The Personal Finance Podcast

Episode: The Hidden Emotions Sabotaging Your Finances with Jade Warshaw
Host: Andrew Giancola
Guest: Jade Warshaw
Date: December 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the emotional side of personal finance. Host Andrew Giancola and guest Jade Warshaw explore how hidden emotions—like fear, shame, anger, frustration, and financial envy—can sabotage your ability to build wealth or escape debt. Jade, drawing on her personal story of paying off $460,000 in debt, shares actionable advice and mindset shifts, highlighting why emotions, not just math, dictate our money success. The conversation also tackles ingrained beliefs, building financial endurance, overcoming comparison, and practical strategies for lasting change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why the Emotional Side of Money Matters (01:39–02:58)

• Jade’s Motivation for the Book
  Jade began writing her book after realizing how often people only focus on the numbers in personal finance, ignoring the critical influence of emotions. Drawing from her and her husband’s debt journey, she explains that endurance and perseverance require emotional resilience:

  • "I knew it was important to write this book because there is an emotional side to money that we often forget about." (02:53 – Jade)

• Andrew’s Reflection
  Andrew echoes this, recalling how he used to do all the “right” things but still felt stuck, highlighting that 80–90% of success depends on understanding your own emotions around money.

2. The Sacrifice & Emotional Breaking Points (03:22–08:19)

• Why People Feel Stuck
  Jade attributes feeling stuck to avoiding the discomfort of sacrifice:

  • "Change requires change, and sacrifice is tough, and endurance is not fun." (03:39 – Jade) Often, when confronted with this discomfort, people retreat into comfort zones rather than push through.

• Jade’s Debt Story
  Jade recalls the low point in her debt payoff when even debt collectors’ calls became overwhelming:

  • "I call it 1-800-Pay-Me. So 1-800-Pay-Me is blowing up my line..." (05:56 – Jade) After a major emotional outburst, she realized she and her husband weren’t fully following the proven steps, leading them to make corrections and minimize frustration.

3. The Emotions Sabotaging Finances (08:19–13:27)

• Fear
  Fear—of change, the unknown, judgment, or failure—is the emotion Jade encounters most in her work:

  • "There are so many layers of fear that we face with money... do I know anybody who’s done what she’s talking about?...This is unknown territory for me." (09:12–10:00 – Jade)

• Frustration & Anger Many feel angry after following all the "prescribed" steps (college, car loan, house, etc.) only to end up struggling. Jade notes:

  • "Anger wants justice. Right? That’s really what it is. When you’re angry about something, it simply means something’s been done wrong and it needs to be made right." (14:20 – Jade) She urges focusing on what you can control, not who is to blame.

4. Shame and Identity in Finances (17:57–21:35)

• Layered Emotions Jade outlines a progression: regret → guilt → shame. Shame is most damaging because it makes you internalize your mistakes:

  • "It’s when you take on a mistake as your own identity. And shame is so, so sneaky in that way because a lot of times you don’t even realize it’s happened." (19:24 – Jade)

• Breaking the Cycle The antidote is self-forgiveness and separating your mistakes from your identity.

  • "We can gang up against the problem. If we can say, well, the problem is the debt... But if somebody is wearing it as their own identity, ‘I’m the problem,’ well, now suddenly, there are issues in the relationship.” (20:33 – Jade)

5. Hidden Money Beliefs & Upbringing (21:35–24:58)

• The Power of Belief Patterns Many believe wealth is impossible or that you must always have debt (like a car note):

  • "Probably one of the biggest things is the impossibility that it is to build wealth, to become a millionaire." (22:27 – Jade)

• Challenging the Status Quo
  Jade challenges listeners to test new information rather than assume it's impossible:

  • "Our minds run on what we've already seen... every once in a while, something pops in that was never in the system." (23:13 – Jade)

6. Financial Endurance: The Marathon Analogy (24:58–29:19)

• Endurance Over Willpower Comparing finance to marathon training, Jade explains the importance of preparation and systems:

  • "It’s more than just having the head knowledge... but then there’s kind of the habit side of it, and there’s putting the systems into place..." (26:19 – Jade)

• Practical Systems

  • Automate accounts and savings to remove willpower from the equation.
  • Prepare for setbacks and discomfort; accept them as part of the journey.

7. Overcoming Financial Envy & The Comparison Trap (32:30–36:59)

• Recognizing Envy Envy can appear as resentment or an inability to celebrate others’ success:

  • "It’s that feeling that it’s really hard for you to celebrate other people... you have a hard time celebrating people." (32:59 – Jade)

• Healthy Curiosity Instead of criticizing, ask others how they achieved their success.

  • "Can we be more curious and less critical?" (34:39 – Jade)

• Andrew’s Note Most successful people are happy to share their knowledge if approached with humility.

8. Advice for Those Feeling Stuck (37:10–40:43)

• Focus on the Long Term Jade draws from the 2008 recession, stressing the importance of positioning yourself before the next storm:

  • "The time is going to pass anyway... you can be way better off. In 10 years, you can be flying above the storm." (39:24–40:32 – Jade)

• You Always Have a Choice "You can wake up 10 years from now, and you can either be the same as you are now... or you can get busy now and do the things that you know to do... and you can actually be way better off." (40:19 – Jade)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Change requires change, and sacrifice is tough, and endurance is not fun." – Jade Warshaw (03:39)
• "Anger wants justice... but we can't control them." – Jade Warshaw (14:20)
• "It’s when you take on a mistake as your own identity. And shame is so, so sneaky in that way..." – Jade Warshaw (19:24)
• "The time is going to pass anyway." – Jade Warshaw (37:36)
• "Can we be more curious and less critical?" – Jade Warshaw (34:39)
• "Wealth is time. If you can buy your time back, that's what matters." – Jade Warshaw (43:08)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 01:39 | Introduction to Jade and why emotions matter | | 05:20 | Jade’s debt breaking point and epiphany | | 09:08 | Fear – the #1 emotion holding people back | | 13:27 | How anger and external blame sabotage finances | | 17:57 | The cycle of regret, guilt, and shame | | 21:35 | Hidden beliefs from upbringing | | 24:58 | Building financial endurance—marathon mindset | | 32:30 | Overcoming financial envy and comparison | | 37:10 | Advice for the stuck or discouraged | | 41:28 | Rapid fire: Favorite Jordan shoe, best money advice | | 43:08 | What wealth means to Jade |

Rapid-Fire Money Q&A (41:28–44:06)

• Favorite Jordan Shoe:
  "The ones I’m wearing that day… today, Lost and Founds Jordan One High Top." – Jade (41:35)

• Advice to Younger Self:
  "Don’t take out student loans to spend on lifestyle." – Jade (42:04)

• Best Money Advice Received:
  "Baby steps. Pay off your debt, save up three to six months, invest 15%." – Jade (42:25)

• Leveling up finances this year:
  "Working to pay off our house." – Jade (42:49)

• Definition of Wealth:
  "Wealth is time. If you can buy your time back, that’s what matters." – Jade (43:08)

Emotional & Practical Takeaways

• Acknowledge and confront emotional roadblocks: Don’t let fear, shame, or envy drive decisions.
• Resilience beats one-time willpower: Put systems in place for consistency.
• Focus on what you can control: Take responsibility for change, regardless of outside circumstances.
• Seek out learning and mentorship: Replace comparison with curiosity.
• Long-term perspective wins: The time will pass—act now to secure your future.

Connect with Jade Warshaw

• Instagram: @jadewarshaw
• Book: Available at RamseySolutions.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Target

Recommended for:
Anyone struggling with sticking to financial plans, feeling stuck in debt or comparison, or wanting to understand the powerful role emotions play in shaping their financial destiny.