41: How to Get out of Debt with Chris Browning

My Instruction Manual

With $27,000 in credit card debt, Chris Browning and his wife decided it was time to get serious about their finances. They cut cable, stopped going out to eat, and cancelled vacations. After they paid off their debt, Chris launched the popular Popcorn Finance podcast. He joins us in this episode to talk about how to budget, how to save, and how to get out of debt. And host Keith McArthur speaks with nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin about iron in the first of a new series about minerals.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [e-mail]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 41 Show Notes

Chris Browning, host of the Popcorn Finance podcast, explains how he and his wife got out from under $27,000 in credit card debt. And host Keith McArthur speaks with nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin about iron in the first of a new series about minerals.

[00:00] Welcome and Intro [00:57] Featured interview with Chris Browning

Chris Browning is the California-based accountant behind the popular Popcorn Finance podcast. He launched the podcast after he and his wife got out from under $27,000 in debt.

In this conversation, Keith and Chris discuss:

• What is Popcorn Finance? [1:40]
• What do most people get wrong [2:53}
• How Chris and his wife lost track of their debts [4:59]
• How they got themselves out of debt [7:07]
  • Chris mentions free website mint.com
• Is buying a house a good investment? [11:45]

[15:00] Chris' Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [15:16]

• Reading

2. What personal development book do you recommend? [16:06]

• The Year of Less: How I stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [17:30]

• "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now" --- Chinese proverb

4. What's your one guilty pleasure? [18:50]

• Technology

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [20:35]

• "As someone who was approachable and giving and someone people could come to as a resource."

[21:29] Where to find Chris

• Website: PopcornFinance.com
• Twitter: @PopcornFinance
• Facebook: /PopcornFinance

[22:18] Nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin on iron

Michelle Jaelin is both a trained artist and a Registered Dietitian who is known as The NutritionArtist. She appears regularly as in newspapers, magazines and on television as an expert in healthy eating.

In this conversation, Keith and Michelle discuss:

• How a math error led Popeye to each so much spinach in search of iron [22:46]
• Why do we need iron and how much do we need? [23:32]
• Where do get iron? [24:05]
• We need red meat for iron, but isn't it bad for us? [24:30]
• Why women need extra iron [26:40]
• Iron for vegans [28:34]
• Where to find Michelle:
  • Twitter: @nutritionartist
  • Instagram: /nutritionartist
  • Facebook: /nutritionartistRD

[31:50] Closing words