On Faith, Finance, and First Principles | Dan Brigham

Your Money Guide on the Side

Tyler Gardner

Business, Education, Entrepreneurship, Investing, How To

4.9 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

And in case you missed it, check out last week's episode of Your Money Guide on the Side where we answered the question, How Do I Beat Debt and Use Debt? He paid off $100K in debt and isn’t trying to sell you a thing — meet Dan the Budget Man. In a financial world cluttered with gurus, grifters, and gatekeepers, Dan Brigham (@budgeters_anonymous) is a breath of fresh air. No paywalls. No “six-figure side hustle” webinars. Just brutally honest content, bite-sized math on notecards, and a contagious belief that you can take control of your money — excuses not included. In this episode of Your Money Guide on the Side, we dive into the moments that shaped Dan’s mission, including his two-year journey out of over $100,000 in debt and why vulnerability—not credentials—is his currency of trust. We talk about his viral “Smart Guy vs. Dumb Guy” series, the backlash he gets over car payments (you’ve been warned), and why he thinks showing integrity is far more important than performing expertise. You’ll also hear us unpack: What makes people defensive about money Why so many creators struggle with relevance and comparison How to stay grounded (literally and spiritually) when the work feels heavy The reality behind Austin’s finance/media scene And the books that actually changed our lives (spoiler: one’s still in print after 2,000 years) If you’re tired of being yelled at by the financial internet or just want to hear two humans wrestle with what it means to help others and still help themselves—this one’s for you. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to subscribe if you’re into financial literacy, big questions, and small wins.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, friends. This is Tyler Gardner, welcoming you to another episode of your money guide on the side,
0:06.1	where it is my job to simplify what seems complex, add nuance to what seems simple, and learn from
0:12.0	and alongside some of the brightest minds in money, finance, and investing. So let's get started and get you
0:18.5	one step closer to where you need to be.
0:28.5	My guest today is Dan Brigham, also known as Dan the Budget Man on Instagram and TikTok.
0:34.6	What initially drew me to Dan's content and his spirit of creating is that he's highly practical in his approach and he is not selling you on, well, anything.
0:40.2	No courses, no paywalls, no subscription services, no nonsense.
0:44.8	Just financial literacy through the simplicity of note card math and his controversial series,
0:50.1	Smart Guy versus Dumb Guy.
0:52.1	Additionally, Dan's story is one that many people can relate to. He was over
0:56.3	$100,000 in debt not too long ago and simply felt left behind. By harnessing his natural capacity
1:03.1	for grit and dedicating some time, well, a lot of time to his own financial literacy,
1:08.7	he was able to pay off his debt in just two years. Not only that,
1:13.3	but he now commits a great deal of time to helping others do the same. His mission is to inspire
1:19.0	people that they can, in fact, change their current course. They can build wealth, and they can,
1:25.0	with hard work, ultimately be financially free. But, and perhaps this is
1:30.2	really what drew me to inviting him on the show, he does not want to hear excuses, and he believes
1:36.1	that's truly one of the first things that needs to go. So without further ado, a conversation
1:41.1	with Dan Brigham about debt, Dave Ramsey, dealing with the daily grind that
1:46.5	all of us have to face and figuring out what success actually looks like. We live in a world where
1:52.5	everyone online these days is a guru or an expert or a money coach, and half of them are just
1:59.6	shouting louder than the rest.
	...

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