Jen (2:36)

So I think we can all admit that this year everyone is trying to be bougie on a budget. I don't really know that much about bags.

Jill (2:41)

All I know is that this is.

Jen (2:43)

Pretty and I'm not going to spend $2,000 on it. Welcome Frugal Friends. I'm Jen. I'm Jill and I also don't know much about bags, but I have been consumed by the idea of luxury dupes. Not because I necessarily need some. Not like for status. Right. Like having a Prada or Coach or Hermes or any of that. Like, would I love one? Sure. It would make me feel very fancy. But what we have really prioritized on this show and in this community is quality goods. If you buy more quality goods, you buy goods less often. And so you do anticipate spending more on quality goods. And so I think we have translated that to luxury dupes. And I just want to start a conversation today between all of us if it's a healthy place to go or if it's just rationalizing a way for the frugal girlies to be over consuming.

Jill (4:04)

It feels very muddy and murky to me. Like, I have a lot of thought thoughts on it. You're going to hear them. But it is kind of hard to tease apart because we have gone so far into quality over quantity. Sometimes we're going to, we're going to buy the things. But, but I think, I think that's where the, the difference is between luxury. I don't, I don't know that luxury always means quality.

Jen (4:29)

And that is going to be a big theme today.

Jill (4:31)

That's a big theme. But there are things I think that feel very luxury to us because they're quality. Like, for instance, that's skin care. Like quality skin care products. Not necessarily for the brand of it, but when I'm able to research that, okay, they've got ethical practices that the ingredients they're using are quality, good ingredients, that kind of a thing. And I use this app called E W G for anybody else who's. We're not affiliated with them or anything. But they kind of help to determine if like household products, skin care products are like clean in their ingredients, like level of toxins, that kind of a thing. So finding skincare brands that kind of meet these certain standards and being willing to pay for them, it's not costing me an astronomical amount of money, but it's not drugstore prices either. I found my own kind of radical middle. Yeah, what about for you? Like, what is luxury?

Jen (5:35)

It's definitely, I would say clothes, but bags, shoes, that's where I like. I, I want good styles and fabrics. So like, and, but I won't, I won't necessarily. I'm not willing to pay like exorbitant prices for them. Like, I've spent a good money on like Madewell jeans from Poshmark. But then I also have these jeans that I got on sale, Old Navy. Both were 100% cotton. And have a really good style for my body. I also, we went and got our colors done and kind of researched, like, what things. Like, you had your friend come down to do a closet analysis. And I've been, like, kind of studying what styles look best on my body type. And so there, I think beyond, like, product, there can also be service. When you invest in a luxury service, then it can help you with other things.

Jill (6:50)

And we're not coming for people who really do value. Like, I want to have a coach bag. I want to have a, you know, whatever. I don't, I don't actually know all these luxury brands.

Jen (7:00)

I think there are some people who appreciate the art of it. And. And that is a super valid reason to be spending money on the real thing.

Jill (7:10)

Yeah.

Jen (7:11)

But I think we're coming at it and we honestly, this episode is truly to start a conversation on does luxury still mean quality? Are these luxury dupes worth it? And are they actually costing us more in the long run? Even though buying quality is supposed to save us more in the long run?

Jill (7:35)

When you first came to me with this concept for the episode and just talking about luxury dupes. Right. In and of itself, we can understand what we're talking about. That name is very clear, that we're trying to get the feel and the look of luxury at a lower price point. And I love a dupe.

Jen (7:54)

Yes.

Jill (7:54)

If that's possible. If I can get quality at a lower price point. Yes. We did a whole episode on, on vacation dupes. You know, some of your classic vacation spots that are going to be really expensive, but are there similar locations that are less touristy, less expensive you can go to. Right. We don't hate that word. But it did make me think, if this is a trend, if this is something that's happening. I'm steeped in the world of understanding, like, the basics of economics. Right now, going through the CFP program and talking about this lipstick effect. And so this is kind of a term for an economic indicator of how the economy is doing. And so a lot of times when the economy starts to dip, things are beginning to become more expensive. Inflation is inflating. The behaviors that we will choose is luxury but simple luxuries. So that a lot of times when you see people buying just lipstick more or kind of these smaller kind of drugstore type things, that that's like a leading indicator of potentially heading into an economic downturn. Funny enough, it's also an indicator like the men's version of this indicator is not buying underwear. Like, women will go and Buy like lower cost makeup, skin care, self care items. And men will just be like, I'm cutting out underwear.

Jen (9:28)

Which I to which I said, we must always be in a recession according to your experiences.

Jill (9:35)

So there's a part of me that I think we also need to frame this since we're having a conversation, frame it in the realities of the fuller context that we're also not just poking at in the, the choices we as individuals make, but recognize what might this be indicating about the environment in which we're in? That if we are spending more on dupes, looking for more low cost, but looking more expensive things, that could be an indicator of where we're at economically. That could help to inform us on what we want to be doing with our budgets and our spending plans and where we want to be allocating these things. But all that to say, I don't think it's solely resting on us that what's our problem that we're looking for luxury dupes. I think there's also a bigger context and conversation here.

Jen (10:29)

Yeah. And I think the first question is, does luxury still mean quality? Because you have, if you're in this like algorithm on Instagram or TikTok, you may see people on here doing dissections of different fabrics and leather and just criticizing or critiquing rather stitching and all of this stuff on really expensive products. I was watching one guy, he does, he did these Lululemon align leggings, which are the, I guess a lugging, the legging mecca. I don't know. They are the leg butter. Yeah. And so he did they have dupes. People on social media was like, this is the dupe for, you know, the align leggings. And so he tested all of them and found that the most expensive one was the least close in quality to the align and one of the cheapest ones was the closest. And so in that area, I feel like it's. I love following these creators who do that so that I can find these. You know, I don't know a lot about bags or leggings or any of that like clothing thing, but I know now when I need leggings, these are the leggings that I can purchase. And they're 30 bucks as opposed to 88 or 100 or whatever. So I love that. But I think we're finding that more and more these name brands are not even necessarily the quality that we should be looking up to. So maybe like Lululemon. Yes. But the runner up that was actually more expensive than Lululemon. Having such poor quality. And I ran across even in jewelry. This girl bought what I heard and she does not say it in this video, but what I read was that it was a $6,000 bracelet and this was her experience.

Jill (12:50)

Let me de influence you and tell.

Jen (12:51)

You not to purchase anything from Van Cleef. So I purchased this five motif bracelet.

Jill (12:55)

And within two months it started resting.

Jen (12:57)

And tarnishing to this right here. Mind you, this is an 18 karat yellow gold.

Jill (13:00)

It should not be tarnishing.

Jen (13:01)

So they cleaned it two times with the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and store and.

Jill (13:04)

Then they shipped it off to New.

Jen (13:06)

City to get it professionally polished.

Jill (13:07)

I received it back yesterday from getting.

Jen (13:09)

Professionally polished when I voiced my concern that I could still see the tarnish. A manager of the store had the audacity to make me feel as if I'm blind.

Jill (13:16)

He was gaslighting me to the point.

Jen (13:18)

Where I honestly wanted to cry.

Jill (13:19)

And the crazy thing is that the.

Jen (13:20)

Male associate told me that he could still see the tarnishing, but she was.

Jill (13:23)

Actually gaslighting him too and making him feel uncomfortable.

Jen (13:26)

So if you're looking here, you're actually through skin. Cuz I mean look from here there's no discoloration. So when you're holding your loop and you're looking here, that's your finger reflection in it. I don't see it. But if not as obvious now. Yeah, because I mean when you're looking at it, it's like a reflect, it's like a mirror to tell that she was higher up and she had more authority and he was scared to voice his concern.

Jill (13:53)

He's over there looking at it and.

Jen (13:54)

She'S telling him that he's looking at his shadow. And I feel like that's what like.

Jill (13:57)

Started annoying me even more because it's like we both see it. You're just trying to pretend that you.

Jen (14:01)

Do not see it. Yeah. So if you're listening and not watching this, this shocked me honestly, because this is such a simple bracelet with just a couple like four leaf clover pieces like charms almost around it and would not seem to be that hard to just take one out and put one in.

Jill (14:27)

Right.

Jen (14:28)

And just replace it for her if she already bought the bracelet because none of the other ones were tarnishing, it wasn't like a defective bracelet, it was a one defective charm.

Jill (14:40)

Right.

Jen (14:41)

So it is wild to me that. And she also showed off in the video which we cut for time. She's this creator has like hundreds of thousands of followers. From what I remember now. I Don't think it was a million, but it was definitely like enough where she buys luxury things. She was wearing like these 18 karat gold and white and yellow gold, I think, bracelets. She's like, I've been wearing these nonstop for five years and they have never tarnished. And so like she knows what she's talking about. She has the money to spend on this from what it seems like. And so not only is it the quality of the product, but also the service with which they treat people.

Jill (15:31)

Yeah, I think that that's one of the reasons why people are drawn to luxury too, is that the product is going to be backed by the company.

Jen (15:39)

Right. Which would be an argument for buying actual luxury versus luxury do. Right. And we're not even seeing that that argument is standing true anymore.

Jill (15:49)

Yeah. At least with that anecdotal experience. But I also kind of hear across the board, I mean, I know for instance, Lululemon has taken away their guarantee, at least as good of a guarantee as they used to have. You know, it was like you could kind of bring back anything that had warped or tarnished or ripped or whatever and they'll replace it. And now that's not the case anymore. So that's not to say that, okay, brands aren't necessarily standing behind their product. It might just mean they've gotta make these decision for whatever reason. But it does feel like, well then kind of what's the point? If you're not going to be giving me your guarantee of the product, why am I going to give you 75% more than, than the thrift store, which.

Jen (16:33)

Has led to actually like wealthy people buying dupes.

Jill (16:39)

And that's wild.

Jen (16:39)

And so, so this is a story from the cut in 2022 about ladies buying fake Birkins. So a Birkin bag is kind of like the quintessential rich woman bag. It's from Hermes. And it's so funny. I think Jane Birkin was her name. She designed it custom from Hermes. And it was just this like really sturdy work bag. She wanted a big bag that she could carry all her stuff in. And there's actually this iconic photo of her like I think in front of the Eiffel Tower or somewhere where she has taken out all the contents of her bag and it is just like.

Jill (17:22)

All this stuff everywhere.

Jen (17:24)

Like this is a working woman who wanted a working woman's bag. And now you've got it as the quintessential like just sign of opulence, like wealth. Right. And so there is something to be said about I think one of the issues, which maybe I'll talk about later, is that these perpetuate like privilege because you are looked at differently when you have like a, you know, a more expensive bag. But so in like the Upper east side of Manhattan where showing off your wealth and your status is objectively almost required, I guess in that culture they would argue you've got all of these kind of quote unquote old money, like women who have actual Birkins and then you've got new money women who are making like millions of dollars a year. They are wealthy by every sense of the word, but because they worked for it, they can't justify spending like $10,000 on a bag. So they are hiring manufacturers in China or wherever they are. They're called rep ladies and you can find them on Reddit. They are having them make them these custom fake Birkins that they call Firkins. And they're not cheap by any means. They're still cost, I think the article says around 3,000, 2 to $3,000. Right. So like these ladies, its own thing, right. She like that starts out with Lisa, a 38 year old Manhattan woman, has this super rich friend. She has a massive Birkin collection, a ten million dollar house in the Hamptons and flies everywhere in private jets. I just assumed everything was real, says Lisa. Then one day the friend lets her in on a secret. Those Birkins, they're fake. She gets them at quote unquote, Tupperware parties for replica designer bags. These are honestly Tupperware parties to get fake Birkins.

Jill (19:38)

I mean listen, it's resourceful and they're.

Jen (19:43)

Yeah, they're spending like a quarter, like a fraction of the price. Yeah, so this is I think where we honestly, I think where this, this whole thing stems from, I think it stems from these, you know, rich, rich women.

Jill (20:05)

It becoming okay to kind of be concealing, not concealing the fact that we are trying to get this luxury product. But it's not going to be that. It's going to be a dupe, but that's going to be its own line in and of itself. And just having the dupe is going to be the thing to have.

Jen (20:25)

Yeah, the world is full of tours.

Jill (20:31)

But you don't choose a Toyota truck.

Jen (20:32)

To follow the beaten path. You choose it to find the places in between the detours, where each adventure pulls you toward the next. And wrong turns turn out right. So why would you ever take a tour when you could take a detour? Toyota trucks.

Jill (20:56)

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Jen (21:10)

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Jill (21:26)

There's no contracts, no nonsense and the savings add up fast. For this price it's a no brainer. Premium wireless without premium prices turn your expensive wireless present into a huge wireless savings future by switching to Mint shop. Mint unlimited plans@mintmobile.com frugal that's mintmobile.com frugal.

Jen (21:46)

Limited time offer upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or 180 for 12 months. Plan $15 a month. Equivalent taxes and fees are extra. Initial plan term only over 35 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. Capable device required Availability, speed and coverage varies see mintmobile.com so I think when we're talking about luxury and quality, I think you can no longer rely on the actual luxury product being of quality or being compensated in some way if it turns out it is not quality.

Jill (22:23)

Yeah.

Jen (22:24)

And I think there are more ways to get these quote unquote dupes to be quality without paying the full markup. And maybe it's not like just going to Canal street in New York City to get, you know, one of those things. Right. But we do have ways of getting better, like actual quality dupes.

Jill (22:47)

Yeah, well, I mean I think that's, that is the question, like would dupes be worth it? And I think ultimately it's going to mean that it, you know, it depends. But a lot of research and journalism is exposing the fact that a lot of products are produced in factories, not where they are being advertised to being produced. And I, I mean I've known this for a while on, on tags that maybe designed in Milan, like okay, that's.

Jen (23:18)

All that happened there, designed in France.

Jill (23:20)

But they're trying to make you think that it was produced there. This is where it was made, this is where it's coming from. And most likely no, it's coming from a factory in China. As we see in this video, Chinese.

Jen (23:33)

Factories are exposing luxury brands made in Italy or made in France. Welcome to the real world. Now you see those bags are, are made in China.

Jill (23:43)

China makes 80% of your designer bags.

Jen (23:46)

Who's the Chinese supplier behind Under Armour? Shenzhou International might be shoes from China to your country. Who are the suppliers behind the Solomon, Timberland, New Balance, Adidas, Nike First Bao Cheng factory? It's not just calling them out. They're showing the world exactly where your thousand dollar handbag or your hundred dollar leggings are really being made. They're now offering you the same exact stuff. No middleman, no markup. In a bold move that seems more like economic warfare than manufacturing, Chinese workers are lifting the lid on a billion dollar illusion. The bags, the shoes, the clothing that say made in Italy or designed in Paris, a huge chunk of them are actually being produced in China. And with Trump's new tariffs hammering Chinese exports, the factories are fighting back by selling directly to you online and calling out the whole Hypocrisy. And on TikTok, it's gone viral. It went so viral that if you try to search luxury dup hall on TikTok, nothing comes up. It comes up with a disclaimer from TikTok. You can no longer search to find these things on TikTok because it, it went.

Jill (24:58)

So they just shut it down. We don't want this.

Jen (25:02)

Yeah, because the brands don't want you to have access to these manufacturers.

Jill (25:08)

Yeah, I mean, it's kind of the same concept of buying your items at the grocery store, that sometimes a lot of these name brands are the same thing as the off brands, like produced in the exact same factory and then just labeled differently. So you could buy the same cracker, one at $5, another at $2. Just the packaging that gets put on it. So in that circumstance it's like, yeah, why not cut out the middleman? Like why not get the, the thing that's, that is the very real thing.

Jen (25:45)

At the lower price, but you're not getting exact quality. So going through the repladies, Reddit subreddit, I found that you can't always compare the real thing to the dupe. It's not going to be identical, but for the most part it is going to be a lot closer than what you would find on Amazon. It's going to be a lot closer than anything you can find in Walmart or at a flea market. Right. So it's kind of like that radical middle. And then you've got accounts like, you know, the rep lady subreddit. And if you can find the people on TikTok, there is, and I have not looked into how legitimate this is. But if you've been. If you've watched on YouTube, you saw @ the top of the episode, we kind of on mute played this montage of people doing these hauls. And they're all from a place called dhgate, which is supposedly a source for getting these dupes. And I don't know if they're the same quality as going direct to Factory or whatever. They're calling it the yellow app on TikTok because you can't. It's like the dark web, isn't.

Jill (27:20)

It? My.

Jen (27:21)

Gosh. I am wondering if, because we're saying these words, if this episode will get suppressed. Honestly, I'm wondering. So, like, if you're hearing we're right now thought about that. Give the episode a like and a comment just in case. Yeah, I just wanted on that episode. But they can't suppress us on Spotify. So because they don't promote us.

Jill (27:49)

They can't reach that far with their arms.

Jen (27:53)

So. So, yeah, like, there is this element of you have to find a good producer. Not every producer you go to is going to have a dupe. That is the quality that people say is.

Jill (28:11)

Available. Yeah, okay. This is. This is. This is the murkiness. But I'm thinking that it really comes down to what is our intention with our purchases that are we looking for quality materials that are going to last, that. That fit us well, that we feel good in, that are ethically made? Or are we more concerned with being on trend or a specific brand or style looking a certain way? Like, I think that what's making me feel uncomfortable about in this conversation, I think we can. That's the distinction. I think a lot of these luxury dupe hauls are frugality, like cloaked in frugality, but not true frugality, because it's not. Yes, it's. It's. It's quality, maybe for a lower price, but it's mostly aimed at the consumption, the looking a certain way, the having it look like a brand versus. And I'm not saying that we. We can't care about brands to be frugal. It is fine. But I do think that in a sense, in this kind of truest version of frugality, we are most concerned with what are the quality materials, are those being used? Are fair labor practices being enacted? Will this last me a while? Is it something that I like, I'm going to wear? It's going to last me a long time. And I don't think luxury dupes hit the mark on hardly any of.

Jen (29:56)

Those. I don't either. I really. I think this trend is like, we frugal to too close to the sun. Sure. You know, like, that is what I think this trend is because we love getting a deal. Right. But the idea of getting a deal, it. It makes us think less critically about the product that we're purchasing. We see deal, we see value, and then that part of our brain that has to think about, okay, is it something I need? Is it a. You know, it's a value, but is it a value for me? Yeah, that part shuts off, and all we can see is, oh, I'm saving so much money. Oh, I'm getting a deal. And then you've got people on the same rep, ladies, Reddit, who are reselling bags that they've bought, and they've just got so many. They're cycling through so many. And they're talking about, like, the great. They're just looking at the deal and not the overall amount of money that they're spending or that they're consuming in total. Because we also have to think about shipping and time investment and all these other.

Jill (31:13)

Things. I think it has us forgetting where we came from. Okay. I think it has us, like, setting aside, we. We think quality over quantity. Yeah, yeah.

Jen (31:22)

Yeah. I love.

Jill (31:22)

It. But what about quality and. And quantity? What if I don't have to give up either? What if I can have quality and quantity and all that really is. Is just over consumption all over again? Trying to sell you that it's quality, that it's luxury. That doesn't mean we should just buy more of it impulsively and without intention. Like, that's no. And that's still quality over.

Jen (31:49)

Quantity. That's in. That idea transcends the luxury Dupault, and that goes into everything. You are thinking about buying this holiday season and moving forward in the future. And there's this account that I follow that he dissects leather to see. Specifically these leather good. These luxury leather goods to see the quality. And again finds that a lot of these major luxury brands do not have all the quality that it's cracked up to be. But he had this amazing video that was like five minutes long, so I had to cut it for time. But I think it sums up what we're trying to say really well. Four years ago, I called the Chanel customer service. I was genuinely curious what made their KVR leather zip wallet so expensive. Since then, I have dissected hundreds of bags, traveled across continents for tanneries workshops, and shared every discovery with you. Because every Time we ask, is it worth it? What we're really asking is something much bigger. What I'm exchanging my time, my life for. In today's hyper capitalist world, powerful corporations armed with data, design, psychology, are selling mediocre goods at extraordinary prices. Through dissections, I have shed some light onto that imbalance, leveling the playing field for consumers and creators alike. But underneath that, there is a deeper question. It's not just about leather. It's about life. Any of us live chained by financial pressure, by constant consumption, by the illusion of needing more. Every surface, every screen, every scroll, someone is selling you something. And every ad whispers the same thing. Buy this and you'll be happier. But no one talks about the other side, your financial freedom. Freedom doesn't come from spending. It comes from saving, choosing and questioning. And that's when I realized my content isn't just about leather. It's about financial freedom. That's where it hit me. If there is such a thing as financial freedom, then there is also the opposite by definition. And it's financial slavery. Not in the historic sense, but in the modern one. The feeling of being stuck month after month working to keep up with a lifestyle that doesn't truly fulfill you. And when that happens, you lose touch with your purpose, your joy, your service to the world. Episode over, mic drop. That's it. When you lose touch, when you don't know who you are, people can sell that to you. And when you don't know, because we don't have the capacity to know everything about fabrics and stitching and, like, ingredients and all of that, like, we. There has to be a level of trust in corporations that are selling us these things, right? And we've lost that trust. And that's why it's so easy for not just good information, but also misinformation to spread. Because we've lost that trust for good reason. And there are good people on the Internet, like this guy. And I hope that more people find the good people and block out the people that are just trying to sell you something, that are trying to sell you your identity. Because we can say we're buying anything for any reason. We can always rationalize why we're buying something. I'm buying a luxury dupe for quality. But on the inside, like, especially with luxury stuff like brands, like, we're always being sold, like a status, too. It helps that corporation. It helps Hermes. If you're carrying a fake Birkin that looks close enough to a real Birkin, like, it. It helps them, you know, so who are we? Really.

Jill (36:00)

Serving. Yeah. So true. Yeah. I think that at the end of the day we can still look for quality things at a lower price. Right. We are still going to love the deal, but I think the permission that just because something being advertised as luxury is less expensive doesn't mean we have to buy it. I think considering what are the things that are going to add value into my life, create greater efficiency, solve a problem that I'm experiencing and then do the research on that thing. And I'm not talking spending a ton of time, but there are resources like, like the EWG that I already talked about app for skincare and household products. Again, not sponsored by any of these. I really like. Good on you for searching clothing brands, they give ratings based on sustainability and how they treat their workers, that kind of a thing. So when looking to buy true quality, not just just brand that these types of resources are doing the research for us already and we can just kind of lock into okay, if I'm looking for a pair of jeans, what's a good company that I can go borrow or purchase that from? Not borrow and feel really good about it. And we also speaking of getting quality for affordable pricing, secondhand stores like I just went to, I didn't even tell you about this. There's a local boutique shop that I just found that's consignment secondhand stuff. Never been in and very nice and selling very quality items at a fraction of the cost. I found some beautiful things two weekends ago. So all that to say we can get so much secondhand and it doesn't require us to go in person. We can also go online and if you are a friend letter subscriber, which you can get for free, we are including a. A free list of 100 online secondhand places that you can be shopping. Not just clothing, but electronics, sporting equipment, lawn equipment, like literally whatever it is that you need. We do believe you can find it secondhand and at this point online. Yeah, you don't even have to go out to a store. So if you want to know where are the places that I can be looking and shopping, get the friend letter frugalfriendspodcast.com we also have it linked in the description and we will send over that list to.

Jen (38:30)

You. Yep. If you it's yeah, you sign up for the friend letter because we send supplements to episodes all the time in the friend letter and if you're not signed up, you, you've already missed it because we sent it the day the episode goes live. So sign up, drag the Friend letter to your primary tab so you never miss it. And yeah, I hope you use that list of 100 secondhand shopping.

Jill (38:54)

Sites. Do you know what else we hope you use? And just take absolute advantage of the bill of the.

Jen (39:02)

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

Jill (39:20)

William. Maybe you've paid off your mortgage. Maybe your car died and you're.

Jen (39:25)

Happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. Duck bills. Buffalo bills. Bill Clinton. This is the bill of the week. Hey, Jen and Jill. My name is Deanna and I live in Kansas City, Missouri. Recently, you have asked for more bills, so I'm sending you a fresh new bill that I don't mind paying. I went on our phone provider app and there was a chat option to talk to a representative. We got a third line, although we don't use it, so I was trying to cancel it just so I don't have something extra sitting around when the representative offered me a 100 credit and then an extra $10 off for the next six months. So instead of paying 143, we are paying $43 for this coming bill, and that means I am way ahead on saving my money. I appreciate everything you two do. It feels like listening to friends. We're in the same age bracket, kind of going through similar stuff, and.

Jill (40:28)

Every time you give me a new.

Jen (40:29)

Idea, I look into it and see if it's in my area. Thank you so much for everything you.

Jill (40:34)

Do.

Jen (40:36)

Amazing. Yay. Thank you. We love negotiating the phone bill. And so often nowadays you don't have to talk to anybody, literally. You can go on the chatbot of a website and start there. And if you're not successful, then you can chat with someone we.

Jill (40:54)

Know. That's the biggest barrier to negotiating is needing to make a phone call and talk with someone on the.

Jen (40:59)

Phone. There's a phone call you need to make right now. I see you. Don't hide. Don't look away. There's a phone call that you need to make that you're not making, and I just want you to feel seen. There's also a phone call I need to make that I haven't made.

Jill (41:16)

And I need you to know that it might not even need to be a phone.

Jen (41:20)

Call. Might not be showplay, bad.

Jill (41:23)

Cop. I'll play good cop. It could be a chat. Go ahead and chat with them. Lower your bill, get a credit. Well done. It probably isn't.

Jen (41:29)

Though. You probably need to make that call. You should probably do that.

Jill (41:32)

Today. Thanks Deanna. If any of you listening have a bill that you want to submit if it has to, to do with negotiating through chat, negotiating through phone, negotiating in person negotiating. You get me on something long enough and it's gonna turn into a song. A highly requested.

Jen (41:56)

Song. I support.

Jill (41:57)

You. You know what to do. Submit your bill. Frugalfriendspodcast.com Bill can't wait for.

Jen (42:02)

It. You know I love finding a great deal, which is why Rakuten is my secret weapon for holiday shopping. I was just stacking a 20% off sale at Petsmart with 15% cash back from Rakuten and let me tell you, that's some savings on.

Jill (42:16)

Savings. Thankfully, Rakuten partners with stores across categories like beauty, electronics, home essentials, travel, and even groceries. I've used it for Expedia, ebay, and even Instacart. And it's so easy. Membership is free and the app or browser extension makes it simple to track your cash.

Jen (42:32)

Back. Plus, stores are offering their highest cash back rates of the year during the holidays. They're also having big deal reveals, which is where one store offers epic cash back for one day.

Jill (42:42)

Only. If you want to start stacking savings like us, go to frugalfriendspodcast.com Rakuten Download the app or install the browser extension. Join today and get a welcome bonus after your first qualifying purchase. That's frugalfriendspodcast.com Rakuten R A K U T E N Start maximizing your holiday cash back.

Jen (43:01)

Now. What I love about Chime is how simple they make money feel. No overdraft fees, no monthly fees, no minimum balance. Just actual fee free banking that isn't working against.

Jill (43:12)

You. And the new Chime Card is a game changer. You build credit with your own money and get cash back on eligible purchases. It's the kind of card my younger self wished I.

Jen (43:21)

Had. Chime is not just smarter banking. It's the most rewarding way to bank join the millions who are already banking fee free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.comfrugal that's chime.comfrugal Chime.

Jill (43:34)

Is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services the secured Chime, Visa credit card and MyPay line of credit provided by Bancorp Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. MyPay eligibility requirements apply and credit limit ranges $20 to $500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com feesinfo advertised annual percentage yield with Chime+status only. Otherwise, 1% APY applies. No minimum balance required. Chime card on time. Payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms. And now it's time for the lightning.

Jen (44:05)

Round. What is your version of.

Jill (44:10)

Luxury? Simple luxuries. Honestly, you wrote it in French, girl. Yeah, well, because I learned this.

Jen (44:24)

From writing things in.

Jill (44:25)

French. I was on this podcast. Oh, the Simple Sophisticate. Love her. She's so great, great show. And she asked, asks all of her guests at the end to share. And I don't speak French, so I'm so sorry. I'm gonna butcher this. Prepare yourself. If you're French, cover your ears. A petite pleissur. And it means a simple pleasure, like a small pleasure, a little treat. And kind of making this a part of everyday life. And girl, do I lean into that. I love a petite.

Jen (44:59)

Pleissant.

Jill (45:00)

Pleasant. So for me, you know, that's anything from plating my food, like making my food look nice on my plate, to drinking a nice cup of good tea, like getting loose leaf tea. We've got a local tea shop here in St. Pete that I really enjoy and I'll pick out a loose leaf tea like every couple of months and I get to enjoy that. Let's see, what else? Is it all food.

Jen (45:28)

Based? Probably pretty much plants. I feel like, yes, you guys.

Jill (45:34)

Plants. Enjoying my.

Jen (45:36)

Plants.

Jill (45:37)

Yeah. I mean, having a slow morning, like taking an extra 30 minutes just.

Jen (45:43)

Cuz.

Jill (45:47)

Nice. Yeah, I. I love those kinds of things in life to find. What do I really enjoy? What really gets me going on a walk. It's so simple. But getting outside when it's a nice day. Oh, fresh air. Okay, what about.

Jen (46:01)

You? Okay, so, well, now I want to. My petit placeur is my iced coffee in the afternoon that I make in my nice.

Jill (46:11)

Glass. Yes. Do you do that every.

Jen (46:14)

Day? Yeah. Yep, every day. That is my simple.

Jill (46:19)

Luxury. When you're here, you don't do.

Jen (46:21)

That. I go home and do it. Okay.

Jill (46:24)

Good. You're like, I don't spend all day with you. It feels like you do. It feels like you're. You're here all day, you go home and you go to bed. That's.

Jen (46:31)

It. I leave here at 3pm to pick up my.

Jill (46:35)

Child. There's no more afternoon to be had. The day's.

Jen (46:39)

Over. Yeah. I am the type of person who can have a coffee at 8pm and still be able to like go to bed. So yeah, I can have it when I get home at 3:15.

Jill (46:50)

Okay. Okay. Yeah.

Jen (46:51)

Good. My true idea of luxury is time freedom, flexibility and freedom of time to me. And that's what initially attracted me to the fire movement. When I was a little younger I loved the idea of total time freedom. But now I, I love the idea of a balance of still like working and contributing but having the ultimate like say over my time is beautiful. Like my son was sick last week and I picked him up from school like no questions asked. It was not inconvenient. I mean it was inconvenient because we had to cancel an interview and push to the recording of this episode to today. But ultimately like it was not an issue for sure because I am in control of like, like my, my.

Jill (47:50)

Autonomy. And honestly I, I will choose at this point thankfully because we're debt free. Not that we've, but we've made a similar decision in some ways to even not make as much money as maybe I possibly could so that I can have some of that time freedom like that. Those are the types of options that we have on the other side of debt freedom is. Yeah, you can, you can keep plowing ahead and try and make as much money as possible. And that's a fine choice for some people, maybe a choice that I make at some point the future. But for right now to be able to really dive into this and not need to make as much money as possible is another beautiful.

Jen (48:32)

Option. Yeah. Which is why when we see people on the Internet like hawking all these affiliate links and these products, I get it, that's the easiest way to make money on social media and we hate that idea about it. We don't like hate the people. But I just wish people knew how much money they could get from hawking high Yield savings accounts. Frugalfriendspodcast.com CIT Open A Savings account, support the show while supporting yourself. You don't need to support an influencer by buying the latest makeup bag. You can open a high yield savings account and help.

Jill (49:18)

Everyone. Wow. It's not sexy, but it is a win, win.

Jen (49:21)

Win. I think if influencers knew that or life insurance how you could, how much money you could make. Talking about term, really good quality term life insurance that helps families support their loved ones in cases of emergency. You wouldn't have so many Amazon must.

Jill (49:40)

Haves. And if you want to find one of those. Frugalfriendspodcast.com PolicyGenius okay, just cause helping you help you. That's what we're here.

Jen (49:50)

For. All of our favorite life insurance companies in the description because your families do need that. Like you can, you can make a lot of money. Like, I mean, obviously we don't focus on life insurance, but we do talk about CIT a lot because, and that is our, you know, highest paying affiliate commission. So. And we feel really good about.

Jill (50:15)

That. Feel.

Jen (50:16)

Great. And I, I just wish more people knew you can make money like legitimately helping other.

Jill (50:22)

People. Yeah.

Jen (50:23)

Yeah. And, and we're here to say that. But, but saying that doesn't make as much money as actually selling the.

Jill (50:31)

Things. And lucky for you, we don't have to make a lot of money.

Jen (50:35)

To bring you this content, but we are going to add financial planning to our services next year someday. So we're working on.

Jill (50:46)

It. Thanks everyone for being here for listening. Thanks for reading our book and leaving us a review like this one from Best Financial Friends Forever teach you how to spend well. Spending is a skill that Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni from the Frugal Friends podcast know well. Throughout their journeys to frugality, they've learned how to be better spenders, investing in items and experiences that match their current seasons and values. It's values based spending that the book is all about, with chapters full of timeless advice, helpful exercises, and ways to get real about what matters most to you. Rather than scold you for not being better being a better saver, the authors teach you how to buy the things you love without going broke. By focusing on values based spending, other areas of your life improve quickly, you're happier with what you have, your relationship strengthens, your debt disappears faster. Jen and Jill are the best financial friends forever that you always wanted and never knew you needed. Their book is an easy read, filled with personal, relatable stories and fun bonuses for the reader. If you pick one financial book to read this year, let it be this one. Thank you. I love the alliteration you get us. This book is for you.

Jen (51:54)

Obviously. Thank you so much. And if your name is Carissa, I'm so sorry that Jill called you Charissa. I did pause, I'm like did.

Jill (52:05)

I? That didn't sound.

Jen (52:06)

Right. So if you enjoyed the show and your name is maybe spelled uniquely, please leave us a review of the book on Amazon. Leave a review on Spotify, write your name in the description of this video and ask Jill to pronounce it in an audio. Audio messages are now a way you can reply to comments. I don't know if we have that feature, but if we do, you can just say your unique name and ask Jill to pronounce it in a voice memo. And she will do that for free. I'm putting that on her because.

Jill (52:43)

We do all of this for.

Jen (52:44)

Free. You're welcome. Yes. And remember, we are helping our community pay off $100,000 of debt in the first quarter of 2026. And we want you to join us. This is a three month program that does cost money, but we think it's going to be super supportive. Four calls with us to guide and support and accountability on the journey. There's going to be three skill building challenges that you will take with you far beyond the First 90 Days. Two digital books that I have written that will help you with the challenges, and one ultimate goal to help our community pay off $100,000 of debt in the first quarter. And that would just be a thousand dollars from you. So if you want to pay off $1,000 in the first quarter of 2026, head to frugalfriendspodcast.com debt free. And we want to be with you on that journey. And early bird pricing for this program ends on the.

Jill (53:47)

16Th. Let's do.

Jen (53:49)

This. So this Tuesday, early bird pricing ends. So get with us. Let's do it. Frugal Friends is produced by Eric.

Jill (54:00)

Sirianni.

Jen (54:11)

Wow. I had something to say, but like, the Charissa thing sent me. Send me somewhere else. I don't remember what I was gonna.

Jill (54:19)

Say. It was spelled.

Jen (54:21)

Ch. Huh. And who in their. Your mother seeing your. Your baby for the first time be like.

Jill (54:31)

Charissa? Maybe that is her name, though. It could.

Jen (54:36)

Be. You're right. No, it 100% could be. I do not know who this woman is. And you're right, that's like.

Jill (54:44)

A. That is a fine name, but it is a remarkable.

Jen (54:47)

Misstep. If it's Carissa, nine times out of ten it's Carissa because that's a super common name. And super common names can have unique spellings. That's more likely. Yeah, but you're right. It could absolutely be.

Jill (55:01)

Charissa. And like, will we ever know? That's the thing. Will I ever know because. Because either she's listening and now she's super offended and we'll never hear back, or, like, she'll change her review of.

Jen (55:21)

Us. No. I mean, I tried.

Jill (55:25)

To. You tried to give an opportunity. We'll see if it's.

Jen (55:31)

Enough. We're all together.

Jill (55:33)

Yeah. No. You stoked the flame by being like people chime in with unique names. Get Jill to say.

Jen (55:41)

Them. You're right. That was wrong. See if she can do it. That was wrong of me. To do. She'll do.

Jill (55:47)

It. She has the time.

Jen (55:49)

Freedom. I admit that that was wrong of me to do. Yet it has been done.

Jill (55:55)

Done. And you will do it if it's called upon. Yeah, you probably.

Jen (56:00)

Will. I'm so.

Jill (56:01)

Sorry. Probably.

Jen (56:02)

Will.

Jill (56:02)

Well. Oh, cool lunch. Wix is the website builder that just keeps on giving. It's.

Jen (56:10)

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Jill (56:13)

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Jen (56:16)

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Jill (56:18)

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