Budgeting Basics: What Worked, What Didn’t & How to Start

In this episode of Financially Speaking, Greg and Rachel break down the fundamentals of budgeting—perfect if you're starting from scratch, struggling to stick to a plan, or just want a fresh approach.

We cover:

• How we started budgeting (without any fancy tools)
• Free tools that worked for us—and ones that didn’t
• Why budgeting helped us feel free instead of restricted
• A 90-day hack to uncover your spending habits
• Budget categories you might be forgetting
• How budgeting helped us pay off debt, save a 12-month emergency fund, and even pay off our house

👉 Homework for next episode:
Track your monthly income, create your spending categories, and sort your purchases from the past month.

🎧 Next time: We’ll wrap up budgeting and dig into tackling debt head-on.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed today’s episode, leave a review and share it with a friend who needs to hear this!

🎙 Welcome to Financially Speaking!

In this episode, we're breaking down how to buy your first house—or giving you a much-needed refresher if it’s been a while! With 7 homes under our belt (including 4 in just the last year), we’ve made our fair share of mistakes—financial ones especially—and we’re here to help you avoid them.

We’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of buying a home, from pre-approval to closing, and share all the hidden costs that most people don’t talk about—things like lawn care, pest control, trash fees, and moving costs.

Plus, we’re sharing our take on:

What lenders really mean when they say you're approved for a mortgage
How to find a great realtor (and red flags to watch for)
Why "win-win" can actually be a red flag in negotiations
What to expect during the closing timeline (especially if you’re in an attorney state like NY)
Real talk on affordability and why we bought a $52,000 house to keep our stress low
Whether you’re dreaming of your first home, actively searching, or just want to learn more about personal finance and real estate, this episode is packed with real advice from real investors (and parents of toddlers!).

👥 Hosts: Greg & Rachel
🐶 Special appearance: Kevin the dog 🐾
📍 Based in Western New York

👇 Drop your questions in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more content on personal finance, money, and real estate!

#homebuyingtips #personalfinance #realestateinvesting #FinanciallySpeaking #firsttimehomebuyer #financialfreedom

In this episode of the Financially Speaking Podcast, we’re breaking down proven money hacks that actually work. Whether you're drowning in debt or just looking to optimize your financial habits, these strategies will help you save more, spend smarter, and achieve financial freedom sooner.