Ilona has worked in finance on Wall Street and Silicon Valley. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated with her parents to the United States at the age of 5, and grew up in Louisville, KY. She is fluent in Spanish, Russian, and German, and as an avid world traveler – her current tally for countries visited stands at over 60.

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at support@weeklybudgeting.com.

Talking Points:

• Thanksgiving
  • Turkey versus Chicken
  • Dan’s special Jell-O and Drew’s spinach madeline
  • COVID Thanksgiving plans
• The effect of gratitude on people’s spending behaviors
  • Having a sense of gratitude for your life
• Things to be thankful for in 2020
  • Back to the basics
  • We survived this very long year
  • Being an introvert during the pandemic
  • Different household dynamics
• Ilona and Money Memories
  • The history behind The Bear and The Bull & Money Memories
  • Travel and money
  • Most memorable guest stories
  • Ilona’s earliest money memory
  • Educating and helping first generation in personal finance
  • Capitalism and marginalism
  • Systemic racism in lending practices
  • Ilona’s favorites:
    • Advice for personal finance
    • Articles and series she has written for Forbes
    • Money Memories, NPR, and Ilona’s white whale
  • Ilona plays “Why’d You Buy It”

Resources/Links:

Website: The Bear and the Bull

Podcast: Money Memories

Instagram: @bear.andbull

Instagram: @money_memories

Twitter: @bearandbull1

Money Memories Episode: “Demystifying the Unicorn” with BuBu

The Steele Maiden Blog

Weekly Budgeting App

We also go over what Singles Day is and compare the differences in online shopping services as well as digital flash sales. Are these examples of how digital marketing and sales will go in the future? What are the odds that we’ll see a house for sale on Amazon soon?

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at support@weeklybudgeting.com. 

Talking Points:

• “Shopping” Holidays
  • The history of Singles Day (November 11th)
    • Alibaba (the Chinese equivalent of Amazon)
    • Streamed live events
  • Singles Day versus Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Prime Day, and... Pi Day
• Yohance Harrison from Money Script Wealth
  • What is behavioral financial planning?
  • Yohance’s background and journey to being an independent
  • Strategies for how to change your financial habits
    • Steps and plans he makes with his clients
    • Working with couples with different values
  • Our views and first impressions of money
  • What is a “money script?”
  • Increasing financial awareness, intelligence, and literacy in minorities
  • The role of money in the Black Lives Matter movement
  • The Money Script podcast
  • Why’d You Buy That:

Resources/Links:

Money Script Wealth

Instagram: @themoneyscript

Twitter: @themoneyscript

Twitter: @yo_harrison

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at support@weeklybudgeting.com.

Talking Points:

• Doom-scrolling and social media
• Dan, Jess, and Drew’s thoughts on The Social Dilemma
• Purchasing phones for middle school age kids
• The purpose of apps and what they want of you
• The responsibility that come with smartphones, social media, and plastic
• Advertising and being targeted by ads
• Cancel Culture

Lexi Cross of ShoesOf

• Stories and anecdotes since Lexi started ShoesOf
• Plastic, sustainability and fast fashion
• The Desert Island Question

Why’d You Buy That?

• Dan’s serial cereal habits
• Jess' fall foliage foray
• Drew’s price-gouged gourds

Resources/Links:

The Steele Maiden Blog

Shoesof.com

Weekly Budgeting App

In the second half of the episode, Dan and Drew talk with Lindsay about what it means to be on a budget and the psychology behind personal finance. What has the lack of financial literacy done to our mindset? What are our emotions which we correlate to our finances? How can we change all of that?

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at support@weeklybudgeting.com. 

Talking Points:

• Halloween Season
• • DIY costumes and personal Halloween practices
  • Kicking off the holiday season
  • How much does the average consumer spends on Halloween
  • Halloween purchases
  • Top Pet Costumes
  • How Coronavirus has changed Halloween plans
• Lindsay Bryan-Podvin from Mind Money Balance
• • What is financial therapy?
  • What does “Monday is emotional and psychology” mean?
  • What is “money mindset”?
  • • Abundance versus scarcity mindsets
    • History, data, and your emotional viewpoint on money
  • Typical money neurosis and problems with money
  • What role does shame play in our financial lives?
  • Tips for the emotions that come up when you have to make big financial decisions
  • Financial literacy
  • The psychological reasons why people fail to stick to a budget
  • The Financial Anxiety Solution which highlights that there are different ways to follow a budget
• Why’d You Buy That: hygge at its finest
• • Hygge - the feeling of coziness on a dark, cold day

Resources/Links:

The Steele Maiden Blog

WeCroak

Mind Money Balance Website

Mind Money Balance Instagram

Mind Money Balance Podcast

Mind Money Balance YouTube

Mind Money Balance Email: info@mindmoneybalance.com

The Financial Anxiety Solution: A Step-by-Step Workbook to Stop Worrying about Money, Take Control of Your Finances, and Live a Happier Life, by Lindsay Bryan-Podvin

Weekly Budgeting App

In the first half of the program Dan, Drew, and Jess talk about the subscription economy. It seems like you can buy a subscription (or a subscription box) for absolutely anything these days. They also play a fun “Guess this streaming service” quiz. For the second half of the show, Dan and Drew are joined by Alyssa Ponticello from the blog, Runway Chef. Her expertise focuses on life’s luxuries on a budget. From luxuries to bargains, Alyssa talks about bargain hunting. Dan, Drew, and Jessica end the episode by talking about the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and her contributions to financial equity.

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at support@weeklybudgeting.com.

Talking Points:

• Blockbuster vs Netflix, and subscription services
• • Software subscription services
  • • Adobe subscription
  • Subscription boxes and “ship-to-your-home” models
  • • Food-based subscription services: Blue Apron
    • Fashion subscription service: Nuuly, Trunk Club
  • Entertainment subscription services
  • • Movie, music, and other digital streaming services
    • Book subscription services
  • Family and household subscription services
  • • Amazon Subscribe and Save, 
    • Dollar Shave Club, 
    • Farmer’s market boxes
    • Printer Ink subscriptions
  • Decision fatigue
  • Budgeting apps are now helping people manage subscriptions
  • Movie subscription quiz
• Alyssa’s financial philosophies and what fuels her blog
• • When to spend money on big purchases and when to go for the sale prices
  • Her favorite luxury purchases
  • Alyssa’s hierarchy of bags and prices
  • • Counterfeit versus authentic bags
  • Cooking experiences and cooking on a budget
  • • Developing recipes
    • Challenges for creatives
    • Food subscriptions
  • The art of being a social media influencer and blogger
  • • When you know you’re onto something
    • The oversaturation of social media influencers 
  • Best bargain resources
  • • Facebook Marketplace
• The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg
• • Looking back on some of RBG’s greatest achievements for financial equity in America 

Resources/Links:

The Steele Maiden Blog

The Runway Chef Blog

Twitter: @runwaychef

Instagram: @runwaychef

YouTube: Alyssa Ponticello

Weekly Budgeting App

If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at support@weeklybudgeting.com.

Talking Points:

• 7 Must-Have Money Conversations You Need to Have Before Getting Hitched
  • Money mindsets and beliefs
    • Start-up versus merger
  • Financial backgrounds
  • Life and financial goals
  • Debts and credit history
  • Spending and saving habits
  • Managing money together
    • Split savings/assets during divorce
    • Bad ex-boyfriends stealing money
    • Keeping your identity and a discretionary account
  • Financial obligations
• Sandra and Chris on their eye-opening journey
  • Open communication
  • Aligning financial values
  • Money mindsets and life priorities
  • The idea of a breadwinner versus a partnership
  • Business versus personal financial mindsets
  • Budgeting for a long voyage or trip
  • Different ways of life and the American dream
  • Sustainability
  • The story behind the name Swell Advisors
• Why’d You Buy That?
  • Jessica
    • “When are we going to stop this? Cause we could go back to doing it ourselves.”
  • Drew
    • “There is seemingly no end to what they’ll advertise to the kids.”
  • Dan
    • “I bought a pack of wedding rings on Amazon.”

Resources/Links:

Wallet Joy, “7 Must-Have Money Conversations You Need to Have Before Getting Hitched” by Elyssa Kirkham

The Steele Maiden Blog

Swell Advisors

Swell Advisors, Facebook

Swell Advisors, Instagram

Weekly Budgeting App

Dan and Drew are back behind them mic and today they’re talking about Dan’s recent anniversary trip to Las Vegas, the coronavirus, and what it would take for him to buy a new car. Meanwhile, Drew talks about how the gambling gods got theirs after all, his adventures with home improvement, and how “easy” hanging doors can be.

Talking Points:

• Dan’s anniversary trip to Las Vegas
• • Money and Vegas
  • At what point would you buy a new car?
  • Coronavirus 
  • Gambling
  • • Dan’s experience with slots
    • Drew’s poker story
• Drew’s “Why’d You Buy That” for the week: Doors, et al
• • Home improvement costs
• Literati: a subscriptions service for kids books

Resources/Links:

Literati Books

Weekly Budgeting App

Quotes from this episode: 

“And I decide not to bet at all unless I have a sure thing because the antes (at least the first ones) are not so big as to where they’ll knock you out.” – Drew, on poker

“I feel very rich driving an old car. I feel like I have no car payments. If something breaks it’s not a problem. We can get it fixed. If the whole car dies and I need to get a new car, it’s not the end of the world.” – Dan

“So that’s a business idea for somebody. Make doors with pre-hinge templates; they’ll fly off the shelves!” – Drew

“We’re trying to simplify budgeting so you can budget a little less and spend a little more time living life.” – Dan

Jessica Steele grew up in small town Pennsylvania before pursuing a degree in Fashion Design and moving to New York City in 2009. With a full-time career in the fashion industry, Jessica founded The Steele Maiden in 2012 while on a brief New York-hiatus (let’s call Los Angeles a fling). Along with her partner Adam, behind the camera and the scenes, she created the website to be a place which inspires readers to create fashionable adventures throughout their own cities and beyond.

Talking Points:

• Why’d You Buy That?
• • Dan’s anniversary gift
  • • Budgeting for a wedding
    • Toiletry Kits and gift giving
    • Anniversary trips
  • Emergency… water and toilet paper?
• The national coin shortage
• Selling used toys
• Jessica Steele’s budgeting tips and blog
• • Jessica’s background in fashion
  • How she got started with her budget
  • The shift in money-mindset
  • How she budgets
  • Credit card debts
  • Savings Goals
  • Blogging in the chaos of 2020
  • Shame versus empowerment with money management
  • Personal finance education

Resources/Links:

Weekly Budgeting App

The Steele Maiden blog

Instagram: @thesteelemaiden

In addition, we have a question to ask our customers: Would you like an automated assistant to ask you questions and check-in with your goals on a daily basis? And would you be willing to pay for that as an add-on? If you would like to give us your input, have any comments, or questions, email us at support@weeklybudgeting.com.

Talking Points:

• 4th of July and fireworks at home
  • Fireworks have gotten a lot bigger
  • The Sparklers Dilemma
  • The Fireworks Mob Mentality
• Coronavirus and the continued effect on our lives
  • Keeping up with fitness and wellness while we’re stuck at home
  • Public pools
  • Summer camps
  • The mystery of who is can contract coronavirus
• Theme parks and roller coasters
  • The ups-and-downs of roller coaster bravery
  • A theme park during a pandemic?!
• Our thoughts on coronavirus
• Why’d You Buy That?
  • Noom

*** OUR PODCAST HAS CHANGED NAMES TO "WHY'D YOU BUY THAT?" ****

We hope this change emphasizes how we want this to be a fun discussion about the motivations behind our purchases helping all of us to buy things with less guilt and more joy. The :shrug: icon hopefully reflects the confusion we all sometimes feel in sorting out our feelings about our purchases. We hope you like the name change and would love to hear any feedback you might have

Dan talks about receiving the IRS stimulus and what that was like.  Finally, Dan and Drew talk about whether it is worth it to pay a realtor to sell you home, even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

In this week's podcast, Dan and Drew explore the psychology of sunk costs then talk about the virtues of thinking about some purchases as "experiments" so that we can more easily let go of them if they don't work out.

Then, Drew has a conversation with Chris Chapman, the founder of the Next Level Minds podcast about money lessons he learned through the years. 

Thank you to: 

Chris Chapman: Next Level Minds Podcast 

Reference: Psychology of Sunk Costs

Arkes, Hal & Blumer, Catherine. (1985). The psychology of sunk cost. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 35. 124-140. 10.1016/0749-5978(85)90049-4.

But before we get into that piece, Dan and Drew discuss when its best to challenge your frugality mindset and spend more in areas that are providing real value in your life.

Like and subscribe!

Source articles - 

MSN - https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/savemoney/20-ways-companies-trick-you-into-spending-more-money/ss-BBZmOK9

Tim Ferris - https://tim.blog/2019/12/30/where-are-you-still-using-single-ply

Sources: 

How Much
https://howmuch.net/articles/best-performing-stocks

CNBC Article
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/30/13-things-you-should-give-up-if-you-want-to-be-successful.html

Give it a listen!  

Also, you can download Changed App here -> https://gochanged.com

Photo by Dan LeFebvre on Unsplash

Instacart survey - https://news.instacart.com/turkey-day-expos%C3%A9-how-americans-really-feel-about-the-big-dinner-c7dbdf1146f7

Dan's Grandma Nye on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogSerovpULs&t=42s

Weekly Budgeting - Download our budget app.

Weekly is app that helps you stick to budget my making it easy to understand what you have to spend.

 http://weeklybudgeting.com

For more information on Tori Levo blogging visit- https://www.facebook.com/etoria.hill/videos/10156286766764032/

We talk about the interpersonal dynamics of budgeting with a spouse or partner.  

We also give an app updates, some information on feature requests and some user reviews.

Find out why "In the Air Tonight" reminds Dan of summer vacation.

Thanks for listening!

Dan discusses the upgrades to the app.  Dan and Drew celebrate the 100th user!

Download the app at http://weeklybudgeting.com

Join New Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/386489425308570/

Finally, Dan and Drew give an update on the app and how the development is going and the development initiatives and user stats.