Dec. 10, 2025

117: The 2025 Financial Audit You Can’t Afford to Skip (Before It’s Too Late)

117: The 2025 Financial Audit You Can’t Afford to Skip (Before It’s Too Late)
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon
Season 4

Before you set another New Year’s resolution or budget goal, hit pause and reflect. In this episode, Jessica and Brandon walk you through the exact steps to do a personal money audit that sets you up to win in 2026. Whether you're feeling behind or just want a clearer plan, this episode is your financial reset.

We cover:

  • How to review your income, expenses, debt, and savings from 2025
  • The 6 key money numbers you need to know
  • Tools and automations that make your financial life easier
  • How to set smarter, more realistic financial goals for the new year

This is the year you stop winging it and start making your money work for you.

👉🏽 Get 50% off Monarch Money
👉🏽 Download our “When I Die” Planning Guide

Head over to our YouTube channel to catch this episode in full video form.

Apply to be a guest on the show.

You can also email us at: thesugardaddypodcast@gmail.com

Connect with us on Instagram
We’re most active over at @thesugardaddypodcast

Chat with Brandon
Want to work together? Learn more about Brandon

Book a free 30-min call to see if it's a fit.

Show us some love, hit subscribe, leave a five star rating, and drop a quick review!

Money, relationships, and the mindset to master both. Hosted by financial advisor Brandon and his wife Jessica, The Sugar Daddy Podcast breaks down how to build wealth, unpack old money beliefs, and have real conversations about love and finances. Our mission? To help couples and individuals grow rich in every sense of the word: emotionally, relationally and financially.

Chapters

00:00 - Year-End Money Review Setup

02:11 - Foundations: What To Track Annually

02:36 - Income Lookback And Upskilling

04:33 - Life Changes That Impact Income

05:16 - Spending Breakdown And Visibility

08:11 - Tools And Fast Setup With Monarch

10:55 - Debt Check-In And Payoff Plans

13:21 - Savings, Investing, And Automation

16:31 - Mindset, Wins, And Lessons Learned

18:17 - Goal Setting For 2026

20:28 - Budget Reset And Tax Prep

22:13 - Audit Subscriptions And Reduce Waste

24:01 - Automations, Risk, And Points Strategy

26:16 - Organizing Docs And Money Dates

30:03 - Recap, Resources, And Coaching Offer

41:20 - Community CTA And Disclaimers

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.040
If your money could talk, would it say you crushed it this year or you just barely survived?

00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:12.960
As we wrap up the year, it's the perfect time to hit pause and reflect on your financial wins, your money mistakes, and everything in between.

00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:22.000
In this episode, we're doing a full end-of-year financial review so you can stop winging it and start building a money game plan that actually works.

00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:29.839
We'll break down what you should be looking at, how to assess your progress, and exactly how to set smarter financial goals for the new year.

00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:37.920
Whether you're trying to get out of debt, grow your income, or just stop feeling broke after payday, this episode is your reset button.

00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:39.039
Let's get into it.

00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.039
Sugar Teddy Podcast, yo.

00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:43.840
Learn how to make them pockets grow.

00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:46.399
Financial freedoms where we grow.

00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.799
Smart investments, money flow.

00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:52.799
Hey babe, what are we talking about today?

00:00:53.119 --> 00:01:02.719
Today we are talking about reflecting on our 2025 and setting up our 2026.

00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:07.439
Yes, this is going to be your end of year review for your money.

00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:19.200
So talking about all the things that went on that were either good, bad, maybe need improvement, or things that are good and you want to keep continuing to do that you did in 2025 going into 2026.

00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:21.599
Yeah, and we do this every year.

00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:27.519
So you can listen to this episode, you can listen to last year's episode, you can listen to the one before that.

00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:37.120
We are going to say almost the same thing because what you should be doing to reflect at the end of every year is not going to change from year to year.

00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:43.760
Like I mean, some those things can change as far as what you were trying to accomplish, as far as goals and see how that goes.

00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:45.200
And you'll also be in a different financial place.

00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:52.319
Yeah, a lot of the things that you're assessing are going to be the same, but you could also be adding some new things to the, you know, sure that you're going to look back on.

00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:52.799
Yeah.

00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:59.120
Well, all I'm saying is the foundational items are not going to change, right?

00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:00.480
Like how much did you spend?

00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:01.920
How much did you save?

00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:03.200
How much did you invest?

00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:04.879
What did your investments do?

00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:06.879
What would you like to do more of next year?

00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.400
What do you want to do less of?

00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:11.520
I mean, those are the foundational things that I think of, right?

00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:18.000
I would say that would be a common theme year to year as far as things that you're keeping an eye on and looking back on and seeing how you did.

00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:18.479
Yeah.

00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:19.039
All right.

00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:20.319
So let's get into it.

00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:21.599
Where do we start?

00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:25.919
Well, the first thing you obviously want to do is you want to do a look back on your income.

00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:31.759
Um, I think one of the biggest things you need to keep track of is how much money you had coming for the year.

00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:36.159
And is there a possibility of you maybe increasing that going into the new year?

00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:42.240
I think all of us would like to make more money if possible, too, depending on what it you know entails.

00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:50.479
But the idea here is that one of the things you really want to focus on too is especially in the the age range that we're at right now, what's maximizing your income?

00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:54.400
Because all the bonuses and everything that you have are gonna be based off your income.

00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:57.599
So the higher your income is, those percentages is just gonna increase even more.

00:02:57.840 --> 00:02:58.319
Yep.

00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:05.919
One thing that I'm doing to hopefully increase my income is I just wrapped up a PMP boot camp.

00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:10.479
We are gonna do a separate episode on that um because I think it's worth talking about.

00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:18.240
But the PMP, the um professional um project management certif certification.

00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:20.639
Wow, see that boot camp has taken me out.

00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:21.520
I'm tired.

00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:28.639
Um it's one of those certifications that really people are looking for.

00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:36.080
And so going into the next year, um, you know, I'm always thinking about what what skills do I want to enhance?

00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:38.719
What do I want to be working on?

00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:42.879
I've kept saying it, I've got like 10 good years of corporate in me.

00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:45.360
Y'all got y'all got me for 10 more years.

00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:47.520
You get me for another decade, and then I'm out.

00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:49.280
Like that is my goal.

00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:56.639
So, you know, I'm doing things now to think about how I can increase um my income.

00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:06.080
And fun fact, as we reflect on this year, a PMP term, which I'm sure lots of people use in their business, is called a retrospective.

00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:09.520
Learning not new things.

00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:10.080
No.

00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:11.199
Okay.

00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:12.719
All right, we can keep going.

00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:18.240
But the idea here is that, like I said, you're looking on the income that you had coming in.

00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:22.000
And in relation to some of your goals, do you think maybe you need more money?

00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:25.680
Now, one of the things here is in the reflection is that always yes.

00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:32.639
One of the things here, too, is that, you know, going into the new year, is there possibly anything that's gonna change in regards to your income?

00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:43.199
You know, for example, we've had episodes where maybe you're getting ready to welcome a new baby, and you we've decided that maybe one of the parents are gonna be a stay-at-home parent and that's gonna make a change in your income.

00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:49.120
So these are the things that you want to reflect on and think about and make a plan as far as what did we do well?

00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:54.160
What are some things that we can improve on and put a plan in place moving forward into the new year with that?

00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:55.360
Yeah, absolutely.

00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:00.639
Daycare, maybe you had a child that was at home and now they're gonna be going to daycare.

00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:02.800
Are you moving in an elderly parent?

00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:04.800
I mean, so many things.

00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:06.959
And even, hey Well, that's just the income.

00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:08.560
So the next part would be expensive.

00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:09.120
Okay, okay.

00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:16.319
So what you were talking about, you were moving right into the next part as far as because that's all we do is expend, like the money just goes out.

00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:21.360
You want to do a spending breakdown of what you spent last year and what you spent it on.

00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:29.040
Now, one of the easiest ways to do that is by using um a type of budgeting software such as Monarch Money.

00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:29.519
All right.

00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:31.040
Shout out to Monarch.

00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:45.120
It makes it so easy for you because what it allows you to do is that you're allowed to use their account aggregator, which means that you can connect all your various accounts, your bank accounts, your investment accounts, your credit card, all those things, and you can see all that information in one place.

00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:47.120
And then it attracts your spending over time.

00:05:47.199 --> 00:06:01.199
So all you literally have to do is, you know, hop into the software and it'll show you month by month, you know, how much income you had coming in, how much expenses, and then the breakdown of where the income was coming from if you have multiple streams of income, but then it also shows you the different expense categories as well.

00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:22.000
So the biggest thing you want to do here is you want to take a look at between, like, you know, your lifestyle spending versus your fixed costs, you know, things that you need to have, your rent, mortgage, utilities, food, stuff of that nature, and how much did that, you know, equate to over the course of the past year in relation to your lifestyle spending, you know, things that are maybe a little bit more on the one side.

00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:26.319
Because the biggest thing we want to see here is that are we spending too much?

00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:36.720
Is there something we can do better in regards to reducing some of our frivolous spending where it can actually be more beneficial to allocate that towards maybe your emergency fund or your investment accounts?

00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:38.319
Yeah, absolutely.

00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:48.480
Well, and you know, I like to offset all of the mundane spending on all of the things that we have to spend money on with the fun things, which are planning for trips.

00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:48.879
Yes.

00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:55.920
So those are things that you want to to work in and budget for as well as you're planning for what next year can look like.

00:06:56.160 --> 00:07:04.639
Yeah, because this is all about seeing, you know, how the past year you've done and are there any changes you can make to improve going into the new year?

00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:19.920
Because we're all about improving and, you know, this is not to shame anybody in regards to like if you look at your 2025 and you haven't done a lot of the things that you wish you would have done, this is uh an opportunity for you to have some reflection and retrospect.

00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:27.120
And like I said, see the errors of where they occurred and put a plan in place so that you can do better going to the new year.

00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:27.519
Yeah.

00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:37.839
But the the most important thing is here, and I think this is a common theme, not only with your clients, but even the friends that I talk to about their finances, it's the visibility.

00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:38.399
Yes.

00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:40.639
You can't measure what you don't manage, right?

00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:46.720
And if money is just going out, you have no idea where it's going, you're a high earner, and we've had this whole episode, right?

00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:51.040
You're a high earner and you still feel broke or you still feel like you're living paycheck to paycheck.

00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:52.560
Where is your money going?

00:07:52.720 --> 00:08:05.600
And when you actually start tracking it, you will find, oh, I actually do eat out way more than I thought, you know, or oh, that Amazon cart, you know, maybe I didn't need to hit, you know, add to cart on that.

00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:07.439
And we all do it.

00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:12.560
I mean, there are definitely times where those Amazon boxes are come into the house.

00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:15.759
And a lot of times it is stuff for the kids or for the house.

00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.160
But even then, yeah.

00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:18.800
Did I need it?

00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:20.879
Could I have gotten it from a thrift store?

00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:22.000
You know, things like that.

00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:23.920
And so it adds up quickly.

00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:30.959
And if you're not looking at it, if you do not have the visibility, you're never going to get a handle on your finances.

00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:32.399
And that's just the bottom line.

00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:35.360
And if you're scared to look at it, that's even bigger problem.

00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:38.000
That that's a whole nother that's a whole nother episode.

00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:39.679
And we've done that episode as well.

00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:42.960
Um Yeah, the key part is here is having a system in place.

00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:56.159
And utilizing technology is going to be the easiest way to be able to have that visibility and accountability of where where your money is going while also not wasting so much time on doing it.

00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:58.879
Because I set up our let me just interject.

00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:03.360
I set up our monarch in bed one night in 15 minutes.

00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:08.480
It was it was probably less than 15 minutes because you already have all the apps on your phone, right?

00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:11.600
It wasn't even like I had to go get my wallet and type in.

00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:14.080
No, it was literally like, where do you bank?

00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:15.279
Okay, JP Morgan.

00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:16.320
Okay, where's your savings?

00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:17.039
Okay, here.

00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:19.120
Okay, where's where's your 401k?

00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:22.159
I mean, you're literally, you already have the apps on your phone.

00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:25.360
Like, did you have to do a little authentication and all the security stuff?

00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:25.840
Yes.

00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:31.759
But 15 minutes, y'all, and everything, every place that we have money, boom, it's there.

00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:33.360
It's on a beautiful dashboard.

00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:35.360
And it goes back several months.

00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:42.240
So it's not just like, oh, you um, you know, set it up today and it's only taking transactions from today moving forward.

00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.639
I think it goes, I mean, I it goes back at least a year.

00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:46.320
It it's pretty significant.

00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:49.440
And then, you know, you can add in your home value.

00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:52.159
That'll make, you know, everything look a look a little better.

00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:54.080
Cause at one point I was like, what's happening?

00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:55.600
And then I added in our home value.

00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.240
And I was like, oh, yeah, you put our mortgage in, but not the actual.

00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.840
Yeah, I only put in the expense, but not that it's also an asset.

00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:06.240
So anyway, um, so for those of you, I'm thinking like the busy moms, right?

00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:08.960
Who are like, I'm gonna be ha be the one who has to do this.

00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:10.559
It will not take long.

00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:15.840
When you're sitting in the car line waiting for the kids, do five accounts.

00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:19.519
Like when you're at the dentist waiting for the kids, do five more accounts.

00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:25.679
Like make it a priority to get this visibility because it really is a game changer.

00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:26.720
Oh, yeah.

00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:30.799
So with that, like I said, we uh we'll link it in the show notes show notes.

00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.799
We have a um referral code.

00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:33.279
There we go.

00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:36.399
A referral code that'll get you 50% off for your first year.

00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:37.679
Yeah, and it's worth it.

00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:38.320
It's worth it.

00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:51.279
And once you see it and you're like, oh, this is so nice, and then having the money meetings, having the conversations with your partner is much easier because you can just pull up the app or you can pull it up on your computer and you're looking at the same thing.

00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:53.360
You're working off of the same document, you know?

00:10:53.600 --> 00:11:00.000
I mean, like literally it puts there and you know, easy for you to see, income for the month shows you how much income you came in.

00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:01.919
And this nice thing is that it's after tax.

00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:04.960
And then you have expenses for the month.

00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:07.840
Did you have more income come in than expenses?

00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:09.279
Makes your life a lot easier.

00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.960
But uh moving into the next category, this is where you want to also do a debt check-in.

00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:19.360
So any debts that you have, you want to check on the progress that you're making towards paying that off.

00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:25.519
You know, whether that's student loan, personal loan, car loan, um, credit card debt, anything of that nature.

00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:30.879
You want to take a look at, you know, one, how has those payments been going over the past year?

00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:36.559
Is there any additional money that you could actually allocate towards paying off some of those debts sooner going to the new year?

00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:38.240
And you want to put a plan in place.

00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:51.600
Um, I think we've had we've had episodes in the past talking about how there are debt calculators out there that you could put in your, you know, the balance of your debt, the interest rate on that debt, and your payments, and it'll show you exactly when you would actually pay that off.

00:11:51.759 --> 00:12:00.159
And you can also add on there, like if you were to add an additional$50 or so to the debt that you were paying as far as the minimum, it'll show you much how much faster you would actually pay that debt off.

00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:04.000
And I think that's a really big part in having an end goal to these debts.

00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:10.159
So any debts that you have, using a calculator to know that, hey, if I'm paying this amount, this is when it's going to be done.

00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.480
That's gonna also help with that motivation aspect.

00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:14.240
Again, that's visibility, right?

00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:19.759
That's understanding what where do I have these debts and what's my plan?

00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:22.559
So if you're new to the show, welcome.

00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:24.159
We are not debt free.

00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:25.120
That's not our goal.

00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:26.879
That's never something that we've claimed.

00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:33.759
We have a mortgage, we have car payments, we have um a credit card that has a balance that has a 0%.

00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:47.519
Like those being debt free is not something that we are about, but we talk about our debts, we have a plan for our debts, we reassess our debts, and we try to use debt strategically, right?

00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:52.080
Um and so avoiding it is not the answer.

00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:59.840
Not making a plan and again, understanding the amount of people who don't know the interest on their credit cards.

00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:00.639
That's a problem.

00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:07.440
If you have little balances here and there and you're thinking, well, it's not that much, it's only 500, it's only 400, it's only a thousand.

00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:12.080
Ooh, especially all those store credit cards.

00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:24.480
Please go and look at, we don't have any store credit cards, but those store credit cards, I'm looking at, you know, the Kohl's, the old navies, the Victoria's Secrets, those things are gonna be pushing 30 plus percent.

00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:31.039
So if you are carrying a balance on there, this is why you're gonna be paying month over month.

00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:33.679
And you're like, wait, I keep paying on it, but I can't pay it off.

00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:34.320
This is why.

00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:34.639
Yeah.

00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:40.320
And that debt calculator will help you know exactly if you're paying this amount, how quickly that would pay that off.

00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:45.120
And it allows you to see if you were to just add a little bit more, how much sooner that debt could be eliminated.

00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.240
Yep, exactly.

00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:48.240
So visibility is key.

00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:52.559
You can't manage and measure, measure, but you can't manage.

00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:54.480
Whatever the saying is, I need more coffee.

00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:55.919
Y'all know what I'm trying to say.

00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:01.919
If you don't look at it, if you are not aware, it's not gonna go anywhere and you can't make a plan.

00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:04.320
So you have to have visibility first and foremost.

00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:04.960
All right.

00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:11.519
So after that, moving into savings and investments, you want to look back over the course of the past year.

00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:13.360
What was your overall savings rate?

00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:18.720
And by that I mean how much did you save percentage-wise of your income for the given year?

00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:24.879
So that can be money that's gonna be going into, you know, your 401k plan, emergency fund, other investment accounts.

00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:28.399
You want to take um, you want to get an idea of what that was.

00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:32.639
And once again, with Monarch Money, it can help you really easily keep track of that.

00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:38.240
Now, you wanna, if you don't have a fully funded um emergency fund, how close are you to funding that?

00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.279
You know, and that simply could be a math breakdown.

00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:49.120
If you have a certain amount and you're trying to hit a goal, you're contributing a certain amount each month, you should be able to know exactly how many months it would take for you to get there.

00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:55.519
Now, as far as taking a look at, you know, your 401k plan, did you max out your 401k 401k plan?

00:14:55.600 --> 00:15:00.639
If you didn't, do you think that there's a possibility for you to do that going into 2020, 2026?

00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:07.679
Um, were there any you know contributions to a Roth IRA, a traditional IRA, or just another type of brokerage account?

00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:11.600
Also including your 529 plans, uh my accounts for your kids.

00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:13.919
How much were you putting to these accounts?

00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:15.440
How successful were you?

00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:19.279
And the idea here is you want to set a goal moving forward as well.

00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:25.840
I think one uh key call out here for both savings and investing is to automate.

00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:28.720
And we've said this on every other episode.

00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:31.039
I would not be a natural saver.

00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:33.679
I would not consider myself a saver.

00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:35.679
I have to automate everything.

00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:42.159
And I am so grateful when I look at, you know, my Roth balance, my 401k balance.

00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:48.240
I am always so glad that that is automated because otherwise it would be at zero.

00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:51.919
But it's not because it automatically goes in there.

00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:55.759
And that is how you build wealth.

00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:57.759
That is how you build your emergency fund.

00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:00.639
Can I tell the really funny story about our emergency fund?

00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:04.000
Real quick for what you were just saying about the automation.

00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:12.960
For some people out there who are self-employed and you have fluctuations from month to month with how much you have coming in, I understand that it makes it very hard to automate everything.

00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:17.440
Um well, what you can do from a savings standpoint is that you can automate lower.

00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:18.159
The minimum.

00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:18.399
Yeah.

00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:32.159
So for example, well, what I'm saying is from like from a savings standpoint, if you're contributing to an IRA, um, if you know that you can contribute, you know,$400 comfortably,$100, then maybe you lower to$200 as the automation.

00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:36.879
And you do have to have the discipline that if you have a month that's fine, then you could put that additional amount in.

00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:43.120
Because like I said, I've worked with people who have that fluctuation and then they feel a little, you know, um, worried about doing that automation.

00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:44.080
Right.

00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:44.799
Okay.

00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.799
Um, so Brandon and I have little money meetings all the time.

00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:52.000
We need to have a dedicated one, which I know we're planning for.

00:16:52.080 --> 00:17:03.840
But because we talk about money all the time and we're weird like that, we'll just be in the car driving and whoever's not driving will pull up whatever account and we'll be looking at stuff and you know, we'll just like reassess something really quickly.

00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:08.400
So I don't remember where we were going, but we were looking at one of our savings accounts.

00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:09.359
And do you remember?

00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:10.880
You know what story I'm talking about?

00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:13.440
I will I'll see if if you keep going.

00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:17.440
I said I was like, well, I think there's this amount of money in there.

00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:23.680
And you were like, actually, it's this amount of money, and it was$18,000 higher than it should have been.

00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:29.119
And I was like, Oh my gosh, we like we've been doing so well with like our automations.

00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:30.880
I had I was like$18,000.

00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.240
That's incredible.

00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:34.079
So we ended up doing some digging.

00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:39.279
Y'all, why did Brandon's mama transfer money into our savings account?

00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:40.960
I think that was our ally account.

00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:41.359
Yeah.

00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:47.039
So like my mom had like our ally account as one of her like And I don't know why.

00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:48.480
I still don't understand why.

00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:55.440
Because of something with in regards to uh sending money to me or something of her nature, which is why she had it saved.

00:17:55.599 --> 00:18:01.519
And she didn't properly label them as my as our ally saving account hers.

00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:07.359
And so she she went ahead and trans thought so she was transferring the money to herself and transferred into our account.

00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:10.480
So we had this extra$18,000 sitting there.

00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:14.000
I'm like, I know that like I can just like anybody else.

00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:18.960
Sometimes you have little errors where you didn't necessarily keep track of things as close as you would like to.

00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:22.240
Happens to all of us, even me and you know, and Jess.

00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.240
But I was like, there's no way I missed that.

00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:24.799
Like right.

00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:29.680
I was like, oh, you've been doing really well with like putting money aside.

00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:39.759
And so, anyways, that was um we had like a super high high and then like a low, low afterwards when we were like, oh, well, let's deduct that eight thousand eighteen thousand dollars.

00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:44.559
I did say though, if she does make that mistake again, that money's ours.

00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:54.160
Like you need to unlink, label whatever you need to do because the next time it hits our account, I'm moving it right back out into a different account and it's ours.

00:18:55.200 --> 00:19:04.799
But again, you have to, you know, you have to assess things and uh you have to reevaluate and figure, figure things out on a regular basis.

00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:12.720
So after taking a look at your savings and investments, you want to honestly reflect on some of your money wins and the lessons that you learned over the past year.

00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:16.319
Um, I think too often we're always worried about the next thing.

00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:21.759
And we don't sometimes take a moment to enjoy those small wins or successes that we have.

00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:26.000
And I think that's really important, especially when it comes to your finances, because you're not gonna always have them.

00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:32.319
That's you know, you're gonna have things that happen no matter how much you plan, there are gonna be things that you didn't um account for happening happening.

00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:35.279
So definitely, you know, enjoy those ones that you've had.

00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:40.720
And then also, you know, as far as out of the things that went right, what are some of the things that maybe didn't go as well as you would like?

00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:45.039
What are some of the habits or decisions that, you know, over the past year that held you back?

00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:50.240
What could you, you know, what were those and how could you potentially avoid them?

00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:56.799
I think what you said about celebrating the wins, even if they s they feel small, right?

00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:59.440
Instead of saying, Well, I only saved.

00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:05.839
X amount of dollars, change that to I was able to save X amount of dollars.

00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:11.440
Like even if you didn't hit a goal, maybe you hadn't even set a goal, anything saved is better than nothing saved.

00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.160
Oh, 100%.

00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:31.200
If you invested, if you got your 401k match at work, if you um, you know, opened a 529 plan for one of your children or your children, like those are important and incremental steps to building wealth, to building your portfolio, to being financially responsible.

00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:33.359
Celebrate those things, you know.

00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:35.599
Like they're, I mean, know better, do better.

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:37.039
You can't do it all at once.

00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:46.079
So make sure that you give yourself some grace and that you celebrate and tap yourself, you know, pat yourself on the back for doing the things.

00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:46.880
You took action.

00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:48.400
You took action, and that's so important.

00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:50.960
Many people avoid that first step of taking action.

00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:51.359
Exactly.

00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:57.920
So just simply taking that first step of actually doing something is huge because the majority of people don't even do that.

00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:58.480
Mm-hmm.

00:20:58.640 --> 00:20:58.880
Yeah.

00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:03.440
So don't focus on what you didn't do, celebrate what you did accomplish.

00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:06.240
Well, we we do want to take account of what we didn't do.

00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:06.720
Yes.

00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:07.680
But we don't want to dwell on.

00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:08.720
We're not gonna dwell.

00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:09.119
Yeah.

00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:11.440
We're not gonna let that derail us from moving forward.

00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:15.200
Realize that there's things that you didn't do and then move on.

00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:15.920
Correct.

00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:16.480
All right.

00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:17.039
Yep.

00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:23.519
So with that, you know, as far as a 2025 look back, now we're gonna move into the forecasting forward.

00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:26.000
You do want to prep for the new year coming up.

00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:30.880
So, first thing I always say everything starts with is what are your actual goals?

00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:42.559
So you do need to set your goals for 2026 as far as what you want to accomplish, because everything from a planning standpoint is gonna be based on your individual goals and what you as an individual want to accomplish for that year.

00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:43.039
Yeah.

00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:47.839
You, you as an individual, and if you're in a partnership as a team or a couple.

00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:50.480
Yeah, definitely, because you're gonna have your individual goals.

00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:50.720
Yep.

00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.000
You want to have your group goals.

00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:58.960
So, you know, if um you didn't quite make as much as you wanted to last year from an income standpoint, what is your goal for 2026?

00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:03.440
What are you gonna do to help, you know, increase that amount of money that you have coming in?

00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:09.200
Um, if you didn't quite save as much as you wanted to or invest as much as you wanted to, what changes are you gonna make?

00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:12.960
Like are you gonna maybe, for example, like the last year, maybe you weren't an automator?

00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:19.039
Maybe this year you want to go ahead and automate your savings so that you ensure that it happens, automate your investing into you know certain accounts.

00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:19.440
Yeah.

00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:25.519
Um, if you were, you know, had debt that you didn't quite pay off and you didn't use that debt calculator.

00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:30.559
Maybe use that debt calculator now to know, hey, if I'm paying this amount, then I know that I'll pay it off by this date.

00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:33.359
Or if I add a little extra bit more, I could pay it off sooner.

00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:34.720
So this is what you want to do.

00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:37.839
You want to set these new financial goals going into 2026.

00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:38.960
Yep, absolutely.

00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:48.400
And one thing that we've talked about previously too is look at what your um what your employer allows.

00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:56.400
You know, most of us get a direct deposit paycheck, but a lot of times you can have multiple accounts that money goes into.

00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:04.319
So even if you set up a savings account to link to your direct deposit, you can have$20 out of your paycheck go into that savings account.

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:06.880
High yield, please, high yield savings account.

00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:12.799
Um, but again, if you don't see it, you're probably not going to miss it, you know?

00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:16.160
So again, know who you are as a person.

00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:20.799
And if you know that you're gonna pay yourself last, try to flip that.

00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.000
Pay yourself first.

00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:23.519
Remember, that's what the wealthy do.

00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:26.880
They pay themselves first in their savings and their investments.

00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:28.799
Um, and and do that.

00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:31.759
Figure out a way to do that, even if it's$20.

00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:33.839
$20 is better than zero dollars.

00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:42.160
Yeah, and also at this point in time is also with the whole new goal setting for 2026, is also seeing if you need to make some changes to your mindset.

00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:46.960
Because a lot of this stuff really starts with your mindset.

00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:50.880
How do you actually view your finances?

00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:55.279
Is that a positive relationship, a negative relationship, or just an avoidance in general?

00:23:55.680 --> 00:24:02.000
Because everything when it comes to having the proper outcome that you would want to have really starts with your mindset.

00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:10.559
So if maybe you weren't in quite the right mindset in 2025, maybe what are some of the things that you need to do and to change that for 2026?

00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:18.960
You know, we have a dream framework that really helps out with the having those conversations from a mindset standpoint with your partner.

00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:19.599
Yes.

00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:30.880
And that's, I mean, not this is not a financial goal, but that's a big goal for us, is we really want to start building community around dream because we know it's a powerful framework.

00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:32.240
We know it works.

00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:48.160
And we want to make sure that we are helping and empowering other people to have better money conversations, to have dinner table conversations around finances and goals and what's working, what's not, and just to make it a normal conversation, right?

00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:54.559
Especially for those of us who have kids normalizing the conversation so that they're learning through osmosis.

00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:59.839
Ooh, that is um another PMP term, osmostic communication.

00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:04.480
And it's literally like absorbing things in your environment by just like listening.

00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:05.759
It's like ear hustling.

00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:09.440
That's what I used to tell my teachers when I was in high school and I was sleeping class.

00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:11.200
That you're osmostic communication.

00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:12.559
I'm learning.

00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:13.920
I didn't use that word specifically.

00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:14.559
I use osmosis.

00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:16.559
I did the word osmosis from science.

00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:18.960
So I used to say I'm absorbing it via osmosis.

00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:21.039
Well, and you know, we say it jokingly, right?

00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:23.680
But like literally osmostic communication.

00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:26.799
Now, these were classes that I was getting A's in that I was falling asleep in.

00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:27.039
Yeah.

00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:28.240
I was a good student still.

00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:31.759
Um okay, let's keep going.

00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:37.200
So obviously with setting the new goals, you also want to do a budget reset if that's necessary.

00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:37.920
All right.

00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:39.519
Especially with these prices.

00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:41.440
Everybody needs to be doing a budget reset.

00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:42.000
Yes.

00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:50.559
That's exactly where I was going to lead to that, you know, especially with inflation, um, cost of everything just increasing.

00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:54.160
Our healthcare premiums went up 17%.

00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:56.720
If you didn't listen to that episode, you can go listen to that one.

00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:10.559
It's honestly like you're just gonna have to do a complete budget reset because you're gonna have to take a look at, like I said, even though even if you hit your budget last year, as far as everything that you're doing, you do want to do a reassessment and make sure that with the increased cost of things, does that budget still work?

00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:15.279
Are there gonna be any adjustments that you need to make so that you are successful in 2026?

00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:15.599
Yeah.

00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:18.640
That's always just a good thing to keep be aware of.

00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:21.839
Um, even the wealthy, the wealthy are aware.

00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:24.559
Like you they you think like, oh, they have a lot of money, they're not thinking about it.

00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:29.759
No, they know where their money's going because that's one of the reasons why they became wealthy and they stay wealthy.

00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:30.880
They know where their money is going.

00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:35.119
They track it, they look at it, they assess it, then they make changes to it.

00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:36.319
Yeah, exactly.

00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:38.240
Also, sorry, were you gonna say something?

00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:38.480
No.

00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:44.079
I'm saying also with looking forward, you know, we're coming to the year run for 2025.

00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.920
Also, you guys use some tax prep.

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:49.200
It's not fun.

00:26:49.359 --> 00:27:01.680
Uh, my little sidebar rant is I don't understand if you're, you know, if you're a W-2 um employee why you have to file taxes to the government, if you know how much I owe you, just tell me.

00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:03.440
Just tell me.

00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:06.559
But, anyways, you do have to do test some tax prep.

00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:09.920
So making sure that, like, you know, one, are you gonna do your tax to yourself?

00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:18.880
Because if not, you better get somebody, you know, establish a relationship with them because all the CPAs and enrolled agents and all everything like that, they're busy now.

00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:21.200
So make sure you do a plan for that.

00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:25.039
Um, also make sure that you're starting to gather all the necessary tax documents that you have.

00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:37.680
So um, outside of just, you know, if you're a W2 employee, outside of that, you know, making sure that if you have any type of investment accounts that require any type of tax document documentation with that, making sure that you have all that ready to go as well.

00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:39.200
Yeah, be organized.

00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:39.680
Yeah.

00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:41.200
Get organized, be organized.

00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:47.039
Like find a folder, write taxes 2025, and put all the receipts in there.

00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:52.400
And I I always say to people that if you're one of those people that you don't like doing it, just have somebody else do it.

00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:53.440
Build that into your budget.

00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:56.319
Do you know anybody who likes doing their taxes?

00:27:56.880 --> 00:27:58.160
There are some weird people out there.

00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:59.599
Besides actual CPAs.

00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:00.880
I've come across some.

00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:04.160
Uh some analytical people like to, you know, be on top and do their own taxes.

00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:05.680
That's that's crazy.

00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:06.160
Okay.

00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:13.119
I don't yuck anybody else's yum when it comes to um next, we're gonna audit subscriptions and expenses.

00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:13.839
Yes.

00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:17.440
So the biggest thing here is that you want to eliminate any waste.

00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:23.200
Was there something that you were used that you thought you were using in 2025, but it turns out you weren't using?

00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:27.039
Get rid of it because that money could be better utilized someplace else.

00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:31.519
And I'm not even necessarily saying that money could be better utilized going into savings or an investment account.

00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:35.359
It could be better utilized on a lifestyle purchase that you'll actually use.

00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:36.400
Yeah, yeah.

00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:39.759
I mean, that's and that's especially if you're in a partnership.

00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:42.640
Like, hey, are we both accidentally paying for Spotify?

00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:45.680
Are we both like Brandon and I have been talking about this for months?

00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:47.519
I'm I'm just gonna out us right here.

00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:49.920
We both are paying for a Canva subscription.

00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:51.440
Y'all, that does not make sense.

00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:56.000
First of all, our Canvas stuff should be together because we're using it for the podcast.

00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:58.880
So, like, we are literally, it's dumb.

00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:01.759
We need to do our own audit because we've been saying it.

00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:03.119
We are aware of it.

00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:08.480
Now we need to actually like figure out does it make sense for him to keep his and me move my stuff?

00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:10.079
Like, we need to just figure it out.

00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:11.119
Nobody's perfect.

00:29:11.279 --> 00:29:13.440
No, we all have things that we can improve upon.

00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:14.079
Absolutely.

00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:16.000
Y'all will never hear us say that we are perfect.

00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:17.039
It's that does not exist.

00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:18.960
That's I don't aspire to be perfect either.

00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:19.759
So no, no.

00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:24.480
But like that's that's the stuff that you know, why are we paying for this subscription and that subscription?

00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:28.240
When was the last time you watch something on Apple TV?

00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:30.799
If you're not watching something on there, cancel it.

00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:33.200
Like you can always resubscribe.

00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:35.039
Get rid of those subscriptions and actually.

00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:42.960
Like I know, you know, there's several times where like you go to cancel something, like, oh, well, we'll give it to you for half off now.

00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:46.880
Serious, serious X XM is who uses Serious XM anymore?

00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:47.680
A lot of people.

00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:54.640
Um, it they listen, if you tell them that you can't afford it and you want to cancel, you will walk out of there with a$2.99 monthly subscription.

00:29:54.880 --> 00:30:07.359
That's funny though, because uh with the Sirius XM little sidebar, my dad was talking about how he thinks that they charge him more because he has Mercedes in comparison to uh his uh uh his partner he's been with for a long time, Kelly, who has a Kia.

00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:12.559
Oh, well, that could be part of that dynamic pricing that is starting to happen.

00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:15.359
He's like, I swear, like he's like the pricing that she gets, I never know.

00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:16.400
Well, he needs to call.

00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:18.000
He said he has.

00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:18.960
Hmm.

00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:20.720
Well, he's gonna get a new car soon.

00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:22.960
So let's see what his pricing is then.

00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:23.680
Yeah.

00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:33.519
So listen, know what your subscriptions are, know what your recurring payments are, figure out what you need, what you don't need, what are you using, what are you not using.

00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:35.119
And you'd be surprised.

00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:40.720
I mean, I'm not saying, you know, it's gonna make you a millionaire, but you could put easily a hundred dollars back in your pocket a month.

00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:41.200
Yeah.

00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:44.160
So I said, I will take that all day.

00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:48.240
I I personally very much dislike wasting money.

00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:55.599
So, like sometimes if I do something where like it ends up wasting money, I'm like, oh, even if it's not a lot, that's like, I don't know, just something that irks me about myself sometimes.

00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:56.000
Yeah.

00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:04.240
Well, even yeah, I mean, I it took me far too long to cancel my gym membership when I literally was like barely able to move or walk around the block.

00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:05.680
I was clearly not going to the gym.

00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:08.880
And it in my head, I was like, oh, it's what what was it,$25?

00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:13.759
But that's$25 wasted and life is expensive and we do not have the money to waste.

00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:21.519
So the last thing as far as the uh prepping and looking forward for 2026 is plan your automations.

00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:35.279
We kind of, you know, touched on that when it comes to um some aspects of the uh new goals, but anything that you can automate, it just makes your life so much easier because it really helps you reduce uh decision fatigue.

00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:38.480
Like we have so many decisions on a daily basis that we have to make.

00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:43.519
So if there's anything that you can do to reduce that, it's going to yield a much better outcome overall.

00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:44.000
Yeah.

00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:52.400
It's also going to help mitigate risk, another PMP situation, um, which is oh, I forgot to pay that bill.

00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:57.440
Oh, that bill slipped underneath the car seat, and you know, I forgot to pay it.

00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:58.799
Or now you have a late payment.

00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:00.960
Now you need to call somebody to try to get the late payment.

00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:04.079
I mean, it's just like that that constant revolving door.

00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:06.400
If you can automate it, automate it.

00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:09.200
Yeah, I don't think there's a single bill that we have that's not automated.

00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:12.319
I know that I like other ones that I think yes, are trash and recycling.

00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:13.440
And you know what's funny?

00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:14.640
I just paid it yesterday.

00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:16.240
I pay that on Cash App.

00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:17.680
Isn't that weird?

00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:18.799
Oh, interesting.

00:32:18.960 --> 00:32:19.440
Mm-hmm.

00:32:19.599 --> 00:32:20.160
Cash App.

00:32:20.400 --> 00:32:21.920
He takes Cash App, Venmo.

00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:22.799
I don't even know.

00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:25.039
But that one can't be automated, can it?

00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:27.440
I don't know if you can automate things on Cash App.

00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:28.240
Yeah, okay.

00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:33.519
So like everything that we can everything that we can automate, we have that automated from a bill standpoint.

00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:35.119
That is that is the only one.

00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:39.839
And then aside from like medical bills that come on come in or something, but yeah, everything else.

00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:50.559
And, you know, this is not a credit card points and miles uh conversation today, but the bills that we can put on our credit cards, we do.

00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:54.400
Because if I'm gonna have to pay that bill anyways, I might as well get something for it.

00:32:54.640 --> 00:33:01.440
And I put it on that Capital One venture card, two times the points, and we use those points for what we like best, which is travel.

00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:05.119
So again, we try to maximize, you're gonna spend the money anyway.

00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:08.880
So get your points and miles if you can, you know?

00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:09.680
All right.

00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:22.480
So now that you've kind of taken a look in regards to forecasting forward as far as what you want to do going into the new year, what are some of like, you know, the tips and tools that you can actually utilize to make it easier for you in the new year?

00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:40.000
So, like we said, one of the things that we've talked about through this episode numerous times is monarch money, as far as using a budgeting tool that provides a lot more visibility for, you know, especially if you're married in a partnership, provides a visibility that often can sometimes be lacking when it comes to merging finances.

00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:41.440
Yes, absolutely.

00:33:41.599 --> 00:33:44.480
And we'll again put that link in the show notes.

00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:54.480
Um, one thing that I love that we do, and even then, that's something you have to update, you have to look at it, you have to keep it current, but organizing our financial documents, right?

00:33:54.640 --> 00:34:02.480
And having we have shared Google documents that we have and that the people in our life that need to have access have access to.

00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:07.839
Um, and it it, you know, it's easy to update, it's easy to share.

00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:08.320
Yeah.

00:34:08.639 --> 00:34:17.440
And I feel so much better knowing that we both have access to our important documents in an easy to access manner.

00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:17.840
Yeah.

00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:23.280
So to make it easy for people, like um we have a Google Doc that has like, you know, where are our bank accounts?

00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:24.800
How many do we have at that given bank?

00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:26.400
You know, how where are our investment accounts?

00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:27.440
How many accounts do we have?

00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:29.199
Our life insurance, where it's at.

00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:32.239
Everything from a financial standpoint has all that information.

00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:34.880
So God forbid something happens to the both of us.

00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:45.280
The people that wouldn't need that information have access to it, um, even have um linked there is a um a digital copy of our uh will and trust so that they have that access to information.

00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:46.639
And it makes it so much easier.

00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:51.119
You know, God forbid that happens in that terrible time period, having to deal with trying to find all this stuff.

00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:56.800
We have it very much easily organized and we update it and it automatically, you know, sends out in regards to the Google Doc.

00:34:57.119 --> 00:34:57.360
Yeah.

00:34:57.519 --> 00:35:06.960
And I've been updating um the portion of our Google Doc of like, you know, it's from our When I Die guide, um, which we'll go ahead and link it.

00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:13.679
It's a free 17-page guide that we put together of these important documents that you you definitely want to look at them at least once a year.

00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:16.639
I would say twice because things change, you know, frequently.

00:35:16.800 --> 00:35:20.320
But I've started adding things just, you know, when I'm thinking about it.

00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:25.119
I added, you know, what picture I would want used for my obituary.

00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:37.199
I've yeah, you start to find, but the thing is in Forcing, we have you have, we're at the age where you have friends that go through all these various things and you know, these things come up that I wouldn't have thought of because I'd never experienced them.

00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:40.159
But then we have someone that we know who has and they bring them up.

00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:42.960
I have um a quote that I would like.

00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:44.800
Um I haven't done any of that.

00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:45.679
That's okay.

00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:49.119
I um I put what I want the menu to be.

00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:51.280
I want I put what I want people to wear.

00:35:51.760 --> 00:35:52.880
That's the difference between me and her.

00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:57.119
Like that's a what kind of music I want played, early 2000s, obviously.

00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:05.599
Um yeah, I've just listened I I want my people to be able to grieve me if something happens.

00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:08.559
And I don't want you to think about, well, what would Jessica want?

00:36:08.639 --> 00:36:09.280
You know what I want?

00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:13.280
It's right here on this document, in in literal black and white.

00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:19.360
Like it literally says, like, I want my favorite food, Mexican sushi, pizza, charcuterie.

00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:21.840
The, you know, like I'm spelling it out.

00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:32.239
And I don't sit there and spend a ton of time, but like in the event that I have a few extra minutes or a flight is delayed or whatever, I'll just pop into that document and I'll be like, ooh, I forgot about this.

00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:36.159
Or if I see a quote that I really like, I'm like, oh, that would be beautiful at my funeral.

00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:37.119
Let me put that in there.

00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:37.599
Okay.

00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:38.719
I know I'm a weirdo.

00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:39.360
Moving on.

00:36:39.679 --> 00:36:41.440
Moving on, moving right along.

00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:53.119
Um, also, too, if you have not, you know, in 2025, if you did not do, you know, your quarterly, maybe money dates, your money meetings with your partner, go ahead and schedule those.

00:36:53.199 --> 00:37:00.079
I would go ahead and get them on a calendar before because I think it's also easier to reschedule something than it is to initially schedule something.

00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:00.800
That's true.

00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:01.519
That's true.

00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:02.000
Yeah.

00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:17.360
Um, so honestly, that's, you know, kind of the all the things that you need to really kind of think about from an overview standpoint when it comes to the 2025, 2025 review and then planning for an even more successful 2026.

00:37:17.840 --> 00:37:19.119
I mean, that was a lot.

00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:20.960
I feel like we gave y'all a lot.

00:37:21.039 --> 00:37:23.360
So let's do a quick recap.

00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:26.480
So the first thing you're gonna do is you're gonna look back.

00:37:26.639 --> 00:37:28.079
This is that retrospective.

00:37:28.239 --> 00:37:30.079
Okay, we're gonna drop some PMP terms.

00:37:30.239 --> 00:37:36.800
You're gonna look at your income, you're gonna look at your spending, you're gonna look at where you are in your debt and make a plan.

00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:41.920
You're gonna use that calculator so that you can have a plan for how you're gonna pay that debt off.

00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:56.480
You're going to look at your savings and investments, you're going to make sure that that emergency fund is growing, that your retirement and brokerage accounts are being contributed to, that you're getting your employer match, et cetera.

00:37:56.719 --> 00:38:04.320
And then you're going to reflect on your money wins and your lessons learned because we want to, and actually, lessons learned is another PMP thing.

00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:09.119
You don't go into a project ever without lessons learned from previous projects.

00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:10.239
Because it just makes sense.

00:38:10.400 --> 00:38:10.639
Yeah.

00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:12.480
You know, like why start from scratch?

00:38:12.559 --> 00:38:13.119
You know?

00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:15.920
Then you're going to look at next year.

00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:17.519
You're going to like look forward.

00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:19.679
So you're going to set those financial goals.

00:38:19.840 --> 00:38:22.159
What do you want to accomplish in 2026?

00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:23.679
You're going to do a budget reset.

00:38:23.760 --> 00:38:24.800
Life is more expensive.

00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:29.599
The budget that you had in 2025, if you had one, is not going to work in 2026.

00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:31.039
So you need to reassess.

00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:33.039
You're going to look at that tax prep.

00:38:33.119 --> 00:38:37.840
If you don't want to do it, go ahead and get on somebody's list so that they can do it for you because we don't want to be late.

00:38:38.079 --> 00:38:40.639
We're going to audit those subscriptions and those expenses.

00:38:40.800 --> 00:38:41.920
We're going to eliminate waste.

00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:43.599
That's a lean six sigma term.

00:38:43.760 --> 00:38:51.039
We're going to renegotiate and upgrade some, you know, some of our bills, some of our accent essentials.

00:38:51.280 --> 00:38:53.119
And then we're going to plan for automation.

00:38:53.280 --> 00:38:55.039
So automate, automate, automate.

00:38:55.119 --> 00:38:56.559
That is the name of the game.

00:38:56.800 --> 00:39:04.000
And then last but not least, we are going to use the tools that are available to us, like account aggregators like Monarch.

00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:05.199
We're going to get organized.

00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:13.920
We're going to use, you know, maybe Google Docs, Dropbox, whatever it works for you to get those important documents in place for you and your family.

00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:16.719
And you're going to schedule those quarterly money dates.

00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:21.920
And if you're not in a partnership, you can have a money meeting by yourself, just to be very clear.

00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:24.079
We're not just doing them if we're in a partnership.

00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:28.480
You need to be having your own money date if you are solo doloring.

00:39:28.719 --> 00:39:31.199
Yeah, schedule those reviews, put them on the calendar.

00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:39.840
Um, also, like I said, you know, we've mentioned that with those reviews, if you haven't, go ahead and find some form of an account aggregator.

00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:40.960
We recommend Monarch.

00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:46.480
There are other ones out there, but we find that Monarch um I think is often a little bit better than the other ones.

00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:50.000
Yeah, if you used to use Mint, you will like Monarch.

00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:58.880
Yeah, so I you know find some form of management when it comes to that stuff and set those dates as far as to do the reviews.

00:39:59.119 --> 00:39:59.760
Yeah, absolutely.

00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:05.840
All right, friends, uh, we are wrapping up 2025, heading into 2026.

00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:07.840
Hopefully, this has helped you.

00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:09.440
Share it with a friend.

00:40:09.679 --> 00:40:12.000
Let us know what you're going to be implementing.

00:40:12.079 --> 00:40:14.559
We are happy to be your accountability partners.

00:40:14.800 --> 00:40:26.400
And I don't know why we didn't say this, but if you know that you need support in 2026 because you need your hand held, you need the education, you just know that you cannot do it on your own.

00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:27.199
Guess what?

00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:29.199
Brandon can help you.

00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:30.159
Hello.

00:40:31.039 --> 00:40:33.360
We're really bad at like saying that.

00:40:33.599 --> 00:40:36.559
But at the very end of this episode, Brandon can help you.

00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:37.360
He can hold your hand.

00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:38.320
He can help educate you.

00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:39.440
He can look at those accounts.

00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:41.039
He can help you make the right decisions.

00:40:41.119 --> 00:40:43.760
He can make your budget work for you.

00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:48.400
He's not going to put you on a budget because that is not his job and you are a grown-ass adult.

00:40:48.880 --> 00:40:53.360
But he will help you look at your your money so that you can make your money work for you.

00:40:53.519 --> 00:40:53.840
Okay?

00:40:54.239 --> 00:40:56.159
So, boom, we're out.

00:40:56.480 --> 00:40:57.519
Thanks for listening.

00:40:57.840 --> 00:41:03.199
Don't forget, Benjamin Franklin said, an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

00:41:03.440 --> 00:41:04.719
You just got paid.

00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:05.760
Until next time.

00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:07.679
Sugar Daddy podcast, yo.

00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:10.480
Learn how to make them pockets grow.

00:41:10.719 --> 00:41:12.880
Financial freedoms where we go.

00:41:13.119 --> 00:41:15.199
Smart investments, money flow.

00:41:15.760 --> 00:41:17.679
Thanks for listening to today's episode.

00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:20.719
We are so glad to have you as part of our Sugar Daddy community.

00:41:20.880 --> 00:41:28.960
If you learned something today, please remember to subscribe, rate, review, and share this episode with your friends, family, and extended network.

00:41:29.119 --> 00:41:33.280
Don't forget to connect with us on social media at the Sugar Daddy Podcast.

00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:44.400
You can also email us your questions you want us to answer for our past the sugar segments at thesugardaddypodcast at gmail.com or leave us a voicemail through our Instagram.

00:41:44.719 --> 00:41:47.440
Our content is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only.

00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:50.719
It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment based upon your own personal circumstances.

00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:58.960
You should take independent financial advice from a license professional in connection with or independently research and verify any information you find in our podcast and which you rely upon, whether for the purpose of making an investment decision or otherwise.