Mo' Money Podcast | Personal Finance With Jessica Moorhouse

Desirae Odjick, the blogger behind Half Banked, shares her personal finance journey and best money tips for saving and investing for millennials. Long description: I know I said Desirae Odjick, the blogger behind Half Banked, is like a mini-me, but I think what I really meant is she's like a sister from another mister. Once we started chatting, it's like we'd already knew each other, and it was such a treat for me to interview her after following her blog for so long. In this episode, we talk about it all. We touch on how her mom paid her to read personal finance books (which sounds like a dream, but I'm obviously a huge nerd), why she started her blog, how she's on a journey to save half her income, and how she budgets the "low tech" way with a good ol' budget spreadsheet. We also talk a bit about investing, something I think a lot of millennials are afraid to start because they're either afraid of the risk or just don't know where to start. Luckily, Desirae created a great foundational (and free) course to

You don't have to be rich to look fabulous! Podcast listener Christina Proctor shares how anyone can dress for success without breaking the bank. Long description: When podcast listener Christina Proctor emailed me about her story and how she became a style coach, I knew I needed to chat with her for a Listener Series episode. I am probably the least fashionable person around, but that doesn't mean I want to be! So When Christina said she could share her expertise on building a solid wardrobe on a real person's budget, I got pretty excited. Right now, Christina is a style coach as a side hustle (learn more about her at WearOutThere.ca), which I think is awesome. It started out as a passion for fashion and a hobby, developed into a money-making side hustle, and she hopes in the future to turn it into a full-time business. It's not easy having two jobs (don't I know it!), but as Christina shares, it can also we incredibly rewarding. She's not just having fun and making money on the side, she's also helping wome

Borrowell co-founder & CEO Andrew Graham shares his expertise on what everyone needs to know about credit scores and borrowing in Canada Long description: If you have any questions about credit scores, I guarantee you that they'll have been answered by the end of this episode. I was so fortunate to have been able to interview Borrowell co-founder and CEO Andrew Graham for this episode, because he really is the credit score guru! Not only did he start one of the fastest-growing Fintech companies in Canada, he also really knows his stuff and gave me quite the education. Which makes it quite obvious how his passion for financial literacy and offering Canadians better options for borrowing led him to co-found Borrowell. After working for several years in the banking industry, Andrew realized that Canadians were getting into deeper and deeper debt with sky-high interest rates holding them back. He wanted to find a solution that would save people from paying 19.99% interest on their credit card, but still be able t

Leona joins me for the first Listener Series episode for 2017. She shares her unconventional story of leaving home at 17, starting her career in the trades, owning her own condo at 20, and eventually starting her own construction company and real estate empire. Now, she's happily raising her family and considers herself semi-retired, with the flexibility of working for herself. Long description: Episodes like this make me so happy I started this Listener Series on the podcast. Leona was a listener of the show and heard my call out for guests. She sent me the best email with her story that included her moving out on her own at 17, going trade school to start her career, buying her first condo on her own at 20, then eventually starting a construction business and property investment side-hustle with her husband. She is a great example that you don't need to go to university to set yourself up for success. What it ultimately comes down to is being smart with your money, working hard and never giving up. Now, Leo

Former gambler turned personal finance coach Beau Humphreys shares his story from drowning debt to financial free. Long description: It was a random weeknight when I went to the Wealthsimple headquarters in downtown Toronto for their 3rd anniversary party. I was told there would be a donut wall, and I was not disappointed. Aside from the free donuts and drinks, I got to meet Beau Humphreys. I thought I knew all the Toronto personal finance bloggers, so it was a treat to meet Beau and hear his story at the party. Immediately I knew he had to be on my show. This episode is very different from any of my episodes, because it deals with a topic that I think most people wouldn't be as brave to openly discuss. Luckily Beau was happy to share his story of getting addicted to gambling at the young age of 11. There's a slogan by the BC Lottery (where I'm from) that's always stuck in my head: "Know your limit. Play within it." Good advice for sure, but let's get real here. Most people who frequent casinos or the race tr

Helena Liu wanted to learn from Canada's top investing experts — so she started her own online conference to get 20+ of the best together to share their knowledge with her & other Canadians. Long description: I met Helena this past summer because she was looking to add speakers to her roster for her first online investing summit — the Canadian Investors Conference. I suggested a few of my favourite Canadian experts, and now several months later the conference is just a few weeks away and registration (which is free by the way) is open to the public. It's no easy task to start your own conference from scratch, but Helena knew that this was something she had to do. There's a huge lack of education when it comes to investing, especially for beginners, so Helena wanted to create a free summit to help close that gap. Right now, there are 24 speakers and the online conference runs from Feb. 4 - 9, 2017. You can register for free at canadianinvestorsconference.com. More About Helena Helena started learning and exper

Dan Bortolotti, better known as the Canadian Couch Potato, chats with me about all the ins and outs of index fund and ETF investing. Long description: For this episode, I interview a man many people know just as the Canadian Couch Potato. Dan Bortolotti started his Canadian Couch Potato blog in 2010, and it has since become one of the go-to online resources for learning about DIY investing. I can't tell you how many people I know who swear by his model portfolios! And if that wasn't cool enough, Dan recently started his own podcast specifically to teach people about index fund and ETF investing. Besides being a very popular blogger, Dan is also a financial planner. I was lucky enough to sit down with Dan face-to-face for this interview, and man did he not disappoint. He really does know his stuff and got me fired up to really look at my investments and change things up (which I did and will write about very soon!). Dan also shares a number of great investing resources that I'm gonna include here, and I hope y

Before the holidays, I made the life-changing decision to leave my job and become self-employed. In this episode I share why I chose to quit my job and what I've got planned for the next year. Long description: This week, I'm no longer an employee — I'm an entrepreneur. It's crazy for me to even write that because I honestly never thought this would be my reality. Growing up, I never had aspirations to own my own business. I thought I'd follow the path my parents laid out and would work for a company until I retired. But...life is hard to predict isn't it. Even though this wasn't a premeditated decision, it was something I was thinking about doing on and off for the past while. I honestly thought I'd work my 9 to 5 for another year, then maybe take the plunge, but the timing was just right. You know when everything in your gut and in life is telling you to do something? That's basically what happened in a nutshell and I had to just do it. It's a big risk going on my own, but I really excited for this new adve

Renting is not throwing your money away, and home ownership isn't something everyone has to aspire to. Alex Avery, author of The Wealthy Renter and seasoned financial analyst, shares his insight into why there is a misconception about the benefits of owning a home and why renting might actually make you richer. Long description: To kick off season 4 of the Mo' Money Podcast, I chat with a very special guest about one of my favourite topics — homeownership. Alex Avery, the author of The Wealthy Renter, and I chat about the upside of renting and how homeownership isn't for everyone and doesn't have to be. I've been an advocate for renting for a while, having been a renter myself for close to 6 years. It was the only way my husband and I could afford to live and work in downtown Vancouver and Toronto. If we tried to avoid renting and bought something right away, we'd either be forced to move an hour away or would be chained to a huge mortgage for 20+ years. Instead, we chose to rent and save up our money so one

For my last episode for season 3, I'm so excited to share this very personal solo episode with you! A lot has happened this year, so much so that I honestly didn't remember it all until I took some time to write everything down. And even then I'm not sure if I got everything. A lot of changes are coming in 2017, which I alluded to in this episode, but I won't be sharing any of that until season 4 in January. So until then, I wanted to spend some time to reflect on all the positive things that have happened in my life and all of the things I've accomplished in 2016. To recap, here are some of the things I mentioned in this episode: I rebranded from Mo' Money Mo' Houses to just me — Jessica Moorhouse. I interviewed some of my all-time favourite money expert: Rob Carrick, Gail Vaz-Oxlade and Bruce Sellery. I launched my Listener Series for the podcast, to allow podcast listeners a voice so they could share their stories and advice for other listeners. I made the most side hustle money I ever had (and I've been b

It's a simple concept — do your research to find the lowest rate on an expensive purchase (like life insurance or a mortgage), and you'll thank yourself later. Simple, yet most of us still don't do it. That's why Justin Thouin, CEO of LowestRates, is on a mission to change that costly habit of ours and show us that it doesn't take that much time or effort to save thousands of dollars. Long description: It's sadly the final week for season 3 of the Mo' Money Podcast, and this episode is my last guest interview for the season. After this week I'll be taking some much needed time off, then I'll be back with more awesome episodes for season 4 starting Wednesday, Jan. 11. Since it is the last week for season 3, I've saved one of my best interviews for last. I've been a huge fan and supporter of LowestRates for well over a year now, but this was the first chance I got to interview the start-up's CEO Justin Thouin. I even went to the Lowest Rates offices and brought all my podcasting gear just so I could get to the

Heather Payne, founder of Ladies Learning Code and HackerYou, proves you really can do whatever you want when you grow up, as long as you aren't afraid to take risks, do something completely new and really put your heart and soul into it. Long description:  I learned about Heather Payne after I took one of her Ladies Learning Code classes, and man is she one inspirational lady! She's one of the youngest female entrepreneurs I know, having founded both Ladies Learning Code and HackerYou in her 20s. If that's not impressive enough, she's also an angel investor and was named one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women. The fact that she's so down to Earth is pretty baffling, but she is. She's pretty much the whole package! For this episode, we chat about how Heather took her idea of maybe one day being her own boss to full on turning her side hustle into her full-time hustle. I think this is something a lot of us can relate to, so it's very cool to hear from someone who has successfully made the jump from 9-5 with a

Think you can become a millionaire by working a regular 9 to 5 job? I know I have a lot of guests on the show who promote the benefits of entrepreneurship and working for yourself to get ahead financially. But for this Listener Series episodes, I chat with Steve Cousins from Arkansas about how he was able to reach financial freedom by working as an employee for the same company for almost 40 years. I know, I know, many of us Millennials may think that Steve's story sounds exactly like the advice our parents gave us. Go to university, get a job, work hard, save and contribute to your retirement fund, then you'll be able to retire in style. This was a way more common path for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, but I don't think it's impossible for us Millennials. When talking with Steve, it becomes clear that that's not exactly the path you need to take to grow in your career. You can't just get any degree. You need to get one that has a high demand for skilled workers. You can't just work hard. Everyone works hard. Yo

Think you've gotta be rich to retire early? Then you haven't heard Anita Dhake's story about how she was able to retire at 33. Long description: Just to warn you, this podcast interview with Anita Dhake may make you want to hoard all of your money and live as frugally as possible so you can retire early too. From the sounds of it, early retirement does not disappoint. Who wouldn't want to live the life they want right now, instead of waiting until 65 or later? As I mentioned in this episode, I stumbled upon Anita and her amazing story by just doing some research online. And I'm so glad I did find her! Not only is her story super inspiring, how she explains it, it's not that far-fetched. Yes, it helped that she worked as a lawyer and thus made a good salary. But still, early retirement isn't just something rich people can afford to do. If you take some of her bits of advice, maybe check out the book she's read twice, and just have a plan and take action, you might be able to retire way earlier than you thought

It's not too often you get to interview your namesake! For this Listener Series episode, I chat with Jessica Watchorn, a Toronto artist and podcaster over at the Art Pro Podcast, about keeping it real financially, paying off a ton of debt and pursuing your dream career. Long description: It's not too often you get to interview your namesake for a podcast episode, so it was a real treat to chat with Jessica Watchorn for this Listener Series episode. And not only do we share a name, we have very similar stories, both currently live in Toronto and have our own podcasts! Similar to my background, Jessica went to art school in Montreal to study painting in the hopes of becoming an artist. She of course realized after graduating with her degree that pursuing a career in the arts, no matter how talented you are, was no easy feat. But that didn't stop her. Nor did the $40,000 debt that she owed from her education. So what did she do? She got a job as a cook in a restaurant to pay her bills and debts, formed a communi

I chat with LaTisha Styles who went from trying to make a living after graduating university during the recession to now working for herself and loving every minute of it. Long description: LaTisha Styles is proof that you don't have to be stuck on one particular path even if it seems like the odds are against you. Getting a degree in Spanish and trying to grow her career during the recession wasn't easy, but instead of throwing her hands up and giving in, LaTisha powered through and is now banking serious bank! How I got to know LaTisha was through her YouTube channel. There really aren't that many people making interesting personal finance focused videos these days, but she got the formula right. It's not surprise she has close to 8,000 YouTube subscribers! LaTisha is funny, entertaining, but at the root of it she just offers some really good advice. Simple stuff like trying the envelope budgeting method. Or only buying stuff on her list and avoiding going to the mall as a social activity. Simple stuff we c

For this special Listener series episode, I chat with Erika from Red Deer, Alberta about how she experienced extreme poverty in her childhood, was later adopted to a new family with her brother and had to accept the news that she had MS in her early 20s. She's had to overcome a number of obstacles in her young life so far, more than most people ever have to deal with. But despite that fact, her optimism is infectious and she's proof that when there's a will there's a way, and it's never too late to start managing your money right and crushing your debt. Long description: Erika emailed me a little while ago answering my call-out for more interviewees for my Listener Series, and I'm so glad she did. Talk about a strong woman who has overcome some major life challenges. Not only did she have to experience extreme poverty as a child, then foster care, then being adopted to a new family, she was also diagnosed with MS in her early 20s. It's not surprising that she struggled with striking a balance between living f

Credit card expert David Rubsenstein (from CreditShout.com and CreditForums.com) chats with me about the most important things people need to know about credit reports, credit scores and credit cards. If you're looking for an in-depth podcast episode about credit that really gets down to the knitty-gritty, you found it! Long description: This is by far the most in-depth episode about credit cards I've ever done, so I hope that's is exactly what you're looking for! For this episode, I chat with credit card expert David Rubenstein from CreditShout and CreditForums and we get into all the important stuff you should know about credit. Now, we cover a lot of ground in this episode, but I an important thing I wanted to reiterate is the importance of checking your credit report once per year. In Canada, you can get free reports from Equifax Canada and Transunion Canada. In the U.S., you can get free credit reports from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Not only is this a way to help prevent against identity theft, i

Rachel Jimenez is saving 40% of her income, got 60K in scholarships and bought her first house at 24. Find out how she did it by listening to our podcast episode together. Long description: Rachel Jimenez is certainly giving me a run for my money! This girl go $60,000 in scholarships, which paid for both her bachelor's and master's degrees. She also was able to save enough to buy her first home at the young age of 24. And if that still doesn't impress you, her and her husband are saving 40% of their income so they can retire early. This girl is living the dream, and I am so glad she emailed me to share her story for my Listener Series! Resources Mentioned by Rachel Mr. Money Mustache YNAB (You Need a Budget) Rachel's Tips for Success Start working at an early age to craft a good work ethic Do your scholarship research because you could make $60,000! Buy property when you can afford it and the market is low Save as much money as you can so you can retire early Talk Raw on YouTube Rachel's Talk Raw website focu

I chat with Erin Bury, who was not only listed under Marketing Magazine's 30 Under 30, but also grown her personal brand so big...even Oprah noticed. For this episode of the Mo' Money Podcast, I chat with Erin about what she learned about what not to do with her money in college and why she decided to change career paths from journalist to small business owner. Long description: "Millennials are not lazy entitled, losers and we actually have a lot to say," - Erin Bury. Officially my favourite quote from one of my podcast guests! The big reason I wanted to chat with Erin is because she is such a good example of where hustle can take you. She's gotten to where she is in her career because she worked hard, tried new things and took some major risks. For instance, when I asked her how she got to be one of Marketing Magazine's 30 Under 30, she said she nominated herself. I bet most people wouldn't have even thought of doing that, and while those people are waiting for someone to just give it to them, Erin went out