Yes & Yes

Does any of this sound familiar?

Scrimping and saving to buy something you thought would make you happy ... but after you open that box, you feel exactly the same. That $500 purchase seems to thrill everyone else but it just fills you with buyer's remorse.

You put off happiness. Maybe this weekend you'll finally have time to meet up with your best friend. After you finish this huge project you'll be able to get back to the hobby that lights you up. Your vacation! That's when you'll have time for fun and relaxation and reading the novels you love!

Your closets, cupboards, and drawers are filled with regret. The gorgeous Le Creuset you bought when you thought you'd get serious about cooking is sitting lonely in a kitchen cupboard. The five sweaters you scooped up after that breakup have never seen the light of day. Three extra sets of headphones are in a tangle because you always forget them when you travel and end up buying a replacement pair.

You have only the vaguest idea of what makes you happy. "Friends and family!" "Travel!" "Ummm.... Netflix?" You know you used to love all sorts of stuff but Adult Life seems to have sucked the joy out your day-to-day.

Did you raise your hand for any of those?

GOOD. That means you're in the right place!

Let's take a minute to imagine a world where ...

You take the trip you've been fantasizing about for years. Paid in full - not on your credit card!

Almost everything you buy brings more happiness to your life. Or more ease. Or more relaxation. Or more fun. However your purchases make you feel, it's never shame, regret, or eye-rolling.

You find an extra $50 or $100 or $300 in your bank account at the end of the month because you've cancelled or re-negotiated your monthly payments. This lets you afford more things that bring you joy!

You don't spend months (or years!) saving up for a huge purchase that isn't right for you. You know that the choices you're making with your time and money are the best, most happy-making ones for you. No more keeping up with the Joneses, no more 'should' spending.

You have the time, energy, and money to do and buy things that really bring joy to your life.

I know it sounds cheesy and a little unbelievable:
You probably need a lot less money than you think to have the life you want.

It's not magic and it's not complicated. It's probably just stuff you haven't considered yet!

1. You'll get insanely clear on what really, truly makes you happy

Not what makes other people happy. Not what society says should make you happy. But what makes you truly happy. You'll let go of old happiness beliefs that no longer serve you and acknowledge the happy-making things you often resist. You'll create a Happiness List you can reference and use anytime you need it!

You can't put your money where your happy is if you don't know what makes you happy :)

2. You'll discover where all your money is going + how much of it is buying you happiness

I'll teach you an incredibly easy, shockingly low-tech way to divide your purchases into those that brought you joy, those that feel unavoidable, and those that bring you regret or shame. Students tell me just this one exercise changed the way they spend money!

3. You'll figure out why you're making regrettable purchases + how to stop

There are 8 common reasons we make regrettable purchases. Once you identify why you're making regrettable purchases, you'll be much less likely to make them! We'll also work through what to do with those things you wish you hadn't bought and tips to avoid impulse purchases.

You'll also do the hard, deep work of getting past emotional spending. If you're chasing a feeling when you buy things - a feeling of luxury, support, connection - there are other ways you can meet those needs (ways that don't cost $375).

4. You'll learn how to direct your 'rescued' money towards more happiness

Once you've stopped spending money on things you don't want or need, you'll have more time, money, and energy to spend on things that make you happy. But how do you, like, really actually do that?

You'll learn easy, actionable ways to make happiness part of your day-to-day life, no matter how busy or stressed or frazzled you are. (And the more stressed and frazzled you are, the more you need to make happiness part of your everyday.)

I was a little worried this course would be like other courses I've come across, just providing the same old advice to "cut cable" and "don't eat out"--all the things I've already tried to save money. I was surprised when Sarah helped me find an extra $100+ a month! Put Your Money Where Your Happy Is gave me a clearer understanding of which purchases make me happy and a better way to evaluate my purchases - rather than just trying to keep overall costs down. - Monica F.

This course actually made me reconsider saving for a house, which would definitely be a peer-led purchase rather than one that would make me happy. It also helped me realize how much money I have wasted on 'close enough' purchases, especially when something pretty is on sale. It really made me think and highlighted ways I was wasting money even though I'm pretty good at intentional spending. It even helped me come up with ways to change my behaviour!- Kate A.

This course helped me look at me look at my finances in a non-scary, not boring way. It's a far, far cry from all those dry financial courses! It gently covered the tricky reasons why we spend, and encouraged examination of all things money and happiness related, in a supportive atmosphere. PYMWYHI helped me realize that it's absolutely okay to do what makes you happy and you should mindfully spend your ££ only on that! - Rachel T.

Who this course is for

• Beginner and (fairly) advanced budgeters. Most personal finance courses fail to address happiness, regret, feelings, and the 'why' behind our purchases. Just because you can stick to a budget doesn't mean you're happy about it. Just having a Mint.com account doesn't mean you're spending your money in a way that enriches your life.
  
  
• People who want more fun in their lives and more ease in their relationship with money. Less coupon-clipping, more living. Fewer regret purchases, more joy purchases.
  
  
• Folks who think they need to earn six-figures to have the life they want. You don't. You can probably have more happiness in your day-to-day life earning exactly what you earn now.
  
  
• People who are asking themselves "Is this really it?" You thought once you earned _________ your life would be different. You thought you would be different. But you're still the same person, plagued by the same anxiety - but now you're in a higher tax bracket.
  
  
• High earners who have closets, drawers, and calendars filled with things they don't like. Just because you can afford to make financial mistakes, doesn't mean it feels good.

Who this course is not for

• People with impeccable self-care who never, ever make purchases they regret. You have self-actualized! I raise my latte to you! Go forth and prosper!
  
  
• The band-aid approach types. We dig pretty deep in this course. We get really honest about who we are and what we like. We talk about shopping to avoid feeling our feelings and the life we're chasing when we buy the wrong things. If you're looking for tips on budgeting apps or how to find discount codes for Target, this is not the course for you.
  
  
• 'Get rich quick' folks. Nope, we're not talking about how to make your first million. We're talking about changing your mindset, your spending habits, and your calendar so you can have the life you want on the income you earn right now.

F.A.Q.s

How is Put Your Money Where Your Happy Is different than other personal finance courses?
Most personal finance courses have a one-size-fits-all approach to money and spending. They assume that everyone has the same financial goals and the same spending patterns. They assume that everyone will be made happy by the same things.

Other courses fail to consider that different things make different people happy and those happy-making things come at different points. They also fail to consider the thoughts and mindsets behind purchases. We can't change our spending habits if we don't change our mindset. Put Your Money Where Your Happy Is teaches you how to do that.

Are you going to tell me to stop eating out, stop getting lattes every day, and cancel my cable?
I will never, ever tell you to stop doing or buying something that truly brings you joy. If daily lattes really make you happy, by all means - keep drinking them!

I do, however, encourage people to take a long, serious look at how they're spending their money and how much happiness those purchases actually bring them. If your latte habit costs you $150 a month and it doesn't do much for your serotonin levels then, yes, I am going to nudge you in the direction of drinking less.

Will I need advanced algebra and graphing calculator to work through this course?
Nope! (THANK GOD.) The only math you'll be doing is addition. And if you want to use a spreadsheet program all you'll need is the 'sum' tab. ;)

Are you going to talk about investing, IRAs, 401ks, or retirement funds?
No siree. I'll leave that to your financial adviser. Put Your Money Where Your Happy Is focuses on discovering what makes you truly happy and creating financial habits to support that happiness.

I'm pretty good at budgeting. I've got a Mint.com account and everything! Can I learn anything from this course?
Great question! I'll let Jordan answer that:

"I put a lot of thought into my finances and am a great budgeter, and I still found this course to be really helpful. It wasn't just your basic budgeting course - it makes you take a hard look at not only your spending but the result of that spending - is it making you any happier? Which is so easy not to think about when the Place Order button gives you that 10-minute high, but inevitably fades into regret. The life lessons you learn here are just as important as the financial advice."

I'm already on an incredibly tight budget. I don't think it's possible to spend less! Will this help me?
Everyone's financial situation is different, but I've worked with people who thought they'd cut everything they could from their budget. When they used my methods, they discovered they were spending $150+ every month that they didn't need to!