268. How To Budget & Pay Off Debt (Personal Finance Cheat Sheet Pt. 2)

Financial Feminist

Her First $100K

Self-improvement, Education, Business, How To

4.7 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If you’ve ever avoided budgeting because it felt stressful, restrictive, or shame-inducing, this episode is going to change everything. In part two of my Personal Finance Cheat Sheet series, I’m breaking down how to budget in a way that actually works and how to use that budget to finally pay off your debt without shame, stress, or tracking every single penny. We’re talking about why most budgeting methods fail, how to reframe your budget as a permission slip instead of a punishment, and the exact system I use to help you make real progress on credit cards, student loans, and more. If you want actionable clarity around budgeting and debt payoff in 2026, get ready to take notes! Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to join our 5 Day Debt Challenge and find any resources mentioned in the show! 00:00 Intro 00:15 Why Budgeting Feels Restrictive 01:48 The Gas Gauge Analogy & Why Budgets Matter 03:11 Why Most Budgeting Methods Fail 04:14 The 50/30/20 Rule Explained 05:36 Why the 50/30/20 Rule Isn’t Perfect 06:56 Introducing the Three Bucket Budget 08:24 How to Automate Your Financial Goals 10:50 Progress Over Perfection: Flexible Budgeting 12:19 How to Prioritize Debt Payoff 14:39 Understanding Different Types of Debt 16:39 The High Cost of Credit Card Debt 18:08 The Snowball vs. Avalanche Method 19:47 Free Five-Day Debt Challenge Resource 20:22 How to Find More Money in Your Budget 21:44 Negotiating Your Bills & Saving More 23:41 You Are Not a Bad Person for Having Debt 24:59 Final Thoughts & What’s Next in the Series Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If budgeting feels like punishment, it's probably because you've been taught the wrong system.
0:13.2	But first, a word from the companies that allow us to bring you all of this good free content.
0:18.5	You all have heard me say that my partner signed his first client with his
0:21.2	business, his brand new business, and literally talked to him the other day, he is in talks about
0:26.1	landing his second big client. And all of that happened because of his Squarespace website.
0:31.0	Squarespace is so easy to use. I literally built him his website in a weekend. I don't know how to
0:35.6	code. I don't know anything, but I can drag and drop
0:38.1	and you can drag and drop too. So if you're trying to design a beautiful website, Squarespace is the
0:42.8	place to be. The other thing he's doing on Squarespace is that he can send emails to anybody
0:47.5	that signs up who's interested through their email campaign tool. And he can also take payments
0:52.8	directly through Squarespace. So he doesn't have to use
0:55.3	and pay for like another payment processing service. It's already baked into Squarespace.
1:01.1	Head on over to Squarespace.com slash FFPod for a free trial and when you're ready to launch,
1:05.5	you can use offer code FFPod to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
1:12.1	This is literally the code that I told him to use and he saved 10% off his website. Olivia Culpo here to tell you all about
1:17.5	the launch of the new Abercrombie Spring Denom Collection, made the way denim should feel. Their
1:23.3	denim has always been a staple in my wardrobe and has a wide range of fits, styles, and
1:27.7	washes. Every jean is available in both their classic fit and viral curve love. Shop in the app,
1:33.8	online, and in stores. Welcome back to the Personal Finance Cheat Shears Series. We are giving you actionable
1:53.2	resources to better your money in 26 with an incredible kickoff of this series in January.
1:58.3	This is episode two of three, all about how to be better with money this
2:01.7	year. This is where I'm giving you actionable clarity as opposed to financial overwhelm.
	...

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