Many financial experts are sharing bad money advice, especially encouraging people to go into more debt if they lose their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis. But the last thing you need is to get deeper into credit card debt. There is an unprecedented amount of help being offered, for instance, relief in the form of extra unemployment payments, stimulus checks, student loan payments deferment. Also, banks and utility companies are working with clients to make arrangements for those you lost their incomes. So, instead of getting into more debt, follow this plan to survive a layoff or furlough without getting deeper into debt. For my step-by-step guide, visit my blog at https://www.yezminthomas.com/bad-money-advice-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/

Believe it or not, after our mortgage groceries are the second-highest expense in our budget. So, how much should you be spending on groceries for your family? In this episode, I give you guidelines and also share the resource that I use to save money grocery shopping. For more information on my Smart Grocery Shopping and Meal Planner visit https://www.yezminthomas.com/groceries

Are you spending too much money on rent, food, or gas? These are great recommendations to figure what percentage of your income should go to what expenses. For a detailed breakdown on my recommendations, check out my blog post at https://www.yezminthomas.com/what-percentage-of-your-income-should-go-to-what/ Also, for my training on how to save money on groceries and to get my Smart Grocery Shopping Toolkit visit: https://yezminthomas.net/smart-grocery-shoppping-cart

Do you think your children would be better off if they had the option to do life without getting into debt? With the student loan crisis, this could be the best info for them. In this episode, I share with you three principles that you can teach your teenagers to never get into debt. I am certainly teaching that to my kids and I wish somebody would have taught me that long time ago.

Are you feeling confused about the path you need to take to achieve your big goals? In this episode of the Smart Finances Podcast, I share with you the one technique you need to apply today to get clarity in your life. Download my free freedom journal and jump-start your journey to financial freedom>> https://www.smartfinancespodcast.com

My ultimate goal to reach the next step in my financial freedom journey is to pay off the house. In this episode find out how much we still owe, and what we need to do to pay it off in five years instead of 15 years. And if you are ready to take your financial freedom journey seriously, come and join my Smart Dollar Challenge. I will help you jump-start and lay the foundation for a great financial future. More: https://www.smartdollarchallenge.com

What does it mean to be financially free? For everybody, it has a different meaning. For me, it is becoming self-employed by running a successful business and paying off my house so that I can be 100% debt-free. That is my definition of financial freedom. What is yours? Establish and keep track of your goals by downloading my free freedom journal at https://www.smartfinancespodcast.com

The other day I was asked a great question. How do I find a balance between my credit card purchases, my cash purchases, and my debt? In this episode, I reveal the secret to keeping a balance and increasing your financial well-being. Are you ready to jump-start your freedom journey? Then you should totally join me in the Smart Dollar Challenge. Get the information, tools and coaching you need to reach your financial goals. Sign up today and take advantage of our early bird pricing and incredible bonuses!

Are you ready to uplevel your finances and create a lifestyle that you absolutely love? Are you ready to stop working just to pay the bills, and instead do work that matters to you? In this episode of Smart Finances, I invite you to take on the Smart Dollar Challenge, a program where I share with you the 31 best pieces of financial advice that I have learned to uplevel my life. These are the habits and the principles that I have been practicing that have allowed me to have the financial confidence to pursue my daydreams. Click here to learn more and sign up>> https://www.smartdollarchallenge.com

Do you find yourself saying things like "life got in the way, and I couldn't get to...?" I used to feel like that, too, until I realized that by thinking that way, I was not only making myself a victim of my circumstances. But most importantly, I understood that I was wasting a huge opportunity to do great things with my life and not use "life" as an excuse for my shortcomings. You can now visit smartfinancespodcast.com to download a free copy of my Freedom Journal and sign up to receive notifications of my new episodes, blog posts, and videos via email.

What is it like to hit rock bottom, financially speaking? I had my infamous moment in the midst of the 2008 Recession. In this episode, I tell you all about it; the fear, the same, the pain, the loneliness. But I also learned why I had to live through this dark time in my life. This podcast is part of the WHY. Give purpose to your listening of this podcast by putting what you are going to learn into action. Enroll or download any of my free financial wellness resources at https://www.yezminthomas.com

Hello everyone! I am back with season two of my podcast. Like all good things evolve and change, my podcast has too. I am calling this season "Smart Finances", and I am dedicating this show to all the hard-working and high achieving moms who are struggling to figure out how to stop stressing about life and start enjoying it more. I have learned that the more financial freedom you have, the more opportunities that come along to design on purpose a life you love. So, join me as I share with you the challenges, mistakes, successes, and opportunities I have faced as I document my journey to financial freedom. As of today, my only debt is my house, but as you will find out, 10 years ago our situation was quite different. Our income had gone down by 65%. We were struggling to survive the greatest financial crisis in modern history. Somehow we made it through that painful, shameful, and dark time. My goal is to share with you our mistakes and successes to avoid you the pain of going through a financial crisis, or to help you get out of one if you are, like we were, in the financial hole. But it´s very important that you know this, listening to my Smart Finances podcast will not do anything for you UNLESS you are willing to take the time to apply the concepts you will learn. So get started by heading over to my blog and downloading any of my free financial wellness resources: https://www.yezminthomas.com Are you ready to live out your best financial future? The journey starts now!

Do you feel like you can never relax? Perhaps, every night you toss and turn in bed worrying about 100 things? Or maybe your problem is that you can never seem to get anything done. Well, I have the right episode for you, Meditation 101! My guest in this episode is Mar del Cerro, a meditation teacher and health coach from Mexico City. Mar is also a fellow podcast host of Medita Podcast, a broadcast dedicated -of all things- to guide you through meditation! Meditating 10 minutes every day can make a significant impact on your well-being. It can help decrease stress and anxiety, and increase focus and productivity. Visit https://www.yezminthomas.com/meditation-health-coach-mar-del-cerro/ for more information.

It is not a secret that on average, women in the United States are paid less than men for doing the same job. That is a big problem, and my initial reaction is to point the finger at the entire male population! But we are not going to put the blame on others in this episode. Instead, we are going to empower women to learn how to negotiate a higher salary and better benefits. My guest is Elizabeth Suarez, an expert in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Leadership. She spent more than fifteen years climbing the ranks of corporate America. Through her career and years of coaching professionals, she learned that we cannot blame men for this situation. On the contrary, we as women need to get mad at ourselves. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, men make 20% more than women for performing the same job. To change this situation, women need to learn to negotiate better benefits, preferences, and salaries with prospective employers. Elizabeth has compiled years of expert advice in her new book, The Art of Getting Everything. Visit www.yezminthomas.com/take26 for more information

Is it possible to have a good credit score without being in debt? I don't use credit cards and only have a mortgage payment. I was SHOCKED by what I found! Please visit the show notes at https://www.yezminthomas.com/good-credit-score-without-debt/ for a full blog post on this topic.

Are you always thinking worst-case scenario instead of positive thoughts? Learn the key to overcome negative thinking and reduce anxiety. Visit https://www.yezminthomas.com/how-to-overcome-negative-thinking/ for my full blog post.

Let's face it, life after the infamous Equifax data breach will never be the same. Americans have a 50% chance of being affected and need to take action now. Visit https://www.yezminthomas.com/life-after-the-equifax-data-breach/ for a whole detailed article on the options that you have to protect yourself from Identity Theft.

Tired of your 9-5 job, and dreaming of becoming your own boss? These confessions of a serial entrepreneur offer insight into making your dream a reality. Interview with Chris Michael Harris of the Entrepreneur Hour Podcast. Show notes available at https://www.yezminthomas.com/confessions-of-a-serial-entrepreneur/

YouTube personality Sarah Beth of Sarah Beth Yoga opens up about how she got started teaching yoga online, growing her audience to over 200,000 YouTube subscribers, more than 14 million views, and launching her new yoga app. Visit www.yezminthomas.com/yoga for show notes.

If your debt is stressing you, depressing you, and keeping you up at night, these are the five habits you need to change TODAY to get out of debt for good. I discuss how my husband and I were forced to learn from our money mistakes after a layoff during the 2008 recession. I break down our struggles and the five steps that we embraced to get out of debt and pursue a debt-free lifestyle. Visit https://www.yezminthomas.com/habits-to-change-to-get-out-of-debt/ to read my blog post too.