The nebulous idea of “enough” is the topic of conversation in the season 2 finale of A Sunny Side Up Life podcast. Most of us struggle with this concept very early in our lives, as we begin to understand complex topics and facts of life like class, race, and inequity. But how do we handle not being enough as adults when not reaching “enoughness” has real mental, physical and psychological ramifications? I also chat about different investing accounts, income limits and tax advantages, and where you can go online to start educating yourself about investing.

No lie: I used to think people truly meant saving cash when they said, “I’m saving for retirement.” I thought people had a vault with stacks of cash. Boy, was I wrong.

In this episode, I go through what saving for retirement actually means, why you need to get started NOW and the power of compound interest.

I also chat about different investing accounts, income limits and tax advantages, and where you can go online to start educating yourself about investing.

We planned to build our forever home and get old and gray on that property… until Covid hit and lumber prices skyrocketed. Our dream no longer aligned with what we needed, life happened, and we made a huge decision that changed everything.

Let me educate you all about why you need an emergency fund to begin with, how much to keep in it (hint: it’s personal to you and your situation), where the heck to keep it, and more!

Alyssa Davies, content creator and a published author, joins the podcast to talk about how she was able to approach her finances from a new perspective and remove the guilt and shame for the spending. We discuss financial trauma, how mental health is tied to personal finance and why internalized capitalism is something to fight against, not praise.

Can you imagine living in a 32 ft trailer with your partner, kids, and dogs? Would you go stir-crazy? Well… now you don’t have to imagine it, you can hear all about it. Kailey Maloney, from @believeandbudget, joins the podcast to talk about how her world transformed with simple living. We discuss embracing the messy moments of life, intentional minimalism, advice for starting your debt free journey, if her and her family plan on staying in the RV for the foreseeable future, and more!

Being “trauma informed,” experiencing “childhood trauma,” or having a “trauma bonded” are phrases used repeatedly to describe certain pivotal and disturbing life experiences and/or mental distress. And while sometimes “trauma” is over exaggerated or used incorrectly, the current spotlight on this pervasive problem has brought, front-and-center, the need to explore it in greater depth. This leads to the question: what about trauma and money? Can you have financial PTSD? Can you experience financial trauma? How valid are these things… or are we, as a society, being dramatic when it comes to this pairing?

In this episode of A Sunny Side Up Life podcast, I chat with @shaybudgets, business owner, social media influencer, goal-setting expert, budget coach and more. We talk about how she started her influencer journey, the realities of juggling a full-time job and working a side hustle, how much YouTube pays, and more.

For decades, finance has been dictated by straight, cis-gendered, white males. The need for something radically different is what pushed Regina and Angela, founders of Women’s Personal Finance, to begin their online community for women and non-binary identifying folks. 

If you’ve always wanted to ask these personal finance questions, but have been too scared or embarrassed, this episode is for you. Learn all about sinking funds, goal setting, high yield savings accounts, debt payoff methods and more!

Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez, Esq. entrepreneur and new author, joins the podcast to discuss how she went from paying off significant debt and graduating law school to quitting her corporate law degree in favor of her business, Zero-Based Budget. We also talk about the need for transparency around entrepreneurship, the white savior complex, the struggles of being the face of an online brand and more!

Sami chats about her journey towards becoming a Certified Financial Planner®, signs you need professional financial help, and what to do if you can't afford that professional help.

My husband, Daniel Womack, joins me to talk about his perspective on our debt free journey, budgeting, and different client personal finance situations.

Daniel and I have been married for 14 years, together 19 years. Through that time we’ve gone from half a million dollars in debt to an over three hundred and fifty thousand dollar net worth.

It hasn’t always been rainbows and butterflies– and often in the personal finance space, a male partner’s perspective is missing. If you’re wondering what it’s like living with a money nerd and financial coach, this episode is for you!

Andy Hill and I talk about how to prepare for a looming recession, why doing what helps you sleep at night is better than what is financially optimal in some cases and the different types of FIRE.

Haley and Justin Brown-Woods from Price Of Avocado Toast Podcast talk about their journey into the personal finance space and financial coaching, how their lives have been changed by podcasting and what it takes to work together as a Millennial married couple on money management.

In this solo episode, Sami deconstructs the harmful narrative of college being the one and only choice after high school and how she is using launching funds as an alternative in her own family.

While statistically college increases income and earning potential over a lifetime, we must consider if this is the right path for our children and the high-stake resources needed to earn a high education degree.

If you’ve ever felt conflicted about saving for your kids' future, this episode is for you.

Jannese Torres discusses her path to financial freedom, the realities of passive income, and economic activism.

Sami gets candid about her own experiences with credit card debt, why people find themselves drowning in it, and ways you can pay down that debt. She also explains the importance of credit scores, emergency funds, and getting your money mindset right before diving into using them strategically.

If you’re struggling with credit cards in any capacity, this episode is for you.

Nika Booth and I talk about the importance of taking care of yourself, avoiding Dave Ramsey or any strict personal finance advice, building in fun money, and making sure your budget fits your life.

@debtfreegonnabe has been featured in Business Insider, Bankrate, CNBC, and Yahoo Finance, just to name a few. Nika has amassed an impressive following of 70k+ on Instagram and helps people slay debt without sacrificing fun.

At the end of the day, your budget is a lot like hot weather and articles of clothing: you can only cut so much before it becomes problematic. And that’s what we’re tackling today on A Sunny Side Up Life Podcast.

Sami discusses the unnecessary guilt and shame surrounding things we can’t control, like the current inflation rate, and how to combat these feelings and our finances during periods of monetary struggle.