AAR53-Stop Ballparking It: A Real Plan for Saving Toward a Goal

AAR53-Stop Ballparking It: A Real Plan for Saving Toward a Goal

Author: Andrew Sather, Stephen Morris, and Evan Raidt June 9, 2026 Duration: 35:46
In this episode, Evan walks through a real-time example of saving toward a short-to-medium term goal: buying a motorcycle (plus safety gear) ahead of a future motorcycle trip with his best friend. Instead of vague “just save more” advice, he breaks down the exact mindset and planning process he’s using—built for goals under ~2 years where you need clarity, not hype. You’ll hear what to avoid , then a step-by-step framework so you can actually hit the target. What You Will Learn The biggest mistakes people make saving for a medium-term purchase How to set a goal amount with padding Where to pull money from without touching your “most powerful” savings  Why a high-yield savings account is usually the best home for 1–2 year goals How to calculate your timeline Timestamps 00:00 – What this goal is 02:35 – Why this framework is for goals under ~2 years 07:00 – What to avoid 09:20 – Why “slush funds” can sabotage big purchases 10:50 – Don’t just save cash / don’t rely on credit cards 12:40 – Step 1: set the goal amount  15:55 – Step 2: use your budget (AAR03) & automate it 18:00 – Step 3: where to pull from  26:55 – Step 4: where to keep it  31:05 – Step 5: timeline math + compound interest calculator Resources Mentioned The Value Spotlight Newsletter: https://einvestingforbeginners.com/value-spotlight-newsletter/ Free monthly budgeting spreadsheet: https://einvestingforbeginners.com/budget/ Email Evan: evan@einvestingforbeginners.com Have questions or want your story featured? Email the show at newsletter@einvestingforbeginners.com or comment below. Your feedback shapes the podcast! Remember, financial freedom is built one smart move at a time. Keep it simple, keep it steady, and at any rate, we’ll see you next time. Timestamps are generated by artificial intelligence, and are not 100% accurate depending on the platform used for listening. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Today’s show is sponsored by: Download the Plynk app today to start building your investing confidence. https://plynkinvest.app.link/IFBpodcast Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOPIFY.COM/beginners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start selling with Shopify today.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shopify.com/beginners⁠⁠⁠⁠  Upgrade your wardrobe with Quince to get high-quality, luxury essentials at a fraction of the cost by visiting ⁠https://quince.com/beginners⁠  Turn your passion into profit, connect directly with eager buyers, and grow your business by hosting live, interactive auctions at ⁠https://whatnot.com/sell⁠  Supercharge your productivity and automate your daily tasks by building custom AI agents in your all-in-one workspace at ⁠https://notion.com/investing⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in how your company sponsor the show? Reach us at  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠equity@einvestingforbeginners.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tunein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Navigating the stock market can feel like deciphering a foreign language, but it doesn't have to. The Investing for Beginners Podcast-Your Path to Financial Freedom, hosted by Andrew Sather, Stephen Morris, and Evan Raidt, exists to translate that complexity into clear, actionable understanding. This isn't about get-rich-quick schemes; it's a practical guide built on foundational principles. Each episode breaks down how successful, long-term strategies actually work, focusing on core approaches like value investing and dividend growth investing. You'll also hear how elements of growth investing and trend following can fit into a thoughtful plan. The hosts delve into the psychological side of the market, discussing how to recognize and potentially benefit from the emotional swings that drive prices, rather than being driven by them. Tuning into this podcast provides a structured education in buying stocks with confidence, moving from uncertainty to a place where you can make your own informed decisions. It’s a steady resource for anyone building their financial literacy from the ground up, aiming to turn the intimidating world of investing into a manageable part of their journey toward greater independence.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Investing for Beginners Podcast - Your Path to Financial Freedom
Podcast Episodes
Birdseye View ASTS: Moonshot Potential vs. Financial Reality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:36
In this episode, Stephen and Andrew take a bird’s-eye view of AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) to separate the revolutionary promise of direct-to-cell satellite broadband from the cold, hard financial realities hiding in its SEC f…
Why 100-Baggers Cause Bad Decisions and How to Stay Grounded [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:08
The temptation of hitting a 100x return in the stock market often drives investors straight into emotional traps, leading to reckless greed or paralyzing fear. In this episode, Stephen and Andrew dive into the psychology…
The Stoplight System with Tykr founder Sean Tepper [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:54
In this episode, Andrew interviews Sean Tepper, founder and CEO of Tykr (T-Y-K-R), an investing education and stock analysis platform built for everyday investors who want a clear, repeatable process. Sean shares how he…
Stop Overthinking Stock Screeners [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:38
Stock screeners can feel intimidating, but they’re really just a fast way to generate starting points—not “buy” signals. In this episode, Stephen and Andrew build a simple screener in Fiscal.ai (growth, ROIC, balance she…
AAR59 - We Grade Each Other's Financial Decisions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:43
In this episode, Evan and Andrew try a fun (and slightly dangerous) format: they each bring real financial decisions from their past, give context, then let the other person interrogate the decision and assign a letter g…
Q&A: How Do I Value Banks & Insurance 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:30
Most businesses can be evaluated with a simple trio—revenue growth, margins, and free cash flow. But banks and insurance companies are a different animal: their “inventory” are loans, their raw material is risk, and thei…
Does T. Rowe Price’s 1950 Growth Stock Checklist Still Work Today? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:45
What’s harder than finding a “great company”? Figuring out whether you’re buying a great company or just the great memory of one. In this episode, Stephen and Andrew hop into a time machine and pressure-test T. Rowe Pric…
AAR58 - Money Debates - Snowball vs. Avalanche and Other Fights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:16
Evan and Andrew try a new format: common personal finance disagreements, argued from both sides—then they reveal where they actually land. They cover debt payoff strategy, whether leasing a car can ever make sense, the l…
6 Warning Signs a Company Is Quietly Dying (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:43
In Part 2 of the Business Autopsy series, Stephen and Andrew keep building the framework for spotting companies that are quietly breaking down before the stock becomes a disaster. This episode focuses on the “sneaky” ris…