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Afford Anything

Afford Anything

By: Paula Pant | Cumulus Podcast Network
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About this listen

 You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life. How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles? On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing. But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think. In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models. Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.2024 Afford Anything LLC Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • How to Stop Fighting About Money

    How to Stop Fighting About Money
    Oct 24 2025
    #654: Fights about money are common, but they're rarely about math. They're about power, shame, vulnerability, and trust. And no amount of data or fancy spreadsheets is going to fix it. What you need is a better system for fairness, more open communication, and a shared ambition. In this candid conversation with Heather and Doug Bonaparte, we explore how two partners rebuilt confidence, handled their six-figure student loans, and designed a rhythm for money talks that actually works. Together they share how early money stories, law school debt, and the Great Recession shaped their dynamic, plus the tools they used to find fairness at home and in their finances Key Takeaways Why 50/50 isn't always fair and how to do it better The small ritual that turned dreaded money talks into something they actually look forward to How borrowing a strategy from the office made household decisions way less stressful The surprising fix for resentment that had nothing to do with chores or budgeting Why tackling six-figure student loans together became a turning point in their relationship The mindset shift that helped them see debt not as a burden but as a shared opportunity Resources and Links Money Together, the book DoMoneyTogether.com, learn more about the book and project The Joint Account, weekly newsletter on joint finances at ReadTheJointAccount.com Fair Play by Eve Rodsky, a framework for dividing household responsibilities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • Radical Transparency in Real Estate Predictions

    Radical Transparency in Real Estate Predictions
    Oct 21 2025
    #653: What happens when we actually check our predictions? In this episode we play clips from our 2023 conversation with Scott Trench from BiggerPockets and ask the uncomfortable question: were we right? Two years ago we made some big calls about the housing market. Mortgage rates had doubled. Prices hadn’t crashed. Inventory was vanishing. Everyone had a theory about what would happen next. Now we look back with data and receipts to see which forecasts held up and which ones fell flat. Scott joined us in 2023 to talk about the lock-in effect, the shortage of sellers, and why homebuilders might be stronger than expected. At the time it sounded contrarian. Two years later the evidence is in. Homeowners with low mortgage rates are still staying put. Builders have taken market share by offering creative incentives. Multifamily supply has exploded in some cities, while small residential properties have held their value better than many expected. We revisit our old clips and grade them one by one. What did we get right about the housing market’s resilience and where did we miss? You’ll hear how rate volatility created bursts of demand, how regional migration reshaped supply, and why small investors can still find opportunities even when the headlines say otherwise. This episode isn’t about victory laps. It’s about accountability. If you’ve ever wondered whether experts truly revisit their own calls, you’ll love this one. Key Takeaways The lock-in effect remains one of the most powerful forces in today’s housing market Builders have been surprisingly resilient thanks to incentives and creative financing Multifamily oversupply is pressuring rents in some regions while small residential properties remain steady Market outcomes are more local than ever; national averages hide major differences Real estate predictions matter only if we’re willing to go back and test them Resources and Links Our course Your First Rental Property open for enrollment through October 30 at affordanything.com/enroll Chapters Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising segments. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. (0:00) Why we’re replaying our 2023 predictions (4:24) The strange housing market of 2023 (5:04) The lock-in effect and vanishing inventory (6:03) Builders finding ways to keep selling homes (12:12) How rate dips created bidding wars (14:03) The construction pipeline and what happened next (37:24) 2025 check-in on prices and incentives (55:06) Regional winners and losers (58:27) Small residential versus large multifamily (1:06:08) Final reflections and what we learned Share this episode with a friend, colleagues, and anyone in the real estate space: https://affordanything.com/episode653 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Why High Earners Stay Broke, with Rose Han

    Why High Earners Stay Broke, with Rose Han
    Oct 17 2025
    #652: What if you did everything “right”, earned the degree, landed the six-figure job, and still felt broke? That’s exactly where Rose Han found herself. Fresh out of NYU with a finance degree and a Wall Street paycheck, she had a negative net worth, mounting stress, and a sinking feeling that traditional success wasn’t the path to freedom. In this conversation, Rose shares how she broke out of that cycle and built a seven-figure business that gives her time, independence, and peace of mind. We explore how she reframed her relationship with money, learned to scale her income, and built a life that aligns with her values. Key Takeaways When a “side hustle” becomes just a second job How your uniqueness is your greatest asset The slow season that led to a million-dollar leap Resources and Links Rose Han on YouTube Add a Zero by Rose Han Chapters Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising segments. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. (0:00) Rose Han’s story begins: doing everything right yet still ending up broke (5:45) The Cancun moment that sparked Rose’s financial awakening (9:12) Discovering the three types of income and why some buy freedom while others don’t (13:45) How Rose Han built her “Add a Zero” framework for lasting wealth (21:30) From employee mindset to entrepreneur mindset (25:15) The three levels of leverage and how to scale your income (28:55) Why not every side hustle creates freedom (31:45) Overcoming the fear of selling (39:16) How to build a business while working full-time (47:10) Rose’s real estate lessons and the myth of passive income (53:55) Knowing when to walk away from an investment (1:10:15) What financial freedom really means and how to find your own version Share this episode with a friend, colleagues, and anyone who is interested in entrepreneurship and investing: https://affordanything.com/episode652 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 13 mins
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