40 Money Lessons at 40: Real-Life Wins, Mistakes and What Actually Matters - Part 1

What does turning 40 teach you about money? A lot. In this special series, Shari Rash shares 40 money lessons she’s learned over two decades in personal finance — from the cringe-worthy (financing a couch for three years) to the life-changing (automation beats motivation every single time).

This episode kicks off the first set of lessons, where Shari covers why:

Saving only for the future leaves you broke in the present
Confidence matters more than perfection when it comes to money decisions
Consistency beats intensity every single time
Money is forgiving — you can mess up and still recover
Independence doesn’t mean doing it all alone
Whether you’re 25 and just starting out, or 55 and saying “better late than never,” these lessons will shift how you think about money — and how you use it.

You’ll walk away knowing:

The dangers of over-saving for retirement while neglecting cash flow today
How to move from research paralysis to confident action
Why automation is your secret weapon for building wealth
The truth about financial independence (it doesn’t mean going solo)
How to reset when mistakes happen, without shame or guilt
If you’ve ever wondered what really matters when it comes to money — not the Instagram hacks, not the one-hit-wonder success stories, but the everyday strategies that actually work — this is the episode for you.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Financial Freedom
02:11 Reflections on Turning 40 and Money Lessons
03:45 Lesson 1: Balancing Saving for Today and Tomorrow
07:20 Lesson 2: Action Over Knowledge
10:22 Lesson 3: The Power of Consistency
14:15 Lesson 4: Money is Forgiving
17:17 Lesson 5: Independence in Money Management
18:08 Rapid Fire Lessons: Financial Freedom and Options
22:03 Conclusion and Next Steps