I remember when my ex got his third $10K bicycle, but was criticizing me for buying some new socks! It’s so true, sexism pervades the financial world, too. Throughout my marriage, I was the only one who worked, but he still griped about me buying anything new to wear. The formal clothes required for my corporate career were “unnecessary”, but not his extensive collection of expensive cycling outfits. Then, when I was in the process of divorcing him, my (male) lawyer criticized me for having a tiny wardrobe budget in my estimated expense budget, while wearing his custom-made suits and expensive Italian leather shoes! I got rid of him, too, and got a great female lawyer!

The idea I remind myself about all the time is this: capitalism offers us consumption as a hollow substitute for meaning.

Random but I love the way that if she doesn’t necessarily agree with what Chelsea said or the way she has said it, she’ll actually combat it and say exactly what she means. It’s always nice seeing people be clear about their thoughts and not being swayed easily

I commented on one of Hannah's videos years ago, saying how perfect a colab with The Financial Diet would be. Hannah replied to my comment saying how she would love to but thought she wasn't a big enough creator yet for them to be interested. I'm so glad it's finally happened!

‘Shopping for beautiful things in a life ruining way’. - this hits home.

Chelsea and everyone at TFD, thank you so much for having me as a guest! 'The Hacking of the American Mind' actually IS by Robert Lustig-his was the name on my lips in the moment but I second-guessed myself. I loved reading it during my no-buy year!

Oh man, that twenty minute mark where Hannah talks about the lifelong work of beauty vs the instant gratification of a beauty product, I so feel that. This is a real issue creative people face!

Not to be dramatic, but this woman changed my life. Big love for Hannah.

Damn this one hits different. No one talks about SPECIFICALLY how difficult it is to not give up on your creative dreams while chasing financial stability. Thank you so much for your channel!!!

I absolutely agree with the idea of chucking clothes that you don't feel good in. Even pajamas. There's no sense in keeping them because if nothing else you'll end up wearing them when you are behind on laundry, and then you'll feel gross. That is my experience anyway. I never regret getting rid of stuff that I didn't feel good in.

I completely get what Hannah was saying. The unhappiness was from not having the creative success she wanted and shopping as a form of escapism or band aid to her longing of success and beautiful things. I don't think she is alone in drawing to that conclusion. It's common in lots of people. I think no-buy is a good way of re-examining your habits and appreciating material things without owning it. I ALSO believe that creatives are extreme undervalued and underpaid so it may be that at the time she did have reason to buy some of these things but her income was so low.

Beautiful things are my vice too 😭 The way she's talked about being compelled by colour and beauty may sound ridiculous to some, but I relate soooo much

I learned that putting away clothes for years that you don't wear and finding them again is like going thrift shopping in your own closet. Since the fashion of the 00s is back, I'm re-wearing things I used to wear in high school and middle school. I'll call it time capsule closet shopping

I did a no-shopping year when I was 26. I had returned from traveling abroad for two months and found shopping repulsive. Why spend time looking for clothes when you already have clothes? Who cares what thing people temporarily admire? It’s been almost 20 years since then, and my attitude is similar but less extreme.

So related to what Hannah said about the struggle of the want of creativity replaced by marketing and the relief of purchasing. I realize if I am actually intentionally create more, the itch of buying decreases.

I gotta agree with Chelsea and her characterization of addiction. It was a little confusing when Hannah on one hand was explaining behaviors using the language of addiction specifically but unwilling to say she was addicted. Addiction of whatever kind can be really shaming inducing, and everyone deals with it differently. I'm glad that Chelsea brought up that addiction is a spectrum and does not always present itself as an extreme manifestation of severe debt etc.

My god this collab makes so much sense!!! Hannah has honestly changed my life and kept me from falling off of an edge when it came to beauty spending. On top of that, she is beauty and poise and an extremely warm personality all rolled up into one ❤️ (also - SHE’S 37?!?!)

I'm 29 minutes into this and all I can say is: I have ADHD + PMDD and what she's describing has defined my life. My ADHD + really bad mood disregulation from PMS/PMDD always cause these episodes for me: "my life is a mess anyway, let me at least secure my identity/wellbeing." Always convinced I'll either fix it later or that it doesn't matter anyway, it's never going to be okay, so let me at least enjoy the mental and emotional soothing those things will bring me. It's not a matter of intelligence or knowledge. I actually arrange payment plans for customers as part of my day job, I can draw up extensive excel sheets for budgeting and when all my ducks are in a row, I can really excel financially(ha.) But the second I feel I hit a dead end - either just feeling depressed from hormones or a sudden hardship or bill I do not see an immediate solution to, none of it matters anymore and all that matters is that emotional itch. I never bought things mindlessly, carelessly or for status/social credit. I would spend hours and hours hyperfocusing, doing extensive research, making things perfect and planning this improvement in either convenience (things that made my daily life easier, home goods and tech) or identity (hair, clothing, makeup, decor - not for others but to make everything feel EXACTLY like I want it to.) It wasn't a matter of acquiring material goods to /have/ more and more, to hoard, I would actually declutter in favor of better and more effective things. But when I found that thing I wanted and it was just right, I would OBSESS over it. It would be everything I cared about and feel like the most urgent, important thing in the world. It was a matter of control and psychological discomfort. Losing perspective due to emotional disregulation or practical issues. Only seeing the problem and not the solution, and therefore abandoning everything entirely and fixing your feelings. Not being able to control your circumstances, instead choosing to control your appearance or house. When my budget plan worked out for the month without any issues, I would never even consider buying those things unless I was in a really really depressed state. I wouldn't even think about it. I would save up and enjoy having a buffer and savings goals. But when I feel bad like that, I'll actively examine what's missing in my life and what I need to buy. I learned two things. 1. The moment I start feeling those feelings, like I'm hitting a dead end or I don't see a solution, I need to REACH OUT. Ask a loved one, ask a professional, tell them: I'm hitting this dead end, I can't pay this bill/make this unexpected purchase/I feel awful. Actively create space to seek a solution other than the spending. Invite people to give the perspective I'm lacking myself. And the other thing (2) is that the feeling of urgency goes away. When I write down what I wanted to buy so badly, and give it a nice little place in my notebook and make a very solid decision to STOP looking at the online store, not do this right now, go cook dinner like I actually need to - the feeling will pass and I can forget about the thing for ages. It will come up again when needed, in a better headspace, and I'll make a much better decision then. Directing away from the ACT of researching the item or browsing the store and towards a different activity like household chores, rather than directing away from the potential purchase, works so well for me. Suddenly my mind has a good perspective again: I can cook this dinner and eat and I'll be nourished and do the dishes and feed the cat and go to bed. No more dead end. This became way longer than I intended and there's a huge chance no one will read it, but if even one person feels better reading it that'd be worth it 🙃

She may be one of the mosy eloquent, artistic, and pragmatic speaker's I've ever witnessed

I can really tell this is LA talking to NYC. 🤣 Great episode! I really enjoyed it as an artist who struggles in times of anxiety or depression with compulsive shopping

Really interested if she considered that having a partner can make it easier to do a long term buy year. If you are solo, you must do everything for and by yourself (of course you have family and friends, but as you get older they are less available because of marriage, kids, higher career positions). I always find that I overspend when I feel empty inside, I tell myself, " well you are the only person who can make this happen why not?!" I find that I spend less when I feel loved and honestly, getting regular intimacy. Thanks for this talk!

This really spoke to me. Hannah articulated things that hadn't even occurred to me. After nearly two years of working from home almost exclusively, my own relationship with clothes and style has been up-ended. The concept of wanting something because you need to show you own beautiful things is something I will ponder for the next little while!

Love to see Hannah here! Hannah’s no buy and Aja Dang inspired my entire journey to become debt free & changing my relationship with my spending. So cool to see her on TFD!

I relate so much to that feeling of being ashamed for caring about fashion and makeup. I'm in my 50's and have fought those feelings for all of my adult life. For me, it actually helped that I became an artist (musician) in my teens and continued on that career path through my 20's. It taught me to respect the importance of beauty in one's life (and in society). Unfortunately, a life in art and academia has also made it very challenging for me to manage my money! I've watched Hannah's channel from day 1 and have found it very inspiring as well as entertaining for the makeup content. :)

6 minutes in an Hannah already may be one of the most interesting people ever!

I'm halfway through my No Buy year and thinking about extending it to two years. This year i focused on just clothes, but i realized I spend a lot on home decor i don't use lol, so want to focus on both clothes and home stuff for the second year. Looking forward to learning about her experience!

I’ve been an avid follower of both TFD and Hannah for years. This is just a perfect collaboration!

Hannah sums up my spending problems purrfectly. I, too, search out & buy beautiful, artistic items. I have strived to surround myself with beauty since I was a child, but it only became a problem once I was an adult & earning a paycheck that I would spend immediately. I'd make sure to pay my bills, but would spend the rest on stuff I didn't need, but desperately wanted. Ugh. Need to stop. I've managed to do No-Buy Months, but have not done a year.

OMG HANNAH!!!!! I’ve been following her right from the end of her initial no-buy year and her channel has helped me a ton to figure out how to handle my own relationship with makeup/beautiful things, I’m sooo happy to see her sharing her experience with other creators 💚💚

I’d be interested to see an interview about finances and neurodiversity. My compulsive spending gets triggered similar to my sugar cravings. A lot of it probably stems from my ADHD brain looking for some dopamine.

All the prep for buying something is much better and satisfying than the actually buying. After you buy something it actually causes depression bc the anticipation is gone and then you go onto the next purchase.

this is EXACTLY the collab i've been hoping for!!

Just because you’re able to bail yourself out doesn’t mean you don’t have an addiction.

This is by far one of the most meaningful KZfaq videos I’ve watched in a while. I was struck by Hannah’s poise and how she spoke with such care about her healing journey with impulsive spending. I’m inspired to do a no-buy year. Thank you TFD!

This was SUCH an incredible interview, I could have easily listened to another hour of it. I was interested in Hannah's experiences in her no-buy year (for the first time in my life, I'm considering doing something similar for myself), but the discussions around buying beautiful things as shorthand for creative expression, plus the relationships between creative communities and money, were so spookily relevant to me, I would have been happy for the entire interview to be about that. I would love to listen to another interview with Hannah, or even her own segment on the show!

As someone who’s part of a cultural ecosystem which creates repeated demand, this video is manna from heaven.

Oh my gosh, I collab I did not expect but one that makes perfect sense. I love Hannah's ability to articulate her feelings around beauty, money, stuff, self worth, and all the intersections. Her content really helped me moderate my spending and take a hard look at whether or not I use what I buy.

Would love to see you guys talking again! You guys have such good chemistry and it really made for great nuance in your discussion here!

The part around 15:00 where you say that financial disfunction is normalized in the creative community.. that's also true in other sectors, like the non-profit sector. Environmental chemistry is one too because most of those jobs pay so little.

Dame Hannah Louise Poston! THE most thoughtful content in the beauty sphere. So happy to see her getting this kind of exposure. Well done, Chelsea and team!!

Clicked on TFD because I’m subscribed to HLP. I love her content and have followed her since her No Buy Year. Her grace, intelligence, wit and beauty and honest exploration of her journey continues to be a thoughtful and engaging process.

HLP has one of my regular channels and her “no buy” videos have helped me immensely. Kudos for connecting with her.

ooo what she spoke about around 19:30 also relating with what she spoke about within 28:00 I’m pretty all or nothing too

The tango community in my city attracts some of the wealthiest people ever. Mostly doctors and engineers who spend hundreds on shoes and clothes. Tango is a very complicated bed hard to learn dance, it requires years of training to be halfway decent. Private classes are extremely expensive.

This popped up randomly when I searched for videos on no buys. Have to say this incredibly well articulated. I admire the guest for how self-aware she is and able to explain this so well.

How refreshing to hear a deep and insightful conversation that doesn't denigrate women's relationship between the pursuit of femininity, happiness, and financial security. The realistic time frame to attain self awareness about your relationship to consumerism, was a very gentle approach within the dramatic decision to stop cold turkey, which allowed you to keep on your path. Great talk.

Hannah, this is why we love you! Your honesty and vulnerability makes us feel so much less alone. Love you so much 💗

The way Hannah describes needing those clothes around the 27:30 mark perfectly articulates the struggle I have. It is so comforting to know that a) I am not crazy and b) not the only one who has felt like this about something (literally) so superficial when I don’t consider myself to be a superficial person.

This made my day! I have watched & rewatched Hannah’s no-spend year on her YT channel, and it is so powerful! I need to go back and watch again. Thank you so much for today’s video! ❤️

My worlds are colliding. Thank you so much for this video from my two favorites! TFD and HLP have been INTEGRAL to me cleaning up my financial life. I seriously owe you two ladies so much. ❤️❤️❤️

I’ve been doing this thing where I allow my feral instincts to take over and I take and spruce up discarded furniture and accessories when people leave them out. It fills the voice of “new stuff” without me spending $150 on Amazon that I don’t have

Overspending is the way I lived my life but I always made a lot of money and never faced up to it. Always managed to dig myself out. Now I tell myself just because I LIKE it doesn’t mean I should buy it. I talk myself out of things most of the time, though not full proof. Your story inspires me to set more stringent and ambitious goals. Thank you

Could have listened to another hour, for real! You can just feel it when it's one of those conversations where every new thought sparks a thousand other great conversation topics and you could go on conversing for ever. Such a good feeling!

Hannah's content was life changing for me at the tail end of 2019 and my journey to becoming debt free and happy with what I own. Her grace and vulnerability gave me chills once again!

The segment on serotonin vs dopamine was eye-opening, and will probably cull my sugar addiction, and wanting to buy clothing, stone dead.

I did a No Buy year before the pandemic. It really does rewire your brain and change your relationship with spending. Highly recommend to everyone!

You should have her back on to discuss the other stuff! This was a super great and relatable conversation

Love everything about this conversation, could listen to Hannah & Chelsea for hours! Please have Hannah back for more!

loved this one - probably one of my favorite episodes. I'd followed Hannah previously, but so many topics discussed. Really hope you have her back for more

Favorite collab ever. Hannah has such balance and never negativity. She's on my must watch list every time she posts, even if I'm not completely into the video topic of which she has many!

So happy to see Hannah on TFD!! Even though I've never had a problem with overspending, I find her perspective on shopping and beautiful things so interesting.

I’ve been watching Hannah for years, I think she had maybe 2,000 subs when I found her. She is a lovely person and I love falling asleep to her voice at night with a playlist almost like ASMR. I valued her lessons, but if I’m being honest have not implemented them fully. Hearing this specific interview when she started to talk about how unhappy she truly was before her no-buy year…TRULY hit me this time. I can relate with this at the current moment and really need to change my habits. My serotonin and dopamine receptors I’m sure are completely out of wack. Thank you Hannah and Chelsea for this interview. The journey to true “happiness” starts today.

as someone currently going through their own version of a no/low-buy lifestyle change, this was immensely helpful and made me feel like i wasn't alone in this type of struggle. i've been going through a clothing no-buy for 3 months at a time because incremental change is less daunting to me than cold turkey. after half a year i have already felt my brain change the way i view sales and marketing tactics, and ive had to reevaluate what i truly want to spend my hard earned money on. thank you for having this eye opening conversation and i will definitely check out hannah's content. thank you for this!

Probably one of the most healing conversations at TFD. Thank you, TFD team and Hannah!! Just subscribed to Hannah's channel.

Hannah was such a unique speaker. It's a breath of fresh air to hear an artists story. I hear her passion when she speaks and I can connect with that.

It is so beautiful to see two articulate women discussing such important topics. I watched HLP’s whole no buy year. It was very inspiring. I grew up in a family that had investments, but looked less wealthy on the outside. We drove old cars and didn’t upgrade the house. I always had everything I needed and a lot of what I wanted, but saving was a priority. Now as an adult, I try to be the same. I do collect a few things, but we try to live our values. We put money into education and having fun. Living in a giant house is not a desire. So I have never tried to look more wealthy than I am, but I do like to look nice.

I luckily discovered Hannah during her no buy year. What a collab!

Chelsea you did a great job of being patient and re-steering the conversation multiple times. As a fellow artist sometimes the lack of direct communication doesn’t allow people to take our experiences/knowledge seriously so kudos!!

I just realized I’ve had an unintentional no-shopping year. I haven’t bought new clothes since I went on vacation in May 2021. I just don’t feel like buying things I don’t need anymore.

I can relate to the spending on expensive, beautiful items being tethered to one's identity. I feel like I am constantly running from how I used to look and be (dressing plain and being shy and unconfident) to who I am now (a little more confident), that I end up spending myself into a hole to be "that girl" and look on the outside as how I feel about myself on the inside. This isn't necessarily always a bad thing...but constantly spending outside my means (which I do a lot) can get me into more trouble than it is worth. Thank y'all for this interview, very enlightening!🙏🏾

When you grow up without a lot and finally make some money, it is so easy to go crazy with it. I did the same thing. I have enough makeup for a lifetime. The pandemic marrying my fiscally conservative husband made me change my ways. It is hard to get out of when you’re in it. Same goes for food. Even my perspective on what is a lot of money has changed drastically. Good episode!

Same way in the writing community. People spend a million dollars a year on ads, make $200,000 from that, then go to panels and call themselves a six-figure writer, etc. Most people don't have a clue how to define profit, sales, gross, etc, and think these people are doing something amazing. Yeah, they're spending far more than anyone else.

I knew for so long that i shop when im sad, now im feel lonely that it makes me sad, but when i declutter i was in shock with all the stuff that i have n never use in my life, all the money that i have thrown in my life. Im going to no buy year on 2024. Thank you for helping me be a better person

I loved this conversation. I am 66YO creative who learned to sew and started working at 15 to support my clothes addiction. To this day it is hard to stop. They do know how to get into our heads or is it we cannot get out of our heads? I think 2023 will be my no buy year. Thank you for the inspiration!

She just perfectly explained why I've started having a spending problem. I couldn't put the words to it. Now I feel that I can sort out. Thank you for sharing.

Appreciating how the organic nature of the conversation revealed so much psychology around money, image, and shame/embarrassment that can underlie or fuel the overspending process. Thank you -

Absolutely perfect collab! Hannah's channel helped me remember how I enjoy and would like to spend my money on beautiful things and why I do it.

Love this collab! Hannah says everything I have felt about my past overspending and the reasons why. So thoughtful, articulate, and calming to listen to.

I never thought about how the things I feel I NEED to spend money on are tied into my identity. I find it easy to purge clothes, makeup, and jewelry, but it hurts me physically to get rid of pens, notebooks, and post it notes. And the last item I felt strongly compelled to buy even though I'm supposed to be on a spending diet while I save for a house, was a leather messenger bag. It all comes back to my identity as a creative writer.

One of the things I love about this series is listening and enjoying a conversation even if you don't have much in common with a guest. Sometimes you find you do have something in common after all. (For me? Yes, I struggle with the compulsion to buy something just because it's on sale. I still do buy on sale, but I wait it out and make sure it's something I truly want.)

Thank you so much for this. I've been watching for months now and truly value the info you share, but this video may be life-changing for me. Hearing Hannah discuss her experience vs. addiction has made me realize I may have a real and true problem.

I love this so much! I have followed Hannah for years now and could listen to her talk about anything because she's so eloquent and her voice is so soothing, but I love hearing her talk about the way she thinks about things in addition to the things themselves.

Thank you for this episode!!! 🙌🏾 Please keep this conversation as I feel this is the ROOT to many of our cultures woes. I love how eloquently this subject was discussed. No judgement no bias. Keep it REAL! Keep it coming. I always feel grounded after listening to these discussions. ✌🏾✌🏾✌🏾✌🏾✌🏾

Loved this interview! As a creative person who's put many of her creative endeavors on the back burner in order to establish an environmental career, it's incredibly frustrating when you meet other artists who shame you for being responsible. I shouldn't be made to feel guilty for having what I have now because it is absolutely a sacrifice to make more responsible fiscal decisions. My creative peers chose their own paths and there are often lifestyle sacrifices that come with it. On the other hand, they also tend to have more freedom to do what they want and less pressure to make sound, "adult" decisions... I moved out of my old housemate situation to move into a nice duplex with my boyfriend. One of my ex housemates was very bitter that my boyfriend and I were moving towards establishing a life together because he was forced to move back in with his parents (with fiancé in tow) due to skyrocketing cost of living in our city... My boyfriend and I were saving all year to move out together while he was frivolously blowing their money away and couldn't pay bills on time half the year. Many artists "don't care about money" until they're faced with the harsh reality of what their irresponsibility has led them to. That said, I feel that I'm in a place where I can dedicate more time towards my creative projects now that I'm living in a place of peace and calm. Life undulates and I'm here for the ride.

This is my favorite talk/interview on any channel, I love hearing other peoples shopping and consumerism dilemmas and how they overcame it. We all live in this society and dealing with constant ads, shopping malls, products, amazon, etc. Everything, almost everything, is based around shopping. Entire cities dedicated to spending money on more things. This is why I love walking the Oregon coast or just getting outside, there's no pressure or urges to buy more crap. For me, it's about the transformation aspect of the purchase. I'm looking to transform in a better version of me which has led me to some questionable spending habits that I'm now trying to break. Love your guest! Renting the hacking of the American mind book from my library!

Hannah is amazing! I’ve been watching and rewatching her videos. Learning about her experience has really pushed me to re-evaluate my relationship with consumerism, my so called “needs” for the next beauty release and I find that a lot of what she says can be applied to all sorts of shopping. Thank you so so so much @hannah for sharing your experiences on YT so candidly. I never knew sharing could be so powerful; and you are one of the many reasons that pushed me to start my YT channel this year. Lots of ♥️

I loved EVERYTHING about this episode. Please bring her back and/or have more videos about overspending and shopping addiction! It’s my #1 vice and I found this so profoundly insightful - I’m dying for more.

The interview of my dreams is here! 😍 I've watched basically every video Hannah's ever made yet this still felt so enlightening. Between Chelsea's amazing questions and Hannah's indefatigable thoughtfulness, I could listen to ten more hours of this. Thank you for making this interview happen!

The rawness of this conversation is so touching. Thank you Chelsea and HLP❤️

OMG I have been watching Hannah for years now! SO HAPPY YOU HAD HER ON THE SHOW ✨✨✨ she’s an absolute gem and one of my favs!

this conversation breaks things down in such a healthy way. i appreciate the way you all don’t frame this as a guilt driven thing

I appreciate the honesty, and vulnerability from both the host, and the guest. If we don’t talk about these things we’ll never address our relationship with money. Thank you both!

So so so glad to hear this! Honest and open! I'm also a partner dancer and fell into this trap in college and my 30s and ended up with a partner who couldn't save either. Now I'm with a stable partner who has zero debt and supports my goals of getting fully debt free so we can be parents one day with less stress

The first time I travelled to the US I could just feel it in the air the need to spend money and look put together. It’s crazy! I guess you can only notice it if looking from the outside in, people genuinely look at you differently and the stores treat you differently and it’s just everywhere. In the one week I was there I was ready to spend 4K on bags and jewelry just because it felt like in my mind I had to have those to be taken seriously and I very much sympathize with that feeling that you’re talking about in this video. I cannot imagine growing up in that environment it’s extremely toxic.

Just discovered this after following Hannah Louise for months now. I love how articulate she is about her journey and her motivations and loved understanding more of her backstory. I was shook when she said she was 37 (I expect now 38)😮. I thought she was *much* younger than me (craggy old 42 😅)

My god, Hannah is just so brave to be so vulnerable online, this is an amazing interview. What a life changing talk! Thank you

I love Hannah! I’ve been subscribed to her channel and a member on Patreon for a while now, but I only decided to do a no buy this month. Her perspective, honesty, and insight gave me the motivation to finally cut the cord on my own out of control spending.

I can relate so much to her feelings and thoughts she expressed when she analyzed what makes her shop cause it's the exact same for me. I am 29 filed bankruptcy at 24 and I am going through it again at 29. I have so much clothes and shoes most still have the tags yet I still say I need them. I shop the majority of my money and rather shop than pay my bill realistically. When I see something I have to have it, my paycheck is spent before I even get it. I imagine where i'm gonna wear it and how and who will see me and that fantasy never even happens nor does that item make me any less beautiful than the dress I wore once and has been sitting for years. I associate my happiness with looking nice when I already have things that make me look nice. I hold myself back from those experiences to even wear it by spending all of my money on the things with nothing left and dodging creditors. I want to cry hearing this podcast episode cause it gives me hope my habits and life can change too.

I really enjoyed this discourse. So much of what Hannah shared resonates with me. A year or so after losing everything material in a wildfire, I went into a season of impulse shopping. I would cycle between spending and returning. The psychology behind it has been really illuminating. I notice as I take steps to purchase more mindfully that I am also taking steps to purge items out of my cabinets and closets.

It was such a treat to hear about this from Hannah Louise Poston. It's been life changing for me to do a no-buy year.