We have a special solo episode for you with a bittersweet announcement. Nicole and Shanna will share about some exciting life updates and what that means for NoBS Wellness. And as Semisonic sings in "Closing Time" -- 'Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.'

According to a study done in the U.K., the typical person will spend 2 years of their life hungover. Yikes!

In this episode, we talk with Hilary Sheinbaum, New York-based journalist and author of The Dry Challenge, all about giving up alcohol for a month. Hilary shares reasons why you should try a dry month challenge, tips to prepare yourself for a dry month, and how to ease back into drinking alcohol after the challenge is up.

In the "You Want Me To Do What??" section, Shanna and Nicole talk about their relationship with alcohol, what has impacted it, and their experiences with giving up alcohol during different periods of their adult lives.

Episode Recap: Interview with Hilary Sheinbaum - 2:52, "You Want Me To Do What??" section - 41:00

Highlights:

• Dry challenge: set amount of time with no alcohol done to see how alcohol affects your day-to-day life
• Some benefits of eliminating alcohol:
• • Better sleep
  • Better mood
  • Saving money
  • Lose weight
  • Better skin complexion
• Tips for doing a dry challenge:
• • Clear out the alcohol in your house
  • Tell people you are doing the dry challenge
  • Have a plan of non-drinking, social activities
  • Surround yourself with people who support you

Resources:

Where to find Hilary Sheinbaum:

• Instagram: @hilarywritesny
• Website: http://www.hilarysheinbaum.com/
• Book: The Dry Challenge

Hilary's articles on dating while abstaining from alcohol:

Sheltering with My Boyfriend and No Booze

Dating Without Alcohol

Not so fun fact: 73% of Americans rank finances as the number one stressor in life. While there is no quick fix when it comes to financial wellness, you can start building better habits at any time, and that's what we are talking with Brittan Leiser, financial adviser and founder of Financially Savviher, about in this episode. Brittan breaks down the basics of financial wellness and how you can lessen your financial stress by being in control of your finances.

In the "You Want Me To Do What??" section, Nicole and Shanna talk about the importance of understanding your relationship with money.

Episode Recap: Interview with Brittan Leiser - 1:48, "You Want Me To Do What??" section - 43:12

Highlights:

• Financial wellness gives you options and flexibility
• Financial wellness basics:
• • Inventory all of your accounts
  • Create a budget
• Budgeting recommendations:
• • When it comes to budgets, the best way to budget is whatever you'll stick to
  • Look back at the past few months of spending to understand what your spending is in different categories
  • Assess what you are spending on
  • Make a plan for the upcoming month
  • Look retroactively at your month to make adjustments for the next month
  • Build your savings goal into your budget as if it is a bill
• Give yourself grace -- it's not all or nothing. Building good habits is better than nothing.
• Emergency savings: 3-6 months in a high yield savings account
• Savings vs Debt:
• • List all your debts, lined up by interest rate
  • If you have higher interest rates, pay down debt while putting a little money into savings
• Investing: fund your future self via an IRA and an employer sponsored retirement account (such as a 401k)
• When investing, think about:
• • Minimizing costs
  • Diversifying what industries and companies you invest in
  • The level of risk you can take (the closer to retirement, the more conservative you want to be)
• Top Tips for Gaining Control over Your Finances
• • Create a budget and be in control of it
  • Have an inventory of your debt and bills
  • Invest early and often
• Book recommendations:
• • Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Resources:

Where to find Brittan Leiser:

• Instagram: @financially.savviher
• Website: https://financiallysavviher.com/