Hey Girlies,
Happy (almost) New Year! If you’re like us, this meme sums up how you’re feeling right about now:
Amidst the cheese and confusion, we have something super exciting for you: Our very last podcast episode of 2025! 🎉
But before we get to that, we thought it’d be fun to highlight some of our most popular episodes from the last 12 months. If you’re new here and haven’t listened to any of these, the numbers say you should!
Here are our top 5 most popular podcast episodes from 2025:
5. I do… But at what cost? Real talk on wedding expenses — If you panic every time a wedding invitation lands in your mailbox, you’re not alone. This episode covers average wedding costs, what you’re potentially expected to pay for as a guest, our takes on overrated wedding costs, and more. We even share a few personal stories about our experiences as brides. (If you like this episode, you’ll love this one for Insiders only:
$3,500 dress regrets & $8,000 bar tabs: Listener-submitted wedding gossip).
4. Inside our wallets: Our favorite credit cards and (simple) reward strategies — We dug through our actual wallets to walk you through every credit card we have and why we love (or hate) it. Plus, we share our experiences redeeming credit card points and cash back.
3. Tax time: Real talk on filing, myths, and managing tax anxiety — We certainly didn’t expect an episode on taxes to top the charts, but the numbers don’t lie: Listeners love the tax talk! In this episode, we talk about how we’ve navigated filing taxes as freelancers the past 5+ years, how we organize our stuff behind the scenes, how we’ve dealt with unexpected tax bills, and more. Perfect for getting a head start on tax season!
2. You’re not bad with money: Finances and feminism with Ariel Nathanson — Ariel, founder of Finances for Feminists and certified financial education instructor, joined us for an amazing conversation that digs into why our money struggles often aren’t personal failures. Instead, they’re the result of systems that weren’t built with women in mind. This was such a fun conversation with an incredible guest!
1. Frugality that feels good: Grocery tips + holiday spending with The Frugal Girl — Before you decide that “frugal” isn’t for you, know this about Kristen, The Frugal Girl: She doesn’t do deprivation. She doesn’t believe you have to choose between having nice things and being smart with money. Her approach to money is smart, simple, and refreshing. When we met Kristen IRL this year, we were immediately drawn to her cheery personality (and we know you will be, too).
On the pod 🎧
We’re wrapping up 2025 with our favorite tradition — a rapid-fire reflection on the year we just had.
This week’s Insider-only episode is a chaos monster of fun as we reflect back on 2025. (I, Cassidy, can confirm that while editing this episode, I laughed at least half a dozen times.)
This is the kind of episode that feels like catching up with friends over coffee, except we’re getting real about money, books, budgets, and the big scary goals we’re thinking about for next year.
Here’s (some of) what we covered:
Our favorite books, podcasts, and purchases that actually changed our lives
The budgeting truth we’re both grappling with (spoiler: zero-based budgeting is hard)
Financial decisions we’re still second-guessing
How much we spent on dining out in 2025 🙈
The money goals we ditched halfway through the year
What big, scary money goals we have for 2026 (and beyond)
We also get honest about the gap between the financial advice we share and what we’re actually doing in our own lives — because yeah, that happens to us too. 😬
Again, this full episode is for Insiders only. 😉
🎤 Mic drop moment:
“Sometimes the best decisions don’t have to make the most financial sense — within reason.”
Resource roundup 📚
Was anyone else really into Refinery 29’s Money Diaries? If so, you’ll love The Purse — a Substack newsletter from Money Diaries’ founding editor Lindsey Stanberry. The Purse includes a column called Home Economics, which details women’s financial lives, number by number, and another called Division of Labor, which dives into how women split work/parenting/financial/life responsibilities with their partners.
Raise your hand if your favorite part of the new year is getting a new planner! ✋If you want something a little extra special this year, check out this Purpose Planner, created by an artist we love, Rachel Pohl. Not only is it a literal work of art, but it’s got time-blocking and goal-setting templates, habit trackers, reflection questions, astrology, and so much more. If you’re allergic to the hustle-y, bro-y flavor of optimization, this planner will soothe your soul.
This time last year, I (Emily) bought a copy of Ramit Sethi’s book, Money for Couples, and cruised through it in no time. It was super helpful in setting the stage for new year financial goal-setting with my husband, and I just pulled it out for our most recent budget reset. Highly recommend buying or borrowing a copy if you manage money with a partner!
Catchup corner 💬
What we’ve been reading/watching/listening to:
E: The new Taylor Swift docuseries, The End of an Era. It’s so fun! I didn’t see the Eras Tour, and I wouldn’t even call myself a Swiftie, but this show gets me so amped! (My husband likes it, too.)
C: STRANGER THINGS!!! My plans for New Year’s Eve consist of one thing and one thing only: watching the finale!
How we’ve been relaxing lately:
E: Heading outside! The weather this past week has been pretty ick, but I bundled up for a beach walk, and it was absolutely worth it. Getting fresh air (even when it’s gloomy) is my key to surviving winter!
C: This is my first winter ever living somewhere where it snows, and oh my gosh, I loveeeee it. There’s nothing like taking a walk on a cold, bright sunny day.
Most creative holiday gift:
E: I can’t take credit for this idea, but I did help with the execution! My sister and I used a woodburning tool to make a decorative canoe paddle for my dad for Christmas. It turned out so cute!
C: Mine isn’t a gift per se, but rather a creative wrapping idea. I really didn’t want to spend money on wrapping paper this year, so I cut up some of the old paper bags I had and used them instead. At first, I was a lil self-conscious about it, but then I exchanged gifts with a friend who wrapped my gift in old paper bags too!
Money (mindset) tip of the week 💸
Do you own “2025 Wrapped” to reflect on your year. 🪞
Here are all the questions we answered in today’s episode. Grab a journal, get cozy, and reflect on your 2025!
What’s your favorite book or podcast that you listened to this year?
Something you bought that you loved
Something you thought that you wish you would’ve skipped
Something you didn’t do this year that you really wanna prioritize next year
Something you’re really proud of yourself for doing this year
A new habit or hobby that you picked up
What word or theme reflects how this year felt?
How much do you spend on dining out?
How do you feel about your budget overall this year?
A financial decision you made this year that you’re still second-guessing—did it work out or not?
Money goals you set at the beginning of this year that you abandoned
One big scary financial goal you’re thinking about right now (even if it’s long-term)
Love ya, bye!
Emily + Cassidy
P.S. We’ll be back January 7th with a brand new episode with Brigitte Killings, a financial advisor and Head of Community and Business Development for JPMorgan Chase (!!!).
