A Sunny Side Up Life Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP. 109 Travel Hacking + Living By Your Own Rules Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, @aunt.kara shares where to start with travel hacking, how to not get overwhelmed by the process, and some fun stories about her family's trips. Plus, she gives us a look inside of her well-rounded lifestyle and wealth-building strategies.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE CHAT ABOUT:

Her advice for building retirement and financial independence
Kara's take on Dave Ramsey's path to wealth
What exactly "lifestyle creep" is and how to avoid it
Where to start with travel hacking
How to not feel overwhelmed by travel hacking
Her family's favorite places to travel and how much she's saved

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

[Kara's Instagram Highlight] Lifestyle Creep
[Kara's Mentioned IG post] https://www.instagram.com/p/CD6iF1qnadp/
[Sami's New Video] Fall In Love With Dollar Tree Decor
Subscribe to Sami's YouTube Channel >>
Podcast Home Page
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MEET OUR GUEST

Aunt Kara lives in the Midwest and is a wife of 26 years, a mom of two teenagers, and an aunt of millennials. She has both a Bachelors's and Master's degree in Information Technology and is in her 26th year of a career in corporate IT. She loves beaches, summer, her family, 80's music, and her dog, Lucy. Not necessarily in that order!

She and her husband Marc have built a financially stress-free life for themselves with two homes paid off, two fully-funded 529s, and maxed-out retirement accounts.

Kara is a firm believer in living beneath her means, focusing on long-term goals, and still having fun along the way. She loves to travel – so much so that she learned how to do it at a fraction of the cost, saving over $65,000 by travel hacking – a topic she discusses weekly on Instagram.

Instagram | auntkara.com (coming soon)

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Sami Womack is the brains behind A Sunny Side Up Life. Her weekly chart-topping podcast has been downloaded over 100,000 times. When she's not downing caramel coffee and rocking a little girl on her hip (literally), she's creating content, collaborating with finance/minimalist organizations, and inspiring women all over the world to live an intentional life.

She began this journey with her high school sweetheart, Daniel, and a debt price tag of $490,000. They both took control of their family's finances by downsizing, budgeting, and changing habits. From this experience, A Sunny Side Up Life was born.

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 108 10 Budget Must Haves For Fall + Winter Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Once back-to-school wraps up, the next set of expenses roll in. Fall and Winter bring so many expenses from gifts and travel to fresh decor and new clothes.

In this episode, we'll break down all of the must-have budget items for this season, plus a few you might have forgotten about.

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI SHARES ABOUT:

How to plan ahead in your budget for these
How to be EVEN more prepared next year for these budget items
What are sinking funds, and how they can help during the Holidays
Fall and Winter expenses
1. Decor
2. Clothes
3. Fall activities for the kids
4. Halloween costumes + Misc.
5. Thanksgiving food
6. Christmas gifts
7. Everything else Christmas (food, travel, decor, etc)
8. Holiday travel
9. Adjustment in utilities
10. 2021 planners

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

All of Sami's Christmas Resources
[Budgeting Worksheets] Digital Budgeting System
—> Sami's YouTube Channel
Podcast Home Page
Leave a Podcast Review

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 107 Taking on Racism in The Debt Free Community with guest Jasmine Tillery Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

"I was very disappointed to see people that I considered leaders in the space drop the ball, and as a Black Woman I kind of felt excluded." -Jasmine Tillery

In this episode, Jasmine Tillery from @moneyandmomming + @blackpfcommunity shares with us why improving financial literacy is crucial to Black communities. She shares how she's helping to change the conversation, and what others in the Debt Free Community can do as well. Plus she shares her best advice for other parents wanting to change their family trees and build generational wealth.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE CHAT ABOUT:

How to talk to your kids about money and promote education and generational wealth
How Jasmine went from her parents paying for her undergrad degree to graduating with her Master's and a large amount of student loan debt
Her take on the Black Lives Matter movement and why advocacy and allyship is so important in the Debt Free Community
What personal finance leaders and influencers could have done better following George Floyd's murder
How and why the conversation around financial literacy needs to change in Black and POC communities
How White people can help to change these conversations and make a difference
Why Dave Ramsey's response to racism was problematic and what he could have done better

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

@blackpfcommunity on Instagram
Jasmine's Money & Momming Coaching Services
Sami's Reaction to Dave Ramsey's Racism Video
Ep. 94 My Take on #blacklivesmatter Movement
Subscribe to Sami's YouTube Channel >>
Podcast Home Page
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MEET OUR GUEST

Jasmine Tillery is a wife, mom, and engineer from New Jersey who loves all things personal finance. Since starting Money & Momming ™ with just an idea and a few Instagram posts about her family's debt free journey to now coaching thousands of other families on their finances. Jasmine is also the founder of @blackpfcommunity on Instagram where she encourages Black personal finance bloggers, educators, and influencers to share and connect.

Instagram | Website | Twitter

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 106 20 Self-Improvement Month Activities Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

September is self-improvement month, so in this episode, I'm sharing 20 easy and free activities you can do to help yourself grow.

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI SHARES ABOUT:

Why personal development isn't about self-hatred
Self-improvement means continuing to grow and evolve to the best version of yourself possible
20 easy tasks you can do this month for self-improvement

Drink water
Turn your phone on do not disturb
Delete your social apps for a day
Declutter
Sit outside
Meditate
Write down where you want to be in 10 years
Watch an old movie
Make a fresh playlist
Pay it forward
Start a new book
Play - do something completely "non-productive"
Do something for your future self
Unfollow negative account/follow positive accounts
Spread some love
Freshen up your budget
Move your body
Pamper your body
Watch something that will make you laugh
Gratitude journal

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

20-Day Self-Improvement Challenge Checklist
—> Sami's YouTube Channel
[Motivational Monday Video] Let's Talk About Speaking Your Dreams Into Existence
[Budgeting Worksheets] Digital Budgeting System
[Freebie] Resource Library
Podcast Home Page
Leave a Podcast Review

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 105 How To Have A Mostly Simple Life with guest Christine White Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

⁠Most of us just want to be happy and live a mostly simple life. But how do we make that a reality?⁠ ⁠

This week, Christine White is joining me to explain how achieving simplicity with your money, food, home, spills over into every aspect of your life and helps to improve your mental health. Plus, she's giving us all the details on her cross-country move to break free from depression and to start working from home.⁠

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI + CHRISTINE CHAT ABOUT:

How to have a mostly simple life⁠ ⁠
How Christine created her dream life⁠ ⁠
Why intentionality with your money, food, home, and life, spill over into every aspect of your life⁠ ⁠
What role mental health plays in your intentional living journey⁠ ⁠
Practical tips to help you start living a simple life⁠ ⁠
Why she moved across the country last year for her mental health⁠ ⁠
How she and her husband reached their goal to both work from home⁠

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

[Christine's new Life Coaching] Christine Lynn Coaching
[Christine's Freebie] Powerful Prompts Journaling Kit
[Free On-Demand Workshop] Conquer Your Food Budget feat. Christine White
[Podcast] EP. 18 How To Create A Budget-Friendly Meal Plan
Subscribe to Sami's YouTube Channel >>
Podcast Home Page
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MEET OUR GUEST

Christine White lives in Colorado with her husband and two pups. She is fueled by sunshine, murder mystery books, and giant mugs of coconut creme coffee. Christine helps women simplify their lives through practical things like budgeting, meal planning, decluttering, and creating healthier habits at her blog, The (mostly) Simple Life. When the necessities of daily life are taken care of, there is more time and energy for what matters most!

Instagram | Podcast | Website | Pinterest

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 104 32 Lessons Learned On My 32nd Birthday Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

I've learned a lot of valuable lessons in my 32 trips around the sun, and in celebration of my birthday, I'm sharing some of these sacred words of wisdom with you.

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI SHARES ABOUT:

Rest is being productive
People are hard to hate close up -Brene
Keep your head down and hustle. Tie your hair back and get shit done.
Celebrate your successes. Clap your own damn self.
Life is too short to not chase your dreams
We're all humans (nobody is perfect)
Celebrate the body that has carried you through life
You are the only you
Find out what fires you up and do more of that
Tell the people you love that you love them and why
Speak words of positivity over yourself daily (you're beautiful and you're badass). Nobody will ever love you like you can love yourself.
Don't settle for your stereotype
Stop being scared and just have fun
You only die once, you get to live every day
Living for that amazing tasting fruit
Remember how big the universe really is
Growing slow is still growing
Celebrate each other differences
Tell your people that you're proud of them (not just that they're pretty or that you love them)
Learn to sit alone with yourself
Believe in/ Work towards something bigger than yourself
Make your goal how you want to feel (not just how much money you'll have)
Find the balance between "what's the worst that could happen?" and "what's the best that could happen?"
There's not much that water, sleep, and fresh air can't fix
It's okay to ask for help
Stop reaching and just be
"Enter your own rhythm and feel what kind of wave today is." -Mark Nepo
After the winter, spring always comes. (inspired by Lara Casey)
Create space
Let it be easy. Let it be good. Let it be fun.
"Don't puff up, don't shrink, stand your sacred ground." -Brene Brown
Take it one day at a time

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 103 Minimize Your Clutter To Maximize Your Life with guest Katy Wells Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

What if I told you that your clutter isn't just stuff taking up space in your home? It's actually taking up space in your mind and your budget.

This week, I'm joined by decluttering pro Katy Wells. She's sharing tips on how to start getting rid of stuff, how to break free from impulse shopping, and how minimalism can help your budget too.

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI + KATY CHAT ABOUT:

Why decluttering is so important
Why stuff isn't just stuff, and how clutter affects your mental health
How to be okay with throwing things away
Simple tips for beginners
How can this help us live a better life in the big picture
Positive effects of decluttering
How Minimalism + Budgeting real go hand-in-hand like sisters
How to break free from impulse shopping
How to say no to what doesn't serve us
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
[Katy's Podcast] EP. 57: Four Ways to Supercharge Your Financial Freedom with guest Sami Womack
[Freebie] Declutter Survival Guide
6 ways to combat impulse shopping https://www.instagram.com/p/CBTWJbFH7AL/
9 Reasons you may buy things you don't need https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdrlBiHwLu/
16 things to do instead of buying things https://www.instagram.com/p/CBvAJyAHmdr/
[Sami's YouTube Video] Mom Bedtime Clean Up Routine
Subscribe to Sami's YouTube Channel >>
Podcast Home Page
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MEET OUR GUEST

Katy Wells is a declutter expert and host of the top-rated podcast, The Maximized Minimalist. Her passion is to help moms simplify so they can ditch the overwhelm and love motherhood. She is on a mission to help women find freedom from the piles of stuff and transform their home from a time-sucking, full-time job, into a sanctuary and place they love to raise their family. She offers online challenges, courses and guides to help women live more joyfully, by having less.

Instagram | Podcast | Facebook

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 102 Is Renting Throwing Money Away? Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, I'm breaking down all of our family's numbers for our old mortgage, our current rental, and our future custom home. Plus I'll explain how math backs me up on the argument that renting isn't always "throwing money away".

Join me for this much-debated conversation.

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI SHARES ABOUT:

All of the real numbers for…
- Old mortgage payment⁠
- Current rental⁠
- Land
- Future custom home

NUMBERS BREAKDOWN

BUILDING OUR CUSTOM HOUSE

Land $120k + House $280K -$12k (10% of land) = Loan for $388k with 4.5%
4.5% 30 YEARS = $1,965
PAYMENT / PRINCIPAL / INTEREST $708,113.17 / $388,000.00 / $320,113.17
$1,965/month payment (30 years) $100/month insurance $3,000/year property taxes =$27,780/year
30 YEARS: $388k PRINCIPAL + $320k INTEREST + $36k INSURANCE + $90k TAXES = $834K (not including repairs + maintenance)

RENTING OUR CURRENT HOUSE

$600/month rent $175/month storage $20/month insurance =$9,540/year
30 YEARS: $286k

CUSTOM HOME VS. RENTAL

$18,240 MORE /year towards housing OR $1,520/month
"Wasting" $446k BUYING vs. "wasting" $286k RENTING
$160k over 30 years
Taking the extra $1,520/ month and investing it…
- Invested in Savings Account 1% x 30 years = $637,379.21 OR
- Invested in 401k or IRA 8% x 30 years = $2,140,996.89

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

[YouTube Playlist] Building Our Dream House
[Mentioned IG Post] @buildingbread
Investment Calculator
Mortgage Calculator
—> Sami's YouTube Channel
[Freebie] Resource Library
Podcast Home Page
Leave a Podcast Review

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU...

Reviews are everything on iTunes! Would you take a minute and click here to leave a review?

If you have a question or comment about this episode connect with me over on Facebook or Instagram.

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 101 Easy Tips For Having A Healthy And Balanced Life with guest Kristin Dovbniak Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

As women, we spend way too much time stressing about perfection in our eating and toggling between an all-or-nothing approach to healthy living.

In this episode, Kristin Dovbniak shares with us how to ditch dieting, simplify nutrition, and uncomplicate eating so we can eat well and live well, without stress or restriction.

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI + KRIS CHAT ABOUT:

Why many women have an on-again, off-again approach to healthy living
How "dieting" can actually be harmful
Why it's important to choose self-care over self-control
Why balance is the most important part to healthy living
What healthy/balanced eating actually looks like
Advice for other women struggling with their body image, self-worth, and overall health

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

[IG video] Four Tips for creating a healthier relationship with food
[Free Web Class] 8 Secrets To Balanced Eating
Subscribe to Sami's YouTube Channel >>
Podcast Home Page
Leave a Podcast Review

Did you know I have a course to help you with 5 main areas of your life!?! Click here to learn more >> MEET OUR GUEST

Kristin Dovbniak aka Healthy Mama Kris, helps women take the stress out of healthy living, uncomplicate eating, and find their beautiful balance, with food and life.

She's a born-and-raised New Englander, sailor wife, and mama to two sweet and spunky little ladies. She's also a holistic health coach, certified intuitive eating counselor, podcaster, and trained chef. Through her own struggles with food and on-again-off-again dieting, she found freedom. Freedom grew into an obsession, and eventually into a passion for helping other women through the Healthy Balanced Mama Podcast and other resources.

Instagram | Podcast | Website

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

EP. 100 Q+A With My Girls special guests June, Izabell, and Melanie Womack Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

In celebration of my 100th podcast episode, I wanted to something really special and fun - cue inviting my three crazy children to be my guests!

This week, I'm interviewing my daughters, June (9), Izzy (6), + Melly (4). I'm asking them all about their favorite things, what they'd do with a million dollars, the pros and cons of living in a tiny house, their dreams for the new house, and so much more.

IN THIS EPISODE, SAMI ASKS THE GIRLS:

Money
1. What do you want to be when you grow up?
2. What are your future money goals?
3. What would you buy with a million dollars?
4. What do you wish we splurged on more often?
5. What was it like holding that $10k for the boat?
6. Do you understand why we have a budget?
7. What exactly does that mean?
8. What advice would you give to other kids?
Parents/Family
1. What's your favorite thing we do as a family?
2. Do you know your mom inspires others?
3. How does your mom inspire you?
4. What is one thing you really love about your mom?
5. What is your favorite thing to do with your mom?
6. Why are you proud of your mom?
House
1. What has it been like living in this tiny house? Favorite thing + Least favorite thing?
2. What are you most excited about at the new land/new house?
3. What would you like your new house to look like?
4. What color do you want to paint your room?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
June's YouTube Channel - Sparkle With June
[YouTube Video] We Bought 18 Acres | Q+A
[YouTube Video] Land Vlog Update 1: Building Our Dream Home
Subscribe to Sami's YouTube Channel >>
Podcast Home Page
Leave a Podcast Review

I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU...

Reviews are everything on iTunes! Would you take a minute and click here to leave a review?

If you have a question or comment about this episode connect with me over on Facebook or Instagram.

WHO IS YOUR PODCAST HOST?

Today, Sami owns this business helping women get through dark times and experience the life-altering magic of intentional living.

She offers a jump start into money mindset with the FREE Magic + Money Course + a full budgeting experience with Your Sunny Money Method.

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