Your Money Guide on the Side

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:


⁠Facet⁠: → ⁠⁠facet.com/tyler⁠ for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer!


LMNT⁠: → drinklmnt.com/tyler Become an INSIDER, just order the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors and cool surprise gifts along the way.

⁠⁠Gelt⁠⁠: → ⁠⁠joingelt.com/tyler⁠ because Q2 is where strategic businesses (like mine!) make game-changing tax moves. If you're a business or a high-net worth individual, I'd encourage you to check this one out today. ⁠


Keeper: → keepersecurity.com/tyler for 60% off personal and family plans for our podcast listeners only! Use this link, so they know we sent you.

And now, on to the show notes!!

We’ve been taught that saving money is responsible:

Save for a rainy day.

Delay gratification.

Spend less. Save more.

But what if the way most people save is actually making them slightly poorer?

In this episode, Tyler challenges one of personal finance’s most sacred ideas: that keeping large amounts of money sitting in savings is the safest thing you can do.

Because safety and stagnation are not the same thing.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why inflation quietly destroys the value of traditional savings

The hidden cost of opportunity cost — and what cash could have become if invested

Why banks profit from your savings more than you do

The problem with oversized emergency funds sitting idle

Why fear — not math — drives many financial decisions

Smarter alternatives for liquidity, from Treasury bills to Roth IRAs

Why retirees often die with most of their wealth untouched

The difference between saving as a tool vs. saving as an identity

Tyler also makes a more personal argument:

That many of us inherit financial beliefs built around scarcity, caution, and delayed gratification — even when we no longer need them.

The core idea:

Money is meant to support your life, not become the thing preventing you from living it.

Invest broadly.
Keep reasonable liquidity.
Spend intentionally on the things that actually matter.

And maybe, every once in a while…

Eat the shrimp instead of the mashed potatoes.

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠ and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:


⁠⁠Wispr Flow: → wisprflow.ai/tyler for one free month of Wispr Flow Pro free! (And to make your life immensely more efficient.)


⁠⁠Copilot Money⁠: → ⁠www.copilot.money/tyler⁠ — use code TYLER2 for two free months and find out why my entire finance-friend group chat uses Copilot Money daily.

⁠Bilt⁠: → joinbilt.com/tyler to see which credit card is right for you and to start getting rewarded for your biggest annual expense: your rent or mortgage!⁠


⁠Fabric⁠: → ⁠meetfabric.com/tyler⁠ because if ANYONE depends on your income, getting term life needs to be moved to the top of your priority list today.

And on to the show notes!

The average American spends roughly $12,000 per year on their car.

For many people, that’s more than they invest.

In this episode, Tyler breaks down the real cost of car ownership — not just the sticker price, but the hidden financial drag of depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.

Because most people buy cars emotionally… and only look at the math afterward.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why the monthly payment is the least important number in a car purchase

The true long-term cost of luxury cars, trucks, and financed EVs

Why used Toyotas and Hondas dominate on total cost of ownership

The financial trap of buying older German luxury cars out of warranty

Why a financed Tesla can be far more expensive than people realize

The surprising math behind the Toyota Prius and Corolla

Why “boring” cars quietly create wealth over time

The difference between a vehicle as a tool vs. a lifestyle purchase

Tyler also explains why he believes people should stop optimizing every dollar purely for efficiency.

Because personal finance isn’t about removing joy from your life.

It’s about being intentional enough to know which things are genuinely worth spending on — and cutting ruthlessly everywhere else.

The episode ends with Tyler revealing the one category where he knowingly ignores his own financial advice:

A brand-new GMC Sierra Denali.

Not because it’s the best financial decision.
Because it’s the thing he genuinely loves.

The core idea:

Don’t spend blindly. But don’t optimize the humanity out of your life either.

Know your “no’s.”
Then spend unapologetically on your “yes.”

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at tyler.gardner.com/book and be eligible for all monthly incentives between now and December 1st!

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:


⁠Gelt⁠: → ⁠joingelt.com/tyler because Q2 is where strategic businesses make game-changing tax moves. If you're a business or a high-net worth individual, you might want to check this one out today.


Momentous⁠: → ⁠⁠livemomentous.com⁠ Use code Tyler for 35% for up to 35% off your first order!


Facet⁠: → ⁠⁠facet.com/tyler⁠ for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer!


LMNT⁠: → drinklmnt.com/tyler⁠ Become an INSIDER by ordering the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors like my new favorite, lemonade iced tea!

And now, on to the show notes!

Most people who get financially devastated by divorce didn’t lose because they were reckless.

They lost because they weren’t prepared to operate independently when life changed unexpectedly.

In this episode, Tyler breaks down the financial side of divorce — not just for people currently going through one, but for anyone building a life with another person.

Because financial awareness inside a marriage is not distrust.

It’s maturity.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why both partners should fully understand the household finances

The importance of shared access to accounts, passwords, and financial documents

Why every adult should have their own individual emergency account

The financial reality of “winning” the house in a divorce

What a QDRO is — and why misunderstanding it can cost tens of thousands

Why beneficiary designations matter more than most wills

How to build independent credit before you need it

Why recently divorced people are especially vulnerable to bad financial advice

The importance of a 6–12 month financial freeze before making major decisions

Tyler also explains how some advisors specifically target recently divorced people — and how to tell the difference between real guidance and someone capitalizing on vulnerability.

The core idea:

Financial independence inside a relationship is not a backup plan. It’s part of being an adult.

Because whether a marriage lasts five years or fifty, every person deserves the ability to confidently understand and manage their own financial life.

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at ⁠tyler.gardner.com/book⁠ and receive two chapters that didn't make the final cut in digital form in early June.

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:


Keeper: → keepersecurity.com/tyler for 60% off personal and family plans for our podcast listeners only! Use this link, so they know we sent you.


Anthropic⁠: → ⁠⁠claude.ai/tyler ⁠to find out why they continue to be my number one strategic thought partner.


Thrive Market⁠: → ⁠⁠thrivemarket.com/tyler for⁠ $20 off your first three orders plus you’ll get a FREE $60 gift!


Copilot Money⁠: → ⁠www.copilot.money/tyler — use code TYLER2 for two free months.

And now on with the show notes!

You wake up tomorrow morning and there’s $1 million sitting in your account.

What’s the first thing you do?

Most people think they know the answer.
In reality, most people panic, freeze, or make expensive decisions out of emotion.

In this episode, Tyler walks through exactly what he would do with a sudden lump sum of money — practically, immediately, and without turning it into a fantasy exercise.

Because having money doesn’t automatically make people better with money.

It just makes mistakes more expensive.

In this episode, Tyler covers:

Why the first move is protecting the cash, not investing it immediately

The difference between parking money in a checking account vs. a money market fund

Why paying off high-interest debt is often the best guaranteed return available

The “bucket framework” for investing based on when you need the money, not your age

Why low-cost index funds still beat most “sophisticated” strategies

How investing in your primary residence can improve both lifestyle and tax efficiency

Why most people confuse complexity with competence in investing

The psychological traps that show up once you have money

Tyler also explains why he wouldn’t immediately buy expensive depreciating assets — and why the goal is to get the principal working hard enough that the returns eventually pay for the lifestyle instead.

The core idea:

A million dollars isn’t the destination. It’s the infrastructure.

The real question isn’t what you buy.

It’s what kind of life the money gives you the freedom to build.

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.

Pre-order Tyler's book, Real Wealth, at tyler.gardner.com/book

And as always, a MASSIVE thank you to this week's sponsors:


Fabric: → ⁠meetfabric.com/tyler⁠ because if you have dependents, and you don't have term life, getting term life insurance is the financial step you need to take right now.


Gelt: ⁠→ ⁠joingelt.com/tyler because Q2 is where strategic businesses make game-changing tax moves


LMNT: → ⁠drinklmnt.com/tyler⁠ Become an INSIDER, just order the INSIDER Bundle–four boxes for the price of three, best value they offer–and get early access to limited time flavors and cool surprise gifts along the way.


Facet: → ⁠⁠facet.com/tyler⁠ for an exclusive $550 kickstart offer! And see for yourself why I've partnered with Facet for almost TWO YEARS!

And now on with the show notes!

What if the most important investing conversation you’ve ever had… never got recorded?

That’s what happened here.

In this episode, Tyler reconstructs a lost interview with Burton Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street, and uses it to tell a bigger story — one about index investing, behavior, and why the simplest strategy is still the hardest to follow.

Because this isn’t just about theory.
It’s about what actually works in real life — and why people still struggle to stick with it.

In this episode, Tyler walks through:

The origin of index investing — and why Wall Street fought it for decades

Why most active managers fail to beat the market after fees

The role of academics like Markowitz, Fama, and Samuelson in shaping modern investing

How fear and behavior — not knowledge — derail most investors

Why trying to time the market (even when you’re right) can still cost you returns

The risk of concentration in modern index funds — and why it’s not a new problem

Malkiel’s core principle: you will never consistently outguess the market

Tyler also shares one of the most important takeaways from the conversation:

Even Burton Malkiel feels fear. He just doesn’t act on it.

And that’s the difference.

The core idea:

Investing isn’t about being right. It’s about staying consistent when it’s hardest to do so.

The episode closes with a broader reflection on retirement — not just how to invest, but how to live.

Because according to Malkiel, the goal isn’t to stop working.

It’s to stay engaged — with ideas, with learning, and with life itself.

If the show’s been helpful, leaving a quick review on Apple or Spotify genuinely helps.

Hope this gives you something to think about this week.