So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

This episode is brought to us by Louis Jadot, a thoughtful way to elevate date night without overspending.

On this week’s Ask Farnoosh, we’re getting real about last-minute tax strategy, including why filing an extension might actually be one of the smartest financial moves you can make. (Hint: if you’re self-employed, it could buy you months of extra time to fund a SEP IRA and lower your tax bill.)

We’ll also break down how to think about your tax refund: how to use it wisely, where to prioritize, and why it’s not a bonus… it’s a second chance.
And then, we zoom out to something a lot of us are quietly feeling: it’s getting really expensive just to have a social life.

Dating. Relationships. Even grabbing dinner with friends.

New data from Louis Jadot reveals that 56% of Americans say rising costs are changing how often they go on dates, and more than 1 in 4 have stopped dating altogether to save money.

Welcome to the era of loveflation.

In this episode, we unpack what that means for your wallet and your relationships, how to stay connected without overspending, how to navigate who pays on a date, and how to align your financial values with your personal life.
Plus, at the end: my honest take on who should pay on the first date, and how to handle it without making things awkward.


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It’s rare in personal finance that someone comes along and doesn’t just offer advice—but completely rewires how we think about money, work, and what it means to live a good life.

My guest today did exactly that.

Pete Adeney—better known as Mr. Money Mustache—helped ignite the FIRE movement long before it was trending on TikTok or debated on cable news. His message? Radical, at the time: Spend less, live intentionally, invest wisely—and you might just buy yourself the freedom to walk away from traditional work decades early.
And here’s the thing—Pete didn’t just write about it. He lived it. Retiring in his early 30s, raising a family on his own terms, and building a cult-like following of readers who wanted to do the same.

I’ve actually had a front-row seat to his journey. We first met more than a decade ago, filming in his backyard in Colorado, when his blog was just beginning to take off. Back then, his ideas felt… almost rebellious.

Today? They’re part of the mainstream conversation.
But Pete hasn’t stood still—and neither has life.

In this episode, we catch up on everything: what early retirement really looks like after a decade, how his thinking on money, family, and even divorce has evolved… and why, despite having “enough,” he’s still rethinking what a rich life actually means.

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This special bonus episode of So Money is brought to you by TurboTax Experts for Business.

And today, we are tackling a topic that so many of you are thinking about right now… taxes.
If you are freelancing, consulting, running a side hustle, or fully self-employed, this episode is for you.
Because here is the truth. No one really prepares you for this part of entrepreneurship. One minute you are feeling proud of the income you are generating on your own, and the next you are wondering, wait… what does this mean for my taxes?

Joining the show is CPA and TurboTax expert Lisa Greene-Lewis, who has more than 20 years of experience helping individuals and small business owners navigate the tax code. She has also been self-employed herself, so she gets it. The overwhelm, the confusion, and yes, the fear of doing something wrong or leaving money on the table.

We unpack:
The biggest mistakes solopreneurs make when filing taxes and how to avoid them
What you actually need to know if you are earning income outside a traditional job
Why quarterly estimated taxes matter and what happens if you skip them
Deductions you might be missing, including home office, startup costs, and even your car
How to stay organized without making this a full-time job
What really triggers an audit and what does not
Whether filing an extension is a smart move

How TurboTax Can Support You
One of the things I appreciate about TurboTax Experts for Business is that you have options.
You can file your taxes working alongside an expert, or you can hand it off to a pro who can do it for you! - either way, you’re matched with an expert that knows your specific industry. That part is key. Whether you are a freelancer, consultant, or small business owner, you can get matched with someone who knows your world.
They also offer year-round support, which means you do not have to wait until next April to ask your questions. And with new tools, including AI features, they can help you stay organized and even uncover deductions you might not realize you qualify for. Visit TurboTax.com/Business to learn more.

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Tiffany Aliche—also known as The Budgetnista—has spent over 15 years helping millions of women take control of their money, rebuild after financial setbacks, and create lasting wealth. She’s the founder of the Live Richer Movement, a New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most trusted voices in personal finance—because she doesn’t just teach the theory… she’s lived the comeback.

Her book, Get Good With Money, now out in paperback, is a roadmap to what she calls financial wholeness—mastering the ten essential areas of your financial life, from budgeting and saving to investing and estate planning.

But in this conversation, we go deeper—and more current.

We talk about:
Why this economic moment feels different—even for high earners
What Tiffany learned from losing everything during the last recession—and how it shaped her approach today
The five foundational pillars everyone needs to revisit right now: budgeting, saving, debt, credit, and income
Why “the math isn’t mathing” for so many households—and what to do when cutting back isn’t enough
Creative, real-world ways to boost income (from renting assets to leveraging skills you already have)
And how to manage financial anxiety in a world that feels increasingly uncertain

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It’s spring break, and while I’m taking a little time offline with family, I didn’t want to leave you hanging. In this episode of Ask Farnoosh, we’re revisiting some listener questions from earlier this year—straight from the January mailbag—but don’t worry, these topics are just as timely and relevant today.

We’re covering:

How to navigate student loans—especially when family is involved
What to do with extra cash once you’ve paid off debt
How to approach investing when the market (and headlines) feel uncertain

Special Announcement:
Registration is now open for Book to Brand, my immersive, in-person event happening October 9 in New York City. Join top publishers, agents, and authors to learn how to build a platform that gets attention—and results.
👉 Early bird tickets are available now at booktobrand.co

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