Taylor Swift, Frugality, and Happiness Conversion Rate- Finger Financial Five #187

What is a happiness conversion rate? 

It is spending money in a way that gives you the most amount of lasting happiness.   

A client of mine spent over $20,000 on three Taylor Swift tickets. Was that a good financial decision?  

Before we answer that, let me tell you a story… 

My dad took me on a fishing trip to Alaska in 1985. We caught salmon, halibut, flew on a sea plane, landed on a lake on top of a mountain, and saw a bear doing his own brand of fishing.  

I don’t know what that trip cost, but that memory comes to me at least once a month over the past forty years! 

Was that trip worth the money? Is Taylor Swift as good as a trip to Alaska? That depends on if you are a son spending time with your dad or two teenage girls spending time with their dad. 

There is a link between money and happiness. It is not necessarily how much you have, but HOW you spend it. 

In the book, Soul of Wealth by Dr. Daniel Crosby sites the book Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, five spending areas that are proven to provide the greatest contentment. 

Real financial planning for real life.

Riverbend is a fee-only, fiduciary advisor. Our plans are personal, shaped by your values and designed to help you build a full life.

Who We Are
1. Spending on experiences -Taylor Swift and Alaska 
2. Spending on others -Taylor Swift and Alaska 
3. Buying time – Not cutting my own grass (I don’t like it, but I like it when it’s done!)  
4. Bypassing materialism – Avoiding status games. Less about the selfies and more about our internal experience.  
5. Funding life’s necessities – Base level of financial freedom.  

Dr. Crosby (and I) add: 

• Investing in yourself 
• Investing in your health 

Think of it as increasing your “happiness conversion rate.” 

What have you spent money on that you felt was worth it? 

Reply to this email. It will be just between us. 

News From Around The Office

Happy birthday Riverbend! August 30, 2019 was the start of Riverbend. Somehow it feels like a 100 years ago and like yesterday at the same time! 

On The Lighter Side

Elliott came home for Labor Day weekend. Just having him in the house felt nice.    

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Jeremy Finger, Founder

Jeremy grew up in Nichols, South Carolina, where fishing with his dad sparked a lifelong interest in how money shapes our lives. Since becoming a financial advisor in 1996, he’s helped people navigate life’s biggest moments—and today, with Riverbend, he offers a calm, personal approach that helps clients focus on what matters.

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