Underconsumption Core 101

Summary

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Frugal Friends Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Underconsumption Core 101

Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Date: July 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the rise of the "underconsumption core" trend, both as a viral concept on TikTok and as a shift in frugal, mindful living. Jen and Jill break down what underconsumption core really means, its benefits beyond budget-saving, its criticisms (privilege, performativeness), and actionable tips for making underconsumption a sustainable part of your life. The episode aims to inspire listeners to focus on values-based, intentional spending and share how individual actions can influence wider community norms.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Underconsumption Core

[04:21] Jen:

• Underconsumption core is about only buying what you truly need and using it fully—wearing, mending, and only replacing when necessary.
• Originates from the Great Depression mantra: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
• Reframing: Emphasizes creativity and resourcefulness, not deprivation or virtue signaling.

Quote:

“Underconsumption core doesn’t necessarily equate to foregoing luxuries or even being all that thrifty. It simply means using the things you’ve bought until they're finished.” – Jen [08:41]

2. Virtue, Privilege, and Authenticity in Underconsumption

[03:18] Jill:

• Notes self-righteousness in all trends, including frugality.
• Underconsumption can be noble, but authenticity and intent matter more than putting oneself on a pedestal.

[09:13] Jill:

• TikTok is making “reuse, wear out, non-aesthetic homes” visible, but this isn’t new—just re-branded for a new audience.

[15:06] Jill:

• Discusses critiques: sometimes the wealthy perform “poverty cosplay” by mimicking thrift or worn-out looks for trendiness/relatability, when their choices aren’t made from necessity.

[16:52] Jen:

"Calling it a normal way of living isn’t a criticism. We want more authenticity on social media, that should be praised. It shouldn’t be criticized."

3. Cyclical Trends & Economic Context

[09:57] Jen:

• Underconsumption core has arisen partly as pushback to hustle culture and overconsumption, but also as a response to inflation.
• Ties to prior trends: “loud budgeting,” “de-influencing”—there’s always a swing between consuming more and less.
• Question at the heart: “Do I really need this much stuff?”

4. Rooting Frugality in Values, Not Just Action

[11:51] Jill:

• For underconsumption to have longevity, it must connect with core values and bring contentment—not just mechanical “using up.”
• Actions like “just using up moisturizer” are steps, but deep mindset change is needed for lasting impact.
• Your values, identity, and priorities should drive underconsumption.

Quote:

“There’s a deeper message here…the connection between choosing to consume less and actually seeing benefit in my life.” – Jill [11:51]

5. Criticisms: Privilege, Normalcy, and Generational/Lifestyle Context

[14:11] Jen:

• Some critics say labeling underconsumption is “privileged,” since for many it’s simply normal life.
• Content creators often show youthful, simple living that doesn’t reflect family or older adult realities.
• Normalize authenticity, regardless of stage: “Let’s encourage that, not criticize it.”

6. Practicing Underconsumption Core: Actionable Tips

[19:58] Jen & Jill:

• Minimalist wardrobe challenges: e.g., Project 333—33 items for 3 months ([20:51]).
• Take photos of outfits for easy mixing/matching and to foster creativity.
• Get “your colors done” to buy only clothes you love and will actually wear.
• DIY upcycling: dyeing clothes (e.g., with avocado skins to achieve pink hue), customizing light fixtures, converting old items to fill new needs ([23:54], [24:36]).
• Mend clothing rather than discarding ([30:35]).
• Thrift shopping: Seek higher quality, secondhand over fast fashion.
• Repurpose items (towels to rags, jars as cups, combining makeup remnants).
• Practice “mindful hauls”: keep a list of genuine needs, shop secondhand or only after considering if you can repurpose or do without.

Quote:

"Try a thrift day instead of a spa day—ballin’ on a budget!" – Jen [27:45]

7. How to Level Up: Normalize and Share Underconsumption

[31:58] Jill:

• Keep giving yourself and others permission to live differently.
• Don’t be shy—share your upcycling, mindful purchases, and frugality wins, not to boast but to inspire and make this lifestyle more visible and accepted.

Quote:

"By embracing this movement, we’re not only promoting a sustainable lifestyle, but also building a community that values authenticity and creativity over constant spending." – Jen [33:45]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Frugality is not being cheap. It’s simply using what we have, being good stewards of our money and our physical resources.” – Jen [08:56]
• "This is another round in the cycle of people being interested in consuming less because for so long the narrative has been ‘earn more, consume more.’" – Jen [09:57]
• “It’s not about deprivation…sacrifice doesn’t mean you don’t value yourself. It’s about making what you value last and finding creativity within what you already own.” – Jen [04:21]
• "Sometimes thrift stores are more affordable than Goodwill now—the rise of boutique consignment is real." – Jen [27:09]
• "Community is made for exchanging skill sets, ideas, and encouragement—we go farther together than alone." – Jill [32:33]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |-----------|----------------------------------------------| | 01:37 | Episode intro & TikTok trend context | | 04:21 | What is Underconsumption Core | | 08:41 | Key article quote on underconsumption | | 09:57 | Cyclical trends in budgeting/frugality | | 11:51 | Why actions aren’t enough—values and contentment | | 14:11 | Criticisms: privilege, lifestyle stage | | 19:58 | Tips for practicing underconsumption core | | 23:54 | DIY & upcycling examples | | 26:24 | Thrift store vs. consignment shopping | | 30:35 | Mending, keeping items in rotation | | 31:58 | How to elevate: normalize, share, build community | | 33:45 | Key inspirational quotes & community impact | | 35:36 | Listener “Bill of the Week” call-in | | 41:44 | Lightning Round: personal mindful consumption hacks | | 46:37 | Bonus hack: removing buy-trigger apps/social media | | 49:04 | Thank-you, reviews, closing thoughts |

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Actionable Takeaways

• Get creative: Think past “make do”—find new life for old items.
• Document and share: Normalizing authenticity online helps others find permission.
• Pause and reflect: What makes you happy and fulfilled? Use that to filter what you buy or keep.
• Engage community: Exchange ideas, skills, and encouragement; we're all in this together.

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Final Thoughts

Jen and Jill encourage listeners to see underconsumption not just as a passing trend, but as a viable, fulfilling way to live—rooted in creativity, authenticity, and community. Whether you’re already living this way or aspiring to start, remember to share your wins humbly, seek out like-minded friends, and keep building the “core” of mindful, values-based living.

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For more, find Jen and Jill on YouTube, subscribe, and check out their upcoming book: "Buy What You Love Without Going Broke."

Transcript

[Shannon Maldonado]

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[Jen]

Explore Platinum terms apply under Consumption Corp. 101.

[Podcast Narrator]

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

[Jen]

Hey Frugal Friends. I'm Jen.

[Jill]

I'm Jill and welcome to the Summer Slowdown. We're slowing down behind the scenes to prepare for our CFP exam and play in some of our Greatest Hits from 2024.

[Jen]

We will still have new episodes on Tuesdays, but on this last Friday Friday of July, this is our last Summer Slowdown episode that we will release and giving you an opportunity to hear some of our greatest hits from 2024. And we saved the best for last.

[Jill]

I think today's episode is our most streamed of 2024. We'll see if it still slaps in 2026, but we're gonna explore the under consumption core trend on TikTok, a trend we'd love to see more of, but it's not rage, baity or profitable. Probably won't.

[Jen]

But before we lament, today's episode is brought to you by brainwashing. We've all been brainwashed to undervalue the products we use every day. Whether that's shampoo, toothpaste, hand soap, makeup, whatever. We have lost the plot. And you want to know where the plot is? It's here. It's for friends. We found the plot. We're going to keep sharing that till you buy what matters to you and

only what matters to you.

So if you agree with that plot, head over and subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you already have, then take your partner or your best friend's phone or any phone that's near you right now and subscribe. Also on that phone because more people need to be unbrainwashed to regain value for the tangible things that take space in this world. And it's going to take us all for that message to spread.

[Jill]

Thank you for subscribing to YouTube and thank you. Let's get into the episode.

[Jen]

Let's get into our headline today and it is from Elle magazine and it's Is Under Consumption Core really as virtuous as it claims. A spicy title, but the subtitle is, Is it really under Consumption Core or are we just normal?

[Jill]

Yeah, when I first read the title of this, I'm like, oh, there's holes to poke in Underconsumption. And like Underconsumption Core, which it was interesting to kind of hear both sides and how people are receiving this, which we'll definitely go through. But I think with anything as you and I were talking before we hit record, there can be this, the self righteousness that comes with probably any trending thing or anything that kind of can come across as virtuous, including frugality. We can put ourselves on a pedestal thinking, look at us, we're doing it all right? Whatever it is that we're doing, we think we've got it right. I think that that's primarily the hole that they're kind of poking in this. But we still believe that there's so many amazing things about Under Consumption beyond just elevating ourselves personally, but like what it does to our lifestyles and our community and all of that. But it's worth going through it.

[Jen]

Yeah, definitely. So first up, what is Under Consumption Core? So in short, Under Consumption Core refers to only buying what you strictly need and then using it up or wearing it and rewearing it until it needs to be mended or replaced. And so obviously it makes me think of the saying use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without, which I think comes with a negative connotation sometimes or a self righteous connotation like you were saying, Jill. It was used by our elders to say like, you don't need that. You know, anytime you want something, you don't need it. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without. But I think it's important to know, and what I love about this article specifically is do without is the last. Do without is the last of that. We use it up is first we use, we look at what we have. And this was created in the, during the Great Depression, the saying, so obviously they didn't have a lot, so they were doing without a lot. And that's why this phrase has so much connotation with deprivation. But the first part is to use it up, wear it out and those are repurposing things. Those are really positive. We're looking at the wealth around us and we're getting creative with how we use it. We're wearing it out. We're using products up in their fullest capacities. And this is something you see a lot in this TikTok trend is people opening makeup containers that are no longer like pumping out any. And when they open them up, there is still a week's left of product in there. I know, you know, for most of us when we're at the end of our soap, we're putting a little water in it and yeah, yeah. So like, so these are really good things. And the make it do or do without those, those are last case scenarios and that's a lot of like what we're talking about within and buy what you love without going broke. The reason we say it's a values based spending includes sacrifice but not deprivation is because sometimes in our, you know, in our hearts we want to go out and buy the new thing. Like that's what we would rather do. But we sacrifice that motivation that desires to use up and wear out. And it's not being deprived, we can still go out and buy it. Once we use up and wear out, we don't have to immediately jump to make do or do without.

[Jill]

Yeah, I like the order of that. I have been finding myself mostly in a joking manner, but I have been using the phrase waste not, want not like a ton lately with Eric with friends. I'll just say it again, usually to be funny, but maybe it's connected to this trend that's happening. And I think with all things there's a way to do it sustainably and well for ourselves. And there's a way to do it super extreme that's not necessarily gonna lead to wellbeing. And I even think with this under consumption trend you still have higher levels of consumption because to get into that bottle and get the rest of the product out, they're selling more products to scrape out the rest. Like I think I've seen, you know, a special type of tool that they're selling now to scrape out the rest of the foundation or the cream or whatever it is. So like there's also a way to end up doing this where you're still mindlessly spending and consuming products that maybe something else that you had in your home could have been useful. But at its core I Think it is this low waste, somewhat minimal, simplified, frugal, stewarding all resources well kind of approach. But of course there's always all sorts of ways that we can approach this. A way to do it that's gonna be, have some longevity to it and a way in which it dies because it's not trendy anymore.

[Jen]

There's a quote in this article that I really loved. Under consumption core doesn't necessarily equate to foregoing luxuries or even being all that thrifty. It simply means using the things you've bought until they're finished.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And I thought that was like great because frugality is not being cheap. Right. It's simply using what we have, being good stewards of our money and our, our physical resources, our physical products.

[Jill]

Yeah. The trend itself seems to have somewhat originated on TikTok, although this is not a new idea. But as far as the term under consumption core as a trend did originate with TikTok, mostly with people again using up products, rewearing things, making it okay to wear clothing again, wear it till it's absolutely worn out. These types of things, people showing kind of their non aesthetic houses, I'm sure we've seen everywhere. So this is where that has kind of been happening and trending. But again, none of it's new.

[Jen]

Yeah, I think this highlights just another, it's another round in the cycle of people being interested in consuming less because for so long the narrative has been earn more so that you can consume more. Don't focus on controlling your consumption, focus on controlling your income so that it supports your consumption. And I think there's, there's part of it is a fight like push back against hustle culture. That, that, that's, that that mentality promotes hustle culture. And part of it is against inflation. I think a lot of the news outlets are saying this is a response to inflation, which yes, I, I do think that ties into it, but I think inflation has been more of like an eye opener to, to just how unsustainable. These fast fashion hauls and these grocery store hauls and these nice car tours and nice aesthetic house tours are for people that are not in the business of social media. So this is fine for people who are literally showing off their house cars, groceries for a living. These are almost tax write offs for their business. Right. But for the rest of us it's not sustainable. And so I think this is just. We had loud budgeting earlier this year. We had de influencers. Now we're going with under consumption Corp. And there will just be cycle after cycle of this because people are fed up with the over consumption that the traditional narrative has been touting.

[Jill]

Which is what makes me so excited for the timing of our book. Buy what you love without going broke. Because I think all of this ends up leading to. Okay, but how exactly? Because just using up the last of my moisturizer, what is that really doing? But I think there's a deeper message here that I don't think social media has truly tapped into yet that our book does address. And that is getting to the core of why we would do these things and creating that pause of do I really need these things? What is meeting the core of my needs and my values? They asked that question in this article. Do I really need four concealers, a cream and a powder blush, three pairs of sneakers, two coats, 10 handbags? Do I really need the amount of things that I have been impulse purchasing that has been sold to me as what will help me to belong, make me feel good about myself, make me feel like I'm fitting in, or can I choose a different path? And is there potentially greater levels of contentment on the other side of that? And we would say yes, if pursued rightly, if pursued in the sense of figuring out who you are, what matters to you, doing some of that foundational work and then allowing your actions and your purchasing to inform that. Absolutely. I think there's greater levels of contentment less, less stress on the other side. But I think right now the trend is just focusing on the actions and not entirely the reasoning behind it. And for it to last, we need to make that connection. But it's a great start and it does open up that conversation for how do we make that connection between me choosing to consume less and it not just being because high inflation, but because I actually see benefit in my life, I see long term implications. I see that I'd be able to reach other financial goals sooner. I see that I have a greater understanding of who I am and I'm able to live into those things and I'm able to respond to my needs better because I'm not clouded by all of this other information.

[Jen]

Yeah, there has been some pushback on under consumption core saying that some of it is just normal living and that people who are saying that this type of living is core, like under consumption core are, are kind of in. In privilege. Yeah. So I think there's definitely both sides to it. Right. You know, you've got the Olsen twins carrying around, they're famous for carrying around these high end bags that they've been carrying for you know, over a decade that are kind of, they get dirty and they, you can tell they get them clean because of the paparazzi photos. Like this is the same bag just over and over for you know, 10 plus years. But sometimes it's not cleaned and it's seen as like this. Jill, you wrote this on the outline the cosplay of poverty.

[Jill]

Well that's what the Olsen twins, I know this article highlights just like the Olsen twins who wore out their luxury handbags but that was previously pushed against because there has also been this trend amongst uber wealthy celebrities of cosplay poverty and the high peasant look where these very wealthy people in an effort to try to connect with their followers and other consumers are looking as if they don't have a lot of money. Like giving the impression and idea that they can't afford a certain lifestyle, trying to I guess make themselves seem a little bit more relatable even though they're not. Like it's this, there's been this pushback on that tension. So I think that this can highlight that. But I don't think that that's what true under consumption is, is like a putting on of something. And I think the pushback of isn't that just normal living? Maybe, but at least we've got people who are showing that as a regular lifestyle rather than the alternative of the fancy cars, the ten step skincare regimen, the super beautiful on trend clothing, the home that is always updated with like crazy light fixtures. And this is what if that's all that we're seeing, then that is what can become normal. I think this under consumption core is helping to tether it and bring it back to that's actually not normal and you don't have to aspire to that, especially if it's not what you want. There can be another way of living that is just normal and that's fine.

[Jen]

And I think, I don't think think calling it a normal way of living is really a like condemning of it or a criticism. Like we want more authenticity on social media. That should be praised. It shouldn't be criticized. So when you see this, also know you're seeing it from a lot of very young people who may not have the bills that a mom with two kids has. Right. So you need to also understand when you're seeing these things, things that a lot of the people, not all, but a lot of the people creating this content are in a different life stage too. All they're seeing are these fast fashion hauls and the like and they're pushing back and that's awesome. And let's encourage that, let's not criticize it, and let's just do more to normalize authenticity and not being the aesthetic perfection that social media so often demands.

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[Jen]

So let's talk about some tips and ideas on how to practice under consumption core. And then Also for my 201 girlies who are like, I'm already doing out of 10, let's talk about what we can do to. To benefit, like, to capitalize on this outside of ourselves.

[Jill]

Yeah. I love the intersection here with minimalism, sustainable living, low waste, frugality. And so none of this will be entirely new, but it is a way to participate and. And lean into this further. Like doing a minimalist wardrobe challenge. There's so many out there. Google it. One of our favorites is Courtney Carver's 333. So it's, well, the 333. 3. 3 of everything, right?

[Jen]

It is 333. It's like 33 items for every three months.

[Jill]

Yeah, I thought it was 33 items. So that includes, I think, even accessories for her. You can come up with your own whether however many items you want to identify that you want to be wearing. And it's a practice of really being creative with what you have in your closet, but also being okay with wearing the same thing multiple times, people seeing you in the same clothing and kind of building up that confidence that this is okay. I don't have to have new clothing constantly. I don't have to be contributing to the fast fashion world and just the high turnover of clothing and textiles. So that challenge and can help us really identify what do I really love wearing, what do I feel best in. So we love a good minimalist wardrobe challenge.

[Jen]

Yeah. And one of the things that some of these girls are doing is are showing pictures of the same outfit styled in different ways. So this is something you don't even have to do on social media. You can do it just on your phone. And it's actually a very good idea to do on your phone is to take pictures of all of your outfits, all the ways that you can wear one piece of clothing, different ways you can style the same outfit so they look different. That way, when you walk into your closet and you're like, I don't know what to wear, you can go back into that folder on your phone, and you can just look through and get ideas and see what have I not worn or styled in a while? And so that's a really great way to make. To keep cycling through all the options in your closet. And we also love, you know, getting your colors done. If you're not a black and white girly, you don't only want to wear Black, white, gray, and beige. To have your colors done online or in person and see what colors look best on you. If you want to wear yellow, but some yellows look bad on you and some yellows look good, then you probably just need to get your colors done to identify what shade of each color is best for you so you feel the best. And that can help you create this minimal wardrobe that you feel good wearing 100% of, not just 20% of. So next. I mean, they're also doing DIY upcycling projects. So this is really great. When you get tired of something, instead of sending it straight to the thrift store, think about how you can upcycle it. So one of the girls used avocado skins to dye a shirt, a white shirt, and it turned out pink. Yeah. So she was just boiling a bunch of avocado skins on the stove with this shirt, which I assume would be 100% cotton, because you have to get a synthetic dye for polyester. So just know you need different dyes for different fabric types. But she was just doing it on stove, and the shirt came out pink. That's so cool somehow.

Right?

[Kelly]

So.

[Jen]

So if you're tired of something before you put it in the thrift store, which is, you know, kind of like one step above the landfill, sometimes you send it to the thrift store and they put it in the landfill for you, and it's just this delayed throwing away. Sorry to break it to you, but think about, can I upcycle this or repurpose this in a way that I can save it from the landfill for a little longer? But it still feels new to me. I don't feel like I'm making do because that's one of the. We don't want to just make do and do without. We want to really reuse. I love, Jill, your reuse of your lamp, your light fixture. The light fixture, yeah.

[Jill]

Recently. So I had gotten this free pendant hanging light. It's very large from a previous work, and we've held onto it for forever and wanted to use it in our living room. But it didn't quite match the rest of it. It was silver, and the rest of our stuff is more like gold and black. And the wood tone wasn't quite right. But we also couldn't find another lamp that we liked for a reasonable price or like a pendant that we liked for the living room. So we ended up just spray painting the metal black and got walnut veneer to wrap around the previous wood and just pollied it and hung it up and how it actually matches so good everything.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

And that cost us like $10. So sometimes upcycling might cost money, but then we didn't get rid of a perfectly usable, actually great size, like as far as its form goes.

[Jen]

And you would never have gotten something like that for $10. Even on Facebook Marketplace, you wouldn't have. And you still you bought something new to repurpose it. So this isn't always. This doesn't involve a hundred percent thrifting.

[Jill]

Yeah, right. My old coffee table became the backdrop for the Frugal Friends studio. If you watch us on YouTube, you can see, I think.

[Jen]

Well, no.

[Jill]

Would we have this on YouTube? Maybe not on Instagram. You'd probably see it sometime.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

I'm a big fan of upcycling. I'm also a big fan of the thrift store. So if you are a person who you really do enjoy shopping occasionally or you actually do need a wardrobe refresh, do a thrift store haul first.

[Jen]

Thrift day.

[Jill]

Yeah. Go and see whether it's a consignment store or a thrift store, anything secondhand, you can find some really great stuff. And I will say, because this is becoming more and more popular, it's not as often you can find stores. So I know, Jen, you're not a huge thrifter. You don't like to digging.

[Jen]

However, in person, thrifter, I love shopping secondhand.

[Jill]

Right. But there are becoming more and more stores that are a little bit more boutique style with their secondhand offerings that feel closer to a typical store.

[Jen]

Hey, girl.

[Jill]

It's not crazy that I'm wearing right now. Yeah.

[Jen]

I went to. What is it? Label swap over in Tampa.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And that's where these are from.

[Jill]

Yeah. My shirt is thrifted that I'm wearing right now. We love a good thrift store.

[Jen]

And at this point, Goodwill is selling at the same prices as these boutique consignments. So you're better off just going to these individually owned, locally owned consignment stores.

[Jill]

Yeah. I mean, it is true. I. I've been so pleased with some of even the boutique ones because they'll still do the their stickers with their 25, 50, 75% off. They still have to move stuff through their store. So. Yeah, don't knock it till you try it.

[Jen]

It's great. Yeah, try it. Don't, you know, skip the spa day. Try a thrift day where you're just going to all these thrifts and you're like ballin on a budget shopping spree.

[Jill]

Still pretty Woman still what you actually need. I would say make your list ahead of time. Figure out what your wardrobe is lacking, especially if you have your colors done. Know what's going to look good on you. You know, even even though you're getting it. Less expensive doesn't mean we need more of it. We still want quality over quantity. Yeah.

[Jen]

I have to remember when I say, like, pretty, pretty womening it. Like, my idea of a shopping spree is buying, like four things in one day. So, yeah, I don't if you're different from me, maybe don't pretty woman it.

[Jill]

When you use the word haul, it does give the idea that it's more than just like, what you can hold with your hand.

[Jen]

I once tried to do a haul video. I went out specifically to do a thrift haul video, and I honestly came back with four items from the day going to different thrift stores. And again, like, I'm not a, you know, a hunter. So that's why it was a little hard for me. But I was like, I can't do haul videos.

[Jill]

You do. That should be my job. I totally could do a haul video because I. I do keep list of things. And then if I give myself a day to go to a bunch of different places, I can usually really check off everything that's been on that list that's been building for, like, the last three to six months.

[Jen]

Yeah. So, yeah, try. Try yourself one of those. So I love, like, re. Repurposing. So reusing like old towels, cutting them into cleaning rags. This is probably my favorite thing to do. Reusing like old jars, glass jars, as drinking cups. I know people love to do that and using makeup until it's completely out. So a big thing on TikTok is there's a way that you can, like, I don't know, add water or do something to get makeup out and then kind of pack it in, like, scraps of different blushes and then just combine them into one thing. I don't know how to do it, but it is a thing that I've seen people do so that they can use the little bits of everything in their makeup. And then like, yeah, do Carrie use things that are not aesthetically pleasing according to social media. Dented water bottles, bags that maybe are a little frayed or stained. You know, you don't have to get, like, your clothes don't have to have huge stains on them. In that case, you can repurpose with some dye, you know, so just think about what can I do to, you

[Jill]

know, I've Been doing mending too. Like I'll have a pile.

[Jen]

That's what I want to get into.

[Jill]

Of mending. I have one right now and once I get like three or four items that need to be mended, then that'll be like while I sit and watch tv.

[Jen]

That's actually one of our lives. The pre order incentives for the book that we are giving to everybody who pre orders the book.

[Jill]

Buy what you love book dot com.

[Jen]

Yeah. One of the things is on September 22nd, make youe Clothing Last. This is a free class we're doing for everybody who pre orders the book. We're gonna be talking about mending high quality fabrics, you know, tips for dyeing, you know, the difference between like synthetic cotton, how to get the best. Maybe we'll even eat some avocados and try that avocado.

[Jill]

That'd be fun.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Should I save my mending for the group?

[Jen]

Yeah. Cause we're doing live how to. We're not just going to be talking about this. This is going to be like a visual thing and I think, does this episode maybe come out? When does this episode come out? We should know that.

[Jill]

August 27th.

[Jen]

Oh, so if you pre order this morning, you can catch our meal prep class, which is tonight.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Y.

So you might miss that one. But the next one is the close class.

[Jill]

Cool. And we did wanna make one final note. If you're like, I'm already doing all of these things, this is me, then I think the next step here is ongoing permission giving to yourself and to others. Maybe don't be so shy about what you're doing, how it's benefiting you. Continue to normalize these things. If that means that you choose to share some of this on social media, so be it. If it means that you're talking with friends about it and sharing the benefits, again, not from a. I'm better because I do these things. And I don't think that our listeners are that way. But from this vantage point of here's what has actually really helped me in ways that I've decreased stress and the ways that I have really identify what truly matters to me. The skill sets that I've built as a result of this. These are the types of things that I think community is made for where we can exchange skill sets and ideas and encourage one another and just achieve things and go further than if we would have been doing this on our own. We're not going to discover what we don't know without engaging with other people and learning from others about that. I mean, it's why Jen, you and I did this podcast we enjoyed so much about the conversations we were having, the permission we were finding and talking about a traditionally taboo topic. And then, okay, how do we open this up for more people? It's like that. Find people that you can talk about this with and exchange ideas on. How can we make things last longer? How can I under consume without feeling deprived? How might even under consumption get me closer to understanding myself better?

[Jen]

Yeah, and I think part of this journey might be chronicling it on your social media page. Instead of posting the perfect picture from brunch, you're posting a picture of your upcycled DIY project or a way you got creative in upcycling something or using something out. I just want to read two quotes from another article that I read in prep for this episode. First is by embracing this movement, we're not only promoting a sustainable lifestyle, but also building a community that values authenticity and creativity over constant spending. And that's the mindset we want to cultivate in our communities. And by doing it ourselves, we give this unspoken permission for others to do it for themselves. And then the other quote is, under consumption, core invites us to reclaim our power as consumers. And by embracing under consumption, we can contribute to a culture that values quality over quantity and mindfulness over impulse.

[Jill]

What a good summary.

[Jen]

And I think that's the core that we're trying to get across in this episode, is that we know a lot of y' all are already doing this stuff. So how can we be the voice and the light in our communities to keep this trend not just viral but like, sustainable? How can we encourage others to use up and wear out? How can we encourage people to view frugality as creativity and quality over the traditional, you know, make do or do without?

[Jill]

There's another core to this podcast that we are super hardcore about and that

[Jen]

we want all communities to be core.

[Jill]

About the Bill of the Week.

[Podcast Narrator]

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.

[Kelly]

Hi Jen and Jill. My name is Kelly. I live in Seattle. I've been here about a year and I moved from the Midwest and my Bill of the Week is that for the first year, living here in one of the most expensive Cities in the US I could only find part time work 20 hours a week as a contract gig. So I was paying for my own health insurance, not investing in retirement for an entire year and just making substantially less than I've ever made. And the job market right now, let me tell you, is tight. But thankfully after like 12 months of trying, I finally got a full time offer somewhere and the pay is, I mean, in my opinion, amazing. It's not like tech money, but it is really, really stable. I'll have health insurance, I'll have benefits and I'm just so excited to be able to feel secure again after a whole year of feeling really, really shitty. Yeah.

[Jen]

Wow, Kelly, it's, it's so real. And when we talk about authenticity, this is it. Like in personal finance content, this is, this is not what they're talking about. They're talking about job hopping, they're talking about hustling businesses, side gigs, all this. But like this is real life. And so congratulations Kelly. And I hope that if you're listening to this and you are struggling to find full time work, which we've heard from so many of you, that the job market is just, it's so hard right now. Like we see you and we hope this stuff helps you specifically and is not for like you know, the privilege, financial independence seeker that, that has mobility, you know, in these things. But like I hope you feel seen and I hope that you feel encouraged by Kelly's words that those jobs are out there. Keep trucking, keep looking, keep expanding. And, and yeah, I just. Good luck to you and congratulations, Kelly.

[Jill]

Yeah, I'm glad to hear you on this side of it, but I know that sounds like a really tough time when you were just in the contract work and not a lot of stability, not doing the things with your finances that you want to do. And I just want to also normalize that we do find ourselves in those seasons. So there could be people listening who they're not at the Kelly part of the journey where they found the full time work. And sometimes those seasons really do stink. But I think there is an entire lifetime here. So it's okay to be in those seasons. It's not going to be entirely devastating for the long haul. And we're here for you. You have support here.

[Kelly]

Yes.

[Jill]

If you all listening, have a bill that you want to submit if it's good news, if it's news in just the trenches of what is the economy and life right now, we're here for it all. Especially we're here for all of you bills, people named bill, all types ofBills, frugalfriendspodcast,.combill Leave us your bill. The best summer pieces are the ones you end up wearing on repeat. Comfortable, versatile somehow, right for almost every occasion. That's why I love Quince. They make elevated essentials using premium materials like European linen, organic cotton and washable silk without the traditional retail markup. Their 100% European linen pants and dresses have basically become my personal summer wardrobe. And with prices Starting at just $32, it's hard to beat.

[Jen]

You guys know I live in quince tanks all summer. They're easy to layer, easy to dress up or down, and everything is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands because Quince works directly with ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen.

[Jill]

And it's not just clothing. Quince has elevated essentials for your home too, like bedding, bath, kitchen, even furniture. Quint's is great and we think you should check them out.

[Jen]

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[Jill]

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[Jill]

7 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. And now it's time for the lightning round.

[Jen]

All right, so under consumption core to me it's mindful consumption because we're not under consuming, we're consuming. Well, we're consuming fully in under consumption core. So whether it's intentional consumption, mindful consumption today the question is what's Your favorite personal, mindful consumption hack.

[Jill]

You asked this question, didn't you?

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

All right. Go for it.

[Jen]

Okay, so mine are not. It's not going to be groundbreaking or, like, really inspirational.

[Jill]

Dang it.

[Jen]

I know.

[Kelly]

Nevermind.

[Jen]

So sorry. But, like, okay, so I know you're really good at food. That's your personal area. I think for me, I like to reuse and maintain, like, home stuff. So we've probably traveled with the same. Some of the same furniture pieces and art pieces from house to house for the entirety of our marriage. So almost 10 years. We just hung art on our wall the other day in preparation for our party. And actually the day of the party, we finally got around to hanging the wall art. And one was new, one I had just bought.

[Shannon Maldonado]

Nice.

[Jen]

One we had had since we moved in two years ago, but just never got around to hanging. And the other I bought at Goodwill, I think, before I met Travis. It's a set of plants, like something

[Jill]

old, something new, something borrowed, something blue on the wall.

[Jen]

Yeah. So, yeah, just. And keeping those big pieces out of landfills is something that I am very interested in. I feel like I love to. I can compost food, but I cannot as easily compost something metal, you know, or something plastic. If it's wood, it can be, you know, ground up and used in the. In the earth. But so I want to save those pieces from landfills, and so I like to buy them on Facebook. We're a big Facebook marketplace family. Girl. We big Facebook marketplace family. And just like, whatever I can buy secondhand on ebay or Poshmark or. Those are. Those are my favorites. Right now. Thredup is not my favorite, favorite place

[Jill]

to sell

[Jen]

Facebook Marketplace.

[Jill]

Yeah, for sure.

[Shannon Maldonado]

For sure.

[American Express Announcer]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Because it goes back and forth.

[Jen]

Yeah. I like it. I like to keep it local.

[Jill]

Yeah. Not have to go to mail stuff constantly.

[Jen]

Yeah. Well, Travis bought a few Lego kits, and when he went to resell them, he did resell them on ebay because they were specialty. Like, he could just get more money on the. From them on ebay, and they were not that expensive to ship.

[Jill]

Yeah. So, yeah, man, this has become so ingrained into my lifestyle, it is hard to pick. Just, like, I look at every aspect of life, and I'm like, yeah, there's a way that I. And I think. I'm so glad that it's becoming more popular, because I think that this is where people could borderline. Like, you're just. You just. You're so stingy. You just don't want to spend any money and for me, it's not necessarily I'm not afraid of spending. Thankfully, through the podcast, I've become more and more like, this is a good thing to do and an okay thing to do. You just need to feel good about it. But I love the creative aspect of reducing, reusing, repurposing. I love feeling really good then about every spending decision that I make. So if we were to say hacks, you all know this about me, but I would say probably my favorite is keeping lists as I come across a need, whether it's in the kitchen or the house or outside side, I'll put it in a list, like put it in my notes. And usually what that helps me to do is keep it front of mind to come up with potentially an alternative solution. But if it's been on the list for a long time, then the next time I'm at the thrift store, it's what I look for. But usually it's things that I can learn workarounds for until I want to purchase that convenience. But I feel really good about those purchases because they feel very mindful. I've thought about this, I've written it down. We've engaged in workarounds, we've explored problem solving solutions, and if it's still there on the list, then, okay, now I can feel good about spending on it.

[Jen]

Oh yeah. Okay, so a hack. Here's a new hack. Actually, this is brand new. I deleted Instagram, Facebook threads, Amazon, off my phone, anything that could make me. So honestly, why I did it was because I was spending too much time zoning out on there. But also these are things that make me want to buy things. So now when I go to mindlessly scroll, I'm either mindlessly scrolling Thredup, Poshmark, ebay. If I'm looking for products, it forces me to think secondhand first. Or I am reading something, you know, like online, something that's good for my time.

[Jill]

You mean you're editing our book? Buy what you love without going broke. That's what you're reading?

[Jen]

I mean, it's already.

[Jill]

I know we have one more round of reading.

[Jen]

I'm emailing people in hopes that they will talk about our book. Buy what you love without going broke. That's another thing I can do besides scrolling Instagram. So if you're having trouble with social media or if you are having trouble with the halls or like you want to be under consumption core, but social media is doing more harm than good in that area for you, then that could be a helpful hack. Is to Just delete them for a time. I don't plan to delete them, you know, forever. I, I think maybe I will go back on around or after November 8th.

Ish.

I think maybe it's just a soft date, I don't know. Well, thank you so much for listening. We love, love, love reading your kind reviews and we especially love this one from Aaron with a K. The only money related podcast I enjoy. It happens to be five stars. As a trying to be responsible grown up person, I try to keep on top of financial advice, but it always seems like a chore. Jen and Jill give me all the info I need, but I actually look forward to listening to and learning from them. Thanks for making a serious topic so much fun.

[Jill]

Wow, thanks Aaron with a K. And it makes me wonder, does that mean your name is Eric instead? That's very fun.

[Jen]

That's so true. Thank you Aaron with a K. What a kind review.

[Jill]

And thank you all for listening, your kindness for being here and if you enjoyed the show, feel free to give us another kindness of leaving a review. It's one of the ways that you can help us sell the book, believe it or not. Because the more reviews that we have, the more established we appear, which we have been doing this for over six years and we need our reviews to match that reality and it would really help us be able to get on other podcasts, be able to talk about this values based spending and give more permission, normalize what we're talking about a bit more so that others can feel normal. That's what we're doing. Yes, helping us all feel normal. So leave a review and a rating. That'd be so, so helpful.

[Jen]

And thank you. At the, at the time of this recording, we are actually very close to a thousand reviews. How Jill, ask me how close.

[Jill]

Jen, how close are we to reaching a thousand reviews? Last time I checked we were at like 960.

[Jen]

I think we're at 998. Yeah, but they haven't, I know they haven't popped up in two days like Populate repopulated in two days.

[Jill]

But here's the thing folks, we don't need to stop at a thousand. We can keep going because that'll help.

[Jen]

If you've already left a review, you can purchase a copy of Buy what yout Love without going broke. And that would be.

[Jill]

That would actually help us sell the book. That would be more helpful.

[Jen]

Yes.

We'll see you next time.

[Jill]

Bye.

[Jen]

Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.

[Jill]

Okay, so tonight we're talking about meal planning, right? Meal planning, yes.

[Jen]

So if you have pre ordered the book, check your email for a special email with a special link to tonight's free class.

[Jill]

And we would have their email from them pre ordering or do they have to contact us?

[Jen]

There is a order form if you go to buy what you love book dot com. There's a form on that page where you fill in your order information. You got to show a screenshot of your order and then once you do that then you will automatically be sent the instructions to register for an account on Circle. That's where all of our special private lives are happening.

[Jill]

It'll all be free. Yeah, that's good information because even if you miss tonight, you can make it to the rest. I think there's what, five more. There will be five events that you can participate in all around life skills building and just exchanging of ideas and skill sets so that we can consume

[Jen]

less essentially around this under consumption core idea. So the meal prep and planning is all about utilizing all the food you have, buying as you know, as little as possible and getting the most out of it. We've got the clothing one, we've got one on transportation, one on housing not just for homeowners but for renters as well. And then we've got a. The last two are the best two. The Decembers is creating a full year meal plan. So we're going to create a full year meal plan for 2025 together live and then we're gonna create an all year spending plan in January for all of 2025.

[Jill]

So and then we're all gonna get our books in January and we're gonna

[Jen]

geek out the January one's at the end of January. So you have time to read the book if you'd like to before that final free live.

[Jill]

How fun.

[Jen]

Yeah. So we look forward to seeing you there tonight if you have pre ordered otherwise. We look forward to seeing you at the September live if you're pre ordering after today.

[Jill]

Bye.

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