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Money Wise Decisions

Educational Media 3 Episodes Sep 11, 2026

Money Wise Decisions helps everyday people handle bills, debt, savings, and surprise expenses without jargon or judgment. Each episode starts with a real-life money problem, explains the numbers step by step, and ends with one small action you can take today. General educational information, not personalized financial advice.

Episodes

Buy Now, Pay Later: Can You Afford All Those Small Payments? Sep 11, 2026 15:02 Three checkout payments—$25, $40, and $30—can look manageable on their own. In this fictional teaching example, they represent $380 in total purchases sharing the same household bank balance. Sarah walks through every payment date, paycheck, essential bill, and an unexpected $180 repair. The example shows the difference between a positive projected month-end balance and having enough money on the

Why Minimum Payments Keep You in Debt Sep 2, 2026 17:23 A $1,000 car repair can feel manageable when the credit-card statement shows a small minimum payment due. But the minimum payment and a payoff plan do different jobs. In this episode, Sarah explains in plain language why minimum-only payments can leave a balance in place for years, using a simplified $35 payment example. She also shows how to find repayment or payoff information on a credit-card

Habits That Build Long-Term Wealth Aug 27, 2026 17:16 A $300 car repair is due, rent is next week, and there is $60 left after essentials. What should that $60 do first? Sarah walks through the numbers step by step, explains how a written budget can turn a stressful surprise into a clear decision, and shows why saving, debt, and immediate bills do not have one universal answer. You will also see how $60 a month could become $720 over a year in a fut

Protect, Check, Choose: What Comes First When Money Is Tight? Aug 20, 2026 13:00 Payday can bring competing priorities: groceries, a utility bill, a car noise, and a savings goal. Sarah shares a simple three-step tool—Protect, Check, Choose—to help you cover essentials, see what is truly left, and give each available dollar a purpose. Using a $40 illustration, this episode shows why saving is not a pass-or-fail test, what to do when nothing is left after required bills, and o

5 Everyday Money Decisions to Revisit When Life Changes Aug 15, 2026 14:16 When payday disappears into bills and a surprise car problem shows up, it can be hard to know which money choice needs attention first. Sarah walks through five everyday decisions that can help you see whether your current money plan still fits your life: track what comes in and goes out, question recurring costs without judgment, revisit old defaults, count the full monthly cost of a large purch

The One-Page Money Decision Before the Deadline Aug 15, 2026 11:38 When a lease renewal, car repair, credit-card payment, and long-term contribution all compete for the same dollars, what comes first? Sarah uses fictional Jordan’s situation to walk through an optional original Money Wise worksheet with five headings: upcoming decisions, essential monthly spending, near-term cash needs, debts, and long-term goals. Each item gets one label: act now, get more infor

Money Wise Decisions

Episodes

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