Frugal Friends Podcast — Episode Summary
Episode Title: 21 Awful Money Habits That Will KEEP YOU BROKE!
Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Date: September 16, 2025
Episode: Frugal Friends Podcast — Backyard Ventures, Episode 21
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode focuses on the 21 (plus a bonus!) most damaging money habits that can keep people stuck in a cycle of financial stagnation or “being broke.” Jen and Jill blend practical frugal wisdom with humor, real-life stories, and listener anecdotes, aiming to help listeners break free from harmful spending and saving habits. The conversation is candid, relatable, and designed to empower listeners to build intentional, sustainable money habits—whether saving, paying off debt, adopting minimalism, or just seeking to avoid living paycheck to paycheck.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Habit by Habit Breakdown
1. Procrastina-Spending [03:32]
- Definition: Shopping or spending as a way to avoid actually doing an intended task.
- Examples: Buying journals but never journaling, or buying workout gear but not exercising.
- Quote: “It’s shopping instead of doing it.” — Jen (04:06)
2. Saving What’s Left Over [04:46]
- Why It’s Harmful: Waiting until the month’s end to save guarantees nothing will be left.
- Solution: Automate your savings as the first action after payday.
- Quote: “Saving is not natural, it’s intentional. And it’s a habit we have to put on autopilot and do first instead of doing later.” — Jill (04:50)
3. Not Investing Early [05:16]
- Point: No one regrets starting to invest early—waiting costs you compounding returns.
- Advice: Start with small amounts but start now.
4. Not Actually Investing (Just Funding Accounts) [06:04]
- Many put money into retirement accounts (like Roth IRAs), but don’t actually select and invest in stocks or funds.
- Relatable Moment: Both hosts admit to making this mistake.
- Quote: “I thought I did the thing, like I opened a Roth and I put money into it. No, I... did not actually then go and tell it what to be purchasing, where to be investing it.” — Jen (06:54)
- Tip: Check your account; make sure you’re holding actual investments, not just cash.
5. Maxing Out Credit Utilization to 30% [08:10]
- Big myth: Keep utilization well under 30%—ideally pay it to zero monthly for best credit-building.
6. Pointless Lifestyle Creep [08:33]
- Nuance: It’s not “bad” to have life get nicer as your income increases—unless it’s driven by comparison or expectation.
- Funny Quip: “Intentional creep. Be the creep. I don’t know.” — Jen (10:13)
7. Lack of Spending Awareness [10:23]
- Tracking is about collecting data, not self-shaming.
- Practical Tip: Do a 90-day transaction inventory to identify blind spots and impulses.
- Quote: “We do not track to shame ourselves into obedience… We are aware and we are tracking for data.” — Jill (11:34)
8. Avoidance [12:18]
- Ignoring financial problems or “money anxiety” makes things worse.
- Real Story: A listener went from avoidance and debt to being a certified financial educator.
- Quote: “I constantly avoided checking my bank account because I had so much money anxiety and I just kept digging myself into this hole of debt…” — Listener (13:02)
- Hosts’ Reflection: Money is often made to seem complex by those trying to pitch products/services. Ignore the noise; basics are simple.
9. Emotional Spending [15:00]
- Spending as a coping mechanism leads to regret and imbalance.
- Tip: Awareness and tracking habits bring patterns to light.
10. Buying Your Status [16:17]
- Luxury items: Fine if affordable, but not worth sacrificing financial peace to “look successful.”
- Wisdom: Paraphrasing Warren Buffett—wealth in life is about people who love you, not possessions.
11. Ignoring Your Emergency Fund [19:14]
- Not building a rainy day fund sets you up for unnecessary hardship.
- Practicality: Start with $10/week if needed; high-yield savings accounts are best.
12. Overspending on Housing [21:26]
- Moving into a pricier-than-necessary apartment/house chips away at long-term goals.
- Listener Story: Increased rent by a couple hundred dollars per month creates large missed opportunities for investing.
- Bonus Tip: Always negotiate—especially when signing a lease.
13. Financing Cars to Build Credit [24:31]
- Don’t keep trading in/up and rolling over debt.
- Build credit with other means (credits cards, rent payment cards) to avoid constant interest on depreciating assets.
14. Not Planning or Goal-Setting [25:58]
- Personality Shoutout: Planners vs. YOLO spenders; need for a shared plan with partner.
- “Your financial plan doesn’t have to be set in stone… But if you operate without a plan, you will be inefficient.” — Jill (26:26)
15. “Affording” Stuff vs. Valuing Stuff [27:12]
- Just because you have cash doesn’t mean you should buy—can lead to excess clutter and lifestyle inflation.
- Hosts’ Experience: Buying for the sake of buying leads to more “creep.”
16. Trusting Too Easily — Falling for Scams [28:39]
- Financial fraud is rampant and scams keep getting more sophisticated.
- SEC returned $8.2 billion to harmed investors in 2024, mainly due to crypto fraud.
- Tip: Always be skeptical—even with people you know.
17 & 18. Chasing Too High / Not Chasing Higher Salaries [31:44] & [33:34]
- Both extremes are harmful:
- Chasing more money won’t fix bad habits.
- Settling for less because you’re “frugal” or “content” can stunt your growth.
- Encouragement: Find balance—seek advancement in skills, pay, and wisdom.
19. Overcomplicating Finances [34:58]
- Simpler is better—avoid day-trading, unnecessary side hustles, or thinking extreme complexity is required for financial success.
20. Not Updating Finances Regularly [35:59]
- Check-in at least yearly—goals and habits change, so should your approach.
21. Self-Blame and Financial Regret [37:30]
- Beating yourself up for past money mistakes only slows progress.
- Quote: “It doesn’t matter anymore… The debt’s already done. Why are we going to keep living in the past?” — Jen (38:11)
- Reframe regret as a learning opportunity. Growth comes from moving forward.
Lightning Round: “A Broke Habit I Left Behind For Good” [45:59]
- Jen: Stopped thinking “cheapest is best”—now, quality is worth extra cost.
- “I spent a lot of money this weekend replacing cheap stuff that literally…it was just sitting in my closet, taking up space.” — Jen (46:25)
- Jill: Stopped buying things just because they're inexpensive (thrift stores, yard sales). Less clutter, more value.
- “I was only valuing it based on the money. ‘Look at all the stuff I got for $10’—but then it was just stuff I got…” — Jill (47:31)
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On Awareness:
“We do not track to shame ourselves into obedience…” — Jill, [11:34] -
On Emergency Funds:
“No one is irreplaceable at your job.” — Jill, [20:31] -
On Investing:
“No one has ever said, ‘I wish I started investing later.’” — Jen, [05:16] -
On Status:
“Status means nothing if you don’t have financial peace.” — Jill, [16:17] -
On Scams:
“Scammers are not dumb, they're actually brilliant… they're using AI voices of people you know to call and get you to send money…” — Jill, [29:43] -
On Regret:
“We can flip the script, change the narrative, and really change how we feel about something. The perspective… can provide that pathway forward.” — Jen, [39:30]
Listener Stories & Testimonials
- Negotiating Medical Bills: [41:35]
- Kate from New Jersey saved over $600 by negotiating a 30% discount on a medical bill, a tip she learned from the podcast.
- Hosts’ reaction: “That episode was so good, I think it should be required listening or watching for everyone.” — Jill, [42:48]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- Introduction/Main Theme: [00:40] – [01:44]
- Awful Money Habits List Starts: [03:32]
- Listener Regret Story (Avoidance): [12:18]
- Status/Luxury Spending: [16:17]
- Emergency Fund Advice: [19:14]
- Overspending on Housing/Negotiation Tip: [21:26] & [23:24](Negotiation tip and personal story after outro)
- Scams & Fraud Warnings: [28:39]
- Competing Salary Goals: [31:44] & [33:34]
- Lightning Round — Personal Habit Changes: [45:59]
- Listener Bill of the Week: [41:31]
- Housing Negotiation Story (after outro): [51:23]
Tone & Language
- Genuine, fun, conversational, and encouraging
- Honest admissions of past mistakes (“this happened to me too”), real-life listener testimonies
- Frequent playful jabs at each other, with an emphasis on practical, actionable tips
Conclusion
Jen and Jill use humor, vulnerability, and actionable advice to break down the most common financial habits that keep people stuck. By blending “real talk” with tactical how-to’s—and peppering in personal and listener stories—they make frugality accessible and shame-free. Whether it’s automating savings, remaining skeptical of “get rich quick” schemes, or simply giving yourself grace over past mistakes, the episode is a toolkit for finally breaking the cycle of “being broke,” with plenty of laughter and memorable wisdom.
If you want to go deeper:
- Check out their referenced book: Buy What You Love Without Going Broke
- Listen to related episodes (medical bills negotiation, hobbies, frugal swaps)
- Visit the Frugal Friends website for extras and discounts
For newcomers:
You’ll walk away with a clear, actionable understanding of which habits to change, why they matter, and that you’re absolutely not alone in your financial missteps—or your journey to fix them.