Season 1: Smart Starts — Practical money basics with Alex and Jordan — budgeting, saving, and building smart money habits. AI Generated en © 2026 Flavio Garcia. All rights reserved. Flavio Garcia false Flavio Garcia flaviogarcia90@yahoo.com https://muse.ai/podcasts/media/1317162831485678/6aea18c0-37ae-44e1-8594-9c45906a1545/cover.png https://muse.ai/podcasts/feed/1317162831485678/6aea18c0-37ae-44e1-8594-9c45906a1545 Alex and Jordan walk through a simple thirty-minute subscription audit: list every recurring charge, sort it into keep, cancel, pause, or change, dodge the free-trial trap, and put the money you find toward savings or debt. AI Generatedep-c6872a98-30c5-471a-ba3d-7a7a6c5a36e9Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:28:30 +0000542Flavio Garciafalse Rent is your biggest monthly bill, and the lease locks it in for a year or more. Alex and Jordan walk through how to budget on take-home pay, add up the true monthly cost, tour a place like an inspector, read the fine print, protect your deposit, and negotiate before you sign. AI Generatedep-c4506e4c-af6e-4557-9877-2ab3c67010faSun, 25 Oct 2026 10:28:36 +0000590Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan read a pay stub line by line — gross vs take-home pay, deductions, and a simple four-move payday routine so every paycheck has a plan. AI Generatedep-4a378d9a-3f3b-4fb1-a998-de1f4021b4a8Sat, 24 Oct 2026 10:28:57 +0000681Flavio Garciafalse It's open enrollment season — the one window each year to choose or change your health insurance. Alex and Jordan decode premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums, expose the auto-renewal and network traps, and share a simple three-question test so you pick the plan that costs you the least over the whole year. AI Generatedep-a8829842-e5cc-4cbc-94c8-e3eae5b8c944Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:29:16 +0000640Flavio Garciafalse With two months left in the year, Alex and Jordan walk through a nine-item year-end money checklist — from retirement contribution checks to spending the F-S-A before it vanishes — so you finish strong and walk into the new year already ahead. AI Generatedep-2cd0b5d1-d543-4e5a-9c3d-57dbb123c709Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:29:52 +0000620Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan break down what a car really costs — the monthly payment trap, the twenty-four-ten rule, dealer tricks to dodge, and a step-by-step playbook for buying smart. AI Generatedep-5d1518b1-615d-499f-8e5c-475e3d8858f4Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:31:26 +0000612Flavio Garciafalse The holidays are on a schedule, not a surprise. Alex and Jordan lay out the full holiday spending game plan: set your number early, bucket every dollar, isolate the money, beat the sales trap, and enjoy the season without the January bill shock. AI Generatedep-68726d32-dda4-4a5a-b7f0-a4b947b1fe85Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:28:54 +0000620Flavio GarciafalseSide income done right: the three low-risk buckets, the three-question idea filter, a 30-day starter plan, pricing basics, and the two traps to avoid. Plus how to handle the money once it starts coming in. AI Generatedep-963de1d6-f18f-4d44-a740-571e9a6f34eeMon, 19 Oct 2026 10:29:24 +0000725Flavio Garciafalse It's episode 20, so we've got a guest: Dana, a cheerful savings challenger who turns saving money into a game you actually want to win. Alex, Jordan, and Dana walk through the 52-week challenge, the reverse version, no-spend challenges, the 100-envelope game, and the spare-change jar — plus how to pick the game you'll actually finish. Game on. AI Generatedep-57fd3150-7467-40e8-965c-f94bb123c141Sun, 18 Oct 2026 10:29:47 +0000615Flavio Garciafalse Compound growth turns small, steady savings into serious money over time — and the same force makes credit card debt explode. Alex and Jordan break down the Rule of 72, the twin story that proves starting early beats starting big, and the five steps to get compounding working for you.\n\nAI Generatedep-10be741c-8ec8-4bc6-a6cf-5188c6676954Sat, 17 Oct 2026 10:29:02 +0000663Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan share a practical playbook for negotiating lower bills — internet, phone, insurance, and medical bills — plus how to prepare and ask for a raise at work. AI Generatedep-b0ad5bc1-5fff-4dbd-89ed-3d23ec120623Fri, 16 Oct 2026 10:29:02 +0000641Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan walk through setting money goals that actually work — the goal ladder from short to long term, turning vague wishes into SMART plans, picking your lead priority, and tracking progress without the all-or-nothing trap. AI Generatedep-e20717ee-34ba-4a75-9451-63ca64ab2da6Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:28:41 +0000650Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan break down retirement accounts in plain English — how 401(k)s and IRAs work, why the employer match is free money you should never leave behind, and how compound growth turns small monthly contributions into a real nest egg. AI Generatedep-ff1040db-3fe7-4531-ad64-35749584f61fWed, 14 Oct 2026 10:28:43 +0000625Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan show you how to calculate your net worth, why it beats income as your real financial scoreboard, and how to make it grow month after month. AI Generatedep-13bc8923-fb5f-48a5-9050-b90eaec4b932Tue, 13 Oct 2026 10:28:37 +0000639Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan break down how to slash your grocery bill without eating worse: weekly meal planning, pantry-first shopping, unit prices, store brands, cutting food waste, and the cook-once-eat-twice lunch habit. AI Generatedep-dff9a530-5620-4e9c-a5db-de62ed6a707dMon, 12 Oct 2026 10:28:46 +0000622Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan on the money date ritual, joint vs separate accounts, fun money, and turning money talks into a team sport. AI Generatedep-a0d029dd-f05a-4ebc-8e2a-a61358604d02Sun, 11 Oct 2026 10:29:46 +0000632Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan decode your paycheck — gross vs net pay, Social Security and Medicare, how tax brackets really work, the truth about tax refunds, and filing basics for beginners. AI Generatedep-e33a483c-7199-4e5c-8682-7ea5bfe1e6fcSat, 10 Oct 2026 10:29:18 +0000688Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan break down checking vs savings, the fees silently draining your money, high-yield savings accounts, and how to switch banks safely. AI Generatedep-0fbffc1d-c677-4e67-bf8b-7239f48c30d0Thu, 09 Oct 2026 10:28:32 +0000614Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan welcome their first guest - a no-nonsense insurance educator - to demystify insurance: what it is, which types actually matter, and how to stop overpaying for coverage you don't need. AI Generatedep-b33926e8-cb98-49f9-8edc-a46aaabb3736Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:29:14 +0000720Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan build a set-it-and-forget-it money system — automatic savings, bills on autopilot, debt payments that run themselves, and the guardrails that keep it all safe. AI Generatedep-98e23d8b-8138-4f44-baf2-e7882c5b9bd9Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:30:08 +0000695Flavio Garciafalse Alex and Jordan break down the most common financial scams — phishing, impersonation, romance and job scams, AI voice tricks — plus the credit freeze, code word, and recovery steps that protect your money. AI Generated ep-8eb848bb-24fe-4f5c-a003-546cc7c9c077 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:28:43 +0000 688 Flavio Garcia false What is Smart Money Habits? One practical money habit every day, in about ten minutes. No hype, no get-rich-quick schemes. AI Generated ep-8fcc519e-d45a-48df-ab98-83dd7bfdea18 Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:33:40 +0000 47 trailer Flavio Garcia false Alex and Jordan decode credit scores: the five factors that move your score, how to build credit from scratch, and the simple habits that raise it over time. AI Generated ep-38c70b3a-644f-4fc9-b97a-613dadc7c2bf Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:28:58 +0000 665 Flavio Garcia false Alex and Jordan break down the two best debt payoff strategies — the avalanche and the snowball — plus the minimum payment trap, where to find extra payoff money, and what to do with your payment once you're debt-free. AI Generated ep-f151165f-0757-4468-a741-907a2ddabaee Sun, 04 Oct 2026 10:28:41 +0000 669 Flavio Garcia false Alex and Jordan break down the emergency fund: how much to save, where to keep it, and the simple automated system for building three to six months of expenses. AI Generated ep-fc0f4ca6-cce7-48fe-8822-dbe7863c3995 Sat, 03 Oct 2026 13:03:00 +0000 650 Flavio Garcia false Alex and Jordan explain sinking funds — the simple system of saving a little each month for big, predictable expenses so car repairs, holidays, and annual bills never wreck your budget. AI Generated ep-e8a5826a-d737-4173-948b-98e8115b3489 Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:57:00 +0000 475 Flavio Garcia false Alex and Jordan break down zero-based budgeting: how to give every dollar a job, make savings and fun real line items, and rebuild the budget monthly so nothing leaks through the cracks. AI Generated ep-d67b91dd-def7-440b-aa1c-cb05fadcd460 Sat, 03 Oct 2026 10:29:00 +0000 632 Flavio Garcia false Alex and Jordan break down lifestyle creep and how to keep more of every raise with simple systems. Learn why your paycheck never feels bigger and the exact habits to keep more of what you earn. AI Generated ep-1bb575e8-bebb-44d3-978f-9f31a031d0e0 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:10:31 +0000 567 Flavio Garcia false Alex and Jordan break down budgeting, saving, and money habits in a practical educational deep dive. Perfect for beginners who want to build smart money habits from scratch. AI Generated ep-fba379f0-416b-4589-9f98-058a429e989c Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:39:37 +0000 747 Flavio Garcia false