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- [00:00]
Jill
The World cup champion will be crowned this week and you can trade the tourney through the finals on Kalshi, America's number one prediction market platform. Right now, Spain is trading at 58% to beat Argentina, meaning a hundred trade pays out 166 if they win. On Kalshi, you're trading against other people in a live market. No house, no odds makers. For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code WIN26 to get $10 when you trade $10k a lshi kalshi trade the beautiful game 18 years and older. Only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. Prices, values and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see kalshi.com regulatory there's nothing like my American Express Platinum card. I love that I can earn hotel credits when I travel. I can also earn resi credits so you know I'm hitting the restaurants everyone's talking about. Plus with the digital entertainment credit, I'm even more excited to catch my favorite shows. All in all, I can access over $3,500 in annual value with benefits and eligible purchases across travel, entertainment and more. Learn more@americanexpress.com Explore Platinum Enrollment Requirements monthly and other limits and terms apply.
- [01:24]
Jen
How to simplify your life to save more money.
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Jill
Welcome to the Frugal Friends Podcast where
- [01:33]
Jen
you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity
- [01:37]
Jill
and live a richer life. Here are your hosts, Jen and Jill.
- [01:46]
Jen
Hey Frugal Friends, I'm Jen.
- [01:47]
Jill
I'm Jill.
- [01:48]
Jen
And welcome to the Summer Slowdown where we are slowing down behind the scenes to prepare for our CFP exam and you benefit from getting some of our greatest hits you may have missed from 2024.
- [02:01]
Jill
You know we're still gonna have new episodes on YouTube on Tuesdays, but on Fridays we'll be releasing these greatest hits to lighten our recording load for only you, our audio listeners.
- [02:11]
Jen
Yes, and today's episode explores the psychology behind simplicity, decision fatigue and the concept of Enough. It was one of your favorites, one of our favorites and we are going to dissect this how we can use the research on these topics to save money.
- [02:27]
Jill
But first, this episode is brought to you by the CFP Exam. If you're listening to this on the day it releases, we are probably taking that exam right now. Think of us while we laugh, cry and more cry our way through this six hour exam. A way you can support us is by subscribing to the podcast on YouTube. Even if we fail, we'll be happy to see we have two more subscribers than than we did when we walked into the test. But seriously, do pray for us.
- [02:59]
Jen
Please, please do.
- [03:00]
Jill
Thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers.
- [03:02]
Jen
And now onto the episode for you.
- [03:09]
Jill
We polled you all another little simple way we promise we won't overdo it to be able to hear from you and learn about what are the things you want us to be talking about. So we asked you about an area of life that you struggle most to simplify and those who get the friend letter, we're able to respond. And really all over the we asked physical space, schedule, digital life, or daily demands and decisions and the one that was least responded to was schedule. But pretty much neck and neck. Daily demands and decisions, Digital life and physical space were top three for the things that are hard to which is
- [03:53]
Jen
funny because for me, I think that the daily demands are part of your schedule. So I think we're separating the things we do outside the home from the things we do inside. But I think they're very much intertwined. And so when you can change your mindset around one, you can by proxy simplify the other. So I'm excited to talk about that today. But a lot of you blamed your children and I'm with you and tiny humans frazzling my brain. Hot mess. I see all of your, I see all of your responses and I get it. I saw a Instagram post the other day that says get in loser. We're going insane. And I felt that. I felt it so, so deeply. But yeah, so we're going to, we're going to talk about all these aspects because they were so evenly divided. And in your responses you said you could have you. You wanted to pick more than one. So. But do want to pay special attention to these daily. When we say daily demands and decisions. I know we're all talking about feeding our tiny humans, so paying special close attention to there. But even if you don't have tiny humans, you will get a lot out of this one.
- [05:23]
Jill
If this topic is of interest to you, you want to queue up some others. We also have episode 352, which is how to simplify your money management. So specifically looking at simplification with our finances. Today's how simplifying helps our finances. We've also got episode 248, which is simple Money Rich Life with Bob and Linda Lodick Lodich, one of the two. I forget how to pronounce their last names, but that was a really fun interview. With that duo. But stick here.
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Jen
Yeah.
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Jill
So let's talk about first, why even simplifying? Because we need to be sure that we've got some buy in before we even start doing it. And I do want to make the caveat that we're not talking about minimalism. They are connected. Simplification sometimes can look like minimalism, but it does. It doesn't have to. We're not simplifying so that you just have hardly anything. You can have a lot of things and still live a simple life. You can do a lot of things and still have degrees of simplicity. So it really is aiming at a simplification that works for you, but not just so you can feel like you attain some sort of picture of nothingness.
- [06:43]
Jen
Yeah. And I think minimalism really takes it down to itself to physical spaces. And that was something that we can talk about in another episode. I think so much. We. And we just wrote about this in our book talking about. Our brains are attracted to complexity. We desire to add things to our life. I was looking for an example for the book and I was thinking the time when I wanted to buy a bigger water bottle so that I would drink more water. My solution was not take away distractions and insert more opportunities to drink water. My solution that my brain jumped to was let me buy a bigger water bottle. Let me add instead of what can I subtract to give myself more space to be more intentional about drinking water. And so we do so. And so much of that ends up with us buying stuff. And so when we can change our mindset to be one from what can I add to solve this problem? What can I buy or what service can I subscribe to or buy to solve this problem and first take a simplification approach.
- [08:06]
Jill
Yeah, I think simplifying can solve a lot of the common difficulties and struggles that we face. Not solve altogether, but really help us with some of these things, like overwhelm or feeling like we don't have enough time, feeling stressed about finances, having so much stuff around us, whether it's houses full of toys or closets full of clothes. And then none of it ends up getting played with or worn. And we're just kind of constantly thinking we just need to be better at cleaning, we need to be better at organizing when a lot of times simplification. And when it comes to our spaces, I do think there's something to be said for having less can be great, but there's a whole spectrum for that. But I think simplifying in the sense of how can I reduce the number of decisions that need to be made. How can I create rhythms and automation and habits and routines around these things so that it's not this constant mental drain that's happening which can free up time and space and cause us to not feel as overwhelmed when we can feel so drawn to complexity. In what ways can we kind of shift our focus to the opposite of complexity and wherever possible, choose simplicity? I like to connect this idea with what you've talked a lot about, Jen, recently. And we talk about in the book the 8020 rule of the vital few and the useful many. Like how can we really leverage the vital few to kind of automate the useful many? Or is there a way that I can focus the majority of my time and energy on these prioritized things that then make these other decisions unnecessary or easier?
- [10:04]
Jen
Yeah. To be really intentional about some the heavy hitters in your life that are gonna clear up. What are some things I can clear out of my life or that I can systematize or do something about that's gonna clear up 80% of the chaos. And then that other 20%, we can incorporate it, but they're the lowest barrier to entry things and that's why we focus so much on them when really it just feels like we're spinning our wheels and getting nowhere. So if you feel like you're spinning your wheels and getting nowhere, then it might be time to stop focusing on the useful many because again, still useful. But devote more of your resources to focusing on the virus and we'll kind of give examples of that as we go through this article.
- [10:54]
Jill
Yeah. So obviously this is going to touch all aspects of our lives and especially our finances. So this article comes from Girl Boss and It is titled 7 Ways to Save money by simplifying your life. And the first one we feel so deeply and we also talk about this in our book. The first step is going to be redefining your enough or possibly defining you're enough for the very first time. I know even in writing the book, I had to rethink what would I say is enough. I do think it shifts throughout life. I think that especially as big life changes happen, your enough is gonna look different. Like for you, Jen, what enough was for you and Travis is different from what enough is now with you, Travis and two boys. But really being able to identify that live into that which is definitely connected to contentment. I think simplification is connected to contentment. But really thinking about what of life, what of finances is enough where not that we have to stop doing anything no longer have any kind of goals. But can we recognize if our hustling or the setting these kind of unrealistic goals is kind of going way past, just blowing beyond whatever would actually be contentment for me and peace inside myself. So I love starting here.
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Jen
Yes, absolutely. And I think defining your enough is important, not what you think should be enough, not what is enough for somebody else. And I think about this like, I get a special treat latte every week. I will sometimes bring it in to Jill's house in the morning, even though she has perfectly good coffee. It is my treat and I do it once a week. And then I also have sometimes when I go to CrossFit on Saturday mornings, then I will get a coffee out with some of the girls afterwards. But that's not every week. But I do have my treat every week. So I would say I get a coffee out 1.5 times a week. That's my enough. Your enough could look different. Your enough could look like twice a month or twice a week or something totally different. Like, I'm in the season of my life where I want to stay home more. I want to be at home and a hermit. When I was single, I wanted to go out more. I wanted to be in relationship with people that weren't necessarily in the same place as me, with my finances as I am now. And so I could suggest that we do something for free, but I had to determine if the relationship was more important than the money. So, like, if they didn't want to do the free thing, but they did want to get the coffee, like making that decision. And so that could result in you valuing your enough being higher than mine in that category, whereas my category of snacks is probably higher than a lot of other people. So, yeah, your enough has to be for you and don't try to conform it. And this is where the 90 day transaction inventory is really useful. You can see what you've already been doing and then figure out from there what is my enough. Does this feel good? Does this feel like too much? And then you can go back down and say, oh, no, I just thought that was too much. I just assumed it was too much. And I don't know why, but really I want to take it back up. So test it out. You will experiment. And there's a beauty in that because
- [14:49]
Jill
I think redefining it is gonna need to happen along the way too. I think we've come to this point in our renovations with the house as well. When is enough? Because you can kind of just keep going. Once you kind of get this idea of refine, refining, but constantly re looking at can this be enough? And that goes for all of our spaces, our schedule, our relationships, what is enough? And leaning into that.
- [15:18]
Jen
Yeah, I know the concept of enough is really big, but if you want to break it down and just start with maybe five things on your 90 day transaction inventory that you really want to hone in on what your enough is that you know has been wildly unpredictable, you know that you really haven't honed in on. Start with those five things, figure out what your enough is there and you will build the skills to do it with other more abstract things in your life.
- [15:48]
Jill
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- [16:13]
Jen
Chime members can earn up to $1,150 in annual returns fee free and they're rated five stars by USA Today for their customer service.
- [16:23]
Jill
Real humans 247 join the millions already banking fee free. Head to chime.comfrugal that's chime.comfrugal it only takes a few minutes to sign up. Chime is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services and Chime card provided by Chime's bank partners. Qualifying direct deposits required terms and limits apply. Go to chime.com disclosures for details. Owning a home is amazing. Until it's not. One minute you're sipping coffee, the next you're ankle deep in water from a burst pipe and repairs don't care about timing and they definitely don't care about your budget. We protect our health, our car, even our phones, but our home is probably the biggest investment. And regular homeowner's insurance often doesn't cover the day to day stuff like plumbing failures, H vac breakdowns or electrical issues.
- [17:09]
Jen
That's where HomeServe comes in. They offer plans starting at just 499amonth to cover specific home systems. So when something goes wrong, you're not panic googling contractors at midnight, you're calling their 24.7hotline to get a repair started. We actually had a plumbing scare last year and just knowing a service like this exists would have saved us so much stress.
- [17:30]
Jill
They've been helping homeowners for over 20 years with a network of 2,600 local experienced contractors, nearly 4.5 million customers, and a 4.8 out of 5 star repair rating. Enroll today. Choose the plan that fits your home and budget and have that peace of mind ready before the next emergency hits.
- [17:47]
Jen
Join the millions of customers who trust HomeService for 50% less your first year. Go to homeserve.com frugal that's homeserve.com frugal for 50% less savings compared to renewal price void in Florida. So the next thing on this list, which, it feels like a call out, I don't want to say you gave this one to me on purpose, but it's unplug and reclaim your time. So I, and I, I'm gonna speak on this and it's gonna guilt me to say this to you, but know that I'm saying it to me. So, yes. So like unplugging can be scrolling on your phone less, which obviously you will encounter fewer ads if you do that, but also cutting the cord on some of your streaming services. So this is one thing that I can say with confidence about us is that we got rid of Netflix last May and we decided we're going to go a year without Netflix. But we have two other streaming services. And so we're going to alternate through two streaming services at a time. Right. And so, you know, when May comes or whenever the next one expires, we won't renew it and we'll pick up Netflix again. So we are doing. We also dropped Disney. That's the other one we dropped. So we're cycling through. And that means that sometimes we have come to the end of the things that we want to watch on tv, the shows and the movies.
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Jill
There's nothing left.
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Jen
There's nothing left. It's not that we've consumed it all, it's just that we're not interested in the anymore. And so that is helping us reclaim some of our time and it saves us money. Instead of having all the streaming services, we choose two at a time and we cycle through them and they're like six months apart, I think. So then we have to be careful that when we have reclaimed that time that we don't refill it with scrolling on our phones again, which is something that I have actually found that I am becoming guilty of. So I think taking technology down a notch, I love digital minimalism, I think by Greg McCown. I think that's who wrote it. I always come back to that we read that one for our frugal friends book club a really long time ago. But coming back to, we are not anti technology, but we do want to put safeguards around our consumption of it. So sometimes that looks like those silly physical barriers that we, you know, put our phone in a box. You don't need to buy the $200 box that is being advertised on Instagram. Have you seen that? Have you seen.
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Jill
No.
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Jen
They're advertising all kinds. Well, now you will get it because
- [20:56]
Jill
I'm talking about this.
- [20:58]
Jen
There are all kinds of like new things that you can buy to keep you from using your phone. Oh, wow. Yeah. And I don't know, I guess they charge it.
- [21:07]
Jill
While that's, that's a great example of complexity bias. I have a problem. Only buy something to solve the problem. Yes.
- [21:13]
Jen
Oh my gosh. Yes. So, but sometimes we do need to create some barriers. We don't need to pay for those barriers. But putting the phone away and it just, it keeps you from consuming less and it can make you more grateful. I think that is one thing that has helped me kind of be more intentional about being on my phone less is I've started this five year journal and every day I will write it's literally three lines for the day, something that happened with me or Travis or the kids. And there's five sections on each page. So once you finish a year, you go back to page one and you can see what happened a year ago and you add another three lines. And so you can do the same as a gratitude journal to replace some of that scrolling and that comparison as being the thief of joy. You can instead choose to be grateful. Instead choose intentional contentment, which I don't
- [22:20]
Jill
think we have to totally re emphasize how that helps your finances, but I'm going to. It's gonna keep you from spending, scrolling and spending, which we know inevitably ends up happening, especially if you're feeling bored and you want that little rush of something. And gratitude, like you're saying, Jen, is it does lead to contentment, which is going to lead to less spending. Looking to buy something to solve a problem or meet a need. We can become more creative when we kind of free up our space and our minds for that. The next thing on the list is to simplify lifestyle practices. So this is really related to routines and habits. So what can we be doing? And implementing that helps to make things almost second nature automated. I know we're going to talk about automation a little bit more later on, but looking at ways that we can make something Into a rhythm, something that regularly happens that we hardly have to think about. So for those of us who are really struggling with simplifying the daily decisions and routines, this is awesome. We already all have habits. This is just an opportunity to look at the habits and are they benefiting us or is there room to shift them? Can we recreate some habits or replace some habits? Interrupt some of those cue craving reward cycles with the things that we actually want to be implementing. Like if meal planning is something you really want to be trying to do, putting that into your routine, allowing it to almost become this habit that's happening for you. For me, this is something I do every other Sunday and it's just become a part of my regularly scheduled activities throughout the month that now I've come to just not even think about. It doesn't feel like a burden. It doesn't feel like I've got to. How do I carve out time for this? I already know it's nearly set in stone that this is what I'm going to do and this is how I'm going to do takes time. But I think identifying where you already want to shift things, like if you're going to be choosing, choosing to spend less time scrolling or watching tv, then a great thing to replace it with is this. Planning what you're going to eat, looking at recipes that feel inspiring, that's a very fun, productive thing to be scrolling through is food. Love that.
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Jen
We love that option. Yeah.
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Jill
They also mention getting back to some of the basics of lifestyle. So maybe making your own types of products. They're talking about kind of the cost of convenience. We do pay more for convenience and sometimes it's worth it. I know Jen, you buy pre chopped veggies frozen and that's necessary and actually can be not super expensive. But when we are buying convenience items just because it's our habit, it's what we do. But then it's not only costing us more, but we're producing so much more waste and it's not good for us, not good for the environment. Are there ways that we can look at to really just simplify the lifestyle? Are we willing to make some of our own cleaning products? Do we have to have 10 things under the sink or would two products work just fine? Do we need all of the new cleaning gadgets and kitchen appliances or do what we have work and it's then less to clean and maintain?
- [25:59]
Jen
Yes. This is where the daily decisions and all of that can feel overwhelming because we've, we've gone through life not knowing 100% of what to do in every situation. So we accumulate solutions, thinking that the next thing I consume will definitely solve my problem and be the answer that I've been looking for. And that is how we end up with 10 different eyeshadows, 10 different lipsticks, 10 different skincare products, 10 different cleaning products under the sink. And then the actual practice of these things becomes overwhelming. It's like, I don't want to have to choose between these 10 cleaning products to figure out how to clean this one thing. I'm just not going to do it. And then it builds up and becomes a real problem. So when we can simplify our lifestyle practice and our view of lifestyle practice, again, keeping that mindset that another thing will probably not solve the problem. What can I take away to solve the problem?
- [27:11]
Jill
Especially if the problem isn't a problem for you? I mean, I'm thinking air fryers and instant pots and rice cookers. If you don't already have an issue with cooking your rice, then you don't need a rice cooker. Just because everybody says that, that, that they love it. If you don't currently have a problem heating up your chicken nuggies in the toaster oven you have, then you don't need to have an air fryer just because everyone's raving about it. I think that's a thing too. Like, people have talked me into products because it solved a problem for them, but I don't have the problem, so I don't need the solution.
- [27:50]
Jen
The Ninja Creamy I've been seeing everywhere. If you don't currently have a problem making your own ice cream, you don't need to buy a Ninja Creamy. It's like I'm making my own ice cream all the time and it's so arduous. This Ninja Creamy could really be a solution for you. But if that is not a problem you already have, then don't create a solution for, for somebody else's problem. Don't purchase a solution.
- [28:18]
Jill
And then there's just so much space it's gonna take up for something you might do once a month.
- [28:24]
Jen
Yep, yep. The same. Like these glass containers for meal prep. Like you don't need to buy the circular ones if you already have rectangular ones and vice versa. It's. Yeah, we're buying solutions that other to other people's problems so frequently and it just, it makes our lifestyle so complex.
- [28:46]
Jill
Yeah.
- [28:47]
Jen
The next one on here is downsize to upsize your sense of freedom. So this one might be a little controversial. I don't know. So do your possessions possess you? Large homes and lawns need constant upkeep from cleaning to maintenance. Expensive cars need recurring repairs that are often more expensive. So what are the things around you that you could downsize to increase your sense of freedom? And so this is mostly like, I don't think a lot of us are driving luxury cars that are in that category, but I think that can include home buying the homes that we live in. And so this does not mean that you need to downsize your home, but it can mean that you are intentional about how you upgrade it, the way you style it, the lawn care that you choose, like the plants that you choose to put in your lawn care, all of these things. And maybe it does mean that you get rid of it. I was listening to Jeanette McCurdy's memoir, and it was so good. And she bought a home because that's what you're supposed to do when you have money, you invest in a home. And she got a really good deal on the. On the house.
- [30:18]
Jill
This.
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Jen
I watched her in an extra interview with Graham Stephen. But for the three years that she owned it, it was constantly. Something was breaking. Like, she just. She got a lemon of a house. Like, she bought something that was completely turnkey, completely furnished. She even bought the furnishings with it because she wanted to do nothing. And the bathroom ended up flooding in the first month or couple weeks, flooding the furniture she just bought. So she had to get rid of the furnishings and re plumb the whole house. And just for three years, she had a contractor, like, at her house, like, doing something or other to it. And finally she was like, you know what's gonna solve my problem? You know what's gonna make me love this house? An interior decorator decorating the house. Once the house is decorated, then I will love it. And her therapist was like, why don't you just sell the house? And she's like, nope, the house is a good investment. I don't know why, but I wanna love it. And so I'm gonna decorate it. And she has a meeting with this interior decorator who loves animal print. And by the time you get to this part in the book, it's like, I'm sorry if you haven't read it, but it's not a big spoiler. She's not an animal print girly. And the first animal print sofa shows up at her house, and she calls the interior decorator and she's like, I think I'm gonna sell the house. And so it's just, again, another, like, how and now she lives in an apartment. Now she rents an apartment, you know, and so it's like, what are those things on a smaller scale in our lives that we're trying to add to. To solve that, we really need to downsize.
- [32:05]
Jill
I think everything can be looked at. I think how complicated our meal plans can be. Just paring it down. What are a couple meals you can put on rotate every other week that reuse ingredients? What can you be doing with your kitchen gadgets like we've already talked about? Can we just cook simply so we don't need to even be using five different types of appliances to make one meal?
- [32:34]
Jen
Or maybe it is with your car. Maybe you don't need the suv. Maybe you could do with a sedan, you know?
- [32:40]
Jill
Yeah. Eric and I, this does not work for all people, but we downsize to just one vehicle, and we've been able to make that work for five years now, almost. Something like that. So I think all of it can be looked at.
- [32:59]
Jen
It can all be looked at. It can't all be done.
- [33:01]
Jill
Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I'm just saying, at any level, from the way you eat to how you drive to where you live, I think you identify what feels the most complicated and see what if you get creative. The next one on here is stop buying into fashion trends. This one we don't need to say much about. It's pretty obvious how it will eventually help our wallets as well as helping our stress levels, because we know that decision, fatigue, feeling overwhelmed are big, big things that steal from our ability to make the important decisions that we need to make. So if you're feeling overwhelmed just getting dressed in the morning or doing all of your laundry, and that's what's keeping you from meal planning. And actually, meal planning is more important than clean out the closet. But also beware of how buying cheap clothing can cause you to feel like, fill up your closet because it's so much less expensive. We just talked about this in one of our previous episodes, Just a story of someone who stopped buying clothing. And one of the realizations that I loved out of this one was that by buying so much inexpensive clothing, whether on the clearance rack or even at a thrift store, she wasn't getting the things that actually fit her. So she never felt good about what she was wearing, which never felt good about herself, and then felt like she wasn't valuing herself and had a closet full of things she never wore. And I think there's so much to be said for the money we can be saving. If we are willing to invest in a couple pieces, staple pieces for our wardrobe that we feel really good in, that's good quality, made ethically and will last us for years, will save us far more in not just the decisions on what to wear we need to make daily, but how much we're buying regularly.
- [35:00]
Jen
Yeah. And I mean, the same can go for furniture, which is also on this list. Furniture trends, I'm thinking like those egg chairs that look really cute in pictures, but everybody I've ever heard who's bought one, they're the most uncomfortable things to sit in in reality, and they only use them for pictures. Like buying multipurpose, like multi use furniture too. That's gonna last and that is not just on trend. And then the last one for me is to automate as much as possible. And this kind of goes without saying, automating our bills, automating anything in our schedule that can be automated. So for me, that looks like adding things to a calendar, blocking things out. If it's not in the calendar, it does not exist. It's a rule. It's a rule. The less mental energy I have to expend to remember things and to keep telling my spouse these things. We share a calendar, if it's not in the calendar, does not exist. And keeping appointments that are recurring, keeping those, automating those showing up in the calendar. So just outside of your bills, automating as much as possible.
- [36:24]
Jill
And again, that does tie into habits. How can you almost put yourself on automation with some of these things?
- [36:30]
Jen
Yeah. So not every routine can become a habit. But when we're intentional about creating routines, like a meal planning routine, the meal planning itself will not become a habit, because that is a thing that requires intentional thought. But sitting down and taking out the special meal planning paper or whiteboard, that can become a habit. And that's all you need. You just need to automate that first action of a routine to make that a habit. And then you can do the routine.
- [37:05]
Jill
Yeah. And again, all of this simplification is going to help create space for us to breathe, which will help us make better decisions overarching with our finances. It will help lead to contentment, Contentment for us as we learn to practice gratitude within the midst of our simplification. Our not responding to every want and desire as it comes up or impulse that we have to spend is going to keep us from spending on the unnecessary things and helping us know when we do want to spend on something because it actually is aligning with our values.
- [37:43]
Jen
Yeah. You know what else is really simple and is truly a habit? The initial onset is a habit, but super intentional beyond that, 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.
- [38:15]
Jill
Maybe you paid off your mortgage.
- [38:17]
Jen
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.
- [38:28]
Riley
Hi Jen and Jill. I am back with an update on the pro sports fan getaway. I do not recommend. The game was not fun but the vacation was. So that was good. But I'm calling with another bill because recently there was a windstorm in our area and my neighbor's tree, 50 foot tree, crashed into our yard and demolished my kids playset and smashed the fence and our entire patio furniture set. It did miss our house by about 10ft which is great because had it not, it would have landed right on my daughter's bedroom. So that was definitely good. But yeah, so we were pretty stressed out about all these bills that we have coming our way and we actually just found out from our insurance company that we're going to be getting about $20,000, which is amazing. And we're actually going to be able to pay off this pro sports fan getaway. So, you know, it all works out. But I'm really hoping this is the last bill that I send you. You know, other people are getting free coffees and discounts on stuff and we've got kids swallowing screws and husbands winning vacations I don't want and trees crashing into our yard. But yeah, it is what it is. I hope you guys have a great day. Hopefully I will not talk to you soon. Okay, bye.
- [40:00]
Jen
Oh my gosh. We've been on this journey with you for so long and this pro sports getaway I am so sad to hear was everything you expected?
- [40:14]
Jill
I mean we all could have told each other that.
- [40:16]
Jen
Yeah, we're so sad to hear that we were all right. But oh man. Yeah. As somebody who has had a 50 foot tree fall on their house, I'm so glad that it missed you and that. Yeah. That you're. That you're getting some help for that.
- [40:40]
Jill
I mean that is nice that insurance can cover some of these expenses. But it still is such a headache to deal with these things. But glad it's happening. Glad it missed your daughter's bedroom. And I can commiserate with the feeling of other people are getting all this good stuff and I'm just over here trying to survive.
- [41:01]
Jen
Just try to survive, man.
- [41:02]
Jill
Some days we're not thriving. We're just surviving. We're with you, Riley.
- [41:07]
Jen
Yesterday, I did get 10 cents off of my treat latte.
- [41:12]
Jill
Whoa. Right? Yeah. And I'm. I'm definitely a person who, If I see 10 cents on the ground, I'm gonna pick up that dime.
- [41:18]
Jen
Yeah, we love a dime.
- [41:20]
Jill
Dime pieces for dime pieces. If you all want to submit your bill about getting deals or the free coffees, or if you're over here on the struggle bus with. With a lot of us and just trying to get by and pay your bills, visit frugalfriendspodcast.com bill. Leave us your bill. We're ready for it.
- [41:43]
Jen
Okay, real talk. Summer's here, and all I want to think about is my vacation, not whether I can still afford it. That's why I've been organizing my finances with Monarch, so I can actually enjoy my summer knowing my money's taken care of. Monarch is the personal finance app that tracks everything. Accounts, investments, savings goals, and spending. And you can get your first year of Monarch Core for half off just $50 with promo code Frugal.
- [42:11]
Jill
Monarch's basically watching your money so you don't have to be too in the weeds on the numbers yourself. Plus, the app can help you catch things about your spending and saving that you may never notice on your own. It's like having a financial advisor in your pocket.
- [42:23]
Jen
Exactly. My favorite is the widget that I can put on my home screen, allowing me to see my transactions in real time. And this allows me to stay on top of my spending and stick to my financial goals.
- [42:35]
Jill
Use code frugalonarch.com to get your first year of Monarch Core Half off at just $50. That's 50% off your first year at monarch.com with code FRUGAL.
- [42:45]
Jen
In third grade, I started wearing glasses and I cannot tell you the amount of money and time I have wasted getting glasses that were so expensive and not even cute. That was until 15 years ago. I found Zenny and it sold every problem I personally had with buying glasses.
- [43:02]
Jill
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- [43:15]
Jen
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- [43:30]
Jill
Go to zenni.com podcast and use code podcast15 for 15% off your first order. The styles sell out, so don't sit on it. That's Z-E-N-N-I.com podcast promo code podcast15. And now it's time for the light pay round.
- [43:54]
Jen
All right, what aspect of your daily routine seems unnecessarily complicated? Jill
- [44:06]
Jill
I have worked in some ways tirelessly to make my life as efficient as possible.
- [44:13]
Jen
However, it's exhausting
- [44:17]
Jill
and I'm so tired. I value a clean house, but yet I find myself then just cleaning incessantly, constantly, just responding to something I see in front of me that needs to be cleaned. And it wasn't until this past month that Eric and I decided we're gonna get a handle on this thing so it doesn't feel like I've gotta clean every evening and weekend. And Sidebar I did tell Eric when we were in the thick of our renovations, which did last every bit of three years, he did a lot of the very hard work. Everything, plumbing, electrical, building structures, roofing, studding out walls, flooring, jackhammering pipes into the ground, everything. And I told him that my thank you to him was that he, when this is done, doesn't ever have to worry about a single thing with the house again. Like, no maintenance stuff. I will clean. I will handle cooking. Like, just thank you. What you are providing to us in value is amazing. And that promise to him has lasted one year. We are one year into that and I did well. But now I am at the point where it's like, all right, I'm ready for us to share this responsibility. And he's ready, too. It's not as if he's not doing anything. And I have a little bit more time than he does to be able to clean in the early evening. But he's like, let's do this. Let's figure out how we can make this just more simplified and automated and routined and efficient. So this is our solution to figure out how often do we really think that laundry needs to be done and the floors need to be washed and bathrooms need to be cleaned? Because I couldn't have told you before, Like, I was just kind of, here I am cleaning the toilet again. All right, now I'm scrubbing the floors and I don't know how often I did it, but now I know, okay, I only want to clean the shower once a month. I want to mop the floors twice a month. And now I see a dirty floor and it really Is working. I'm like, yeah, the floor's dirty. And I'm going to get to it this weekend because it only needs to be cleaned every other week. That's fine. That's good.
- [46:43]
Jen
Wow.
- [46:43]
Jill
Yeah. I feel freedom, honestly, in it. It does feel like it's taking up less mental space. Know it's scheduled, it's gonna happen the day that we said that we will do it. And yet not no day. It feels too overwhelming.
- [47:00]
Jen
That is such a good example of simplifying routines and daily decisions is to write down when you're going to get to them.
- [47:11]
Jill
Yeah.
- [47:12]
Jen
And then once it's defined, once you've defined enough, like, how many times the floor needs to be mopped Everywhere. There you go.
- [47:19]
Jill
I define my enough.
- [47:20]
Jen
Yeah. And then, you know, because if you don't define it, nothing is ever enough, and it becomes overwhelming.
- [47:26]
Jill
I would get stressed about needing to wash my sheets because that's something I often forget to do. And I'm like, when was even the last time I washed my sheets? And now I know I have it on a rhythm. I know that I washed my sheets two weeks ago. We're good.
- [47:40]
Jen
Yeah.
- [47:41]
Jill
Or it's time to wash them again.
- [47:45]
Jen
I washed them six weeks ago.
- [47:46]
Jill
I just feel so much more informed. I can make informed decisions.
- [47:51]
Jen
That's awesome.
- [47:52]
Jill
What about you?
- [47:53]
Jen
It ain't cleaning. I don't clean my house.
- [47:58]
Jill
Your house can't be cleaned yet.
- [47:59]
Jen
It doesn't mean that it is cleaned. It just means it's not cleaned. For me, it's feeding my family. Gosh. Why? Okay. And, like, half of it is. I don't know what my child is gonna want to eat or will eat. Like, I just don't know. On one day. Okay, here's a great example. Oh, this is so. Oh, okay. So since we don't have a countertop, we're still like, we just got all our cabinets in. I have been buying uncrustables for Kai's lunches, like, as a treat, but also just to save me time.
- [48:41]
Jill
Yep. Efficiency for now.
- [48:43]
Jen
Yeah. Yeah. So I was buying them at Walmart, the grape ones. And then I just decided. I was like, okay, we're almost done. I'm just gonna get this big box at Sam's Club, and then that'll be it. I'll go back to doing regular lunches after this box, after this economy box is done. And I'm gonna get him strawberry. Cause they don't have strawberry at Walmart. And he loves strawberries. I don't even know if he likes but he loves strawberries. It'll be a great treat. And so. And he is obsessed with strawberries. Like, he loves them. And I give him one, and he's like, I don't like this.
- [49:23]
Jill
No.
- [49:24]
Jen
And I was like, you can't not like it.
- [49:26]
Jill
I have 18.
- [49:27]
Jen
There's 18 of them. You can't not like it. And he tried it twice. He did try it again.
- [49:38]
Jill
Oh.
- [49:39]
Jen
And he just legitimately has decided he doesn't like them.
- [49:45]
Jill
Ugh.
- [49:46]
Jen
And now he's also decided he's had granola bars for lunch for too long. And now we're going. We're back to Goldfish, which I also bought an economy box of and have just been holding onto because midway through the box, he decided he was done with Goldfish and he wanted granola bars. So now we're back there, and life is a disaster.
- [50:10]
Jill
Yeah.
- [50:10]
Jen
But here's. Here's. I like those uncrusted. So I'm like, yeah. The silver lining is that I like them and I will eat them. But I do have to make him a peanut butter and jelly in the mornings again, which is not a big deal. But I thought I was getting out of it for a couple more weeks.
- [50:37]
Riley
So
- [50:40]
Jen
that's just, like, one example of how feeding my family is so complex.
- [50:46]
Jill
I can. What can I do? I feel for you in that I
- [50:53]
Jen
think, how can I help?
- [50:56]
Jill
What can I do? Yes. I. I have so many feelings.
- [50:59]
Jen
Yeah.
- [51:00]
Jill
Because you are trying to keep up with a small human who is ever growing and changing. So that's a tough one. I think the solution for you and someone like you is uncomplicating everything else. I think figuring out how to feed your family is the priority and how to find space for mental energy when this no longer is meeting his need. And I need to have the mental energy to figure out out what will feed his dietary and taste bud needs.
- [51:35]
Jen
Yeah.
- [51:36]
Jill
Like, that is the priority. What's taking it up is the renovation.
- [51:39]
Jen
The renovation in the book.
- [51:41]
Jill
Yeah.
- [51:41]
Jen
Like, uncrustables were the solution. They were the simplification. And then. But now they're my simplification. They're a good snack, and I can't just impulse eat them because they're frozen. So I have to let it thaw for an hour. So I have to really want it.
- [52:00]
Jill
The patience. It's helping build patience.
- [52:02]
Jen
It is. So it's unnecessarily complicated.
- [52:07]
Jill
Yeah. Yeah. I think when you come across those things that are kind of ever present and constant, it is looking at. Are there other things I can simplify so this doesn't feel so overwhelming. Thanks everyone for listening. We love reading your reviews too, like this one from McKeen2. It says informative and makes me giggle. Great podcast which has made me think differently about my spending habits and more thoughtful in my spending. The girls are great fun to listen to and I've definitely saved money from their tips, tricks and wisdom. Thanks Jen and Jill. Thank you. The girls are great fun.
- [52:44]
Jen
We are great fun.
- [52:45]
Jill
It sounds like a stamp of approval that would go on a cereal box or something. The marshmallows are great fun.
- [52:54]
Jen
Come over. Have great fun with us. I'll bring the uncrusted balls.
- [52:59]
Jill
Oh yes. And leave us a review.
- [53:01]
Jen
Yes, please. They make us feel better about our unnecessarily complicated lives.
- [53:06]
Jill
See you next time.
- [53:08]
Jen
Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni. I'm going to buy my my my countertop today though. Yes, I am going to buy it today. I'm gonna put the half of the
- [53:30]
Jill
money down and hopefully it'll be installed in the next three weeks before my birthday.
- [53:37]
Jen
I'm hoping we'll see. It'll be a great birthday. A great 35th birthday gift countertop. Yeah, it'll be more expensive than my engagement ring, which was what Travis got me for my 26th birthday.
- [53:57]
Jill
Oh yeah. So much has happened on your birthdays.
- [54:00]
Jen
We got a book deal for my birthday last year.
- [54:02]
Jill
Last year. I know.
- [54:03]
Jen
Birthdays are so big for me.
- [54:04]
Jill
They really are. Wow. 35 big three five.
- [54:09]
Jen
Big three five. You're not far.
- [54:10]
Jill
Halfway to 40.
- [54:12]
Jen
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- [54:30]
Jill
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