Channel3000.com February 8, 2021 11:00 AM Sean Pyles Posted: Updated: NerdWallet Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where we answer your real-world money questions. This week’s episode starts with a discussion of the GameStop frenzy and what we learned from it. Then we pivot to this week’s question, from Kim in the Bay Area, who writes, “I am 26 and just moved in with my boyfriend at the beginning of the pandemic. We live in the Bay Area where the cost of living is not cheap. We were both lucky enough to have stable jobs and a steady income during the pandemic. But we are trying to get a better handle on our budgeting and begin planning for the future. My first question is, how do you start discussing finances with your partner? Are there any strategies or tools you recommend? We sat down multiple times to try to figure out our finances but get overwhelmed every time and don’t really know where to start. What are some topics we should make sure to cover in these conversations? My second question is how do couples begin to save and budget for both a wedding and a house? My partner and I would like to eventually have a wedding and also buy a home. But these two goals feel so expensive and unattainable. Our families are not in a place where they can help us pay for these things. So how do we begin to financially prepare for these big life events?”