The Rachel Cruze Show - The #1 Way to Have More Fun In Your Life

Episode Date: February 1, 2021

In this episode of The Rachel Cruze Show, you’ll learn: How to have more fun with Annie F. Downs How to use sinking funds to reach your goals A refresher on the debt snowball and why it works Resources: Minno Tuft and Needle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I love looking at life to know as much as I can control and I can save and I can plan, the better off I feel, the better off life is. If you know that there's going to be emergencies, why not plan even more for them? Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Rachel Cruz Show podcast. I'm so glad that you're here. This episode is really fun because I get to interview my friend, Annie F. Downs, about how to have more fun in our lives.

That's right. She's the queen when it comes to fun. so it's a really, really great conversation. I'll answer a question from my Facebook community about what to do with your company bonus while working the baby steps. But first, let's talk about what a sinking fund is. This is a word that is thrown around so much

when it comes to personal finance, but really, sinking funds are the best way to ensure peace and fun in your life. So take a listen. One elements when it comes to personal finance that really helps you save, and helps you stay on track are sinking funds. So what a sinking fund is is where you save a little bit of money every month for something specific. Okay, so maybe you're going on a vacation. You could have a sinking

fund. You're saying, I'm going to save X amount each month towards that vacation. Maybe you're going to replace a car. You save it towards the car each month. That is what a sinking fund is. Some people, they kind of just want to have a big savings account and take the money out when they need a big expense or other people love sinking funds. I love a good sinking funds because I love being as detailed as possible because details, it's not my personality. I am a free spirit.

So when I know I have this goal and I'm saving a little bit towards it every month, it just feels so great. So there are four main pros for having sinking funds. One, you know you're saving towards something fun that you want. So again, whether it's a bridesmaid stress because you're in your friend's wedding or it's a vacation or it's a new car.

I don't know what it is. You're redoing your kitchen. Maybe you have a kitchen remodel. It's something exciting. So the savings goal, it really gives you some motivation. Say, yes, I will put money away each month because of this fun thing that I'm going to get to experience or that I get to save for. Number two, it helps you save for anything. Sometimes big purchases feel overwhelming.

It's like, oh, wow, this is like, you know, this big savings goal I have. You see the total and you think, oh, that's a lot of money. but what it does is it helps you show, yes, bite-sized pieces go a long way. So saving for anything will help with the sinking fund. Number three, it removes the guilt of buying things. This is my favorite. Remove that shame, remove that guilt because you say, yes, I have saved every single month for a certain amount of time, certain amount of money for this item, for this experience,

whatever it is, and you save for it so you can buy it without guilt without shame. It also helps you save for expected emergencies. Okay, this is where DiV Ramsey and I disagree a little bit. Listen, I am so for you having sinking funds for like a lot of things, okay? Not just a purchase you want to make in the future, but when you know things are going to happen, if you have pets, you know, more than likely at some point during this pet's life, yeah, maybe they're going to have to have surgery. Maybe you're going to have to take them to the pet hospital.

They're going to go to the vets. I don't know. so you can just put a little bit of money away each month for the pet. So if something comes up, when it comes up, you don't have to dip into your actual emergency fund. You've been saving for this little category all these years, and there's some money there. And there it is. Or for your car, okay? You know you're going to have to buy tires or maybe you have a used older car and you think,

okay, I'm probably going to have to replace the transmission at some point. Like it's going to break down. So maybe you have a car fund. maybe you have a sinking fund for car repairs, and every month just put a little bit away. So when you have that repair, huh, there's the money. And then maybe you have a whole other sinking fund for replacing the car. Maybe in two years you want to buy a new car. So a little bit of money.

Okay, it takes a level of discipline that probably just stressed a lot of you out. But I love looking at life to know as much as I can control and I can save and I can plan, the better off I feel. The better off life is. Now, you have your fully funded emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. Okay, that's there. So what Dave Ramsey would say is when the vet bill comes or when you have to have your car repair, you just take it out of the emergency fund.

So I would say that that is okay advice. You can do that. That's fine. That's what it's there for. But if you know that there's going to be emergencies, why not plan even more for them? I'm stressing someone you out? I might be. I might be.

Okay. Now, here's the thing you have to remember we're sinking funds. If you do exactly what I just said, that means you're probably going to have a lot. Like you could have six, ten sinking funds, and it can get really confusing, really fast. So I would always have a separate account aside from your emergency fund, another account, and you just have to keep up with it and say, okay, here's this amount of money in this account. This percentage is for, you know, vet bills. This percentage is for the new car.

This percentage is for the vacation we're saving up for. It can all be in one account. You don't want separate savings account for all these sinking funds. but you just know, yeah, I'm putting extra money away every month for these things in life. And it doesn't have to be a big amount of money. It really doesn't. But when you know there's an expense coming, you know how much it is. You can back it out time-wise and know how many months you need to save and how much to save per month. Put it away in that fund, and the money will be there when you need it. So great.

So if you want more information, you can use every dollar. They help you really categorize your sinking funds and walk with you through that. It's part of Ramsey Plus. It's amazing. You can click the link in the description. to check that out. But sinking funds, they're your friends. Again, they're helping you control what you can control because I want you to take control of your money and create a life you love. Hey guys, Rachel Cruz here.

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My friend Annie F. Downs is here, Annie. Thanks for me. Thanks for having me. For those of you people that don't know who you are, Annie, tell everyone kind of what you do. Yeah, so I have a couple of different legs to the stool that we do. I write books. Travel and speak conferences, events, churches when we, are traveling. And I have a podcast in a podcast network that we run called That Sounds Fun. So this is kind of like an exciting time to be having the book come out, to have the network, to have the podcast kind of explaining the importance of fun. Because we need it today, people. We just need it, right? So this is why I'm so glad you're here. Because, okay, well, number one, the podcast is so great. Thank you. You know, I love the podcast. That sounds fun. So many of you, I know, listen to Annie. And then the new book titled, That Sounds Fun. Well, you know what happened?

This is book number what? Oh, gosh. Eight maybe? Oh, my gosh. I was going, I was going, I was going, I was going one hand. It's a two-hander for sure. It is a two-hander. I'm just not sure how far now. Sorry, I should know that. Not offended, not offended. Yeah, you know what? The thing is, this was the plan before 2020. The plan was like, okay, it's time to write about fun. We talk about it a lot. When people come up to me at airports or at, it happened the other day at a grocery store here. People walk up to me and they go, I want to tell you what I do for fun.

And it's like they expect me to be the judge. Interesting. Like that I'm accidentally the expert on fun. And so then it was like, okay, I should write about it. Because I do talk about it a lot. And then 2020 happened and we went like, oh, we really have to learn how to do this. Because it's actually a survival technique. Yes.

So when you, I mean, you've been talking about fun, like you said. Yeah. And kind of like been in the foundation of who you are and what people know you as. So you did some research and stuff for the books. So like, what were things about fun that you realized? about people that you may not have known before writing. Well, you know, one of the big things, I think you'll think this is so fascinating, Rach.

One of the big things was that people think fun has to be big. The overall thing was, I don't have time for fun, and I don't have enough money for fun. Oh, interesting. And you just kind of went like, hold on. I had this moment where I was, as I was listening to people, I was going, wait, hold on. What do you mean it?

You don't have the time or the money. You have today, and you have, we don't have to spend any money. And so, and then the other thing I learned is that, everyone thinks fun is on some sort of sliding scale, and they are afraid they don't match up to it. Like, it's a little fun. Yes, yeah. And they'll say things like,

I mean, it sounds fun to me, but it's okay if it doesn't sound fun to you. Or I know this is a silly answer. Or, and I'm always like, your fun is your fun. That is the joy of this particular book, and this idea is like, what if you just loved who you are and what you love? Yeah.

How fun would life be if you just were satisfied a little bit with some things about you that opened up the door to a lot more fun. Because that's, I mean, that speaks to a level of depth, right? Of confidence there. I've been like, yeah, living out who you really are. And I wonder what keeps people from doing that? Like, what do you think that is? Well, I have a couple of thoughts.

First of all, I think that this time right now in the world has convinced us we have to be a professional and everything. And once you become really good at something, you better go professional. Don't keep hobbies, start making money off of it. Yeah. Don't just do, don't, I've started cross-stitching. Don't just cross-stitch for gifts. You could sell those.

Literally the girl at the fabric store yesterday told me she's a cross-stitcher two. We bonded. And just me and my cross-stitching crowd. And I said, what do you do with them when you're done? And she was like, oh, I usually sell them. You should start selling them. And immediately I went and like, why do we always do this? Interesting.

Why do we? And so that's one of the hindrances is we think, well, I've got to be a professional in this. every conversation we have, the topics we talk about, we think, well, I shouldn't say something or I'll get canceled. I shouldn't say something or I'll be offensive. I shouldn't say something because I don't know enough. When I think 50 years ago, friends sat around

and maybe worked on a quilt together, and they talked about what they thought, and they were okay that they weren't all professionals at it. Yes. And we've lost that. And it's just this re-invitation to not be great at everything, but try. So good, which is kind of vulnerable, right? Because we live in a world that, like you said, I'm like, you should be good at it.

Like, if you're going to go for it, like you have to be good at it. And an eagram, we both love the enagram. Yes. But hearing and people say this, which I think is true, that America is an enegram three. Yes. Like, we are the achievers. So it's like, yeah, we naturally are going to be utilitarian in all these aspects. Like, oh, if you're good at something, make money off.

Just do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. I mean, the minute someone stops writing personally and writes publicly, they have to get a headshot. Uh-huh. Right. Like, all the sudden, they can't still keep using the pictures. of them with their kids or them with their friends, now it's time to have a headshot because someone's going to read my blog.

And you're like, no, just keep writing. Just keep writing. And there are times where your hobbies become your career. That has happened to me, for sure. For sure. But I'm not going to become a career cross-stitcher. That's not, but I am. But it's so, the fun.

My phone percentage last week, Rachel, was down 52% because I was working on a cross-stitch. Instead of just watching a show and scrolling, I still had dual-screens. still had the football games on. And I was instead cross-stitching. Yeah. I just think, I think we've got to give each other permission and give ourselves permission. Yes.

To be amateurs. Yes. You don't have to be great at everything. It is so much more fun when you don't feel the pressure to be great at everything. So great. Okay, so pandemic. Yeah. 2020, right? I feel like it's like the topic everyone talks about, but it is our world. Yeah.

And I think with this subject specifically, I feel like you can pinpoint a lot of big ones in society, anxiety, depression. I mean, like, there's a lot of things that came out of 2020. Right. And so the need for fun is like more crucial than that work. Well, because here's what happened is all of our trips canceled and all of our amusement parks closed and all the movie theaters closed and all the bars closed. All the things we went to thinking that was fun were gone. And then all of a sudden it was like, well, then let's play more games on our phone. And that is fun.

And that is okay when it's in balance, right? And I think the thing I learned and the thing I watched and my friends and what of the reasons I believe in the timing of this book is going, okay, now, what do we do now that we've lived in a season without the things that we have found to be our escape? What is it? If we can't escape into a movie or to Paris or to Dollywood, what do we do? Yep. And now that things are, Dollywood's open.

I'm going in a couple of weeks. Dollywood's open. I have learned how to have fun in the life I have right now, what it looks like in my house to do puzzles while listening to audiobooks, to sit around with friends and do something different, where we sit around a fire and just talk, play more card games, there's just been more simplicity.

And I think the big funds are fun. We've got to relearn that the simple funds are just as fun. Because that's your lifeline, right? And in the moments where everything is taken, like you said, and it's such a point of contentment. I mean, there's so much there that plays into this, which I love. And when we talk about the money side,

I always talk about how money, it doesn't buy happiness. That's such a, that's such a, cliche, but it is true. You can enjoy and have fun with things. Yes. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, but yeah, a new car, sure, it's fun. But, like, the ultimate fun and even what you're talking about,

the depth of the joy of life doesn't really come from the things that you buy even. And I've realized that. I'm like, man, the things that I can replace don't seem as joyous and fun, but it's the irreplaceable things. It is your health, right? It is the relationships. It is these things. And so diving in there.

And I think that's the point is, like, finding the fun even on a more human level. that you can get to, the simplicity of it. Yes, that's right. It is reminding yourself and reminding each other that, and that's such a big part of this, is this has to be a community thing. Now, you can do it alone, but there's something about your whole community going like,

okay, we used to spend this amount of money to go to this really nice dinner, and that is great, and we will get to do that again. But what if we actually picked one of those recipes and we all four made it, and then we judged it like on Great British Baking Show? Right? Like, there's just other ways to have the same,

same moment to have the same. Now, there isn't quite the joy to me of like when everybody's together and having the best time. That for my personality and for me is really fun when there's big groups of people. I can't wait to go to a big sporting event where everybody is. But there has been something really cool about watching when we watch the SEC that there are some people there. Yes. Right? I mean, I just think I think we don't have to rely on money or airplanes or even having a week off of work to have fun? What if we gave ourselves our family two hours? A couple of years ago, my family did this thing where we didn't go on vacation, but instead, each child in the family picked, made a plan to hold day. And you had a budget and you had the whole

day. And it was, we went to places within driving distance of my parents' house that we had never been to. But it was all right there. And it was, we all spent unlimited money. What, what kind of fun is sitting at your doorstep that you just haven't found yet? Yes, exactly. So people that are struggling to have fun. People that are kind of stuck in that like, oh, they're probably maybe depending on where they live, still a little isolated, still not going back to work. And I just, I need joy, I need fun back in my life.

Like, what's the first one or two things they can do to kind of start starting besides buying the new book? Right. Thank you. I would say one of the first things is, what would you have done it when you were five? Go back and ask yourself that. Why did I rid my bike? Well, go outside. get a bike, figure out a way to move around in ways that you haven't yet.

So I'd ask yourself, what would you do when you're five? And then the other thing I'd say is invite some people into what you're feeling. If you have one friend, if you can call your counselor, if you can call anyone in your family and just say, man, I can't tell you the last time I had fun. If you planned an hour of fun for me with $30, what would you tell me to do? Oh, that's good. And let someone else go, oh, I have not thought about this, but you know what I would tell you to do. go to Walmart and get this, this and this, and build, you know, get you a Lego set.

You played with Legos a time when you're a kid. We've got to let ourselves. Rach, it is just, it matters so deeply to me that we let ourselves and let each other like what we like. If you liked Legos when you're a kid, get a set and play with Legos. Fine. There is nothing wrong with that. Like, allow yourself to feel some of the innocence that you're missing in your adult life by reconnecting a little bit with what you loved when you were little.

It's so great. I mean, I feel like to life, it can get so tactical, right? And like, once I talk about this all the time, but I'm like, if we're not careful, we go through a week and it's just like, wake up, boom, boom, boom, go to bed, wake up, boom, boom, and you don't look up. And usually I talk about looking up and like, looking to the future, dreaming, continue to like look to see what's out there. But I think even looking backwards. Yeah. At times, like, yeah, what are those things that I've lost? What are those things that, man, I used to do that brought me joy and brought the fun, but I don't do it anymore because of time, because of season, whatever. And the braying elements of that back. And those big funds, vacations are fun. Sure. Of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so

have days that you set aside, but have hours you set aside too. Start being a little more intentional. You don't need $1,000, you don't need a week. You need $20 and four hours with your family. Or you need no dollars in the park with your best friend. And you can have a ton of fun. So good, Annie. Okay, the new book. That sounds fun. Okay, where can everyone pick it up? Everywhere. All the places. Every second. It's your favorite. favorite local bookstore is always my first stop. We love small businesses owned by a lot of different kinds of people. And then it'll be online everywhere you love to get books. So great. And again, her podcast, that sounds fun. It's incredible. And a whole network, you have like a whole team.

Yeah, that's crazy. It's so fun. I mean, it's so fun. Like, we love helping other people make shows that make a difference in the lives of people. Yeah. Putting light where there was once darkness is one of my favorite things to do. That's it. Okay. We'll check out everything that Annie's doing. When we get to be traveling again, we'll be back on stages. That's right. We will. As soon as I can. Seriously, thanks for being here. Oh, love you, my pleasure. Okay, so one thing I've realized is that being a parent is really hard today,

especially when there are so many screens around. The other day, I was trying to find something for my girls to watch, and, oh, every option was just, I wasn't happy about it. I was like, I want you guys to know Jesus and know the Bible, and I wish what was on the screen was reflecting that. But that is why my family loves Minow. It is a new streaming service created just for kids. It has over 2,000 handpicked shows rooted in a Christian perspective, and Minnow really helps your child learn about Jesus, the Bible, and all the amazing things that God's created.

So feel confident about the media choices you're making for your family and start watching Minnow today. Download the Minow app or visit go menno.com. That's G-O-M-I-N-O dot com. And enter Rachel at checkout to get your first month free. One of my favorite parts of this show is that I get to answer your questions. The first one is from Lynn, and she said that she has $185,000 in debt, getting a $50,000 to $75,000 bonus this year. Should she pay off her largest debt and then attack the small ones since she's getting a lump sum? Great question, Lynn.

And congrats on the $50,000 to $75,000 bonus. It's pretty amazing. And no, I wouldn't necessarily just pay the largest. I would do the debt snowball. And that is where you list out all of your debts, smallest to largest, regardless of the interest rate. You're going to make minimum payments on everything and attack that smallest one first.

So considering the amount that you're getting with your $185,000 in debt, hopefully that knocks out a couple of them, depending on what it is, and it's out of the way. And then you can use the remaining, again, to continue down the debt snowball. So that's what I would do.

I would not pay the largest one. I would actually pay the smallest one. first, get those taken care of, and then go to your largest one. But congrats again, that's great. I mean, you have a pretty big shovel to start digging, digging your way out of that $185,000 debt. All right, you guys, if you have any questions for me, you can leave it at any of my social media channels. So Instagram, Facebook, and my Facebook community, YouTube, because I would love to answer your questions. All right, Lynn, hopefully that answer helped you. And Annie, thanks for coming on as my guests. I hope you guys really did enjoy that conversation.

It's always a pleasure, always a pleasure to have friends on the podcast. Now, if you guys have not subscribed to this podcast, make sure you do that. And if the Spirit leads, you can leave a review. Thank you guys so much for listening. And remember to take control of your money and create a life you love. So if you guys enjoyed this podcast, we have more from the Ramsey Network, like the Christy Wright Show. Hey, y'all, I'm Christy Wright. You know, it's so easy to feel stuck.

You live life, just going through the motions, doing dishes, doing, laundry, carpool lines, and a whole list of commitments that bring you no joy. We say yes to what everyone expects of us, and we have no energy or time for what we want. And let's be honest, most of the time, we don't even know what we want. Why do we live like that? God certainly never called us to. You know, I believe that the life God has for us is bigger and more amazing than any of us realize. That's why I want you to check out the Christy Wright Show. Every week, we will fire you up to break through what's holding you back and inspire you to create a life you love and are proud of. Each episode will help you build confidence in yourself and the God that created you.

To hear full episodes, just search Christy Wright wherever you listen to podcasts or go to Christyright.com.