💰Money hugs💸
🤑And🤑now🤑for🤑something🤑a🤑little🤑bit🤑different🤑
Bonjour.
Today is Monday, January 6, 2025, this is not a normal issue of Podcast the Newsletter!
When I tell people I never miss an episode of Money for Couples (previously I Will Teach You To Be Rich) I think they are surprised because a) it isn’t weird or funny, like a lot of stuff I listen to, b) I do not usually like interviews, and c) I am terrified of money. I am not one to try to optimize my finances and I never talk about my finances with anyone. Not even my accountant, he does not like this. But I spend more time listening to this show more than almost anything else. I will even watch it on YouTube after I listen because I need to see these people. (!?!) This is the only show I go to YouTube for. On Money for Couples, Ramit Sethi interviews couples about their finances (down to every single penny they are spending) but gets to the heart of who they are and helps them understand each other and get through differences that both are way up front and hiding in the background. He is Ester Perelesque with a prenup, this is a less-soft version of Where Do We Begin? Ramit is tough with his guests but you can tell he likes them, usually. (I’m not saying he wants to go on safari with them or anything, or at there aren’t hard moments, but he is having fun on these calls.) He comes to each interview with so much knowledge about who he’s speaking with. He perfectly guides the conversations—the conversations the couples are having with each other and the conversations I am having with the couples in my own head. He’ll pop in and let us know what he was thinking at the time, something we might not have noticed about them, or something about money that we might not know. I listen as a fan but also as someone who just admires good production and hosting skills. This is not a normal issue of Podcast the Newsletter. I’m running an interview with Ramit and a list of suggested episodes of the show (that he suggested) and there are a few reasons why I’m doing this. The last few weeks were light with new stuff, and it’s a good time to be reassessing your finances. (I am on a spending freeze for the month of January!) Money for Couples isn’t a money show or a finance show, it’s a people show. Happy 2025, and may all you all, to quote Ramit, embrace your rich life. BTW I will have another special deviation from my normal format coming this week, and next week it’s back to regular programming.
xoxo
Lauren
notes
✨HAPPENING TOMORROW: Captivate and Adobe’s Podcast Growth Summit, confirm space here. I’ll be speaking with Dave Jackson, Hari Gopalakrishna, and Mark Asquith.
✨AND THEN Philly / NYC friends! Thursday, January 16th. 6pm. Free. PLEASE join me at the Philly Podcast Mixer hosted by Rowhome Productions, co-Presented by (AIR) + City Cast Philly. I’ll be speaking in a panel discussion on The State of Philly Podcasting in 2025 with Yowei Shaw, Tom Grahsler, and me Lauren Passell. Get your ticket here.
✨Arielle and I write an annual podcast marketing in/out post, here it is: 👍 Podcast marketing and publishing: what's IN and what's OUT for 2025?🚫 in Podcast Marketing Magic.
✨Stop what you’re doing and open up Pocket Casts! They allowed me to curate a collection (my favorite podcasts of 2024) and you can see it in the app right now. You can also see it here.
✨Tink is hosting a TWO-DAY Podcast Marketing Radio Boot Camp at the end of January. Learn more here.
✨A few of my recent Lifehacker articles:
✨We launched a Tink-branded monthly podcast recommendation series with Castbox, starting with Audio Delicacies. Check it out!
✨Arielle Nissenblatt spotlighted No Place Like Home in EarBuds.
👋q & a & q & a & q & a👋
Ramit Sethi
Ramit Sethi is the host of Money for Couples (formerly I Will Teach You To Be Rich.) Order a copy of his new book Money For Couples here.
Sum up Money for Couples in 10 words or less.
Real couples sharing real numbers from behind closed doors.
You're good at giving harsh advice. How do you do it?
Me? I’m a teddy bear. Sometimes people crave the truth. You can deliver it respectfully, even gently, but I believe it’s respectful to tell people what their decisions mean. If you buy this $68,000 truck, how does it affect your retirement? If you want to go to Italy next summer, you can, but here’s what you have to do. Now let’s do it together!
Podcasters are flocking to video but you've been doing it forever. What is your biggest advice for a podcaster who knows nothing about video?
For our first 20 episodes, we didn’t really care about our audio quality. All we focused on was our story. Later, we improved our microphones and video quality. But remember: If you create something so good it’s irresistible, you can improve the details later.
How do you use video not only for content but for marketing purposes?
We feature shorts on our podcast but honestly, we’re still learning. If anyone reading this has suggestions on how to improve our social videos, send me a note!
Do you think of yourself as a podcaster?
That’s an interesting question. Years ago, I took a lot of pride in my newsletter, then my book. But now, I’ll get stopped on the street and people will say, “I listen to your podcast” or “I watch you on YouTube.” I’ve become a lot more open to people consuming my material the way they want. It’s not about me, it’s about how my material reaches them.
Do you think your show inherently needs to be on video, like more than other podcasts? Or should all podcasts all be on video?
I don’t believe in hard-and-fast rules like “you need to be on video,” but when we’re talking about something as taboo and emotional as money, I personally want to see all the subtle cues: the sweat dripping down a forehead, the eye-roll, even the look of surprise when I show them what their finances mean. And I want you to see their faces, too! When it makes sense, use video. But consider that video takes a lot more effort and resources.
Give us a few podcast recommendations.
My First Million
Who has been your favorite couple?
Serena and Nate disagreed about their expenses. She made more but expected him to pick up the check. At times, it was uncomfortable and even brutally honest. In their episodes, we saw gender expectations, deep cultural money beliefs, and a lack of a shared Rich Life vision. But there’s a twist! Two years later, they made incredible changes and came back to share on our latest episode, which releases 12/31/24.
You changed the name. Tell me why and how exactly that happened. Was it a decision in the works for a long time? How often do you pivot?
I know, I know. People hear “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” and think someone’s going to sell them a get-rich-quick crypto course. But the name also didn’t share the depth of our focus on couples and money. When my new book was coming out, we knew it was the time to make a change. The new name captures the heart of our show: real conversations with real couples and actionable lessons for building a Rich Life together. It just made sense to pivot and make everything click.
9 unmissable episodes of Money for Couples
"I earn 2x my fiancé but I make him split the rent" Nate and Serena are in their late 20s. They are engaged and live together, but a vast difference in their incomes creates an awkward dynamic when it comes to paying for shared expenses. They think their hot-button issue is a $3,000 loan between them—it’s a lot deeper than that. This couple gets really honest, there are some pretty shocking moments. There is an incredibly sweet moment when they leave the recording (they are in the same house but different rooms) to go hug each other. This episode shows off Ramit’s skills of really helping people with not just money but their relationships. There was recently a follow-up with this couple, listen here.
“Am I a bad mom if we can’t do a $7k Disney trip?” Kristin is 32 and David is 38. They share five kids in a blended family and David is getting close to military retirement. The problem is their spending—fueled by emotions alone, they make purchase after purchase, soaring over set budgets and putting the future of their family at risk. You knew I was going to like this one. One Disney trip ends up costing way more than a couple ever could have imagined and brings up a lot of interesting issues about their relationship.
"I stress over money, but we're seeing Taylor Swift in France tomorrow" Taylor is 39 and Steve is 42. They’re married and live in New York City. Steve lost his job years ago, but has coasted without getting serious about his career. Taylor’s done the opposite—and now she’s ready to buy a home. Does Steve have what it takes to make a change for their future? This one had me banging my head on the wall. Highly recommend!
“I’m 8 mos pregnant. He only wants to talk about how much the baby will cost” Jason is a 40-year-old COO. Megan is a 34-year-old flight attendant. They have more than $3 million in assets, but they’re both in credit card debt and their finances are extremely murky. To top it all off, Megan is 8 months pregnant—and they don’t have a plan to get their finances in order. I wanted to strangle Jason the entire time.
“Why did we spend $40K on trips we can't afford?” Emily and John are in their mid 30s, living in Boston with their 2 year old son. Both coming from blue collar backgrounds, they’ve successfully broken many negative generational patterns thanks to a $200k combined income—but they struggle to break harmful spending habits. It’s hard not to kind of love couple whose fault is living it up. I have a soft spot for these people, I think this is the kind of money vice I can get behind. (It isn’t mine!)
“We’ve fought about money for 29 years. Is it time for divorce?” Kevin and Ebony are both 52. They have two kids, both young adults, and have turned their attention to retirement planning. But standing in the way are $135,000 of debt, a recurring issue, and 29 years of deeply ingrained negative communication patterns when it comes to money.
“My wife doesn’t want me to take a $720k job offer” Mel and Babu are both 33 year-old doctors. Babu’s nearly done with his training, putting a huge decision in front of them about where to live and how much he’ll earn. The income numbers are staggering, but how they both feel about money isn’t affected by the number in their bank account. I talked about this one with Justin a lot. How much money do people need to live? Be happy? And much are you willing to sacrifice to get there?
“Our gas is about to get shut off, but I refuse to sell any of my 7 cars” Peter and Megan, 36 and 37, are married with no kids but severe financial stress threatens their future together. Peter has grown to resent Megan’s unwillingness to seek a higher income. He’s changed jobs, but won’t consider selling any of their seven vehicles to alleviate their stress. The awkward silences in this episode could fill a Disney cruise ship. But they were important to hear. Listening to Peter and Megan was a physically painful, yet fascinating experience.
"We're drowning in debt, but I drive a BMW" Kevin and Michelle, 32 and 30, joined me live in New York City earlier this year for our very first in-person interview. They have one young child and another on the way, but they can’t stop spending. With low savings, their debt mounts while they both lease luxury vehicles.