The New Money Habits Podcast

Hosted by Coach Nino Villa

Investing Education

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230

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Aug 2026

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September 2, 202630 min

Planning and Saving for Your Child's Education | Ep. 231

Planning for your child's future can feel like trying to make financial decisions about a life that hasn't happened yet. Will they go to college? Choose a trade? Stay close to home? Go out of state? What will it cost? How much should you pay? And how do you save for their future while still paying down debt, preparing for retirement, and taking care of everything your family needs today? Those unanswered questions can make it tempting to wait until you have a clearer plan. Mary Ann and Bereket Kelile explore a different approach: start with what you value, think about the future you're trying to support, and then let the numbers help you determine what's actually possible. That may mean funding part of an education rather than all of it, balancing college savings with retirement, considering different educational paths, or creating enough flexibility that the money can still serve your child when their plans inevitably change. They also discuss 529 plans, brokerage accounts, scholarships, Roth IRAs, planning for multiple children, and why parents don't have to carry 100% of the cost themselves. But underneath all of those choices is a much simpler principle: you don't need every answer before you begin. A small amount saved consistently today gives you something that waiting for the perfect plan never will—time. Audio Show Notes / Resources Join the New Money Habits Community Connect with others who are building healthier habits for money and life. Join for free, or become a paid member starting at $7/month with a 7-day free trial. https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Helpful Resources Watch on YouTube Helpful Tools (FREE): https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/helpful-tools Schedule a Free Call with Coach Nino: https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/contact Join Our Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/newmoneyhabits Submit Your Questions: podcast@newmoneyhabits.com Connect With Us Follow @newmoneyhabits Bereket Kelile [Insert Bereket's required professional disclosure/disclaimer prior to publication.] Music Credits This episode features music by Summer School.

August 26, 202638 min

The Back-to-School Financial Reset | Ep. 230

Back-to-school season has a way of reminding us that the cost of school doesn't end with notebooks, backpacks, and a first-day outfit. Activities start. Registration fees appear. Lunch routines change. Transportation costs shift. There may be childcare, sports, homecoming, dance lessons, or eventually a car, college, and student loans. None of those expenses look exactly the same from one family or one season of life to another, but many of them have something in common: we usually have more opportunity to plan for them than we realize. In this episode of The New Money Habits Podcast, Mary Ann, a spending behavior coach, and Renée, The Student Loan Coach, explore how families can use back-to-school season as a financial reset. Mary Ann approaches money by starting with priorities and asking whether our spending reflects what we actually value, while Renée is more comfortable letting the numbers help guide the decision. Their different approaches reveal an important truth: there isn't one perfect way to manage money. The goal is to find a process that helps you make intentional decisions before the expense makes the decision for you. They also talk about the difficulty parents can have saying no, why saying no to one thing may actually allow us to say yes to something that matters more, and the value of proving a need before immediately buying the solution. Later, the conversation moves into college and student loans, including the importance of looking beyond the dream school to the life and budget that may follow graduation. Rather than allowing college to simply “happen,” Mary Ann and Renée encourage families and students to consider likely income, future living expenses, potential student loan payments, and the many different paths that can lead toward a meaningful career. Because planning isn't about getting every number exactly right. It's about having enough clarity to adjust when real life doesn't go exactly according to plan. Join the New Money Habits Community Join our free community and connect with others building healthier money habits. https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Become a member starting at $7/month and start your 7-day free trial today. https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Helpful Resources Watch on YouTube Watch the full video version of this episode. Helpful Tools (FREE) Explore the Payday Power Planner, Food Number Calculator, and other practical tools to help you build healthier money habits. https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/helpful-tools Schedule a Free Call with Coach Nino https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/contact Join Our Free Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/newmoneyhabits Submit Your Questions podcast@newmoneyhabits.com Connect With Us Follow @newmoneyhabits on social media for more insights, tools, and updates. Music Credits This episode features music by Summer School .

August 19, 202650 min

Spend With Intention | Ep. 229

Most of us have had the experience of looking at our spending and deciding, I need to stop doing that. Maybe it leads to a no-spend challenge, cutting out a particular category, or setting a new rule for ourselves. Sometimes that works for a while. But if we never understand what was behind the spending in the first place, it can be difficult to make the change last. In this episode of The New Money Habits Podcast, Nino Villa and Maria Casillas explore a different approach: mindful spending . Rather than beginning with rigid rules about what you should or shouldn’t buy, they look at the beliefs, emotions, and purpose underneath the way we spend. Sometimes the spending we feel guilty about isn’t actually the problem. We may simply be carrying an old belief about how much we should spend without considering our family, priorities, or circumstances. Other times, the same purchase can serve very different purposes. A meal out might be an unplanned convenience one day and an intentional opportunity for connection another. Looking only at the number misses part of the story. As the conversation unfolds, Nino and Maria explore how to recognize the stories we tell ourselves about money, identify the areas where we actually want our habits to change, and understand why we spend the way we do. Because lasting change usually requires more than changing a behavior for a few weeks. It requires understanding what’s driving that behavior in the first place. The goal isn’t necessarily to spend less. It’s to become more intentional about when, where, and why you choose to spend. JOIN THE NEW MONEY HABITS COMMUNITY Join our free community and connect with others building healthier money habits. https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Become a member starting at $7/month and start your 7-day free trial today. https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits HELPFUL RESOURCES Watch on YouTube Watch the full video version of this episode. Helpful Tools (FREE) Explore the Payday Power Planner, Food Number Calculator, and other practical tools to help you build healthier money habits. https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/helpful-tools Schedule a Free Call with Coach Nino https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/contact Join Our Free Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/newmoneyhabits Submit Your Questions podcast@newmoneyhabits.com CONNECT WITH US Follow @newmoneyhabits on social media for more insights, tools, and updates. MUSIC CREDITS This episode features music by Summer School .

August 13, 202622 min

What’s Missing From Your Money Plan? | Ep. 228

A monthly budget can tell you how much money is coming in and how much is going out. But sometimes that still isn’t enough. The missing piece may be timing. When does your income actually arrive? Which expenses need to be paid before the next paycheck? Is the money you need available when the bill is due, or are you constantly looking backward and realizing something should have been paid days ago? In this episode of The New Money Habits Podcast, Coach Nino Villa explores what he calls cash flow clarity —understanding not only what you earn and spend, but when those dollars actually move through your life. He also looks beneath the numbers at the beliefs and emotions that influence whether we plan ahead, react at the last minute, rely on credit, or manage what we have with greater intention. The goal isn’t simply to pay bills on time. It’s to create enough clarity to reduce stress, make informed decisions, and use money as the tool it was meant to be rather than feeling controlled by it. Sometimes peace doesn’t begin when more money arrives. Sometimes it begins when you can finally see clearly what the money you already have needs to do next. Join the New Money Habits Community Connect with others who are building healthier money habits in the New Money Habits Community. Join our free community: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Become a member starting at just $7/month and start your 7-day free trial today: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Helpful Resources Watch on YouTube Watch the full video version of this episode. Helpful Tools (FREE) Explore our collection of practical financial tools, including the Payday Power Planner, Food Number Calculator, and more. https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/helpful-tools Schedule a Free Call with Coach Nino https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/contact Join Our Free Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/newmoneyhabits Submit Your Questions podcast@newmoneyhabits.com Connect With Us Follow @newmoneyhabits on social media for practical financial guidance, tools, and encouragement to help you build healthier money habits. Music Credits This episode features music by Summer School .

August 5, 202634 min

Putting Food on the Table | Ep. 227

Putting food on the table is about much more than buying groceries. For many families, food is one of the largest and most frequent spending categories in the budget. It's also one of the easiest places to overspend—not because we don't care, but because life happens. Busy schedules, last-minute changes, convenience, and good intentions all compete for our attention. In this episode, Nino Villa and Maria Casillas explore what it looks like to create a realistic food budget that works with your life instead of against it. They discuss why grocery shopping and dining out shouldn't be viewed as failures, how intentional planning creates flexibility, and why the goal isn't perfection—it's making thoughtful decisions before you're standing in the checkout line. Whether you're feeding one person or a family of six, you'll discover practical ideas for creating guardrails, planning around your real life, and putting food on the table without constantly feeling like you're blowing the budget. Join the New Money Habits Community Connect with others who are building healthier money habits in the New Money Habits Community . Join our free community. https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Become a member starting at just $7/month and start your 7-day free trial today. https://www.patreon.com/cw/NewMoneyHabits Helpful Resources Helpful Tools (FREE) Explore our collection of practical financial tools, including the Payday Power Planner , Food Number Calculator , and more. https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/helpful-tools Schedule a Free Call with Coach Nino https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/contact Join Our Free Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/newmoneyhabits Submit Your Questions podcast@newmoneyhabits.com Connect With Us Follow @newmoneyhabits on social media for practical financial guidance, tools, and encouragement to help you build healthier money habits. Music Credits This episode features music by Summer School .

July 29, 202637 min

Finding Your Way Forward (Revisit) | Ep. 226

Are you behind on your bills, living paycheck to paycheck, overwhelmed by debt, or simply wondering what comes next? Those starting points may look very different, but they often share the same underlying problem: without a clear plan, it becomes difficult to see what is actually happening or what to do next. Fear fills in the blanks, money disappears without intention, and a situation that needs attention can begin to feel permanent. In this revisited episode, Coach Nino Villa walks through four common financial starting points and shares what he has seen happen when people stop avoiding the numbers, put their situation on paper, and begin managing their money with greater clarity and purpose. You may need to catch up on past-due bills. You may need to create margin between you and the next paycheck. You may need a realistic path through debt. Or you may already be financially stable and need clarity about what you are building toward next. Wherever you are starting, your current situation does not have to be your final destination. You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone Join the New Money Habits Community to connect with others who are learning to think about and manage money differently. Use the free Payday Power Planner to create a clear plan for the money coming in between paychecks. Schedule a Complimentary Strategy Session to talk through where you are, what has been getting in the way, and what your next step might look like. Explore more Free Tools & Resources from New Money Habits. Music by Summer School.

July 22, 202636 min

Big Moments Deserve a Bigger Plan | Ep. 225

What do marriage, welcoming a new baby, buying your first home, and Christmas all have in common? They're some of life's biggest moments—and they deserve more than last-minute decisions. In this episode, Coach Nino Villa explores how preparing ahead of time changes not only your finances but also your peace of mind. Using marriage, growing your family, and homeownership as examples, he shares practical ways to think through major life events before they arrive, rather than reacting after they do. As part of our Christmas in July series, this conversation serves as a reminder that Christmas belongs in the same category. It isn't an unexpected expense. It's one of the most meaningful and predictable events of the year. The earlier you begin planning, the more freedom you'll have to focus on what matters most when December arrives. If you've ever wished Christmas felt less stressful and more meaningful, this episode will help you begin thinking differently—months before the holiday season begins. Learn More At New Money Habits, we believe financial freedom isn't created by reacting well—it's created by preparing well. Whether you're planning for Christmas, a growing family, your next home, or another important milestone, developing intentional money habits today creates greater peace tomorrow. Learn more about New Money Habits and discover resources to help you build a plan that supports the life you want to live. Helpful Resources Mentioned Watch on YouTube Subscribe to the New Money Habits YouTube channel for weekly conversations about budgeting, cash flow planning, debt elimination, and building lasting financial peace. Payday Power Planner Plan your spending before payday arrives. The Payday Power Planner helps you assign every dollar with purpose so life's biggest moments never become financial emergencies. Helpful Tools Budget Calculator Debt Freedom Calculator Peace of Mind Fund Calculator Financial Goal Worksheets Questions? Have a question you'd like answered on a future episode? Email us or connect with us through the New Money Habits community. Join the New Money Habits Community Continue the conversation inside our free online community where you'll find encouragement, practical ideas, and monthly live Community Meetups with Coach Nino Villa. Music Credits This episode features music by Summer School. Connect With Us Website: https://newmoneyhabits.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NewMoneyHabits Free Community: https://newmoneyhabits.com/community Payday Power Planner: https://newmoneyhabits.com/payday-power-planner Strategy Session: https://newmoneyhabits.com/strategy-session

July 13, 202642 min

What Do You Really Want This Christmas? (Revisit) | Ep. 224

When most people think about preparing for Christmas, they immediately think about shopping. But what if the better place to start is with a different question? What do you really want? In this episode of the New Money Habits Podcast, Coach Nino Villa and Maria Casillas explore the connection between your values, your priorities, and your spending decisions. They discuss why quick financial fixes rarely create lasting change, how understanding what matters most changes the way you build a spending plan, and why intentional preparation creates more peace than last-minute purchases ever could. Whether you're preparing for the holidays or simply trying to become more intentional with your money, this conversation will help you align your financial decisions with the life you actually want to build. Learn more at NewMoneyHabits.com Join the New Money Habits Community Money was never meant to be navigated alone. Join our community and connect with others who are building healthier money habits through practical encouragement, meaningful conversations, and ongoing support. Become a member starting at $7/month . Start your 7-day free trial today. https://www.patreon.com/NewMoneyHabits Helpful Resources Mentioned in This Episode ▶️ Watch on YouTube Full video version of this episode. 🧾 Payday Power Planner (FREE) Plan your spending one payday at a time and create more margin with every paycheck. https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/freebudgetform 🧰 Free Tools & Resources Budgeting tools, calculators, worksheets, and more. https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/budgeteers/helpful-tools 📧 Submit Your Questions podcast@newmoneyhabits.com 🤝 Join Our Free Facebook Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/newmoneyhabits 📞 Schedule a Complimentary Strategy Session https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/freesession 🎓 Online Course: How to Create a Better Budget — Your Foundation to Financial Freedom https://www.newmoneyhabits.com/bootcamp Music Credits This episode features music by Summer School . Connect With Us Follow @newmoneyhabits on your favorite social media platforms for practical financial encouragement, new podcast episodes, budgeting tools, and stewardship-focused resources.

July 6, 202647 min

Plan Now. Buy Later. (Revisit) | Ep 223

Every year, many of us say the same thing. "This Christmas will be different." We want to enjoy the season without wondering how we'll pay for it in January. We want to give generously without creating unnecessary financial stress. We want to focus on the people we love instead of the bills that arrive after the holidays. But a peaceful Christmas doesn't begin in December. It begins with the decisions we make long before the pressure arrives. As part of our Christmas in July series, we're revisiting one of our favorite conversations because its message is just as relevant today as when it first aired. Using Buy Now, Pay Later as the starting point, Coach Nino Villa explores a much deeper stewardship principle: Plan Now. Buy Later. Whether you're preparing for Christmas, replacing an appliance, planning a family vacation, or saving for your next major purchase, planning ahead creates something financing never can. Peace. When we make decisions while emotions are quiet, we're more likely to spend intentionally, avoid unnecessary debt, and enjoy the things we've worked hard for without carrying regret into the future. The best time to prepare for Christmas isn't when the decorations go up. It's while there's still time to plan. Learn more at NewMoneyHabits.com Join the New Money Habits Community Money was never meant to be managed alone. Join the New Money Habits Community and connect with others who are building healthier financial habits through encouragement, accountability, and practical stewardship. Memberships start at just $7 per month , and every membership includes a 7-day free trial so you can experience the community before deciding if it's right for you. Helpful Resources Mentioned in This Episode ▶️ Watch on YouTube Watch the full video version of this episode. 📅 Payday Power Planner (FREE) A simple planning tool that helps you give every paycheck a purpose before you spend it. 🧰 Helpful Tools & Resources (FREE) Explore our collection of budgeting tools, calculators, and practical resources designed to help you build healthier money habits. ✉️ Submit Your Questions Have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you. podcast@newmoneyhabits.com 👥 Join Our Free Facebook Group Continue the conversation with thousands of others who are pursuing financial freedom through healthier habits. 📞 Schedule a Complimentary Strategy Session with Coach Nino If you're ready for personalized guidance, schedule a complimentary strategy session and discover your next faithful step. 🌱 New Money Habits Community Become part of a growing community committed to intentional stewardship and lasting financial transformation. Music Credits This episode features music by Summer School . Connect With Us Follow @newmoneyhabits on social media for practical encouragement, stewardship conversations, and everyday strategies to help you build healthier money habits.

July 1, 202623 min

Christmas in July: Give Yourself the Gift of a Plan | Ep. 222

Christmas rarely becomes stressful because of what happens in December. More often, it becomes stressful because of the decisions that never happened in July. When the holidays arrive without a plan, emotions tend to take over. Advertisements become more persuasive. Black Friday feels more urgent. Expectations grow. Before long, many families find themselves spending money they never intended to spend and starting the new year trying to recover from the last one. What if this year were different? In this conversation, Nino Villa and Maria Casillas explore one of New Money Habits' favorite annual traditions: Christmas in July . They share a simple, practical approach to planning ahead while emotions are still quiet, giving you time to make thoughtful decisions about gifts, holiday events, and experiences before the pressure of the season begins. This isn't about creating a perfect Christmas or buying less simply for the sake of spending less. It's about replacing last-minute stress with intentional planning so you can enjoy the people, traditions, and moments that matter most. Because one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself this Christmas isn't found in a store. It's the peace that comes from planning ahead. Ready to take the first step? Become a New Money Habits Insider and download the Payday Power Planner Plus , which includes our Christmas Planner. It walks you through the same three-step process Nino and Maria discuss in this episode—from building your Christmas list and estimating your holiday budget to calculating exactly how much to save each payday between now and Thanksgiving. https://www.newmoneyhabits.com