Home ownership, no matter how old you are and when you achieve it, is a huge decision to make. You don’t want to base decisions solely on emotions but also measure them against your goals and other dreams.

Millennial Homeowner, Lauren Bowling, purchased a home with the expectation that her and her then-boyfriend would live in it after they got married. She put a nice downpayment on the purchase and began a $68,000 renovation three months before their breakup.

While her situation didn’t turn out so bad - she nets about $400 a month in renting it out to tenants - Lauren realizes some mistakes were made and wrote a book about it. Find more information at http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

I recently met Amber in person. When she mentioned her job of driving a city bus - I just had to have her on the show.

Amber shares the ups and downs of a millennial trying to find work she likes.

Student Loan Debt is causing many millennials to delay their dreams of marriage. My guest, Chonce Maddox, married the man she loves despite her debt struggles - and did it all within her $10,000 wedding budget.

For more, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

Today I kick off my Millennial Money Week with Kelly Lannon from Fidelity.

Education is key: There are numerous resources for you to get informed about money and investing - whether it is from sites like Fidelity.com or blogs or podcasts. Whatever source appeals to you, dig into it and begin the process of getting education about money ASAP. Thank you to Kelly Lannan, Director from the Women and Young Investors Group at Fidelity Investments.

Visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast for more Millennial Money Week episodes

Consider your relationship with a financial planner as a long-term relationship. Take your time to find the right planner to guarantee your long term success. Visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast for more information about working with a financial planner

Tempted by multi-level marketing? Brian couldn’t believe a friend tried to sell him a bottle of juice for $45. He began looking into it, only to discover unusual sales techniques used by direct sales companies to get people into multi-level marketing opportunities. Over the past few years, he has written over 30 reviews of such companies, some no longer exist, and exposes the real methods behind the business. The first Financial Gym location has opened in New York City at 226 5th Avenue, 5th Floor. Find out more by visiting http://financialgym.net

My girls get together for some SoCal-tinis at FInCon, San Diego.

It's a "Would you rather" session recorded live in front of hundreds of financial bloggers, podcasters, and video creators. It's a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy it.

You can find more Happy Hours, as well as my amazing guest interviews, on my website http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

Cheers!

Talaat and Tai McNeely know what it’s like to have communication problems about money. Today they share their story and tips for how to open the doors of communication and come together with your money as a couple.

Visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast for more information.

Lauren went from spending $40,000 on credit cards to being debt free.

Along the way she came to the realization that she was addicted to spending.

Listen as Lauren reveals her past and how she used it to fuel her passion for paying off debt and sharing those lessons with others.

For more information, or to get a copy of Lauren's new book, The Recovering Spender, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast/

Do you know your F.I. number? Brandon from MadFientist.com explains how you can calculate the amount of money you need to have before taking the leap away from the 9-5.

To take advantage of Brandon's FI spreadsheet or any of the other resources mentioned in this episode, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast/

Melanie had a TON of student loan debt and couldn't find a job in her field to pay it off. Then she discovered "side hustles" and learned things she's never get from a college course. Today she shares the inspiration behind her blog, DearDebt.com, which is the basis for her recently released book: Dear Debt: A Story About Breaking Up With Debt. To purchase a copy from Amazon, go to https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Debt-Story-About-Breaking/dp/0692684808

While their lifestyles are often fabulous, the LGBT community is not immune to financial problems. David and John, aka The Debt Free Guys, racked up over $50,000 in credit card debt and had nothing to show for it. Once they came together on a plan, they paid off all the debt and now live a debt free, money conscious lifestyle.

You are worth more than you think, but women in general underestimate the value they bring in their profession.

Melanie, Tonya, and Mrs. Frugalwoods join me to share stories of failure, wins, and how we can confidently ask for just and fair compensation.

Happy Hour always happens on the last Friday of the month. Make sure you don't miss a thing! Subscribe at http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

Shannon sits down with her Happy Hour crew of Melanie from DearDebt.com, Tonya from Budget and the Beach, and Mrs. Frugalwoods from Frugalwoods.com to continue the talk about being frugal vs being cheap.

They will prove that they are willing to leave no topic untested, including using composting toilets, not owning furniture, going commando, and even the idea of donating a testicle.

For more fun Happy Hour conversations, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

The rules for managing money for a single person are same in concept, but not necessarily in the execution. As a young or old independent adult, there are stark differences in how to control spending and invest for the future than a married couple.

Jess Garbarino from Every Single Dollar shares her story of getting out of debt and gives us 5 tips for managing finances as a single woman.

For more great episodes, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

Becky is a physical fitness trainer with some great ideas for getting fit - financially as well as physically.

She shares ideas for purchasing multi-functional and affordable equipment, how to avoid indulging too much, and answers 3 random questions.

BONUS: I also share a new service called Debitize that will pay your credit cards for you while sticking to your budget.

Find more about Becky Fox or Debitize by visiting http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast/

How do you find a financially harmonious partner? My girlfriends Melanie, Tonya and Mrs. Frugalwoods join me in this very personal discussion - including a very hard and personal announcement I need to share with you.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend or your own partner. It is my hope that others will be helped from hearing this message. You can find more resources at http://financially-blonde.com

With all the rules and various programs for student loan repayment options, you need an advocate on your side. Joining us today is Jay Fleischman a lawyer who concentrates on Consumer Protection and is most noted as an expert on income based repayment plans for student loans.

This landscape is constantly changing and the time you devote to understanding it will save you not only money but headaches down the road. Become an advocate throughout your student loan debt repayment journey and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Check out Jay on his podcast, http://StudentLoanShow.com or chat with him on Twitter @JayFleischman

Find the show notes at http://Financially-Blonde.com or tweet to me @blonde_finance

JD Roth is best known for growing and selling his website, GetRichSlowly.com for an undisclosed amount of money. He calls the proceeds "his retirement savings" and left him with some extra to take a 15-month RV trip around America.

JD Roth shares the highlights and low points of his trip, including eating beans out of a can, not taking showers, and adopting a puppy. Which ones are the high and low points? That's up to you to decide. Enjoy my conversation with JD Roth, the Money Boss.

Visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast for more great interviews about money

Cait Flanders found solace through a 12-month spending ban - but that’s not all. She also embraced some of the concepts found in minimalism like "buy one, give one" and the $20-20min rule. How much was she able to cut out of her budget? Listen to her story and find out.

Visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast for more details and shows about martinis and your money.

Putting a sound buying strategy in place before investing can alleviate our fear of picking the wrong stock. Today I'm talking with Linda P Jones from Be Wealthy And Smart about why stocks go up and her strategy for building wealth.

Find notes from the show at www.Financially-Blonde.com

The book "Think And Grow Rich" has truly shifted my philosophy around money and goals.

Today my Happy Hour ladies talk about vision and goal setting based on what I have learned from reading Napoleon Hill's iconic book from 1937 - but is still relevant almost 80 years later.

For more information visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast/

Joe Saul-Sehy from Stacking Benjamins shares this one simple trick to make it easy to break up with your financial advisor.

For more great Martinis and Your Money episodes, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast/

YOLO takes on a whole new meaning in Jason Vitug's book, You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness; and Jason joins the podcast to talk about his book and his epic summer road trip.

Podcasting is a labor of love for many, but no one can have any success in podcasting without a support network of listeners, friends and family. I am taking the momentous occasion of achieving 100 episodes to thank the people who helped me get this far. Gratitude truly is the best attitude and I show my appreciation in this episode.

Consumer Saving Advocate of Good Morning America and Fox News, Andrea Woroch, shares her best tips to save on summer travel, entertainment and weddings.

The fantastic team from Haven Life Insurance sponsored and joined us on this podcast to talk about life insurance and why we may or may not have it. Life insurance is a topic most people don't want to talk about, especially when they're out having fun, but you need to start thinking about it sooner than later.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Lori Sackler, a financial advisor and author of the book, The M Word, about how you can talk about money with your loved ones.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Abigail Perry about her new book, Frugality for Depressives and the struggles that people with mental health challenges face while trying to manage their money.

On this episode, Shannon talks to Elle Martinez from the Couple Money podcast about money dates, what they entail and how they can be successful.

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour ladies talk about when it makes sense to spend money and when the spend money and don't feel guilty about it.

In this episode, Shannon talks to David Carlson from Young Adult Money about his new book, Hustle Away Debt, and why side hustling is so important for achieving financial goals and paying down debt.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Taylor Milam from the blog site The Freedom From Money about how she paid off all of her student loan debt only 7 months after graduating from college.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Kristen Robinson from Fidelity Investments about their recent study into job offers and what's important to millennial job seekers.

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies discuss some of the more foolish money moves they have made over time and play a game of whether or not it's foolish. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to her college roommate, Jill, about her struggles with infertility and how she eventually successfully adopted her son. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Erin Chase about how she creates five dollar dinners and saves money on food.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Holly from Club Thrifty about how to maximize credit cards to travel the world for next to nothing out of pocket.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Joe Saul-Sehy from Stacking Benjamins about tax loss harvesting and tax efficient investing. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Adam Carroll, the creator of the film Broke, Busted and Disgusted about the growing student loan debt crisis and what can be done about it.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Kate Dore from Cashville Skyline about leaving her job without another one lined up and how she survived unemployment.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Abigail Perry from the blog site, I Pick Up Pennies about her fertility challenges and the costs associated with them. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Tiffany Aliche aka The Budgetnista about her Live Richer Challenge and how she's helping tens of thousands of people live a better life financially.

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies talk about how they struggle with the comparison game and what they do when they feel confronted by jealousy.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund about the importance of managing your investments around specific goals.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Lauren Greutman from I Am That Lady about her struggles to get financially fit and how she's raising four financially fit kids.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund about sector investing and how you can use it to enhance your portfolio value and returns.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Paul Golden from the National Endowment for Financial Education about financial infidelity and how you can prevent it or move forward from it as a couple.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund about ETFs and Mutual Funds to explain the similarities and differences.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Pat Palmer, founder of Medical Billing Advocates of America about what we need to know about medical bills and how we can save money on them.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Melanie from Dear Debt about how she paid off $81,000 in student loan debt while barely making minimum wage.

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies are joined by Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund to answer investing questions from Target Date Funds to Market Capitalization. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund about portfolio risk and how you can identify and measure it.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Brandon from the blog site Mad Fientist and the Financial Independence podcast about what it takes to reach FI and what you should not miss in your pursuit to achieve it.

In this episode, Shannon chats with Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund about asset allocation, why it's important and how it can help people get better investment returns.

In this episode, Shannon is talking to Matt Reiner from Wela about what impacted the markets in 2015 and what we can expect to impact the financial markets in 2016.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund about the various asset classes that people can invest in and discusses what's important to know about each. A great episode for beginner investors.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Emma Johnson, founder of Wealthy Single Mommy and the Like a Mother podcast about what advice she has for single moms who are trying to get financially fit while raising their kids. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Wendy and Eric from DIY Fund about the steps that individuals can take to manage their portfolios like professionals. They discuss what pitfalls should be avoided and how to cut through the noise to make the best investing decisions for your situation. 

In this episode, Shannon and the happy hour ladies recap their 2015 achievements including becoming debt free and a feature on The Today Show and share what they are working on for 2016.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Saleem Khatri, founder of Instavest to hear his top 6 tips for smart investing.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Gillian Segal about her latest book, Getting There: A Book of Mentors and discusses what we can learn from popular leaders to live a better life.

In this episode, Shannon talks to William Green, author of the book, The Great Minds of Investing about what he learned from profiling 33 of the world's best investors who combined manage over a trillion dollars in assets.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Jason Hartman founder of the Platinum Properties Investor Network and host of the Creating Wealth podcast about investing in income producing property as a means to grow your wealth. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Stephanie Halligan about the launch of her new book Art to Self and talks about what motivates Stephanie and how others can get motivated to live a financially healthier life. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Nick Clements, co-founder of Magnify Money about building and rebuilding your credit score. They discuss the importance of secured credit cards, what to do we collection agencies and how you can save money with your credit score.

In this episode, Shannon discusses money saving tips for the holidays with the happy hour ladies. We share our best ideas for saving on gifts and entertaining as well as our favorite and least favorite gifts we've received. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Paul Golden from the National Endowment for Financial Education about warning signs to watch for as far as your parent's personal financial management skills and how to start the family money conversations before it's too late.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Harlan (Luke) Landes about his journey from living at home with his parents to selling his blog for seven figures. 

On this episode, Shannon talks to Jennifer Fitzgerald, the CEO of Policy Genius about disability insurance, why you should care about it, how to know when you're covered, the best way to search for it and questions you should ask.

In this episode, Shannon answers a reader's question with the help of Matt Reiner and Eddie Goepp from Wela about preparing for retirement while also preparing for the possibility of a zombie apocalypse.

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies discuss their personal care spending, why they spend what they spend and how they save money on personal care. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Cary Carbonaro, a Certified Financial Planner, and author of the bestselling book, The Money Queen's Guide: For Women Who Want to Build Wealth and Banish Fear about how men and women can gain better control of their finances.

In this episode, Shannon talks to financial planner, Melissa Sotudeh about great tips, tools and resources to help families plan and pay for college while also achieving their other financial goals. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to New York Times Bestselling author, Kabir Sehgal, about his new book, Coined and learns some really interesting facts about money.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Elle Martinez from the Couple Money podcast about best money practices that couples can use to keep the money stress to a minimum.

In this episode, the happy hour ladies record for the first time in the same room together live from the podcast recording stage during FinCon the financial blogger's conference. They share some of the money mistakes they have made and what they learned from the process. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Emily Thompson from the Being Boss podcast about her best tips and ideas to start your own online business. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Joshua Sheats from Radical Personal Finance about life insurance, determining the best type for you, the difference between term and whole life and when whole life insurance makes sense as an investment. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Jenny Powers, the founder of Running with Heels, a networking company focused on helping women network, about some best practices to help you grow and maintain your networks.

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies share their best tips on how you can save money while traveling. 

In this episode, Shannon revisits her conversation with Melanie from Dear Debt about how she has paid off thousands of dollars in student loan debt while not earning much in her 9-5 job.

This episode originially aired in November 2014. Shannon sat down with Mr. and Mrs. Frugalwoods, the anonymous bloggers responsible for the Frugalwoods website to talk about their frugal journey toward financial independence by the age of 33. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Andy Josuweit, CEO of the company Student Loan Hero about student loans, how to manage them, repay them and how his company can help you understand your student loans. 

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies discuss various personal and financial obstacles that they have had to overcome and share their tips for navigating tough times. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to solopreneur and coach, Carrie Smith, about how freelancers, solopreneurs and small business owners can better manage their finances. This is a great episode for anyone with an erratic income stream.

In this episode, Shannon chats with Eric Roberge, founder of Beyond Your Hammock about questions clients should ask their advisors before and after starting a relationship with one. 

In this podcast, Shannon talks to lifestyle and personal finance expert, Stefanie O'Connell about the various ways that you can have fun while not spending much money.

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies talk about food, how much they each spend on food, how they save on food and some of their biggest food splurges.

In this episode, Shannon sits down with her dad to talk about the money choices he made so that he could enjoy financial freedom at 60.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Kali Hawlk about 5 smart money tips that Millennials should follow to have financial success. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Mel who decided to not pursue a teaching career but rather follow her theater passion to the cruise ship life and beyond. 

In this episode, Shannon and the Happy Hour Ladies talk about relationships and money, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Shannon talks to former financial advisor Joe Saul-Sehy about his experience of helping men and women invest to determine if there are differents and if stereotypes are correct.

In this episode, Shannon talks to her sister Megan about the ups and downs she's experienced in her career from living on Shannon's sofa to getting her dream job at her dream company.

In this episode, Shannon talks to Catherine Alford about the ups and downs of being a working mom.

In this episode, Shannon explains the difference between mutual funds and ETFs and what investors should look for when investing in them.

Shannon and the happy hour ladies talk about investing, who is doing what and concerns or challenges they face around the topic of investing. 

In this episode, Shannon talks to Erin Chase, otherwise known as the 5 Dollar Dinner Mom about how she saves money and they discuss great tools and strategies to save money on your food spending.

In this episode, Shannon talks to LeeAnn Maxwell, the founder of Vixen Vodka about starting a vodka company and brand after turning 50.