#68: Ask Paula – How to Invest Your Tax Refund, Save for College, and Avoid Massive Pitfalls

Think about how you spend an average day. Would the 10-year-old version of yourself be impressed? What about the 90-year-old version?

These two powerful questions frame our conversation with Sahil Bloom, founder and managing partner of an early-stage venture fund with investments in over 60 startups and author of The Curiosity Chronicle, a newsletter that reaches more than a million readers worldwide.
Sahil shares the story of his own wake-up call. While living in California and earning massive money as a venture inventor, he had a drink with an old friend who asked how often he saw his parents. When Sahil answered “about once a year,” his friend asked how old they were. Learning they were in their mid-60s, his friend calculated: “So you’re going to see your parents 15 more times before they die,” assuming they’d live to about 80.
That gut-punch realization led to massive change. Within 45 days, Sahil had left his job, sold his house, and moved across the country to be closer to family.

This shift represents the core of Sahil’s philosophy about the five types of wealth:

1. Time wealth: Control over your calendar and priorities
2. Social wealth: Deep, meaningful connections with others
3. Mental wealth: Curiosity, purpose, and personal growth
4. Physical wealth: Health and vitality
5. Financial wealth: Traditional money and assets

Most of us focus exclusively on financial wealth because it’s easily measurable. But Sahil argues that true wealth encompasses all five domains, and we should intentionally invest in each one.

Sahil shares practical exercises for building each type of wealth:

– For time wealth, create an “energy calendar” by tracking which activities energize versus drain you
– For social wealth, map your relationships based on how healthy and frequent they are
– For purpose, ask yourself what your world (family, community, etc.) needs from you
– For physical wealth, focus on movement, nutrition, and recovery through simple practices
– For financial wealth, clearly define what “enough” looks like for you

These five domains aren’t meant to be balanced perfectly every day. Instead, Sahil suggests thinking in seasons — some periods might emphasize financial growth while others prioritize family time.

Sahil also discusses powerful concepts like goals versus anti-goals (what you’re unwilling to sacrifice to reach your goals) and “Memento Mori” — the ancient Roman practice of remembering one’s mortality to inspire present action.

The conversation ends with a reminder that “your life has seasons” just like the weather — you don’t expect to experience all four seasons in a single day, so don’t expect perfect balance in every area of life simultaneously.

For more from Sahil Bloom, find him on major social platforms or visit fivetypesofwealth.com.