The Budget Couple

We are the Budget Couple. We make a bi-weekly podcast that talks about life, family, and how to afford it. Join us on our budgeting journey as we explore the keys to budgeting, personal finance, and more.

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Category: Podcast

Episode 34: A Tale of Two Mortgages

Nate’s sister just bought a house and was offered two different mortgage options. One has a lower interest rate with a higher closing cost and the other has a higher interest rate with a lower closing cost. Danielle and Nate walk through how they would make a decision on which mortgage to go with. Show Notes My sister is buying…

Episode 33: Bathroom Budgeting

Nate and Danielle discuss their bathroom remodel along with the choices they made to fit their budget. They also discuss how they almost lost track of their spending and potentially put the project in jeopardy. Show Notes Recently we decided to redo our bathroom. To hear about our thought process and how we paid for everything listen to episodes 28…

Episode 32: Are Solar Panels Worth It?

Nate and Danielle talk about their new home equity loan and how it fits into their budget. The reasons why the loan was taken out along with a discussion on how to determine if you can afford a loan are discussed. They also look at the benefits of low-interest rates and how putting extra money on your loans can dramatically…

Episode 31: A Second Mortgage

Nate and Danielle talk about their new home equity loan and how it fits into their budget. The reasons why the loan was taken out along with a discussion on how to determine if you can afford a loan are discussed. They also look at the benefits of low-interest rates and how putting extra money on your loans can dramatically…

Episode 30: Consolidating Student Loans. A Good Idea?

Nate and Danielle discuss a listener question about the idea of combining 11 different student loans into one. They look at the pros and cons and offer their advice. They also take a look at the questions you should be asking yourself if you are faced with this type of situation. Show Notes Email I currently have 11 student loans.…

Episode 29: Credit Cards

Nate and Danielle discuss what they are doing with their credit cards in order to help their cards better work for them. Credit cards are treated like cash and as such, should only be used if you have money in the bank to pay for a purchase that you are making in full. Show Notes Disclaimer: Qualify that we use…

Episode 28: Affording a Home Remodel

Nate and Danielle discuss the various ways to pay for a home remodel and the pluses and minuses of each. Show Notes We are currently thinking about redoing our kitchen and master bathroom. This decision is revolving around the concept of staying at our current home and making it what we want or moving to a new, more expensive, home…

Episode 26: Budgeting as a College Student

We answer a listener question about budgeting, opening a credit card, and planning for retirement all while still in college! Show Notes Use of Credit Cards: “I have started a budget on excel, and have been following it for about three months adjusting as needed. I was thinking about applying for a credit card to build my credit and to…

Episode 25: Budget Basics Part 1: Expenses

We talk about how to look at expenses in order to figure out where your money is going. Show Notes The first step in a budget is to discover where you are spending your money. Most people already know what the make, but expenses can be difficult to track down. Don’t enter a budget with the mindset of “cutting back…