Spend your money, time, & energy on purpose.
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How To Figure Out What Makes You Happy
Oh hey there,
I’m Sarah Von Bargen.
Want to look at your calendar and your bank statement and think “Yup, I made awesome choices”? I’ll show you how to spend your time, money, and energy on purpose.
Everything That’s Wrong With Personal Finance (Not That I Have An Opinion)
I’m at a dinner party, sitting between two very nice people I just met.
The man to my left is a financial planner and the woman to my right is asking him about retirement, investments, etc.
“I mean, I know I’ve got to get it together,” she nods over pasta. “I know I should be maxing out my 401k and all that. I probably wouldn’t need help with my retirement if I’d just unsubscribe from the J. Crew newsletter.” She laughs self-consciously and takes a sip of red wine.
“I’d be happy to help,” Financial Planner Man says, and smoothly hands over his business card.
Reader, it was all I could do not to slap that card out of his hand and yell “YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HELP HER YOU’RE TREATING SYMPTOMS NOT THE CAUSE!!!”
But, uh, that’s not polite dinner party behavior?
A bit of real talk: 99% of the money advice starts in the wrong place.
It treats a symptom (living with debt, spending too much) without addressing the cause (buying things to keep up with our friends, shopping when we’re tired/overwhelmed.)
Here’s the truth:
You’re not going to have any money to invest if you keep shopping instead of feeling your feelings.
You won’t have any money for the down payment on a house if you keep buying shit you don’t really like because you don’t understand what ACTUALLY makes you happy.
You won’t be able to open your bank account and feel calm + proud if you don’t understand which purchases bring you joy and which ones bring you regret.
If we don’t understand what makes us happy + why we spend the way we do, a budget is just moving numbers around on a page.
Put Your Money Where Your Happy Is addresses allllll this. We get to the root of what makes you happy, see if it’s actually reflected in your spending, and if it’s not, I teach you how to change that.
Without deprivation, shame, guilt, or cutting the cable.
Of course, I’d love it if you joined us inside PYMWYHI, but even if you don’t I hope you remember this:
Saving money doesn't start with coupons or a budget. It starts with you & your mind. Share on X
Welcome to Yes & Yes!
Want to spend your time, money, and energy on purpose? I'll show you how.
The 1-Hour Money Multiplier
60 minutes + 5 weirdly easy steps = more money in your bank account by this afternoon. Yes, really!
33 New Things: Go To A Beauty Pageant
Every year, I make a list of new things I want to try. Some of these things are difficult, some are easy, some are shockingly mundane. You can read about past adventures here. So. This is probably my fifth attempt at writing this blog post. It's hard to write about beauty pageants without my thoughts devolving into a 5,000 word diatribe about Beauty + Power + Society +...
How To Get What You Want In 2 Steps. Seriously.
One of the topics I think about All The Time is the type of life I want. These days, I'm thisclose to living The Dream. I'd like a few more clients who have built philanthropy into their business models. I'd like a bit more upper body strength. I need more winter-friendly clothing and, eventually, I'd like a better car. Like, one with remote entry. Or power locks! But I got this close to my...
True Story: I dated a trans man
Tell us a bit about yourself! Hello! I’m Staci and I’m a 30 year old lady from New Jersey. I have a corporate 9-5 and I’m lucky enough to live at the beach. I love riding my bike, swimming in the ocean, indulging my wanderlust, and being around kindred spirits. For those of us who don't know, what does it mean to be transgender? Someone who is transgendered has decided to identify and move...
How To Find Your Writing Voice (and not sound like a robot)
This guest post comes to us via Tara Swiger, author, maker and Starship Captain. She leads creatives on explorations on her site and squeals about geekery, vegan pies, and hot pink on Twitter. So you've heard that you need a 'writing voice' - but where does one find such a thing? And if you can't find your writing voice, does that mean you're not a good writer? Or that you can't write? Not at...
True Story: My Husband Was Deployed
What's life like when you spouse is deployed with the military, fighting in a country thousands of miles away? How do you navigate every day life when you're not sure of your partner's health or safety? Alysse shares her and her husband's story. Tell us a bit about yourself! My name is Alysse and I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and escaped to the east coast right after high school. I...
Mini Travel Guide: Ireland
Who hasn't fantasized about a trip to Ireland? Those accents! That cheese! Those rolling hills with picturesque sheep! Today, Sarah's mission was to provide us with a mini travel guide to Ireland. In around 800 words. She'd like to add the disclaimer: there is no way at all you can cover the entire of every wonderful sight to see in Ireland in 800 words. Fact. So, here are some of her favourite...