Julie, a devoted mother of three and a loyal listener to Suze Orman’s Women & Money podcast, reached out with concerns about her 23-year-old daughter’s frugal ways. Julie had always emphasized the importance of saving from a young age, and her efforts seemed to have paid off—her daughter had amassed over $250,000 in savings through her Roth IRA and non-retirement investment accounts.
Financial Success
- Julie’s annual gifts to each child matched their contributions to their Roth IRAs, significantly boosting their savings.
- Julie explained, "We have taught our children since they were old enough (they are now 24) the importance of saving."
Concerns About Spending
Despite her daughter’s financial success, Julie felt uneasy about her attitude towards money. Her daughter consistently declined offers from friends or family to spend money on dates or activities, often claiming she couldn’t afford basic necessities like food or gas.
Seeking Advice
Suze and KT shared Julie’s dilemma with listeners during a recent episode, seeking advice on how to support Julie while encouraging healthy spending habits.
Suggestions from Listeners
-
Open Conversation:
- One listener suggested that Julie have an open conversation with her daughter about money management skills.
- Enlisting the help of a financial advisor could help identify any underlying issues driving her daughter’s frugal behavior.
-
Automatic Transfers:
- Another listener recommended setting up automatic transfers from each child’s bank account into their savings accounts after receiving paychecks.
- This practice could help them see how much goes into savings versus what stays in checking, where many tend to waste funds.
-
Focus on Wealth Building:
- A third listener emphasized the importance of building wealth rather than merely accumulating assets.
- True wealth comes from generating passive income streams through investments like dividend-paying stocks, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and peer-to-peer lending platforms.
- These investments provide regular returns without requiring direct involvement, unlike simply holding cash, which risks loss due to inflation and market fluctuations.
Conclusion
Julie’s situation highlights the delicate balance between teaching financial responsibility and fostering healthy spending habits. By engaging in open discussions and focusing on wealth-building strategies, families can navigate these challenges together.

I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
Adept in executive leadership, strategic business planning, and brand and marketing strategy, I have a proven track record of boosting annual revenues—achieving up to $1.3B in oncology over three years and generating $360M in mental health initiatives. My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, as evidenced by my success in launching innovative facilities, expanding services for addiction and mental health care, and enhancing organizational brand visibility. As author of “The AI Marketing Playbook,” I contribute thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence in marketing, a role that showcases my commitment to staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
I also bring my insights and expertise to a broad audience as the host of cable tv & global streaming of “Street Level Marketing Show,” while my writing has been featured in major publications such as Entrepreneur, Business.com, The Startup, and Kivo Daily. Whether I’m implementing targeted digital marketing campaigns that engage over a million individuals monthly or overseeing multi-million dollar budgets to maximize return on investment, I approach every challenge with a combination of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and unwavering dedication. Above all, I am passionate about expanding access to high-quality addiction and mental health care through innovative solutions that drive both patient outcomes and organizational growth.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com





















