2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV) “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

**Transcription Below**

Natalie Taylor is a Certified Financial Planner, Professional and Behavioral Financial Advisor who is passionate about helping people cultivate a plan for their finances based on their values and goals so they can not only make progress, but find confidence, balance, and peace along the way. Frequently quoted in major publications such as the Huffington Post, Forbes, Business Insider and Lifehacker, Natalie draws on over 13 years of comprehensive financial planning experience and a decade of professional speaking to share advice that works in real life, not just on paper.

Natalie’s Website

Natalie's Value Toolkit

Value Sort

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Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”

Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession- to the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

**Transcription**

[00:00:00] <music>

Laura Dugger: Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.

[00:00:24] <music>

Laura Dugger: I want to say thank you to Leman Property Management for being such a loyal sponsor of The Savvy Sauce. They're located in Central Illinois. With over 1,600 apartment homes in all price ranges, they have listings throughout Morton, Pekin, Peoria, Washington, and Canton. They can find the perfect spot for you.

Check them out today at MidwestShelters.com or like them on Facebook by searching Leman, L-E-M-A-N, Property Management Company. We'll make sure to put a link in our show notes. Thanks again for the sponsorship.

Hey, everybody. I'm so thrilled that I get to introduce you to my friend today, Natalie Taylor. Natalie is a certified financial planner, and I think you're going to enjoy her fresh take on value-based financial planning.

Today, she's going to give us a new perspective on being financially fit. [00:01:16] You can find her online at Natalieanntaylor.com. That's Ann with no E. I hope you enjoy our chat.

Hi, Natalie.

Natalie Taylor: Hi, Laura. How are you?

Laura Dugger: Great. How are you doing?

Natalie Taylor: I'm good. Thanks. Thanks for having me.

Laura Dugger: We are so honored to have you on the show today. If someone out there listening doesn't know you yet, can you just give us a current glimpse into your life?

Natalie Taylor: Sure. I live in Santa Barbara. I am a financial planner, a CFP. I've been a financial planner for 13 years. The first eight years I was in private practice down in San Diego in California and for the last five years, I've been working for a startup in the financial services space aimed at making financial planning affordable and accessible for, I would say, the 99% for all the people who typically the financial services industry doesn't aim towards. So that's me.

Laura Dugger: That's awesome. And then even looking back in time, what age were you when you knew that you wanted to work in something finance-related? [00:02:18]

Natalie Taylor: You know, I honestly didn't know what a financial planner was until I was one when I was 23. So that's when I started in this line of work. It really has been a calling for me, but I honestly didn't know what it was. I've always been good at math. I always tracked my savings. I'm just wired that way.

I was the bank for my sister because she would spend her allowance and I would lend money to her when she ran out. So I've always been financially minded but I just never really knew about this career path. So honestly, it wasn't until I became one that I really knew this is what I wanted to do.

And I would say that all of those things that sound like they make sense for reasons that I'm a good financial planner, that I love math, that I'm savings-minded, those really aren't the things that make a successful financial planner.

To me, what's most important is understanding how to get to know somebody, what's important to them, what they want to accomplish, and then finding a way to partner with them to empower them to make better decisions. [00:03:18] And that's really the part that I thrive on, that I love, that gets me going every day.

Laura Dugger: Oh, I can totally see that with your personality. And now knowing you for years, you're amazing at that.

Natalie Taylor: Aw, thanks.

Laura Dugger: So from your professional experience, how do you see finances impacting people's relationships or their lives in general?

Natalie Taylor: I mean, I think finances are such a key part of our everyday life. There's no way to get around them. We have to interact with money to live in the US and really virtually anywhere else. And I think it has a huge effect on people's relationships, either positive or negative, or sometimes a mix. I'm sure we've all heard it's a common cause of divorce, a common cause of stress and tension in relationships.

I think money really touches on some of those patterns and things that we learned from our upbringing. Whether we mimic what we learned or we do the opposite of what we learned growing up, so much of that is subconscious and it's not something that we really talk about in our culture. [00:04:21]

So we come into relationships with a lot of, I think, subconscious patterns and habits and feelings and emotions around money that often we're not even aware that we have and then we bring those into a relationship with somebody else who has their whole set. I think that's a lot of the reason why there can be stress and tension around finances.

Laura Dugger: That is fascinating. So let's just zero in. Could you give an example of a married couple and what that might look like? Typically, are they similar in their upbringings, or do you often find that people are opposites of the person they marry financially?

Natalie Taylor: That's a great question, Laura. I'll never forget, Laura, one of my favorite things that you've ever said is that your love language is questions. I love that you are doing these podcasts because it is a way that you are showing love. So that's a great question.

I find that it's very common to have a mix of like... if we just do two broad categories, spender and saver, it's very common to have one of each. [00:05:24] Sometimes it goes one way or the other, the male or the female or whoever in the relationship is one or the other. Or sometimes two savers meet or two spenders meet. There's benefits and costs to all of those dynamics.

But I think, you know, you asked for an example. Even for my own life, I am a saver who married a spender. A lot of that has to do with the way that we were brought up, but we never realized it until we actually talked about what we learned about finances growing up.

I am the daughter of a business owner, a business owner who had seasons of plenty and seasons of scarcity. I watched my mom, who was primarily a stay-at-home mom, plan trips for Hawaii when things were good and freak out and make us eat at nowhere else than Del Taco when things were not as great. And I did not like that imbalance. That felt very uncomfortable to me. So I think that's a lot of where that savor in me comes from. [00:06:17]

My husband is also the son of a business owner, but his reaction to those swings in income in his family was that he kind of took on the spending, the big spender habits of his dad in particular. And just discovering that, just knowing that has helped us know each other better and be a lot more understanding and empathetic as we work through the ways that we see finances differently and the different ways that we approach what we should be doing with our money together.

Laura Dugger: That's amazing. Thank you for sharing a personal example just so we can get to know you better. And just witnessing you two work together, grace is the word that comes to mind. You two have found how to celebrate your differences and just really make it work for your relationship. So I love that you're sharing that.

Natalie Taylor: Aw, thanks. I appreciate that. I am an ESTJ that married an ENFP and a spender that met a saver. We found a way to make those things work for us and look at them as a strength and not a weakness. [00:07:18] I think that's helped us move forward in a positive direction rather than just being frustrated that the other one doesn't see things the way that we do.

Laura Dugger: That's a great tip for marriage. And if anybody's wondering what those letters mean, we'll have to do a different podcast someday on the Myers-Briggs and personality profiles.

Natalie Taylor: Oh, yeah, that would be great.

Laura Dugger: So bringing it back to finances, what are some common questions that you're asked by your clients?

Natalie Taylor: Well, I've been a financial planner for almost 15 years, and I've worked with, I would say, over a thousand clients one-on-one in addition to speaking to groups and fielding questions via email. So I get asked all kinds of things.

I would say some of the most common ones are around how to have a budget that doesn't make you feel totally constrained, like being on a crash diet, and how to have a budget that works even when unexpected things happen.

I'll have clients tell me, "I have a budget that works in a normal month, but I haven't had a normal month in six months." [00:08:20] That's a very common question and a very common source of frustration.

We can talk a little bit more later about some strategies around that but in general I am a huge proponent of built-in release valves, I call them, in your budget, in your financial life, that give you the flexibility and freedom to flex with unexpected things. And it goes beyond just maybe having an emergency fund set aside but within your budget planning on having unexpected things happen and saving for them.

So, making sure that you have an extra little pot of money that's meant to be used — you just don't know exactly when you'll use it. It's different than an emergency fund. It's just a little built-in release valve to save up an extra few dollars in those months where the budget goes well, so that you have those extra dollars in the months where the budget has something that you weren't expecting.

Laura Dugger: That's so interesting. And then a few more questions with that, do you find that even people who are getting the same paycheck the same time each month their budget still fluctuates month to month, even though they know what their income will be? Does that make sense? [00:09:28]

Natalie Taylor: Yes. It's a great question. Yes, absolutely. Fluctuating income is obviously one way that your budget can feel abnormal. But I think just in the course of normal life, there are so many expenses that we can't anticipate.

I have a three-year-old and a five-year-old. And I'll say, and I have a 36-year-old. And all three of my boys have broken limbs in the last 12 months. I now know the orthopedics in town very well and I know that it costs about $250 out of pocket when my husband or my two kids break their arm or their ankle or whatever.

I don't know when those things are going to happen, but I'm pretty darn sure those weren't the last three breaks we'll have. So those are the kinds of things that we can't anticipate but are likely to happen. And those are the kinds of things that can throw off a budget, even if your income is consistent.

Laura Dugger: Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry about the broken bones.

Natalie Taylor: Everybody is healed and happy. So cross your fingers. I am knocking on wood right now.

Laura Dugger: Awesome. Well, glad for the good report. [00:10:28] Where do you often get resistance from clients?

Natalie Taylor: I would say one of the most common areas of resistance is when it comes down to it not being willing to change habits or spending behavior. I think the reason for that is because a lot of clients that I meet, when I meet them they don't really know why they would.

It's like going on a diet but you don't really know what you're trying to accomplish, it's gonna be really hard to say no to an ice cream sundae. But if you know, well, this is what we want for our lives and this is what we want for ourselves and this is the kind of flexibility and freedom that we want to be able to live in, so I'm going to choose these yeses, and I'm going to choose these nos, then it makes it a lot easier to change those habits. But if you don't really know why you're doing it, like the root of why you're doing it, it's really hard to stick with or be motivated to do.

Then I think another one is especially in relationships not talking about finances. I've had clients who have hidden $30,000 of credit card debt on an annual basis, like a repeated pattern over and over coming into my office to meet with their husband to tell them about their secret credit card debt. And a lot of that has to do with not having the language to talk about finances, not understanding your background with finances.

How did you respond to the way that you were brought up? How was your spouse brought up? How does that influence the way that you think and feel and act around money now? [00:11:54] I'd say those are some of the common points of resistance.

Laura Dugger: That definitely makes sense. And then how do you help them reach breakthrough?

Natalie Taylor: One of the main things that I do with clients and when I speak with groups is talk about values and what's truly important to you because I think those are really the basis for setting goals. And then tools like having a budget or saving or investing or paying down debt, those are really just tools to get you to where you want to go.

But if you start with values, for example, generosity could be a value that you have, how do you implement that? Well, we know what the value is. Let's set a goal around it. I want to start with 25 bucks a month or 1% of my income or a certain percentage of every windfall that I receive, every bonus, I'll give X percent or X dollar amount, then you can put a goal to it, and then you know what tools to leverage. [00:12:52] How do I work that into my budget? How do I work that into my savings plan? But without starting at that point of what's really important to me, your financial life can easily feel out of alignment.

Laura Dugger: That makes sense. And so you've noticed once your clients go through that and they're able to have that vocabulary around finances and then learn their values, you think that's typically a point where they will break through to the next level?

Natalie Taylor: Yes. It changes the conversation when you start out with shared values. For example, my husband and I, our values are community, family, health, generosity, adventure, and meaningful work. Those are the things that are most important to us in life.

So when we're struggling with a financial decision, or we're just trying to figure out what the right next step is, we filter it through those six things that are really core to what's important to us. Sometimes that doesn't lead you to the decision that means the most money, but it leads you to the decision that creates the most contentment. [00:13:55]

I'll give you an example of that. This last year, my husband and I have both experienced some solid career growth, which has been wonderful, but it's meant that both of us have traveled quite a bit. We haven't had as much time to be together as a family.

Our health has suffered because we haven't been able to get into any normal workout routine. Our community has suffered because we can't reasonably commit to being with others on any regular basis. And we've just really felt kind of down. And then once we took a moment and filtered that through our values, it was easy to see why. It was like, "Oh, well, we haven't had enough time for family, health, or community. So no wonder, no wonder we're feeling out of sorts."

Laura Dugger: Wow. And so not only did it help you identify it, but now that's your solution to the problem as well. So have you two been able to start putting some things in place to get back to living out those values?

Natalie Taylor: We have, yeah. [00:14:53] So they're unfolding over time, but yes. It was like one of those aha moments. And we've known our values for 10 years, but just refiltering was that key to help us understand, Okay, here's what's out of alignment and so what changes can we make to get us back into alignment?

So my husband's going to be making a change at work, that will mean less travel for him. I will be exiting my corporate career season and entering some more consulting and speaking and writing work, which I'm so excited about and is incredibly meaningful to me and will mean more hours with my family. So we are figuring out ways.

And it's going to mean less money but more contentment, and that's a great decision to be able to make. So the right decision doesn't always mean more money or the ability to save more. So yeah, we're excited about it.

Laura Dugger: Oh, I'm excited for you. I can't wait to see where it goes. [00:15:44]

And now a brief message from our sponsor.

Sponsor: Today's episode is made possible by our Central Illinois sponsor, Leman Property Management. They offer over 1,600 apartment homes throughout Morton, Pekin, Peoria, Washington, and Canton.

Whether you're looking for the newest property in the hottest area of town or an economical location where you can get the most value for your dollar, they have you covered. From efficiency apartments to 4-bedroom units and single-family homes, Leman Property Management has been providing a place for people to call home for nearly 40 years.

Whenever you start a search for a rental, start that search with Leman Property Management. With a professional and friendly staff to serve you from the first time you walk in their doors, you won't be disappointed.

Check them out at MidwestShelters.com, and there you can search for their different communities. You can also like them on Facebook or call their leasing office at (309) 346-4159. [00:16:46]

Laura Dugger: Even as you're mentioning these values, I bet people are listening just thinking, how did you come up with those? Is there a list? How can they identify some of their values?

Natalie Taylor: You know, there are some lists if you look online of like, what are my values or values exercise? You can find some lists. And really you don't have to pick things that are on the list. I've gone through values exercises with clients for many years and sometimes they make up their own either phrases or words even that combine things that are meaningful to them, that represent a value that's important to them. And that's awesome.

So it's not prescribed. Yours don't have to be the same as what mine are. They likely aren't. And that's great. I'm sure you can Google and find some values lists. Those are a great place to start. But really just having a conversation about like, at the end of the day, what are the things that are most important to us, that if we had these things in place, our life would be joyful, our life would be content? [00:17:43]

Laura Dugger: What is something that you most want for your clients and then how do you help them get there?

Natalie Taylor: Gosh, at the end of the day, what I want most for my clients is that they have peace of mind and contentment and empowerment, to be able to find the changes they need to make and the actions that they need to take to be in a place where they have peace of mind or contentment.

Honestly, I think the best way to go about that is to figure out really what's most important to you. And then set some goals around those things so that you can move towards them. And then you can line up your tools, like a budget, and saving and investing and all those things to get you to where you want to go. Peace of mind, contentment, empowerment.

I have a very teach-them-to-fish mentality, which is why I enjoy things like public speaking because I don't need you to need me I want to teach you what you need to know so that you can go out into the world and feel empowered to do it because I think there's a lot of mystique around finances that you need a certain set of expertise or oh, I'm not good with numbers. [00:18:44]

Honestly, there's so much that is so much simpler than I think the financial services industry maybe wants people to understand. That's what I love most.

I love when a client comes back to me and says, "I think I should do A, B, C, D, and E. What do you think?" And I say, "Yes, that's exactly what you should do. You don't need me anymore. You've got it. You know what's important to you. You know what your goals are and you know the tools in your toolbox and how to use them and when to use them, you're good."

Laura Dugger: Yes, that would be so rewarding. Such a great moment.

Hey friends, I just wanted to give you a quick reminder that we're asking for ratings and reviews on whatever platform you use to listen to this podcast.

If you would be willing, could you also hit subscribe to the podcast and share this with a friend? Thanks for listening. Now back to the show.

Going back a little bit, you had mentioned generosity. What kind of encouragement do you have for us about being generous?

Natalie Taylor: You know, I want to be really careful with this one just because everybody's values are unique to them. [00:19:44] The big caveat here is if generosity is among the values that are important to you, then I definitely have some guidance on how to build that into your life. But values are the basis for finding contentment in your finances and really in your life.

So if generosity is a value, the next step after you identify that is to make a game plan or set a goal to pursue it. And in goal setting, I'm a strong proponent of setting milestones. Starting with a step. Don't worry about climbing the mountain, just start with your first step.

So if your goal is to ultimately be able to give away a certain dollar amount per year, maybe we want to give away $5,000 a year, or $100 a month is our ultimate goal, or 10% of our income, or something completely different, knowing what your end goal is is important.

And then you kind of walk that back and say, what's the first meaningful milestone that we can work towards? So let's say your goal is that you want to give 10% of all of your income, but that seems overwhelming right now. You don't know where the money is going to come from. Start with 1%. And every six months, try to bump it by 1%. [00:20:49] Or start with $25 a month and then bump it by $5 every month.

But start somewhere and set some milestones that you can reach to ultimately get you to where you want to be. I think a lot of times people get overwhelmed by the end goal of, oh my gosh, giving away 10% is just crazy. I don't know where the money would come from. That's okay. Figure it out along the way. Start with 1%.

Another great way to be generous and to kind of work in giving into your finances is to allocate a portion of every windfall. So when I say windfall, I mean just money that's not part of your day-to-day income.

So maybe it's a bonus from work, maybe it's a commission check, maybe it's a financial gift, maybe it's a tax refund. But make it a point to allocate a portion. Maybe it's a flat dollar amount: every time I have a windfall, I'm going to put an extra $25 towards generosity. Or maybe it's a percentage: every time I have an extra windfall, I'm going to put 5% of it towards, or 50% of it, whatever feels right for you, towards generosity. [00:21:55]

Laura Dugger: That's so good. I don't want to embarrass you, but I have a little story of my own as well, if you don't mind.

Natalie Taylor: Yes.

Laura Dugger: So, for people that don't know, Natalie and I met a while ago when we were actually both living in Southern California. And this was back... we both were married, but neither one of us had kids yet. And at that time, my husband and I were in a season of really tight finances.

She invited us out for her birthday with a group of friends. Community is one of our values as a couple as well, so we definitely wanted to go out with friends, and we love Natalie and her husband Ryan. So we didn't want to say no, but the restaurant where we were going was a little bit beyond our price point.

So I remember we adjusted our budget that month, and I think we lived on peanut butter and jelly and eggs for most of our dinners just to save some extra money for this special night out. [00:22:51] So the night came, it was so fun, filled with tons of laughter. And when the check came, you guys, Natalie and Ryan picked it up for everyone as a surprise. So here it was, her birthday, and she bought all of us dinner.

And I just remember you, Natalie, talking about you and Ryan both had budgeted every month one of your accounts that you each individually had was fun money. And you decided to spend your fun money by treating all of us to dinner. And it's just an act of generosity I have never forgotten.

Natalie Taylor: Oh, Laura, you're turning me red and I'm honestly getting teary-eyed. Oh, it was so special for us to get to be with everybody. We will often do that on our birthdays. That's our big gift for ourselves is to take our close friends out for dinner. But oh, that's very sweet that you shared that. I am just totally beat red. So I'm glad we're on a podcast and not, hu, in a TV interview. [00:23:48]

Laura Dugger: Oh, well, I'm sorry, I don't want to embarrass you. I get choked up every time I share it as well, and so does Mark. But really, thank you. So I just want people to know, you practice these principles personally, the ones that you're sharing about.

Natalie Taylor: Aw, thanks. I appreciate that, Laura.

Laura Dugger: All right, let's move on to some practical steps. For someone who's out there listening and they want to improve the management of their current finances, how would you help them determine what their values are? Kind of going back to what we had mentioned earlier about values.

Natalie Taylor: So I think doing a values exercise or just really sitting down and having a conversation about what's really important to us, I think that's the place where you start. From there, setting your goals based on those values.

You know, some of those goals are just going to be goals that are just good financial stewardship, like having an emergency fund or saving for retirement. You may not feel like, well, saving for retirement isn't really reflecting family, health, generosity, community, meaningful work, or adventure for Ryan and I, but saving for retirement and figuring out the budget decisions that we need to make to be able to save for retirement, those very much do have to do with our values. [00:25:01] So what are we going to give up?

I have a little story around that. I have another friend who, from the same church that Laura and I attended together, they really valued community. And when they looked at their budget when they very first got married, they said, Oh my gosh, when we combine it, we're spending like six, $700 on restaurants a month. And this is crazy. We're going to spend nothing on restaurants anymore. We'll increase our grocery budget a little bit. But this is really a big area of opportunity for us." And they were miserable.

And what they didn't realize is that community is really important to them. And for them, one of the primary ways that they experienced community was going out to eat together. So when they cut out their restaurant budget, what they didn't realize is they were also cutting out community.

So when we had a conversation about it and realized that, we talked about, Okay, so what are some ways that you can experience community that maybe don't cost $600 or $700 a month on restaurants, maybe it's $200 a month on potlucks or happy hours or other ways to experience community so that you can still honor your value but make progress on the financial goals that you're trying to accomplish. [00:26:12]

So knowing those values really helps you make decisions that you can stick with because you can make sure that you're honoring those values in your everyday decisions.

Laura Dugger: That is so helpful. I feel like I just learned so much and have this flood of ideas of what we can be doing for a community as a value. Could we just go through maybe like three other values and what that would look like for somebody to make their budget reflect that value?

Natalie Taylor: Yeah. Health as a value, I think, is a great example because some people might be prone to say, "Oh, well, health's a value." So my gym membership and my SoulCycle and, you know, the treadmill that's under my bed, these are all worthwhile purchases because they are in alignment with health.

At the surface level, that's true. But what's important is to kind of double click there and say, are there ways for me to honor that health value in a way that still allows me to work towards my other financial goals as well? [00:27:17] And that decision might be stick with the expensive gym membership and that's okay. But it might not.

So you have to have a willingness to look at “how can I express this value in a way that works both for my values and for my finances?”. Sometimes the answer is keep something in your budget that's more expensive. Sometimes the answer is a trade down like, well, I don't need the very expensive gym, but I can trade down to the one that's $100 instead of $400 a month, or $30 instead of $50 a month. So just figuring out and using that as your filter for making those kinds of decisions.

Laura, I'll put you on the spot. What is a value that you and Mark have?

Laura Dugger: Let's go with meaningful work.

Natalie Taylor: Yeah, so let's talk about meaningful work. In pursuing meaningful work, it's going to lead you to look at your career and your income differently. So when you're in pursuit of meaningful work, making more money, although helpful for making progress in your financial goals, if it's not in alignment with your value of meaningful work, you are much more likely to find yourself unfulfilled and unhappy six months, a year, two years into that role. [00:28:28] So it gives you a different filter.

If you're looking for a new job and you've got a few offers on the table, the one that is most lucrative from a financial standpoint may not be the right one. You may want to value the one where you are helping a population of people that you're passionate about or involved with a product that you really like yourself.

You know, you don't all have to be saving the world through meaningful work. Meaningful work might just be that you want to work for a company where you love the culture and you love the people there. So it's a different lens through which to look at financial decisions.

Of course, finances are still an important component there. So if a non-meaningful job pays you $200,000 a year and a meaningful job pays you $500 a year, you may need to find something in the middle or go with that $200,000 job for a temporary period of time. So it can't be your only filter, but I think it's a really important lens to use as you're making those decisions. [00:29:26]

Laura Dugger: Such a balanced answer, that it can't be the only deciding factor. I like that. I'll give you one more value that came to me. I've heard a lot of people say, "We just value freedom or flexibility." What might that look like with their budget?

Natalie Taylor: That's a great question. So I think one of the best, very tangible things you can do to incorporate flexibility and freedom... well, I'll say two things. And these are more like financial strategies that you can do to honor those values.

But one of them is having money set aside. I'm gonna call it an emergency fund but really it's just a pot of money that allows you to have the flexibility to make proactive decisions instead of being forced to make decisions that you don't want.

So for example maybe your emergency fund is there to replace the water heater that goes or to fix your car when it breaks down. But maybe your emergency fund is also there that if your job is just not the right place for you and you have to make a change and you cannot wait a moment longer, and you know you can get another job but you just don't have it lined up at this moment, but the irons are in the fire and the offers are just about to roll in, your emergency fund is your freedom fund that you can say, "I'm all done. I'm leaving. Today's my last day." [00:30:50] It gives you the freedom to be able to make decisions that you couldn't otherwise make.

Then the other one is a fun account, which Laura referenced before. That's what Ryan and I used when we took our friends out for dinner for my birthday. But I love the idea of a fun account. The fun account, it's definitely not a marriage saver, I can't be that dramatic, but it is key, especially when you're managing finances as a team.

The idea of the fun account is it's a separate account. It's not your emergency fund. It's not your retirement account. It's not your mark towards any goals. The goal of this account is to have fun.

And you may be able to save into it on a monthly basis. Maybe it's $100 a month or $500 a month or $25 a month. And you may be able to allocate a portion of all those windfalls that we were talking about. So commissions or bonuses or gifts, financial gifts. Put a percentage of those into the fun account.

And then you're growing this pot of money that's there to just use totally carefree, guilt-free, spend, splurge, do it. It's a nice release valve for you to have. And you can use it in any way you want. [00:32:00] You can use it to give away to other people if that's what you want to use it for. You can use it to spend a day at the spa.

You can use it to buy, in the case of my husband and I, a new guitar. I married a recovering musician and a lot of our fund account goes to amps or pedal boards or guitars and that's great. It allows my husband the freedom to be able to have a splurge once in a while while still making progress towards our goals.

Even though he's a spender, he can feel good about all the progress we're making on our goals because he has the release valve of our fun account that he knows if he wants something that's out of the everyday budget that we typically wouldn't be able to afford on a monthly basis, we've got the fun account to splurge with.

Laura Dugger: And people can implement that today. All right, Natalie, this has been incredible. So you said that you're transitioning into new things professionally. If our listeners want to find you and connect, where can they find you?

Natalie Taylor: Oh, thanks for asking that question. [00:33:00] They can find me online. We can maybe put a link in the show notes. Would that be okay?

Laura Dugger: That would be great. We'll put your website there and any other notes that we need to include from this episode.

Natalie Taylor: Awesome.

Laura Dugger: Our listeners know that we're called Savvy at this podcast for a reason. "Savvy" means practical knowledge or discernment. And we would love to hear some insight from your life, Natalie, to inspire us with our own action item. So as our final question today, what is your savvy sauce?

Natalie Taylor: I love this question. It's such a good one. I hate to say something that I've already said, but I really think that 'fun account' concept is something that you can do today, that you can implement. I would be hard-pressed to think that if you manage your finances with someone else, that they wouldn't be into the idea of having a release valve splurge account where you can really just enjoy. [00:33:54] I think it's such an important thing.

Especially if you have tangible bonuses from hard work accomplished, it's important that you set aside a part of that to really enjoy and to savor. So I would say the fun account is probably my savvy sauce.

Laura Dugger: And you have just laid an incredible foundation. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today. It's been incredibly helpful. You're so insightful and just full of grace as you share all of these principles. So thank you, Natalie.

Natalie Taylor: Oh, thanks. Thanks so much for having me.

One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term "gospel" before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners and God is perfect and holy, so He cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, we're separated from Him.

This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. [00:34:53] So for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a savior. But God loved us so much, He made a way for His only Son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute.

This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with Him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.

We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

So would you pray with me now? [00:35:53] Heavenly, Father, thank You for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to You. Will You clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare You as Lord of their life? We trust You to work and change their lives now for eternity. In Jesus name, we pray, amen.

If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring Him for me, so me for Him, you get the opportunity to live your life for Him.

At this podcast, we are called Savvy for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So you're ready to get started?

First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision my parents took me to Barnes and Noble to get the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. Start by reading the book of John.

Get connected locally, which basically means just tell someone who is part of the church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. [00:36:57] I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.

We want to celebrate with you too. So feel free to leave a comment for us if you made a decision for Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read Scripture that describes this process.

Finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.

If you've already received this good news, I pray that you have someone else to share it with today. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Welcome to The Savvy Sauce

Practical chats for intentional living

A faith-based podcast and resources to help you grow closer to Jesus and others. Expect encouragement, surprises, and hope here. Each episode offers lively interviews with fascinating guests such as therapists, authors, non-profit founders, and business leaders.

They share their best practices and savvy tips we can replicate to make our daily life and relationships more enjoyable!