayWisdom, or just need a dash of inspiration to get you through the rest of the week, this is the episode you've been waiting for. Jason Vitug will get you pumped and ready to take on life, because that's what he's all about. And he doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walks! Jason worked his way into a sweet gig in Silicon Valley, a dream to many of us with big aspirations and fantasies about living the good life. But he soon realized that despite having a great job and paycheque, he wasn't happy or fulfilled. So, he quit everything and went travelling to find some answers. This eventually led him focusing his energy on Phroogal.com (a financial literacy website), writing a book about YOLO, and teaching others about finding purpose in their lives and taking control of their money to make their dreams a reality. Jason's Best Inspirational Blog Posts How You Can "Find" Purpose 15,000 Miles. 50 Events. Summer 2016. Grab a Copy of Jason's Latest Book You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life Follow Jason on Social Follow Jason on Twitter Like Phroogal on Facebook Subscribe to Jason on YouTube Follow Jason on Instagram For more podcast episodes, check out the Podcast page. Shownotes: jessicamoorhouse.com/64 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to Episode 64 of the Mo Money Podcast. I am your host, Jessica Morehouse. Thank you so much for joining me for this awesome episode. I'm super excited to share my interview with my next guest, Jason Vtug, who I actually met in person, which was awesome, after I recorded this episode at FinCon 2016 not too long ago. And he is the nicest guy and just so friendly and so positive. You can just feel the positivity exuding from him, which is super awesome. I feel like I've said awesome at least five times, so I'm going to try to figure out a new way to say awesome.

But anywho, you're going to love this episode because it's awesome uh but also just because jason's story is so interesting and very and he's just inspirational guy he has so many things going on uh which we'll get to in the episode including his road to financial wellness uh road trip he went all uh over the united states of america these workshops, basically, and just promoting financial literacy. And that's just one of the many things he's done. He's also written a great book, which was reviewed by the New York Times. Ooh, la la. But yeah, we'll get into all that good stuff coming up.

But first, I want to thank today's podcast episode sponsor, JustWealth. JustWealth. JustWealth is Canada's most comprehensive online investment platform. So make sure to visit JustWealth.com slash Jessica dash Morehouse for a special $50 bonus when you sign up for an account with them. And if you want to know more information about JustWealth and what all that is, stay tuned because I will be interviewing Andrew Kirkland, who is the president of JustWealth, in a future episode coming up. We're going to be talking about ETFs, robo-advisors, all that good stuff. So make sure to check out JustWealth.com because JustWealth is investing the way it should be, just for you. Now, let's get to the show. Thanks, Jason, for joining me on the show.

Thank you so much, Jessica, for having me. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to chat with you because you have a lot of stuff going on right now, but you have a very interesting story. So let's start from the beginning and then we'll kind of move our way through everything. I did a little research about you before the show and read your bio. And so it kind of seems not so much rakes to riches, but you came from an inner city school, you had to work a lot to pay for university, and then you eventually wound up in Silicon Valley. So you want to take me through how that all happened? Yeah, it sounds really legit. You did. It sounds super legit. Yeah, you did your your research. Yeah, it sounds like a rags to riches story. But that's not the case. I'm still kind of like in this quest to define what what rich means right for me. And

and I think that's what we're having this discussion. So I'm really excited about that. But yeah, so I grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which is the fourth largest city. So we're about 20 minutes outside of New York City. It's an inner city. It went through the public school system, kindergarten to 12th grade. And what's really interesting about that is that I always did the right things. And so I followed this set path, like do really well in school, be really active, and you're going to get into a great college, and that's how your life starts. And at 17, I had my first conversation with my parents, my mom, who sat me down,

and she tells me, we can't afford to send you to school. And so I was devastated at 17 17 thinking, wow, like I played sports. I acted in school plays. I got good grades. I was in the honor society. I did a ton of clubs, but they were at the point where they made enough money to disqualify me for financial aid, but didn't have the resources to send their, their kid, me, their fourth child into school. And, and so that is how like the trajectory of my life changed. And I hustled my way. I worked really hard. I took a job for an entire year working 60, 70 hours instead of going into my freshman year in college so I could save up enough cash

to afford the first year's tuition. And, and so I was cleaning toilets, serving drinks. Then eventually, I found myself in, in banking. You know, I was trying to figure out, okay, well, I went to school originally for filmmaking, and I got into the business school. So what am I going to do with my life? Because I was now in this quest to make money, right? Because when you're devastated at that young age about kind of pursuing something that you had your mindset on, now I was on this quest just to make money. And I thought going into the business school, getting a degree in finance was going to be that channel. And so I got into banking. I started as a teller, worked my way up. Four years later,

I'm VP of marketing and business development for a credit union out in Silicon Valley. Whoa. You climbed that ladder fast. In a really short period of time. And I mean, that literally was like me taking your cash right across the tunnel line. Four years later, I'm in the boardroom 3,000 miles away in California, in Silicon Valley, making decisions for this credit union out there in Menlo Park, California. So I really – and I thought what's important is just in that story, it was really about working hard, but I was really working smart and I was making the right connection.

I was taking advantage of the resources, the classes, and the individuals that were willing to share their skills, their knowledge with me. So that helped me and accumulate enough confidence to get this job as VP. My story doesn't end there because as I was living at the time, I'm at Palo Alto, California, a really awesome place out there in Silicon Valley. I helped this credit union experience transformative growth. I mean, we grew almost 100% in asset size in a very short period of time, within three and a half years. And so that happened and my CEO and my board of directors sat me down and said,

Jason, we're looking for a successor CEO. Would you be interested? Oh my gosh. And how old were you at the time? Uh, 28. Uh, wow. That's, that's a young CEO if you're to. Yeah. So I think I was actually turning 28 because this happened around June, June of 20, uh, 2011. And, and so, uh, you're looking at that. Anyhow, at that point, I had like one of those moments of, whoa, is this the trajectory of the life I want to continue to live? And I mean, I kind of had that ideal lifestyle from the outside where everyone saw like I dress really well I own two cars one of it was a yeah two cars and there I had a motor a motorcycle a pedal bike oh my god yeah and also a closet filled with with clothes with their tags still on them still on them so yeah from outside perspective you were

kind of living the dream or what people like strive for most of their careers. Yeah. And that's exactly it. And so that moment where I was offered this really amazing opportunity, I had to take a step back. And when I thought about, wow, a better title, CEO, Jason Vito, CEO, that sounded really great. And then thinking about like the money. But then I started asking myself, well, what am I going to be? What am I going to do with it? I mean, I was single at the time. I'm single. I'm still single now. But I still was trying to figure out like, what am I going to be doing with with my life or the rest of my life? And I love the people I work with. I love

the job I was doing, but I necessarily didn't feel fulfilled. And I was on this constant race to kind of prove myself worthy. And I proved my worth based on the size of my income. And I was at that point going, okay, well, I'm not finding this satisfaction or this happiness. I definitely need to figure this out. Instead of taking that job or that role as the successor, I did the complete opposite. I resigned instead. I bet they weren't expecting that. No, not at all. I think when they find what they call the rising star in the organization and here is something that most people dream of, and I it wasn't like, hey, Jason, here's this success to CEO position.

We're going to train you to take over when the CEO retires. And then I said, yes, I'll take this. I said, wait, give me a moment. Let me think this thoroughly. And I came back with, no, I think I'm going to take a different route. Six months later I found myself backpacking around the world uh and that happened in 2012 so in 2012 yeah I went through 20 countries in 12 months such a really amazing experience and you did that you like did

that all on your own or I did that all on my own um I I did that all on my own. Wow. Yeah, I did have friends that met up with me in different countries. So it was like the opportunity to say, oh, wow, I've always wanted to go there. I didn't want to travel alone. Since you're there, I'll meet up with you. So I wasn't alone for a good part of it. But the vast majority, I was traveling by myself. And I did get the opportunity to meet really amazing people from all around the world that were backpacking as well or just living. They're expats kind of living outside of the West.

So I thought that was really interesting. And that just exposed me to so much about myself and what really makes me tick and what really makes me kind of get up in the morning. So you kind of found your, it definitely sounds like you had a little bit of an eat, pray, love kind of thing where, right? Well, not, not exactly for the same reasons, but you know, the whole, you know, no, I think I need to kind of leave my life right now and go traveling to find myself. And it sounded like you did find yourself. Yeah. It's so funny because I go around the country and I give these talks about personal finance and mindset.

And what's interesting is that I'll get people that will tweet or tell me that I have this guy's version of Eat, Pray, Love. And in many ways, you're absolutely right. And I think about it and I watch movie i probably like two or three times i haven't read the book uh myself oh that's good the book's good yeah i i definitely think i should check it out but i get a lot of of people that hear the full story and say it has very similarities. And I tend to think too, we get to a point in our lives when we're in our mid-20s or mid-30s or 50s or what have you. And when we don't fully allow ourselves to be authentic and to address kind of some of the beliefs that we have, that makes us focus on the wrong things. And as I

mentioned, you know, growing up the way I grew up, I focused on the wrong thing. Not necessarily that it was bad for me, right? So it's better that I focused on being successful in my career as opposed to, you know, taking on bad habits. Yeah. Yeah. But my bad habits really stemmed from I spent way too much. I was living paycheck to paycheck. That was kind of one of the things too. It's like, wow, I'm making six figures and I'm living paycheck to paycheck.

What is going on? And the solution wasn't to make more money. The solution really had to be for me to look internally. And I realized I couldn't do that if I was surrounded by the same environment over and over again. And so when I was working with the same people, I hung out with the same group of friends, I ate at the same restaurants, I lived in the same place, I couldn't get my mind to shift. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make

that the shift I needed to start working or creating the life that I wanted to live. And that's what traveling afforded me. And so I think that's why Eat, Pray, Love and people ask, it's like, oh, should I travel? I don't think you necessarily need to do what I did, which was take a year off and travel around the world. But it really is just gain new experiences, have new conversations, immerse yourself in different cultures, food, and that can happen kind of locally as well. Yeah, that's true. It's just do something different. Yeah, do something different, have a different type of conversation with a different individual. And I mean, that's what I've learned.

And I mean, what's really interesting about that, too, is that people tell me, Jason, I can't. I can't go quit my job and backpack around the world for an entire year. I don't have the funds and I necessarily didn't have it either. What I did was everyone kept telling me I needed to take that successor position, take the money, buy a house. And so that was the advice that I was getting. And I, again, it was that moment to say, hmm, is owning a home going to define who I am as an individual? And I realized at that point that I wanted to travel and have more experiences. And owning a home, although it may have made financial sense, would have distracted me from kind of the path that I am on now. And so instead of using the down payment I was saving to buy a home, I paid off the rest of my debt. And I used like, close to $10,000 for entire year. That's how much it cost me to travel for 12 months and go through

20 different countries. You only spent $10,000? $10,000. That's crazy. And what's, what's, what's, what's really awesome about that is that I learned the generosity of people. I learned to really trust kind of food elsewhere because I think we grew up in the U.S., right? Being Americans, we grew up going things need to be packaged and has to be done a certain way. And so, yeah, we're going to pay a premium for that. And so I was able to save by eating street food. And so when I started seeing Europeans eating street food, I'm like, what's wrong with me? Why can't I try that? And it's only $1 as opposed to $20 somewhere else.

Oh, I know. I know. No, that just reminds me. Me and my husband went to Thailand and we didn't take a year off. We took three weeks off, but three weeks definitely did a trick because we were both kind of unhappy where we were living in our situation. We were just kind of, you know, both at the point where we're like, ah, this isn't. And honestly, I think it was around the same age that you were, uh, when you were having that, that moment. And yeah, we went to Thailand and ate street food, uh, pad thai for a dollar, the best pad thai in the world. And yeah, we definitely had a moment where like something needs to change. And yeah, and when we got back home, we're like, all right, I think we're going to move.

So I absolutely recommend if you're in a funk or a quarter-life crisis, mid-life crisis, traveling is usually a good option. It really is a good option. And I think too, like those who's listening and you're kind of going from one job to the next and thinking that is going to what's going to change your experience or your emotion towards your life. I tend to look at it this way. If you have the opportunity, you get offered a new job. See if you can take two, three, a month in between. And you'll find that many employers are willing to do that. And taking three weeks, four weeks off between kind of like switching from one job to another can really set you on the right path. And you come back more

rejuvenated and excited for the new job that you're taking on or whatever you want to do. So it doesn't have to follow the path that I took, which was, okay, well, bye job. And I have no clue what I'm going to do when I get back because that is very stressful as well. So it's something that I recommend to people, but for them to understand that when reality hits in, when you come back home, that you do need to find a job or do need to find a way to sustain your living. But don't let that deter you from kind of making the shifts. And that's what brought me back in 2013 when I got back. Everyone kept asking me, hey, Jason, what are you going to do with your life? What's next?

It's like you live this dream lifestyle for an entire year, but what's next? And I wasn't necessarily sure what that would be, but I knew I wanted to create something. I knew I wanted to build something that could have massive impact on other people's lives. And just looking back and reflecting on my life, I knew that personal finance, I knew that access to financial resources, information, products and services was a key factor in why many of us do not have the opportunity to live our dream lifestyle. And so I started blogging in around March, April of 2013, just letting people

know what I was doing. And the blog took off. My friends and my family were sharing it. So from a handful of people to hundreds to thousands. And eventually, within that same year, about five, six months later, I said, I have this idea to build Frugal. Frugal was going to be this platform that gets millennials, Generation Y, to exchange financial information online. I put it out onto social, and I was very successful in raising over $78,000 in 30 days. So with the help of an amazing group of 541 people who believe as I do that we were breaking the social taboo about money and we were at that point where we all were focused not just on the money as the end goal, but money as a tool. Exactly.

Yeah, but we definitely needed better ways to access information so we can make smarter and informed decisions. And that's what Frugal was born. It was really born as a blog that turned into a Q&A platform that is iterating and evolving as a community ages and as we get more information. And so that's what's landed me here today. I mean, I'm very excited. Yeah, I'm very excited that we have like 65,000 people are part of this community. Wow. technology, but we're very social. And we like that social interaction. We want to have certain type of experiences. And looking at the trend that was happening with Frugal, I started thinking, how can I get the word out? How can I get more people to understand what we're doing and this focus as money as a tool. And that led me to creating the Road to Financial Wellness, which is this really crazy idea of taking a road trip across the country,

zigzagging. So it's not even a direct shot from one side to the other. It really is zigzagging across the country. And in 2015, it happened. I mean, this crazy idea I've had happened in a very short period of time. We drove 10,218 miles, had 37 events in a span of 30 days. Wow. Yeah, met over 8,000 people. And everything resonated. And people were getting excited about financial education and financial literacy.

And I worked with a number of partners, credit unions, fintech companies, not-for-profit, personal finance bloggers all around the country. And there was all this excitement. And I took a step back and I said to myself, wow, there's something here. If we can get six people into a classroom to learn about personal finance, budgeting, credit scores, what have you, that's good. But if we can get a dozen, now we're talking about hundreds of people in a room talking about personal finance and they're excited about it, we're really onto something. And so that thought and that idea just continued to permeate in my head and evolved in my mind. But with all the success of the road trip in 2015, I was reaching out to local media. I was telling them, hey, this is a movement that's happening in the grassroots local, and it's turning into a national movement. And they were telling me, this is great and all,

Jason, but we can't have you on TV because you're not an authority. Oh, really? Yeah. So I was like, Do they not know who you were? Come on. I don't even know. So I was like, well, what can make me into an authority? Well, you're an authority when you're an author. Oh, is that right? Exactly.

And that was my response as well. And I was like, hmm, well, I've written hundreds of blog posts. I've written for a number of online magazines, Business Insider, US News and World Report. And does that count? And they're like, well, that's good. But you're really an author when you have something substantive such as a book.

And I thought, wow, okay, well, this is interesting. This is a learning experience. And so I said to myself, in July of 2015, I was going to write a book. And I was going to take everything that I've written in the blogs and my notes and combine it together. And this was going to be my go to manual. This is what I'm going to refer people to. And I said that on Facebook. And around August, I told the world, the universe, that I was going to be an author and I was going to self-publish. And that landed in the stream of one of my friends who I've known for a few years,

who loves the information I've been sharing, reading my blog and my story. And she said, my son works at Wiley. Ooh, well, isn't that convenient? Yes. That's awesome. She said, I didn't know you wanted to write a book. And so she patched me over to her son. And two weeks later, I get an email asking me questions about myself, about my community, about my goals and this idea for this book. And not just a few days later after that, I met with him in person in Hoboken, New Jersey. And when I got home, I had a book deal in my inbox.

Oh, my God. That's awesome. It was very quick. And that really solidified for me that when you have a goal, when you have a dream, don't be afraid to share it out into the world. And social media is so powerful in that it gives us that platform. And we never know who reads it, who sees it. And also I realized that we could be talking and thinking about the stuff that we want to do. I want to be an author.

I want to be a business owner. I want to travel the world. But if we just have that conversation with ourselves, we actually don't see the people around us that can make it happen. And so I encourage everyone, you make yourself accountable, go out there and share your hopes, your dreams. And you'd be quite surprised in terms of the people that are willing to help you. And I mean, the road trip was a collaboration of so many people that made it successful. This book is a hodgepodge

of stories from individuals as well as mine. And then this year, while I'm on the second road trip, even crazier attempt to zigzag across the country, it is a collaboration and it wouldn't be possible without the support of so many people. I mean, such as yourself, Jessica. I mean, we're having this conversation because you resonate with the story and you resonate with the mission of really living financially well lives, but also purposeful ones. which i absolutely i think the more especially as i get older that becomes more and more just clear to me the whole uh living with purpose or or knowing what your purpose is in terms of and and you know including personal finance in that kind of equation um but that is awesome and i'm super excited to read your book it's not out quite yet right it's still on like pre-order well yeah so it actually is out um okay part of that with with well what's funny is that with the rush of of uh of like with the road trip and the book and all that stuff i realized that all my information says it's available

on pre-order and and and so but it's. But it's actually available? It's actually available. Oh, good. But see, that goes to show you that I might be on top. I might have this appearance that I'm on top of things. You're very busy. Very busy, yes. But it is, yeah, the book is called You Only Live Once, The Roadmap to Financial Wellness in a Purposeful Life.

It is available in all major retailers as well as independent booksellers. So you can buy it online. You can buy it at the bookstores and things like that. And the book does touch upon my story and the stories of others. I talked a bit about the road trip. But the whole focus really is on how can we craft a purposeful life? And money needs to be part of that conversation. So it is about personal finance, but it is about motivation.

And it's this weird conglomeration of words that I'm finding is resonating across generations. And it's getting people excited about pursuing financial education as a tool to live a life of purpose. And so I'm excited about that. I'm excited about it too. Because like you're saying exactly stuff that I'm trying to live by and lead by and share to my audience and my readers and listeners is that, you know, money shouldn't be the focus. It needs to be understood better. I mean, I, you know, it's crazy still that there's so many people out there that are, you know, earning money, but they aren't, they don't know how to manage it. And because of that, they're maybe mismanaging it and their, you know, their opportunities are kind of slashed in half and they aren't able to do

everything they'd like to do because they just don't really understand what they should be doing with their money. So I'm glad that you have Rugal and you have this awesome book that will help teach people. I love that it's called The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life because I think lots of people want like, give a roadmap just tell me what to do so I'm glad that you're here to tell people what to do and also I just want to say congrats because I saw that you were reviewed in the New York Times that's kind of a big deal yes um that that I'm like I'm grinning right like I'm grinning for you that is so freaking cool it is and so I have this um yeah i i'm a man and i have a vision board and so yes you do of course for all your male listeners um congrats and if you do not

definitely have a vision board i i say that because as i go around the country and i talk about vision boards um it usually is the it's um the majority are females that have it and they're excited that I believe in vision boards as well. I believe it. I have a male friend. He's a realtor and he does very well what he does, but he has a vision board and he redoes it every year. And he's like, every year I do almost everything that's on that board. I'm like, all right, I'm in it. I'm doing this.

I'm the same exact way. It's really interesting that the stuff that I've placed on the board and the things that I've written down of what I want to accomplish within the year or within this lifetime, these things do happen. And I think it just increases our awareness. So it's not just a matter of saying, I want all this stuff to happen. It just increases our awareness. And so when an opportunity arises, you'll seize it because now it's visual. We've actually created something. And I think that's important. That's why the vision boards are a really great deal. But I had New York Times review, New York Times bestseller on this vision board. And I really spelled it out because I saw them as two different things. And so when I got an email from my publicist over at Wiley, she goes, Jason, it's out the review. I was in New Orleans out Cafe Du Monde having a beignet and coffee.

I was passed out. I was like, what am I? I was like, is this real life? Is this happening? And so I rushed. And I was like, come. And I'm like, OK, real life? Is this happening? And so I rushed. And I was like, come. And I'm like, okay, where do I go buy newspaper? And I was like, that sounds really bad, right?

It's like, I didn't know where to buy newspaper. Well, you were in a state of shock. That's fair. That's fair. I'm not in a state of shock, but I think we do. I read a lot of my news online and through social. And I may find myself reading a newspaper when I'm staying at the hotel. And so I'm asking around, and people are looking at me really strangely.

Maybe it's because I was in this panic mode or excited mode, but no one had any clue where to buy a newspaper. Oh my gosh, that's hilarious. Yeah, eventually I said to myself, Jason, calm down. A very high luxury hotel would have newspapers. They would carry the New York Times. And so I walked my way towards the West End, and there was a Starbucks, and there was the copy of the New York Times. And I start flipping through the pages, and I'm like, there it is.

And I take a photo of it. And the girl at the cash register in Starbucks, she starts smiling. She goes, congratulations. She goes, what's happening? My book is reviewed in the New York Times. And that was awesome. I hope you framed that because that's definitely something you should frame. I do have.

My parents bought copies of it. And I believe they're looking at framing it. I'm on the road right now. I'm on the road. Yeah, fair enough, fair enough. I have my own copy. So I do have my own copy that I stare at. But yeah, so but it is great. And I've been talking with a number of friends and personal finance bloggers and everyone else. And they're saying that it's it is huge, and that the book does has resonated. And it's very rare for the book to be reviewed a personal finance book to be reviewed in the New York Times. And then they just felt that it did resonate. And so the review is good. I mean,

it does talk about the good review to not give bad reviews, or do they just not review them? I asked about that, too, because when I found out that they were going to review the book, I asked, is it a good or bad review? And they're like, well, it could be good and bad or either or. We don't know until it's published. So we don't have a say. But I was coached into believing that whether it's good or bad, getting the book reviewed is huge because it will just help grow the awareness of it. And so when I read it, I was like, wow, this is good. And he got it.

He got the whole goal of the book, which was for us to understand the life we want to live before we start setting financial goals that don't align with that life. And he got that. And that was my goal. And that's my goal for those who read it. That's awesome. So my next question, I know you're still on the road, so you're still very busy. But what do you have you've thought about what is the next step for you? What's going on after this road trip? Yeah, so the next step really is just to, uh, probably take a, a month and disappear and sleep. That goes to that saying, but, um, I think, uh, now that I think, I believe what I will be working on is enhancing the platform. So we're, we're working on making frugal, turning frugal from a Q and a site into an actual knowledge base of information to make

it easier for people to find the info that they're looking for and not have to wait for specific answers. Getting them, making it easier to discover the financial products and services that they're looking for. And I think that was some of the issues that we found out last year and that's being reinforced this year. It's like all this information is great, Jason. We're excited. But the issue that I'm faced with is I'm overburdened with student loan debt. My credit card isn't really the best credit card for me or what have you. And so they're trying to figure out a way to kind of find products and services that

align with their values, that align with our purpose. And as I've been going around the country, I've been meeting a lot of organizations that provide products and services, financial cooperatives, credit unions, USAA, that have purpose. And so I think as I continue to walk on this path, that I want people to know that there are financial institutions out there that align with this message that can help us live a purposeful life. Because again, money is still part of this conversation. It's an integral part.

It's not the end goal, but it's integral. And so I'm going to enhance the frugal platform. I'm going to continue to write. And also I want to connect more people such as yourself and other personal finance bloggers and educators who have this purpose and this mission and make it easier for you to connect to a wider audience. And so I believe that it isn't just one single person. I'm not trying to be the financial, motivational, what have you guru. What I want is to create a network of us that are living purposeful lives and empowering others to do so through example and getting them to be examples within their community.

Absolutely. We're better together. That's right. I love that. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, thank you, Jason, for taking the time to chat with me. It was a pleasure. And now I feel like I need to go do something awesome. You're such an inspirational, motivational person. Well, thank you so much, Jessica. This was a really awesome time and conversation. I really enjoyed it. Thank you. And that was episode 64 with the awesome Jason VTUG. Make sure to check out frugal.com and also his personal website, jasonvtug.com to find out more about him and the road to financial wellness. Make sure to also check out his awesome book, You Only Live Once,

The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life. It is a good read. You will want to check it out. And again, a big thank you to today's podcast episode sponsor, JustWealth, Canada's most comprehensive online investment platform. Again, if you want to open an account with them and get your ETF on and start doing some self-directed investing, which I am absolutely encouraging of, make sure to check out justwealth.com slash Jessica dash Morehouse for your special $50 bonus when you sign up for an account with them. Just Wealth, investing the way it should be just for you. All right. And before I wrap up, there's a couple more iTunes reviews that I want to give shout outs to. Hey, one is from Australia,

and I'm going to get to that first because that is the best that is literally on the other side of the world. Australia, I love you. I've always wanted to go to you. Maybe this is a sign. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Okay. So the Australian iTunes review, my first non-Canadian, non-US review is from Pyramid Dream from Australia. A really fun, casual, and laid back podcast on personal finance. I love listening to the stories of all the guests and the best thing about the podcast is that the interviews aren't so serious. It's more like a conversation. Great job, Jeff, and keep the episodes coming. Oh, I will, Pyramid Dream. Oh, I will, because I love Australia and I love you. All right, so the next one I've got is, and forgive me if I've already said this one before, but I don't think I have. I feel like

maybe I've just read it a few times and I feel like I've shared it, but okay, I'm just going to get to it. It is from USA, from M3, or maybe that's M-il. It's hard to tell. But anyways, they say, I've listened to several podcasts on finance and after listening to about six episodes, I've come to depend on Mo Money. I'm an older generation than Jessica, but her words and guests help me keep going on my goals. Also, she doesn't cut anyone down. She's honest and trustworthy. She speaks on what she knows and brings in people who are wise to comment on what she doesn't. It's fun and easy and immediately practical, yet still kind of chicken soup for the financial soul while moving you forward on your goals. Yes. Thank you so much. That made my day.

And if you want to send me some nice words, even not so nice words, I just, I like criticism. I want to improve myself. So if you want to let me know what you're thinking about my podcast, I would absolutely appreciate an iTunes review. And again, make sure to check out the show notes for this episode at jessicamorehouse.com slash 64. And I will see you back here tomorrow for another listener series episode. This podcast is distributed by the Women in Media Podcast Network.

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