Episode 047: Some of our favorite memories came during the years when we had the least amount of money.
In this episode, Rhiannon and I look back on our college years, sharing the stories that shaped the way we think about money, parenting, and legacy today. We laugh about stretching every dollar, hunting for the best deals, living on cheap meals, and discovering that creativity and friendship often flourished because we didn't have much.
We also revisit some of our biggest financial mistakes. Rhiannon shares the story of opening her first credit card and the lessons she learned from debt. I talk about running out of money for rent in college and the embarrassment of facing my landlord every week until I could finally pay him back. Looking back, neither of us would choose those moments again—but we also wouldn't trade what they taught us.
That leads us to one of the biggest questions we've wrestled with as parents:
If some of our greatest lessons came from not having enough money, how do we give our kids opportunities without taking away the experiences that build character?
Throughout the conversation, we explore why some lessons can be taught while others have to be lived, why mistakes are an essential part of growth, and how our job as parents isn't to eliminate resistance but to provide the right amount at the right time.
We also begin sharing how these experiences eventually led us to create the Legacy Loop—a framework that helps us think less about how much money to give and more about how money can strengthen our family.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why some of our happiest memories came from having very little money.
- The financial mistakes that taught us lessons we'll never forget.
- Why pain is often one of life's greatest teachers.
- The challenge of helping our kids without preventing them from growing.
- How the Principle of Resistance applies to money, parenting, and life.
- Why asking better questions leads to better financial decisions.
This episode is about much more than college memories. It's about discovering that wealth isn't measured by what we own—it's measured by who we're becoming.
Next Episode: Chasing Purpose Before Money — We continue our journey from college into early marriage, professional basketball in Germany, and the beginning of my career as a strength coach at Gonzaga. Before money ever became a goal, we were simply chasing meaningful work—and those years shaped the foundation for everything that followed.
