What’s the most important thing when it comes to going from broke and bankrupt to financially free? Learning to manage your money. And the most important part of managing money is knowing how to budget. Figuring out a budget often strikes people as scary or a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be.  

On today’s show, we’re joined by Bobbi Olsen. Bobbi is a budget coach and the cohost of a budgeting podcast called Centsable Chat. Listen to the episode to hear what Bobbi has to say about the debt snowball versus the debt avalanche, how to allocate money, and her own journey from struggling with debt to financial freedom.  

Topics Discussed in This Episode: 

• How Bobbi got interested in personal finance and budgeting 
• What resources Bobbi used to educate herself about personal finance 
• How long Bobbie was struggling before  
• Bobbi’s radio career 
• Debt snowball versus debt avalanche 
• How Bobbi counsels her clients about the debt snowball versus the debt avalanche 
• Whether it’s possi
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Playing With fire sounds dangerous, but the FIRE movement is actually not about danger. In a way, it’s more about safety – or at least, having a safety net. Today, it’s not realistic to plan to work for the rest of your life. People are living longer thanks to better health practices and medicine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re able to work for all of that extra time. So how can you make sure that you have the money you need to live on when you reach a point where working is no longer feasible or desirable? The answer lies in financial independence. Listen to the episode to learn more about the FIRE movement and the journey toward financial independence. 

Topics Discussed in This Episode: 

• Your position following a bankruptcy filing
• What the fire movement is all about
• How you reach financial independence
• Whether it’s realistic to work for the rest of your life
• The financial independence mindset
• Investing for your future
• Compound interest
• How to start saving
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What can happen when you fall behind on your credit card payments? Most people know that they can expect a hit to their credit score and perhaps phone calls from creditors, but often they believe that since the debt is unsecured, nothing more serious can happen. However, this is not the case. Ignoring your credit card debt can be very dangerous to your financial situation. In this episode, we’ll be talking about what happens when you fail to pay your credit card debt and what you can do when you find yourself falling behind. 

Topics Discussed in This Episode: 

• What it means when a credit card company charges off your debt
• What happens when a credit card company sells your debt
• What to do if you’re receiving phone calls from a company that has purchased your debt
• How you can be taken to court for your credit card debt
• What happens when you ignore a lawsuit filed by a creditor
• What your options are when you’re having financial difficulties
• What to do if you’ve been sued
• When
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The intention for the Fresh Start for Life podcast is to release a new episode every two weeks, but unfortunately, sometimes things get in the way of keeping up with that goal. In this episode, you’ll hear an apology for falling behind as well as some announcements that will interest listeners of Fresh Start for Life.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Apology for falling behind
• Announcement about new book
• Announcement about becoming the consumer bankruptcy expert for Channel 8 WFLA

Resources and Links

Free Bankruptcy Book

What kinds of expenses does your teenager have? Which ones are your responsibility, and which ones should be their responsibility? What’s the best way to teach a teenager to make a budget? Today’s episode will address these questions and more.

Today’s episode is the second in a short series on teaching kids about money, using the book Smart Money, Smart Kids written by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze. In this installment, the focus is on giving, saving, spending, and budgeting. Listen in to hear more about showing your children how to be good givers, why a teen needs an emergency fund, and what kinds of expenses teenagers have to think about, as well as some updates from the previous episode about work.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Talking to kids and teens about working for their money
• Using a modified envelope system
• The three main things you can do with money
• Showing children how to be good givers
• Showing teens how to plan their spending
• How a teenager could use an eme
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How are your children learning about money? As a society, we may not be doing everything we should be doing to teach children about how money works – where it comes from, how to get it, and what to do with it when you have it. These lessons aren’t taught in school, and parents often don’t know where to start.

Today’s podcast is the first of a short series on teaching kids about money, with lessons coming from the book Smart Money, Smart Kids written by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze. Listen in to hear about why kids need to earn money of their own, the difference between an allowance and a commission, and how teens can benefit from learning to manage a checking account.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• How the need for spending money increases for kids as they grow up
• Making kids earn money of their own
• The difference between an allowance and a commission
• When to start children doing chores around the house for commission
• What types of chores children can do for a commission
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Bankruptcy can be a way out for people struggling with debt. However, many people in that position fear the possibility of losing their vehicle or being unable to finance a vehicle after they file for bankruptcy. Since people depend on their vehicles for so many things, from getting to work to taking care of their kids, this fear can prevent people from filing for bankruptcy even when it might benefit them to do so.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear an interview with David Roberts. David is the president of Automotive Fresh Start Center, a business dedicated to helping its customers finance vehicles post-bankruptcy. During the interview, David talks about extended warranties, zero money down deals, and “buy here, pay here” dealerships. Listen in to find how David’s business is different and how it helps buyers who are in bankruptcy or struggling with debt.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• David’s history in the car business
• Why David hates the car business
• Why you should resear
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It’s becoming more and more common for senior citizens to struggle with debt, even when they’re at or near retirement age. Why is this happening? What can seniors do to get out of debt without decimating their retirement funds? How can younger people avoid ending up in debt as senior citizens?

Today’s podcast will address some of these questions. We’ll look at some of the main reasons that seniors wind up in debt, and examine a case study that shows an example of what the financial position of a senior in debt looks like. Even people who aren’t yet senior citizens can benefit from this discussion as we look at some ways younger people can avoid becoming seniors who are in debt.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• Some of the major reasons why more and more seniors are finding themselves in debt
• A case study of senior debt
• Options for seniors dealing with debt
• When bankruptcy is an option
• Protecting a retirement fund
• Importance of talking to elderly family members about debt
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Can you really change your life just by changing the way that you think? That’s what today’s guest is here to discuss. Blaine Oelkers is an entrepreneur who’s run a variety of profitable businesses over the past 25 years, including a consulting firm, a pizza franchise, four health and wellness business, and a personal development company. He’s also begun to social enterprises that use a business model rather than a charity model in order to help end malnutrition.

Blaine has a passion for helping people find their hidden abilities that will allow them to lead the life that they desire, design, and deserve. He’s committed to getting results and has trademarked the title, Chief Results Officer. Listen to the episode to hear what Blain has to say about social enterprises, how to study the book Think and Grow Rich, and how to achieve the $10,000 hour.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• How Blaine’s two social enterprises got started
• How social enterprise works
• How a passion for a pr
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Today’s show is a departure from the normal format. Rather than an interview, this is a solo show designed to help you learn more about Fresh Start for Life, this podcast, and of course, your host Don Golden. Listen in to hear more about Don’s background, why he started Fresh Start for Life, and what to expect going forward.

Topics Discussed in This Episode:

• How Don ended up in Florida
• Don’s area of expertise in law
• Don’s law firm
• Don’s work as a statistician
• Why Don started Fresh Start for Life
• How Don plans to use the Fresh Start for Life Podcast to help his clients
• What to expect out of the Fresh Start for Life Podcast

Links and Resources:

Don Golden

The Golden Law Group

Fresh Start for Life