Biggerpockets Money Podcast

Turning a man cave into a “money cave” Airbnb making thousands of extra dollars a month? It doesn’t get more house-hackable than this! Ron Curtis was able to pick up his first home in a pricey area for only a few thousand dollars. But how he funded his “money cave” is even more impressive. Within just hours, Ron was able to get $20K to renovate and rehab his basement unit, turning a few thousand dollars into two fully-furnished units and a house hack that pays his mortgage for him. Want to hear how he did it? Tune in! Ron is a serial entrepreneur. If it makes money, Ron has tried it. From renting cars on Turo to managing Airbnbs, starting his own credit repair and financial coaching consultancy, and turning his primary residence into a cash-flowing short-term rental, Ron isn’t messing around. He does all this while still having a typical W2 job, allowing him to save almost all the income he collects so that he can invest even faster. But, just five years ago, Ron was in a different financial state. After blow

Side income streams are your way out of breaking even every month. If you’re like most Americans and find your savings stagnating, without much room for growth, it might be time to look at opportunities outside your nine-to-five. This is exactly what today’s guest, Liz, did by becoming a real estate agent and growing her seasonal business. But, Liz is in one of the northernmost states, where winters are harsh and home sales halt once the snow falls. Liz wants to grow her real estate agent side income into a full-blown business, but how can she do so when half of the year is too cold to show houses? If you have seasonal income or an infrequent side hustle to help pay your bills, this is an episode for you! Mindy and Scott will walk through how Liz, or any other entrepreneur, can use the sunny season to grow their businesses to new heights, strengthen their savings, and invest the rest so early retirement isn’t just some far-off dream. Liz also needs to know where her money is best put to use. With a serious ca

An online side hustle that replaces your $100K salary in year one!? It sounds like an impossible feat, but today’s guest was able to achieve this by launching an unusual ecommerce business—allowing his wife to quit her job and stay at home with their kids full-time! Welcome back to another episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Today, we’re chatting with Steve Chou, a serial entrepreneur, ecommerce influencer, and founder of MyWifeQuitHerJob.com. When Steve’s wife became pregnant with their first child, he was faced with the challenge of finding a side hustle that could replace his wife’s 9-5 income. Of course, living in Silicon Valley isn’t cheap, and replacing a $100K salary is much easier said than done. Despite these hurdles, Steve was able to turn one brilliant idea into a profitable business that has managed to grow every year since 2007. If you’ve always wanted to start your own side hustle but are unsure where to begin, this episode is for aspiring entrepreneurs like you! Tune in to hear Steve sh

Pet insurance probably isn’t a top priority for you right now. Your budget might have health, car, and home insurance, but pet insurance? Is it really worth the cost? Today we talk to David, an engineer and part-time wilderness trip guide, who was hit with an astonishing amount of vet bills after his beloved four-legged friend, Blaze, was diagnosed with Lymphoma. This unexpected bill damaged David and his wife’s investing plans, but not all hope is lost. If you have a dog, cat, rabbit, lizard, or other non-human friend (sorry, your kids don't count) living at home, this is an episode for you! We’ll get into the nitty-gritty of what happens when your pet has an unexpected medical diagnosis, leaving you with a mortgage-sized bill to pay every month. While many of us have animal companions that make our life whole, few realize the cost of paying for treatment when a life-threatening disease comes into play. You’ll hear about thepros and cons of pet insurance, whether or not it’s actually worth it, and the hard c

Want to replace your nine-to-five? You'll need to know how to buy a business. And while you may think that you need to be some high-level executive or business-building savant, the reality is that TONS of profitable businesses are selling for pennies on the dollar, just waiting for you to come in, scoop them up, and start making six (or even seven) figures without doing all the work. This is the EXACT strategy that Codie Sanchez used to leave her high-paid banking career to make millions running so-called “boring” businesses. Whether it’s a laundromat, landscaping service, or law firm, businesses are up for sale without you even knowing it. You DON’T need to be an industry expert to get in on any of these deals. Many of the businesses that Codie has bought have been outside of her core competency. She’s gotten so good at business-buying that Codie now helps other want-to-be entrepreneurs get out of their jobs and into businesses that’ll help them build wealth. Codie’s ten simple steps to business buying can h

Retirement is always some far-off goal. When you’re older and much more wealthy, you can live the golden years of your life without a care in the world. The problem? None of us know how much time we have left, how healthy we’ll be as we age, and whether or not these years are the best we’ll ever get. So, why wait to retire in your sixties when it’s possible to retire in your twenties, thirties, forties, or fifties? If you had the choice to live your ideal life NOW, wouldn’t you choose to do so? On this Finance Friday episode, we talk to Sara, who had a recent wake-up call about waiting for retirement. While on a casual run, Sara suffered sudden cardiac arrest, prompting her to be put into a medically-induced coma. Without any signs of something like this happening, Sara started to ask whether or not she was living her life to the best of her ability and if waiting for retirement age was worth the risk. With six figures in student debt from her husband but solid salaries to support their low-cost-of-living lif

Wish you had a few money hacks to help with things like getting out of debt, finding the right assets to invest in, and growing your nest egg? The average person may not even know where to start! Today’s guest is using her platform to help simplify money concepts and improve financial literacy at a time when it is sorely lacking. Welcome back to another edition of the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Today, we’re joined by Nicole Lapin, founder of the Money News Network, host of Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin, and author of multiple New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling books, including Rich Bitch, Boss Bitch, Miss Independent, and Becoming Super Woman. Born into a first-generation American family, Nicole lacked financial literacy early on in life and was easily intimidated by financial concepts. Only after learning the language of money was she able to take control of her finances and pay off the consumer debt she had accumulated. In this episode, Nicole spills some of the top money hacks she has lea

Early retirement is possible for almost anyone, no matter where you start or how much you make. If you can sacrifice and save more than you spend, there’s a good chance you could retire years or even decades earlier than the rest. In fact,you can retire early on a median income salary without any retirement savings to start with…but you’ll need to do one crucial thing. As you’ll see from today’s guests, David and Danielle, one smart purchase may have set them up for life! We’re back with another Finance Friday, where we talk to David and Danielle, two median-income earners trying to figure out the right path to early retirement. After Danielle’s sales-based burnout, the couple has been surviving with just one income, cutting it close every month. But, with a return to work on the calendar for Danielle, the chances of financial freedom are looking bright. But where do they go from here? With David and Danielle’s real estate dreams, Scott and Mindy come up with a handful of ways that this couple could use their

While the job of a full-time content creator might seem glamorous from the outside looking in, make no mistake—there’s plenty of work involved, and it’s not always easy to get your business off the ground. Our next guest spent years building up her content creation platform while continuing to work her nine-to-five tech job before she made her first six figures! Welcome back to another episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Today, Scott and Amanda are joined by Gabrielle Judge, a content creator and emerging thought leader for the Gen Z workforce. Gabrielle is helping to usher in the next phase of work-life balance with “quiet quitting”—an oft-misunderstood concept that has less to do with being lazy and much more to do with assessing your return on investment (ROI) at work and creating space for your other goals and passions. Whether you’re interested in content creation or tired of working for “the man,” you won’t want to miss out on all that Gabrielle has to share. She offers a handful of top tips on

A debt-free homeowner with an emergency fund and a keen eye for personal finance? A few years ago, Jazmyn Gray wouldn’t have dreamed that’s how her life turned out. From a young age, Jazmyn was thrown into drug addiction, homelessness, a life of crime, and later, prison time. She was a teenage mother whose silver lining was running a successful business until she was robbed, abused, and pushed into relapsing. But that’s not Jazmyn’s whole story. Through some entrepreneurial pursuits behind bars and putting her finances first, Jazmyn has had an almost unbelievable path to recovery. Even after her time in prison, Jazmyn was forced to pay restitution and other debts she had piled up before her incarceration. However, through a chance meeting with none other than our own Scott Trench, Jazmyn was given the master plan she needed to rebuild her financial position, even when the odds were stacked against her. Now, in a completely different position than she was in just a few years ago, Jazmyn is ready to tell her wh

As a first-time home buyer, you may be struggling to make a move. And who can blame you? In 2023, with high mortgage rates and stiff competition, more and more would-be home buyers are staying put as renters—but this could be a big mistake. Even Jay Papasan, executive at Keller Williams and bestselling author, wishes he made his first home purchase faster. It wasn’t until Jay was thirty that he finally pulled the trigger on purchasing a property. He had just moved to Austin, Texas, and bought the worst property in the best neighborhood he could find. Now, a good twenty years later, this property alone has made Jay close to a million dollars, and he thinks today’s homebuyers could be in the same position. So, how do you build wealth when buying your first property? In this episode, Jay walks through what first-time home buyers should be looking for when scouting out houses, the telltale signs of a great (and not-so-great) real estate agent, simple improvements you can make to increase property value dramatical

Early retirement is the holy grail of financial freedom. With a large enough nest egg, you no longer have to work, giving you the time to spend with your family and friends or do whatever you want. The problem? Hitting financial independence is much easier than most FIRE-chasers think, and achieving their biggest goal comes with unintended consequences. The fact of the matter is, retiring early is a hard choice, and it’s NOT as simple as walking away from your job. Today, we talk to Phil, who’s bringing in a large salary and doing a job he loves but wants to take more time off work to be around his growing family. Phil has reached financial freedom. He has plenty of money in his retirement accounts, a short-term rental property portfolio paying him a median-income salary, and lots of cash on hand in case he runs out. He’s also got a job that makes him a stellar salary and has the flexibility to allow him to increase or decrease his shifts as he sees fit. Phil has done it. He’s found financial freedom and buil

Think it might be too late for you to enjoy the spoils of real estate investing? Well, you’d be wrong! Regardless of age, background, or financial circumstances, it’s never too late to switch careers and become a real estate investor. Just ask today’s guest! In this edition of the BiggerPockets Money podcast, we’re joined by Evan Miller, who was a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed US Air Force cadet when he first took an interest in real estate. It wasn’t long before his childhood dream of becoming a pilot was ousted by the entrepreneurial pull of building his own real estate empire. Although his journey included a stint in intelligence and a pit stop as a certified financial planner, Evan has managed to create a portfolio of eight properties over the last eight years. In today’s episode, Evan shares his entire story from start to finish, including his frugal upbringing, his time at the academy, and his journey towards becoming a full-time real estate investor. As always, our trusted hosts Mindy and Scott are along f

The road to early retirement isn’t easy. Once you become dead-set on finding financial freedom, your entire world turns upside down. For many of us, this means spending as little as possible, ditching takeout, saying goodbye to expensive events, and becoming a frugal hermit in our own financially-focused worlds. But, this can lead to serious burnout since a life without fun is a hard life to live. Today, we talk to Sam, who’s feeling his own type of frugal fatigue. Sam was blindsided by a sudden divorce, separating him from his daughter and prompting him to restart his career. He went the unconventional route, getting his pilot’s license and slowly building up his income. But, switching from stay-at-home dad to breadwinner in an instant left a mental mark on Sam. As a result, he’s kept an extremely lean budget, even as his income has grown into six figures. He’s doing a phenomenal job on the path to early retirement, but with time freedom in sight, Sam is still struggling to live life in the present moment in

Healthy meals that taste great AND save you money? Surely, you can’t have all three! Today’s guest would beg to differ. After deciding roughly six years ago to embrace a healthy lifestyle, she made it her personal mission to find clean recipes that were equally affordable and flavorful. Today, she saves roughly $150 - $200 on her grocery bill each week! Welcome to a special bonus episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast. Today, our hosts Mindy and Scott pick the brain of Jenn Lueke, a food blogger who teaches people how to curb their monthly food spend and prepare healthy, craveable dishes that keep food exciting. Have you always wanted to improve your diet without breaking the bank or spending countless hours in the kitchen? Do you wish that healthy choices tasted a little better? Tune in as Jenn talks about how she plans and preps all of her meals ahead of time, sticks to a tight grocery budget even amidst inflation or an economic downturn, and keeps all of her food organized in a one-bedroom apartment. Y

The formula to build wealth isn’t complicated. Most American millionaires have figured it out, and you might have as well. It’s safe to say that almost every wealthy American has followed these three steps that lead to a life of riches. If you follow the same path, you, too, can end up with financial independence, early retirement, and generational wealththat will propel your family forward. But, even though these steps are simple, most Americans can’t or won’t follow them. Joining us in the fight to help every American reach financial freedom are Brian Preston and Bo Hanson from The Money Guy Show. Brian and Bo both boast numerous financial acronyms after their names. As licensed financial professionals (CPAs, CFPs, PFSs, CFAs), it’s fair to say that they know their way around a portfolio. They’ve been helping their clients and podcast listeners build wealth no matter what stage of life they’re in. And their newest study on millionaires has illuminated some surprising takeaways. In today’s show, Brian and Bo

Financial freedom vs. family time. If done correctly, you can have both; but living the best of both worlds is impossible without sacrifice. For new parents, switching from a dual-income household to a single full-time income overnight can be a hard burden to bear. With less money comes lower retirement accounts, a longer time horizon to being debt-free, and financial freedom pushed years, or even decades, away. So, is being a stay-at-home parent worth the financial sacrifice? On this Finance Friday, we talk to Patrick, who recently became a new dad (woohoo!). His wife has taken on the full-time job of being a stay-at-home mom, but with a massive amount of debt hanging over their heads, Patrick is debating whether or not returning to dual income is the right move to make. Not only is this choice a financial one, it’s also an extremely personal debate, as many parents would far rather spend their time with their kids than bring home a bigger paycheck. And while we can’t tell Patrick what to do next, Mindy and

Tax season is a nerve-racking time for many, especially for those who don’t have simple tax returns. If you’re a real estate investor, you need top-notch tax advice if you hope to reap the best tax savings when filing—legally, of course. And that’s exactly what we’ve got for you today! Welcome back to another episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast. Ahead of this year’s tax deadline, we’ve brought in reinforcements to answer all of your burning tax questions. Today’s guests are Kyle Mast, fee-only certified financial planner (CFP) and real estate investor, and Natalie Kolodij, real estate tax strategist and IRS enrolled agent. In this episode, they use their collective tax expertise and perspectives to tackle a handful of key topics. Ever wondered whether there are different tax benefits when buying a property in cash rather than via a traditional home loan? If you’re in a partnership on a short-term rental property, how do you claim depreciation? What is a cost segregation study, and when should you do on

How important are beneficiary designations? What happens if you die without a will? What are intestate succession laws? Death is a subject that most people want to avoid, especially when it intersects with finances. Unfortunately, these are necessary questions to ask, as your legacy is at stake, and taking just a few hours to plan could save your family thousands of hours after you pass. When guest and long-time friend Renee received the call that her husband of nine years had passed unexpectedly, she was left to deal with not only her own grief but also the financial implications of her husband’s death. While the two had discussed death and finances on multiple occasions, little did they know that a common financial error would create a logistical nightmare—one that would lead to ongoing legal battles and fractured relationships. In today’s episode, Renee joins us to tell her story and stress the importance of planning for the unexpected. We cover things like beneficiary designations, wills, living trusts, a

Being able to retire early is a blessing and a curse. When you first start working a job, all you can think of is escaping your everyday responsibilities. The mind-numbing tasks, the early mornings, late nights, horrible bosses—it all adds up. But, you then find the “financial independence, retire early movement (FIRE),” and almost overnight, you decide that your future will be dedicated to setting yourself financially free. You develop skills that help you make more at your job, feeding into bigger, better investments. And as a result, you end up being in a better position, at a more respectable job, earning more than you thought possible, and enjoying the challenge of everyday work. This is precisely what happened to your hosts, Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench. Both started at jobs they didn’t love, wanting to be financially free. Through hard work and skill-building, Mindy and Scott were brought together, prompting them to start the BiggerPockets Money Podcast and build a company they both love. Now financia