June 2, 2026 • 17 mins
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If you've ever thought, "I'll be happy when I make more money," this episode is for you.
Today, Brad dives into the financial and emotional cost of constantly chasing more. From lifestyle creep and social media comparison to the psychology behind why upgrades stop making us happy, you'll learn why so many people feel broke even when they're earning more than ever before.
Discover how modern culture trains us to stay dissatisfied, why contentment isn't the same as giving up, and how learning what "enough" looks like can completely change your financial future.
If you're tired of feeling like you're always behind, this conversation might be exactly what you need.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brad Nelson (00:00):
So if you've ever felt no matter how much you
make, buy, upgrade, oraccomplish, it still doesn't
feel like enough, this episode'sgoing to be for you because
today we're going to be talkingabout the financial cost of
always wanting more and howmodern culture trains us to stay
dissatisfied, constantlychasing maybe the next upgrade,
(00:21):
the next purchase, the nextversion of your life.
And the truth is, if more isalways the goal, peace keeps
moving further away.
You're listening to the DebtFree Dad podcast with Brad
Nelson.
Brad and his co-hostsexperience the anxiety of living
paycheck to paycheck beforelearning the fundamentals of
(00:44):
financial success.
They are now on a mission toempower regular people to pay
off their debt for good andenjoy happier, less stressful
lives.
Keep listening forinspirational interviews, tips,
tricks, and practical advice togain financial freedom.
I've been debt-free now forwell over 13 years, which is
(01:11):
crazy.
But awesome part is I've alsobeen fortunate to help thousands
of other people save and payoff tens of millions of dollars
with the work that we do here atDeaf Free Dad.
Now, guys, after listening tothis episode, if you are ready
to take things to the nextlevel, you want to break free
from living paycheck topaycheck, you want to reduce
financial stress, you want tobuild your savings, finally pay
off your debt for good.
(01:32):
But maybe you're like a lot ofpeople, even me at one point,
you're not sure where to getstarted.
Well, good news is we'vecreated some incredible free
resources for you here at DeafFree Dad.
We're going to help you getthere.
And I'll be sharing somedetails on how you can get some
of those later on in today'sepisode.
So, as I said, guys, welcome tothe show.
I'm sorry my voice is a littlehoarse spring, and allergy
(01:52):
season is hitting me hard rightnow, as I'm sure it is for some
of you out there.
So I apologize my voice is alittle scratchy today from
sneezing and coughing and ohyikes, just waiting for this
pollen to go away, right?
But uh as we get going here, Iwant to ask you a question.
Have you ever noticed howquickly something exciting
becomes normal in your life?
(02:14):
Like you buy a newer car,right?
And at first, you love it.
It smells new, it feelsexciting.
You justify the payment becauseit feels worth it, right?
You work hard for your money.
I want something I can enjoyand be proud of.
And then guess what?
(02:35):
A few months later, it justbecomes your vehicle.
Like it's just your car.
You barely really even noticeit anymore, or that excitement
has definitely diminished as themonths have gone on.
And then something else catchesyour attention.
Maybe it's a different car,maybe it's a nicer trim package,
(02:57):
or somebody else got a car andthey got a better car than you,
and suddenly what once feltexciting now feels ordinary, or
it feels like it's just notenough.
That cycle right there, right?
That's where a lot of financialstress begins.
So today I want to talk aboutthe financial costs of always
wanting more.
And it's not to take thisepisode and bash you and say,
(03:22):
you know, wanting things is bad.
Not because ambition is bad andwanting to upgrade your life is
bad, but because we live insuch a culture that constantly
trains us to feel dissatisfiedall the time.
And when dissatisficationbecomes normal, overspending
becomes easy.
There's always something elseto chase in your life, isn't
(03:46):
there?
There's the newer car, a biggeror better house, a better
vacation, a nicer kitchen, anewer phone, right?
Better furniture, a moreluxurious or expensive, or dare
we say, comfortable lifestyle.
And if you're not careful, youstart building your financial
(04:10):
life around constant upgrading.
And the problem is the finishline, it just keeps moving.
You keep moving the goalposts,right?
You keep pushing that finishline further and further away.
And this is actually backed bypsychology.
There's something calledhedonic adaption, which
basically means humans adaptvery quickly to their
(04:32):
improvements.
Like when you get comfortable,it feels good at the moment, but
eventually comfortable becomesnormal and you don't feel that
emotion anymore.
It's just normal.
The thing you once desperatelywanted eventually becomes your
new normal, right?
And researchers have found thateven major positive purchases
or lifestyle upgrades oftencreate only temporary increase
(04:55):
in happiness before peopleemotionally return to that
baseline of what feels normal.
In other words, the feelingsfade, right?
And then your brain startslooking for the next thing.
And that's important tounderstand because modern
marketing, it depends on this,it thrives on this.
Marketing designed to make youfeel like your current life
(05:16):
isn't enough.
It's it's meant to make youfeel bad for what you have and
what you don't have.
And if you think about how adswork, think about it.
They rarely sell products,right?
And I want you to pay attentionto this as you're watching this
on social media, listening toads, hearing them on the radio,
hearing them on even podcasts,hearing them anywhere, any
(05:36):
advertising whatsoever.
They don't sell the product,they sell status.
They sell, like if you ownthis, it means you're
successful.
They sell comfort, they sellidentity, they sell belonging,
attractiveness.
And dare we even go to theysell this is what's really going
to make you happy.
They're not selling a product,they're selling a feeling.
(05:58):
And the message underneath mostmarketing is you'd feel better
if you had this thing.
And that message gets repeatedthousands of times a week.
And over time, it shapes howpeople think.
And if you think about it, evennow, and to this day and age,
I'm gonna age myself, I'm 46years old, but man, social media
(06:19):
obviously started in the late2000s and you know, now it's
just everywhere.
Social media intensifies thisdramatically.
Now you don't just compareyourself to your neighbors or
your coworkers or the peoplethat you're around all the time.
You compare yourself toeveryone because you have access
to everyone on social media.
So you see their vacations, yousee other people's cars, the
(06:40):
way they live, their homes, yousee the clothes they're wearing,
the restaurants that they'regoing to, the experiences they
have.
And the dangerous part of thisis you're comparing your
everyday life to everyone else'shighlight reel.
And in a lot of cases, thesepeople on social media, it's not
even real.
It's a fake lifestyle they'vedeveloped to try to make money
(07:02):
on social media.
But ultimately, by seeing this,makes you feel bad for your
life.
And that creates what?
A hell of a lot of stress and ahell of a lot of pressure.
And it's artificial pressure,pressure to keep up, pressure to
upgrade, pressure to look thepart, look successful, and
people spend enormous amounts ofmoney trying to maintain those
(07:26):
appearances, even when privatelythey're completely stressed
out.
And this is where lifestylecreep quietly takes over.
You see, lifestyle creep rarelyhappens dramatically, it
happens slowly.
You make a little bit moremoney, you get that raise, you
get a bonus, and you promiseyourself, you know, I'm gonna do
better with my finances, I'mgonna save a little bit, I'm
(07:47):
gonna pay off debt, but thatdoesn't happen, right?
Because your spending starts torise.
Slightly, you start going maybeto nicer restaurants.
Slightly, you don't get thebest car that you want, but you
get the next nicest car.
Slightly, you add moreconvenience into your life,
which we all know costs a littlebit more money.
(08:07):
We get a slightly bigger house,maybe, slightly more
subscriptions.
And none of it feels extremewhen you first start, right?
But collectively, it eats themargin of your financial life.
And suddenly, someone makinggreat money still feels broke.
And guys, I can't tell you howmany people I've worked with
over the years who make wellover six figures and they feel
(08:29):
broke, and it's for this veryreason.
And it's not because they don'tearn enough, but because their
lifestyle expanded with theirincome.
And here's the scary partlifestyle inflation often
happens automatically withoutintentional decisions.
People don't stop and ask, isthis really improving my life
(08:50):
long term?
Is this helping me get to whereI want to go?
Instead, what do we ask, andwhat do most people ask when
they're selling you something?
What payment can you afford?
Can I afford the payment?
And that's a very differentquestion than is this something
that's going to improve my lifelong term?
Because once more becomesnormal, contentment starts
(09:13):
feeling strange, right?
People almost feel guilty beingsatisfied.
Like I should be pushing andout there hustling for more and
wanting more.
And that's why sometimescontentment feels like it's this
distant stranger.
We don't know anything aboutit.
Like if you're not constantlyupgrading, you're falling
(09:33):
behind.
But let me say something veryclearly: contentment is not
laziness, contentment is notlack of ambition.
Contentment simply means Idon't need constant upgrades to
feel okay.
That mindset is financiallypowerful, you guys.
It can be your best friend whengetting out of debt.
Because contentment changesyour spending and how you look
(09:55):
at stuff.
Because when you stop chasingconstant validation through
purchases, something amazinghappens.
And it's really cool.
The pressure drops, thecomparison drops, your impulse
spending begins to go away.
The stress you're constantlyfeeling of that constant
chasing, that constant feelingthat what you have isn't enough,
(10:18):
that goes away.
And you stop trying to provesomething with your lifestyle
and you start making decisionsbased on peace instead of
appearance and showing somebodythis fake life.
And here's something I'venoticed some of the financially
calmest people I know are notthe highest earners.
Guys, in fact, me personally, Ihelp a lot of people who make a
(10:41):
heck of a lot more money thanme.
But these are people wholearned to want less.
And that doesn't mean that Idon't ever spend money or these
people don't ever spend money.
It means that our happinessisn't dependent on constant
upgrading.
And that's a huge difference,right?
That's a mindset shift.
(11:01):
And this is where I think a lotof people get trapped
financially.
They believe freedom comes frommaking more money.
And yes, I'm not saying thatincome doesn't matter.
It does matter.
Obviously, we all want to makemore income.
Heck, I would like to make moreincome, but it's not everything
to me.
But sometimes freedom comesfrom actually just needing less.
(11:23):
Again, less pressure, lesscomparison, less obligations,
less debt, less payments, lesslifestyle inflation, more margin
in your life.
In fact, I was just telling anindividual yesterday, I said, I
just like having more money inmy bank account.
I just like it.
It feels good.
It's just, it's that margin,right?
(11:44):
It's that piece.
Having money in the bank andhaving no payments, it offers
flexibility for future thingsthat are going to come down the
pipeline that I don't even knoware out there.
And I think about this a lot.
I especially think about itwhen it comes to payments
because many people commit yearsof future income trying to
maintain a lifestyle they thinkthey're supposed to want because
(12:04):
that's what advertising toldthem.
That's what their friends toldthem they're supposed to want.
That's what the world istelling them they're supposed to
want.
They're supposed to want afive, six, seven-year car loan.
They're supposed to befinancing everything, furniture.
You're supposed to be doing buynow, pay later.
You're supposed to want abigger house.
And often the goal underneath,all of it, is just emotion.
(12:26):
It's wanting to fit in and gowith the herd.
It's not practical.
It's because we want to givethis impression that we are
successful, that we areaccepted, that we are
comfortable, that we areimpressive.
But the problem is yourself-worth depends on upgrading
your lifestyle.
There is no finish line becausethere will always be someone
(12:49):
with more.
Always another upgrade, alwaysanother level.
And this is why comparison isfinancially dangerous.
Because comparison, it destroysgratitude, right?
And gratitude is one of thehealthiest financial habits that
you can build.
Because grateful people makecalmer decisions, they're less
(13:11):
impulsive, they're lessreactive, they're less desperate
to prove something.
Now, let me be clear.
Now, let me be clear.
Let me say that again and do beclear.
There is nothing wrong withenjoying nice things.
Again, this episode is notabout never spending money or
enjoying the money you work hardfor.
It's about understanding theemotional engine behind your
(13:35):
spending.
Are you buying somethingbecause it genuinely improves
your life or because you'rechasing a feeling or you're
chasing that urge to want to fitin or to look apart?
Are you wearing a mask?
Because that question matters.
And here's something else theconstant pursuit of more, it
(14:00):
doesn't just cost you money.
Like I said, it costs you yourpeace.
Always chasing more createsanxiety, it creates a lot of
dissatisfaction, a lot ofimpatience, a lot of
restlessness.
People become unable to enjoywhat they already have.
For a lot of us, a lot of ushave more than enough.
(14:24):
And honestly, if you thinkabout it, that life becomes
exhausting.
And that's why so many of usare exhausted.
We're exhausted from wantingmore, but we're also exhausting
from the financial costs that ittakes on our life.
So one of the most powerfulfinancial shifts that you can
make is this learning thatenough exists.
It's not perfect.
(14:44):
It doesn't have to be perfect,it doesn't have to be luxury.
It's just enough.
Enough to breathe, enough toenjoy life, enough to stop
constantly chasing that mindset.
It changes everything, youguys.
And I truly believe one of thereasons so many people stay
financially stressed is becausethey've never stepped back and
(15:05):
asked, what am I actuallychasing?
And the second question is,what does a knife on, what does
enough look like for me?
Because if the answer isstatus, comparison, validation,
or appearance, no amount willever feel like enough.
Peace doesn't come from finallyhaving enough stuff.
Sometimes peace comes fromrealizing you already have
(15:27):
enough.
And that's a completelydifferent way to live.
All right, guys, if you areready to stop living paycheck to
paycheck, you want to reducefinancial stress, you want to
finally pay off your debt forgood, build a savings.
But again, maybe you're notsure where to get started.
Don't worry, we've got youcovered here at Dev Free Dab.
Simplify My Money is sent toyou each and every Sunday to
your email.
(15:47):
It is your step-by-step roadmapto better financial control.
Simplify My Money is also gonnahelp you learn some easy to
follow strategies to manage yourmoney effectively.
It's gonna help you makestress-free money decisions that
are gonna help you simplifyyour financial life.
And we're gonna give you tipsthat actually work.
And you're gonna gain the toolsand the confidence to tackle
(16:07):
your financial goals head on.
You can sign up for Simplify MyMoney by clicking the link at
the top of the show notes.
Thanks for joining us ontoday's show, and we will see
you guys on the next episode.
Thanks for listening to theDebt Free Dad podcast.
(16:34):
Connect with us on Facebook,TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Just search Debt Free Dad.
If you found value in today'sepisode, please leave us a
rating and review.
We so appreciate it.
For resources, show notes, andlinks mentioned in today's show,
visit debtfreedad.com.
Catch you next week.
So if you've ever felt no matter how much you
make, buy, upgrade, oraccomplish, it still doesn't
feel like enough, this episode'sgoing to be for you because
today we're going to be talkingabout the financial cost of
always wanting more and howmodern culture trains us to stay
dissatisfied, constantlychasing maybe the next upgrade,
(00:21):
the next purchase, the nextversion of your life.
And the truth is, if more isalways the goal, peace keeps
moving further away.
You're listening to the DebtFree Dad podcast with Brad
Nelson.
Brad and his co-hostsexperience the anxiety of living
paycheck to paycheck beforelearning the fundamentals of
(00:44):
financial success.
They are now on a mission toempower regular people to pay
off their debt for good andenjoy happier, less stressful
lives.
Keep listening forinspirational interviews, tips,
tricks, and practical advice togain financial freedom.
I've been debt-free now forwell over 13 years, which is
(01:11):
crazy.
But awesome part is I've alsobeen fortunate to help thousands
of other people save and payoff tens of millions of dollars
with the work that we do here atDeaf Free Dad.
Now, guys, after listening tothis episode, if you are ready
to take things to the nextlevel, you want to break free
from living paycheck topaycheck, you want to reduce
financial stress, you want tobuild your savings, finally pay
off your debt for good.
(01:32):
But maybe you're like a lot ofpeople, even me at one point,
you're not sure where to getstarted.
Well, good news is we'vecreated some incredible free
resources for you here at DeafFree Dad.
We're going to help you getthere.
And I'll be sharing somedetails on how you can get some
of those later on in today'sepisode.
So, as I said, guys, welcome tothe show.
I'm sorry my voice is a littlehoarse spring, and allergy
(01:52):
season is hitting me hard rightnow, as I'm sure it is for some
of you out there.
So I apologize my voice is alittle scratchy today from
sneezing and coughing and ohyikes, just waiting for this
pollen to go away, right?
But uh as we get going here, Iwant to ask you a question.
Have you ever noticed howquickly something exciting
becomes normal in your life?
(02:14):
Like you buy a newer car,right?
And at first, you love it.
It smells new, it feelsexciting.
You justify the payment becauseit feels worth it, right?
You work hard for your money.
I want something I can enjoyand be proud of.
And then guess what?
(02:35):
A few months later, it justbecomes your vehicle.
Like it's just your car.
You barely really even noticeit anymore, or that excitement
has definitely diminished as themonths have gone on.
And then something else catchesyour attention.
Maybe it's a different car,maybe it's a nicer trim package,
(02:57):
or somebody else got a car andthey got a better car than you,
and suddenly what once feltexciting now feels ordinary, or
it feels like it's just notenough.
That cycle right there, right?
That's where a lot of financialstress begins.
So today I want to talk aboutthe financial costs of always
wanting more.
And it's not to take thisepisode and bash you and say,
(03:22):
you know, wanting things is bad.
Not because ambition is bad andwanting to upgrade your life is
bad, but because we live insuch a culture that constantly
trains us to feel dissatisfiedall the time.
And when dissatisficationbecomes normal, overspending
becomes easy.
There's always something elseto chase in your life, isn't
(03:46):
there?
There's the newer car, a biggeror better house, a better
vacation, a nicer kitchen, anewer phone, right?
Better furniture, a moreluxurious or expensive, or dare
we say, comfortable lifestyle.
And if you're not careful, youstart building your financial
(04:10):
life around constant upgrading.
And the problem is the finishline, it just keeps moving.
You keep moving the goalposts,right?
You keep pushing that finishline further and further away.
And this is actually backed bypsychology.
There's something calledhedonic adaption, which
basically means humans adaptvery quickly to their
(04:32):
improvements.
Like when you get comfortable,it feels good at the moment, but
eventually comfortable becomesnormal and you don't feel that
emotion anymore.
It's just normal.
The thing you once desperatelywanted eventually becomes your
new normal, right?
And researchers have found thateven major positive purchases
or lifestyle upgrades oftencreate only temporary increase
(04:55):
in happiness before peopleemotionally return to that
baseline of what feels normal.
In other words, the feelingsfade, right?
And then your brain startslooking for the next thing.
And that's important tounderstand because modern
marketing, it depends on this,it thrives on this.
Marketing designed to make youfeel like your current life
(05:16):
isn't enough.
It's it's meant to make youfeel bad for what you have and
what you don't have.
And if you think about how adswork, think about it.
They rarely sell products,right?
And I want you to pay attentionto this as you're watching this
on social media, listening toads, hearing them on the radio,
hearing them on even podcasts,hearing them anywhere, any
(05:36):
advertising whatsoever.
They don't sell the product,they sell status.
They sell, like if you ownthis, it means you're
successful.
They sell comfort, they sellidentity, they sell belonging,
attractiveness.
And dare we even go to theysell this is what's really going
to make you happy.
They're not selling a product,they're selling a feeling.
(05:58):
And the message underneath mostmarketing is you'd feel better
if you had this thing.
And that message gets repeatedthousands of times a week.
And over time, it shapes howpeople think.
And if you think about it, evennow, and to this day and age,
I'm gonna age myself, I'm 46years old, but man, social media
(06:19):
obviously started in the late2000s and you know, now it's
just everywhere.
Social media intensifies thisdramatically.
Now you don't just compareyourself to your neighbors or
your coworkers or the peoplethat you're around all the time.
You compare yourself toeveryone because you have access
to everyone on social media.
So you see their vacations, yousee other people's cars, the
(06:40):
way they live, their homes, yousee the clothes they're wearing,
the restaurants that they'regoing to, the experiences they
have.
And the dangerous part of thisis you're comparing your
everyday life to everyone else'shighlight reel.
And in a lot of cases, thesepeople on social media, it's not
even real.
It's a fake lifestyle they'vedeveloped to try to make money
(07:02):
on social media.
But ultimately, by seeing this,makes you feel bad for your
life.
And that creates what?
A hell of a lot of stress and ahell of a lot of pressure.
And it's artificial pressure,pressure to keep up, pressure to
upgrade, pressure to look thepart, look successful, and
people spend enormous amounts ofmoney trying to maintain those
(07:26):
appearances, even when privatelythey're completely stressed
out.
And this is where lifestylecreep quietly takes over.
You see, lifestyle creep rarelyhappens dramatically, it
happens slowly.
You make a little bit moremoney, you get that raise, you
get a bonus, and you promiseyourself, you know, I'm gonna do
better with my finances, I'mgonna save a little bit, I'm
(07:47):
gonna pay off debt, but thatdoesn't happen, right?
Because your spending starts torise.
Slightly, you start going maybeto nicer restaurants.
Slightly, you don't get thebest car that you want, but you
get the next nicest car.
Slightly, you add moreconvenience into your life,
which we all know costs a littlebit more money.
(08:07):
We get a slightly bigger house,maybe, slightly more
subscriptions.
And none of it feels extremewhen you first start, right?
But collectively, it eats themargin of your financial life.
And suddenly, someone makinggreat money still feels broke.
And guys, I can't tell you howmany people I've worked with
over the years who make wellover six figures and they feel
(08:29):
broke, and it's for this veryreason.
And it's not because they don'tearn enough, but because their
lifestyle expanded with theirincome.
And here's the scary partlifestyle inflation often
happens automatically withoutintentional decisions.
People don't stop and ask, isthis really improving my life
(08:50):
long term?
Is this helping me get to whereI want to go?
Instead, what do we ask, andwhat do most people ask when
they're selling you something?
What payment can you afford?
Can I afford the payment?
And that's a very differentquestion than is this something
that's going to improve my lifelong term?
Because once more becomesnormal, contentment starts
(09:13):
feeling strange, right?
People almost feel guilty beingsatisfied.
Like I should be pushing andout there hustling for more and
wanting more.
And that's why sometimescontentment feels like it's this
distant stranger.
We don't know anything aboutit.
Like if you're not constantlyupgrading, you're falling
(09:33):
behind.
But let me say something veryclearly: contentment is not
laziness, contentment is notlack of ambition.
Contentment simply means Idon't need constant upgrades to
feel okay.
That mindset is financiallypowerful, you guys.
It can be your best friend whengetting out of debt.
Because contentment changesyour spending and how you look
(09:55):
at stuff.
Because when you stop chasingconstant validation through
purchases, something amazinghappens.
And it's really cool.
The pressure drops, thecomparison drops, your impulse
spending begins to go away.
The stress you're constantlyfeeling of that constant
chasing, that constant feelingthat what you have isn't enough,
(10:18):
that goes away.
And you stop trying to provesomething with your lifestyle
and you start making decisionsbased on peace instead of
appearance and showing somebodythis fake life.
And here's something I'venoticed some of the financially
calmest people I know are notthe highest earners.
Guys, in fact, me personally, Ihelp a lot of people who make a
(10:41):
heck of a lot more money thanme.
But these are people wholearned to want less.
And that doesn't mean that Idon't ever spend money or these
people don't ever spend money.
It means that our happinessisn't dependent on constant
upgrading.
And that's a huge difference,right?
That's a mindset shift.
(11:01):
And this is where I think a lotof people get trapped
financially.
They believe freedom comes frommaking more money.
And yes, I'm not saying thatincome doesn't matter.
It does matter.
Obviously, we all want to makemore income.
Heck, I would like to make moreincome, but it's not everything
to me.
But sometimes freedom comesfrom actually just needing less.
(11:23):
Again, less pressure, lesscomparison, less obligations,
less debt, less payments, lesslifestyle inflation, more margin
in your life.
In fact, I was just telling anindividual yesterday, I said, I
just like having more money inmy bank account.
I just like it.
It feels good.
It's just, it's that margin,right?
(11:44):
It's that piece.
Having money in the bank andhaving no payments, it offers
flexibility for future thingsthat are going to come down the
pipeline that I don't even knoware out there.
And I think about this a lot.
I especially think about itwhen it comes to payments
because many people commit yearsof future income trying to
maintain a lifestyle they thinkthey're supposed to want because
(12:04):
that's what advertising toldthem.
That's what their friends toldthem they're supposed to want.
That's what the world istelling them they're supposed to
want.
They're supposed to want afive, six, seven-year car loan.
They're supposed to befinancing everything, furniture.
You're supposed to be doing buynow, pay later.
You're supposed to want abigger house.
And often the goal underneath,all of it, is just emotion.
(12:26):
It's wanting to fit in and gowith the herd.
It's not practical.
It's because we want to givethis impression that we are
successful, that we areaccepted, that we are
comfortable, that we areimpressive.
But the problem is yourself-worth depends on upgrading
your lifestyle.
There is no finish line becausethere will always be someone
(12:49):
with more.
Always another upgrade, alwaysanother level.
And this is why comparison isfinancially dangerous.
Because comparison, it destroysgratitude, right?
And gratitude is one of thehealthiest financial habits that
you can build.
Because grateful people makecalmer decisions, they're less
(13:11):
impulsive, they're lessreactive, they're less desperate
to prove something.
Now, let me be clear.
Now, let me be clear.
Let me say that again and do beclear.
There is nothing wrong withenjoying nice things.
Again, this episode is notabout never spending money or
enjoying the money you work hardfor.
It's about understanding theemotional engine behind your
(13:35):
spending.
Are you buying somethingbecause it genuinely improves
your life or because you'rechasing a feeling or you're
chasing that urge to want to fitin or to look apart?
Are you wearing a mask?
Because that question matters.
And here's something else theconstant pursuit of more, it
(14:00):
doesn't just cost you money.
Like I said, it costs you yourpeace.
Always chasing more createsanxiety, it creates a lot of
dissatisfaction, a lot ofimpatience, a lot of
restlessness.
People become unable to enjoywhat they already have.
For a lot of us, a lot of ushave more than enough.
(14:24):
And honestly, if you thinkabout it, that life becomes
exhausting.
And that's why so many of usare exhausted.
We're exhausted from wantingmore, but we're also exhausting
from the financial costs that ittakes on our life.
So one of the most powerfulfinancial shifts that you can
make is this learning thatenough exists.
It's not perfect.
(14:44):
It doesn't have to be perfect,it doesn't have to be luxury.
It's just enough.
Enough to breathe, enough toenjoy life, enough to stop
constantly chasing that mindset.
It changes everything, youguys.
And I truly believe one of thereasons so many people stay
financially stressed is becausethey've never stepped back and
(15:05):
asked, what am I actuallychasing?
And the second question is,what does a knife on, what does
enough look like for me?
Because if the answer isstatus, comparison, validation,
or appearance, no amount willever feel like enough.
Peace doesn't come from finallyhaving enough stuff.
Sometimes peace comes fromrealizing you already have
(15:27):
enough.
And that's a completelydifferent way to live.
All right, guys, if you areready to stop living paycheck to
paycheck, you want to reducefinancial stress, you want to
finally pay off your debt forgood, build a savings.
But again, maybe you're notsure where to get started.
Don't worry, we've got youcovered here at Dev Free Dab.
Simplify My Money is sent toyou each and every Sunday to
your email.
(15:47):
It is your step-by-step roadmapto better financial control.
Simplify My Money is also gonnahelp you learn some easy to
follow strategies to manage yourmoney effectively.
It's gonna help you makestress-free money decisions that
are gonna help you simplifyyour financial life.
And we're gonna give you tipsthat actually work.
And you're gonna gain the toolsand the confidence to tackle
(16:07):
your financial goals head on.
You can sign up for Simplify MyMoney by clicking the link at
the top of the show notes.
Thanks for joining us ontoday's show, and we will see
you guys on the next episode.
Thanks for listening to theDebt Free Dad podcast.
(16:34):
Connect with us on Facebook,TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Just search Debt Free Dad.
If you found value in today'sepisode, please leave us a
rating and review.
We so appreciate it.
For resources, show notes, andlinks mentioned in today's show,
visit debtfreedad.com.
Catch you next week.
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