College and debt do not have to go hand in hand!

Episode 95:

Do you cringe at the thought of funding your kid's college? Today's episode with Kara Walker of the Money and Mental Peace Podcast, highlights why and how this does not have to be the only way! 

Kara Walker graduated from college debt-free, and is now on a quest to help other students do the same with her podcast, "Money and Mental Peace," and her upcoming course "The Debt-Free College Blueprint"! 

She is a twenty-something Christian entrepreneur, amateur snowboarder, and recovering over-achiever. Kara enjoys goal-setting, budgeting, and living a debt-free lifestyle, and wants to help YOU do the same!

To check out Kara’s podcast, MONEY AND MENTAL PEACE, please CLICK HERE!

For more info on Kara’s course, The Debt Free College Blueprint, CLICK HERE!!

Listen to it now here or click HERE for your favorite podcast platform! 

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Full Transcription: 

Speaker 1 (00:00): 

So besides navigating all the digital things with our kiddos, another thing that ranks way up there in  terms of stress is trying to figure out how to fund our kids' college education. Well, if you have been of  the mindset that debt and college education must go hand in hand today's episode is going to give you  some tips and tools to where that maybe may not have to be the case. Stay tuned. 

Speaker 2 (00:28): 

Welcome to your source for tips, tools, and support to help you be that mom that is tuned in and  proactive for yourself, your family, and for the wild ride of raising kids in this digital age, inspired by a  mother's love with a relatable real life. Proud to be that mom FLA. This is the be that mom movement  with your host, Dolly Denson. 

Speaker 1 (00:53): 

Hey friends, did you hear there is an app that will transform the safety of your kids' smartphone and  technology use. It is my favorite way to sleep easy at night and have peace of mind because it is  monitoring my kids' activity online without me being in their business. It is the bark app and yes, bark  like a dog bark bark bark. It tells you when there's something that you need to be concerned about  starting at a small fee each month, you can protect your whole family across all devices. Get connected  with bark today. Use code, be that mom for 20% off your subscription for life and get a seven day free  trial to check it out. So welcome back to another episode of the be that mom movement podcast today's  episode is going to be a special one. I'm bringing to you with a special guest that I think is gonna provide  you with a lot of good information as you go forward into the college years and all of that with your  kiddos, and really give you some pointers for thinking through things before they get to that college age. 

Speaker 1 (01:50): 

So this recording is being done in a different location than my normal one. So please forgive me if  there's any background noise, but thank you for being here. Let me just real quick introduce Kara and  then I will bring her on and we will get started. So Kara is, uh, graduate of college where she managed to  graduate debt free and is now on a quest to help other students do the same with her podcast. Podcast  is named money and mental piece. She also has an upcoming course called the debt free college  blueprint. She's a 20 something Christian entrepreneur in amateur snowboarder and recovering  overachiever. She also enjoys goal setting, budgeting and living a debt free lifestyle and wants to help  you do the same. So I hope that you will check out the podcast in its entirety today and then check out  her podcast and her upcoming course that is being released as we speak, and definitely use all the tools  that she shares. 

Speaker 1 (02:50): 

Cuz I think this is really valuable stuff. And I will say as the parent of three kids with two of them now  through college, I definitely do it. Didn't do it, the debt free route. And I would definitely go back and  use some of these tips if I could. So like I always say sometimes we just gotta take the hard road with  things, but I'm hoping that this will help you not have to take as much of a hard road. So stay tuned and  

here's Kara. Okay, well today I am bringing y'all a special guest and like I mentioned, she has a specialty  that I think is going to speak straight to your heart. So with that introduction, Kara, tell me a little bit  about yourself. 

Speaker 3 (03:31):

Thanks so much. Yeah, I'm Kara. I, I guess you guys know, I graduated from college debt free. I am kind  of a nerd on things like personal finance and you know, Marvel movies and whatever else and joined  snowboarding, whatever. However, after I finished college, I didn't wanna work for anybody else. So I  started my own business stuff and now I have all this podcast and everything, and I really just have a  passion for if I can help get students through college debt free, but also with like spiritual health, right.  And mental health intact, cuz it's money and mental peace. Then I just feel like afterwards after  graduation they can just launch into life wherever God is leading them to the point of, you know,  perhaps not having to take a job just for money, but instead for to pay loans back, but for purpose or the  next step they're going into, you know, it's just, it's just a fascinating thing. And I also just wanna tell  parents about this because there's so much out there that just is not shared in the general realm of  college and paying for college. That pretty much anyone can graduate from college debt free if they had  the information. So that's just, that's my interest and things that I work on. 

Speaker 1 (04:50): 

Okay. So I, to totally love that <laugh> because I know the burden of coming outta college with some  debt for myself, but much more. So with my children, my two that I have a 24 year old and a 19 year old  and the 19 year old went to a college that was five times the cost of the 24 year old because she was in a  specialty culinary school. So finished quickly, but definitely had to take on debt, but we were much  smarter about our spending and stuff like that. But I do think that's so important. What you mentioned  about coming out and being able to kind of pursue your life's passions versus just getting a job because  you have that bill to pay. So I just really kind of love that you are here today and that we can share this. 

Speaker 3 (05:31): 

Thanks. And, and not that you can't have a life's passion with also a job that earns enough money. I think  it just gives freedom. It gives more options. 

Speaker 1 (05:39): 

Right, right. I totally get you. And I think there could be a balance there where you have a little bit of  debt, but you're not like, you know, buried for your entire lifetime type thing. <laugh> so, all right. So  tell me a little bit more about like, what things do you, uh, recommend or what kind of red flags do you  have people look for or whatever it is that you feel is most helpful when you're going on this path? 

Speaker 3 (06:03): 

I love that. You, you say it like that because it just gives it just it's wide open. Let's see. Where do we  wanna start? <laugh> <laugh> um, let's start at the beginning. Okay. We're gonna start at the beginning.  I'm gonna imagine your kids are coming into even like middle school, age or something. And you're like,  college is so far away, but like we can get started now. I'm not trying to pressure you. I'm trying to give  hope on ideas. Okay. But starting at the beginning, I think is it's stuff like we're gonna tie in college and,  and financial mindset as well around digital stuff. Right. I mean, that's what we talk about or you do on  this podcast. So as your kids grown up, but they're still like, I don't know, 10, 11, 12, or whatever.  Obviously there are certain age appropriate, um, times to discuss money just like age appropriate times  to use a phone or, you know, get on. 

Speaker 3 (06:54): 

It depends on if you want your kid on TikTok or not. But I just hear that so much in life. That's one of the  things I name I used to be on it. And then I was like, Nope, I just there's too much. And I just got off, uh, 

too addicting. So basically kids usually exemplify what they see. So, I mean, there is a step on like, what's  your mindset around digital usage? What's your mindset around money. And is it, is either of them a  crutch or are they owning you or are you using them as a tool? Which is great and also some fun, right? I  mean, like we go see a movie and get ice cream. You gotta pay money for that. But I think there's like  not only, I think we're in the mindset zone, it's like having age appropriate conversations with your kids  around money, but in like fun ways, like they're 11 and you're like, Hey, if you got a million dollars, what  would you do with it? 

Speaker 3 (07:44): 

You know? And that launches like some fun conversation. And then, you know, depends on how, like I'll  probably be that parent someday who talks with their 11 year old about compound interest because I'm  a nerd, but like you do it in a fun way, you know? Like, like if you had a million dollars now, you know, if  you did a few things, you could have 5 million in 20 years or something and you know, just like getting a  mindset. So I think there's, there's lighthearted conversations around money as just like, however, there  

would be conversations around digital usage and not like lecturing, but like interacting and talking.  Right. So I think that is a start. And I think that also ties into you as a parent. It's you have a budget? Is  your money kind of working for you or are you stressed out? You know, I don't, I don't know. 

Speaker 3 (08:30): 

I can't make that decision factor in what you're doing right now, but personally I love going through the  Dave Ramsey plan because that really helped me feel like my money was working for me. And I have  that financial piece. So just to throw an idea out there, but let's talk about what they might be, uh,  soaking in, what, what content they might be soaking in around money and college and stuff. You know,  it could be younger than this, but middle school, high school beyond. Right. So there's a couple angles I  think to this around money by itself could be anything from like, you gotta be rich to be happy. I mean,  there's some of that too. I think the opposite is also pretty detrimental. And often I think more in some  Christian circles of like money is the root of all evil. Well, let's be clear here. 

Speaker 3 (09:19): 

The verse is the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, not money in and of itself. And it's the love of  money is an idol over God. So it's like, I personally, I graduated debt free. So I was able the next month  after graduation, I was able to start a business and start investing. So by the time I'm 30, I'll have, I don't  know exactly, but I'll have somewhere in five figures saved for retirement already with no loans and no  like debt and whatever. And that's just like, because I'm, I was excited about that. Like my parents are  good with money, but I'm like fanatical, you know what I mean? Like, just because it's interesting to me.  So I think there's kind of that like, just conversation around trying to get back to where my train of  thought was going, oh, like you don't have to have money to be happy, but also you don't have to not  have money to be pious. You know, I think you gotta be careful with that because there are so many  people that are godly, Christians who are wealthy, who use their money for such good. So I encourage  that. I mean like build wealth for the kingdom, why not? And I think kids might be having a couple angles  on that coming from the digital realm, depending on what they're listening or church, you know, like, so  you just gotta be aware. I think in other, 

Speaker 1 (10:36): 

I was gonna, I was gonna say that the, uh, kind of the root of social media, what I see is that it's not, it's  not coming from a good place of self-talk and self-esteem, and it's very influential in the negative realm, 

you know, like if, if you're not aware of it. So I like that how you have that, that focus around the kind of  the self-talk around money, it's your attitude around money and what you think of it, whether it's good,  whether it's evil, you know, mm-hmm, <affirmative> the more that you are, have an abundance mindset  

around it, the more you're gonna have that kind of be attracted to you too. So I agree the, the social  media aspect of it is that everything's kind of negative and dark and all of that. That's, you know, my  take on that, you know, 

Speaker 3 (11:17): 

It's definitely on social media and I think it's also what parents, what kids see in their parents. If y'all, if  the parents talk about money and their tense, even their body language that can stress them out about  money too. I'm not saying, I mean like nowadays gas and groceries and whatever, like it's  understandable that you can be tense around money and your kids need to learn that too. But I think it's  just like, there's a mindset on like making sure kids know both sides, right. I just, 

Speaker 1 (11:40): 

Yeah. Yeah. Like it's a, it's a mindfulness it's, it's becoming more aware that these things are powerful  mm-hmm <affirmative> and that they do have an influence, very, very subtle things that parents do, kids  will pick up on, you know? And that's the same thing or like your behavior with digital things, you know?  And what I always talk about is like set the example for what you wanna do with the digital things. So  parents talking about, <laugh> talking about money and always being negative about money or fearful  about money definitely wears like rubs off on them. So yeah, I 

Speaker 3 (12:08): 

Totally, oh, I feel like everything you probably say about digital things. Everyone listening just apply it to  money too. It's just like the same idea. And for example, math, I know we're not here to talk about  math, but there is whatever study done. Sometime I'd have to look it up that like, like kids whose  parents just hated math and were stressed with math and whatever. Like there was just conversation in  the home like, oh, you're going to math class or math homework. Like, I don't wanna help with that. Like  oftentimes the kids weren't that good at math. And it was just like a stressor, you know? Maybe not  always, like, we're not, we're just going generalization here, but at math, you know, money digital, like I  just feel like it's, it's just all entwined <laugh> 

Speaker 1 (12:49): 

I totally agree. <laugh> 

Speaker 3 (12:51): 

Yeah. So also, if we're talking about what kids are soaking in digitally through the internet, social media  around college, there are many angles, right? It's like, first of all, like you gotta go to college. Like that's  one, and I'm here to tell you I work in this realm and I 'em. And I wanna tell you, college is unnecessary.  It can be great. Let me, you know, listen to the key words I'm saying it's not necessary, but it can be  

fantastic. So like I'm not against college, it's just not necessary. Especially if your kid is just like, has no  idea what's going on or wants not what's going on, but like what they wanna do. And now to be honest,  I didn't know what I wanna do when I got started, but I did have a dream of having a degree. So I went  very slowly step by step without loans. 

Speaker 3 (13:33):

So that if I stopped, I just, I was out some money, but I mean, I didn't have loans to pay back, but like,  especially if someone's heading to, you know, I'm going extreme here, but like Harvard, they don't know  what they're gonna do. And it's all that money. Like it's just, it's not necessary. There's so many trade  schools and just starting a business and just hustling. I don't mean like, to not have good mental health  hustling, never sleep, but just like getting on trying things, you know, it's, I think that's one angle to talk  with your kids about. And then also like if they're gonna go to college, let's say, let's say they realize  college is not necessary, but they wanna go to college. Like, that's awesome. Pretty much. They're gonna  hear that. The only way to do it is to have rich parents or have loans. 

Speaker 3 (14:18): 

And I'm just here to tell you like that is legitimately not true. <laugh> and there's anything from grants  and scholarships that make sense. But like anyone listening did, you know, there are ways to get free  classes and really cheap textbooks and to get paid, to take notes and to do stuff on your own timeframe  and just all sorts of things. And so that's is connected. What I talk about in my podcast, and I don't know  how deep you want me to go in here. Cause we're also kind of like in college slash digital realm. But for  example, especially if your kids are in middle school, but high school too, like, no, you can start early.  There's a website called homeschooling for college credit and you might not be a homeschooling family.  It doesn't matter. It's just, it's the website, because the idea is if you're homeschooling your kids,  whatever you have been studying, once you're finished with it, they can go take a test like a club test  DSST other types of classes and test out of it. 

Speaker 3 (15:20): 

If they pass it, they get three to six college credits. Like that's the concept and, and homeschooling for  college credit, it lists, lists out different types of credit based on transferability. So obviously some won't  go to every school, but if you kind of lean on the ones that have really good transferability, then you can  know where to go. And honestly, there were some times I took a few tests when I tested out of things  that didn't transfer, but I was like, I'm just out a hundred dollars. Like it's fine. I mean, a hundred dollars  does sound a lot, but like I got six credits for college several times for a hundred dollars. That's insane  because a credit hour by itself isn't even a hundred dollars anymore. So, and then, so these are just  some, I have a lot of other tips, but this is just like the big thing. 

Speaker 3 (16:04): 

If some student, if a student of yours is in public school, you can do that too. It just, it would be when  they're not in school, go take a test. And if you guys are taking clap tests, which is college level  examination program, there's a company called modern states that if you do the study guide through  them, they reimburse you. They give you a voucher. So you can get a year or two of college for free by  just testing out of classes like that is, that is one of my, like, I mean, we have a lot we could talk about,  but that is kind of like a main thing. If your kid aren't kids in, even starting in middle school, high school,  beyond that, there are ways to, what do they already know? What do they just study in school? Go try  to take a test on it. If they don't pass, you know, either you get reimbursed by modern states or they're  out a hundred dollars, but compared to college, like, I don't know. I think that's awesome. So there's just  a couple angles to like what you can do. And also knowing that college is not necessary and student  loans are not necessary. I think that's the key word is unnecessary. So yeah, those are my thoughts  around that whole realm. 

Speaker 1 (17:07):

Okay. Yeah. And I love that I'm of the same mindset that, you know, I think college is a great thing to do,  but there's a lot of different ways to slice it now, you know, and like I talk a lot about digital safety and  all of the influences of the digital things, but also all like to highlight how much of the world it has  opened up to be able to have the internet and the opportunities that are out there. And I tell my kids,  you know, like definitely have multiple streams of income, different things that you're passionate about.  Don't rely, um, especially now do not rely on one employer to provide all of your livelihood and, you  know, and explore all your passions, have a side job, you know, or side business doing this thing that you  love to while you're also working to do this, you know, to bring in another stream of income. But I do  think that the internet, the portability of our phones and all the different platforms that are out there  now is just makes it to where you don't necessarily have to go to college. But also it, you know, if that is  something that you're set on doing, there are ways like you've mentioned to cut the cost in different  places mm-hmm <affirmative> love, or don't 

Speaker 3 (18:12): 

Go to college and start a podcast, like, like, you know, dinos what I'm talking about. There's definitely  some business connection in that, but go ahead. 

Speaker 1 (18:20): 

<laugh> yeah, yeah. For sure. So, yeah, so I love the different things that you mention and, um, what I've  done with my son, my, our youngest, my two girls that are older, they, um, they think that he's just got  the best of all worlds because of right before 20, 20 different things that happened with him, we pulled  him out of regular school and we put him in an online school. And then after that, we now have him in a  Christian, dual enrollment place. And so he is basically going to college and high school. He's got, gonna  have like two semesters, if not more of college credit already under his belt. And most of it I think is  gonna be able to be transferred. There's a couple classes I don't think well, but he's, so he is coming out  of high school with all this college credit already. 

Speaker 1 (19:01): 

And the fact that we pulled him off all the digital things and, you know, really kind of set him down and  had him do this from home to focus on school and all of that. He's very, very aware of what he wants to  do going into college. So he knows what he wants to do. He knows what the, the job opportunities are  afterwards for that realm that he wants to go into. And I think if we hadn't done the things that we did,  where we pulled him back and had him do online school and, you know, focus more on that in high  school, he would be going into college completely. Like, I don't know what I wanna do. I'm just gonna go  <laugh>. 

Speaker 3 (19:37): 

Yeah. And how you said, I do mention that in my, my course and stuff, dual enrollment and also middle  colleges, dual enrollment is with another school. Middle colleges are like, you actually go to the college  campus and just do high school there and college there. So those are fantastic opportunities. 

Speaker 1 (19:52): 

Yes. Yes. I think that's, it's such a plus to have that as an opportunity. Now, I hadn't never heard of the  homeschooling for college credit thing. Where do you get more information on that? Is that, did you  mention a website? Yeah,

Speaker 3 (20:04): 

It, it is literally called homeschooling for college credit.com. 

Speaker 1 (20:08): 

Oh, okay. 

Speaker 3 (20:09): 

Yeah. And it's cool because the person who, um, leads it up is a, an advisor at a college at Excelsior  college, which Excelsior is one of the big three who accept almost unlimited credits. There's Excelsior,  uh, Thomas Edison, state university, and then like charter Oak. I'd have to look up the name, but  basically I've had some friends, couple people who have like, just tested out of a load of classes. And of  course it takes a certain student to want to test out a bunch of classes too, but test it out of a load of  classes, just transferred everything and got their bachelor's for like $3,000. You know, it's just like, it  depends now it might not work if they're going into chemistry and they need a lab right there. But like  this person wanted to go to law school. So he got just like a political science degree. 

Speaker 3 (20:56): 

Quick one, he graduated at, he was homeschooled, graduated at 19 with a bachelor's and just spent a  few thousand dollars on it, a whole legit bachelor's. And then he went to law school and he was like the  youngest in law school, you know, at Michigan state or something like, like there are ways to do it. It  obviously probably wouldn't work for an engineering student who needs the labs, but just, there are  options of schools that accept almost unlimited transfer credits. But I just wanted to tell you that. So you  knew that this website was from someone who knew what they were talking about. It's a, it's an advisor  at a college at Excelsior college who deals with like all this stuff. So yep. Just homeschooling for college  credit.com. 

Speaker 1 (21:34): 

Okay, cool. Yeah. There's so much that, like some of these things you mentioned, I didn't know about, I  definitely knew about clip. I did that in my own high school. I mean, in my own college. So I did know  about that, but I did know about that modern state. You said that was that modern states.com. Is that  what you said? 

Speaker 3 (21:50): 

Yeah, I believe so. Let me look it up right now in case the website is different modern states.org.org. 

Speaker 1 (21:57): 

Okay. Mm-hmm <affirmative> okay, cool. So that's where you can get reimbursement. 

Speaker 3 (22:03): 

Yep. Yep. A year or two of college for free. If you just wanna go all in cuz club tests are a little bit more in  like the first year, like prereqs, there are also D SSTs, which used to be just for military, but now our first  civilians and those are up to higher levels sometimes cuz people in the military sometimes would just be  testing out of classes to get a degree while they're in the military. So DSTs are a little higher level and  

those are still really cheap, but they're not covered by modern states. I took a few of those and I still 

think it was like a hundred dollars a test. Yeah. And then there's some other ones that are just less  known. That's why that homeschooling for college credit lists a whole bunch of type of testing. 

Speaker 1 (22:42): 

Okay. So this is totally awesome. <laugh> I'm loving this. Okay. So I think this will be great information  for all of the moms that are listening. So let's see. So I'm gonna go back and look at what we've talked  about and see if there's any questions that I have. So we talked about kind of like at the beginning, when  they're younger age appropriate discussion, talking about the, what ifs and all of that around money,  just the basics of compound interest and what you do with the million dollars lighthearted conversation.  And then you talked about your, what they're consuming about money, self talk around money or  attitude around money and what that conveys to them. And then just knowing that college is in an  absolute must, but to explore different options and kind of what they, what they wanna do. And that it's  not an end all be all with college, but definitely if wanting to go, then we have all of these options that  we just talked about. Okay. 

Speaker 3 (23:37): 

Yeah. That <laugh> 

Speaker 1 (23:40): 

I took notes <laugh> so anything else you wanna share with me? I know that you have your podcast and  then all of this information here at the end, um, you go into more detail about that. So I'd like everybody  to reference your podcast. And tell me again what the name of it was. 

Speaker 3 (23:55): 

It's called money and mental peace. There's really a connection. I think between feeling financially  peaceful, like knowing you're not, might not be wealthy, but like knowing you have college paid for or  the next semester or your budget or gas money, you know, and I think it really ties into mental piece.  Cuz we do talk a bit about my experience of anxiety in college and such. I'm not like a licensed therapist.  It's not like diagnosing things. It's just conversations around how I handled. I, I, how I, how an  overachiever like me was able to graduate debt free honors, but also not have a total mental  breakdown. Although there were a lot of tears. So I mean like there's a bit of both. So it's money and  mental piece. We talk about all that stuff kind of all together. 

Speaker 1 (24:39): 

Awesome. Okay. And then you have a course on presale right now and getting ready to launch. Tell me  more about that. 

Speaker 3 (24:46): 

Oh yeah. It's called the debt free college blueprint. Thank you for asking. Honestly, I still just refer  people to the podcast. It's just free, free content, free, whatever. And I do talk about the course, if you  wanna know where it is on the podcast, but it's like strategies and accountability and conversation  about more in depth, like step by step, like how I graduated debt free and even advice on looking at a, a  school coming up, looking at how to do FAFSA, how to get paid, to have jobs where you're essentially  paid to do your homework or take notes. Or I had a job where I just was paid to take out. Cause I worked  at a gym that was not busy. Like, you know, just like hacks there's conversation about handling grants  versus scholarships. We talk about dual enrolled versus middle college. It's just, I, I just feel like it's the 

<laugh>, it's this big ameba of just all of the different angles of college without loans. And we talk about  each of the things in depth and I do have like a presale going on now. So y'all can look at the info on the  podcast if you want. And I'd love to love to have anyone. And we also have a free Facebook group, like  there's a ton of free stuff. So thanks for asking. 

Speaker 1 (26:02): 

Sure. That it sounds awesome. And that sounds like exactly what I needed years ago. <laugh> for all of  my, my stuff and my kids. I was actually pretty handy with when I was in college, but this was in the  nineties. So I know that it's a lot different now, but could have definitely used some of that information.  So it sounds like it's an incredible resource and I'm so glad that you have that. So definitely recommend  checking that out for all the moms listening so that you can get all the tips and things that you can from  Cara, because she's walked the walk. So 

Speaker 3 (26:31): 

Thank you. And can I say your student going into college? If they have such a healthy interaction with all  everything, digital, the internet, everything that won't significantly boost their mental health, mental  piece, to be able to handle figuring out how to pay for college or just handle anxiety or depression while  in college, because of like, if they have a healthy interaction with social media and whatever, how much  more that can boost their success. So I commend you on your plan and goal and purposes and  everything. Any mom listening to like wanna have that because that's such a foundational thing. And  just maybe if it ties into money, you know, their kid can be in college and have it paid for and also like  not be freaking out <laugh> so that would be nice. <laugh> 

Speaker 1 (27:17): 

Yeah. And you know, I really think that does go hand in hand, like my own experience with my son is  that he, you know, we crashed and burned with my kids with all the digital stuff. That's how my podcast  came to be. You know, I've walked that walk completely in doing it all the hard way. Um, I won't say the  wrong way because I think that there were gifts in how we did do it and that it is guided him to where  he is now, as well as my daughters. They just weren't as immersed into the digital things because of  their ages. But um, for him, he had a hard, hard road, but you know, where he is now is amazing  because of his college credit he has already gotten. And then his attitude around money, he actually is  working a full-time job. He's a, he's going into his senior year of high school. 

Speaker 1 (27:58): 

He's working a full time job that he does in the mornings. He gets himself up, gets himself off to work  while he at 6:00 AM he's home by 12 or one, he has more money in savings than all the rest of us now.  And he has a plan for when he goes away to college and where he wants to go, how he's gonna help us  pay for things. And he was telling me yesterday that he is gonna start paying for his own gas, cuz he  doesn't think it's necessary that we pay for his gas. And so <laugh>, so us pulling him off the digital  things and then helping him have a healthy relationship with that, to where he's not immersed in all of  the social media and it didn't suck down his self-esteem. I mean it started to, and we pulled him back  once we realized what was going on, but it definitely has had a, a definite dance with the money  mindset. 

Speaker 1 (28:43):

And I have my own background of being very poor as a kid and being very fearful around money. And so  I've had to, um, work on my, my money talk and what I do and say around them. And even now with,  um, over the last six months, I've had a lot of changes with my employment, my income streams, all of  that. And it's hard for me to not say that stuff out loud, like I'm, I'm fearful of it. And then I reign it back  in and I'm like, wait a second. Let's look at the big picture here and look at what's going on. And we've  had all these things come into play right when I needed him to. So I felt like I'm being supported and  guided on my path, but so I've had to filter the money, the money talk's and really relearn that for  myself. But I absolutely see that in him that with that healthy relationship of the digital things, he didn't  get sucked down that mindset and he is very focused, maybe too focused on, on, uh, <laugh> earning  money 

Speaker 3 (29:38): 

Now he's excited. It sounds like he's like, I can see my mind's not entrenched in what this influencer is  doing. And so I can see like if I have this money, what I can do with it and what good too. Like anyone  listening also, if you interact with ne with your kids around what, when money is stressful, that's a good  learning experience too. So anyone listening who's done that. Like you don't have to always be happy  about money all the time. Cuz that can be probably a, a bad, extreme too. But like if your kid, whoever,  whatever kid's listening and in yours, yours sounds, your son sounds like he's gonna be a millionaire  someday. And I, and I know that that's not like the end all of life, but like that can be a great thing and  you can really give and serve if he knows what he's doing, has the steps handle of money. 

Speaker 3 (30:21): 

If he say able to graduate debt free or with not much and pay it off fast, start investing in his first job. By  the time he retires, there are four OHK millionaires that they didn't go in some big extreme investment.  It's just that. And let's clarify a millionaire as people's assets. So it's also their house, whatever. It's not  that they're earning a million a year. So your son sounds like he is on board. And I like what the sisters  were like, he's got a good set, like a good plan ahead. And isn't that sometimes what comes with the  younger kid that like you learn and then it gets to that point. So I commend your parenting. Good job.  That's awesome. 

Speaker 1 (30:53): 

Thanks. Yeah, he definitely, uh, got the, the short end of the stick in other realms, but you know, it all  balances out in the end and it's just amazing. The, the like 180 that he's done and you know, some of it  is just him exploring it himself. And I'll tell you that when he's always been a little entrepreneur, but  when he was probably around like seven or eight, we, we were doing the Dave Ramsey thing and we got  the little kids kit where they, they do like a chore and they get money. We could not continue that  because that little entrepreneur was finding other things to do around the house so much so that we  couldn't, we didn't have any money left to pay him. <laugh> he was so mad at us because we had to cut  him off cuz we're like, we don't have enough money to give you, like, now you're gonna have to do  dishes just because it's your, your, your job here as a, as a kid in our house. But, um, but he's always  been an entrepreneur like that. And so I think he felt really stifled by that, but we're like, okay, we need  you to get income from elsewhere because we don't have the extra money to give you right now. 

Speaker 3 (31:55):

<laugh> that's great. I mean, I don't know. I don't know what your situation was and what age range, but  even shoveling snow in the winter and raking leaves in the fall. Like there's just so many cool options.  Yeah. 

Speaker 1 (32:05): 

Yeah. Very true. Very true. We were just like, okay, gotta go earn money from gram grandma or  something like that now, because we don't have the funds to give you the extra stuff, but he had that  drive so early on. And so he's, and I do think the digital things distract what I've said in multiple of my,  my podcast episodes is that they divert and almost it's like the kids don't ever find their focus and their  purpose because they're so distracted by all the digital things that, you know, they're sucked down  these RO these places. And then if you let them stay there, they never find their full potential and they'd  never find their focus. And so I think that us pulling him off of that, it definitely helped him to refocus.  And it just so happens that he's always been a little entrepreneur. So he's well, on his way, he's talking  about, he might do a taxidermy training on the side. 

Speaker 1 (32:55): 

So he has a taxidermy business along with going to college and this and that. So he's, I think he's gonna  be great. And that's why I say that. I don't think that the mistakes that we make and the hiccups that we  make as parents, like even the money mindset and all of that, somehow if we can just help our kids  learn to stand upon those challenges and use them as strengths later on, instead of them being a  roadblock, then that's what you know, where life is found. And all of our, our focus and everything is  found is by using the struggles to create the strength. So that's love it. I totally agree. Yeah. Um, so  anything else you wanna share with audience or with me? 

Speaker 3 (33:36): 

It reminded me when we were talking, it reminded me of a couple things. If that's cool. If we're talking  about just incorporating this mindset or money or conversation in everyday life, Dave Ramsey now has a  board game called act your wage. I'd have to look again. I think it said it's for ages eight and up. I don't,  I'm not sure I got it for Christmas. I'm such a nerd. I'm like, I want this game, but it's like, you can do it as  a family. And the idea is you have to go around the board and handle like paying for like everyday life  and like utilities and whatever. And also you have to pay off your debt, but it also has like, kind of like in  game of life, something happens like a tree fell on your car. Like, what do you do? And whoever wins is  whoever like pays off their debt first or something, well, it'd be great to teach your kids. 

Speaker 3 (34:18): 

Why don't you not even have debt? And then you don't have to do this, but it's a cool way to handle  money and like have a family game night. So I wanted to throw that out there. <laugh> and also anyone,  I just have been notified of another, like, I love the idea of killing two birds with one stone. When you  make money. Like when I was a note taker, I was already in class taking notes and then I got paid to give  my notes to another student who needed help just like that. There are also dog walkers now like wa or  rover.com where like, I, I talk about how exercise is great to help with mental health. I'm not a fitness  like podcast, but I just mentioned that you can do that while walking a dog and getting paid. Like there  are so many, I just encourage anyone listening with their kids, but even with their own life, if you wanna  side hustle, just be weird and unconventional, unlike, I don't know when you go get groceries, you could  also be a grocery shopper for someone else and get paid to drop groceries off at their house.

Speaker 3 (35:13): 

Like there are there's stuff like that. Now that's called using these apps and the digital age as a resource,  as a tool for your benefit for other streams of income, but not letting it suck you in and the negative.  And if you don't mind, I'll leave. I'll leave this podcast with one of my favorite Dave Ramsey quotes,  which is like I'm budgeting. Tell your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went <laugh>  and so I think that's what we're doing with both. Anyone listening with your kids with college, having a  plan on where the money is gonna go instead of finishing and being like, I thought I had $50, what  happened? All I did was go to the fair while the fair is gonna suck up $50 fast. I just encourage you guys  just like digital usage. It's a tool and it's entertainment, but only to a point that it serves you and not that  you end up serving it. And that is just like money. And if you have debt, the Bible says the borrower  slave to the lender. I'm not saying I hate people of debt. What I'm just saying is knowing that that's more  of you serving money than money serving you. And so I just wanna tie that into digital responsibility and  I think it all goes together. Thank you. 

Speaker 1 (36:24): 

Awesome. Thank you so much for all of that. I love that. Definitely gonna check out that Dave Ramsey  game and then <laugh> all of those different options for making money. I think that's definitely  something worth mentioning. And then I love that quote. So appreciate you coming on today and all of  your wealth of information. <laugh> 

Speaker 3 (36:42): 

It was so fun. I love this kind of stuff now. 

Speaker 1 (36:44): 

<laugh> all righty. Thanks so much. Thanks. Okay. So I hope that y'all enjoyed all of those tips that Kara  has shared. And please check out in the show notes for her podcast link, as well as the link for her  course. And I just can't emphasize enough how valuable this information is that she shared with us. And  it is definitely information I wish I would've had before. I got my kids going through college. I still have  one to go and I'm definitely gonna use some of these tips as well as the things me and Kara already  discussed that we are working on with my youngest, but live and learn is what it is. But I hope that you  can use this information. Thanks for tuning in today. Holy 

Speaker 4 (37:25): 

Mo, check this out. If you are a mom that is looking to give your kiddo a phone, but you don't want to  open up the world of the smartphone to them yet. Check out the pinwheel phone. The pinwheel phone  is the latest and greatest four dumb smartphones. It gives you absolute control over what they do and  who they can contact and will help them to develop healthy habits around using a phone, check out  pinwheel, pinwheel.com. Use code B that mom 10 for a discount. 

Speaker 2 (37:56): 

Thanks for tuning in being that mom isn't easy, but together we can be that mom strong. Don't forget to  leave a review, connect on social and join Dolly's free community till next time.