26 Things to STOP BUYING to Save Money in 2026

Summary

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Frugal Friends Podcast

Episode Summary: “26 Things To STOP BUYING to Save Money in 2026”

Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Date: December 30, 2025
Episode: #26

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Episode Overview

In this lively and engaging episode, Jen and Jill count down “26 things to stop buying in 2026” — a playful yet practical list aimed at helping listeners save money, reduce waste, and rethink their spending habits as they head into the new year. Some picks are familiar, others controversial, and a few come with tough love and plenty of personal anecdotes. Together, they highlight the impact of mindful consumption, the allure of “money vampires,” and the importance of aligning spending with real values (and joy). Through humor, transparency, and challenge, this episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to cut back or start fresh financially this year.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Coffee-Related Expenses

• Single Serve Coffee Pods (03:59):

  • Jill admits using an espresso machine but underscores the cost difference: “Single serve coffee pods do cost four to ten times more per cup.”
  • Suggestion: Use reusable pods or switch to traditional ground coffee.
  • Quote: “Americans spend $38 billion on coffee annually. A lot of that is inflated from some of those like convenience costs.” – Jill (04:23)

• Starbucks Purchases (04:53):

  • Jen shares her personal journey away from Starbucks, citing habit, ethical concerns about corporate practices, and loss of local coffee shops: “I have distanced myself from Starbucks because of the practices that they use as a company…” – Jen (05:29)
  • Recommendation: Make coffee at home or support local cafés.

2. Tech & Subscription Traps

• Unlimited Cell Phone Plans (07:58):

  • Jill: “The average [person] uses 15-20 gigabytes per month… millions pay for 100 gigabyte plans… just paying for far more than you need.” (08:35)
  • Action: Check your usage and switch to lower-cost MVNOs (e.g., Mint Mobile).

• Phone Cases & Tech Accessories (10:52):

  • Jill introduces the Diderot Effect—one tech purchase leads to many accessory buys.
  • Advice: Buy one durable case; avoid themed/impulse purchases.

• Tech Upgrades (29:53):

  • Phones can last 5+ years, but people upgrade far more often.
  • “If you could keep your phone for three years instead of two… you’d save at least $4,000.” – Jen (30:38)

3. Lifestyle & Home Habits

• Gym Memberships (12:33):

  • Jen frames canceling as seasonal, not permanent: “It’s okay to just drop it. Pick it up again when you actually do [use it].” – Jill (13:29)
  • Free/cheap alternatives: home workouts, Facebook Marketplace equipment.

• Disposable Cleaning Products (13:55):

  • Switch to reusable cloths to save $150-$300/year and help the environment.
  • Jen: “I’m like making my own wet wipe.” (15:11)

• Seasonal Décor & Trendy Kitchen Gadgets (30:53, 35:08):

  • Avoid annual overbuying; focus on a small, curated collection.
  • Stick to kitchen basics; specialty gadgets usually collect dust.

4. Financial Health & Safety

• Branded Over-the-Counter Medications (15:14):

  • FDA requires generics to be chemically identical and they cost 2–5x less.
  • “Know that ibuprofen is Advil, that acetaminophen is Tylenol… figure it out. Buy the generic.” – Jen (15:54)

• Credit Monitoring Subscriptions (27:41):

  • Free weekly credit reports are available; only pay for added digital safety/ID protection.
  • Jill: “You don’t need to constantly be paying for just a credit monitoring subscription.” (28:00)

• High Fee Financial Advisors (34:28):

  • Jen: “Asset under management fees can consume 28–33% of your total investment returns over 30 years.”
  • Instead, seek flat-fee or advice-only planners.

5. Consumer Creep & “Money Vampires”

• Streaming Services (17:47):

  • Streaming costs have soared, average household has 4.5 services.
  • Jill: “Rotate your subscription like your gym membership.” (18:14)

• Influencer Emotional Support Subscriptions (19:16):

  • Jen: “Groups you pay for to get closer to the influencer… There’s enough free content to go around.” (20:43)
  • Focus on real-life relationships.

• Subscription AI Digital Tools (21:41):

  • Micro-subscription creep: “Average digital spender now has 7 to 9 recurring digital tools…many unused after the first week.” – Jill (22:12)

• Subscription Boxes (31:25):

  • “Churn rates 40–60% in six months… most subscribers keep less than 20% of their items long term.” – Jen (31:40)

6. Fast Fashion & Bottled Water

• Fast Fashion Micro-Hauls (22:52):

  • Impulse clothing buys, free returns, and the environmental cost: “66% of [fast fashion returns] go to landfills” – Jen (23:52)
  • Solution: Capsule wardrobes, secondhand first.

• Plastic Bottled Water & Multiples (24:52):

  • Plastic water is 2,000x the cost of tap; too many reusable bottles is clutter.
  • “If your toddler hid 17 of your water bottles… you have a different problem.” – Jen (25:15)

7. Supplements, Add-ons, and Overconsumption

• Supplements & Greens Powders (26:26):

  • “People are making so much money off this stuff…very little clinical evidence” – Jen (26:54)

• Travel Add-ons & Upgrades (33:22):

  • Most “protection” is already covered by your credit card; seat selection is often unnecessary.

• Brand New Toys for Kids (32:41):

  • Quality has dropped, prices surged, kids outgrow fast.
  • Buy used, rotate toys, avoid overbuying.

• Furniture Made of Particle Board (36:09):

  • Cheap furniture frequently breaks, leading to more waste.
  • Invest in quality secondhand pieces for longevity.

8. Parting Shots: Where the Hosts Draw the Line

• Alcohol (37:12):

  • “We cannot be spending entree money on one singular glass of liquid.” – Jill (37:19)
  • Both admit to cutting back due to cost, health, and enjoyment.

• Hobby Shopping vs. Doing (37:41):

  • “We spend more money on hobby gear than we do on actually doing the hobby. So we’re not doing it anymore. We’re doing the hobby.” – Jen (37:47)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You probably have something in your cart on Amazon that you're wondering, is it on this list?” – Jen (01:24)
• “Some [items] might make you angry. But we hope this helps you on your own financial journey.” – Jill (01:50)
• “You don’t have to monetize your hobby… you don’t need that stress in your life. Do something for fun.” – Jen (38:08)
• “By overconsuming, we take the specialness out of things that should be really special.” – Jen (31:12)
• “If you truly want a streaming service, it’s to stream content. The one you have has content.” – Jen (18:40)
• “Getting a dopamine fix through purchases causes the environment to pay the cost.” – Jill (24:11)

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Listener Segment — "Bill of the Week"

[39:08] Listener Eve from Washington shouts out two real-life “Bills” — mentors and beloved community members — highlighting the value of investing time and money in real people, not virtual relationships.

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Coffee & Starbucks – 03:59–07:48
• Tech Accessories & Upgrades – 10:52–12:33; 29:53–30:53
• Streaming & Subscription Creep – 17:47–22:39
• Fast Fashion Micro-Hauls – 22:52–24:52
• Supplements & Greens Powders – 26:26–27:41
• Cheap Furniture & Decor – 30:53–32:41; 36:09–36:59
• Travel Add-ons, Advisors, Gadgets – 33:22–36:09
• Alcohol & Hobby Shopping – 37:12–38:17
• Bill of the Week (Listener Eve) – 39:08–40:44

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The Hosts' “Not Giving Up” List (42:20)

• Jen: Alcohol, caffeine, daycare.
• Jill: Gum (“It is my brand. Maybe hot dogs, too.”)

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Tone & Style

Jen and Jill are witty, approachable, and occasionally self-deprecating. They don’t mind calling out their own habits and encourage listeners to find grace for their unique struggles. There's a balance of tough love (“Stop it!”) and validation (“We don’t all have to give up the same things”). Plenty of banter ensures the episode stays light while tackling real financial decisions.

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Final Thoughts

If you want to challenge your spending habits, see which “money vampires” are sneaking into your life, or just need a supportive (and fun) voice nudging you to simplify for the new year, this episode offers a timely roadmap — full of actionable tips, laughter, and a little accountability.

Watch for the next episode, where they promise to explain all their inside jokes — and maybe help you create a joy-focused, values-driven spending plan for 2026.

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For the full list of 26 items (and which ones sparked the most debate), listen to the episode or check their show notes/YouTube page!

Transcript

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[Jen]

Things to Stop Buying to Save Money.

[Podcast Host Intro]

Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity, and live a richer life. Here are your hosts, Jen and Jill.

[Jen]

You clicked on this episode 26 things to stop buying in 2026. Because you probably have something in your cart on Amazon that you're wondering, is it on this list? But don't worry, we know this year has been expensive. Like why is a strawberry $20? So we are going to talk about the things we are not buying in 2026 to help you save some cash.

[Jill]

We're going through 26 sneaky little money vampires that we've cut from our budget. Some of them you might expect, some of them might make you a little angry. But we do hope that this ultimately helps you on your own financial journey.

[Jen]

Welcome Frugal friends. I'm Jen.

[Jill]

I'm Jill.

[Jen]

And today we are giving you permission to stop buying some of these viral products. Some are new and some have been around for so long even question why we buy them anymore.

[Jill]

And if you're here, if you're curious about this list because you want to pay off debt, we have got the solution for you. We're doing a 90 day debt freedom fast track where our goal is to help you all pay off $100,000 worth of debt. As a community, it's our dream, it's our vision for 2026. What it's going to include is three, three money challenges meant to help you kind of fine tune some of those habits, find some extra cash that you can put towards your debt. And each, each one is going to be 30 days each. So it's going to be a side hustle challenge and a no spend challenge and a meal prep challenge that we're going to be doing with you. So there'll be four calls that you have with myself and Jen and we're going to walk you through how to utilize these challenges, how to find some extra money within your budget and again, look at some of habit. So if that sounds really intriguing to you and you want to be part of this goal of paying off $100,000 of debt as a community, it you want to go to frugalfriends podcast.com debt free.

[Jen]

We start in two days so head to the link, check it out and we want a thousand dollars of that debt to be yours that you are paying off. And we're so excited. We start in two days. Enrollment closes in two days. And we won't be doing this again in 2026 because we will be studying for our CFP exam. So please hang out with us for 90 days and pay off some extra debt that you wouldn't otherwise be with us.

[Jill]

And here's some, here's some tips for you in the meantime to help you kind of shore up your finances.

[Jen]

We're gonna get right into it.

[Jill]

Number one, single serve coffee pods. And you know what, I'm talking to myself because I do have an espresso. However I have stopped drinking coffee so that just helps to eliminate that. But for those of you who do still want to be caffeinated, I understand but recognize that single serve coffee pods do cost four to 10 times more per cup than just your regular old ground coffee. Americans spend $38 billion on coffee annually. A lot of that is inflated from some of those like convenience costs like the single serve Nespresso. So instead reusable so you can get reusable pods for both the Nespresso and What's the other one?

[Jen]

Keurig.

[Jill]

Thank you. Do po over get a $20 drip coffee machine. Jen freaking loves Stoke cold brew. So if you love that too, go for it.

[Jen]

I have a love love relationship with Stoke Cold brew love love. But we're start, we're starting strong because number one is coffee. Number two is also coffee. But hear me out. Specifically Starbucks. So if you caught my special YouTube only rant against Starbucks and specifically their bear cups, you know how I feel. But you can go watch that whole eight minute video. We'll link to it if you really want me to go in. But I used to be one of those Starbucks loving girlies like I would when I would pass by and this I've talked about this a lot like in my debt payoff journey. One thing I learned about myself was that I would pass by a Starbucks and I would just instinctively go into the drive thru and I would get there and I would be there before I even knew what, like where I was going because it was such a habit. And even after paying off debt, up until a year, year and a half ago, Starbucks was something I enjoyed and bought without guilt. But truly, in the last year and a half, I have distanced myself from Starbucks because of the practices that they use as a company. Like so two of the main ones, and I won't go in deep, but the first is that they are actively working to pay their workers less and to put more on them. You know how like now they've gone back to baristas writing cute stuff on your. On your cup. Like that takes extra time. So they're cutting down the workforce, not raising wages for baristas and now making them like write cute stuff to like angered Woo your. Yeah. People. Right. So they just make them work harder for less money. And then also they use this to spread their disease of Starbucks, something called a cluster strategy. So that means they open multiple stores in one small area to dominate foot traffic and push out independent businesses. And this happened to a coffee shop in Orlando that I used to go to all the time in college and I loved it and it was pushed out by a Starbucks. And then they just close all the underperforming Starbucks. So they have eliminated local coffee shops and overall in the long run given people fewer, less opportunities and access to coffee. So I just hate it as a business model. I hate it here. And so I think everybody should be either making your coffee at home. I love Bones Coffee company. I've got a ninja like coffee maker drip coffee. I love stoke for my cold brew. And then if I go get a latte out or something like I did yesterday for my friend's birthday.

[Jill]

Local coffee shop or just cut caffeine. You know, another easy solution to.

[Jen]

I mean, you're not a monster. I'm not a monster. I would never tell you to do that.

[Jill]

I might be a monster. Number three, unlimited cell phone plans you don't need. Here's the thing, my friends and you could fact check me on this, but the average uses 15 to 20 gigabytes per month. Check your usage, figure out if you're the average American or not.

[Jen]

We actually did look at our usage yesterday.

[Jill]

I just did yesterday. Yeah. And I am like, I am well below 20. Like I'm, I'm like seven, I think seven.

[Jen]

Well, you don't talk to people.

[Jill]

I text them.

[Jen]

She had no text call on what the six people on our plan. She talked the least to people.

[Jill]

Yeah, I got time to text, baby. But yet millions pay for 100 gigabyte plans in these kind of like unlimited tiers. And all it means is that you're just paying for far more than you need. And I get it, like don't hold me down, don't hold me back, like let me do my thing. But if you're not using that much, at least figure out if there's a usage based like MVNO that you could utilize like Mint Mobile, which we do love and we talk about.

[Jen]

They're a partner of the show and that's because we really think it helps you spend money if you're a Mint Mobile user. Let us know in the comments. How's the service? How do you like it? Because we hear great feedback from our listeners all the time on Mint. Next is new cars. So if you got our New Cars are a waste of money episode a while back, then you know this. It's not just the price. The prices of new cars are inflated. 47, almost $48,000 for the average new car. And these new cars lose 20 to 30% of their value in year one. We know this, right? The thing is, if you watch that episode, you will know that the quality of these vehicles are going down. So where people used to buy new cars because they wanted more safety, we're not getting more safety, we're getting more planned obsolescence and we're getting just more technology that's harder to to fix at a affordable mechanic and has to be taken in to a dealership at a higher price. So we're done with new cars. Okay. If we weren't before, we are in 2026.

[Jill]

So instead buy, buy cars that are two to four years old. Okay. You're still getting something new, nice, reliable, but it's already depreciated a good majority and you can get them at a.

[Fabric by Gerber Life Advertiser]

Fraction of the cost.

[Jill]

But still with warranties, you can get a certified pre owned vehicle from a dealership with you know, a five to seven year warranty and you're set.

[Jen]

Yeah. And you can go to carcomplaints.com after two to three years of a make and model and year being out there, Carcomplates.com is going to have all the complaints for that specific make, model and year. So you know if you're getting just an overall dud or not, number five.

[Jill]

Phone cases and tech accessories you don't need, I know this is going to make some people a little bit upset.

[Jen]

Too, but because I see all the people right now with their watch bands are Christmas themed. Their phone cases are Christmas themed. Their earrings. I know that's not a tech accessory. I'm not coming for earrings. Actually, you can wear your. Your cute holiday earrings.

[Jill]

We do. We pick and choose what's okay and what you should cut.

[Jen]

Monsters.

[Jill]

Yeah, but this is. This is a high impulse buy item. And, you know, we'll. We'll talk about just new tech in a little bit. But what. What happens with particularly tech accessories is what we call the Diderot effect, where we buy one thing and leads to this plethora of ancillary purchases because of that one thing. So you get a new phone. And now I need a new phone case and a new charger and a new case for the case, and then backup cases, and I need new case covers, protectors, and all of these things that you really, you had only really factored in the price of the phone, and now all these other things are coming with it. So instead, get one durable case. If you need to have a backup, fine.

[Jen]

But why do you have to have a backup phone?

[Jill]

Case breaks. Just go get another phone case then.

[Jen]

You know what I do that makes people around me so uncomfortable? I do not have my iPad in a case. Oh, interesting. It is naked and it makes people so uncomfortable.

[Jill]

You're not usually walking around with an iPad.

[Jen]

No, I'm. I'm not. So, like. And it's fine. My kids step on it, and it's still fine. They make them.

[Jill]

Oh, no.

[Jen]

They make them. Okay. All right. 6. So this one's personal for me. Gym memberships. So I am canceling my gym membership. And so y' all know I. I do work out frequently. This is training. I know I'm training for another half marathon in a couple weeks when this releases. But right now we're in, like, the season where running outside is really great. So I do not run in the gym. And then I got some. I got a walking pad from Facebook Marketplace if I do need to, like, do a run or something inside. And I have a 15 pound set of dumbbells and 25 pound set of dumbbells and, like, I'm good. I'm gonna use those until maybe for a year. Maybe I'm gonna give it up for a year and then maybe. Something I admire about you is you're.

[Jill]

Not afraid to, like, quit a cancellation. Pick up a. Cancel a subscription. Pick up a subscription. Like, I think that is a big barrier for some of us of like, I'm not using it right now, but like, I probably will next month. But it's okay to just drop it? Yeah. Pick it up again when you actually do.

[Jen]

Then I'm in a season in my life where it's just not the right time to go into a gym. So I'm going to drop it and I'll get it later.

[Jill]

Okay. Number seven, disposable single use cleaning products. No, we're not doing it. We're not doing it in 2026 for many reasons. Money reasons, environmentally friendly reasons. All of the reasons we're not doing the Swiffer pads, the single use wipes. Like all the stuff that just runs out, you chuck, you have to buy new. It's just, it's not good for our health. It's not good for the environment. You could save 150 to $300 a year just by switching to some of these reusable products, depending on how much.

[Jen]

You clean your house.

[Jill]

That's true. I have a Swiffer like thing, but it's got a washable pad. I have three pads that came with it. And you can get the different types of pads, like the microfiber, the ones that are more like sponge, like more cloth. Like you choose what you want. I love it. It hasn't lost its stickiness on the butt, like the ability to kind of stick to the wand itself. And it's beautiful. And it has lasted probably six years now.

[Jen]

I've switched from the Swiffer wet wipes to my like reusable washable little, you know, to go mop. And I'll just, I have some. A pine solution in a spray. So I'll just spray the Pine Sol on the floor and then like wipe it up.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

So I'm like making my own wet wipe.

[Jill]

Beautiful.

[Jen]

Perfect. Next is branded over the counter medications. Are we still doing this? I think there has been this resurgence where we are questioning generic versus name brand and people are starting to like get name brand again. But no, the FDA requires generics to be chemically identical and they are subsequently two to five times cheaper. So we're talking acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Loratadine. It behooves you to know the names of these things. So not just the brand names. Tylenol, Advil, all that stuff. Because those are the brand names, those are the ones that cost more. Know that ibuprofen is Advil, that acetaminophen is Tylenol, all of these things. So figure it out. And then Buy the generic.

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[Jen]

Life insurance was one of those things I kept putting off.

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[Jill]

Number nine. All the streaming services. Listen, we don't need all of them. We can only watch and take in one thing at a time anyways.

[Jen]

And honestly, you're looking at your streaming service while you're looking also at your phone.

[Jill]

Oh, isn't that the truth?

[Jen]

You already have the two going at the same time. Why do you also need to be paying for 2, 3, 4, 5 in the background?

[Jill]

Streaming prices rose 25 to 40% since 2020. That's a.

[Jen]

That's.

[Jill]

That's far greater than inflation. The average household currently has four and a half subscriptions. So instead, rotate your subscription similar to what you're doing with your gym membership. You were the one who turned me on to this. Pick one or two. That's it. Honestly, choose what you watch out of those. Build up the anticipation for what you're missing on the other subscription service. Cancel the one, bring in the other. It's beautiful.

[Jen]

There are so many shows and movies on every single streaming platform. You don't need to watch what Everybody is watching right now. If you truly want a streaming service, it's to stream content. And the one that you have has content. Just get creative and find new things that maybe aren't viral.

[Jill]

Or go over to your friend's house and watch whatever you want to watch with them. Do a prattlock and then watch the show that you want to watch together on the streaming service that they have.

[Listener Eve]

What?

[Jen]

Mind blown.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Okay, so this next one, I'm going to need you to like, circle back because this is going to require some explanation. It's influencer emotional support subscriptions.

[Jill]

So.

[Jen]

But Jen, you're an influencer and you have a subscription. Hear me out.

[Jill]

We're personal finance educators.

[Jen]

We are educators.

[Jill]

Entertainers actually call ourselves entertainers.

[Jen]

Right. And future certified financial planners.

[Jill]

I can't claim that yet.

[Jen]

And we have a monthly money membership where we give a new money skill building money challenge every month. And so that is a product that goes out every month to our membership.

[Jill]

Meant to help you save money, to be fair.

[Jen]

Right. So it's $15 a month and in hopes that it will either save you or you will earn more than $15 in the month. And I think everybody does. So what I'm talking about is not stuff where you're getting a new product every month or some kind of like new education or something, but these like groups that you pay for to get closer to the influencer or to be essentially like in a fan club group with other people. And now I'm not, I'm not like demeaning that, but also like go outside and talk to people in real life and you don't like, you can pay for that if it's like real life friends, but I would like you to not pay for it if it's virtual friends, is what I'm saying. Or if it's paying to get closer to someone you have a parasocial relationship with. And that's what these people are doing. These in the influencer subscription revenue like industry is expected to hit $1.2 billion this year. And so, like most subscriptions deliver, quote, unquote, exclusive content, but it's just content that mirrors the free content. And honestly, there's enough free content to go around. It's fine. And we should not be paying for parasocial access to people who cannot, do not have the capacity to care about us in the way we deserve to be cared about.

[Jill]

Number 11 subscription AI tools that you barely use. Micro subscription creep is a real thing. And I think a lot of times because they're so minor, it's such a minor cost. Or we forget that we didn't cancel it after the free trial. And what it leads to is the average digital spender now has 7 to 9 recurring digital tool in some way, shape or form and many of them are unused. After that first week we just forget about them. So instead try out the free tiers, but remember to cancel them after the trial. I always put a reminder into my phone about them, but also look for free tools that might mirror the thing. Consider is there another way for me to do this job? Rather than using this and really digging into what are the tools that are actually efficient and helping me. We definitely don't need seven to nine of them. Maybe one to two.

[Jen]

Nine times out of ten you're going to be able to cancel it right after you get it and they have to give you the full whatever free trial it is. And if they don't, they don't really stand by their product and it's just a money grab and I wouldn't use the product anyway.

[Jill]

Preach.

[Jen]

12 is fast fashion micro hauls. So not the ones we see influencers doing, you know, showing off their all their 10 bags full of clothes. No, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about your micro haul. My micro haul. And the inspiration for this was I was in a coffee shop and I heard this girl talking about how she buys all these clothes. Like just every day she's buying clothes on Amazon and she's like cuz returns are free and I can return them for everything for free. And I'm like God, I hate it here. But then I was like, free returns are not a justification to be buying things that you don't absolutely love. Like so fast fashion returns average 40% and 66% of those go to landfills. Think about where your returns are going and then think about what you've returned. And know that 66% of it just went into a landfill. It's not going into a hot bin. That's 46% goes into the hot bins, right? And the rest goes into the landfill. And that's if you even make it to the return. If you forget and you just like keep that thing, then it's just wasted and you're going to give it to a thrift store and then it's going to go to a landfill anyway.

[Jill]

Secondhand first slow fashion basics like spend more on some of the things that you're going to wear regularly that are going to be durable, last you a long time you know, look good on you. Try out a capsule wardrobe, which really eliminates the need to be constantly buying new clothing and can help us find other avenues for that dopamine fix rather than those impulse purchases, which really causes the environment to have to pay the cost of our need to get that dopamine fix through the purchase because, oh, we can just return it. Number 13, bottled water. Another one that's going to save us money and help the planet.

[Jen]

But I also would like to add a caveat to that. So plastic bottled water. And like, bottled water, like having 18 of these things. Stop it. Stop it. You have too many. You have too many. Yeah, look at it.

[Jill]

She's getting scary. Oh, my God.

[Jen]

I am looking at you. If you feel that I am looking at you.

[Jill]

Okay? But the true plastic bottled water is 2,000 times more expensive than tap water. 2,000 times. I mean, I know you know this because you wrote the outline, but I just feel like, dang.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

So get a $20 filtered pitcher or an under the sink filter if you really can't stand the taste of your tap water. There are fixes for that that are long lasting. And then get one of these bad boys. Listen, though, you did lose yours the other day and you had a backpack. I'm not against.

[Jen]

You might need a backpack. Yeah, Have a backup. It's fine. If your toddler hides your water bottle under the grill and you can't find it for a couple days, you want to have a backup, right? I'm not against backups. Yeah, but like 18, we're not taught your. If your toddler has hid 17 of your water bottles and you cannot find them, you have a different problem.

[Jill]

It's just an overwhelming cabinet, too. Like, I've seen those cabinets.

[Fabric by Gerber Life Advertiser]

It's.

[Jill]

It's stressful.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Dangerous even. Open that cabinet, get knocked out.

[Jen]

Okay, next. Supplements, greens, powders, we're done. You see all. If you ever see anybody on the Internet with a Bloom soda or a bloom powder, 100% assume they got that for free and it is an undisclosed ad. They're not really buying those things. They're not really using those things. Okay. All these green powders that you see online, they're all really great affiliate opportunities. People are making so much money off of this stuff. And honestly, the fda, like, you know, can't confirm, cannot confirm or deny that there's any real benefit. The global supplement industry is at 177 billion with, like, base very little clinical evidence at all for it being effective. So we are done catch our de. Influencing Wellness influencers episode if you want a whole deep dive into this. But, but we are, we are done with having recipes for water. And you'll. That'll make sense. That'll make sense on our next episode. Okay, subscribe to get that joke number.

[Jill]

15 credit monitoring subscription. So the three credit bureaus are required to give weekly free reports. This was a pandemic policy that became permanent. And you can get.

[Jen]

It was way before then that you.

[Jill]

Could get weekly for your report.

[Jen]

Sorry, it used to be annually.

[Jill]

Yeah. Or quarterly or something like that. Yeah. Anyways, you can go to annualcreditreport.com and get your credit report. Now that credit credit monitoring I think is different from the companies that might be able to help you to be able to improve your score. I know that we, we talk about smart credit and for those of you who need to improve your score quickly, those types of resources can be good for an amount of time, like not necessarily indefinitely. But you don't need to constantly be paying for just a credit monitoring subscription. But if you do want to pay for financial protection like, which actually can help to protect your identity and keep everything you have digitally safely recommend if.

[Jen]

Somebody gets your numbers and uses it, that is a legitimate thing to get insurance against.

[Jill]

Yeah, we've been looking into Aura. They are full coverage digital safety and identity protection platform for individuals, couples, families. So that would be a cool one to look into.

[Jen]

Aura, A U R A. We'll also link to it in the description. Let us know in the comments what you think because it's got a vpn, password manager. And here's the kicker, here's what I think Everybody really needs 1 million in identity theft insurance per adult. So that I think is going to become something you should pay for in 2026. Because there have, there's a new data breach every week. It's every week. And that's why we get these weekly credit reports now. So yeah, and I have seen friends get their identity stolen and it takes months of time. Just it's so much time like to get everything and change everything. It's just so arduous. All right, 16 is kind of a callback to tech accessories, but is actual tech upgrades. And so we talked about this in our book buy what you love without going broke. But the average American will replace their phone every two to seven years, even though newer devices last five to six years. Even with this planned obsolescence that everybody has incorporated into their product, a phone can last five years. And so we, we broke down the math and if you could keep your phone for three years instead of two. You would personally buy four to five fewer phones over 30 years, which doesn't seem like a huge impact, but it'll save you at least $4,000 and so. And for the 12% of Americans who upgrade their phone annually, they could save around $15,000 if you just keep your phone for three years. Let us know in the comments if you think you have kept your phone longer than anybody else in the comments. If you're like, I've had my phone for 12 years. Beat that.

[Jill]

Number 17 new seasonal decor. You don't need to be buying it every year, even if it's from the thrift store. The average household spends $250 to $500 per year on seasonal items that end up just sitting in storage. So instead, keep a curated capsule decor closet. Rotate it out if you need something that feels new. But really you don't have to be getting new Christmas stuff, new spring stuff, new fall stuff every single year. Use what you already have every single year.

[Jen]

It's I love decor that looks like heirloom. Like these are special pieces. By over consuming, we take the specialness out of of things that should be really special. So like let's bring it back. Eighteen is subscription boxes. We love blind boxes for some reason. So beauty, lifestyle, dog, kids, crafts. We just love to be surprised. It creates these dopamine spikes and that's why subscription boxes do so well. But the churn rate is 40 to 60% within six months and most subscribers keep less than 20% of their items long term. So overall waste of money and filling.

[Jill]

More landfill number 19 printer ink cartridges. Buy a laser ink printer or just a laser printer or go to the library and print it out or pay to go to some Kinko's Office Depot, whatever to print your stuff. I mean really, we shouldn't be printing a ton of things in 2026. But I get it. I mean this is for my mom right now. She's constantly calling me about her printer mom. Get get a laser printer or just go library. Stop printing stuff out so much. That's the alternative.

[Fabric by Gerber Life Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Jen]

20 is brand new toys for kids. Prices have surge, quality is dropped. I think that is kind of the mo for 2026 and kids age out of toys so quickly. So like what we like what we were saying with like tech stuff you can like you don't have to buy new tech. You can keep tech longer. You can buy refurbished and you can also buy used toys. I mean there's ebay if you're really like niche into your toys or thrift stores or resale. Kids have a lot of resale stores. So you don't have to just go to thrift stores. You can go to niche kid resale stores to get toys or don't give.

[Jill]

Them all the toys all at once. Let some of it sit in the closet and then you pull out the new toys. Rotate the toys. 21 Travel add ons you don't need, from seat upgrades to priority boarding to protection plans, whatever that means. I mean certainly if you're booking with a credit card, many credit cards already offer those protection plans. So we just need to learn how to say no. Say no, say no. I think a lot of people don't realize that they don't have to pick a seat when they're going through the process. These airlines make it, it seem like you've got to do it. And this is just the upcharge but the button to set.

[Jen]

This is the real problem.

[Jill]

I don't need. And I think they even word it like, no thanks, I don't need a seat. And then it makes you worried like, am I not going to have to.

[Jen]

Am I going to have to stay?

[Jill]

No. I am like a little bit thinking I should do a tutorial of like how to buy a plane ticket from a budget airline. Because some of my friends who come to see me, they're like, it ended up being so much with all the bags and the seat upgrades and da da, da. I'm like, you didn't have to. They're like, I didn't know how not to.

[Jen]

Yeah, you do need to deal with, do that.

[Jill]

Don't do it.

[Jen]

Because anything, you can just send it to your mom and your grandma when they call you and need to know, pack light. Yeah, okay. 22 high fee financial advisors. We're done. You don't need to pay somebody when you're getting started with investing. Financial advisors are really good when you have more complex situations. Trust us. That's why we're sitting for our CFP exam. But a typical asset under management fee can consume 28 to 33% of your total investment returns over 30 years. And that's why flat fee planners and advice only CFPs are the way to go.

[Jill]

Number 23 Trendy kitchen gadgets that replace just one basic tool. So we're talking or pancake printers or tools.

[Jen]

But you only need one.

[Jill]

One of them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They make it seem like they're giving you a lot, but you don't need the a lot. You need the A little pancake printers. Single use types of choppers. The things that only store your avocados in the fridge. The things.

[Jen]

Right. It's avocado shake. You can put nothing else in it. You better love avocados.

[Jill]

The thing that helps you only make scrambled eggs. The mini waffle makers. Like, there's so many things that it seems kind of fun. Ooh, maybe that would make my life more efficient. But no. Here's the thing. You need a good knife. You need a cast iron pan. You need a sheet pan. Maybe an instant pot, maybe a blender. But the kind that doesn't have all the attachments that also clutter up your cabinets. That and all your multiple bottles. And it's all just tumbling out at you. And then you're overwhelmed. And you don't cook in your kitchen. Keep it simple.

[Jen]

Yeah. 24 is new furniture made of particle board. I know we're frugal girlies here. If you left. If you left, come back to me. Like, I want to relate to you. Even if you have 17 water bottles like I want to, I want you to know that you are seen. I know you love a deal. I know you love a low price. But that low price cannot come at the expense of getting really cheap furniture that's just gonna break in a couple years. We have to stop doing this. We have to stop buying furniture on Amazon and from Walmart that's just cheap. And like, I know really good quality furniture is expensive, but that's something we gotta buy Facebook, Marketplace, Holy grail for that stuff. Right? It's something we have to invest in to. That's. That's going to last a long time.

[Jill]

Number 25. I'm going to make you angry. I know I am because I'm. I'm partially making myself angry. But we're all. We're here for it.

[Jen]

Know that. We don't all have the same. We're not all giving up the same things this year, okay?

[Jill]

Alcohol, my friends. Alcohol. Especially alcohol.

[Jen]

Out.

[Jill]

It is the price of an entree. Where's the lie? We cannot be spending entree money on one singular glass of liquid. It's not happening. It's not good for our bodies. It's not good for our money. We're not doing it. We're not. I'm not doing it anymore. It's not happening.

[Jen]

And number 26, hobby shopping instead of hobby doing.

[Jill]

You.

[Jen]

If you watched our episode on how TikTok is ruining hobbies, you'll know that the hobby graveyard is costing people like 350 a year. We spend more money on hobby gear than we do on actually doing the hobby. So we're not doing it anymore. We're doing the hobby. Okay? And you don't have to monetize your hobby. All right? You don't have to buy the whole slew of things because you're going to turn this into a business and sell it at the Sunday market. You're not. You don't need that stress in your life. Do something for fun.

[Jill]

We did it. Let us know what you're also not buying in 2026. If there's anything on this list you are going to give up if you disagree with us on any of this.

[Jen]

Well, let me know if you want money, if you prefer to drink your dip.

[Jill]

But one thing. We're not giving up. We're never giving up. Even if you do complain about it. It's the bill of the week.

[Podcast Host Intro]

That's right. It's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is Will. Maybe you paid off your mortgage. Maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. Duck bills, Buffalo Bills, Bill Clinton. This is the Bill of the week.

[Listener Eve]

Hi, ladies. Eve here out in Washington. I love listening to your podcast. Keep up the good work. Today I am so excited to shout.

[Jill]

Out not one bill, but two bills.

[Listener Eve]

Both are incredible humans and dear friends and mentors in my life. The first Bill is a man in his 70s who is an incredible artist and outdoorsy person, does so much in the community. He is a writer, a huge environmental conservationist and scientist in his lifetime and just gives so much back to the community. And the second bill is Chili Billy, who runs a pizza and chili stand at our local farmer's market. He is in his early 80s and also just has incredible energy, creativity, and so much love to give. I love these two people and hope that by the time I am their age, I have at least half as much energy, creativity, and positivity to give back. So these are two bills that I would gladly pay to be my friend. All right, thanks again, ladies. Keep up the good work.

[Jen]

Amen. You know, like how I was talking about you, you can pay if you're going to pay for friends in real life not on Internet. Okay, this is what I'm talking about.

[Jill]

You pay Chilly Billy.

[Jen]

You pay Chilly Billy to get into whatever club he's running. Okay?

[Jill]

Yep.

[Jen]

And you pay Bill the artist and conservationist to get him. Whatever you tip.

[Jill]

You buy his.

[Jen]

Tip him. You should tip him. This is amazing.

[Jill]

Oh, beautiful, beautiful bills. I love these men.

[Jen]

I love them.

[Jill]

Thank you, Eve. If you have a bill that you want to submit, if it's about true bills bringing that bill energy, we want to hear it. If it's about a bill that you don't mind paying, a bill you, you stopped paying, whether legally or illegally, we want to hear it. Frugalfriendspodcast.com Bill, we can't wait for it.

[Jen]

If it's illegal, maybe send us an email. Don't record it also.

[Jill]

No, I'm here for it.

[Jen]

Thank you to the several people who emailed us when our bills were not lining up with the, the audio, with the reaction.

[Jill]

That was a problem.

[Jen]

And I feel so, so if your bill was one of those, I think it happened on two episodes. Reach out to me. Jennifelfriendspodcast.com and I want to send you something as an apology to make it right.

[Jill]

Although how would they know if it was their bill that we should have played? Well, if you just have an inkling, if you feel in your heart of hearts like it was meant to be your bill, email [e-mail] it was my bill. I feel like we could figure out whose bill we met. That's on us.

[Jen]

Oh, okay.

[Fabric by Gerber Life Advertiser]

Okay.

[Jen]

Well, you know who can do it? Goldie can probably figure it out. She knows how to work the Internet.

[Jill]

Yeah, we'll do it.

[Jen]

And if you feel in your heart.

[Jill]

Of hearts that it was you, still email chat.

[Jen]

Send me an email and tell me your heart. Tell me about your heart.

[Jill]

And now it's time for the light background.

[Jen]

What? What's something you're going to keep buying in 2026? I know we just went through all the things we're not buying.

[Jill]

We're still going to spend money. Don't worry.

[Jen]

Yeah, for me, I thought about putting alcohol on here and yes, it is.

[Jill]

Just as a dig. You're like caffeine, alcohol.

[Jen]

Oh, God. Okay. My top three. Alcohol, caffeine, daycare. That's what I'm spending Money on in 2026. Those are my things and.

[Jill]

In that order. If your alcohol spend was more than your daycare spend, I don't think I'd be wild. We wouldn't have a show.

[Jen]

Yeah, I don't think I'd be able to like operate on a day to day basis. Like at that level. It's not even like functioning alcoholism. It's just so problem. It would be, be so problematic.

[Jill]

So not funny.

[Jen]

I, I mean, it's like, every other week. Yeah.

[Fabric by Gerber Life Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Jill]

You really don't drink a lot.

[Jen]

But I will not say no.

[Jill]

We both have really just, like, slowed down in our old age.

[Jen]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jill]

You just. You hit your 30s and you start to realize, like, I don't like this.

[Jen]

My body does not metabolize this in the way that it used to.

[Jill]

No, I don't feel good. It's not fun anymore. It costs a lot of money. And I know that. That's so lame. I know it sounds so lame. But you know what?

[Jen]

But it's frustrating.

[Jill]

New Year, new me.

[Jen]

Y' all are going to want to catch the next episode.

[Jill]

Yeah. We are, like, making our best.

[Jen]

We're going to want to do our next one.

[Jill]

Okay. For me. You all know you've been listening for a while.

[Listener Eve]

Ick.

[Jill]

Gum. I'm not going to stop buying gum.

[Jen]

You kidding me?

[Jill]

It's. It is my brand. Mad and hot dogs.

[Jen]

But I. Yeah, but I see you consuming less gum overall, too.

[Jill]

Really?

[Jen]

Maybe you just don't chew it.

[Jill]

I don't chew it on the podcast.

[Jen]

I know, but we are together other than these two hours.

[Jill]

Oh, your periphs, girl. Your periphs don't work. Remember, when you are in the zone, you are in the zone. Yesterday, I was pounding gum because you know what I do? I do a piece of gum, right? And I chew it for not even that long, like maybe 15, 20 minutes, and take it out, put a new one in. Like, I will. It will be like a chain smoker type of situation. When I'm trying to get, like, work.

[Jen]

Done, I do not pay attention.

[Jill]

You don't pay attention? Well, that was happening all afternoon yesterday.

[Jen]

And I was facing you.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Like, all I had to do was look up and I would have seen your mouth.

[Jill]

Although I think maybe I try and be more sneaky about. About my obsession slash addiction, so maybe I'm just that good. But no, I plowed through a half a pack of gum in, like, the course of a couple hours.

[Jen]

Yeah. I was only there for three hours.

[Jill]

That's when it happened.

[Jen]

That's when it happened. That's when it happened.

[Listener Eve]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Wow. Okay. Anything else? No, just gum.

[Jill]

I will be buying other things now.

[Jen]

It's all my true north.

[Jill]

My tried and truly. You know, there's something wrong the day that I come to you and say, no more gum. Gum's out.

[Jen]

Done with gum.

[Jill]

I know it has aspartame. I don't even like aspartame, but for some reason, I've got a blindness to it in gum.

[Jen]

Just I have a blindness to your gum as well. Thank you for listening and we very much look forward to hearing what you are not buying and maybe what you are buying in the comments on YouTube. And if you enjoyed this episode and want to catch our next episode where we explain all the inside jokes that we mentioned today, subscribe to our YouTube channel channel please. It's so helpful. And if you have read our book that we mentioned, buy what you love without going broke, we will. And if you leave a review on Amazon, we might read it on the show like this one from Kim. A kind and thoughtful approach to personal finance. Jen and Jill have a popular podcast that has seen countless episodes, dozens of interviews and growth over the last few years. The heart of the podcast is values based spending. That's what Buy what you love with is all about. And it shines from the audiobook where Jen and Jill read in tandem to the stories from friends of the show. Buy what you love without going broke is a labor of love and a thoroughly researched novel that will help readers everywhere get a handle on their personal finances and values. If you're looking for a step by step plan to pay off your debt, this isn't the book. What this book is, is about community spending and saving in accordance with your values and looking at the whole person and big picture so that we can form good money habits for the rest of our lives and not in the short term.

[Jill]

Thanks everyone. Thanks for your kind reviews. Thanks for subscribing. Love you. See you next time.

[Jen]

Bye. Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.

[Jill]

Oh Jen. Yeah, we're at 44, 31.

[Jen]

We do have a goal to keep episodes around 45 minutes now. And it's an arbitrary goal.

[Jill]

I mean we, we know, we know how long you all want to actually be here for. So. Yeah, actually I guess I don't because we put out 55 minute episodes and I think people still listen, but I.

[Jen]

Think we just want to cut out the fluff and most of the fluff is like just reiterated facts. We're not cutting out the stories. Those aren't the fluff. Yeah, when I want to tell you about how I feel about Starbucks and alcohol and Stoke cold brew, I'm going to do it.

[Jill]

When we got to the point, did you see me make the note? I did make a note at one point. I'm like, we're 29 minutes in, we gotta see.

[Jen]

And I appreciated it so much. This is, this is how I need to operate. This what I need.

[Jill]

Yeah, you know what we're doing.

[Jen]

I had a stopwatch going at the same time. Yes.

[Jill]

Yeah, we're not wasting people's time in 2026. That's what we're not doing.

[Jen]

That's absolutely what we are not doing. Bye.

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