Cortburg Speaks Retirement

Money and Happiness: How to Save Smart and Enjoy Life Now

• Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, CRC® • Season 2025 • Episode 269

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 Is it possible to be financially responsible and still enjoy your life right now? In this week’s episode, Miguel Gonzalez, CRC, shares 5 practical ways to align your money habits with what truly makes you happy. 

Cortburg Retirement Advisors is a boutique financial planning firm committed to helping you grow, protect, and preserve your assets from your first job to retirement. We specialize in wealth management, estate and tax planning, group retirement, employee benefits, insurance, and retirement planning to navigate any economic climate.

Miguel Gonzalez, a Retirement Specialist with 20+ years of experience, offers expertise in retirement income planning, investment management, and retirement plan design. With an MBA from Columbia Business School, and professional experience with JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, and more, Miguel is a trusted advisor for his clients.

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Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement Podcast
with Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, CRC®

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Welcome to Cortburg Speaks Retirement

An audio podcast about investing in the stock market, financial planning, money management and retirement planning.  Each Wednesday, we help investors at all stages of life learn how to potentially grow and preserve their money from first job through retirement.

Now here is your host, Miguel Gonzalez.

 HOST

Good morning and welcome to the CORTBURG SPEAKS RETIREMENT audio podcast.   
 

This week, I want to talk about something we don’t often discuss when it comes to money—happiness. Specifically, how to find the right balance between saving for tomorrow and enjoying your life today.
 
 Too often, people feel like they have to choose between being responsible and being happy. But the truth is, financial balance means having both.
 
 1. Know What Brings You Joy
 Start by identifying what truly adds value to your life. It might be travel, family experiences, or even small daily comforts like your morning coffee. Once you know what matters most, you can spend intentionally—cutting costs in areas that don’t bring real satisfaction.
 
 2. Save With Purpose
 Saving isn’t just about security—it’s about creating future freedom. When your savings are tied to meaningful goals, like buying a home or taking that dream trip, every dollar feels like progress, not deprivation.
 
 3. Automate Good Habits
 Set up automatic transfers to savings or investment accounts so you’re consistently building toward your goals—without having to think about it. This helps you enjoy spending the rest guilt-free, knowing you’ve already prioritized your future.
 
 4. Avoid Comparison
 Social media can make it look like everyone else is doing better—nicer vacations, bigger homes, flashier cars. But financial happiness comes from focusing on your own progress, not someone else’s highlight reel.
 
 5. Build a “Fun Fund”
 A small, separate account just for guilt-free spending can help you maintain balance. Whether it’s dinners out, hobbies, or spontaneous plans—knowing you’ve budgeted for enjoyment keeps you from overspending elsewhere.
 
 In Closing
 Money and happiness aren’t opposites—they’re partners. When you plan your spending with intention and save with purpose, you can live well today while still building for tomorrow.
 

This is Miguel Gonzalez, Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC) and Managing Partner, with Cortburg Retirement Advisors signing off for this week’s educational podcast.  

End of video disclosures:
CRC conferred by The International Foundation for Retirement Education.


 Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, LLC, a registered investment advisor.
 
 

Private Advisor Group, LLC and Cortburg Retirement Advisors, Inc. are separate entities from LPL Financial.
 
 

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
 
 

All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.

 

Contributor

Miguel Gonzalez, MBA, AIF®, CPFA®, PPC®, CRC®

Host