Budgets for Badges
by Rebecca Jameson
Latest episode
Big Truck, New House, Zero Breathing Room: The Cost of Looking Like…
Big Truck, New House, Zero Breathing Room: The Cost of Looking Like…
About this podcast
Our mission with Budgets for Badges is to empower first responder families to take control of their money, reduce financial stress, while building a more resilient relationship.
Hosts Chris Harkson-Lucero (financial coach and flight paramedic) and Rebecca Jameson (financial coach and wife of a sheriff's deputy) come together to talk about the intricacies of money dynamics within first responder relationships. Each host has a unique perspective on how money roles influence these couples. In this podcast they dive deep into the many money topics that most couples are afraid to talk about.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 66 episodes
- Big Truck, New House, Zero Breathing Room: The Cost of Looking Like You Made It · 55 min · Season 3 Episode 57Big house. New truck. Nice vacations. Plenty of overtime. But how much financial freedom do you actually have? In the first responder world, a steady paycheck, pension, and…
- Mini EP 9: Do You Deserve It...Or Are You Just Exhausted? · 22 min · Season 3 Episode 9Do You Deserve It… Or Are You Just Exhausted? You worked the overtime. You missed dinner with the family. You've been running on caffeine and questionable amounts of sleep. So…
- Golden Handcuffs: Staying for the Pension · 1 h 6 min · Season 3 Episode 56“I only have 10 more years.” If you're part of a first responder family, you've probably heard some version of that sentence. Maybe it's 10 years. Maybe it's five. Maybe it's…
- Mini EP 8: Generosity Has Entered The Budget · 17 min · Season 3 Episode 8You budget for the mortgage. Groceries. Gas. Retirement. And then someone at the department starts a fundraiser, your kid’s school needs another donation, a family member needs…
- When “Don’t Tell My Spouse” Stops Being Funny · 1 h 11 min · Season 3 Episode 55“Don’t tell my spouse how much I spent.” It’s one of those jokes we’ve all heard—and maybe even made. 😬 But when does hiding a purchase cross the line from harmless independence…
- Mini EP 7: Taxes Didn’t Steal Your Overtime—Let’s Talk About It · 18 min · Season 3 Episode 7You worked the extra shift. You gave up the day off. Then the paycheck hit and your first thought was: “Where the hell did all my overtime go?” Welcome back to Mini Money…
- Dividing More Than Just Furniture: Divorce for First Responders · 1 h 2 min · Season 3 Episode 54Nobody gets married expecting to someday sit down and figure out who gets the couch, the house, the debt... or part of the pension. But divorce isn't just the end of a…
- Mini EP 6: Your Paycheck Has Entered the Family Group Chat · 20 min · Season 3 Episode 6You worked the extra shift. You gave up the day off. Then the paycheck hit and your first thought was: “Where the hell did all my overtime go?” Welcome back to Mini Money…
- The Cost of Working While Everyone Else Sleeps · 60 min · Season 3 Episode 53Shift work comes with the territory for first responders. Nights. Weekends. Holidays. Mandatory overtime. Court after working graveyard. And the occasional moment when you're no…
- Mini EP 5: 50/30/20 Your Budget · 22 min · Season 3 Episode 5Welcome back to Mini Money Makeover—our quick, 15–20 minute episodes designed to help first responders and their families make smarter money decisions without needing a two-hour…
- Are You Letting Amazon Teach Your Kids About Money? · 60 min · Season 3 Episode 52Another day. Another Amazon package on the porch. And while your kids may not know what was in the box—or how much it cost—they're paying more attention to your money habits than…
- Mini EP4: What's the SOP? Your Wallet Wants A Holiday Game Plan · 16 min · Season 3 Episode 4The holidays are coming... Black Friday is only 15 weeks away! And whether you're ready or not, your wallet knows exactly what's headed its way. Gift shopping. Holiday dinners…
- When One Spouse Budgets and One Says YOLO · 57 min · Season 3 Episode 51One of you has a color-coded spreadsheet. The other thinks checking the bank account counts as budgeting. Sound familiar? In many first responder households, one person naturally…
- Mini EP3: Back to School Season...The Financial Ambush · 15 min · Season 3 Episode 3Welcome back to Mini Money Makeover—our series of quick, practical episodes designed to help first responders and their families make meaningful financial progress in just 15–20…
- The Financial Midlife Crisis Nobody Told You About · 55 min · Season 3 Episode 50You expected the long shifts. You expected the overtime. You expected the stress. What you probably didn't expect was looking around 15 or 20 years into your career and…
- Mini EP2: What to Do with That Overtime Check Before It Disappears · 21 min · Season 3 Episode 2Welcome back to Mini Money Makeover—our quick, 15–20 minute episodes designed to help first responders and their families make smarter financial decisions, one small step at a…
- Reviewing the Financial Bodycam Footage of Your Bank Account · 40 min · Season 3 Episode 49If your bank account could testify... Would it tell the story you think it's telling? Every swipe, every paycheck, every Amazon order, every coffee run, every investment, and…
- Mini Money Makeover: Six Months Later and the Budget is Tired · 20 minWelcome to the very first episode of Mini Money Makeover—our new series of quick, practical episodes designed to help first responders and their families make meaningful…
- Your Raise Just Lost a Fight to Inflation, Now What? · 54 min · Season 3 Episode 48You got a raise. Congratulations! Now let's talk about why it still feels like your paycheck isn't going as far. Between rising grocery bills, higher insurance premiums…
- Is it Self-Care or Stress Spending? · 47 min · Season 3 Episode 47You had a rough shift. So you grabbed takeout. Then a coffee. Then something from Amazon. Then maybe a little Target therapy on the way home. Was that self-care... or stress…
