Childfree Life by Design
Childfree Life by Design is a podcast for people who are Childfree or permanently childless and thinking seriously about money, legacy, and what comes next. It tackles financial planning, estate planning, and life decisions for adults building a future without children and without a default script to follow.
Hosted by experts in financial and life planning, the show cuts through outdated assumptions about family, retirement, and aging. Conversations focus on utilizing wealth, solo aging, long-term care, relationships, and how to plan with clarity when you don’t have kids.
This isn’t about justifying your choices or debating labels. It’s about practical guidance for planning life without children making smart financial decisions, defining legacy on your own terms, and building support systems that actually work.
If you’re Childfree, childless, or planning without kids and want thoughtful, trusted education, this is where those conversations happen.
Disclosure: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult your professional advisors before implementing any ideas discussed. For full disclosures, visit Childfreewealth.com.
Childfree Life by Design
Caregiving Basics: Talking Boundaries and Family with Drs. Julia Mayer and Barry Jacobs, Ep. 140
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In this episode, Dr. Jay talks with Drs. Barry Jacobs and Julia Mayer — co-authors of The AARP Caregiver Answer Book — about what it really takes to be a caregiver, why setting boundaries matters, and how to make caregiving more manageable for everyone involved. Together, they share real-life stories, cultural tensions, and practical strategies for planning ahead and staying sane.
We'll cover:
- [02:11] Recognizing when caregiving becomes your responsibility
- [06:26] How to start the conversation before a crisis hits
- [09:54] Setting boundaries based on your capacity, not just expectation
- [17:06] What dementia caregiving looks like in real life
- [20:04] How burnout sneaks up and what you can do about it
- [23:10] What needs to change in our system to actually support caregivers
Mentioned in this episode:
- The AARP Caregiver Answer Book: https://www.guilford.com/books/The-AARP-Caregiver-Answer-Book/Jacobs-Mayer/9781462549498
- Schedule your Childfree Wealth Checkup: https://childfreewealth.com/schedule-a-checkup/
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About Drs. Julia Mayer and Barry Jacobs:
Barry J. Jacobs, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist, family therapist, and a Principal at Health Management Associates, a national health care consulting firm. A former magazine journalist, he authored The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers (Guilford, 2006) and coauthored with his wife, Julia L. Mayer, PsyD, AARP Meditations for Caregivers (Hachette, 2016), AARP Love and Meaning After 50 (Hachette, 2020), and The AARP Caregiver Answer Book (Guilford, 2025).
Julia L. Mayer, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Media, Pennsylvania. For over three decades, she has specialized in helping women in caregiving roles, troubled marriages, and those with past sexual trauma. She is the author of A Fleeting State of Mind (2014) and coauthor of AARP Meditations for Caregivers and AARP Love and Meaning After 50. A past president of PSCP—The Psychology Network, she is the cohost on Shrinks on Third podcast.
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Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational & entertainment purposes. Please consult your advisor before implementing any ideas heard on this podcast.
