How to Align Your Money, Values, and Dreams with Sophia Bera – SASM 067

Some people think that money is what makes the world go 'round.

(And they should really study physics).

Some people believe that the key to personal finance is simply to make more than you spend.

But my guest for this Smart and Simple Matters episode – Sophia Bera, Certified Financial Planner at GenY Planning – knows better.

Maybe it's all the articles she's written for The Huffington Post and Forbes. Maybe it's because she started in the theater and brings a vitality to personal finance that stodgy old men have been stifling for centuries.

There's just something about Sophia's approach that's so fresh, so free of cookie cutters, and so impactful. Whether you have student debt, major money hang-ups (I sure do), or want to sync up your income and expenses with your principles, this interview will help.

Catch a quick glimpse into Sophia's new book and then give this whole episode a go.

Spending money becomes an issue when it's spent mindlessly on things that don't bring us happiness, or when we spend money fruitlessly in an effort to solve problems that are internal. – Sophia Bera

The big question that we ask, and that she begins to answer, is:

How can we help people use their money to match their values and achieve their dreams? – Sophia Bera

Let's find out together.

You're about to Learn …

• How to eliminate distractions that cost you money and time.
• Why financial independence is a better goal than “retirement.”
• How Sophia went from startup company burnout to solo entrepreneur spark plug.
• Why writing down your ideal day is so powerful.
• The coming changes to higher education and how it impacts your planning.
• How to use your money to match your values and achieve your dreams.
• The context behind the great “cash vs. credit card” debate (and which side I'm on).
• When weekly budgets are better than monthly budgets.
• How to give yourself future opportunities through investing.
• Why new business owners fear charging what they're worth.

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Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode:

• Websites:
  • Gen Y Planning
• Resources:
  • Berkshire Hathaway Annual Letters to Shareholders
  • Parnassus Investments
• Books:
  • What You Should Have Learned About Money But Never Did (affiliate link)
• Podcast Episodes
  • SASM 049 – How to Have Plenty of Anything (Including Wild Money) with Luna Jaffe
• Blog Posts:
  • Money Problems: Are You a Worshipper, Avoider, Status-Seeker, or Vigilante?
• Sophia on Social Media
  • Twitter
  • G+

Topics

• [05:15] Sophia's seeds of awesomeness
• [07:13] The transition from theater to financial planning
• [09:43] How Sophia aligns her money with her values
• [15:06] Advice for people who want to lessen the role of money in their lives
• [17:35] How Sophia simplifies her life by making the right cuts
• [21:28] Why entrepreneurship is the new job security
• [24:24] Where to go to learn personal finance
• [27:24] Sophia's views on the great “cash vs. credit” debate
• [31:34] How to make investing simple
• [37:29] Having a better relationship with money
• [41:41] Details about Sophia's new book

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Transcript

The transcript will not be available until I find a new transcriptionist (if you know someone good, let me know).

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