The Rachel Cruze Show - Stop Technology From Controlling Your Life (and Money)

Episode Date: June 3, 2024

💵 Sign up for EveryDollar today. Create a free budget!  In this week's episode, I'm talking about fun ways to get little ones to love playing outside, unpacking "money dysmorphia" with tips for a healthy money mindset, and responding to your most-asked Instagram questions on finance and more.  In This Episode:  Five ways to really get kids off screens (with Ginny Yurich)  The real reason you feel behind financially  The top five questions I get asked on Instagram  Next Steps  🎥 Watch my video on 21 fun and budget-friendly things to do with kids.   😊 Check out my video on how feeling fulfilled can help save you money.   💰 Go to my video where I break down which budgeting method actually works.  📔 Pick up a copy of my new kids book, I'm Glad for Where I Am.   ✅ Keep up with Ginny Yurich on Instagram.   📖 Grab a copy of Ginny’s book Until the Streetlights Come On.  🌱 Listen to Rachel’s guest episode with Ginny on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast.  📚 Shop for my recent reads below!   Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys  The Women  The Teacher     Offers From Today's Sponsors  🏥 Learn more about Christian Healthcare Ministries.  Listen to More From Ramsey Network  🍸 Smart Money Happy Hour  🎙️ The Ramsey Show   🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show  💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights  💰 George Kamel  💼 The Ken Coleman Show  📈 EntreLeadership    Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So whether you call it comparison culture or even discontentment, it's still really easy to get discouraged when you see other people doing all of these things and having all of these wins that maybe you have not experienced yet. Hey guys, welcome to this episode of the Rachel Crewe Show podcast. I'm so glad that you're here. So in this episode, we'll talk about a term that has been trending lately, money dysmorphia. What is it and do you suffer from it? Then we'll chat about the top five questions I always get asked on social media. But first, let's sit down with my friend, Jenny Urich, and discuss why your kids need to get off screens and mine too.

But it's really good stuff. So take a listen. So I'm so excited about today because I have a special guest joining me. Jenny Urich is the author and founder of a thousand hours outside, and I have been on her podcast two or three times. And you're here. I'm so thrilled to be. I'm so good. This is a cool place.

Oh, my gosh. I mean, it's even cooler than I was expecting. Oh, really? I mean, it's so cool here. Thanks. In this, like, area's the best. The Rachel world. Yes.

There's also cool outdoor spaces. I did notice. Yes, I know. You would appreciate that. Yes, I did. Okay, so Jenny is known for you guys. She's so great. All of you that have kids, her big movement is about getting our kids outside, right?

Away from screens, all of that. But over a decade, right? Yeah, for a long time. Every year, you guys, they have a goal to spend a thousand hours outside. And let me just say, my friends, it's funny in my world because I have, like, personal friends that like know and love me and they know some stuff I do here some not but it's like I don't know you've just known for so long when I was on your podcast I had two friends from college reach out and they were like are you on the thousand hours outside of podcast reach all and I was like yeah I had heard from

like eight years and they all these moms like totally reached out because you've made such an impact that's so cool so talk about that talk about just kind of like your overall philosophy because I think parents we're craving it for our kids my philosophy comes out of failure I really had a hard time when our kids were little. And I didn't know what to do with them. I didn't know how to fill the time. And I think it fits so well with talking about money because a lot of times we fill our time with things that are very expensive. You know, when you're a young mom, when you're starting off your life, you don't have mom. We didn't have much money. So I'm like, I want to do this. I want to sign up for that. And I was like, my money is dwindling now. I don't have anymore. And I just learned. It was just a happenstance thing.

A friend told me, like when we go outside, it helps our kids develop in every way that we want them to develop. Right. And it's free. It doesn't cost anything. It doesn't cost anything. And it really is life-giving to the entire family. And so we're in this day and age where our time is slipping out the door. It's slipping out the door to screens. It's slipping out the door to a lot of things that feel like they're really worthy, like these extracurricular activities, but really have a lot of worry and anxiety and fear attached to them. And a lot of your cash, you can get a lot of the benefits and possibly more just by being outside.

So this is a message of hope for parents, for grandparents. A lot of grandparents spend time with their kids, right? Yes. We are a grandparent. We're a little tired. You know, we got these little kids running around. It's like, well, take him in a place. where they can run out their energy. That's how they're made. Yes. Oh, 100%. You know what? It's so funny,

because you have five. Yeah. And I still tell the story because it still is just like so funny to me. Like, we'll travel with our kids. I think we give our kids a great life. Right? I'm like, yeah, you get to do some awesome stuff? And one of the things they always go back to my, especially my middle one, who's six, like, mom, do you remember at Thanksgiving break when we went to this high school next to our house? And we rode bikes for like an hour. And I was like, we ride bikes all the time. But you switch up an environment that much to an impact. And you. And parking lot that just felt new and exciting for whatever reason, but they thrive and their memories. And how meaningful is that for them? It doesn't cost. It doesn't cost it. It doesn't cost you cost your time.

Yeah, that's right. It does cost your time. But you get a lot back from that. Yes, for sure. I know. It's so beautiful. I asked people on our podcast, the last question, what's a favorite childhood memory that you had that was outside? And not one of them is Disney World. It's always like, I walked home from school and the dust kicked up. What kind of memory is that? You know what's like, or with my grandparents. And we made houses in the reads. I mean, and it's precious, but it's very simple. Yes, so simple, which I think is so great again, and the chaos and everything. But why do you think this dilemma between screens and kids? It is constant. And I guess my kids are getting at the age that it's even more and more and more conversation. For you, like, what do you see? You're like, oh, my gosh, what are the downsides if you're like,

you just stick your kid in front of a screen all day? Okay. And no shame. We all end up at some point, right? There's all of it. But like, talk to me about the contrast between that life. versus kind of what you are promoting. Well, I think the downsides, a lot of people know, right? These kids are anxious, the kids are struggling. So that's a downside, right? I mean, that part I think a lot of people talk about. I would say for me the biggest downside is you lose it.

You get one chance. And I'm not like a, oh, you're 18 summer. You know, it's not that. But it really is we get one opportunity to do this. We get a certain amount of time. Our kids get one childhood that they live. And so what happens is it's not that the screens are evil. It's just that they take the place.

Oh, they can't be evil. actually. I thought that out of there. All right. But they take the place of so much other life. Yeah. Full life and experiences and the bike ride, you know? And I thought, so when we first started spending a lot more time outside,

it was just for my own mental health, for my sanity, right? Mothers, like, you know, you're drowning. These kids need stuff all the time. I just talk to someone who said, young kids, they don't know how to have inner speech. So everything they think, they say out loud. And you hear it all. Mom, mom, mom. You know, it's like that.

Like, it's constant. And it's like, well, that's because that part hasn't developed. And so that's normal. And so it's like, gosh, I need a break from the noise. And I feel like it just dissipates into the woods, you know, where they're engaged or they stop for one second being like, mom, mom. So you get this little bit of a break, but then it's really good for everyone. Yes. And you lose that.

The screens, you lose all of that. So to me, that's the biggest downside is that you don't remember the screen moments. Right. And you don't get to go back and redo that. So for me, it's about filling our life with all that good stuff. I love it. Do some screens afterward. That's right.

That's right. Amen. Okay. So you talk about, though, in order to get outside, you kind of have to get creative. Because I think some people think, like, I don't know what to do. Like, we go out there and if they run around the backyard, what else is there to do, right? And so you have scenarios that are budget-friendly, free even, when it comes to getting our kids outside and being able to play.

Yeah. You just got to know that it's good for them. So I think there's this misconception that what is good for kids is what the adults tell them. But what is good for kids is what comes from inside of them. There's a lot of books out there. There's a lot of research. And it's constantly coming out. Like it's talking about kids need to be able to have far looking.

Oh. Because it's the only time that their eyes relax. And when you're inside and when you're sleeping, the ring around your eyes, the ciliary ring, is always flexed. So you've got this flexed eye. And the only time it ever relaxes is when you have far distance looking, right? So I read stuff like that and I'm like, oh, it's a reminder. Like, I have to go. I read it to say something that says, when you go outside in the morning and the sunlight goes right through your eyes to your brain.

And it releases serotonin. And you feel good. And then serotonin is a precursor for melatonin. So I'm like, here's what I want, Rachel. I would like to have happy kids in the morning and sleepy kids at night. And nature gives us that, right? So you start with this baseline of knowledge. And then I talk about the three Fs, right?

Guys, the three Fs, this is pretty easy. This is all you need. You know, it's like for so many things we need a lot. If you go outside, you don't need a lot. Here's what you need. You need food, right? Kids are hungry. Yes.

Have the snacks. Have sex. Bring your good snacks. If you have an 11-year-old that does not want to go, bring something that they really like. like entice them out. Screens are so enticing. Yeah. My friend has a book called

The Opt-out family. It's coming out and it's like how to give your kids what technology can't. Technology cannot give our kids good snacks. Yes, that's right. They can't.

We can't deliver that. We can give our kids good snacks. When you get together with a group of families and everyone brings their good snacks, then they all trade. Yes. Yes.

And this is like where life is happening. So it's really easy. It's food. It's friends. And please you have to have the friends. Yes. Your 14-year-old does not want to go outside over playing video games,

but your 14 will go if there's a friend there. And when kids have multi-age experiences, this helps them develop. And this is beautiful for them. So food friends, a first aid kit. Okay. A first aid kit. Because they're going to get hurt outside. Because they're going to fall. Yeah. And it's really good for them. Like bumps and bruises are what helps them learn how to be in their body. So this is good for them for the long term. So we start with a base of knowledge. I don't think that there's anything more healthy that you can do for your child as a whole being. And also for your family. This is redeeming your family time than to go outside. You've got your food. You got your friends.

You got your first day kit. And you just have a long-term view of life. You know? These are not really practical things. These are very, like, existential things. I mean, some are practical and some are existential. No, but that's it, is that we want to build these memories while they're little, and then we always have them. Our kids talk about all the things that we've done and gone and had so much fun doing. So if you're starting off, you just kind of look right around your area. What are places?

Can we go to the school playground after school? Can we go find the zoo? Can we find the nature center? I just put it in Google. You know, beach, playground. You're going to have so many options of things that you can do in your area. You can plop around. People do little playground hops.

There's lots of ideas. And the kids will entertain themselves. Give them a little bit of time. They will. Well, and I think that independence that's created in them, when I see them just go off. And like we have like a, I mean, I call it a creek. It's sort of a creek. Yeah.

If it rains, it's a creek. But like it's in the back corner of our yard. And you would think the kids, it's like the Britsa's hair beat the out or something. And they'll just be out there. And I'm like, who knew some like little part of our yard just becomes this like whole other oasis for now? How much of those sticks cost? I know. Jesus.

I was at a friend's house and they had a huge pile of sticks. I don't, it was like huge. Like the kids could climb up on it. And they were like, Mom, we want a pile of sticks. Where can I get that? You know, like put it in their stocking. I mean, it doesn't cost anything. I know.

And it's so good for them. And then they're not fighting over it. It takes away a lot of that rivalry in between siblings. I mean, this is where you're going to find the spot where you get to relax and your kids get to grow in very healthy ways. Okay. Can we go practical for a second too? I'm just thinking as a mom because this has happened even this past week in Nashville. Our weather's changed.

Yeah. We had some hot days. So I was out playing soccer with Charles. We're just out, like we're doing it. They're, like, sweaty, hot. I mean, it gets to a point that they're like, mom, we want to go inside. We're so hot because it's like all humid and stuff. How do you, like, navigate, like, how long they need to be out?

How do you navigate, like, when it is okay to go in and we'll have a movie night? Tell me, like, you're getting, I want to get in Jenny's brain. Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, I'm going to be super miserable, but, like, miserable experience is actually produced character. So we talk about Michael Easter, right? Like, this is where we developed. And with my four-year-old boy, I'm like, it's okay, but it's okay. Out of it's going to help them be tough, right?

Yeah, I know. Who's the guy that does the meat eater stuff? Stephen Rinella, I like this. And people get mad when I say it. But he said in his book, he said, okay, my kids complain. Why do we have to do this hard thing or that hard thing? He says, this is good. I think this is really good.

He says, so you can hang out with the cool people when you're older. And it's because you become like this ruddy, gritty person who, like, can go do the cool things and go do the hikes and go to the summit of the mountain. and you can jump into the freezing cold water because you can do it. And then you have this like plethora of friends who either want to hear about it because they haven't done it. Sure. Or they're going to go do it with you. That's funny. I mean, I think like obviously there's times and you've got a newborn and you're not going to, maybe you're not going to go out and it's a frigid cold.

You have to be careful for safety. And in that middle of a hot summer, you're going to go out in the morning. You're going to go out at night. Yeah, yeah. But we've got to know. Like how are kids becoming these people that can push through a hard life with challenges? They don't find it at a desk in the air conditioning. No.

They don't. No, no. You know what my favorite books is of The Comfort Crisis? Yes. And Michael Easter. It was such a convicting book for me as an adult because I was that person. Probably say I'm to a degree where I'm like, I like to be like 72 degrees. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I get it. Like, all of it. And it took me about nine months to actually like form. So that's new habits. But doing full plunges now. I'm doing so like I'm doing so. Like I'm doing some in shape mother that's like super outdoorsy. Sometimes I fall. Totally. And I scream. You know? I'm like, but it doesn't matter. You can still. go out there with your kids and find what it is that works for you. We went rappelling in, uh, in Utah,

Moab, Utah, the Moab Adventure Center, they have this thing you repel. I'm like, this is going to be super easy. You just kind of like bounce down. Sure, sure. I did not bounce down. No, you know, I fell. And I was like laying. I'm like, laying like horizontal. Everyone else went down vertical. And I was horizontal. And then I just started screaming because I can't, I can't release the thing. And I'm like, I'm dangling. I'm dangling. The people who did the trip, they're like, we've never heard anyone scream this much, you know, but I know my daughter will never forget that. Get that. No.

Uh-uh. And we did it. You know? It's fun, though. And you have the energy for it. And that's the thing sometimes is. I'm like, I'm just so tired, Joe. I'm so tired.

But it is. But it's to get out. Yeah. And even if it's a family walk. It does. It refreshes you because you become alive. I mean, we've got kids that we're now sleeping through the night. And I thought I will feel so rested.

Yeah. But you don't. I think what makes you feel good. Sorry. Sorry to all the people to break it to you. You know why. Your teenagers want to talk to you till in the middle of the night. Sweet.

I want to, sweet. Don't listen to this, kids. I am interested. I'm very, very, very interested. But kind of I'm not. And I want to go to sleep. So you are still tired and you're kind of running around. You're run ragged because you're a parent.

And when you do things that make you come alive, and maybe that's not even outside. Like maybe it's because you like to do embroidery. You like to do stuff. Do you know that there is this woman, Dr. Kelly Lambert, she says when you do things with your hands, your brain releases dopamine. Ah, really? Yeah, and not swiping. No, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Actually creating.

Yeah, creating. So I've started, I'm so old. I started to keep cross stitch in my purse. And look at you. Are you just at appointments? And you're just a little bit. Yeah. Just exes, you know.

Just all the way through. Yeah. And I'll do one round row stitch. And I feel better. And I have to say that. If I'm feeling like anxious or it does something for you. Yes, I believe that. There's more part of your brain that goes to your hands than to your back and legs combined.

Really? Isn't that interesting? Yes. See, this is the good thing about like technology and we're gone as a society. One way we're like going down the hill of like no good. But then you get all this research. and you actually start to learn more, which is so fascinating. And it reminds you, like, hold the book.

Like, I love your books, right? You're reading to your kids. Like, hold that book in your hand. Yes, I read actual books. Yes, and it's so good for you and it's so good for them and the weight of that. Like, even that type of thing. Yeah. So the messages, Simple still works.

Yes. And Simple still prepares our kids for what. Sometimes it feels like there's no way. You know, if there's generative AI, it's like, how could this simple stuff prepare our kids? But it does and prepares them probably in a better way because it's, allowing them to draw from their own inner resources. Totally. And it's all God-given.

It's all created. It's how we're created, which is so beautiful. Yes. They're biologically designed to self-educate and to grow and to chase after their passions. I know Ken's got, he's got a whole book about like, you know, what career and all this. And it's in them. Yes. So it gives them time outside, all the time inside, all the time inside that's not facilitated and not filled in.

So good. It gives them time to become who they're supposed to be. So good. And I love this episode. It's like right around the summertime because it is. It's just the encouragement. Summertime is like panic a little bit. Yes.

Like, I think you're excited for one day. Yeah. And then it's panic. And then it's like, oh my gosh, here we are. Yeah. And so what you want to do is you want to, if you're going to put in the effort to get your kids outside, stay longer. Yes. Because they fall into their play then.

And you bring a book if you can. You bring a friend and you have a conversation. Yeah. Yes. It's wonderful. It is wonderful. So good. Oh, Jenny, you're doing such great stuff.

Seriously. Just all your encouragement. Thank you. And you're like that step ahead, at least of like the young moms of like, you can do this, you guys. You can do this. And it really crosses, right? You got to be content. Yes.

You know, love your life, not theirs. Your life doesn't have to look like this and it costs this much money and look like that person's thing. No, you love it because you know that when you go out and you do these simple things, it fills you. Yes. And it fills your kids. And you're wildly happy enough. Yeah. Because when you're continuing the rat race, the rat race never stops.

And I love it. I'm glad for where I am. Yes, I know. My new one. I'm in my creek. Some people call it a crick. Really? Have you heard that?

I don't know. It's like in Kentucky, like a crick. So if anyone's listening and they don't know what a creek is, I'm helping that. There you go. It's also a crick. Look, yeah, you're translating for everyone. For America. Yeah. My own friends in real life. Not that my people here are not real life friends. They're real life friends too. But like outside of work, they're like, they love you. They love you, love you, love you, and it's so great. Okay. And you have a new book out. I do. Okay. I do. It's a book I always wanted to write. It's called until the streetlights come on, which is what people used to say. They used to have freedom to play. And you talk to people who are grandparents and not even grandparents. You know, they're in their 30s, 40s. And they spent their childhood after. playing. Oh, yes. And the streetlight coming on would be the signal to go and they have freedom. And so the subtitle is is how a return to play, it brightens our today and it prepares kids for an uncertain future.

It brightens the present. So here's what I want. As a mother, I want a good today. Also, I don't want to sacrifice tomorrow. Yep. And that's what this does. That's what play does. It doesn't sacrifice today on the altar of tomorrow. Yes. You can have a good day that still prepares your kids for tomorrow. You can all enjoy it. You can enjoy it as a family. You can enjoy your life. You can enjoy your kids. Yes. All summer long. So good. You just got to be in the right environment that keeps their attention. Yeah. Yeah, that and the right mindset. Like you've got to go into the day and then. Yeah. This is it. I got to find something else that takes their attention. You know, it can't be me all the time. Otherwise, you're like a circus clown. It's too hard.

Totally. God made it so that his creation, it occupies them. Yes. Like, how could a kid be occupied with grass? But they are. They are. A pile of sticks. I mean, they're going to, they ask for them. Yes. Oh, yeah. Oh. Oh. It's so true. It's so true. Let them go. Let them be creative. Let them go. I love it. So great, Jenny. Jenny, Yurich, the author. and founder of 1,000 hours outside. Here you guys again, make sure to check out everything that she's doing. So great. Well, again, I so appreciate all you do, you guys. And make sure to check out where she is.

She's everywhere. She's on social. She's on podcasts, but it's 1,000 hours outside. You're the best. You're the best. So this won't come as an absolute shock or it shouldn't. But apparently, Gen Z has come up with yet another trending term that is going viral in the Internet.

And it's called Money Dissexuals. And it refers to feeling confused about where you are financially compared to other people, right? Like, are you ahead? Are you behind? Are you checking all the right boxes? Are you doing all the right steps? I mean, these are questions that so many people are wrestling with. And I think we all have at some point. So whether you call it comparison culture or money dysmorphia or even discontentments, a lot of you are constantly wondering how we're doing financially compared to everybody else. And even if we know deep down that social media is just a highlight reel, and we always know that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, it's still really easy to get discouraged when you see other people doing all of these things and having all of these wins that maybe you have not experienced yet. So today I want to talk to you about the real reason you might be feeling behind with your money.

We'll talk about the root of the issue, and I'll give you some practical tips on how to climb out of that negative headspace and get clear on your financial goals. All right, first, let's talk about contentments for a sec. So if you know me at all, contentment is something that I really value and it's something that I have to work on for myself. Because contentment is this place that you have this level of gratitude and awareness about your life, and you have peace with what you have. And yes, you can still be striving for more and still have goals. but that's coming out of a place of health rather than a place of feeling like, oh gosh, I need these things to be okay, right? So this contentment place is really, really good.

And when you look around at everyone on the internet, you guys, even if you're practicing contentment and you're trying to be aware of it, it is still easy to feel like, oh my gosh, but everybody is winning. Everyone is doing all these amazing things. They have this amazing life. But remember, I'm here to remind you you're not seeing the whole picture. I don't know that's hard to remember sometimes, and you can get into this belief system,

even if you watch someone's stories and you feel like you know their whole life, you don't, you don't. So remember, your life and where you're at when you have peace and gratitude, knowing that, hey, I am where I'm supposed to be and you have that piece that is going to be huge for you. Okay, so now what does all this have to do with your money? Well, the way I see it, practicing contentment is a huge key to breaking the comparison culture cycle. Because once comparison is no longer part of your financial discussions, then you really are unstoppable when it comes to building wealth. Because it's not about everyone else, and what everyone else is doing or not doing, it's about you.

So to break it down, contentment affects your money in three main ways. Because people who are content, I find, tend to save more. They end up saying no to other stuff, and they're like, yeah, we're actually going to have the margin to not feel like, oh, we have to go and spend everything, but we're going to actually, you know, take some of this and save. It's amazing. Content people really do save more. content people also find it easier to sacrifice their lifestyle to pay off debt.

Because if you're not just trying to keep up and have this norm of what everyone else is doing, that this is where I'm going to live when you actually say, okay, good for them, we're going to probably live a few not just below that. We may not go on that vacation this summer that everyone's going on. We may not drive that car. We may not live in that kind of house. We may not send their kids to that kind of school. Like, whatever it is.

You kind of lower that bar. Then naturally your lifestyle is lowered. And usually the result of that is you have more money. when you're doing less things and spending more money, you're going to have more margin. And also, I find content people are generous. It is an amazing thing when you are just so thankful and grateful for where you are and you have that piece and a need comes along and you have the money, you're like, oh, yeah, you can let it go that much more easy because you're not thinking of opportunity costs about, oh, that money could have bought me this or that. No, it's for other people

and it's to serve and to give, and it's a really beautiful thing. So when you're truly content, you are able to live in that piece because the trends and the comparison culture, they don't threaten yourself worth and who you are. So next, let's talk about how to track your progress with contentment and your finances. All right, here are a few questions that can help you understand the state of your money

and increase your capacity for contentment. First off, can you afford your basic needs? So your basic needs in today's world is food, shelter, utilities, and transportation. Okay, making sure that you have food, you are able to eat. making sure your rent, your mortgage is paid, making sure your water, your lights are on, and making sure you have gas for your car.

If you do public transportation, you have the means to get to and from work. So are those things covered? Also ask yourself, do you know how to save for what you want out of life? So when it comes to things like, hey, we want you to pay off debt first, all of that. But when you think about, I want to save for my dreams and my hopes and these goals that I have. Like, if you thought about, okay, once we get out of debt, if you have debt, and maybe you have your emergency funds, all of that. But beyond that, like, do you have the ability to really tactically say, yeah, we have this

big goal to do X, Y, or Z, and actually see a pathway moving forward? And it may not be in the next 12 months, but over time to be able to say, yeah, we can accomplish that. Also, can you reach a maintenance phase so that financial peace is long-lasting? So what I mean by that is that you get to this place that, like, your income, it very much, you know, takes on your lifestyle. You're able to use your money. You're not going into debt for that.

And you have margin. You have margin to maybe save for long-term things that you're wanting. You're able to say, yeah, we're at a place where we're going to be able to give more than we thought we would. Like, getting to that maintenance phase is going to give you financial peace. Because, again, there's not this like chaos or like, oh, if this happens, oh, my gosh, we're not going to be okay. You know, you have all these bills, like all this stuff to get to a point where you're like, yes, this consistency, the stability is really nice. And you guys, like, at that point, again, it may look different for everyone, depending on where you live, what city you're in, how many kids you have,

like, all of that. When you get to that kind of maintenance phase, like, that's a good place to be. So we've talked about comparison traps, contentment, how to gauge your progress and your identity, your goals, all of it. Now, the only thing that remains is to give you tools to move forward. And can I tell you, one of the best tools that you can use is every dollar. Every dollar is what I use every single day to track my expenses and follow a budget. And again, you know, the boring habits that people say, those are the things that really propel you long term. Like, those are the things that keep you on track and keep you focused. So go to every dollar.com and make a budget today for free and get started. Because again, it's a slow and steady ride that we're on when

it comes to building wealth and getting control of our money, but it is worth a ride. So one of my favorite things that I get to do is hanging out with you guys. I get to interact with you. So whether you're calling The Ramsey Show or I'm reading your comments here on this show or maybe on social media, I love learning all your money wins and your challenges. But after a while, there's kind of a pattern that emerges, right? I always get questions, especially on social media. And if I do one of those, like, ask me anything, I get kind of the same questions. So we're going to go over the five top questions that I always get, especially when it comes to Instagram.

So some of them are personal finance related. some others are not. So we're going to just go through each of them, and hopefully maybe it's questions that you have had that we will answer. All right, the first question has to do with retirement investing. I know, super fun stuff. But some of you love it. You love talking about investing. But lots of people will know my thoughts when it comes to like Roth or traditional. And typically, here's what I always say, match beats Roth beats traditional. So what I would say is that you always want to go up to the match if your employer offers one, like a 401K, and then go over to a Roth IRA, fund some money. And if you still have money left to go, you can go back to your 401K.

Now, some people on social will debate me because when it comes to your taxes and your tax bracket, your income, all of that. Some would say, well, shouldn't you just do a traditional IRA? You'll come out better ahead. But here's the deal. When it comes to your income overall, over the scope of your life, the goal is that your income continues to go up, right? and so you're going to be at a different tax bracket when you retire.

And a Roth IRA, again, you guys, because the word Roth, means the growth is tax-free. And I think that's going to benefit majority of people over time because it's just great. Now, another retirement question I get asked is practically and specifically speaking, how do I open up something like a Roth IRA? So when you're looking at these two retirement accounts, a 401K or a 403B, you'll do through your employer. Your HR department should have all of that information. So you can open up a fund that way.

and then a Roth IRA, what you can do is sit down with an investment professional, do it that way. I mean, even websites like Vanguard, you can actually open up your own. But here's what I would say with both of these, I would still sit down with an investment professional because you can open up the account. You can actually put money in the account, but then you have to take that money that's in the account and actually invest it then. And that's where the confusion can sometimes occur because you want to diversify, you want to choose mutual funds, you know, growth, growth and income, aggressive growth.

Like there's different levels of which you want to put your money to diversify an investment professional on your side is really, really worth it, you guys. So make sure to sit down with somebody and go through all of that. It sounds a little complicated, but it's easier than it sounds. All right, the second question. So when I always get, I get investing. And then my second question, it's a fun one. And it's not related to finances. But people always want to know where I bought X, Y, and Z.

Usually when it comes to my outfit, they're like, oh, your jewelry or your shirt, you're jewellery. jeans. Oh my gosh, where did you buy it? Where did you buy it? So after a while, I was like, well, I'll just start linking. I'll start actually like showing you the exact website of which I bought it because most of the time all my stuff is from Amazon and Target and Old Navy. And so, again, I sometimes will throw in a nice blazer from like J. Crew or something, but I love buying more inexpensive clothes because I like to keep up with the trends. I think they're fun. And when they go out, I don't feel as bad like getting rid of clothes or donating clothes because I'll probably cycle through them.

So I'm always more than happy to be able to tell you exactly where I bought something because if you find something cute and it's a good deal, spread the love, right? Spread the love. Now, I will also save up and buy some investment pieces. I will buy like a nice purse, for instance. Some of my jewelry is nice. But again, more sentimental pieces, I will invest some money in and have some nice ones. But again, I love clothes.

I love shopping. And apparently a lot of people do too. So I'm your girl. I'm here to help you. All right, the third question I get asked most often is another very practical money question. So I'll go ahead and say up front that my answer for this one has always been the same and it will never change. But some people have a hard time accepting it. And people want to know if I have savings, should I really throw it all at my debt to pay off my debt?

Or should I pay my debt off over a longer period of time but still have some savings as a cushion? So I will always, always teach the baby steps because I've seen it. work time and time again. And that is have a thousand dollar emergency funds, but then everything else throw out your debt, which I know can be really scary, especially if you have like 10 grand or 20 grand saved up. You're like, I'm going to empty all of that. But here's the deal. It's only for a period of time. It's not that this you're never going to have that money back again. And the faster you can pay off debt, not only are you getting rid of money that you're probably paying high interest on. Mathematically speaking, you're actually probably getting ahead by putting some of that

money towards that debt. But once you have no payments, you're able to booster that fund backup to a fully funded emergency fund of three to six months of expenses, which is baby's step three. So it's a question I get a lot. Should I really take my savings and throw it at the debt? Yes, yes, and amen. Get it out as quickly as possible. And it is an amazing thing that happens when you don't have debt, mathematically speaking and emotionally. All right, the fourth question I get asked most often on social media is what I'm currently reading. Yes, I love it. I love books. I will talk about books a lot. And a lot of you love books, too. And I used to do, or I still do these reels. And I stopped for a few months. Life kind of got crazy. And I don't know.

I just didn't do them. And people were like, where are your book reels? We want your book reels. What are you reading? What are you reading? So I'm reading a book by David Thomas, and it's called Wild Things. And I realized you guys, I have two older girls. And when my girls were my life and I'm a big reader, I read so many girl books. And I was like girls and how their brains are developing. And I just, like, loved it. And so interesting. Then the third kid comes along and I'm like, I haven't done anything. So I was like, I need to read a book on boys because he's four and a half. He's about to turn five. And it is so good, you guys, because it breaks it down by ages. And he's hitting this like midstage at five. At five, it's like a new phase.

So like five to eight, I think is what it is. But it's called Wild Things by David Thomas. And it's been, it's been so good. So, so good. So check that one out. I also just finished the women by Kristen Hannah. It's really great book. It's about nurses that were during the Vietnam War and actually Kelly, one of the producers of the show, told me, she's like, you got to read it. But I love Kristen Hannah. It was a really good one. And then I got two books in the mail this weekend, which I'm really excited to dive in. One is called The Teacher, and it's by the same author that did The House Maid, who great book too. That one, and then another, like, murder book because I love murder books, so I'll be diving into those soon. But I do love books. Love them.

And I'd love to hear what you're reading, too. I usually ask this on social media, but here on podcasts and YouTube, drop your comments. I want to know what you're reading. And the fifth question is probably my favorite because it's one of the financial habits that I could never live without. And that is how to budget. Rachel, how do I budget? Can I budget on an irregular income? What do I do with this? What do I do with that? And listen, budgeting is one of those things that you put into your life and you do consistently and it just brings you peace. It does. It shows you your guardrails, you get you in control of your money. And simply, we always teach a zero-based budget, which is your income.

for the month, minus all of your expenses, including giving and saving, should equal zero. Every dollar of your income has a purpose, and you know where it's going. And the budget can fluctuate throughout the month, okay? Stuff will happen, and you may have to change some categories. It is a living and breathing part of your life, so it's okay to change it. But just being aware, hey, this is how we live below our means. This is how we hit the money goals we want to hit, and it just gives you a plan. So I thought those were some good questions, you guys. So make sure to check out my Instagram because I do these Q&As. and hopefully you'll get your question answered.

All right, if you love this show, can we hear about it? Will you please leave a review? Make sure you subscribe because your feedback helps us out so, so much. And I want to thank Jenny Eurich so much for being a guest on the show, and I want to thank you guys so much for listening. And remember to take control of your money

and create a life you love.