Welcome to Mindful Moolah: A Holistic Financial Wellness Show. We’re taking personal finance, shaking off the boring spreadsheets, and diving into the wild, messy, and totally interconnected world of holistic financial wellness. We’re the personal finance podcast that acknowledges the real reason you’re broke: It’s not because you’re bad at math, it’s because you’re a human being.

Sure, financial success involves numbers, but guess what? So do diets, and we all know how well those go when emotions, social pressures, and late-night cravings enter the chat. Money is no different. If your financial plan doesn’t consider your stress levels, impulse control (hello, emotional Amazon purchases), or whether your job makes you want to scream into a pillow—then that plan is doomed from the start.

Now, don’t get us wrong—math is important. We love math. But here’s the thing: life doesn’t care about your perfect budget spreadsheet. Life says, “Oh, you planned to save this month? Cute. Here’s a $900 car repair and a friend’s destination wedding in Iceland.”

That’s where we come in. 

This show isn’t just about money—it’s about exploring why you keep making financial decisions that don’t actually serve you well. We’re talking impulse buys, emotional spending, job stress, and why your house is full of stuff you swear you’re going to sell on Facebook Marketplace but never do. We take a holistic approach to financial wellness—which is a fancy way of saying we acknowledge that your money problems aren’t just about money.

We break down the eight dimensions of wellness that secretly control your bank account:

Financial – Yes, it is good to know your financial skills, But that’s not the whole story. Not even close.

Emotional – Why you keep buying things you don’t actually value or need (spoiler alert: your feelings matter).

Environmental – Cluttered finances, cluttered life.

Intellectual – Learning how to outsmart the system, by listening to podcasts like this one.

Physical – Because medical bills are the real horror story.

Occupational – Making work suck less (and maybe even pay better).

Spiritual – That inner peace thing people talk about? Turns out, it keeps you from buying things that don’t matter to you.

Social – Why keeping up with the Joneses is making you broke.

In each episode, released every other week, we tackle one of these areas and explore how many seemingly simple and unrelated things may be messing with your financial wellness in ways you don’t even realize. This show will give you insights, tips, and help you build healthy habits.

For those money nerds out there who want to really dig into the details of each of these dimensions, we’ve put together a collection of peer-reviewed academic articles that will help increase your understanding of the financial concepts we touch on in the podcast.

Think of us as your personal finance gym buddy: keeping you accountable, calling out your nonsense, and making sure you don’t lift with your back (financially speaking). Join us as we explore the hilariously human side of money—the wins, the fails, and the lessons that keep us out of unwanted financial chaos. Subscribe now and get mindful with your Moolah.

Luke Erickson [00:00:02]:

Welcome to Mindful Moolah, a holistic financial wellness show. We're ditching boring spreadsheets and diving into the wild, messy and very human side of money. Because, let's be real, you're not broke because you're bad at math. You're broke because life happens.

Lance Hansen [00:00:15]:

Sure, financial success involves numbers, but so do diets. And we all know how those go when emotions, social pressures, and late night cravings for a bowl of Fruity Pebbles take over. Money is no different. If your financial plan ignores stress, impulse control, or a soul crushing job, it's doomed before it starts.

Luke Erickson [00:00:34]:

Now, we love math as much as the next guy, but life doesn't care about your perfect budget. It says, oh, you plan to save. That's cute. Here's a 900 car repair bill. Oh, and your dog had to go to the vet because he swallowed a sock. Now that's where we come in. I'm Luke Erickson, extension specialist with the University of Idaho.

Lance Hansen [00:00:50]:

And I'm Lance Hansen, extension educator with University of Idaho. This show isn't just about money. It's about why you keep making financial choices that don't actually benefit you. We're talking impulse purchases, job stress, and all the emotional baggage that interrupts your financial plans.

Luke Erickson [00:01:08]:

Because money isn't just money. It's connected to everything. That's why we break it down using the eight dimensions of wellness, starting with financial. Yes, of course, your financial management skills matter, but that's not the whole story. Not even close.

Lance Hansen [00:01:20]:

Emotional. Your feelings definitely affect your finances.

Luke Erickson [00:01:24]:

Environmental. Cluttered life. Cluttered finances.

Lance Hansen [00:01:27]:

Intellectual. Learning to outsmart the system one podcast at a time.

Luke Erickson [00:01:32]:

Physical. Because medical bills are the real budget busters.

Lance Hansen [00:01:36]:

Occupational Making work suck less and pay better.

Luke Erickson [00:01:39]:

Spiritual Finding inner peace so you can stop spending money on things you don't value.

Lance Hansen [00:01:43]:

Social Keeping up with the Joneses. Yeah, let's not.

Luke Erickson [00:01:48]:

Every other week we break down how these areas secretly control your bank account and give you practical tips to take back control of your life and your money.

Lance Hansen [00:01:55]:

Think of us as your financial gym buddies, keeping you accountable. We calling out your nonsense and making sure you don't live with your back, financially speaking.

Luke Erickson [00:02:04]:

Subscribe now and get mindful with your moolah.