How to Save Money on Organic Groceries

Summary

Frugal Friends Podcast: How to Save Money on Organic Groceries

Release Date: June 10, 2025
Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Produced by iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In this enlightening episode of the Frugal Friends Podcast, hosts Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni delve into the challenges and strategies of saving money on organic groceries. Recognizing the rising costs associated with organic produce, Jen and Jill present a comprehensive four-step framework designed to help listeners prioritize organic purchases without breaking the bank.

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Four-Step Approach to Saving on Organic Groceries

The hosts introduce a four-step to savings method: How to Get It for Free, Low Cost, a Deal, and Buy It Guilt-Free. Each step offers practical tips and actionable advice to optimize organic grocery spending.

1. Get It for Free

Jen and Jill explore unconventional methods to obtain organic produce without any financial expenditure.

• Foraging and Dumpster Diving:
  Jen: “[07:11] Host 1: And this one's wild. Be careful.”
  They discuss the possibilities of foraging in public areas and responsible dumpster diving, emphasizing safety and legality. Websites like FallingFruit.com are recommended as resources for urban foragers.

• Food Swaps with Neighbors:
  Jill: “[08:40] Host 2: Yeah. And then you're not always gonna be guaranteed organic foods.”
  Establishing food swap groups within communities or using platforms like Facebook to exchange surplus organic produce can significantly reduce costs.

• Volunteering at Community Gardens or Farms:
  By contributing time to maintain gardens or participate in work-share programs, listeners can earn fresh organic produce in return.

• Community Fridges:
  Utilizing community fridges through platforms like FreeFridge or Little Free Pantry can provide access to donated organic foods, though availability may vary.

2. Get It Low Cost

For those looking to minimize expenses, Jen and Jill offer several strategies to acquire organic groceries at reduced prices.

• Shopping Farmers Markets Towards Closing Time:
  Jen: “[11:43] Host 1: Moving on to our next category of how can I get organic groceries at low cost.”
  Vendors often discount leftover organic produce at the end of the day, allowing shoppers to snag deals on fruits and vegetables that are still fresh.

• Splitting CSA Boxes:
  Jill: “[13:10] Host 2: And this is something that could be found.”
  Sharing Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes with friends or family can cut costs by up to 50%, making bulk purchases more affordable.

• Buying Near Expiration Goods:
  Purchasing organic items nearing their expiration can lead to significant savings. Apps like Flash Food and Too Good To Go facilitate finding such deals by connecting consumers with stores offering discounted organic products.

3. Get a Deal

Maximizing discounts and taking advantage of sales can make organic groceries more accessible.

• Seconds and Ugly Produce:
  Jill: “[20:10] Host 2: Or you can check out Misfits Market.”
  Buying misshapen or “ugly” organic produce can offer substantial savings without compromising on quality.

• Freezing Bulk Purchases:
  Pre-portioning and freezing organic items like berries or vegetables helps in buying in bulk, thus reducing the overall cost per unit.

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4. Buy It Guilt-Free

When it’s unavoidable to pay full price, Jen and Jill advocate for mindful purchasing aligned with one’s values.

• Supporting Local and Sustainable Grocery Stores:
  Jen: “[24:15] Host 1: Yeah.”
  Purchasing from local farms and co-ops not only supports sustainable practices but also often ensures higher quality organic produce.

• Certified Organic and Ethical Brands:
  Ensuring that brands maintain their ethical standards prevents “greenwashing” and guarantees that purchases contribute positively to environmental and social causes.

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Listener Story: Alyssa's Savings Success

A heartwarming story from listener Alyssa underscores the importance of diligent expense tracking.

• Alyssa: “[30:03] Listener: Hi Jen and Jill. My name is Alyssa and I'm calling to let you know that I'm super grateful that you guys suggested doing the 90 day transaction inventory in your mini budget series.”

  By conducting a 90-day transaction inventory, Alyssa discovered a duplicate subscription that had been costing her approximately $700 over several years. This revelation not only freed up her finances but also highlighted the podcast’s practical impact.

• Jill: “[31:33] Host 2: And our jaws dropped and both of us in our shoulders tensed up.”
  Jen and Jill express their astonishment and relief, reinforcing the value of meticulous financial oversight.

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Lightning Round

The hosts engage in a fun and rapid-fire segment, answering questions about personal organic purchasing habits and favorite Costco items. This lighthearted exchange provides relatable insights and reinforces the podcast's approachable tone.

• Jen: “[37:04] Alyssa: How.” (Note: Likely a transcription error; context suggests a quick response.)

• Jill: “[39:03] Host 2: I don't ever.”
  Jill candidly shares her budgeting challenges with organic purchases, resonating with listeners who face similar dilemmas.

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Conclusion and Call to Action

Jen and Jill encourage listeners to take proactive steps in managing their organic grocery expenses. They emphasize the importance of aligning spending with personal values and invite audiences to explore their YouTube channel for additional resources and real-life spending interventions.

• Jen: “[27:55] Host 1: Yeah, there's also the option of if this is something that's really important to you...”
  The hosts seamlessly transition into promoting their book, "Buy What You Love Without Going Broke," which offers deeper insights and actionable strategies for financial well-being.

• Jill: “[32:48] Host 2: Thank you for the problem, Alyssa.”
  The episode wraps up with gratitude towards the listener and a strong encouragement to engage with the podcast’s broader content offerings.

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Key Takeaways

• Foraging and Community Engagement: Leveraging local resources and community initiatives can provide free or low-cost organic produce.

• Strategic Shopping: Timing purchases towards the end of market hours and utilizing discount apps can lead to significant savings.

• Mindful Spending: Prioritizing organic purchases based on personal values ensures that financial decisions align with health and environmental goals.

• Financial Vigilance: Regularly reviewing transactions can uncover hidden expenses, promoting better financial health.

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Notable Quotes

• “[07:11] Host 1: And this one's wild. Be careful.”
  Jen discusses the adventurous aspects of foraging and dumpster diving for organic produce.

• “[12:20] Host 2: And this will happen at any farm that's only open on the weekends too.”
  Jill highlights the benefits of shopping at weekend-only farms for discounted organic produce.

• “[30:03] Listener: Hi Jen and Jill. My name is Alyssa and I'm calling to let you know that I'm super grateful...”
  Alyssa shares her success story, emphasizing the podcast’s practical impact on listeners’ financial habits.

• “[37:04] Alyssa: How.”
  (Contextual note: Likely a transcription error; intended to capture a segment of the Lightning Round.)

---

Final Thoughts

Frugal Friends Podcast continues to empower listeners with actionable strategies to manage their finances without compromising on quality or values. This episode serves as a valuable resource for anyone looking to integrate organic living into their budget-conscious lifestyle.

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For more insights and tips, visit Frugal Friends Podcast and subscribe to their YouTube channel for additional content.

Transcript

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Walt Disney World Resort how to save money on Organic groceries.

[Host 1]

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.

[Host 2]

Welcome to Frugal Friends podcast. My name is Jen.

[Host 1]

My name is Jill.

[Host 2]

And today we are focusing in one of our money saving grocery episodes on just organics. So this is for people who really want to prioritize at least that dirty dozen, but potentially maybe all of your groceries to being organic.

[Host 1]

Yeah. We think that you can get the nutrition that you want at the price point that works for you. And we're just gonna dig in on that. But first, this episode is brought to you by the good stuff. You know what I'm talking about. The stuff that feels luxurious, the organic, the well made, the stuff you splurge on. But it's best when you can get the good stuff from for free. Like all of our videos on YouTube, we love giving you free content. It's pretty much all we've been doing pre education.

[Host 2]

We are, we do not see ourselves as influencers so much as educators. So that's why we love being.

[Host 1]

I hope we're influencing you to be more frugal.

[Host 2]

True. But that's why we like YouTube versus Instagram and that's why we wanna be there for you.

[Host 1]

Yeah. So if you haven't checked it out yet, please do. We really are loving the content that we're putting out there. A lot of it is different from this podcast episode or the episodes that you hear from our podcast. So you can find even more. You can see us. So please subscribe, go to the channel, subscribe and then dig around and like the videos and make and give us comments. But subscribing to our YouTube channel is huge for us and our growth and our ability to be able to keep putting out this free, entertaining education.

[Host 2]

Yeah. And helping us reach more people with it. There's a lot of people who want to spend less, but ultimately want to spend better. More in alignment with their values. And they just don't know Frugal Friends exists because they're not really podcast listeners. So please, even if you're not a video watcher, please log into YouTube and subscribe to our channel. It really does help YouTube. When you go to YouTube and subscribe or watch something, YouTube then sends it out to two other people who don't know us who are interested in becoming better spenders. So it truly, truly does help us. And we can do more visual content like reacting to things on social media. I know you guys loved the de influencing Memorial Day and the de influencing summer videos. So we want to do more things that have like a visual component and we'll of course we'll have it on the podcast feed because we will not forget about our first true loves. But we just think it's been fun to kind of dissect what's going on on social media, how it impacts our spending and how we view ourselves and our money and help you keep what's important in perspective and keep your goals like, in alignment with reality. It's been very fun and we hope you'll stick around and see it or at least subscribe to help other people see it. But this episode is just on the podcast feed and we are talking about organics. So we're gonna go through our tried and true four step to savings format that we do. How can I get it for free? How can I get it low cost? How can I get a deal on it? And if I can't get any of those, how can I buy it at full price, guilt free? And so the first is a couple tips for finding free specifically organic produce and foods.

[Host 1]

And this one's wild. Be careful. But you can forage that is very free. And there are resources to be able to do this. Like Falling fruit, which is a user generated collection of public foraging areas, including dumpster diving, if you're into that. We're not saying that you have to practice all of these things, but it is an option that's available to you. And I will say I have foraged, which sounds crazy because I am.

[Host 2]

I dumpster dive.

[Host 1]

Yeah, I'm not. We're not too good.

[Host 2]

We're not saying to do it illegally, but fallingfruit.com, i think it's.com is definitely good for cities if you live in an urban area because it's made by foragers for foragers. And there will be little notes as to like, oh, this is on private property. So like, be careful.

[Host 1]

Yeah. I mean, especially in Florida around mango and avocado season, that's. That's easy to forage and identify what kind of fruits those are. We have a mulberry tree in the park right next to our property. And so every season that the mulberry tree has fruit, there's us and tons of neighbors out there with ladders picking the fruit. So yeah, there can be in your area ways to not get sick and get food for free.

[Host 2]

Yeah. Yeah. And then you're not always gonna be guaranteed organic foods. Honestly. Our friend Laura, she does a lot of dumpster div here. And the smaller, more like sustainable focused grocery stores, they have the best dumpster diving. So definitely check out falling Fruit and check out specifically those grocery stores because surely there will be notes on those grocery stores, like what to expect, when to expect it, so that you're going there at the right times and you know, like, okay, this is what is usually in there and this is definitely what I mean, I won't find it. Also next is food swaps with neighbors. So maybe you have bought something organic and you're not going to be able to use all of it and you want to swap it with a neighbor. You can set these up, you can find them on Facebook groups, but it's probably better to set your own up. I think that we really rely on other people to create groups for us, thinking that leading a group will be too much work. But I think it really does. If this is something you want to do, it behooves you to start something. Whether it's your church, community, group, parenting circle, whatever. Starting something that I usually have like some organic produce. I value organic and when I have leftovers I'm going to post it here and if you commit to do the same then we can interchange this stuff and you can find some of that in a buy nothing group. But if this lifestyle is really important to you, finding other like minded individuals can get you just more targeted swapping.

[Host 1]

The other alternative is volunteering at a community garden or doing a work share program at a local farm. So with those types of situations you can earn fresh organic produce in exchange for helping to maintain the garden. And this is very common actually in all kinds of areas, rural to urban. This is something that could be found. Of course there'd be a lot of seasonality to this, especially for our friends in the north. But still a really cool option for a couple months out of the year.

[Host 2]

Yeah, definitely. And then also you can check community fridges for organics. Some stock donations from local farms, co ops grocery stores can contain organic. You are not guaranteed that it will, but you can check freej F R E E D G E or Little Free pantry. Those are two sites that will link you to community fridges that you can check to see if they have organics.

[Host 1]

Moving on to our next category of how can I get organic groceries at low cost? And our first recommendation is to shop farmer's markets towards closing time. So the vendors at farmers markets will often sell some of their left leftover organic produce up to half off or more because they'd rather just get rid of it for at least some money then haul it back home with them. So it might be a bit picked over, it might not be, you know, your nicest pick of the litter, but you could get it inexpensively this way.

[Host 2]

And this will happen at any farm that's only open on the weekends too. My father in law, his U pick and they have, they bring in produce from local farms just to make it a more like easy shopping experience. So you can pick your own produce that's there, but then you can also pick up some produce that is not grown on the farm. But they are only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So Sunday evening whatever's left they do want to get rid of because then they're gonna either use it themselves and if they can't use it all like the other. A few weeks ago when I was up there for some reason somebody had a like big bins of spaghetti squash. He had more spaghetti squash than I had ever seen in my life.

[Host 1]

Yikes.

[Host 2]

And he was telling me like, please take spaghetti squash, like we will never eat this much. So that, that happens at these local farms. Maybe not a market but a farm that's only open, you know, on the weekends. Going on a Sunday right before closing time and seeing what you can get. Yeah, you can also split a CSA box with a friend. So community supported agriculture shares are less expensive in bulk. And again this is the thing where creating your own group of like minded friends can benefit you not just in the sharing but also splitting costs. For a bulk CSA box you could save up to 50% or more on the overall cost. And then having that, you know, maybe you get it one week and another friend gets it another week or you split it weekly between people. It's really, you don't have to be best friends with these people. But if you share similar values on one thing, you can use that to save money.

[Host 1]

Absolutely. This would be even something I think would be good with a coworker.

[Host 2]

Absolutely. Yes, exactly. You don't have to be best friends with your coworker, but they could help you save money in this way.

[Host 1]

Next, as far as low cost ways to get organic, you could buy near expiration organic goods. So you can get great deals on this type of stuff. Even organic canned goods, organic bags of rice, whatever it may be still safe to eat. It's just coming up on its almost expired time. And so that would be something that you know could be marked down at the grocery store. But you can also find deals on sites like Flash Food. So that's an app, Jen, you've used this with great success.

[Host 2]

I love Flash Food. It for me get, I get it from dashmart which is A grocery store that Doordash uses. Like they don't have people going into Publix or Walmart. They have their own private grocery store. So people are not just going to go in there and pick up the deals. They put near expiration foods on Flash Food. And I have gotten so many great things.

[Host 1]

Yeah you have.

[Host 2]

That I wouldn't have otherwise gotten for a really low price. And like it's marked up on Doordash obviously. But I'll compare the prices when I'm looking at Flash food. I'll compare them to Walmart where I usually get my groceries or even Costco if it's something I'd get there nine times out of ten less expensive and it's the brand name version. So I love Flash food.

[Host 1]

Yeah, too good to go is an option. Although that is primarily more your cafes and restaurants still really great to get.

[Host 2]

Low costs but there are some like eco friendly restaurants and cafes that will put their stuff up and that's a great way like if there is a an organic restaurant that you're interested in they might be on there or to just browse the organic cafes. There are a couple on are too good to go. And again love that app as well.

[Host 1]

Or you can check out Misfits Market.

[Host 2]

Which I have not used.

[Host 1]

I haven't either.

[Host 2]

I get ads for them.

[Host 1]

I believe that they're a bit more subscription based but I have had friends use them and they've they've been pleased.

[Host 2]

I'm willing to be sponsored by them in order to find out.

[Host 1]

We'd love to try it out.

[Host 2]

We'd love to try it out. Clearance produce bins. So again, natural grocery stores, they will mark down ripe fruits, veggies, they'll just, you know, mark down not just fruits and veggies really anything that's nearing its expiration date. So you can get those things at low cost. But especially fruits and veggies I think are where you're going to find your best low cost. Otherwise you're looking in deal territory which is maybe 10 to 20% off.

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[Host 1]

Yeah, so when we now get to this next category of trying to find a deal on organic produce you can consider buying the seconds or the ugly produce. So we kind of talked about this already a bit. But asking farmers markets or local grocers for bruised or misshapen produce. So this doesn't mean that you necessarily have to wait till the near closing time at a farmer's market. It's more so hey, what do you have that doesn't look so good that you might not be able to sell?

[Host 2]

Put out.

[Host 1]

Yeah, full price.

[Host 2]

I feel like this is more misfits market.

[Host 1]

I could be wrong. Misfits market.

[Host 2]

I could be. Yeah, yeah.

[Host 1]

This is what they do.

[Host 2]

If they give me money, I'll find out.

[Host 1]

Uh huh, exactly.

[Host 2]

Then also stock up during in season times and freeze the freezer is your best friend. Super cubes that have like pre portioned bigger sizes than ice cubes are so great for like proportioning out smaller, like buying it in bulk and getting the savings and then freezing it in small portions so that you don't have to take the whole gallon size bag of like blueberries out or something. You can just take like a pre portioned 2 cup like size.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

Of it.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

I love those things.

[Host 1]

I love them too. I don't have any, but I watch, I do with just complete envy.

[Host 2]

I mean they're definitely more for like liquidy things. So maybe blueberries weren't the best because you could just do those in a bag. But I do love those like freezing like buying in bulk and freezing in small portions is fantastic and you save a lot of money. And then also I added this one at the end, Costco. So if you remember, we did an episode on Sam's club versus Costco and where I took it upon myself.

[Host 1]

Or wasn't it grocery stores versus warehouse savings?

[Host 2]

Oh, maybe it was.

[Host 1]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Host 2]

But I also pitted Sam's club against Costco in the episode and I went out into the field as a reporter to report back and found. Well, I forget my findings, but I still do compare between grocery store and warehouse. Whenever I'm trying to buy something with Sam's Club, I found that most of the time Walmart was cheaper. That's crazy, right? So it wasn't worth it. Except when I got that deal on the I didn't renew. But then I got a deal on a Costco membership and I was like, well it's time to test Costco. And what I have found is that they too are more expensive than Walmart but it's because all of their things are organic. You cannot find regular blueberry frozen blueberries. Regular Frozen strawberries, like regular frozen, whatever. It is all organic.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

And that's how they do it. So they, yeah. Are a little more expensive. And so I still buy most of my stuff at the grocery store. But if you are somebody who values organic Costco, Costco's where it's definitely would be the way to go.

[Host 1]

I will also add Aldi has some good organic selection at some good prices. So let's not sleep on Aldi, my friends.

[Host 2]

Bring your quarter. Who is sleeping on Aldi?

[Host 1]

Hopefully no one anymore, but I still will get the straggler who's like, I don't know, it's small, I have to bring a quarter. I don't get it.

[Host 2]

I went to the dog park yesterday and this, there is this like ragtag bunch of people with their dogs at this dog park. I love it. And one of the ladies was making fun of one of the guys and she's like, I'll throw my Aldi quarter at you. And I was like, oh my gosh.

[Host 1]

These are my people.

[Host 2]

My people.

[Host 1]

I understand that joke.

[Host 2]

Yeah. So.

[Host 1]

And how much, how much it's really gonna cost her to throw that at you?

[Host 2]

I know. She was like, big deal. That's how you know I'm really mad.

[Host 1]

Willing to lose this corner over it.

[Host 2]

Oh my God, it was a hoot. These people are a riot.

[Host 1]

And if we've gone through this whole filter and to no avail, we're, we're still looking for other ways to get organic groceries. Let's do it guilt free then, friends. And the best way to do it guilt free is to buy local sustainable values, driven and aligned. And one of the best ways to do that is to purchase your organic produce from local farms and co ops. So being able to support all of your local organic farmers, reduce your carbon footprint, buying directly from them is excellent. So you can look for farmers markets, co ops, farm stands, wherever you can find fresh, sustainably grown organic produce. A good resource you can utilize to find that is local harvest, but also just drive around like there are farm stands everywhere.

[Host 2]

Yeah, but just because it's a farm stand or local farm doesn't guarantee it's organic. Sure, like my father in law's farm is not organic, but it is pretty.

[Host 1]

Much guarantee that it's going to be better than whatever you're getting from Walmart.

[Host 2]

True. This is so true. So small farms for sure will use fewer pesticides just naturally. They by law can't use like the most natural pesticides. They have to actually use certain insecticides. But yeah, they will Be better than farms that are maybe 10 times their size and have more pest problems. So that's definitely true. You can also buy certified organic from ethical brands that you see in the grocery store. Remember, not everything that is green is ethical or sustainable. There is so much greenwashing from and brands that may have at once been defined as this, but have been bought up by larger companies and are no more. So every couple of years it's definitely beneficial to check if something that you get at the grocery store to make sure that it's still independently owned, operated or at least ethically owned and operated in whatever that is for you. So a widely available online option is Thrive Market. But again, smaller grocery stores that are maybe two to three locations versus your hundreds of locations, those are gonna be more reliable. Anything smaller honestly is better.

[Host 1]

Which is like this final tip within this category of supporting eco conscious grocery stores. So this is gonna be a lot of your more natural grocery stores. Certainly they're gonna have higher ticket prices, but generally their practices and their values are aligned with sustainability practices and they're probably locally owned. So if this is a high value for you, then we say find ways to be able to spend here and if needed cut in other areas that aren't as valuable to you. I mean we have to eat every single day. Yes, it is where we spend a lot of money, so we might as well feel really good about it.

[Host 2]

Yeah. There's also the option of if this is something that's really important to you, but you find yourself eating out a lot. So you would ideally like to buy organic groceries, but you'll buy them and it's hard to use them. So you're eating out at these really expensive cafes that are good every once in a while but are not sustainable. Frequently check into meal kits like Purple Carrot, not sponsored by them, haven't used.

[Host 1]

Them, Would love to be, would love.

[Host 2]

To have, would love to have their money, but something that is pre prepared, that is somewhere that is in the radical middle. Right. It's not as inexpensive as buying the organic produce and doing it yourself, but it's not as expensive as what you have been doing. It's in the middle and it's a good kind of thing to get you over the hump of living, values aligned, saving a little bit of money and then eventually we want to work towards more diy. But you don't have to skip straight from eating out five times a week to eating out zero times a week. Let's find something that's going to get you over that Hump that's in the radical middle. A little easier to jump to before you get to that attainable like that DIY lifestyle that you are truly going for.

[Host 1]

Do you know what else is diy?

[Host 2]

It's a good, it's a good hump from the first part of the show to the last part of the show.

[Host 1]

The Bill of the Week. That's right. It's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is William. 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]

Hi Jen and Jill. My name is Alyssa and I'm calling to let you know that I'm super grateful that you guys suggested doing the 90 day transaction inventory in your mini budget series. I thought that we were super on top of our discretionary spending because we track all of our spending that we do on our card. But it turns out that we had had a recurring auto pay for a duplicate subscription service. So we were paying two twenty dollar subscriptions every month to the same service provider and we were only using one of them. We were only aware of one of them. So we found that auto pay when we did the 90 day transaction inventory and we made sure to cancel it right away. So that had been going on for three or four years and it was somewhere around $700 that we had spent on a subscription that we've never even used. So super grateful. And I just want to let everyone out there know that even if you track every expense on your card, it's still worth doing the 90 day transaction inventory because you never know what's just sneakily going on there every month. So, yeah, super big fan of the show and I love all your guys's work.

[Host 2]

Thanks.

[Listener]

Bye.

[Host 2]

Alyssa. Oh, selling it. You are selling the 90 day transaction inventory. That is why.

[Host 1]

And we both had a visceral reaction when you said it went on for three or four months and then gave an actual number.

[Host 2]

Years.

[Host 1]

Years. Years. Years.

[Host 2]

Yeah, we thought you were gonna say months is the thing. And then it was years.

[Host 1]

And our jaws dropped and both of us in our shoulders tensed up. We really felt, felt that.

[Host 2]

And you think it's not going to happen to you, right? You think it's not going to be you?

[Host 1]

It's such a good point because like you said, even if you, you see your transactions on a bank statement, it's not going to stand out to you that there's duplicates because you just see that charge and you're like, yes, I use that subscription. Done. I know the subscriptions that I have, but there could be a duplicate. And you're only going to know that if you do the 90 day transaction inventory. Oh my gosh, Alyssa. Yeah. And you know, we do do this in our spending intervention series on YouTube. Back to our, back to today's sponsor. Subscribe and like our YouTube channel, please, because we go through real people's 90 day transaction inventories during the spending intervention. We talk through some real scenarios about how people are spending money, ways that they can improve their spending, make it more values aligned. So absolutely subscribe to our YouTube channel. Watch that.

[Host 2]

Thank you for the problem, Alyssa.

[Host 1]

Yeah, this is great. Well done. You are no longer spending that money. There is a part of me that wants to know if you could go back and get any money from this subscription service.

[Host 2]

You should try. Try it. You never know, maybe you fail. But if you've been subscribed to them for this long and you're using the service, they might give you some kind of prorate or some kind of discount moving forward. Yeah, that's a good for that. Like error. Yeah. So you should definitely try.

[Host 1]

Yes. If you all are listening, have a bill you want to submit. If it's similar to Alyssa and you did a 90 day transaction inventory and you found a double bill and you canceled that bill or you've subscribed to our YouTube channel to figure out the types of bills other people are paying on our spending intervention. Or just your name is Bill and you want to do a spending intervention with us, but you also want to leave us a bill of the week. Frugalfriendspodcast.com Bill, we can't wait to listen to it.

[Alyssa]

Run a business and not thinking about podcasting, think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show [e-mail] that's iheartadvertising.com Are.

[Jen]

There any pictures of you online? I'm not just talking about Google. I'm talking anywhere.

[Lester Holt]

Clear View scrapes together images from Facebook, from LinkedIn, from Venmo accounts.

[Jen]

That database is now being used by police departments all across the country to match criminal suspect photos. And sometimes it makes mistakes.

[Lester Holt]

So in this one case, two of their search results that I think were in the top 10 of the search results were Michael Jordan, just a picture of Michael Jordan.

[Jen]

But cops are still using it to make arrests.

[Lester Holt]

Police, they are trusting the software to lead them to the right suspect. But you're not even being told that it was used, let alone given any of the details about how it works.

[Jen]

This is not Minority Report. This is happening right now. People are getting arrested and doing actual time in jail after being picked out by a computer. I'm Dexter Thomas, host of Kill Switch, where every Wednesday we explain the right now of living in the future. You can turn off the computer, but do not let the computer turn you off. Listen to Kill Switch in the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tom Yamas]

OpenAI is a financial abomination, a thing that should not be an aberration, a symbol of rot at the heart of Silicon Valley. And I'm gonna tell you why on my show Better Offline, the rudest show in the tech industry where we're breaking down why OpenAI, along with other AI companies, are dead set on lying to your boss that they can take your job. I'm also going to be talking with the greatest minds in the industry about all the other ways the rich and powerful are ruining the computer. Listen to Better offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts wherever you happen to get your podcasts.

[Dan Flores]

The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella.

[Tom Yamas]

I'll correct my kids now and then.

[Tom Brokaw]

Where they'll say when cave people were here.

[Host 2]

And I'll say it seems like, like the Ice age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.

[Dan Flores]

So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.

[Jill]

Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.

[Host 2]

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host 1]

And now it's time for the Lightning Round Pew.

[Host 2]

All right, if you could only Buy one thing organic for the rest of the year, what would it be? Jill?

[Alyssa]

How.

[Host 2]

How much organic do you purchase?

[Host 1]

Here's the funny thing, Jen. Me buying organic goes based on how tight or not tight my spending plan feels. So like, sometimes I'm at the grocery store and it's like, all organic. Even the canned stuff. Yeah, I can afford it. And then other times I'm like, oh, who cares? This doesn't mean anything. Wow. It is. It's very connected to my mood ring, honestly.

[Host 2]

Because we have been paid the same for quite a long time.

[Host 1]

Yeah. And sometimes it feels like I don't. I don't have it. It's not a lot to give.

[Host 2]

Well, we don't have it to give. We don't pay ourselves a lot.

[Host 1]

I'll be honest.

[Host 2]

That's why we need your subscriptions on YouTube. They're free and they help us.

[Host 1]

But when, however possible, if I am buying berries, I try to get the organic berries. That always feels like the most important to me, you know, trying to follow the dirty dozen. Yeah, I don't always. How about you?

[Host 2]

I don't ever.

[Host 1]

And the organic is never in the budget. It doesn't depend on how I feel.

[Host 2]

I have two children and a puppy. And even before I had kids, organic was never in the budget and even in the dirty dozen. And I would love if you can convince me that this. That this is a bad choice. I am open to being convinced, but.

[Host 1]

Convince her on our YouTube channel.

[Host 2]

After you subscribe, I will only listen to comments left on YouTube videos from subscribers. And, oh, yeah, it has to say publicly subscribe, and it doesn't have to be relevant to the video, but that is how I interact with people now. I wish I was that person, and I am not. And I know I'm probably not alone. Half of our listeners are not gonna listen to this episode because they already feel that way.

[Host 1]

What feels to you like the most important thing to buy organic? If you were that person, Um.

[Host 2]

I would say berries. I would. I. I think I'm just a little biased. Well, maybe not. I don't know.

[Host 1]

And leafy greens. I know we only said one, but for me, berries and leafy greens and now berries. If it's too expensive, then I just. I. I'll either do organic or I won't do them at all. Like, there is no radical middle for me, typically. But I'm buying leafy greens every single week, and that, thankfully, that's not too expensive. Organic. That is what I'll do. Changing my answer.

[Host 2]

Yeah, I don't know. I buy avocado oil for cooking and I think that's organic. I don't think they make regular.

[Host 1]

Probably not.

[Host 2]

Yeah.

[Host 1]

If you buy avocado oil, you're just like, already. It's already organic.

[Host 2]

Yeah, I think my extra virgin olive oil might be organic, but it's just because that's the one I purchased.

[Host 1]

Anything you buy from Costco.

[Host 2]

Really? Anything? Yeah, Which I don't do a lot from Costco.

[Host 1]

There's your question. If you could only buy one thing from Costco for the rest of the year, what would it be?

[Host 2]

Ooh, I know what your answer would be. Mine's cool.

[Host 1]

Cause I don't know.

[Host 2]

The hot dog.

[Host 1]

Oh yeah.

[Host 2]

Okay. We just went to Costco on Sunday and. Okay, let's go through the outro and then.

[Host 1]

And then you'll figure it out.

[Host 2]

I'll have to look at my Costco receipts. Thank you so much for listening. We love reading your kind reviews, whether they are on YouTube, Spotify, wherever, on Amazon. If you purchased the book, did you know we have a book? It's called Buy what yout Love without going broke. It breaks down that 90 day transaction inventory and tells you where to go from there. It gives you your tells you how to make your baseline and then how to spend better from that baseline. And it's available [e-mail] and Lori Gold read it and gave it a five star review. They said, I have been enjoying and learning so much from Jen and Jill's podcast Frugal Friends. So I was thrilled when they announced their new book, Buy what you love without going broke. This book was all I'd hoped for and more. It has heart and is unlike other personal finance books I've read, partly because it reaches beyond finances, leading each individual reader to easily understand their own patterns, needs and plans. Jen and Jill are two personal finance coaches who share their stories, tools and guidance while rooting for your successes along the way. Each section ends with an action step, so by the end of the book you'll have easily assembled your own set of financial tools that you can use throughout your life for a better financial future.

[Host 1]

Laurie, what an amazing, comprehensive, succinct review. We really appreciate your words.

[Host 2]

Thank you so much Lori.

[Host 1]

This really helps to summarize what the book is and does. So if that sounds like what you need, buywhatyoulovebook.com go get your own copy. If you do read it, please leave us a review because it continues to help us. All of these things that you can do for free does help us. So leave a rating and review on the podcast, buy the book, review the book, subscribe to our YouTube channel again. Even if you're not a big YouTube watcher, you just really want to help us.

[Host 2]

Help me.

[Host 1]

Just go onto YouTube, hit the subscribe button, and then you never have to. You never have to do another thing again. Although we do recommend it.

[Host 2]

You can leave a comment on the latest video being like, I'm just here for the sub and nobody will know. Leave something really random that seems like an inside joke and then we will respond like we get it.

[Host 1]

Yes.

[Host 2]

Which, I don't know, it might alienate new people, people to YouTube, but it.

[Host 1]

Might have like a whole YouTube subculture where people are just here for posting unhinged things.

[Host 2]

I am so here for that.

[Host 1]

I think we have awoken the tribe on that one, probably.

[Host 2]

Please.

[Host 1]

All right, everyone, we've got enough action steps for you after this one. We hope you enjoyed and we're going to see you next time.

[Host 2]

Bye. Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni. All right, so there are quite a few things that I buy frequently at Costco, but I think I want to choose one that I can only get at Costco. Uh, so I think, yeah, that's a good call. There's these things called Heavenly Hunks. They're like oatmeal bites.

[Host 1]

Those are so good.

[Host 2]

My kids are obsessed with them. We cannot keep them. But they're so expensive. They are not. It's 10 bucks for a bag.

[Host 1]

You know what? My energy bites that I make that recipe similar, very similar.

[Host 2]

Cause I was like, I'm gonna have to get a recipe for this because they're too much and they love them. Jojo's dark chocolate with the nuts, pistachios and dried cranberries. Those are a good sweet treat, healthy sweet treat. And Ellie likes these jerky treats and then dried liver treats. They're actually very affordable at Costco versus if I was to get them at petsmart or something. So I feel like if I had to choose one, I would have to choose the Heavenly Hunks. Or they also have a vanilla yogurt. I think it's a goat milk yogurt. That stuff is delicious and I've never seen it anywhere else.

[Host 1]

I would probably choose something from their frozen section. Their frozen foods save me so much. They are my emergency, emergency freezer meals.

[Host 2]

Yes.

[Host 1]

So I love stocking up on stuff like that from Costco.

[Host 2]

Have you tried the pre cooked sirloin?

[Host 1]

No.

[Host 2]

That's just in the refrigerated section.

[Host 1]

No, that sounds crazy.

[Host 2]

It is good. I've been doing steak salads with it.

[Host 1]

So just cold.

[Host 2]

Yeah. It's pre cooked, it's refrigerated. Comes in two packages. So I froze one and I've been eating the other. One package will get me like three salads.

[Host 1]

Okay.

[Host 2]

And this is my first time trying it because it's not cheap. It's like 24 bucks.

[Host 1]

Whoa.

[Host 2]

For all dat meat. But it has saved me several times in the past week. Like last night we got home really late and I hadn't eaten. And instead of going for something unhealthy, I was able to do a really healthy steak salad.

[Host 1]

Yeah.

[Host 2]

So that's another thing. Like going in radical middle like has you more healthy too. It's not the worst thing I could have. It's not the best thing I can have. But it's quick and it's easy and it's pretty healthy.

[Host 1]

I love that. So you've hacked life.

[Host 2]

I have not hacked life. For you to say that and know where I'm at in life is. Is an inside joke. But here we are.

[Host 1]

I'm in your YouTube video coming out with some unhinged comments.

[Host 2]

Yeah. Yeah. It's good though.

[Host 1]

Yeah, it'll be good.

[Host 2]

Tell us what you want, what you buy at Costco.

[Host 1]

I'm saying the freezer section. What would be my favorite thing? We were really enjoying those chicken corn on bleu things. Definitely not the most healthy.

[Host 2]

Yeah.

[Host 1]

But easy to eat from home.

[Host 2]

We had to take a break from them. We were buying them so much.

[Host 1]

Costco has the best bacon.

[Host 2]

Real good bacon.

[Host 1]

Real good bacon. I would probably though have to say, and I'm not gonna remember the specific name of it, but they've got like prepackaged like burritos or chimichanga things that are some really good go to lunches for us.

[Host 2]

I take everything back. The Costco white chocolate raspberry cake. Uh huh. That's it.

[Host 1]

We would live off of that.

[Host 2]

I would live off of that.

[Host 1]

That's right. You have made statements like this before. Like you could live off of. That's what episode this would have been so long ago. Probably where that was our lightning round question of what food could you live off of? And I took it literally. I was like bread, wine and apples. Like I think it has everything that I need. And you were like tiramisu. And I'm like, no, Jen, you're not understanding the assignment. Like you can't live off A tiramisu. And you dug in like heels in. You doubled down.

[Host 2]

I love tiramisu.

[Host 1]

Yes, I can. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every, Every.

[Host 2]

Just a little bit. A little bit for every meal. Not too much.

[Host 1]

And here you are again. I'm like, I think I could sustain off of like burritos with like beans and meat and veggies inside of it. You're like, the raspberry cake, it's so good.

[Host 2]

Hey, first I said, steak salad. I want to put that out there.

[Host 1]

And then you were like, no, let me change my answer.

[Host 2]

Yeah, I did.

[Host 1]

I'm coming out of the radical middle and going to an extreme.

[Host 2]

Yep, yep. Wow. There we are.

[Host 1]

This after show has been longer than.

[Host 2]

The episode itself, but it's been important. People needed to hear this. People really needed that.

[Jen]

Are there any pictures of you online? Then you could already be in a massive police database without even knowing it.

[Lester Holt]

Clearview scrapes together images from Facebook, from LinkedIn, from Venmo accounts.

[Jen]

I'm Dexter Thomas, host of Killswitch, a podcast about how living in the future is affecting us right now.

[Lester Holt]

Police, they are trusting the software with this magical ability to lead them to the right suspect.

[Jen]

In this episode, we dive into how cops are using AI and facial recognition and sometimes getting it wrong and putting innocent people behind bars.

[Lester Holt]

So if your accuser is this algorithm, but you're not even being told that it was used, let alone given any of the details about how it works.

[Jen]

Listen to Kill Switch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tom Yamas]

OpenAI is a financial abomination, a thing that should not be an aberration, a symbol of rot at the heart of Silicon Valley. And I'm going to tell you why. On my show Better Offline, the rudest show in the tech industry where we're breaking down why OpenAI, along with other AI companies, are dead set on lying to your boss that they can take your job. I'm also going to be talking with the greatest minds in the industry about all the other ways the rich and powerful are ruining the computer. Listen to Better offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts. Wherever you happen to get your podcasts.

[Host 1]

Here'S the deal. We gotta set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game. We gotta make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them. Let's put ourselves in the right position, pre game to greater things. Start building your retirement [e-mail] brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. I think everything that might have dropped in 95 has been labeled the golden years of hip hop. It's Black Music Month, and We need the Talk is tapping in. I'm Nyla Simone, breaking down lyrics, amplifying voices, and digging into the culture that shapes the soundtrack of our lives. Like, that's what's really important, and that's.

[Jen]

What stands out, is that I'm Music changes people's lives for the better.

[Host 1]

Let's talk about the music that moves us to hear this and more on how music and culture collide. Listen to we need to Talk from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast.