rich & REGULAR with Kiersten and Julien Saunders

Episodes

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  Ep 255: How to find extra money for holiday shopping now 23.10.2026 34m

  Holiday shopping has a way of making even a reasonable budget feel inadequate. Between gifts, gatherings, school events, and all the little things that pop up between now and December, there's almost always something you forgot to account for. And while there's no shortage of advice about how to spend less during the holidays, we're interested in something a little different – how to make the money you have go further. So this week, we're talking about a few ways to get ahead of holiday spend...
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  Ep 254: Is your credit card annual fee still worth it? 05.10.2026 31m

  Isn’t it funny how we’ll side-eye Netflix over a $2 price increase, but somehow let a credit card quietly charge us $500, $700, even $895 a year without asking nearly as many questions? This episode is about why we give those increases so much more grace, and whether we should. Once you’ve convinced yourself you’re the kind of person who knows how to “maximize the benefits,” the annual fee can start feeling less like spending and more like proof that you’re good at money. So this week, we’re ...
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  Ep 253: How to save money on groceries when everything is expensive 29.09.2026 40m

  Groceries are expensive, eating out is expensive, and somehow the advice for spending less on food is still “make a list.” Meanwhile, feeding yourself has gotten weirdly strategic these days. Between higher prices, smaller packages, busy schedules, food waste, and recalls, the smartest grocery strategy is simply getting better at buying for the life you actually live. So in this episode, we’re sharing 5 questions to ask before you even head to the grocery store so you can spend less, waste le...
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  Ep 252: What we argued about after the accident (life update part 2) 15.09.2026 53m

  Part 1 was Julien’s version of what happened, this is the part where I get to talk lol. Because apparently, one of the side effects of a family emergency is finding out exactly what you disagree about when everybody’s tired, somebody’s in pain, and your normal division of labor has completely fallen apart. The injury may have been his, but the emergency affected all 3 of us, which meant we all had to adjust…and that’s where the conflict started. So instead of giving you a neat list of l...
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  Ep 251: I spent the last 5 months learning how to walk again (Part 1) 09.09.2026 31m

  We’re back! We’ve been gone for months, and a lot of you have asked where we’ve been. The answer starts with a freak accident at Beau’s baseball practice, but that’s only the beginning. What followed was surgery, months without being able to walk, a crash course in pain management, caregiving, muscle loss, mental health, and learning the limits of “for better or worse.” Julien starts with his side of the story here. Kiersten joins him in Part 2. In this solo episode, he shar...
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  Ep 250: The problem with hearing “AI” and assuming your career is over 31.03.2026 38m

  This week, we’re talking about what’s really going on in the AI layoff era, and why the way you interpret that moment matters almost as much as the layoff itself. If all you hear is “a robot replaced me,” it’s easy to spiral, panic pivot, and start solving the wrong problem. But if you know how to read the room, you can make smarter decisions about your career, your money, and where to go from here. Losing a job is already disruptive enough. The last thing you need is to turn it i...
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  Ep 249: We asked Gen Z about money. Their answers were a wake-up call 24.03.2026 44m

  We spent a week talking to hundreds of high school seniors about money, and they gave us more hope than we expected. Underneath the stereotypes about “kids these days,” we found a generation that already understands more than adults give them credit for, while still being dangerously underprepared for some of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. So this week, we’re talking about what stood out after speaking to 400+ students across 5 high schools in the Chicago area and what parent...
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  Ep 248: We need to talk about sports gambling 17.03.2026 38m

  There’s a casino in everybody’s pocket now, and it’s wearing a jersey. This week’s episode is about sports gambling, why it’s exploding right now, and the data that should make you pause before you normalize it in your house, your group chat, or your relationship. We promise this isn’t an anti-fun sermon, it’s a reality check. If you’re someone who sports bets but has real limits in place…tell us what’s working. And if you’ve seen this start “small” and turn into something bigger in your life...
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  Ep 247: The Student’s Guide to Financial Freedom with Dr. Paris Woods 03.03.2026 43m

  Most money advice for students is either condescending or delusional, and this episode is neither. This one is for the students…and for the parents, aunties, mentors, and big cousins trying to help without lecturing. Today I’m joined by Dr. Paris Woods, bestselling author of The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom and the new Student’s Guide to Financial Freedom. We talk about what she saw growing up in St. Louis, the “education is the ticket” promise, and why getting out of poverty...
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  Ep 246: New Money, New Problems: Finding advice you can trust with Brenton Harrison, CFP 23.02.2026 46m

  This week, we’re joined by Brenton Harrison, founder of New Money New Problems. Brenton is a financial advisor who works with first- and second-generation high earners. We’re talking about how to tell the difference between quality financial advice and misinformation/scammy advice, making sense of what you hear online, and why not all “good advice” is good for YOU. And because we live in the real world where creators and advisors both exist, we get into the relationship between financi...
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  Ep 245: The simplest way to talk about money without making it weird 17.02.2026 30m

  There are two sentences that can ruin a perfectly normal evening – “We need to talk”, and its evil twin, “We need to talk about money.” Even if your relationship is good, that phrasing makes it feel like somebody’s about to get graded. Even when things are fine, nobody wants to be the person who turns a decent Tuesday night into a full relationship audit. So this week, we’re introducing a better way: small doors. These are quick, low-stakes, real-life openings that normalize money talk ...
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  Ep 244: Overcoming Financial Trauma with Rahkim Sabree 09.02.2026 56m

  This week we’re talking to Rahkim Sabree, author, financial trauma educator, and the person who basically put “financial trauma” on the map for a lot of the internet. His work connects money behaviors to nervous system responses, family systems, and broader cultural and structural realities. His book, Overcoming Financial Trauma, and his whole approach are research-heavy, emotionally honest, and built to last. Julien starts this conversation by admitting something most people don’t say out lo...
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  Ep 243: How to stay financially disciplined when life is life’ing 04.02.2026 38m

  Life is life-ing. Prices are up, surprise expenses are regular, and your “simple” money goal keeps turning into a weekly argument with yourself (or your partner). In this episode, we talk about why so many people are either going full finance drill sergeant in 2026, or avoiding goals completely. We break down what financial discipline actually looks like when your life changes mid-month, and how to build goals that bend instead of break so you can keep moving forward without the mental ...
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  Ep 242: How to lower your utility bills 26.01.2026 39m

  There’s nothing like a surprise utility bill to humble your whole household. If you’ve ever stared at a bill wondering ‘how?!’ well, let’s talk about it. This week on the rich & REGULAR podcast, we're breaking down emotional manipulation, confusing rate plans, and overlooked hacks that are costing you real money on your gas, electric, and water bills. This isn’t about living in the dark or taking cold showers. It’s about paying attention, asking better questions, and taking back con...
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  Ep 241: What to do before you start decluttering 19.01.2026 43m

  When life feels loud, getting rid of stuff can feel like relief. But if the stuff keeps coming back, the real issue is usually what the purchases were trying to solve in the first place. ​​So this is an episode about what to ask yourself before you fill the donation bags. We’re talking about materialism as a pattern and what happens when your things stop just being “things”. Kiersten gets personal about why decluttering has always worked for her and why she finally realized it was only ...
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  Ep 240: 3 simple fixes that improve home cooking 12.01.2026 30m

  Today’s episode is brought to you by Nutre Meals, a practical solution for eating better at home when you don’t have time, energy, or interest in cooking every night. The meals come fully prepared, fresh, and ready to heat in minutes. We tried them and were honestly impressed by the flavor, portions, and how easy it was to work them into a real week. If dinner feels like one more thing on your list, Nutre Meals can take it off. Get 40% off your first order with code RICH40. 👉 Star...
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  Ep 239: Hot take: “Affordability” will be the most loaded word of 2026 08.01.2026 31m

  This is our annual “what to expect in the new year” episode, and our hot take is “affordability” is about to be the most overused, and least understood, word of 2026. You’re going to hear it everywhere, and this week, we’re explaining why that should make you a little nervous. We break down why affordability is becoming the new catch-all word for economic stress, how it’s being used to sell certainty in an unstable system, and why more people are about to find themselves saying, “I thou...
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  Ep 238: My book review of The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel 16.12.2025 20m

  Kiersten here. This week’s episode is a solo one, and it’s inspired by a book I just finished called The Art of Spending Money by Morgan Housel. If you’re familiar with The Psychology of Money, you already know Morgan’s style: short chapters, clean sentences, and big ideas. This new book is about spending but not the kind most people are struggling with. In this episode, I unpack: Who this book is really forTwo core takeaways that stuck: the psychology of contrast and the sustainability...
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  Ep 237: How volunteering changed the way we think about work 25.11.2025 43m

  In a year full of work drama and career pivots, our most eye-opening lessons came from the places no one talks about on LinkedIn. Somewhere between the PTA meetings, school drop-offs, HOA group texts, and community events, we kept bumping into reminders that real work doesn’t always pay. And that’s kind of the point. This week, we’re unpacking what happened when we leaned all the way into volunteering and brought our professional skills to the party. Because chances are, you’re more needed th...
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  Ep 236: What a late ADHD diagnosis taught me about money and myself 17.11.2025 30m

  Kiersten here. It’s just me this week. It’s been two years since my ADHD diagnosis, and in that time I’ve learned a lot. In this episode, I’m sitting down solo to unpack what this label actually changed, what it didn’t, and what I’ve had to unlearn about focus, money, and identity along the way. I’m revisiting the journey to speak directly to anyone navigating their own diagnosis (or the suspicion of one), especially while trying to manage money, relationships, and modern life. If you ever wo...