TRANSCRIPT

Rich Vibes | Why Money & Happiness Aren’t Opposites

 

Let's get real for a second.

 

Money can buy happiness, not because it replaces joy, but because it gives you the freedom to choose how you spend your time, take care of your family, and live in alignment with what matters most.

 

We are busting the money is evil myth and showing you why, especially as a mom, more money can mean more peace, more presence, and more power.

 

We are moms, we are bosses, and we're living abroad.

 

And in this brand new season of this exciting podcast, we are boosting the woman to woman connection through deep, intimate conversations to pause, reflect, and go beyond the skiing deep.

 

And we are here to celebrate your unique journey.

 

No matter how old your business or your babies, or where you are in the world, you are not alone.

 

It's time to go deeper, understand better, and lean into more harmony and fun along the way.

 

We are Desiree and Iva, and this is Mom Bosses Abroad.

 

Hi, and welcome to a brand new episode of the Mom Bosses Abroad podcast.

 

I'm Iva Perez, and I'm here with my podcast co-host Desiree Gonzalez to bring an important message in today's episode, where we're basically flipping the old belief that money can't buy happiness, especially for us moms building freedom lifestyles abroad.

 

Because indeed, most of us are not just managing money, we're raising humans, we're building businesses, navigating motherhood, and money mindsets that were never really ours to begin with.

 

So let's dive in.

 

And hey, Des, good to have you back on the studio.

 

Hi, Iva.

 

Oh, I love it.

 

I love this time we get to spend together, and always going back to the roots of our very intimate conversations.

 

And I love the fact that we are, we're like, okay, let's talk about this.

 

We have a topic, but we haven't discussed it further much because we always love what comes out of this conversation and what we come up with.

 

And yeah, so I think today's topic, really comes out of, I know, I definitely had that in my previous business.

 

Always this, this nagging feeling in the back of my mind.

 

It's like, oh, I don't want people to think that I am just in it for the money.

 

You know, like that I'm like, I want to help.

 

I have this like helper syndrome.

 

I would say I want to make sure everyone's happy.

 

I want to help everyone.

 

That's just the nature of who I am.

 

And, oh, but now it's like a business, and I don't want people to think that I'm in it for the money.

 

But then as we evolve and grow over like, but wait a second, this is a business.

 

Of course, it's about the money.

 

And I think each of us have gone through our own money mindset journey, right?

 

Where we think about, but would we run it as a business?

 

It would just be a hobby.

 

It would just be something we do for fun, but we've actually decided to turn this into a business.

 

So yes, money makes a difference.

 

It does.

 

Yeah.

 

It does.

 

Yes.

 

I mean, we have covered this in previous episodes, and we'll put them in the show notes because we really have a full compendium of the way that we have approached the topic of money in other episodes, right?

 

And so we'll invite you to check them out.

 

But in one of them, we did cover that women would rather talk about death than money.

 

And that is not just us coming up with that.

 

It's not an expression.

 

It's backed by statistics.

 

So if we cannot talk about it, we cannot transform what's on the other side, which as you say is the ability to fully empower ourselves, to have a business, to own it, and to charge for it in an authentic way.

 

But without the guilt.

 

That's right.

 

And I think now that we have really combined our forces and our magic into this common, into this business model, I think we're walking also that line of, you know, we're here to inspire other moms and to open up the door of opportunity to this freedom business, to this freedom lifestyle, to the fact that you can fully, truly, with your full heart follow your passions, but be backed by a powerful business model that is in complete synergy with what you do, but that provides you with financial stability and legacy wealth.

 

And a lot of moms, I feel, even though they may not say it out loud, I don't know how you feel about that.

 

They have this things like, yeah, but I just want to be happy.

 

I want to be happy.

 

I want to, yes, I want to be there with my kids.

 

So they try to shut that out of their mind.

 

You know what?

 

It's not about the money because I just want to be happy.

 

I want to be a present mom.

 

This is like the season of the life I'm in.

 

I cannot have it all.

 

So I just want to be happy.

 

And money doesn't buy happiness.

 

And that is where we beg to differ today, right?

 

Yeah, absolutely.

 

I hear you loud and clear in the sense that there's this unspoken money guilt about you have to be grateful with where you are.

 

Don't ask for more.

 

Sort of like be the good girl and don't rock the boat.

 

So what happens is that we are being, unfortunately, conditioned to internalize this guilt about wanting more, more freedom, more money, more joy.

 

And we're just saying, like, oh, it's not important, you know, it's all good.

 

I can stay where I am.

 

And it's, I guess we really have to look at ourselves deeply.

 

And sometimes we won't like what we see, but we won't like it because of the conditioning.

 

Because if what you see is someone that says, well, for me, fully staying at home is not going to cut it.

 

And I want to build something with my name on it, which is, I guess, part of the profile of this Mom Bosses Abroad that we interview, that we talk with, and that we ourselves, somebody, is this sense of saying, like, yes, we get it.

 

There's many different ways of showing up in this stage of life.

 

But for us, what works, what feels a line is to have something that has our name on it and that it's carved from our own desires and from what we are all about, instead of borrowing or doing it with someone else, you know, like the family aspect, right?

 

Like, if you have a partner, like, you do it with that person, you do it together, it's a joint effort or project.

 

And sometimes we just want something that has our name on it because it fulfills us to have that.

 

Yeah, fully, completely.

 

And when we now say that, well, yes, it completes us, our mission, our vision, everything we want to do and the impact we want to create.

 

And in the end, we've come to that, that yes, money does buy happiness.

 

And people frown when you say that.

 

That's why you said so beautifully at the beginning, we're flipping that old belief because in today's episode, we really want to showcase five ways in which money does indeed buy us happiness.

 

So the first one, we want to really categorize as it buys you freedom.

 

Money buys you freedom.

 

But in that type of freedom, what we as moms say, it's that peace of mind and that time optimization.

 

Oh yes, I'm always looking in how I can support and upgrade my toxic free lifestyle.

 

And lately, I was thinking that until now, I failed to look at the most basic necessity we rely on every day, the water we drink.

 

Water is our most valuable natural resource, and it's vital to nourish and hydrate our body that is made of 70 percent water.

 

But whilst a water may appear the same, not all water is created equal.

 

So finally, I have found one machine that can filter and restructure regular tap water into five types with over 60 uses.

 

From electrolyzed reduced water rich in hydrogen and antioxidants for drinking, to highly alkalized and oxidized waters replacing toxic cleaners and personal products in your home.

 

It's from Japan, and you know I love and trust all things made here.

 

I feel so good that my kids get to drink this straight from the tap.

 

Do you want to feel this good too?

 

Well, I put everything in an e-booklet for you.

 

Grab it today by visiting oilyessentialsfamily.com/water.

 

This is such a big one because this is ultimately what we want.

 

It's really not, and this is where as women, we tend to, maybe I feel it gets a little bit mixed up.

 

So we say, it's not about the money.

 

It's about, for me, it's about all these things, right?

 

But then ultimately, it's true.

 

Like it's not really about the money, but money just makes it easier for you to be in the space where you can create that freedom of the other options that you want to have on the table.

 

As you say, of time, of reducing that mental load of preoccupations and worries and all of that.

 

Because it's not what having the money is, it's what money gets you.

 

And so money always will get you freedom of choice as well.

 

It will give you more choice.

 

So I guess this is unraveling a little bit how money does by happiness in the sense that it allows you to get more of what you ultimately want it by having that amount in your hand, so to speak.

 

Exactly.

 

And often like finances, this money, it creates so much anxiousness, right?

 

In a mom's head, especially if you're a mom boss abroad, you're a trailing spouse or whoever you are.

 

That money thing that once having had your own choices and your own, you know, like money in your hands, but then all of a sudden now, psychologically, it's like, it's maybe it's not really our money right now, even though it is, I mean, we're in loving relationships, but this anxiety of like, you know what, there's something I would really love to buy for myself or invest in myself.

 

And you're like, I can't feel like I'm freely doing that sometimes because, you know, it's not.

 

Yeah, it feels like you need to ask for permission.

 

Exactly.

 

And that creates anxiety sometimes for us.

 

I think nobody else but us, but that's the piece of mind that we're now getting back for having money, like our own money.

 

And then also like the whole thing of, you know, hiring a helper.

 

I hire someone who comes twice a week to help me clean my house.

 

And because I have better things to do than cleaning my house, it's not my favorite task.

 

But honestly, in those hours, I would be doing that or folding the laundry.

 

I can honestly do such amazing income producing activities in my business, and that's what I choose to do.

 

So it really buys back that time for me again, and also creating that space to me what truly matters, and then spending more time with my kids after I pick them up from school, because I don't have to fold the laundry anymore.

 

Yes.

 

I think instead spend time with them on the playground, you know, or do something.

 

You feel less burned out as well, when the money is spent delegating, or hiring someone to do things that don't light you up, and that free your bandwidth to also show up in your zone of genius, and therefore you feel more fulfilled.

 

And as you say, when your kids come home, you're like, oh my god, I'm so ready to receive them and embrace them, because I did the important thing.

 

I didn't just do the mother load, right?

 

Which is a lot of what us mothers experience.

 

It's like, well, I went to buy the gift for the birthday and wrapped it, and I also had to send the message to the teachers and coordinate the play dates, but nobody gets to see that.

 

You know, that's time that is well spent somewhere else, you know, for us moms, if we had a choice.

 

But seeing into that, you know, like a second reason why we are saying money does by happiness is because you get to have those better experiences.

 

You get to have that investment in memories that come from doing family travel or buying experiences, because you still have to spend money on that.

 

Like it's true, look, you can go to the park and it doesn't really cost you anything if you bring your picnic, but you had to buy the food for the picnic, right?

 

You still had to, I don't know, hire, like in my case, the go-jig that's going to take you to the park or whatever.

 

So you're still needing that money exchange to happen, to create that travel or to create those experiences that, yeah, it's not a tangible thing.

 

And a lot of people say, I don't need to buy lots of stuff to be happy.

 

But it's those richer experiences, that quality time of being able to treat everybody to a nice holiday or a vacation that really creates those memories and brings you connected.

 

I read somewhere, in fact, that 70% of our childhood memories are actually tied to holidays and vacations more than anything else.

 

So if you're not giving your children those moments of, let's go away for a long weekend or let's do things just for the sake that we don't have to work on a nine to five, and we can just escape and do certain things, they will be having those recollections very vividly as part of their childhood.

 

And so it will also help them to say, yeah, my childhood was awesome, or I felt connected to my parents, or my parents allowed me to have all of these great experiences.

 

Exactly.

 

Just last month or the beginning of the year, we went to, we had a ski trip, a family ski trip, and it was such an amazing holiday.

 

And it was a very expensive holiday, but it wasn't, we don't even see it as expensive because we spent a lot of money for it, but what we got out of it was just invaluable.

 

It was a magical week.

 

But skiing anywhere in the world, right?

 

There's equipment involved, there's ski lessons involved, there's everything involved, but we decided to go to a place where it's all in, everything is catered for, all the lessons are organized.

 

You have that like freedom of choice again, where all the activities are arranged.

 

We had kids were taking care of in their various kids club and we had time to spend as a couple.

 

It was just the most magical holiday and that cost a lot of money, but like you said, it created this memory for a life.

 

My son still talks about it, it's now a bit over a month ago, but like he still talks about it, he's made friends, they still message each other.

 

It's just, we already said, it's going to be a family tradition from now on, right?

 

And these are the moments that we want to create and continue creating in the long run as well.

 

So yeah.

 

Yes.

 

Yes.

 

Those memorable trips really just get engraved in our spirit, and they also help to connect us with our kids when we're reminiscing and when we're like talking about those experiences.

 

Remember when and this and that.

 

And so it's just a full circle.

 

Absolutely.

 

And us being so international, we have family and friends all over the world, right?

 

I mean, my kids still talk about, remember when your day, talk about your kids a lot, even when they were in Tokyo, and we did this together and that together, it's like the whole day.

 

Oh, my son was saying, my son was saying, I want to go to Japan to Desiree's house again.

 

And so yeah, so that definitely is something that you say, yeah, you will have to buy plane tickets to get ourselves there.

 

And so that is where you're buying into that experience that you know, you're going to just treasure forever.

 

Relationships as well, you know, I mean, we have, we started this podcast long before we ever met in person.

 

But that trip where we actually did meet in person was just transformational for our relationship with each other and of the power and the love it poured in for everything that has now unraveled since then.

 

And so it's still one of the of the best gifts I have received.

 

It really touched my heart.

 

And yeah, yeah, shout out to my amazing hobby, who made it all happen and just kept it such a surprise.

 

And it was just wonderful and amazing.

 

And I guess I also tried to reciprocate doing something similar, and it completely blew up in my face.

 

But that's another story for another episode.

 

But it also had a very happy ending in the end.

 

So, yeah, so, so, yeah, so going back to this conversation, when we are looking at what money is able to bring us in terms of this happy experience is, life is just better when we're not feeling sick and when we are actually well.

 

And I can share from that viewpoint just recently, because I had dengue a few months ago, and I can vouch to say that is one of the most incredibly weird things that you can experience in terms of health impact.

 

And so you are not able to do anything.

 

You're just not able to experience life on any level.

 

You're just so tired.

 

You have no strength.

 

You feel like you cannot do anything.

 

Like I couldn't take three steps without heeding and like feeling that I was going to faint.

 

It's just something so, so, so like, it's so weird to experience because knock on wood, I do have great health as a given, but then something out of the blue like this happens and it knocks you out and you fully realize how much health is priceless.

 

It's invaluable.

 

And so when we're talking about access to the best health care, to great quality of food, to have those even routine appointments, right?

 

Getting your teeth clean, like just making sure that you have like the right supplements in place or drinking the best water in this case for us.

 

It requires access to monetary resources.

 

And that is just the way it is.

 

Junk food is going to be always cheaper than premium food or organic grown food.

 

But that's the one that our bodies actually need.

 

That's the one that we as health conscious parents and moms, we want to feed our children because we know that it's preventative as well.

 

It's so much more expensive to be covering a hospital bill than to actually be in good health.

 

And so, yeah, this one is a big one.

 

It's a big one.

 

We take it for granted, but just having the money to say, I can invest in all this great wellness products and services, the family and myself in a great state of being is just, there's nothing that compares.

 

Yeah.

 

I mean, we are, like, especially as moms, we are now in a position as well where not everything is in our control.

 

The kids are at that age as well where they're not always with us.

 

They go to school, they go to friends' houses or something.

 

So more and more, I feel like what I can control, I need to control.

 

And that is, like you said, providing them the best food that's possible, the best hydration, oh my god, the water is the foundation of all, right?

 

And everything because we, if you said that so powerfully in one of our episodes, it's like at the end of the day, can we look our children in the eye and tell them, I have done everything in my power to provide you the best resource that I can just for survival.

 

We're not even talking about experiences here, but to keep you healthy, to keep you healthy and thriving.

 

And just as a quick add-on to my story, I wasn't even hungry.

 

So it's okay, you can go a few days without food, but you have to stay hydrated.

 

And so that was the only thing that the doctor kept saying to me.

 

She's like, stay hydrated.

 

That's your lifeline right now.

 

And I am so, so, so happy to report that I was able to have access to the best hydration possible.

 

Because I have also heard from other acquaintances and friends whose, you know, your white blood cells, the count starts to drop when you have dengue.

 

And when it reaches a certain threshold, which is usually below 100, that's when they start to say, maybe we need to take you to a hospital and you need to be like on their hospital care.

 

Mine dropped all the way down to 36, and I think even lower than that.

 

But then I stopped testing.

 

But you know what?

 

I was drinking the Rolls Royce of water, and I knew in my heart that the hydration that I was getting was, had the antioxidant power to just help me override and be at home, because I really didn't want to go to the hospital.

 

And it just, you know, it wasn't the cost of the hospital, it's more the fact that you are in an unknown country, where health care is a bit like, you don't know what it is about, and living your children and your husband and your safe space.

 

So, all this as a bottom line to say, when you have the incredible power of access to this, you know, to things that are going to help you, even in this moment of crisis, it's just priceless.

 

So, yeah.

 

Yeah, absolutely.

 

And I think the fourth reason why money does buy us happiness and so much more is because of the impact that we get to make with that money and the contribution and the contribution to legacy to build that for generations to come within our families.

 

And I think the impact also starts a lot with us, right, into our personal growth and into our development because we have also been conditioned and we've also discussed that especially as mothers, we give, we give, we give, we give, and we often pause in our life to have any sort of growth within ourselves because, well, we're growing as mothers, but what about us as our actual beings?

 

So having that access to the money enables us to go to retreats, to join containers and coachings and everything that we need to actually self-develop into the person we want to become and that we want to become for us, for our family, and also then to give us the fuel and the power to create that impact that then we're here to create.

 

Because when we have more, when we have more money, we can give more money.

 

We can help loved ones.

 

We can help causes that are very near and dear to our heart.

 

We can secure our family's future.

 

It's just money really allows us to create a very meaningful legacy on many different levels.

 

Absolutely.

 

And it's breaking those cycles of scarcity in showing how you can put money to work for you and not you just working for money, which is the level that ultimately everybody wants to get to.

 

Like you just don't want it to be a matter of a paycheck that runs out.

 

And then at the end of the month, you're waiting for the next paycheck.

 

And so you want to feel expensive.

 

You want to feel that things are multiplying, that there's this compounding effect.

 

And money has that.

 

That's why they call it the 8th wonder of the world.

 

It's the whole compounding effect on money.

 

But you need to have it so that it starts to compound.

 

You have to start building that legacy and put that momentum in motion, so that it starts to do what it's meant to be doing.

 

And of course, this is also like long lens.

 

This is you saying, you know, down the line.

 

If things were to happen, knock on wood, right?

 

But just like those unexpected twists of destiny and life that come at us, are we prepared?

 

Are we prepared to have that security and safety cushion, so to speak, to say, yeah, I can take this hiccup and not go into full on anxiety and sickness because I'm so worried about what?

 

Exactly.

 

And I think the fifth one is money is able to provide us with the daily joys we get and really abundant way of life.

 

Money allows us to say yes to certain luxuries that we also desire, that our kids desire, but without the guilt either.

 

When my son asks me, is that mommy, can I have this?

 

Can we go there?

 

Can we do this?

 

I always want to say no, I don't want to be a no mom.

 

I want to be a yes mom.

 

I want to give them and it has nothing to do with, oh, they're going to be so spoiled.

 

They're going to want this all the time.

 

They're going to feel entitled.

 

Not at all, because we're anyways changing the trajectory of our lives.

 

And about the experience you want them to have.

 

Who says they shouldn't experience this?

 

Who says they shouldn't have the access to this at a young age of that level of experiences?

 

We're creating memories, and we're only with these kids for a certain number of years till they're like, mommy, can I skip this holiday?

 

Or can I go with my friends instead?

 

That time will sadly come.

 

And it is now our time where I want to say yes to absolutely, well, almost, we do need to set boundaries, but to what they want.

 

Wants to go theme park, let's go.

 

He wants to go to this holiday, let's go.

 

Let's make this these years really count.

 

And yeah, you know, it's funny when you mentioned this, and I know that this is a big one for us conscious moms who are like, I want to say yes, I want to say I want to treat them, but I also maybe realistically, I don't have the funds right now or maybe I do, but I don't want to raise an entitled child.

 

And so, so there is a space where I need to, it's a private Facebook community that, that I have put together alongside my husband, Fabian, which is precisely about that.

 

It's about how to have this conversations without feeling that you're traumatizing them or creating really negative money stories for them that they later have to unravel, or, or feeling that you are getting the wrong message across about how they are going to start viewing and relating to money.

 

Because this is all too common.

 

And I have like the best line to tell your child whenever, you know, you are either in that space of, I cannot really afford it, or I really just want to draw the line here for this reason.

 

And I want to say, no, how can I say that in a way that doesn't create all of this effects or negative impacts down the line?

 

So I'm going to put that in the show notes to share, but as Desiree is saying, going back to the, not only for our kids, but I also want to rescue the fact that we as women put ourselves last.

 

This is the reason why Mama Bear's oatmeal was always cold.

 

It's because we're always putting things last, and then we say, oh, I love this particular item of clothing, or I wish I could treat me to a mani-pedi, but it seems very superficial, and it also feels frivolous, and it also feels like I need to ask for permission around this, and it's not really justifiable, and, and, and, and, and, right?

 

So when money comes into the picture, and you are in this place, you can fully step into those treats that are not.

 

Yes.

 

You know, they are not like, oh, I have to have it because otherwise my life is going to spectacularly just feel like it's, it's in the negative.

 

But it's sort of like those streets that make life enjoyable.

 

What else are we working for if not for that long lens, short lens approach?

 

Long lens is building for the future, that legacy impact, that, you know, that holiday vacation that you're aiming for, all of those things are amazing.

 

But also short lens in that, hey, what little treat?

 

For me, it's like going for an amazing matcha that I can share with a friend and say, yeah, this was a moment of oxytocin bonding, but also, you know, over a treat that I really, really love and cherish so much.

 

And so that is this fifth point that we're all about, is like, how can we use it in the now for those moments that make life, life?

 

And at the same time, it teaches our kids this self-worth, the joy, the gratitude, the paying for, the generosity, it models all of that for them.

 

And that is already how we can break that cycle because that, what we do now, it continues on with them and more.

 

Yeah, it's that modeling.

 

Absolutely.

 

When we, as women, we become financially empowered.

 

So like fully in our power, meaning like we are unapologetic about owning this desire to say, I am striving for more.

 

I want more money.

 

Like I want it.

 

I, it's something that I am willing to work towards in an aligned ethical way, of course, right?

 

Everything starts to change because we, as women, stop playing small.

 

We stop asking for permission.

 

We stop dabbling in that guilt.

 

And we start showing, most importantly, our kids what it actually looks like to do it.

 

And there's not a lot of role models that we had, I guess, in our generation that we can reference to.

 

So obviously, we are trying to change and flip that for the generations that are coming after us.

 

Yeah.

 

So we can confidently say that money does buy happiness because it buys us freedom, the peace of mind, and it gives us our time back.

 

It also allows us for better experiences to create cherished memories and relationships.

 

Number three, it also gives us this invaluable access to health and to wellness.

 

And also it leads us to creating a bigger impact, contribution, and that allows us to build legacy.

 

And lastly, probably not last, but we don't have enough time to go into even more deeper points.

 

But also it buys us happiness because it allows us to live in this daily abundance, the daily joys and daily luxuries that we truly deserve as well.

 

So money doesn't in a way replace happiness, but it magnifies it where when your heart is in the right place, and we need to break free from these limiting money beliefs that we were taught and really embrace money.

 

And then that gives us the fuel to want to make even more money, to keep paying it forward to others as well.

 

So yeah, this is a very, very summarized takeaway of this conversation that definitely delves into many, many other layers.

 

But if you want to really take it to the next fun level with us and how we are doing this, how we are putting into practice this whole game of money into our lives and amplifying it in a way that feels aligned and fulfilling, then go and check our webinar where we show you how Des and I are doing it.

 

Visit mombossesabroad.com.

 

Thank you for listening.

 

If you found value, inspiration, or a nugget of wisdom in any part of our conversation, we would be so grateful if you could take a moment to show your support.

 

Leave a rating and review and share this podcast with another mom.

 

Remember, your feedback fuels our passion to continue delivering meaningful content that uplifts and empowers mom bosses around the globe.

 

Until next time, keep being the amazing mom that you are.

 

Important Links:

Momergy Essentials - Home | Momergy Essentials

Iva Perez - The Momergy Movement
Desiree Gonzalez - Oily Essentials

Follow us on:

Facebook

Facebook Mom Bosses Abroad

Instagram
@Mom.bosses.abroad Instagram

@MomergyMovement Instagram

@desiree_oilyessentials Instagram

Resources

Alright mamas, we get this question all the time:
“What are your go-to products that actually help your family stay well and thrive?” And the truth is, we don’t do complicated. We do powerful basics that work with our bodies and our lifestyles. It really comes down to four essentials that have become non-negotiable for us.
You can explore all of them at http://oilyessentialsfamily.com/water .
And if something in your soul whispers “This could be a business too”—head to http://mombossesabroad.com and let’s chat.

Embed.ly / oEmbed URL  https://oembed.libsyn.com/embed?item_id=37024515