Podcast Summary: The Stacking Benjamins Show

Episode: How Are You Creating Your Happiest Life? (SB1734)
Date: September 12, 2025
Guests: Paula Pant (Afford Anything), Joel Larsgaard (How to Money), OG
Host: Joe Saul-Sehy
Theme: Exploring the link between happiness, financial satisfaction, and life stages through a lively panel discussion.

Overview

This episode is a roundtable featuring Joe Saul-Sehy, OG, Paula Pant, and Joel Larsgaard, examining how we create our happiest lives through intentional financial and life choices. Using a new study on happiness across the lifespan as a jumping-off point, they share personal stories, discuss the pursuit of financial independence, and dive into the role of optimism, community, and self-awareness in personal fulfillment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life Satisfaction: Personal Trajectories

• Panelists reflect on their own life satisfaction (10:03 - 12:52):
  • Joel Larsgaard: "If we're giving rankings, I'm like an 8 out of 10… As I've begun to put work more in its proper place in my life, and as my kids have gotten a little bit older, I've been able to see my happiness metrics go up." (10:03)
  • Paula Pant: "Seven out of ten… As I've gotten older, I lean more into what I want to do and not what other people want me to do." (10:48)
  • OG: “We're steadily increasing… If you're looking ahead and you're seeing a lot of interesting and fascinating things and things that are motivating to you, then you're more likely to be excited about where you are and where you're headed.” (11:51)

2. Happiness Across the Ages

• When is peak happiness? Discussing the ‘happiness curve’ study (13:22 - 22:02):
  • Most guessed mid-20s to early-30s as the perceived happiest time due to fitness, new experiences, and less responsibility.
  • Reality Check: Study shows happiness peaks at age 70, with satisfaction dropping in adolescence and gradually climbing afterward.
  • Joel Larsgaard: "Sounds good to me. 30 more years of my joy increasing? That sounds fantastic." (22:02)
  • OG: “I would have thought mid-50s…when you realize all that back then didn’t matter as much as you thought it did.” (16:57)
  • Paula Pant: Recalls severe stress in school over things that, in hindsight, were minor—emphasizes how perspective changes with age. (16:04)
  • Doug: Coalesces the idea of “hitting DGAF” (don't give a [expletive]), that realization that life’s stressors weren’t as consequential as we thought. (15:03)

3. Financial Independence and Happiness

• The psychological relief of work becoming optional (23:26 - 25:55):
  • Paula Pant: “Knowing…that [work] is an option…helps you take more risks. How many people do you hear about who start their businesses in their late 60s?” (23:26)
  • OG: “I don’t know that happiness is lack of stress. It’s not that 70-year-olds don’t have any stress…it’s just different stuff. Or they’ve learned how to manage it.” (24:50)

4. Parenthood, Financial Strain, and Emotional Volatility

(26:36 - 28:46)

• Joel Larsgaard: "Parents experiencing financial strain are more likely to become unhappy than non-parents will ever be…That’s why starting early is so important on the personal finance front." (26:36)
• Parental happiness has higher highs but much lower lows, especially with money stress.

5. Money’s True Role in Happiness

(27:59 - 28:46)

• Financial stability brings peace of mind but hitting ever-increasing numbers doesn't guarantee more happiness.
• OG: “There’s also all the studies that say after a certain amount, there’s no additional unit of happiness for every unit of money…If you’re not going to be happy at a million, you’re not going to be happy at ten million.” (28:24)

6. Should We Seek Financial Independence ASAP? The “Race to FI” Debate

(39:46 - 44:13)

• Joel Larsgaard: “Trying to achieve financial independence as quickly as possible can diminish your ability to enjoy your life in the here and now…Taking a slightly prolonged approach to achieving FI is going to make most people happier.” (39:46)
• Paula Pant: “There’s a distinction between lean fire and fat fire…People who are pursuing lean fire often try to do so through shrinkage. When you get to that kind of an almost obsessive mindspace, it’s not sustainable.” (40:58)
• Discussion highlights dangers of hyper-frugality and the importance of maintaining enjoyment, hobbies, and relationships along the way.

7. Emotions, Investing, and Life Balance

(44:13 - 48:16)

• OG: "You have to give yourself a lot of grace... Set aside time and resources for the future and give yourself room to do what's important to you now." (45:15)
• Balance and sustainability trump all-or-nothing approaches.

8. Learning Optimism: The Hidden Key

(49:37 - 56:25)

• Joel Larsgaard: “I think we have entered this pessimistic era in the US... the more we can practice [gratitude], the more it helps us see what's actually good in our lives and anticipate what good is coming.” (49:42)
• Host Joe references research proving optimism is a learnable trait that correlates with professional and financial success and community building. (51:07)
• Joel: Details a family ritual—"rose, thorn, and bud"—to foster optimism (50:58). OG adds the “wiggly worm” (something funny from the day).
• Being optimistic helps attract others and creates robust social networks, shown to boost happiness and longevity.

9. Closing Thoughts: What to Be Optimistic About

(53:56 - 56:25)

• OG: "You have way more time than you think you do wherever you are…Don’t get stressed." (53:56)
• Paula Pant: “We are at the precipice of some of the most astonishing technological innovations…That’s just a breeding ground for opportunity, both as an investor and entrepreneur.” (54:52)
• Joel Larsgaard: “Your outlook is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy…Name the good now, and the more chance good will happen to you in the future.” (55:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Life Trajectories & Satisfaction

• “As I've gotten older, I lean more into what I want to do and not what other people want me to do.” – Paula Pant (11:04)
• “I'm already moving back up, which is nice to see.” – Joel Larsgaard, on increasing life satisfaction after the challenges of young kids (10:15)
• "You realize all that back then didn't matter as much as you thought it did." – Doug (15:03)

Money & Happiness

• “If you’re not going to be happy with life at a million bucks or whatever, you’re not going to be happy when you have ten million.” – OG (28:24)
• “It's not that 70-year-olds don't have any stress in their lives, they just have different stuff. Or they've learned how to manage it.” – OG (24:50)

Financial Independence & Enjoyment

• “Taking a slightly prolonged approach to achieving financial independence is going to make most people happier.” – Joel Larsgaard (39:46)
• "The amount of sacrifice that it takes...it’s going to disallow you to enjoy some of those hobbies or friendships that are really meaningful." – Joel Larsgaard (43:04)

Optimism & Community

• “We’ve entered this pessimistic era...the more we can practice gratitude, the more it helps us see what’s actually good.” – Joel Larsgaard (49:42)
• "Your outlook is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy...the more you see the good, the more good things are actually going to happen to you, too." – Joel Larsgaard (55:50)
• "You have way more time than you think you do wherever you are. Don’t get stressed." – OG (53:56)
• “Given that we are on the cusp of so many innovations and so much advancement, that's just a breeding ground for opportunity, both as an investor and as an entrepreneur.” – Paula Pant (54:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Life Satisfaction Personal Rankings: 10:03 – 12:52
• Guesses on Peak Happiness Age: 13:22 – 16:57
• Study Reveals Happiness Peaks at 70: 21:12 – 22:02
• Financial Independence and Later-life Entrepreneurship: 23:26 – 25:55
• Importance of Parental Financial Stability: 26:36 – 27:37
• Does More Money = More Happiness?: 27:59 – 28:46
• Race to Financial Independence Debate: 39:46 – 44:13
• Emotional States and Investing: 44:13 – 48:16
• Optimism, Gratitude, & Community: 49:37 – 56:25
• Panel's Closing Optimistic Takeaways: 53:56 – 56:25

Takeaway Section (Doug’s Recap)

• Reflection practice: "Daily reflection on your roses, your thorns and your buds will get you on a path to happiness sooner rather than later." (63:15)
• Relief for the young and stressed: If you're in your high-stress 20s or 30s, more happiness is ahead.
• Financial independence is a means, not an end: Enjoy the journey, not just the finish line.

Summary Table: Panel's Practical Advice

| Advice & Insight | Who Gave It | Takeaway | |----------------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | Enjoy work/life now, don't sacrifice all for FI | Joel Larsgaard | Sustainable, balanced approach > race to FI | | Live for your own values | Paula Pant | Lean into what you want to do as you age | | Optimism is a learned (and rewarded) trait | Joel & Joe | Practice gratitude to build resilience | | Social connectivity matters | Joe / Joel | Prioritize core pursuits and community | | Start saving/investing, it's never too late | OG | Wherever you are, you have more time than you think |

Final Thoughts

This episode is a lighthearted yet deeply thoughtful meditation on what it means to live a rich, satisfied life. The panel emphasizes that happiness, while correlated with financial security, ultimately comes from perspective, purposeful living, optimism, and relationships. Financial independence is a worthy goal, but it shouldn't cost you the present.

The show wraps up with a reminder that technological and social change brings opportunity—and that a balanced, optimistic approach to work, money, and life leads to greater long-term satisfaction.

For more, catch Joel Larsgaard’s and Paula Pant’s own podcasts: How to Money & Afford Anything.