Financial Wellness Session Recap with Mattie Duppler

At the Financial Wellness Session with Mattie Duppler, we talked about money in a way that actually felt practical and doable. 

One of the first things she said was simple: check your bank account every day. Not once a week. Not just when you’re nervous. Every single day. At first, that sounds extreme, but her point made so much sense. When you look at your account daily, you stop being scared of it. You become aware. Money isn’t this emotional, overwhelming thing anymore.  

She also talked about having an emergency fund, but she explained it in a way that really stuck with me. In college, most of us aren’t fully on our own yet. So instead of only thinking of savings as an “emergency” fund, she thought of hers as a dream fund. I loved that. She didn’t want money to be the only reason she had to take a job. She wanted freedom. She even shared that she used Amazon stock as a safety net when she started her business. The goal wasn’t to be rich. The goal was to have options. 

That’s really what the whole session came down to: money is permission. Permission to do the things you want to do with your life. Money isn’t the end goal. It’s a tool. The question we should be asking is, what do I want my money to allow me to do? 

She also reminded us that financial wellness is a habit. It doesn’t magically get easier when you make more money. In fact, it can get harder because it becomes easier to spend. Once you have more, you’ll find more ways to use it. That’s why building good habits now matters. 

One practical tip she shared was reviewing spending every week. She personally uses Excel and sits down to look at what was spent. The goal isn’t to feel guilty. It’s to be aware. She and her husband even talk about certain purchases before they make them. That pause helps them stay on the same page. 

Another big takeaway was thinking about trade-offs. If you buy the shiny purse, that’s okay, but maybe that means eating ramen or having six roommates. Every choice has a trade-off. We just have to be honest with ourselves about what we value most. Comparison can be so easy, especially with social media, but we really do know what’s best for our own lives. 

She also talked about being smart and a little defensive with your money. Influencers are constantly trying to sell us something. Her mental trick? Assume the person selling it is keeping the tags on and returning it. That perspective helps you slow down before clicking “buy.” Since we can order anything online in seconds, there’s no natural barrier stopping money from leaving our account. We have to create that pause ourselves. 

On the more technical side, she encouraged us to maximize benefits like a 401(k) match and an HSA if we have access to them. Compounding works best when you start early, but you have to be willing to put money in. And if you have credit card debt, focus on paying that off first if the interest is higher than what you’d earn investing. That’s just being practical. 

She also encouraged us to negotiate. Not just salary, but flexibility, vacation days, or work-from-home options. One thing she said that really stood out was, “No one is going to fight for you if you don’t fight for yourself.” That applies to money and so much more. 

One of my favorite parts of the session was her optimism about Gen Z. We have so many opportunities. There are countless ways to make money today. Tools like AI can save time and help us work smarter. The only real limit is our time.

This blog post was written by Chloe Simmons, the Communications Associate at the Network of enlightened Women.