A few weeks ago I shared what I'm looking for in a house. I wanted to include Kyle on that episode but he was completely out of commission sick with the flu! So this week he comes on the podcast to share his thoughts: what we are both looking for but also where we have different priorities.

If you feel like you're not making the best use of your paycheck, try the Debt Free Mom Budget Template. It's a one time cost of $9, includes space for your whole year in one document, and comes with a couple tutorial videos to get you started. Join over 7,000 other people who have downloaded this template and start budgeting confidently today!

I'm 6 months into a commitment to buy 10 items or less on Amazon. Each month I save what I bought to a list and you can see exactly what I've bought here!

When I started the Debt Free Mom instagram account, I had already been debt free for 3 years. But that doesn't mean we didn't have years of struggling to make ends meet, realizing money mistakes we made, or paying off debt while also having 3 sons in 39 months.

Today's episode spans from December 2011 when we got married to April 2019 when we bought our first house. Sometimes we met our goals faster than we imagined, other times we grappled with over a year of paying our bills and nothing else.

And what was one of the keys to our success? Budgeting by pay period for our biweekly income. This allowed me to maximize every dollar we made and meet our goals even when our income never exceeded $60,000. If you feel like you're not making the best use of your paycheck, try the Debt Free Mom Budget Template. It's a one time cost of $9, includes space for your whole year in one document, and comes with a couple tutorial videos to get you started. Join over 7,000 other people who have downloaded this template and start budgeting confidently today!

We are planning to go back to being homeowners when our current lease is up this summer. This is my stream of consciousness about what I'm looking for in our next home. Whether this is actually what we end up buying will remain unseen, but it will be fun to be able to look back on this episode and see where I was right and where I was wrong!

If you're looking for a budget template that arranges all your income and expenses by pay period instead of by month, try the Debt Free Mom Budget Template. It's a one time cost of $9, includes space for your whole year in one document, and comes with a couple tutorial videos to get you started. Join over 7,000 other people who have downloaded this template and start budgeting confidently today!

On today's episode of the Debt Free Mom Podcast, Nicole Stanley is on the show to share her experience dealing with a kitchen contractor and what she wishes she had done differently.

You're putting your home and your money in someone else's hands when hiring someone to complete a project - big or small. On today's episode, we'll discuss the questions to ask, the notes to keep, and the way to advocate for yourself and your money even if you're not well-versed in construction.

Nicole is a financial coach and runs Arise Financial. You can find out more about working with her here. as well as her full website: www.arise.financial

If you're looking for a budget template that arranges all your income and expenses by pay period instead of by month, try the Debt Free Mom Budget Template. It's a one time cost of $9, includes space for your whole year in one document, and comes with a couple tutorial videos to get you started. Join over 7,000 other people who have downloaded this template and start budgeting confidently today!

Susan Soucy is a mom of 2, farmer (how cool is that?!), and adjunct professor. In the last several years, she's taken her finances from fear-based and stressful to confident and growing.

She began budgeting by pay period and few years ago and her weekly budget now gives her peace of mind that she can cover large expenses like daycare for her 2 kids. It also helps her plan out her fluctuating income and see the true impact of choosing to pick up jobs or side hustles.

If you'd like to try the Debt Free Mom pay period budget template that Susan uses (especially if you're paid weekly or bi-weekly and a monthly budget has just never worked out right!), you can download it here for only $9 and it comes with a couple setup tutorial videos!

In the episode, Susan mentions finding Carly by listening to the Herself Podcast and then gaining confidence in car-buying from listening to the Car Mom Podcast. You can find both of those episodes below!

Carly on The Carpool Podcast with Kelly and Lizz

Carly on the Herself Podcast

Claire Wood is a military wife, mom, writer, and teacher. Today she joins me to discuss an idea she's been pondering and applying to her life: compounding. Those small, consistent tasks and habits that lead to the large changes we're really seeking. Whether it's parenting, cooking at home, or investing: we need to allow time for the effect of compounding to truly show results.

Want to start those small, consistent habits in the year with a budget by pay period? You can download the Debt Free Mom pay period budget template for only $9!

In our first episode of 2025, we welcome back a DFM Podcast favorite, Tyler Moore, famously known as Tidy Dad. Tyler shares insights about his new book, 'Tidy Up Your Life,' which explores the deep connection between mental clarity and a tidy, organized living space. Tyler also shares his personal journey of balancing life in New York City with his family, the concept of 'just enough,' and practical strategies for decluttering the various areas of his life. We also discuss how responsibilities at home can be shared, outsourced, or eliminated to focus on what truly matters. I know you'll love this incredible and insightful discussion about tidying up not just our homes, but our minds and lives.

Get Tyler's new book "Tidy Up Your Life" at thetidydad.com

Key Highlights:

• 02:38 The Importance of Mental and Physical Decluttering
• 16:13 Defining 'Just Enough'
• 31:02 Sharing, Outsourcing, and Eliminating Responsibilities

Get started with pay period budgeting today for just $9! The Debt Free Mom Mini Course + Template will help you take your first steps toward managing your home finances with confidence. Get it today at debtfreemom.co/template

Do you have a money question that you’d like to talk about with Carly? Do you have a story of navigating a tricky financial situation? We’d love to have you on the Debt Free Mom Podcast! Fill out the guest application at dfmpodcast.com.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Gifts like the little green machine, leather conditioner, etc.

$7 Car Detailing Guide