In 2026—there’s almost nothing I can’t Google or learn from a podcast or AI. If I need free support, it’s online. But for a long time, I really struggled with paying for help. It felt like I was dipping into the family pot for something that, at the end of the day, I could go without. After all, there were orthodontist bills, travel teams, and camps to think about.

One of the ugly side effects of the belief that I wasn’t worth spending money on was what it did to my relationships. I would see other women splurge on themselves and use this phrase I’ve come to absolutely hate: ‘Isn’t it nice she can afford that.’ Now, Team, I fully believed it came down to money — as if the only issue at hand was that someone had expendable income and I didn’t. It took me years to realize that it wasn’t about money at all—it was about value. These women valued themselves and were willing to show that by investing in their own health and wellbeing. Something I couldn’t do until I was willing to better understand my guilt.

It was when I felt my resentment bleeding into my relationships with my children and my husband that I finally got desperate enough to do something about it. Women I trusted encouraged me to invest in myself in small ways at first: a few hours of childcare, a new pair of jeans that actually fit me, a trip to the nail salon. And it was this quote that got me through those early years:

Feel the guilt and do it anyway.

Team, those words got me to go from feeling shameful for wanting to hire a babysitter for a few hours to, years later, investing in an entire week away from my family at a yoga retreat. ‘Feel the guilt and do it anyway?’ Our Capital One card agrees. But, in all seriousness, what I didn’t see back then, but I can see now, was the cost of not investing in myself. The animosity wasn’t just internal. It started breeding quiet bitterness throughout my whole life. And, in the end, the guilt wasn’t protecting anyone. When I invest in myself, the return shows up in places money can’t measure — not just relief, but real restoration for me and my relationships.

If this topic resonates with you, I’m putting a bunch of posts about money and investing in ourselves in the show notes, so you can check those out. And how about you, Team—any reflections on money you’d like to share? I’d really love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Happy, happy Easter and Passover to all of our listeners who are observing this weekend. It’s been a long winter in New England so I’m thrilled to be welcoming in April. Have a lovely weekend, and thanks so much for listening~

Links:
Doubt – How a Broken Camera Motivated Me to Recommit to My Mission
Losing Money – From Financial Faceplants to Silver Linings
Throw Money – The Solution to Almost Every Problem