How to Haggle Without Looking Like a Jerk - Episode 464
Release Date: 05/22/2025
Crushing Debt Podcast
Often people burdened with debt feel bullied, hopeless and that there's no way out. But what would you do if you were in a near fatal accident and had to re-learn how to walk, talk or eat? How do you deal with trauma in your life? At 14, Nick Prefontaine suffered a traumatic, life-threatening snowboarding accident and was put in a coma. His parents were told he wouldn't ever walk, talk, or eat on his own again. He did and set a personal goal of not walking, but running out of the hospital. Nick does a lot of speaking work to help those suffering from brain injuries. Today, Nick is a 7-figure...
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When should parents help their high schoolers with College Applications? Should kids stay in state or out of state for college? Private or public schools? What are some of the top things that colleges look for in applicants? Is it better for your kid's application to be involved in extracurricular activities? Scouts? IB Programs? AP Programs? Honors Programs? Today's guest on the show is Lee Norwood, the founder of and . Lee Norwood is a nationally recognized leader in college consulting. College Sharks is a groundbreaking virtual membership program designed to help families...
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Are you ready for retirement? Do you know what you need or need to do, so that you can retire? When my late wife would ask me when I wanted to retire, my answer was normally "yesterday." But are we ready for retirement? Can being a podcast host only support me in retirement? Today's podcast guest is Michael A. Scarpati, co-founder and CEO of who shares a vision in financial empowerment. His platform caters to over 35,000 soon-to-be retirees, providing guidance to help them plan for retirement while also supporting their families. With over 15 years in the financial services...
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Have you ever had a bus fall on your house? What is the difference between Passive and Active Income? How do you make money for tomorrow? For the next generation? On this week's show, Shawn & George talk to Whitney Elkins-Hutten, the founder of Ash Wealth Consulting and Director of Investor Education at PassiveInvesting.com. She hosts the Passive Investing Made Simple podcast and is a partner in $800M+ of real estate assets—including 6,500+ residential units, 2,200+ self-storage units, and more than $5M in fix-and-flipped properties. After hitting a home run with her first rental...
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Have any spare change? Do you still use cash and coins? The US Treasury Department and US Mint announced that it will stop making pennies after it runs out of the blank templates used to make the coins, saving the government $56 million a year in materials costs. There is no indication that pennies will be taken out of circulation, only that new pennies will not be produced. This move should have no impact on electronic purchases - ACH, Wire, Debit, Credit, etc. A few news articles on the subject: This issue is not unique to the United States. Canada, Australia and New Zealand...
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Everything on the Internet is true, right? What can Tik Tok (and social media) teach us about getting out of debt? How much of the advice is legitimate and how much is, shall we say, a bit "out there"? On this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podccast, Shawn & George watch (or listen to) Tik Tok videos from influencers who are trying to help people get out of debt. We'll then comment on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the advice given. As with any social media platform, you have to do your own due diligence and utilize strategies that will work for you. You can listen to...
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Why are garage sales the perfect sales and negotiation training ground? What is the golden rule of negotiating? What are some negotiation tactics that work, and some that don't? Each year, in October and May, Shawn's neighborhood hosts a community-wide garage sale. Shawn has tested and practiced different sales techniques at these bi-annual events in a low-risk, low-pressure environment! Please go back and listen to these previous garage sale episodes, which have covered lessons such as: 68 - negotiations 86 - preparation 118 - patience 168 - preparation 241 - approach 270 - target market 373...
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What is Soft Savings? Why would you want to embrace it? What are some tips to balance soft savings and hard savings? What are some red flags to avoid with Soft Savings? In this week's episode of the Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George talk about Soft Savings, basically savings practices that may not be measurable or something that can be quantified. It involves spending for experiences, rather than saving for later. Soft savings is really just a mindset around what and how to save. Let us know if you practice soft savings, hard savings, or some combination. And please this...
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Have you been paying your Student Loans? Have you been waiting on forgiveness of your Student Loans? Recently, the Department of Education has begun collection efforts for Student Loan borrowers behind on their payments, who have not repaid their debts or entered into some type of workout plan regarding their Student Loan debts. The government estimates that there are 6.4 million Student Loan borrowers between the ages of 50 - 60, that owe a combined $282 Billion - or $46,000 per borrower. For some history or background, Student Loan payments paused during the COVID pandemic. But in October...
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What documents need to be notarized? What can a notary do or sign, or not? How or when can notarized documents help you to get or remain debt free? On today's episode of The Crushing Debt Podcast, Shawn & George interview our friend, Amanda Loeffler, owner of I Need a Notary, a remote online notarization company. That means Amanda can notarize documents anywhere and you do not need to be sitting with her physically to get something notarized (but you do need to prove your identity prior to signing). Amanda Loeffler is a wife to LCDR Jake Loeffler, USNR. (Go Navy!). Jake and...
info_outlineWhy are garage sales the perfect sales and negotiation training ground?
What is the golden rule of negotiating?
What are some negotiation tactics that work, and some that don't?
Each year, in October and May, Shawn's neighborhood hosts a community-wide garage sale. Shawn has tested and practiced different sales techniques at these bi-annual events in a low-risk, low-pressure environment!
Please go back and listen to these previous garage sale episodes, which have covered lessons such as:
- 68 - negotiations
- 86 - preparation
- 118 - patience
- 168 - preparation
- 241 - approach
- 270 - target market
- 373 - delegate
- 393 - sales presentation
In this week's episode, Shawn & George talk about the benefits of practicing negotiation skills at a garage sale, some negotiation tactics that have worked for them and some that have not worked for them, and getting the younger generations involved early in selling and negotiation (lessons taught to Shawn's kids).
Let us know if you enjoy this episode and, if so, please share it with your friends!
Please also visit our sponsor Sam Cohen of Attorneys First Insurance for Attorneys and Title Companies looking to get a quote on Errors & Ommissions (malpractice) Insurance coverage. www.AttorneysFirst.com.
Or, you can support the show by visiting our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/crushingDebt
To contact George Curbelo, you can email him at [email protected] or follow his Tiktok channel - https://www.tiktok.com/@curbelofinancialcoach
To contact Shawn Yesner, you can email him at [email protected] or visit www.YesnerLaw.com.
And please consider a donation to Pancreatic Cancer research and education by joining Shawn's team at MY Legacy Striders: http://support.pancan.org/goto/MYLegacy8 This link will be live until June 1, 2025, and then we start on the 2026 team and fundraiser.