Your money gets pulled in so many different directions. The house, the bills, the cars. It’s easy to get stressed. Money’s funny like that; it can scare the crap out of you. Although it doesn’t have to be that way. You can face it, head-on. “I just wanna let you know that I totally get it,” says the chick from Happy Money Stories, in her YouTube ad. “I was in the same place as you. A couple years ago, I knew we needed to do something more with our money.”
“There’s this looming thing called retirement,” she continues, “and I knew we needed to save, and I didn’t know how to start. I listened to talking heads and it seemed like they gave conflicting advice. I talked to professionals and some of the solutions they had? I don’t know, they didn’t feel right to me. And I couldn’t really talk to friends or family ’cause who likes to talk about money? So instead of giving up, I decided to dig in. I read all that I could, listened to podcasts, did everything I could to learn more.”
“And through a lot of trial and error, I created a system that helps drive how our family invests and pays off debt. Through the system, we have been able to triple our net worth in three years. And I’m not lying. I looked at it; those are the numbers. If you’re interested in learning more about this system, I’ve created a free online training. In it, you’ll learn about how this would apply to you, and I’ll also talk about the seven common mistakes I see couples make with their money.”
“Money does not need to be hard. It can be fun. It can be happy. And I really do care about you and what you can do with your money. I look forward to seeing you on the training.” And there you have it; that’s the entire YouTube ad. So what’s the deal with Happy Money Stories? Is it legit? And who even is this girl? And yeah, cool, she paid off some debt and improved her net worth. Still, does that make her qualified to teach you about money? Also, you know there’s a catch coming. What is it? Read on.
Cathy Olsen is the founder of Happy Money Stories dot com, and the Happy Money System (HMS). She’s married, four kids, has worked as a professional in the finance industry, loves talking about money, and she’s a self-proclaimed nerd when it comes to numbers. The first big mistake she sees couples make in regards to money is they don’t have a plan; they’re just winging it. As a result, even if they make more, they spend more and just never get ahead.
The second mistake is waiting to invest. Remember, compounding takes time. Third is when one person handles the investing and the other handles the spending. You and your boo need to be on the same page. Fourth is pouring money into the kids’ college fund. You have to take care of yourself first. Fifth is paying down debt at all costs. Think about the opportunity cost. Sixth is not knowing your numbers. Leads to bad decisions. Last but not least, seven, is not enjoying the process. How’ll you stick with it if that’s the case?
Want Cathy’s help with one or more of the above? Consider buying her Happy Money System coaching program. “I’ve condensed what we’ve done for our family and put it in a program that’s consumable and easy for anyone to start,” Cathy says. “It’ll definitely give you the accountability, the assurance that you can take the right next steps to build momentum for your money.” She does not mention what it costs. Book a strategy call over on her website to learn more.
