What's your first money memory? How much are you ACTUALLY saving each year? Where do you have a hard time using your money?

These kinds of financial questions rarely come up in conversation, but they are critical to ask, consider, and consider what your answers mean for your money.

Discover how your earliest money memories (often from ages 3-7) are still running your financial decision-making today, why most people can't answer how much they're really saving, and how to build a money management system that works with your emotions instead of against them. Eric and Kali also share their own money memories and reveal what percentage of their income they save each year.

Whether you're struggling to spend, save, invest, or give, this episode will help you uncover the hidden beliefs and patterns influencing your financial life—and give you the clarity to make better decisions aligned with what truly matters to you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Early experiences around money shape your financial behavior throughout your life. Most people's money beliefs are formed between ages 3-7 and continue to unconsciously drive financial decisions decades later. Asking about your first money memory is a starting point to uncovering some deeper drivers that may influence the decisions you make without you realizing. It's not about judging these memories or trying to change them. It's simply about bringing awareness to them, so you can be more intentional (versus reactive or reflexive) with your choices moving forward.

2. Track your savings rate, not just dollars saved.
A lot of people ask "how much should I save?" Very few people know precisely how much they save every year and an even smaller amount calibrate that number to their income. By setting your target as a percentage of income versus dollar amount, you can keep your long-term goals on track and always relative to the money you made in a particular year.

3. Focus on what you can control.
Your savings rate is within your control; market returns are not. Consistent savers outperform those chasing investment "moonshots"

4. Build an intentional money management system.
Create objective processes and structures first, then layer in emotions as choices rather than letting emotions lead your decisions. We can't let spreadsheet math dominate the decision-making, but we do need to get grounded in financial reality first. Having solid frameworks can help you play and provide room for error without derailing your entire plan.

5. The signal will always be subjective.
It's good advice to "find the signal in the noise," but the challenge is there are many valid signals. Which one to tune into? To determine the frequency that's best for you, start by defining your values and priorities. That will help you narrow down the potential options to ones that actually align with what you're trying to accomplish.

Ready to create, use, and enjoy money for life? Request a complimentary consultation with us at BYH and discover how to optimize your investments, reduce your tax burden, and grow your wealth: https://beyondyourhammock.com/schedule

Whether you're worried about losing your job, concerned about your investments, or just feeling uncertain about the economy, this episode gives you a clear action plan to turn anxiety into productive financial decisions.

"How do I navigate the current economic uncertainty?" This was the most-requested topic at a recent conference we attended. If you're wondering the same, you're clearly not alone.

Instead of worrying, get a strategy in place so you know you can ride out any uncertain times that may lie ahead.

We're explaining what recessions actually are (versus what people often assume they are), why they're a normal part of economic cycles, and most importantly, how to protect your finances without making emotional decisions you'll regret.

You'll learn why the stock market and recessions don't move in sync the way you'd expect, the critical difference between managing your long-term investments versus short-term cash flow, and practical steps to recession-proof your finances: from building the right emergency fund to knowing when (and when not) to adjust your spending.

We talk through:

• What defines a recession (and why it takes 6+ months to officially call one)
• Why you shouldn't change your long-term investment strategy during market downturns
• The truth about "buying the dip" and dollar-cost averaging
• How much emergency savings you really need during uncertain times
• Why it's helpful to create a bare-bones budget for worst-case scenarios
• When to pause big financial decisions versus when to move forward

Visit beyondyourhammock.com/schedule to request a free one-page financial plan and explore working with us.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Recessions are normal part of market cycles (not signs of the end times).
We can't predict their exact timing or triggers, but we do know to expect recessions to happen periodically.

2. Market corrections are not the same as recessions.
The stock market often declines before a recession is announced and recovers before it officially ends. Making investment changes based on recession fears typically backfires.

3. Separate long-term planning from short-term cash flow.
Your retirement accounts and your monthly budget require different strategies during uncertain times.

4. If you have a plan, stick to it.
If your investment strategy was designed to weather market cycles, don't abandon it when emotions run high. If you don't have a plan, get one before making reactive decisions.

5. Keep contributing to retirement accounts.
Dollar-cost averaging during downturns means you're buying more shares at lower prices, which benefits you when markets recover.

6. If you're worried about economic uncertainty, build (or boost) your emergency fund.
Having 3-6 months of expenses in cash provides peace of mind. The best action you can take if you're worried about your finances is to proactively increase your cash cushion.

7. And be strategic about big financial decisions.
Another proactive step to take is to think long and hard about any pending financial decision (particularly one that will lock in something you can't easily reverse, put a big fixed cost in your cash flow, or both). You don't have to pause your entire life, but be mindful about major expenditures or income changes during uncertain periods.

8. Time in the market beats timing the market.
Staying invested through ups and downs has historically outperformed trying to predict the perfect moments to buy and sell. Having objective guidance can help you stick to a sound strategy, too. Working with a financial advisor helps you see blind spots and make decisions based on your specific situation, not fear or media hype.

Ready to create, use, and enjoy money for life? Request a complimentary consultation with us at BYH and discover how to optimize your investments, reduce your tax burden, and grow your wealth: https://beyondyourhammock.com/schedule

Are you constantly running on empty, juggling work, family, and endless household tasks? Then you may need to take advantage of an often-underutilized strategy for high-earning professionals: use your money to buy back your time.

No, you should NOT do everything yourself, and we don't believe outsourcing is some kind of sign of moral failing or judgment on your inability to successfully manage things on your own.

The truth is, using your money to buy back time is a strategic investment in what matters most.

Discover how to create a "shed column" to identify which tasks are draining your time and energy, calculate the ROI of outsourcing using your hourly rate, and overcome the guilt many feel about asking for help.

Throughout this episode, we share personal examples of how we've done this in our own life, including the biggest investment in ourselves and our time that we've made to date: hiring a house manager. We also explain the surprising benefits that you may not think of when trying to calculate ROI, like less stress in our relationship and modeling healthy boundaries for our daughter.

Whether you're drowning in meal planning, house cleaning, or endless errands, this episode provides a practical framework for evaluating what to outsource first and how to make it work within your budget. Learn why investing in time (not just accumulating wealth on paper) might be the most valuable financial decision you can make, especially during your peak earning years when time with young children is most precious.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Start with your values, not your budget: Before deciding what to outsource, identify what matters most to you emotionally and practically. We didn't hire a nanny because spending time with our daughter was a top priority, but we DID outsource household tasks like cleaning, meal prep, and errands to create more family time.

2. Use the "shed column" strategy to prioritize: Create a list of everything you currently do, then move tasks you hate or shouldn't be doing into a "shed column." Prioritize outsourcing based on two factors: what's cheapest to delegate and what you despise doing most. This list can even become a job posting for a house manager or part-time assistant.

3. Think of outsourcing as leverage, not just spending: If your hourly rate is $300 and you pay someone $100 to handle household tasks, you're gaining an hour of higher-value time back. Even if you're not using that time to work more, you're investing in experiences and relationships, which has immeasurable value.

4. Don't assume there's no one to help you with your "shed" tasks. There are many people who enjoy this work and have the availability for part-time hours.

5. The mental load relief is as valuable as the time itself: Beyond the hours saved, outsourcing eliminates the cognitive burden of managing endless details—like creating grocery lists, tracking household supplies, or coordinating schedules. This mental space allows you to be more present with family and more effective at work.

6. Outsourcing reduces household tension and models healthy boundaries: When you're not constantly overwhelmed, you're less snippy with your partner and can enjoy quality time together. Your children also learn that it's okay to ask for help and create life balance, rather than viewing the "rat race" as inevitable.

7. The opportunity cost is real during peak earning years: The years when you need to be most present at work (peak earning years) often coincide with when your kids are young and need you most. Using money to outsource everything else during this critical window lets you focus on what truly can't be delegated—building your career and your relationship with your children.

Ready to create, use, and enjoy money for life? Request a complimentary consultation with us at BYH and discover how to optimize your investments, reduce your tax burden, and grow your wealth: https://beyondyourhammock.com/schedule