It’s not often a new television show about personal finance starts up and makes a solid point about featuring women. Well, here it is! And it’s not just on cable — Finance is Personal with host Elizabeth Naumovski is on YouTube too.

Elizabeth invited me to speak on her second show where I squawked about debt, FOMO, millennials, loyalty programs, big money wasters, the second-hand economy, and financial literacy. Here’s a sneak preview of what I spoke about:

FOMO and Millennials

The feeling is real, and it can put you into debt. I talked about millennials that use social media, but FOMO can sneak up on Gen-Xers and Boomers too. Don’t think you’re too young or too old to catch the cost of FOMO. Because you can. And it feels terrible.

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is the physical and emotional anxiety you feel when you think you’re missing out on something that’s better than what you already have. Maybe it’s a vacation, a career opportunity, a meal, a social outing (like a party you weren’t invited too but it seems like everyone else is!), or even fashion.

Everyone’s awesome life scrolls past your feed and through their flawless filter, everything looks amazing! But with FOMO is it’s easy to forget that the stuff posted on social media has a cost. You see how much fun your friends or the social influencers are having on Instagram, but the reality is they’ve just blown $50 bucks on breakfast or $500 on clothing. What’s the solution? I share some thoughts in the video. Promise.

Be wary of loyalty programs

We love loyalty programs. Try shopping at any store without being asked for your loyalty card or rewards app at checkout – you can’t. Competition has increased not just for your money, but for your loyalty towards collecting points too. I talk about how much more loyalty program members spend over non-members, and reveal how retailers program us to spend on their schedule. Beware.

I wrote a popular opinion piece on loyalty programs for the CBC: You should be wary of loyalty programs — not enticed by them.

Is it worth it?

Everyone wants to know if this thing or that thing is a deal or a dud. I’m talking more about behavioural finance these days and how it frames our spending decisions. In Is it worth it? I write about something called ‘mental accounting’ and why you’re more likely to spend birthday money from your Grandma and save your pay check. Elizabeth asked me about this post, so I also talked about hay bales and puffy parkas.

millennials

What’s a big money waster?

Eating is an expensive habit. Every year I talk about saving money on groceries with generic brands, buying frozen veggies, and using grocery flyer apps to find sales. These are tips that can save you hundreds a year.

I’m rarely asked to talk about the ONE WAY you can save thousands on food – Don’t throw out your food! Families throw out about 25% of the food they buy, and this can add up to around $2,400 per year!

Want the solution? Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Meal Planning {save time and money} and Track your money with the Free Budget Spreadsheet.

Please check out Finance is Personal with host Elizabeth Naumovski and tell me what you think!

Love love love,
Kerry