Your household makes good money. So why is there nothing left at the end of the month?

Kelly kicks things off with a client story (shared with permission) about a mom who said, "When I was your age, I already owned two homes." So we did what any reasonable podcast would do and compared 1989 to 2026. It's not apples to oranges. It's apples to a couch.

We walk through what a typical millennial family in the Northeast spends each month: daycare, two car payments, travel sports, and the $12 DoorDash coffee. Add it all up and it lands around $13,000 a month. That's roughly $156,000 a year in take-home pay.

The good news? You're not alone, and there's plenty you can control. We cover the convenience tax, food spending, the birthday gift card hack, Buy Nothing groups, why your first car probably shouldn't be a BMW, and why none of your friends need to fly to Greece for your bachelorette party.

Nobody is judging your Toyota. Promise.

What's one expense that surprised you when you finally added it up?

Chapters

00:00 Kelly's accidental head coaching gig
03:36 "I make good money, so why am I broke?"
03:49 A client, her mom, and "when I was your age"
05:01 Apples and a couch: comparing generations
06:46 1989 vs. 2026: how family life changed
10:20 Starting life at 30 (with 10 years of debt)
12:54 Where the money goes: the millennial family budget
17:06 Paying for convenience: DoorDash, Uber, and the $12 coffee
22:13 The "little treat" life and why cooking saves money
28:36 Travel sports and the cost of kids' gear
31:01 Birthday parties and the gift card hack
33:31 Babysitters and swapping with friends
35:33 Influencer culture, hand-me-downs, and Buy Nothing groups
40:49 Cars: why under 30 shouldn't mean BMW
42:40 Destination bachelor and bachelorette parties
47:28 Nobody cares what you drive