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What if dinner cost less, tasted better, and actually made your week feel easier? We’re talking with bestselling cookbook author Rachel Farnsworth, founder of The Stay At Home Chef, about building a realistic meal strategy that beats rising grocery prices without sacrificing flavor, time, or sanity. Rachel shares how cooking pulled her through postpartum depression and became a way to serve millions, then breaks down the exact system behind her free Cheap Eats meal plan: four weeks of restaurant-quality recipes that average under $3 per person, complete with shopping lists and smart ingredient overlap.

We get practical fast. You’ll hear how to plan a week that kills the drive-thru impulse, why one-stop shopping often saves more than chasing sales, and how to choose recipes with 30 minutes or less of hands-on time. Rachel explains how modern, beginner-friendly instructions and supportive video can turn an anxious kitchen into a calm, confident space. We also dig into family wins: theme nights that mimic takeout at home, kid-safe tasks that build real skills, and the simple prep habits that eliminate chaos at 5 p.m.

Along the way, Rachel opens up about staying grounded while her audience grew to 12 million, the power of serving people over algorithms, and the resilience that comes from a family history of trying, pivoting, and trying again. If you’re ready to spend less, eat better, and feel more in control, this conversation hands you the plan, the mindset, and the momentum to start tonight.

Grab Rachel’s free Cheap Eats meal plan at thestayathomechef.com, subscribe for more smart money and meal strategies, and share this episode with someone who could use a calmer, cheaper dinner routine.

Find Rachel on any of the social media links below!

https://www.instagram.com/thestayathomechef/
https://www.youtube.com/user/thestayhomechef
https://www.facebook.com/TheStayAtHomeChef

Danielle is a money coach helping those who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99.

Grab your free copy of The Bank Statement Exercise.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

Send us a text

We draw a straight line between fear, half-commitments, and money stress, using Jeremiah 37–38 as a lens on why budgets fail and how courage and counsel change the story. We share practical ways to move from wishy-washy habits to clear, accountable action that serves your real goals.

• commitment versus wishy-washy money habits
• King Zedekiah’s fear and mixed decisions
• how fear sabotages budgets and debt payoff
• surrender as decisive alignment with goals
• wise counsel versus noisy advice
• accountability structures that stick



Schedule a session: Let’s talk about your finances, why it’s hard to commit, and what you need to stop riding that wishy-washy line and fully surrender to make your finances better
Work with me: Check the link in the show notes to join the Better Budgeting Playbook or our free Financial Freedom Society on Facebook
Send feedback: There’s a “send a message” button—anonymous or with your info
If you decide to give your life over to Jesus Christ, please let me know. I’m going to praise to the heavens for you.

Danielle is a money coach helping those who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for the early release of The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99.

Grab your free copy of The Bank Statement Exercise.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagra...

Send us a text

Feeling pulled in every direction by money “shoulds”? We’re cutting through the noise to help you build a budget that matches your real life, not someone else’s highlight reel. I share the simple, repeatable steps I use with clients to uncover true priorities, choose smart trade-offs, and fund what actually matters in this season.

We start by naming the pressure—milestones, trends, and the endless scroll that says you’re behind—then flip the script with a Priority List exercise that brings clarity in minutes. Couples do it separately and compare; singles rank their top ten. The overlaps show where your first dollars should go. From there, we make alignment real: if staying home with a baby leads the list, you may choose older cars and fewer takeout nights. That’s not deprivation; that’s intention. You can have anything, not everything—and that’s the path to peace.

Next, we read your bank statement like a values report. Frequent drive-thrus might signal time constraints; steady online orders might point to comfort, convenience, or a cozier home. When spending matches values, keep it and plan for it. When it doesn’t, redirect to savings, debt payoff, and time freedom. We also set boundaries to protect your mind space: unfollow accounts that trigger FOMO and ask, does this align with my season of life right now? Priorities change, and your budget should move with them.

By the end, you’ll have reflection questions to spot misalignment fast and practical ideas to make the long game feel doable. Every no becomes a yes somewhere better: no to subscription creep is yes to breathing room; no to a flashy upgrade is yes to more time with your family. When your daily choices line up with your values, anxiety fades and confidence rises. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs budget calm, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

Danielle is a money coach helping those who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99.

Grab your free copy of The Bank Statement Exercise.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

Send us a text

What if the real budget leak isn’t a line item—it’s your calendar? Danielle Reese, money coach and founder of the Better Budgeting Playbook, takes a scalpel to the cult of busy and reveals how constant motion fuels impulse spending, late fees, and emotional burnout. We trace the quiet path from overloaded schedules to DoorDash dinners, Amazon boxes you barely remember ordering, and the creeping disconnection that makes stress spending feel deserved. Then we flip the script with a practical plan that protects your money and your peace.

We start by naming the cultural badge of busy and its financial fallout, then move into the emotional costs—decision fatigue, frayed family time, and the health dip that comes from skipping rest for months at a stretch. Danielle shares real-world stories from coaching and home life to show how “earning ≠ managing” and why a two-hour setup plus 15-minute monthly check-ins can bring clarity faster than you think. You’ll learn how to audit commitments, identify the one activity you secretly dread, and step back without guilt—even when you feel irreplaceable.

From there, we get tactical: schedule anchors first (budget dates, family dinners, therapy), batch and automate to end daily re-decisions, and create true white space—quiet minutes with no phone, no chores, and no noise—to reset your brain. We wrap with alignment: if your values are family, rest, and financial freedom, your calendar should prove it. Expect simple routines, honest mindset shifts, and a journaling prompt to catch where you’re confusing activity with effectiveness. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s stretched thin, and leave a review telling us one commitment you’re cutting this week to buy back your time and your money.

Danielle is a money coach helping those who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99.

Grab your free copy of The Bank Statement Exercise.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

Send us a text

We explore why smart people sabotage their money and how to stop it with simple tools that lower impulse, calm fear and build self-trust. We move from feelings versus facts to practical friction, root causes, and one action you can take this week.

• feelings versus facts and how to separate them
• fear of failure and fear of success shaping choices
• childhood money scripts driving adult habits
• dopamine spending and the doomscroll trap
• self-trust, broken promises and accountability
• common sabotage loops with debt, savings and goals
• pause, reframe, add friction with the 24-hour rule
• addressing root causes, connection and therapy
• a personal reframe on a tempting trip deal
• one clear action to break the pattern this week

Schedule a free 30-minute consultation using the link in the show notes to talk through your goals, struggles, and if coaching is right for you. Join our free Financial Freedom Society on Facebook—link in the show notes. Grab the free bank statement exercise in the show notes.

Danielle is a money coach helping women and couples who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for the early release of The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99 with a $50 refund once completed. The release is scheduled for April 1st 2025.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

Send us a text

Have you ever watched thousands of dollars drain from your emergency fund in what feels like the blink of an eye? That sinking feeling when unexpected expenses hijack your carefully laid financial plans is something I experienced firsthand recently—$7,000 worth of dental emergencies, home repairs, and orthodontic surprises over just three months.

The math is sobering. Even saving an ambitious $1,000 monthly moving forward, it would take seven full months to rebuild what disappeared in a quarter of that time. This imbalance between how quickly money leaves versus how slowly it returns creates the same psychological barrier many face when looking at debt—that overwhelming feeling of "why even try?" when the journey seems so long.

Through years of coaching clients through similar financial crossroads, I've developed a four-part framework that transforms this paralysis into progress. It starts with creating a crystal-clear vision of what financial success means to you personally. Next comes connecting with your deeper "why"—those emotional drivers that give your financial goals meaning beyond numbers. Only then do we build the process (the actual mathematical plan), followed by the most crucial element: taking consistent action with accountability. Most people get stuck creating beautiful spreadsheets and budgets that never translate into real-world behavior change because they're missing the accountability piece.

Whether you're rebuilding an emergency fund after unexpected expenses or tackling significant debt, this vision-why-process-action framework creates a system that can withstand setbacks. When financial emergencies drain your resources and your motivation, remembering the paradise waiting on the other side becomes your anchor. Ready to transform your financial journey? Connect with me through the links in the show notes—I'd love to help you build a personalized roadmap to financial stability.

Danielle is a money coach helping women and couples who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for the early release of The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99 with a $50 refund once completed. The release is scheduled for April 1st 2025.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

Send us a text

Five years of coaching has shown me something alarming: getting out of debt and building savings is significantly harder now than in 2020. This isn't just perception – the numbers tell a powerful story of why so many feel financially stretched despite earning more than they did five years ago.

When COVID hit in 2020, stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment created a temporary cash flow that masked underlying financial issues. Fast forward to 2022, inflation skyrocketed to 8%, while income growth consistently failed to keep pace. The Consumer Price Index has outpaced wage increases every single year since 2020, creating a compounding deficit in personal finances. Most revealing? Consumer spending has increased by an average of 9% annually during this period – exceeding even the highest inflation rates.

Those small daily expenses that seemed harmless in 2020 now keep us trapped in financial cycles. That $6 daily coffee might not prevent homeownership, but at $1,440 per year, it contributes significantly to paycheck-to-paycheck living. Social media platforms and easy payment options like Afterpay have dramatically changed consumer behavior, making spending effortless while saving requires deliberate effort. Breaking free requires both tactical adjustments (examining every transaction) and mindset shifts (recognizing your worth and pursuing substantial income growth beyond standard 3% raises).

As a coach, I've seen more clients seeking personal loans, rate reductions, or even bankruptcy in the last 18 months than in the previous three years combined. The path to financial freedom in 2024 looks different than it did in 2020, but remains achievable with the right approach. Ready to break the cycle? Schedule a session through the link in the show notes – I'd love to help you create a personalized strategy for today's challenging financial landscape.

Danielle is a money coach helping women and couples who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for the early release of The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99 with a $50 refund once completed. The release is scheduled for April 1st 2025.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

Send us a text

Danielle is a money coach helping women and couples who have been trying to figure out their finances FINALLY create a clear plan so they don’t have to worry about waiting to refill their bank account the next payday.

She is the founder of The Financial Freedom Society on Facebook and her signature money coaching program, The Better Budgeting Playbook. You can sign up for her newsletter by clicking here.

Take the first step towards financial freedom and sign up for a complimentary assessment call with me, Danielle Reese.

Grab your copy of "Let's Talk Groceries" Your Guide to Reducing Your Grocery Bill" This is an ebook with over 30 pages of tips, tricks, and guidance to help you save hundreds on your grocery bill!

Sign up for the early release of The Better Budgeting Blueprint for $99 with a $50 refund once completed. The release is scheduled for April 1st 2025.

You can connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.