Snag Our Simplified Budget System!

Alright, budget besties—this one’s a hot topic! How much personal spending money should you and your spouse get each month? Is $100 too low? Is $1,000 too high? Should it be cash? Should it be a card?

In this episode, Shana and Vanessa break it all the way down—from the emotional side of spending freedom to the practical steps of budgeting it in. This conversation was sparked by a lively debate in our Facebook group (come join us—it’s free and fun at budgetbesties.com/facebook), where folks shared their wide-ranging numbers—from $40 to $1,000 a month!

Here’s what we cover:

1. 🛑 Why personal spending money is non-negotiable—yes, both of you need it

2. 💵 How to figure out the right amount for your lifestyle and your budget

3. 🔁 Why your spending number might shift depending on your season of life

4. 🧾 The difference between personal money vs. other spending (like gas, groceries, or glam-up expenses)

5. 🧠 Tips for automating your transfers and whether cash or cards are better

6. 💳 Why separate accounts can make budgeting easier and less stressful

7. 🧘🏽‍♀️ How personal spending helps heal old money habits and guilt

This episode will help you (and your partner!) give yourselves permission to spend, with freedom and boundaries. It’s not about the exact number—it’s about being intentional.

Wanna learn more about how we help couples build a budget they can actually stick to (and still have fun)? Our coaching programs and personalized budget templates are designed to give you clarity, confidence, and a little breathing room.

Connect With Us:

1️⃣ Facebook Group – Join the community. Our free group is where the real talk happens. Connect with other women who are learning how to budget, save, and finally feel in control, together. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

2️⃣ Automate Your Budget Masterclass – Watch it now, no waiting. This FREE on-demand training shows you how to set up a budget that matches your lifestyle, without tracking every dollar or feeling restricted. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/automate

3️⃣ Budget – Grab our Simplified Budget System! You don’t need another budget, you need a system that does the math, makes the plan, and gives you permission to spend. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/budget

4️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching – Get a plan and a coach. We’ll build your full budget system together, so you always know what to do and feel confident doing it. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

5️⃣ Be on the Podcast – Free coaching, real convo. Come chat with us on the show! Get real-time financial coaching and help other women by sharing your story. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

"I love Shana & Vanessa and this podcast is amazing!" 👈🏻 If that sounds like you… ✨ Please take a second to rate & review the show! It helps us reach more people—just like you—who are ready to change their financial future. 🔔 Don’t forget to follow so you never miss an episode! 💌 And if you're feeling extra generous, share this podcast with a friend who needs it. We’d be so honored. 🙌

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This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase!

Snag Our Simplified Budget System!

Hey Budget Besties! 💛

This week’s episode is a powerful reminder that financial recovery is possible — and it starts with one brave decision at a time.

Danielle joined us fresh off her family’s bankruptcy discharge. After years of being buried in credit card debt, she and her husband are finally getting some breathing room — and she’s determined not to go back.

She’s taken some huge steps already (hello high-yield savings and separate bank accounts 👏), but now she’s looking for a real plan. One that brings peace, not pressure. And that’s where we came in.

Inside this coaching session, we cover:

1. Why “strict budgeting” is not the vibe — but real budgeting is still essential

2. The truth about paycheck budgeting (spoiler: it’s not working)

3. How to split your spending into categories that make sense (and reduce arguments!)

4. Why multiple checking accounts can be your secret weapon — especially if you're the only one managing the money

5. The mindset shift from “his money vs. my money” to “our vision”

6. How to get intentional about every dollar — even that overtime pay

7. Building savings buckets that are personal, powerful, and actually work

8. What to do next when the credit cards are gone but you're still stuck in survival mode

Danielle is doing so much right — she's motivated, she's organized, and she's ready. We just gave her the strategy to match her heart.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “kind of budgeting” but still overwhelmed... this episode is your next step. 💪

Connect With Us:

1️⃣ Facebook Group – Join the community. Our free group is where the real talk happens. Connect with other women who are learning how to budget, save, and finally feel in control, together. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

2️⃣ Automate Your Budget Masterclass – Watch it now, no waiting. This FREE on-demand training shows you how to set up a budget that matches your lifestyle, without tracking every dollar or feeling restricted. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/automate

3️⃣ Budget – Grab our Simplified Budget System! You don’t need another budget, you need a system that does the math, makes the plan, and gives you permission to spend. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/budget

4️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching – Get a plan and a coach. We’ll build your full budget system together, so you always know what to do and feel confident doing it. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

5️⃣ Be on the Podcast – Free coaching, real convo. Come chat with us on the show! Get real-time financial coaching and help other women by sharing your story. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

"I love Shana & Vanessa and this podcast is amazing!" 👈🏻 If that sounds like you… ✨ Please take a second to rate & review the show! It helps us reach more people—just like you—who are ready to change their financial future. 🔔 Don’t forget to follow so you never miss an episode! 💌 And if you're feeling extra generous, share this podcast with a friend who needs it. We’d be so honored. 🙌

Click here to view our privacy policy.

This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase!

Snag Our Simplified Budget System!

Hey Budget Besties! 🎉

We’re throwing it back to one of our fave convos on the Work Like a Mother podcast with our girl Marina! If you missed it the first time, or just need a fresh dose of budgeting wisdom and encouragement, this one’s for you.

This episode is the perfect listen for anyone trying to get their financial act together in January (aka all of us). We talk through what it really means to reset your money mindset for the new year and how to plan for the year ahead without shame, overwhelm, or swiping your way into another stressful December.

In this replay, we chat about:

1. Our signature budget system that makes money feel less messy

2. How multiple bank accounts actually make things easier (promise!)

3. Getting your partner on board without turning it into a fight

4. Real-life wins from our clients — like paying bills on time for the first time ever 🙌

5. Why being bougie on a budget is the vibe for 2025

6. Credit card payoff strategy: step one is NOT what you think

7. Christmas savings hacks that’ll have you walking into December stress-free

8. What it really costs to raise teens (spoiler: it’s not just shoes and snacks)

9. Thoughts on college planning, guilt-free parenting, and raising financially-savvy kids

Whether you're feeling stuck in survival mode or just want to tighten things up and get intentional, this episode is your reminder that you can spend, save, and thrive—all at the same time.

Let’s adult for an afternoon, get those numbers on paper, and make a plan that actually works for your life. 💛

Connect With Us:

1️⃣ Facebook Group – Join the community. Our free group is where the real talk happens. Connect with other women who are learning how to budget, save, and finally feel in control, together. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

2️⃣ Automate Your Budget Masterclass – Watch it now, no waiting. This FREE on-demand training shows you how to set up a budget that matches your lifestyle, without tracking every dollar or feeling restricted. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/automate

3️⃣ Budget – Grab our Simplified Budget System! You don’t need another budget, you need a system that does the math, makes the plan, and gives you permission to spend. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/budget

4️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching – Get a plan and a coach. We’ll build your full budget system together, so you always know what to do and feel confident doing it. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

5️⃣ Be on the Podcast – Free coaching, real convo. Come chat with us on the show! Get real-time financial coaching and help other women by sharing your story. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

"I love Shana & Vanessa and this podcast is amazing!" 👈🏻 If that sounds like you… ✨ Please take a second to rate & review the show! It helps us reach more people—just like you—who are ready to change their financial future. 🔔 Don’t forget to follow so you never miss an episode! 💌 And if you're feeling extra generous, share this podcast with a friend who needs it. We’d be so honored. 🙌

Click here to view our privacy policy.

This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase!

Snag Our Simplified Budget System!

In this heartfelt and relatable episode, we sit down with Angie—a teacher, wife to a social worker, and mom of three—who’s doing all the right things but still feels stuck in that “never quite enough” money zone. Sound familiar?

Angie and her husband don’t have debt (other than their mortgage 💪), are a paycheck ahead, and have even built an emergency fund over time. But with rising costs and the pressure of living in a high-income school district, she’s feeling overwhelmed and unsure about how to plan for future expenses like vacations, home repairs, or even a new minivan—without falling back into debt.

Here’s what we unpack in this episode:

1. 👩‍🏫 Why income isn’t everything—and how teachers and social workers are more financially powerful than they think

2. 💡 The difference between budgeting and tracking (Spoiler alert: your app may not be helping you!)

3. 💸 How to use a one-page budget to finally see where your money’s going—and where it could be going instead

4. 🏦 The power of savings buckets and how to slowly build them (yes, even with a tight income!)

5. 💬 Why it’s okay to tell your kids “no”—and how to shift the conversation toward financial empowerment for the whole family

6. 🛍️ Practical tips on separating bills from spending, opening multiple checking accounts, and giving every dollar a job

Angie’s story is full of small wins, real talk, and major encouragement. If you’ve ever felt like you're doing everything right but still can’t seem to get ahead, this episode is for you. We’re diving into strategies that bring financial peace—without changing careers or giving up your latte (unless you want to 😉).

Connect With Us:

1️⃣ Facebook Group – Join the community. Our free group is where the real talk happens. Connect with other women who are learning how to budget, save, and finally feel in control, together. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook

2️⃣ Automate Your Budget Masterclass – Watch it now, no waiting. This FREE on-demand training shows you how to set up a budget that matches your lifestyle, without tracking every dollar or feeling restricted. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/automate

3️⃣ Budget – Grab our Simplified Budget System! You don’t need another budget, you need a system that does the math, makes the plan, and gives you permission to spend. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/budget

4️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching – Get a plan and a coach. We’ll build your full budget system together, so you always know what to do and feel confident doing it. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching

5️⃣ Be on the Podcast – Free coaching, real convo. Come chat with us on the show! Get real-time financial coaching and help other women by sharing your story. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall

"I love Shana & Vanessa and this podcast is amazing!" 👈🏻 If that sounds like you… ✨ Please take a second to rate & review the show! It helps us reach more people—just like you—who are ready to change their financial future. 🔔 Don’t forget to follow so you never miss an episode! 💌 And if you're feeling extra generous, share this podcast with a friend who needs it. We’d be so honored. 🙌

Click here to view our privacy policy.

This description may contain affiliate links, meaning we may get a commission at no cost to you if you click & purchase!