Vivian Tu

Tu argues that people spending only on necessities cannot budget their way out and must increase their income.

“You cannot budget your way out of paycheck to paycheck. You need to increase how much money is coming in the door”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 25:44

Tu says being broke is expensive, citing overdraft fees charged to people who lack money.

“it's very expensive to be broke. Think about it, right? Who gets charged overdraft fees from their bank?”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 8:22

Tu argues that the current economy benefits people with money and penalizes those without it.

“The way our economy is currently designed really benefits people who have money and penalizes and treats not having money like it's a crime”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 6:47

Tu advises young adults living at home to set a savings target for moving out rather than a deadline.

“Two, set a move-out number, not a move-out date. Do not put yourself on a timeline that you cannot hit”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 54:12

Tu argues that being able to move back home with parents is itself a form of generational wealth.

“Because if you are able to move back home, you already have a level of generational wealth that people don't talk about”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 53:27

Tu calls the VA loan the best mortgage option for veterans because it requires no down payment.

“For our veterans listening, there is nothing better than a VA loan. You put nothing down”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 50:10

Tu states that renting is currently cheaper than buying in almost all major metro areas.

“Because right now, it is true. In almost all major metros, it is cheaper to rent than buy”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 50:16

Tu cites Fidelity research finding women's investment portfolios outperformed men's.

“Fidelity actually went through the portfolios of a test set of men and women, and the women's portfolios actually outperformed the men's”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 1:02:57

Tu contends that choosing a spouse is the single biggest financial decision a person makes.

“Kind of a hot take here, but I think it's who your spouse is”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 55:22

Tu argues it is better to use a robo-advisor and pay a small fee than to delay investing.

“I would rather someone use a robo-advisor and pay that small fee and be invested now than say, I'll figure it out this weekend and do it myself”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 46:43

Tu advises calculating a retirement 'FU number' by dividing the cost of an ideal year by 0.04.

“We are going to take this number and we are going to divide it by 0.04”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 38:34

Tu claims that 80 percent of medical bills contain errors and advises requesting an itemized bill.

“Bad stat, 80% of medical bills have errors in them”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 35:26

Tu recommends the avalanche method of paying the highest-interest debt first as the most mathematically efficient approach.

“It is the most mathematically advantageous way to pay down your debt because you will spend the least in interest”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 35:00

Tu advises coming to a raise negotiation with documented evidence of accomplishments.

“Come with receipts, Mel. We are coming prepared. You better come in with everything that you've already done”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 30:39

Tu says high-yield savings accounts pay roughly 3 to 4 percent compared with a 0.37 percent national average at traditional banks.

“But high yield savings accounts are offering somewhere between three to 4% right now”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 20:45

Tu rejects 'just spend less' advice, arguing saving depends on systems rather than willpower.

“It is not actually a willpower thing. And frankly, you cannot willpower your way to good decisions. So what I actually encourage people to do is build a system”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead (Sep 28, 2026) · Listen from 19:04