Merry Christmas HTM Family!

And Happy Hanukkah 🕎, Kwanzaa 🥘, Diwali 🪔… And we also have a special birthday 🎂 to celebrate this week….

The How To Money Podcast is turning 7 years old! Wow, time flies when you’re having fun.

Some cool stats from the last 7 years:

• Total episodes recorded: 922

• Total downloads: Just crossed 48 Million!

• Beers reviewed: 677

• Newsletters written: 139

• Different hairstyles Matt has had: 4 (he’s actually due for a change again soon. Will it be a buzz cut? Or bangs? Who knows what 2025 will bring!?)

Thank you all for listening and supporting HTM. We really do think of you as family and couldn’t be more grateful. 💙💙💙

Ok enough mushy stuff, let’s talk about MONEY! 👇👇👇

TO DO

Make sure your investments —> are invested! 🤦‍♀️

It happens to the best of us… You transfer money into your investment account, but forget to make the most important step: BUYING funds!

(or, forgetting to re-invest dividends… Cash builds up over the years, missing out on major growth and compounding!)

TODAY: Log into your all your investment accounts. Roth, HSA, Brokerage, 529s, everything. If you see any money sitting in "Core Position", "FDIC Money Market", "SPAXX" or "Cash"... consider moving it into an actual investment. Like the S&P500 or another broad index fund.

Money invested = working for you. 💪

SAVING

Cut Your Cell Phone Bill in HALF 📲

In 2024, the average cell phone bill was $141 per month. That’s A LOT.

But for people using MVNOs, the average bill was $77 per month!

(these numbers include both the monthly plan + handset repayments. But if you own your device outright, plans and bills are way less!)

But you can pay far less if you heed our advice.

What is an MVNO?
Stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator. It’s a wireless carrier that “piggybacks” off of the larger carriers that own the cell towers. Think of it like a middleman, buying bulk minutes/data at a big ol’ discount and then passing the savings down to subscribers.

What networks do they use?
Almost all MVNOs connect to Verizon, AT&T, and/or T Mobile networks. These are the largest carriers in the US with the widest coverage. (they are also the most expensive carriers, because it costs a lot to maintain and operate all the infrastructure!)

The exact same coverage, at half the cost?
Yep. There’s one caveat though. Some MVNOs have data throttling when the network gets congested or overcrowded. Since they don’t own the cell towers, they can’t guarantee the fastest data speeds at all times. But they typically offer a robust amount of data and only throttle heavy users.

So if you want to stream HD videos in a super crowded area like a concert or sporting event, you may experience slightly longer load times with MVNO carriers. However, this shouldn’t impact your ability to make calls, send texts or check email.

Unlimited plans overview:
Personally, we were loyal Mint Mobile clients for many years, but this year we both switched to US Mobile!! Great service so far and the cheapest carrier by far. Here’s a few big MVNO’s and their main plans…

There are a handful of other small MVNO carriers. Whichever MVNO you check out make sure they have good reviews, proper coverage, and no contracts!

Oh yeah, most of these carriers offer free trials and signup bonuses too. US Mobile has the best free trial in the business - 30 days for free!

Cheers to cheaper cell phone bills in 2025 —> and beyond.

Dive deep: More about MVNO pros/cons and our honest take on the top 5 carriers

TOGETHER WITH YNAB*

Your Budgeting BFF 🤜🤛

If you want to save more money in 2025 and don’t have a good budgeting system in place, you gotta check out YNAB.

Seriously, the average new user saves over $600 in the first 2 months using YNAB (and over $6k after one year)!

YNAB might be the game changer your finances need. And there’s no harm in trying them out because they have a 34 day free trial. After that, it’s $109 per year.

LIFESTYLE

Practicing Happiness 😎

What’s the point of building wealth if you’re not enjoying life along the way?

Too many people fall into the trap of believing, “when (blank) happens, I’ll finally be happy”.

Then they go and put themselves through a bunch of truly miserable activities just to achieve that event.

But the reality is, event-based happiness is fleeting.

To live a consistently happy life, you need to build happiness into your everyday habits. It doesn’t just happen automatically.

And it certainly doesn’t come from being filthy rich. 👇👇👇

The good news is: happiness is FREE.

And it’s easy to work on!

Here are some character traits and habits to try building…

1. Savor life's little pleasures. Happy folks don't wait for big wins — they find joy in finding 10 cents on the ground. Or free moments like sunsets, a perfect cup of coffee, or spotting a pretty garden. It can be hard to notice these little beauties, so a good practice is to try writing down 1 thing each day you loved. Gratitude is like a muscle — the more you practice it the easier it becomes.

2. Do things in person. The human brain is wired for in-person interaction. Real life > virtual life. Calls > texts. Taking technology breaks. Eating dinner without the TV on. Driving across town to see a friend even though there’s traffic.

3. Prioritize good relationships. Remember, you become just like the people you surround yourself with each week. So make sure you have a healthy dose of positive influences in your life. Find folks who are truly happy, enjoying life and growing in a good direction. You’ll automatically become more like them.

4. Give back. Happy people are generous with their money and time. Try mentoring someone who is having a rough time, contribute to your community, give away and share things you don’t need anymore. Spending money on others actually makes you happier than splurging on yourself. When you learn something cool, teach others and help them learn too.

5. Basic self-care. Exercise isn't just for your body, it's a mood booster too. Even 10 minutes of body movement can work wonders. Eating healthy also boosts your mood. Drinking water and getting enough sleep too!

6. Practice forgiveness. Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to suffer. It silently kills your happiness and taints your mindset. Moving on quickly from setbacks, wrongdoings, or past challenges with others clears the deepest parts of your attitude for more positive stuff.

7. Compliment yourself. Happy people like themselves, cheer for themselves, and boost their own confidence. Outside validation is always nice, but internal validation is rock solid and doesn’t crumble easily. Positive self-talk and believing in your potential works wonders!

Our goal at HTM is to help you get out of debt, build wealth, and afford anything you want to buy in life.

But we also encourage you to simultaneously work on your personal happiness. It enriches your life and experiences significantly, and gives purpose to your money.

Related stuff:

• 📚 Book Rec:  Happiness Is A Habit: Simple Daily Rituals That Increase Energy, Improve Well-Being, and Add Joy to Every Day

• 🎧 Pod Rec: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

• 🧬 Science: A long, science-backed read from Positive Psychology

ICYMI

Noteworthy news…

100% Stocks 📈
An interesting new research paper challenged the traditional advice of stock/bond diversification and target date funds. The study suggests that having a 100% stock portfolio builds more wealth in life, and preserves it longer. 🤔

All-Time Highs 💸
We’ve had a huge year of all time highs. But it’s important to keep investing, because sitting on the sidelines “waiting for a crash” is a losing strategy. Stay the course, folks!

Love Letters 💌
“None of us want to die. All of us will. In preparation for that inevitability, I write an annual “Love Letter” to my wife.” — A very detailed and helpful estate planning tool by Fritz at The Retirement Manifesto!

Credit Scores 🏡
They matter more than you might think! Renting an apartment, applying for jobs, and even your car insurance rate can all be affected by your awesome or awful credit score.

COMMUNITY

Costco —> 20% Off Uber Gift Cards

Gift cards at full price? Lame. Gift cards on sale? Savvy. For those of you who use Uber or Uber Eats, hop to Costco for discounted gift cards. Thanks for sharing Kevin! 🙏

Wishing you all a great holiday week! Merry Christmas!!! 🎄🎅

Best friends out! 🍻