Propaganda: How Shopping Became Patriotic

Summary

Frugal Friends Podcast - Episode Summary

Title: Propaganda: How Shopping Became Patriotic
Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Release Date: July 4, 2025

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In this enlightening episode of the Frugal Friends Podcast, hosts Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni delve deep into the intricate relationship between consumerism and patriotism. Titled "Propaganda: How Shopping Became Patriotic," the episode explores historical and contemporary instances where shopping is framed as a civic duty, influenced by government and corporate propaganda. Through engaging discussions, insightful analysis, and a touch of humor, Jen and Jill unravel how spending habits have been systematically shaped to align with nationalistic ideals.

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1. Introduction to Patriotic Consumerism

The episode opens with Jen introducing the theme: the notion that shopping has been positioned as a patriotic act, influencing how individuals spend their money. Jill adds that this concept isn't just limited to major holidays like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July but is woven into the fabric of everyday consumer behavior.

Notable Quote:

Jen (03:02): "Shopping in and of itself is patriotic and has been positioned via selective advertising to be your civic duty and does impact a lot of how you spend today."

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2. Defining Propaganda in Consumer Context

Jill takes a moment to define propaganda, emphasizing its role in shaping opinions and behaviors through selective information.

Notable Quote:

Jill (05:33): "Propaganda in and of itself is not negative. It's neutral. But the way people use it is typically negative."

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3. Historical Influences on Spending

The hosts trace the roots of patriotic consumerism back to major historical events:

• World War I & II - War Bonds:
  Governments encouraged citizens to buy war bonds as a way to support troops and the war effort. Slogans like "Buy a bond, beat a Hun" (referring derogatorily to Nazi soldiers) were prevalent, intertwining consumer actions with nationalistic sentiment.

  Notable Quote:

  Jill (07:27): "Slogans like 'Buy a bond, beat a Hun'... playing into the ideas that people had about their enemies and saying, this is one way that you can participate in winning the war."

• Post-War Consumerism:
  After WWII, the U.S. promoted capitalism and consumption as bulwarks against communism. This era saw a surge in buying cars, homes, and appliances, reinforcing the idea that continuous consumption was essential for maintaining American prosperity.

  Notable Quote:

  Jen (10:16): "Our enormously productive economy depends that demands that we make consumption our way of life."

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4. Gendered Marketing and Consumer Roles

Jen and Jill discuss how marketing strategies historically targeted women as primary household consumers while promoting men as breadwinners. This dichotomy not only influenced spending habits but also reinforced societal roles.

Notable Quotes:

Jill (11:19): "Women were marketed to it was their patriotic civic duty to purchase new appliances for the kitchen, buy beauty products."

Jen (12:07): "Women were seen as consumers, so men are workers and women are consumers."

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5. The Shift to Activist Spending in the 21st Century

Moving to more recent times, the hosts examine how events like the September 11 attacks and the rise of the internet transformed consumerism into a platform for activism. Shopping became a means to support causes, local businesses, and various social movements.

Notable Quotes:

Jill (17:42): "After the terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush encouraged Americans to go shopping... showing American resilience."

Jen (21:19): "With social media now, telling us these are the causes that need your support... it's become overwhelming."

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6. The American Dream as a Marketing Tool

The concept of the American Dream remains a powerful tool in marketing. Companies like Rocket Mortgage and IKEA have launched campaigns that tie purchasing decisions to achieving personal and financial fulfillment, subtly nudging consumers to equate buying with success and national identity.

Notable Quotes:

Jen (25:12): "Rocket Mortgage had an 'Own the Dream' ad... selling a version of success, whether that's the type of house you have or the car that you drive."

Jill (26:44): "The fact that the American Dream is still circulating within our vernacular is a huge part of this."

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7. Navigating Modern Consumerism

Jen and Jill offer practical strategies for listeners to support local businesses without falling prey to manipulative marketing:

• Leave Reviews:
  Writing positive reviews for local businesses can significantly boost their visibility without any financial cost.

• Referrals:
  Word-of-mouth recommendations are invaluable. Sharing experiences with friends and on social media can help local businesses thrive.

• Mindful Spending:
  Being aware of where your money goes ensures that it aligns with your values and supports the communities you care about.

Notable Quotes:

Jill (28:39): "Sometimes it's more expensive to buy local, but it's worth it if you're going to buy something with quality."

Jen (31:01): "When you comment on something or like something, it gets a further reach that that business doesn't have to pay for."

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8. Listener Engagement: Bill of the Week

The episode features a heartfelt listener story where Sarah shares her experience supporting her local library by paying an annual fee. This act not only fosters community building but also emphasizes the importance of ongoing support for public institutions.

Notable Quote:

Listener (36:39): "I love that you don't mind paying this $35 a year... Libraries advocacy group."

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9. Conclusion: Empowering Thoughtful Consumption

Wrapping up, Jen and Jill reinforce the importance of being intentional with spending. They encourage listeners to view each dollar as a vote for the kind of community and economy they wish to support. Additionally, they highlight non-monetary ways to contribute, such as offering time, providing feedback, and advocating for local initiatives.

Notable Quotes:

Jen (34:25): "Vote with your dollar... where you spend your money, the people you're giving your money to, those are the people who are bankrolling elections."

Jill (35:45): "Recognizing that what we do with our time is important too. We don't have to be spending money in order to have purpose."

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Final Thoughts

"Propaganda: How Shopping Became Patriotic" serves as a compelling exploration of the subtle forces that shape our spending behaviors. By understanding the historical context and modern implications of consumerism tied to patriotism, listeners are better equipped to make conscious and informed financial decisions. Jen and Jill's candid discussions offer both awareness and actionable steps, empowering individuals to take control of their financial lives while supporting the communities they cherish.

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Stay Connected with Frugal Friends:

• Website: frugalfriendspodcast.com
• YouTube: Subscribe for more insightful content and updates.
• Books: Buy What You Love Without Going Broke available at local bookstores and libraries.

Join the Conversation: Share your experiences and strategies for mindful spending in the podcast's comments section or on their social media platforms.

Transcript

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[Jen]

How Shopping Became Patriotic.

[Frugal Friends]

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

[Jen]

Welcome to Frugal Friends. I'm Jen.

[Jill]

I'm Jill.

[Jen]

And we mentioned in our Memorial Day episode, which we will link to, that not just the sales for Memorial Day and fourth of July get us to overspend on parties and food and decorate, but also that to an extent, shopping in and of itself is patriotic and has been positioned via selective advertising to be your civic duty and does impact a lot of how you spend today. And that's what we're diving into in this episode.

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[Jill]

Yeah, so we've said something pretty, pretty saucy, pretty spicy here. We said what we said that shopping is becoming patriotic.

[Jen]

How is that become patriotic? Since the 40s.

[Jill]

Yeah, I mean potentially even before that. But yeah, I mean we can at least point out to the 40s the government and companies definitely want to tie our spending to patriotism. I think it is helpful to define propaganda first. So here's a little dictionary moment for you. It is a form of communication aimed at Influencing opinions, but beliefs or actions by presenting information selectively, often in a biased or misleading way, to achieve a desired outcome. So companies benefit when you shop, and they will utilize this type of propaganda.

[Jen]

Yeah, Propaganda in and of itself is not negative. It's neutral. But the way people use it is typically negative. They will leave out information that does not serve the greater purpose. And that is truly what the government has done throughout the decades in different ways to lead us to these spending habits that we have. And we don't necessarily know why we have them. So throughout this episode, we're going to go through four instances in history where the government has influenced how we should spend and how that's resulted in the spending habits we have today. So that you can recognize that your spending may have been systematically decided for you, and so you can decide whether you want to continue or change. So the first area of history that we're going to look at is World War I and World War II. And so this is where things started, where the government started to get involved with our spending, and that is through buying war bonds.

[Jill]

Yeah. They were strategically positioned as a way to support the troops by buying these bonds that you could then eventually turn back in at small amounts of interest. But this was the messaging to consumers and. And citizens was buy a war bond. And they would utilize slogans. This was so interesting to me. They would prey upon. And this happens today, too, preying upon, really, the era's xenophobia, framing enemies to drive some of this financial support. So slogans like buy a bond, beat a Hun, which is a very derogatory term for the Nazi soldiers at the time. So, again, playing into kind of the ideas that people had about their enemies and saying, this is one way that you can participate in winning the war. Supporting the troops. Buy a war bond.

[Jen]

Yeah. The government really does thrive when we have something to do. Right. They love when we shop. And so in this time, there wasn't a lot of consumer goods to buy. There was rations you couldn't. And so with a lot of free time, what. And, you know, not a lot of money going around in the economy, war bonds were a way that people could participate. And the government kind of like, keeps the toddlers busy for a minute.

[Jill]

Yeah. Another slogan was save freedom of speech, buy war bonds. So by doing this, you are preserving your right to free speech.

[Jen]

Yeah. And even cartoons like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, they were used in ads to promote buying war bonds. So this was the first time in history where we really see the government putting themselves in how people should be spending money and investing. So the second part of history is after the war. So post war consumerism is where the government was encouraging people to spend money. So after World War II, the US promoted capitalism and consumption as defenses against communism. So they encouraged people, buy cars, buy homes, buy modern appliances, and celebrate freedom and American prosperity. So viewing yourself as better than communists, this is how you can, like, actively do that is buy newer cars, newer homes, newer appliances.

[Jill]

And it's interesting we found a quote from economist Victor Lebau who said in 1955, Our enormously productive economy depends that demands that we make consumption our way of life. Buying things, discarding them and buying them again is the very essence of the American way. How, how much do you want to do?

[Jen]

How crazy does that sound? It is so true, though we don't realize. Like, sometimes I see, like, people asking on Instagram and YouTube, like, how did we get this way? How did we become such a single use economy, such a single use society? And this is why people actively told our grandparents and our parents that in order to keep the American economy running, we have to purchase and discard and purchase again and upgrade. That was the way we keep America running.

[Jill]

Yeah, and specifically women, because historically, women, women have been the ones to manage the money of the household. That doesn't mean that they were earning or had a lot of autonomy to build wealth, but manage the money. And so women were marketed to that. It was their patriotic civic duty to purchase new appliances for the kitchen, buy beauty products. This is how you keep the nation alive, is by doing these things. And my goodness, what kind of messaging that is and how, how much of a purpose that then adds to my purchase. Well, okay, I have to do this. It's not that I want to buy these new things.

[Jen]

I also have to. But also, like, women are not women in the 50s and women now are not different. We see women, like, owning businesses and in the workforce. Right. Women were not different in the 50s. They were just not allowed or accepted in a lot of places. And so you get women who've got their first taste of being in the workforce and being autonomous. You know, with Rosie the Riveter, like participating, working on machines, and then instantly they have to go back to being perfect little homemakers and housewives and they're dissatisfied. So I think this was another way that propaganda could keep women in the home by saying, you're doing your part, your patriotic duty by buying things. And if I can't work to make money, then I'm going to work to buy things. Because again, like we all need something to do. We all need something to put our hands to and to feel purpose. And children are great. I, I love my children, but they are not enough for me. For some women they can be, but for many women they are not. And so this is, I think where we see the, the beginning of women being they were already the primary purchasers of their household but being seen as consumers. So men are workers and women are consumers. And so I think that is a big reason why today you see so many women on social media, like over shopping, over consumption, all of this. It stems back from the 50s, which.

[Jill]

Is almost a whole other topic. But they are all connected. The types of ways that we are marketed to as citizens, but then also how we're marketed to depending on our gender. There's so much.

[Jen]

If you want to see an episode on the differences in the way women are marketed to versus men, let us know in the comments because that is an episode I have been interested in making and I don't know if it's just me, but yeah, there were ads literally saying you're not just buying a washing machine, you're supporting American industry. So yeah, that is there it is right there. Yeah. Let me know in the comments if you want to see that.

[Jill]

Yeah, and we see it now too, that the purpose is always tied to US spending and whenever an emotional connection.

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[Jill]

Jumping ahead a few decades, the next example that we have is 9 11. So after the terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush at the time encouraged Americans to go shopping after these attacks, saying even get down to Disney World, go to Florida, take your families and enjoy life the way we want it to be enjoyed. Kind of sending this message to the terrorists that our American way of life came, cannot be disrupted and that shopping was kind of our way of showing American resilience.

[Jen]

Yeah, so from the 50s to 2001, there were different little things that changed our shopping habits. But I think what was key in 2001 is that was the foundation of when the, the tech boom, the Internet boom was happening. Before then, we didn't really have all of the availability and ease of shopping. And even when he said that we didn't have that, that was. You really did have to leave your house. People in 2001, 2002, were afraid to leave their houses. That was another tool that is used against us a lot is fear. And people were staying home. They didn't want to be in the next place that was potentially attacked for like, really good reason. So that was kind of the key to the message is that don't let outside people make you fear being an American. And you can be an American by going shopping. And. And so with that kind of as the foundation, then the Internet and Amazon had that foundation to grow off of.

[Jill]

Yeah. And during that time, Americans bought homes and cars in record quantities from October through December. Consumption soared up to 6% that year.

[Jen]

And you might not be surprised by that in knowing that 2008 there was a housing crash.

[Jill]

And then we experienced what we experienced.

[Jen]

Right. So. So yeah, we have, we have this and people shopping at record rates and then the housing crisis where jobs are lost, and we kind of have this small reset of sorts. But then we quickly, this, this gives way for a lot of people to build wealth in real estate. And we quickly have this rebound to jump forward to 2020. And so this is our most recent boom in, in consumerism and how shopping has been patriotic, but in a slight shift. So now instead of support, there is still some, like, marketing that is like supporting troops. And I'll come back around to that. But I think there was a key shift in 2020 when we all had to stay home from work. We were all very well versed in the Internet. We'd had it, we've had it for 20 years. And so we all have an Amazon account. So online consumption started to boom. And a lot of things happened in 2020, not just Covid and consumerism shifted to activism. So if you wanted to fight back against what a political party was doing, you could shop to support this cause, or you can shop from this local business owner, what have you. And it can all be done online. And we've got social media now. Something that we didn't have in 2001, telling us, these are the causes that need your support, these are the people that need your support, these are the injustices. And so it also becomes so overwhelming because there's so many people who need help in this time. And we all get stimulus checks. So that is a way a lot of people were able to show their activism and invest in different communities and people. We have a new, the current, I would say uprising of political or activist spending.

[Jill]

Yeah, and that's a tough one a bit because we do want money is power and we talk all the time about voting with our dollar and being able to put our money towards into local businesses, into the types of businesses that we want to support. So there is something 2 tease apart with that to say, yep, there's these messages. Be aware of the messages, but then also eyes wide open in what your dollar is doing and where it's going. Because some of this we do agree with. And you'll hear us say, yeah, buy local, support the businesses around you. You know, buy from the people who are doing good things with the money, putting it back into the community.

[Jen]

But also understand that just like there was propaganda in the 40s, the 50s, the 2000s, it's still happening now. And not just from the government, but companies benefit when you feel insecure, when you feel afraid and when you want to act. And they prey on your empathy, they prey on your insecurity. We all want to be accepted and one of the ways that we can be accepted is by joining similar causes to people who are, you know, are in need. So we recognize that that's a good thing. But also some of the people in need, you may not be getting the full picture. And so we've seen stories like that too where there's this rise in like GoFundMe scams we covered in our scam episode. These, you know, quote unquote older people who are having to shut down their business and or need support to keep their business open. And we'll, we'll pray on that for you to buy their products when really they are just product products from like Shein or Temu or something from China. It's not like real. So people are preying on this desire for activist spending and even still like there is marketing that's targeted to like veterans and supporting the military and veteran owned businesses and supporting you know, people who have similar political parties as you. So this is still in the realm of government as well. Yeah, but it's transcended.

[Jill]

Yeah, yeah, I like the advertising as activism, how you're describing that. And also selling a lifestyle too. You know, I think we've heard people talk about the American dream ad nauseam and that means different things to different people. But it is still being utilized as a marketing technique to sell some version of The American Dream. We saw a lot of examples of this. Rocket Mortgage had an own the Dream ad in the 2025 Super bowl commercial. There's an example of Northwestern Mutual, who also did an American Dream campaign. And the ad highlights that the American Dream can vary for different people, but it is encompassing this idea of financial independence, career fulfillment, personal growth. Really selling this idea of this is what it is to be an American. And it includes these things of buying from our business and achieving some of these things that might look to be a version of success, whether that's the type of house you have or the car that you drive. Ikea, which. This is very funny to me, that Ikea did an American Dream campaign as not an American company.

[Jen]

It's like they see what works for us. Yeah. It is so funny because I also see on the other end of the spectrum, like, people saying the American Dream is dead, but it's definitely not dead in marketing. Definitely still working. People, like companies wouldn't do it if it wasn't working. Right. Ikea wouldn't have an ad about the American Dream if it wasn't.

[Jill]

But they play on it, though. It's like, yeah, their ad is, where did the American Dream go? So even the fact that that concept is still circulating within our vernacular is a huge part of this.

[Jen]

Yeah. So where. Where do we go from here? So now that we know kind of why this, like, spending is so ingrained in us, and it was really just leading to this idea of, like, activist spending. Where do we go from here? I think it's still important that we don't just, like, rag on activist spending. I do believe in that. Like you were saying, I do think that you vote with your dollar. I think you. We focus so much on voting once a year in a polling booth, but you do vote every day with where you spend your money. And I think that's far more important because where you spend your money, the people you're giving your money to, those are the people who are bankrolling elections. So I think that's super important. And I think we should keep as many of our dollars local and in small businesses as possible. But supporting small businesses doesn't always have to cost money. It's not always having to spend more to support these. Because you have that issue as well. It does cost more to buy, to shop at a smaller grocery store or a farmer's market or, you know, a locally owned place. Yeah. And we do think that that's worth it if you're gonna buy something. If you want quality Maybe skip buying a thing and use that money to be able to spend more to support local.

[Jill]

Yeah, I think ultimately this can help us to tease apart what is the messaging from the actual product. Because no, me buying a Subaru is not me buying an enjoyable life living in the woods with my dog. Like they're selling you a lifestyle with the messaging. Fine if you want a Subaru, but let's, let's tease apart some of this. The ways that they're preying upon our emotions or our patriotism or lack of patriotism just to get you to spend your money. Be sure that if you want purpose behind your spending that you know that your purchase is going to accomplish that purpose and you're not being scammed, lied to, propaganda ed to. And so along with that, things that you can do that don't even require you to spend your money include leaving a quick review to support your local businesses. So that is free. It helps to get them noticed. Yeah, it takes a little bit of our time. But if you've enjoyed a produce stand, a local restaurant, a service, they did good quality work, reviews go such a long way.

[Jen]

Spend an afternoon, a time that you are going to scroll on Instagram or TikTok and instead of opening the social media app just go on to Google and start reviewing local businesses that you.

[Jill]

Have been to or the Frugal Friends.

[Jen]

Podcast and, and subscribe to frugal friends on YouTube because we are a small business and just and yeah do things like that to help local businesses, local creators, local service providers. A lot of local businesses are service providers too. So like your lawn team and your laundry teams and mats and stuff. So that could be a great way that you a skip a you know, 30 minute session scrolling on social media if you're trying to do less of that and you're voting with your time where you choose to spend your time.

[Jill]

And when you are on social media, liking a post, sharing a post, commenting on a post of a local business, a service, whoever it is, that can also really help these businesses have engagement, visibility, find new customers. So there's another free way to support.

[Jen]

When you comment on something or like something, something that gets a further reach that that business doesn't have to pay for. So if you see it and you comment on it then an algorithm could push that out to two more people and that business didn't have to pay for that extra push. It doesn't have to be anything insightful. Could just be love this. Like yeah, yeah and and like on our videos comment love this and Give it a like.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Or all of your favorite YouTubers, please. Especially the ones with a hundred thousand subscribers or less. They could truly. If they're putting out good educational content and you like it, then you can support them by doing that.

[Jill]

Like we've already said choosing local whenever possible. I mean, do your research on the companies and make sure that you feel comfortable about spending the money. If it's within the budget, great. If it's not, Cause it's not always going to be. Sometimes it's a lot more expensive and just not feasible to buy something more local than maybe it would be from a big box store. That's okay. We're not gonna hit the mark every single time. There's no like perfection to be found here. But whenever possible, let's do that.

[Jen]

Yeah, I think something as simple as meal planning so that you can. So yeah, for me, like it's too expensive for me to shop at the local grocery stores. I buy my groceries at Walmart or Aldi, but then I make a meal plan and I try to eat all that food. So then I am not eating at fast food chains that are, you know, big, like franchises or, you know, big, I don't know, corporate entities. Right. So I'm choosing, I will put my money here. And yes, it's not 100% of like everything I agree with, but I'm also doing what I can to avoid putting my money in all of these other places too. So it's like that 8020 rule. We are never going to be perfect. And I think this illusion of perfection, this is another like advertising technique. Again, businesses make money when you feel vulnerable or insecure. When we can't be perfect, then we just decide to not do anything or that all of our efforts are for nothing. And they're not like we talk about meal planning as a way to save money. And it's so that you don't have to put that money into, you know, big corporations. And so then when you have date night, you can afford to go to a locally owned nice restaurant. So that's kind of how we do.

[Jill]

It or by quality over quantity on something tangible. Another way that you can support local businesses is to show up to the free local events. Just your presence contributes to places being seen, being able to grow and telling your friends about the different businesses and services that you've liked, helping them find new customers. Honestly, for local companies, referrals are the biggest way that they get business. And so you are a part of that process by being a referral.

[Jen]

And I think we ultimate like first we'll think of like restaurants and places that you know, coffee shops. But service providers are super important. Your mechanic, your oil change guy. Like all of these people who provide services to you, if you like them, telling people like, hey, this person did really good work, they were well priced and I liked them. That is so helpful to people. And Facebook can be a good platform for that. I don't know if I would do it in a group because it could sound like you're sponsored or putting it on your social media, in your Instagram. So whatever. It's helpful for the people around you, it's helpful for the business. And just lastly reiterate, you vote with your dollar. So if you want to push back against this idea of like patriotic shopping and that your worth to the country is as a consumer, then view every dollar you spend as a vote on what you want to happen where you live.

[Jill]

And also recognizing that what we do with our time is important too. Like that we don't have to be spending money in order to have purpose or have a hand in activism and advocacy. Like all of the free examples we just gave about ways that we can show support for the things that matter to us today.

[Jen]

Yeah, start small. And even just a small change in how you spend over time can lead to more and more habits that have a big difference.

[Jill]

Do you know what else is super helpful? And I do tell people about every.

[Jen]

Single single time and is not propaganda. We give the full context.

[Jill]

The bill of the week.

[Frugal Friends]

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. I just moved to a new town from Seattle down to Texas and we just paid our local library $35 because our new home is technically outside of city limits. And I'm just psyched to pay my library $35 because one, I love books and renting books helps me save money for myself and my daughter. And two, I don't know anyone in my new town. And so we've been going to free events at the library and meeting other parents and it's been a great way to build community in a new place. So I am stoked to give my local library $35 a year so I can enjoy these activities. Thanks.

[Jen]

I fully support libraries. That is where you should be putting your Money Libraries advocacy group.

[Jill]

She's a one issue voter.

[Jen]

I am a one issue voter and it's on the support and funding of libraries.

[Jill]

This is so great. We love that you don't mind paying this $35 a year. I mean for most of us libraries are just all the way free. I'm so sad that you live too far outside.

[Jen]

They don't even let me pay late fees anymore.

[Jill]

Really?

[Jen]

They took away late fees? Yeah, they just auto renew it for you and so then you have the opportunity to just bring it in late. I can't say a bad thing about the library.

[Jill]

They were just tired. They were so tired of fighting people on late fees.

[Jen]

I mean good for them. I just. The library does so much for so many.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Yes.

[Jill]

And 35 a year. That is a small amount to enjoy everything they have to offer. All of the books, all of the enjoyment. Well done Sarah. We love this bill and if you all are listening and you have a bill that you want to submit, if it has to do with a bill, you don't mind paying. If you are a one issue voter and that issue is libraries and you want to talk about that, if your name is Bill and you work at a library or literally you've got anything vaguely related to to a bill frugalfriendspodcast.com bill leave it for us. We can't wait to hear it.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and safeway now through July 15th. Stock up on all your favorite personal care brands and earn four times points to use on later purchases. For discounts on gross groceries or gas. Shop in store or online for items like Pantene Shampoo, Old Spice, Total Body Deodorant, Tampax Pearl, Venus Razors, Head and shoulder Shampoo, Olay Body Wash, and Pantene conditioner. And earn 4 times points. Hurry before these deals are gone. Offer ends July 15th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Jill]

And now it's time for the lightning round.

[Jen]

All right, today's lightning round question. What's something you spent money on recently to support a local business? Oh, gosh. Well, can I look at my transactions real quick?

[Jill]

Yeah. I love this.

[Jen]

Okay. Do you know yours up front?

[Jill]

Yeah, yeah, I do. I can go first.

[Jen]

Okay.

[Jill]

So we just paid somebody to detail our car.

[Jen]

You did?

[Jill]

Yep.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

You were there for that. You know, I'm not lying, not that I lie that often, but they. There is a mobile. I mean, these exist everywhere, but around us there's A mobile car detailer. Who? Our office, our shared coworking space where we have this studio. Has this mobile car detailer come? I don't know, Once a quarter maybe. And we found out that this person was coming. And our car has been dirty. So, so dirty.

[Jen]

She doesn't know what dirty is. She doesn't have two.

[Jill]

You're right.

[Jen]

Two young kids.

[Jill]

I don't have children, but my dog.

[Jen]

Threw up in my car this morning.

[Jill]

That's very filthy. Actually, my car was dirty. Your car sounds filthy. And we kept meaning to clean this vehicle ourselves. We. We do love going to our local car wash to do this. But the thought of not needing to do it and to support somebody else to give him the business that day was everything. And now our car is so spic and span. I've been saying I'm at the pinnacle lately. I feel like I'm at the pinnacle.

[Jen]

Wow.

[Jill]

My home, my renovations are done for now. Done on the home. The car is spotless. My house is clean. I have a meal plan. I'm not saying this like, well, it feels great, but also to recognize like it is also only downhill from here. You never experience everything converging like this all at once. So I am also a little scared, but it feels great. Oh, for this moment in time. I love that for you. This very short lived moment.

[Jen]

Yeah, I love that for you.

[Jill]

Okay. What about you?

[Jen]

I have two. So the first one is we just got our dog spayed at Operation Six Snip, which is a nonprofit that works to get as many dogs spayed and neutered as possible.

[Jill]

Sounds like a wild goal.

[Jen]

That's a. It's a really good goal if you don't want like all a bunch of dogs running around everywhere.

[Jill]

Do we have a problem with stray dogs?

[Jen]

No, we don't because we have Operation Snip. We pay for that. They offer affordable spay and neuter and then also like provide the services to dogs who can't afford it. You know, dogs who don't have jobs.

[Jill]

Lazy dogs.

[Jen]

Yeah, so that one. And then also we had my birthday party at a local coffee shop called Pour and Decor. It's very fancy and they. If you go to my Instagram, Modern Frugality, you'll see this is the last picture I posted from like months ago. And they put happy birthday on my latte with little sprinkles on it. So they are actually a locally owned part, like part of a, like a family of businesses almost. You know Mazaro's.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Which also I recently went There for lunch with drift. So I could have added that too. Which is a fantastic, like, locally owned Italian restaurant in the. A family member of the, you know, that family. I believe they own porn decor. I could be wrong, but I think they're part of the same conglomeration family. I prefer to call it a conglomeration, literally bloodline. So, yeah, those are my most recent ones. We do not go out much.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Um, but.

[Jill]

But it sounds like you're doing it.

[Jen]

We're trying. We're trying to plan a date night to another locally owned restaurant.

[Jill]

That's fun. Yeah. So whenever that happens in the comments on YouTube, what. What you do to support local businesses.

[Jen]

Yeah. Let us know how you vote with your dollar, because I think we could all use an expansion of our mind on how to do that. It is a foreign concept, I think, for a lot of people, and I would love to hear how other people are doing it. So thank you so much for watching, so much for listening. We love your kind reviews, your kind comments, whether that's on Spotify or Amazon. If you buy our book, we hope you buy our book at a local bookshop or get it from the library. But if you have and you could leave a review on Amazon because you know, you know if you're going to get a book from the library where you're going to look for reviews of that book, you're going to Amazon. So if you could leave a review there, you don't have to purchase it there, but you can still leave a review there like Noira Martinez did. Five stars. I adore this book. I read it cover to cover within days of receiving it, and can honestly say that this book delves not only into the process by which you can choose your priorities and spend accordingly, but also into the psychology behind our spending and money practices. These two authors are personable and make you feel as though a friend is chatting to you over coffee. Already purchased two more books for friends and family.

[Jill]

Yeah, Noira.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Thank you.

[Jen]

Buy what you love without going broke is available wherever you buy books and wherever you check out books, hopefully. And if it's not, go to buy what you love book dot com. We've got instructions on how to request it at your library.

[Jill]

Yeah. So speaking of supporting things you love and believe in, if you are loving this, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. Even if you're not a YouTube person, just hop on over to YouTube and hit subscribe. You never have to visit it again, but it does help us never again comment on a video like a video. Leave a review on our podcast Leave a review of our book free ways that you can support us in exchange for of scrolling instead of scrolling and.

[Jen]

Other creators who are also trying to say the same things about anti consumerism and conscious consumption. And if that's what you're into, we'll see you next time. Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.

[Jill]

That party at porn decor I missed.

[Jen]

Because I was not going to throw you under the bus.

[Jill]

Not I am throwing myself because I was not at the pinnacle of my life then.

[Jen]

I did miss my birthday party and it wasn't a real big party. I just invited five girls.

[Jill]

Oh, I really wanted to be there. I was looking forward to it. And then I got swept up in my renovations and totally forgot. But to pull myself out of from being under the bus the day before. We did do a lot of things for your birthday.

[Jen]

We did. Yeah.

[Jill]

I decorated the office. We went out to lunch. I made you a special drinky drink.

[Jen]

Yeah, I did not feel like you forgot my birthday.

[Jill]

Yeah, no, I did not forget your birthday.

[Jen]

Slighted because you weren't there.

[Jill]

Forget the coffee shop hang.

[Jen]

It was.

[Jill]

And that was a bummer. But you know what? It also helped me to get my renovations done sooner so that I can now be at the pinnacle of my life. I don't know how long it's going to last for, but I'm really enjoying it.

[Jen]

And I don't know how that's going to benefit me, but I am pleased that you're at the pinnacle of your life.

[Jill]

Yeah, well, because it can be contagious, right?

[Jen]

Hasn't been so far. I feel. I feel other things, but I am absolutely not enjoyed for you to be at this part in your life. I am.

[Jill]

Yeah. Check in next week. We'll see where we're at. But for now, yeah, we'll see.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Now through July 15, stock up on all your favorite personal care brands and earn four times points to use on later purchases. For discounts on groceries or gas, shop in store or online for items like Pantene Shampoo, Old Spice, Total Body Deodorant, Tampax Pearl Venus Razors, Head and Shoulder Shampoo, Olay Body Wash and Pantene conditioner and earn four times points. Hurry before these deals are gone. Offer ends July 15th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Jill]

Get in the zone. AUTOZONE.

[AutoZone]

Welcome to AUTOZONE. What are you working on today? Hey, that's the spirit. Right now we're celebrating free with a free STP oil filter when you buy five quarts of oil and free Duralast brake pads when you buy two rotors like always. Free battery testing, charging and recycling at every store. Celebrate free at AutoZone now through July 28th.

[Jill]

Get in the zone.

[AutoZone]

Auto Zone restrictions apply.

[Jen]

Did it occur to you that he charmed you in any way? Yes, it did.

[Unknown]

But he was a charming man.

[Jill]

It looks like the ingredients of a.

[Jen]

Really grand spy story. Because this ties together the Cold War.

[Ryan Seacrest]

With the new one.

[Jill]

I often ask myself now did I know the true Jan at all?

[Jen]

Listen to Hot Agent of chaos on.

[Unknown]

The iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 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.

[Jill]

This is an iHeart podcast.