We Tried 19 Viral “Save Money” Hacks. Here’s What Actually Works in 2026

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Frugal Friends Podcast
Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Episode: We Tried 19 Viral “Save Money” Hacks. Here’s What Actually Works in 2026
Date: January 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Jen and Jill systematically test 19 of the most viral, sometimes absurd, "save money" hacks that flourished across social media leading up to 2026. With a healthy blend of skepticism, personal anecdotes, and commiseration, they separate what's actually helpful from what's just hype, revealing where frugality meets reality—and a few laughs along the way.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Suspiciously Viral Money Hacks

• [00:56] Jen and Jill set the stage, expressing skepticism toward any hack that starts with sensational TikTok hooks like “Run, don’t walk!” or “They don’t want you to know this.”
• [01:19] Jill: “We tried 19 TikTok famous, algorithm-approved, emotionally unhinged, viral save money hacks... from most popular to most ridiculous.”
  Note: Her favorite is the last one.

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2. #1 - Girl Math

• [02:12] Explained as the belief that certain purchases are essentially "free," like spending returned money or exchanging currency.
• Memorable Quote:
  Jen ([02:17]): “Today’s girl math is that I’m Canadian, and I’m going shopping across the border in the States... everything I buy today will be free because this isn’t my currency.”
• Both admit relating to the flawed logic sometimes, but warn, “it’s not how actual math works.”
• [03:01] Jill: “Girl math does work with cash... but cash didn’t feel like real money... With a card, I’m seeing the money leave my account.”

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3. #2 - Loud Budgeting

• [04:26] Counter-trend involving being publicly and explicitly honest about spending restraints (“I’m not spending on this”).
• Jen notes she leaned into this while paying off debt: “It is this scary public accountability thing.”
• They find it useful for some, but more niche and less viral than “girl math.”

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4. #3 - Cash Stuffing/Envelope Budgeting

• [06:55] Rebranded as “cash stuffing” for viral content, especially due to its ASMR and crafty aesthetic.
• Jill gives practical critiques:
  • "Not a lot of places take cash anymore."
  • “There’s a lot of mental space... What envelope does that have to go back into?”
  • Overall: “Could be helpful for some, especially in the beginning... for me, it’s too much of a lift.”
• Suggests digital alternatives like “Crew” for digital envelope budgeting.

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5. #4 - No Buy/No Spend Month

• [10:00] “No Buy 2026” goes mega-viral.
• Jen: “A month is a great amount of time... as a reset... you should expect to fail and then immediately get back on.”
• Personal anecdote: Getting sick led Jen to spend $26 on Chipotle, but “that Chipotle lasted me four servings, which is crazy.” ([12:13])

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6. #5 - Infinite Money Glitch

• [13:35] Publicized Chase bank “glitch” was just check fraud.
• They didn’t try it, clarify it’s illegal, and jest about it being “comical” people fell for it.
• Jen ([14:19]): “If you’re wondering where that G wagon came from, here it is.”

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7. #6 - Index Funds and Compound Interest Explain-O-Vids

• [17:24] These videos, like Jen's viral reel, demystify investing and compound interest benefits.
• Jen ([18:01]): “No coupon, no sale will save you more money in the future than investing your extra dollars right now... it will end up being a million dollars, and $800,000 of that will just be compound interest.”

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8. #7 - Side Hustle Clips ($100/day Promises)

• Videos promise big daily earnings but rarely show proof or practicality.
• Jill: “They’re selling hope, not substance.”

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9. #8 - Micro Task & Odd Job Hacks

• [20:10] Sites like Appen, Clickworker, User Testing are practical but low-paying.
• Jen: “These are good if you’re trying to meet a goal... instead of scrolling, you can be doing this.”

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10. #9 - Round-Up Savings/Investing Apps

• [22:00] Apps that “round up” purchases to invest the change.
• Jill: “Most people are only actually saving $20–40/month, but paying around $3–12/month for the app... it’s not worth it, and shouldn’t replace real savings strategy.”

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11. #10 - Money Affirmations and Manifestation

• Viral in wellness/spiritual circles: “Money comes to me effortlessly.”
• Jen: “Money did not come to me... I think meditation is more about getting past your own self-limiting blocks than asking money to come.”
• Jill: “It is important what we say to ourselves... but do what works for you.”

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12. Solidly Viral (10–50M Views):

#11 - Grocery Budgeting: Weekly Shop Only

• [27:31] Jill: “One week is the sweet spot... If I try to stock for two weeks I overspend, and if I go more than once a week, I impulse buy.”
• Radically simple, surprisingly effective.

#12 - 50/30/20 Budget Explainers

• Quick math: 50% Needs, 30% Wants, 20% Financial Goals.
• Jen: “It’s great for beginners, but if your goals or circumstances shift, it’s obsolete.”

#13 - Budget Date Night/Inexpensive Fun Ideas

• These videos are fun, couple-friendly, and highly shareable.
• Grocerystore date challenge example:
  • Jill: “Incorporating fun into everyday tasks is just a life well lived.”

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13. Medium Viral (Seen Often, Not Dominant):

#14 - Sell on TikTok Shop for Extra Cash

• “Anytime you see ‘Creator earns commission,’ you cannot trust a word they’re saying.”
• Real-life example: Jen hosted an Airbnb guest who supported herself via TikTok Live games: “It’s insane... I don’t think it’s ethical or worth it.”

#15 - Get Paid to Go Live on TikTok

• Similar critiques as above; the effort rarely matches the payoff, and authenticity is questionable.

#16 - Piggy Bank & Locked Savings Jars

• [36:29] “All of the things of our youth are coming back,” but Jill makes clear, “This should only be for lower levels of savings... your money needs to be making money, and you know where that doesn’t happen? In a piggy bank.”

#17 - Digital Downloads and “Passive Income”

• Most “passive” income (Etsy, Gumroad, etc.) requires serious up-front work.
• Jill: “You have to build something before you have passive income... they don’t explain that.”

#18 - Wedding Budget Hacks

• These hacks spike in wedding season but can overwhelm more than help.
• Jill: “I wanted to decorate my friend’s car and found DIY ideas online, but realized sometimes the hack is just not doing the extra thing.”

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14. #19 - The Wealthy Don’t Have Jobs

• [41:49] Viral videos claim, “You’ll never be rich until you realize wealthy people don’t have jobs.”
• Jen and Jill call BS:
  • Jen: “I think the pushback on this is... you can be wealthy and still have a job.”
  • Jill: “It’s building this idea you’ve got to be an entrepreneur to build wealth— but that’s not true.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jen ([03:01]): “Personally, for me, girl math does work with cash... because cash didn’t feel like real money unless I logged it.”
• Jill ([09:19]): “If paying off debt is your one goal for right now, making that goal bigger—like cash envelope stuffing and recording it—can help keep you focused and off your phone.”
• Jen ([18:01]): “No coupon, no discount, no sale will save you more money in the future than investing your extra dollars right now because that grows exponentially.”
• Jill ([29:04]): “Once a week is the sweet spot for grocery shopping. Any more and I start impulse buying.”
• Jen ([34:47]): “Anytime you see ‘creator earns commission,’ you cannot trust a word they’re saying.”
• Jill ([36:48]): “Piggy banks are for smaller savings. Your money needs to be making money—in a high-yield account, not a piggy bank.”
• Jen ([42:52]): “We are not independently wealthy. So this hack: not a hack.”

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Listener Bill of the Week ([44:46])

• Janelle shares how she got free engagement photos by posting in a Buy Nothing group and connecting with a local photographer.
  Jill: “People are worth their money... It just wasn’t what you wanted to pay, so you found another pathway.”

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Lightning Round: Favorite Viral Hacks of 2025 ([48:27])

• Jen: "Being high maintenance" — a tongue-in-cheek reference to a viral TikTok about embracing 'extra' energies.
• Jill: "Hot honey" — “Hot honey is the pumpkin spice latte of 2025. I hopped on that train and never looked back.”

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Practical Takeaways

• Social media money hacks are a mixed bag—always check the logic and legality.
• Old-school methods (cash envelopes, piggy banks, no spend months) still work for some people, but digital or hybrid solutions can be more effective.
• Most "easy money" hacks, from side hustles to live selling, are either more work than advertised, less lucrative, or ethically questionable.
• The real “wealth hack?” Consistent, boring, incremental steps like investing (compound interest), mindful budgeting, and being publicly accountable to your goals.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-------------------------------| | 00:56 | Episode intro, hack premise | | 02:12 | Girl Math | | 04:26 | Loud Budgeting | | 06:55 | Cash Stuffing/Envelope Budget | | 10:00 | No Buy/No Spend Month | | 13:35 | Infinite Money Glitch | | 17:24 | Index Fund & Compound Interest| | 20:10 | Side Hustle Clips | | 22:00 | Round-Up Apps | | 27:31 | Grocery Budgeting | | 29:23 | 50/30/20 Budget Explainers | | 30:54 | Budget Date Nights | | 32:55 | TikTok Shop/Live Selling | | 36:29 | Piggy Bank Savings | | 39:27 | Wedding Budget Hacks | | 41:49 | Wealthy Don’t Have Jobs | | 44:46 | Listener Bill of the Week | | 48:27 | Lightning Round: Favorites |

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Tone & Style

Relatable, witty, and honest—Jen and Jill maintain a lighthearted, conversational approach, making the show feel like learning from (and laughing with) two financially savvy friends. They mix practical advice with personal stories and a touch of gentle mockery for some of the most overhyped hacks.

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Final Thoughts

If you’re bombarded by viral financial advice, this episode gives you a grounded, reality-checked perspective on what’s actually worth your time. As Jen says: “Investing is boring, but boring is beautiful when your money grows.” The pair remind listeners that building wealth is rarely a matter of shortcuts—but a matter of intentionality, authenticity... and sometimes, a little hot honey.

Transcript

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[Jen]

Today we tried 19 viral save money hacks.

[Podcast Host Narrator]

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

[Jen]

Welcome Frugal Friends. I'm Jen. I'm Jill and we have been doing this for a very long time. We've been on social media for a really long time. So if a money hack starts with like stop scrolling, run, don't walk. No one is talking about this. They don't want you to know this. I instantly get suspicious and I'm sure you do too.

[Jill]

And since most people are getting their money saving tips from from social Media, we tried 19 TikTok famous algorithm approved emotionally unhinged viral save money hacks and we're going to share them in order from some of the most popular to most ridiculous. Honestly, the last one is my favorite and my personal aim in life.

[Jen]

You have been actually talking about off of social media. You have been talking about this just regularly. So I'm really glad that we can share this viral hack that I think Jill came up with but she's just not getting credit for.

[Jill]

It'll be number 19.

[Jen]

Yes. So let's start with the mega viral. These were not just finance trends. They really did truly cross into mainstream as I mean into the Olympics, the Summer Olympics from 2024.

[Jill]

I remember hearing about it and it's girl math.

[Jen]

Today's girl math is that I'm Canadian and I'm going shopping across the border in the States. So I exchanged some money for Americans. Oh, everything I buy today will be.

[Jill]

Free because not only am I paying.

[Jen]

In cash, but this isn't my currency. So it's like monopoly money. Follow me for more financial advice.

[Jill]

Find the lie. You know, where's the lie?

[Jen]

It's I have found even still so many people talking about like oh I, I bought this thing and I returned it. So the money I now get back is like, is free. Like Now I can buy anything like it.

[Jill]

I can understand some of the psychological elements of that. It. It is how my brain can work sometimes. The problem is it's not how actual math works. And. And then we just get a bad rap for it. Like, it is funny. It kind of plays into what we all can kind of think sometimes. And I will say personal. Personally, for me, girl math does work with cash. You've heard me talk about this before with the cash envelope system, and I know that it can be really helpful for people, especially those just starting out with budgeting, to really understand when money is leaving their pockets. And I did do the cash envelope system for a time, and it helped me in some ways, but not so much in other ways, because I came to realize that cash didn't feel like real money. There wasn't an actual log of the transaction unless I logged it. Whereas with a credit card or a debit card, I'm seeing it and I'm seeing the money leave my account.

[Jen]

That's silly. Like, it does sometimes just feel like nobly money. I feel like that. Like, if I sell something on Facebook Marketplace, I'm like, oh, free, free money. Even though I'm actually recouping less of the cost that it took me to get the thing that I clearly did not use. So I am overall losing money. Yeah, but. But girl math, it's free money.

[Jill]

It's not free. You're not basically saving. We need real math.

[Jen]

Yeah. So also, if you've ever tried the cash envelope system and felt similar to Jill, let us know in the comments. You're not alone, because we have heard that before. Anytime Jill mentions this, you do come out and you're like, me too. I thought I was the only one. So, like, yes, let's. Let's normalize this, but let's stay away from the girl math of it all. Next is. I really like this one. This is a pushback on girl math, and it's loud budgeting. So this. So this is like, people saying, like, out loud, kind of like, I'm not spending money on this or just really being financially literate and taking up their financial literacy. Yeah. And so I have done this on. I. I did this a lot on social media when I was paying off debt, and I'm, like, a lot more private about my finances and stuff now, at least on social media. You guys know a lot of things about me that people just on social media do not.

[Jill]

But.

[Jen]

But yeah. So it is this scary public accountability thing. Right. And it does feel a little like girl Math by and far more popular than loud budgeting. Like you haven't heard about loud budgeting since 2024 but I still hear like I still see videos about girl math. Right. And I think it's just counterculture. We want to feel justified in the things that make us feel a little guilty. Like we don't want to feel guilt and we shouldn't. Guilt is like an indicator. Shame is unhealthy. But like guilt can be like a healthy indicator but we want to push back against that and we want to follow and hear more things that justify that we should not feel guilty about something. And so I really liked loud budgeting and I think it is helpful to save money and to be honest and authentic to at least people around you. But if you can't be authentic and honest to people around you, then to strangers on the Internet it's not as safe but it is an outlet.

[Jill]

Number three is cash stuffing or envelope budgeting. This one has been around for a while and it is still gaining some notoriety. We do have in the background some some B roll going of what a cash envelope stuffing can look like. And I think the reason that it is really becoming so viral and getting so much traction. Yeah like to even an increased level is because of the aesthetic of it. You can make your envelopes look so pretty. You can have a little sit down moment at a beautiful desk and just put your cash out into like each of their separate compartments. And you could get a calligraphy set and write on the envelopes what it's for. Like there's so much hobbyism.

[Jen]

Work out a calligraphy set and never use it for your envelopes. You can. There are so many things you could do and the ASMR of it too. Like you just the people with their cash, their big wads of cash just kind of like going through them and their envelopes and just yeah touching things. Yeah.

[Jill]

You've heard me say a couple of things about the cash envelope system already that personally it didn't work for me. But a of things couple few other pushbacks having had tried it that when first of all nowadays not a lot of places will take cash. So that can be an issue when it comes to our budget carrying around that amount of cash and I know that there's some workarounds for that for sure. But then there's a lot of mental space that that needs to take up. What amount of money am I taking with me? What envelope does that have to go back into? Not to mention the leftover change that can happen Like I've just got coins rat around and so technically I've got this amount left but am I actually going to be able to use it up? That of course could help with some savings like just putting the leftover coins into savings. But it doesn't help us to be able to like fully utilize that envelope if that was our intention or if that's what we needed to be able to do. So there, there's kind of a lot of back end work. I will say it could be helpful for some especially in the beginning. For me I think it's, it's too much of a. Too much of a lift. I wouldn't highly recommend it if it.

[Jen]

If paying off debt and budgeting or something financial is like your one goal for right now. I think making that goal bigger can be more helpful. And so something like taking the extra time needed to cash envelope stuff and record it and put it online that, that makes the task bigger takes up more time so you have less time for scrolling or doing other things that are outside of the scope of your goal. So if, if that is something that you need, it could be helpful. If you're looking for something that is in the realm of an envelope system but isn't as cumbersome. There is this bank called crew c-r e w try crew.com not sponsored by them. But let us know if you would like to see a review video. Maybe we could be sponsored by them. Let us know. We'll have to, we'll have to show them you want it. And we. But we love it because it's similar to. If you've heard of Cube. Cube isn't doing this anymore. But it does allow you to have these like digital envelopes and it is a bank account. So it's. Your money is in the account and you can put it towards these digital envelopes have restrictions on how much you can spend and do it that way. I think that's like envelope system light without the cash stuffing. I think it's a little more efficient. Next, we're a little partial to this one. Number four is the no buy, no spend month. Especially no buy 20, 26 people trying to do a whole year. You, you can do with that what you want. I personally I think a month is a great amount of time and I've def. I've done several of these. I am in one. Right. We are both in one. Right. We're doing it right now. Now and we are planning a couple more videos about it to share our experience and all of that.

[Jill]

We're contributing to the no Buy virality.

[Jen]

Yes. I wrote a book called the no Spend Challenge Guide. So if you want to read a whole, like, really short book, you can get it on Kindle on Amazon. So I, I love a month because it's a reset, right? It's not like a. So I, we just finished our first week of this no spend challenge and we were, we were both sick. I am. Which helps. Which, which helps, but also hurts because I spent $26 on Chipotle when I couldn't cook for my family when I was sick. So I did spend that but then spent nothing else the rest of the week. And that Chipotle lasted me four surveys, which is crazy.

[Jill]

You are so sick.

[Jen]

I was so sick. So. So yeah, in the first week I spent $26. And I remember I said like, I wrote a book on no spend challenges. No, no spend challenges should be a challenge, right? We should go through them week by week, do an inventory of where we failed, expect to fail, and then immediately get back on. But we so often, all the time, expect to be perfect. And when we're not perfect, then we quit the challenge. And that's, that's not the point. If it, if the challenge isn't hard, it's not a challenge and you shouldn't be doing it. Like, why would you just do it for fun. You. That's fun. To each their own. But it's a way to reset and for you to figure out, what are the things that I'm spending money on that I am mindlessly spending on or being influenced to spend on? What are the things that I love spending money on that I really, really miss? Give you space to get creative, to see how can I get those things without spending money? So that after the month is gone, you have a better idea of like, okay, I'm on how to draw your boundaries for spending. Okay, I'm no longer going to spend money on this. I'm going to figure out how to better say no to it. I am going to spend guilt free on this within these parameters.

[Jill]

Number five, Infinite money glitch.

[Jen]

Love this one.

[News Reporter]

The Internet went crazy over this Chase bank glitch. But it just turned out to be check fraud. A viral trend allegedly exposed a glitch in Chase Banks ATMs. All you had to do was write a check, deposit it and withdraw a ton of money before the check cleared. People actually did this. Videos showed long lines forming around Chase ATMs with some people taking out thousands boasting about their clever ploy on Social media. And then reality hit. Chase said that these people were actually committing a crime. Not only was this fraud, it was the easiest kind of fraud to catch because these people were seemingly committing check fraud against themselves. So the bank knows exactly who did it.

[Jen]

Yeah. If you're wondering where that G wagon came from, here it is.

[Jill]

You've seen us riding around in the G wagon. It's just a tax write off and.

[Jen]

I can confidently say loved it.

[Jill]

So we did not try this because this bank fraud, we don't, we don't do this. And it was very short lived but it popped off just because of its shock value, honestly. And then you know, boosted by more like news coverage.

[Jen]

I think what I read is that they people took out about it had to have been more than 70,000. But I read somewhere 70, maybe one person was able to take out 70,000. But I was reading about it and I was like, yeah, that is a lot of money.

[Jill]

Comical that they're just hurting themselves but they're like oh my goodness, just giving it away. The who the whole who done it.

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[Jen]

Yeah, because once you pause long enough.

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[Jen]

That's policygenius.com all right, next was very, these very viral like 50 million to 100 million like view stuff. The next is index fund and compound interest expense explainers. And I love this because I actually went viral doing this exact type of reel. I'll play it on mute like right here. But it essentially teaching people how compound interest works. It's beautiful. Compound interest is gorgeous. She is the queen. She is the moment perfect. Very demure, very mindful. She deserves all of the virality because there is. And if you're tuned out, come back to me now. I want you to hear this. There is no better way to save money in the future. No coupon, no discount, no sale will save you more money in the future than investing your extra dollars right now because that grows exponentially. I think in the video it was if you can invest $150 a week for 20 years, you will essentially invest about $225,000, but it will end up being a million dollars. So like about 800,000 of that will just be compound interest that you didn't do yourself. So like you can save 80% on products in the future just by kind of quote unquote paying for them now by investing.

[Jill]

It's, it's a beautiful thing. I love this version of math. My favorite type of math. Okay, the next one, number seven is all of these kind of side hustle clips, these short little videos of people saying you can earn a hundred dollars a day doing this. And, and the thing is is they don't show their math on whether or not it's actually true. So I personally can't say that I have tried any of these because honestly a lot of them are kind of like hidden in intrigue and mystery. They're not even actually telling you what they're doing or they're lying to you about their numbers. I think a lot of it is like digital creation stuff that you. That would take you probably years to build a business that would be able to make you that amount of money. So I guess in that way, yes, I've tried to build a business and we've sold some digital products but I don't know that we've really had many $100 day sales.

[Jen]

Yeah, I think it's just like they're selling hope. That's if you see it's the virality of it comes in, it's. It's selling hope but it's not selling anything really of substance. The next one though, number eight, Micro Task and Odd Job Income Hacks. It's. It is pretty practical. Secret website to earn extra income starting today. Yeah. So there are these secret websites. They're not secret and they've been around for a really long time. I have used several of them when we were trying to get out of debt. It was one of those like if I had spare time then instead of scrolling on social media I could be doing these micro tasks. And so these are websites like Appen, Clickworker, Microworkers. I have, I didn't try either of those. I have tried Appen. Isoftstone. I can't remember if I tried that one, but I have heard of it. Lionbridge. I think I used that one the most. Granted I did. I was using these in 2016, 2017, so take mine with a grain of salt. But these are all like the things people are still recommending today. User testing. I use that one. Nevo AI. I haven't used that one. Pinecone Research. I have used that one. So they're not going to make you a hundred dollars a day like the side Hustle Bros will tell you, but they are. If you're trying to meet a goal, like a savings or a debt payoff goal, so good to sign up for because in bed at night, like on your lunch break when you would normally scroll or shop online, you can be doing this instead. It's a great alternative. Yeah.

[Jill]

Number nine is Roundup Savings or investing apps. So this is where you sign up for the app and if you like make a purchase, it will automatically round up that amount and put it into savings or investing. And so it can be really appealing because it doesn't take a lot of thought from us that we've got to set the money aside. The problem is that these apps usually cost about three to twelve dollars a month and on average Most people are only actually saving 20 to $40 a month, so it's just not enough money to really make it worth it. And especially if you're not saving more than that three to $12 a month that the app is charging you, then it could really hurt us. The only way that I've tried this actual cash, like when I did the budgeting through the envelope system, I would put all of my change into a savings jar and, you know, eventually figure out how much I had in there. And that was kind of fun and. And honestly a decent way to be able to set a little bit of money aside, but it didn't cost me something monthly. So that's something to consider and absolutely should not replace other savings goal strategies. I think that could be a downfall of this too, is people thinking, oh, I've already got that app that I'm saving regularly, but it's not actually adding up to a whole lot month over month, and that you could have potentially done more than that if you had had more extensive saving strategy.

[Jen]

Yeah, I think that's the biggest danger is when you're like, oh, I don't need a Roth ira. I have an Acorns account. Like, they're different things. And yes, Acorns does have an IRA feature. But you know what? They have a huge budget for influencer marketing and a huge budget for influencer affiliate marketing. And that's why you see it everywhere on social media. And you're not seeing as much of, like, the Fidelity and the Vanguard and the Charles Schwab working with influencers. Right. You might see their ads, but they're not putting so much of their money into influencer marketing because they're. I mean, that's really the. Those are some of the best places to have your IRA, and they're not charging you a $3 or $12 month fee, no matter how little you're putting in. So it's just not. It's not bad. It's not the best. Next is manifestation and money loves me affirmations. And this has a. A wellness and spiritual TikTok like tie over and I'm a spiritual girly. So I thought, why not? Let's. Let's try some money affirmations and see what happens. See what happens. So here's proof that I did it. Money comes to me effortlessly. Wealth constantly flows into my life. My actions create prosperity. I am aligned with the energy of abundance. I am worthy of making more money. I welcome an unlimited source of income and wealth into my life. Money did not come to Me and money never told me it loved me. Even like I was like, I don't need to hear it out loud. Like nothing. And I will say, honestly, no, I mean, I think meditation could be like just putting your mind in a place to not believe the lies that we tell ourselves. That I can't, I can't. Somebody, oopsies, somebody's trying to get a hold of you. I can't make more money or I'm going to be stuck. Like capitalism is oppressive. Like yeah, capitalism is oppressive. But we do have tools at our use to, to get ahead just a little bit. Right. And we can use those tools but we hold our back, ourselves back so often. And so I think if you can do some kind of mantra or meditation to get past your own self limiting blocks, that's more effective than like asking money to come to you or be with you.

[Jill]

It is important what we say to ourselves, the internal narrative that we're shaping because that's where our, our beliefs and our emotions and actions end up stemming from. So it is important to pay attention to our thoughts. But obviously there's going to be a spectrum of what people believe regarding affirmations. So do what works for you.

[Policygenius Advertiser]

Okay.

[Jill]

The next tier that we are going to dive into is these solidly viral trends. These got 10 to 50 million views. So number 11 is grocery budgeting. Doing a one weekly shop only. This one had strong engagement, especially during inflation spikes. And I gotta say, yeah, this is, I'm trying it, this is my goal. Why wouldn't we do what we do all the time every week? Actually there was a time and I've gotten away from this, but there was a time where I only shopped every other week. I try and make my groceries last for two weeks. But what I realized with that is because it was such a long time frame and there was so many kind of unknowns, especially being two weeks out from something, I would stock up more than I had to because it was just like, oh, I don't know what Saturday two weeks from now is going to hold. And maybe I'd feel like baking, maybe I'd want to make a big batch of this chicken and maybe I should just have this on hand in case I'm tired and I was actually spending more money than I needed to. Whereas I'm finding that one week is the sweetest, sweet spot. I generally know what's going to happen. I can make a very specific grocery list, stick to it, go back to the grocery store next week. I don't have that. I'M not going to be back here again for two weeks, so better stock up now. I just have the. I, I know what I need for this next week, so I think it's great.

[Jen]

And you've recently seen the Alti like alternative where you're going more than once.

[Jill]

A week and that's no good either. When I live so close to the grocery store I'm able to just pop over if I forget something but that's leading to more impulse purchases. So radical middle for me is once a week.

[Jen]

Yeah. Next are 50, 30, 20 budget explainers. This one pops off on social media and it's because like it's easy to understand. Right. I'm putting 50% of my budget towards needs, 30% towards wants and 20% towards financial goals. Debt, savings. It's a good way to start. If you've never budgeted before, you have no idea what to do. But that's really like where it stops. Once you have figured out what you want to be spending money on and what you don't want to be spending money on, then the 50, 30, 20 becomes obsolete. Like when you have a financial goal and you want to throw extra at debt, 20% towards financial goals isn't going to cut it. It's probably going to be closer to 50% for your financial go. And if you are living in a high cost of living area, but you love living there. I cannot tell you how many people I have seen move to the suburbs and be miserable and want to move back and can't because they've priced themselves out, don't want the space that they thought they wanted. They want to be closer to people and activities. Right. And so don't knock on somebody who's in a high cost of living area for knowing that they want to be there. In which case you're needs, your housing is going to be way more than the recommended 30. But then maybe your, your wants and your activities are way less than 30. You know, something's got to give and you just got to know what you want to give. Yeah.

[Jill]

Number 13 is budget date night and kind of inexpensive fun activity ideas. These are highly shareable and I think especially viral for those in relationships amongst couples and parents. Those looking for if I'm going to be paying a sitter, what's something inexpensive I can be doing? Because that can really add up to be paying for childcare and going on an expensive date. And you know what? I am here for these that we've got an example going on mute in the background of a date Night grocery store challenge.

[Jen]

I saw this everywhere.

[Jill]

Huh. And so they're kind of like picking out. Each one picks out a candy, each one picks out a drink, each one picks out a snack and they vote.

[Jen]

On which one is better.

[Jill]

Yeah. Which is fun. I feel like any time that we are able to incorporate. Incorporate fun into everyday tasks, that's just a life well lived. And so one of the ways that Eric and I will gamify going to the grocery store is making the list ahead of time. It's the challenge that we're not going to buy anything other than what's already on the list. But then we kind of divide and conquer. Because it's a shareable checklist. We are able to see, like, how many things did that person get? How many things did I get? And it just is fun. Other things that we've done are go out on a. So we only have one vehicle, one car, but we have two scooters. And so we'll ride around our scooters on a nice night. And because we live in an area where there's a lot of friends, we will just do like drop ins on friends, like ride our scooter to this person's house, knock on the door, have a 15 minute chat with them in the driveway, keep driving, watch the sunset. And I think when we're able to find other fun ideas like this on social media, it can inspire, encourage our creative muscles of, oh, what else could be done? But also just like, gives us new ideas so we're not just falling back on the stale dinner and a movie. Spend 150 bucks in a night.

[Jen]

Yes. All right, Our last level is like medium viral. So these were seen often but didn't dominate feeds. And I'm gonna do two of them at the same time. Yes. So the first is sell on TikTok, shop for extra cash. Okay. Someone is going to get fired, sued, evicted, spiritually hexed, get t boned on the freeway. Who? Because why are these lip liners on sale for $4? Oh, please. And the next one is get paid to go live on TikTok can win us a pair of nails.

[Realtor.com Advertiser]

Yes.

[Jen]

I got your tan, Amanda. So that gives you 10 spots box. I got these ones right here. Acrylic quality acrylic. These ones took me five hours and three days. Y'.

[News Reporter]

All.

[Jill]

Come on.

[Listener or Guest]

It's a great deal.

[Jen]

Please.

[Jill]

Y', all, my PayPal's not working.

[Jen]

Can somebody send a dollar to my PayPal? Just I want to see if it's working. Okay, y', all, we gonna spin the wheel now. It's spinning. It's spinning. Sarah won. Sarah's not here. We'll just do it again tomorrow. If you have been on TikTok, you have seen both of those videos. Anytime, like, you see creator earns commission. You cannot trust a word that they're saying. But there are also accounts that are like, just all about how to make money going live on TikTok and selling on TikTok shop. They're kind of like one in, like, combined. But I actually had an Airbnb guest who stayed with us for a couple months and her income, she earned it just on going on Tick Tock Live and like, playing games.

[Jill]

Crazy.

[Jen]

It's shop.

[Jill]

I didn't realize how insane that is.

[Jen]

Oh, my God.

[Jill]

A lot of people buy their things.

[Jen]

It is. It is insane. But, but. So, yeah, like, this is one of those, like, kind of like, make money hacks, but they also, like, say, you. There's another parody that was like, my mom died of this and my dad died of this. And the one thing they have in common was they needed these breath whitening strips. I paid 700 for these. You get them for $3 on TikTok shop. So they just use all kinds of wild, like, methods to tell you to teach you how to, like, sell and make money on these things. And it's like, over. It's. Yeah, it's. It's not over. TikTok would not be as profitable as is without TikTok shop. It's like super profitable. But it is. The products that they're hawking and the amount of time you gotta spend and what you gotta go through, I just don't. It's not ethical and I don't think it's worth it.

[Jill]

I just don't have TikTok mostly for that reason.

[Jen]

Yeah. So I was on TikTok and I signed up for TikTok shop and I get so many emails and so many notifications. It's so annoying. And I just can't, like, get myself to promote any of the products because they're all like, just tushian crap.

[Realtor.com Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Jen]

I just can't. And. And I can't trust anybody that does talk about them because I know their motive and I just. I think it's not a good way to make money. Could you make a lot of money? I'm sure you could. Is it ethical? Not. Not at all for me, in my opinion. So I don't knock anybody that is doing it. It's just not a good look for me.

[Jill]

Okay, number 16, we've all heard of this. It's piggy bank. Piggy bank locked savings jars. They've gone viral. All of the things of our youth are coming back to us. And here's the thing. Yes, I have tried this. Obviously I've tried piggy bank. Who hasn't?

[Jen]

Who hasn't tried piggy bank?

[Jill]

Like why wouldn't we? But again, this was back in my cash purchasing days. I would put just extra aside. If an envelope had, you know, a $50 left in it, I would just throw it to piggy bank and once it got full, then I would use it and that would actually be money for date night or a vacation. It's like how much do we have? That's how much we have to spend on this fun activity or event. Which I think is great.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

If you want to be putting cash aside and, and waiting till the jar is full and then deciding what do I want to do with this money?

[Jen]

Have, have added so fun.

[Jill]

Here's the thing that really should be for lower levels of savings. Like we should not be putting hundreds of hundred dollar bills into a piggy bank and just leaving it there. Because high yield savings accounts exist for realfriends podcast.com cit okay, your money needs to be making money. And you know where that doesn't happen? In piggy bank.

[Jen]

In piggy bank.

[Jill]

In physical piggy banks, your house is fee free.

[Jen]

But horrible. Horrible. Apy yes.

[Jill]

Okay, next. You got it.

[Jen]

Digital downloads and quote unquote passive income. So you had your micro tasks and your side hustle bros and now we have the girlies saying you can make passive income in the creator economy and this one. So we actually do have a PA an actual passive income episode coming out next. So subscribe if you are not. If you're watching this and you are not subscribed, why subscribe to the YouTube channel so you are the first to to know when that episode comes out. But they're, they're so repetitive in what they're talking about. With passive income, most of it is not actually passive. You do have to work like especially I think about the real estate bros. That's not like the example right here. But some of the fringe ones are. Real estate is not passive, not in slightest. But you've just got all these like digital download like sell on Etsy, sell on Gumroad, all of these. And yes, that, that example will be on our episode of passive income but in a different way. You have to build something before you have to build something that's not passive. In order to make the passive income passive. And they don't explain that in these videos.

[Jill]

Okay. Number 18 is wedding budget hacks. And these have, like, these short bursts of virality during wedding season and probably specifically for those who are getting married or in a wedding. I'm actually in a wedding this month, and so I. My algorithm has shifted. I bet social media knows that it's coming up.

[Jen]

Have you tried any of the saving hacks for Sam's wedding? Yeah.

[Jill]

So, yes, I looked up, but it was intentional. So here's like, my kind of pushback. Right. Because I think that it can. It's good, but it can also be so overwhelming.

[Policygenius Advertiser]

Right.

[Jill]

Similar to how there's so many decisions to be made around a wedding, and the more time we give ourselves, the more decisions there are that it can. It can almost hurt more than it helps at a certain point when it's like, oh, I could have done that, or it's saving money, but you still have to, like, spend money in order to do that thing when you just didn't have to do that cute thing to begin with. All that to say, I wanted to decorate her car, like, in between the ceremony and the reception. And I was looking up all this stuff to be able to decorate a car, and it's just, like, expensive if you just want, like, a. A kit. And so I was looking into, like, how can you just, like, DIY decorate a car? And obviously just, like, the classic tin cans and get some tool and just. And then, you know, markers for glass windows kind of a thing. So I actually texted you, and I was like, keep track of your. Don't respond. Recycled any used in cans. And I've already got ribbon, so I'm gonna, like, we. We pulled it together with, like, the help from the Internet. Like, what are some ways to do this that, like, will still be cute and thoughtful but isn't spending a ton of money? Yeah, but it can be overwhelming, and it can feel like I'm not doing enough because there's a plethora of ideas on the Internet that I need to just know when I've done what I can do.

[Jen]

These budget hacks that you're like, actually, the hack is to not do any of that. Thank you. All right, and our last one is Jill's absolute favorite, and she's living by this now.

[Jill]

My version of this is I'm retired. It's retirement now. But the viral version is, wealthy people don't have jobs.

[Jen]

You'll never be rich until you realize wealthy people don't have jobs. When's the last time you saw a truly wealthy person clocking in somewhere.

[Listener or Guest]

You have.

[Jill]

I mean, am I right? We didn't clock in.

[Jen]

I mean, I don't know the. The doctor that I see, I think that they lock in my son's pediatrician. I don't know the lawyers that work at the office that we co work out of, the accountants, the CEOs, the.

[Jill]

Managers of large companies, the realtors that.

[Jen]

Work for the, you know, the guy in our office.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

I think the pushback on this one is that real. Like, you can be wealthy and still have a job. Job.

[Policygenius Advertiser]

Right.

[Jen]

But every bro looks like this. That's saying this.

[Jill]

I think it's. It's really building on this fact that, oh, you've got to have a business, you've got to be an entrepreneur in order to actually build real wealth. And that's not. Not true. There are wealthy people who are entrepreneurs, but there are also wealthy people with jobs. And there are not so wealthy people who have businesses and are entrepreneurs. Okay, so we did try it.

[Policygenius Advertiser]

Right.

[Jen]

We don't know any of those people.

[Jill]

I tried retire. There are times I actually went to a wedding a couple years ago where I didn't know anybody and I didn't feel like talking about what I did. So I'm like, I'm just going to tell them I'm retired. Everybody accepted.

[Jen]

Okay.

[Jill]

But here's no one had a problem.

[Jen]

With this wedding was in California where everyone was like generationally wealthy. So take that.

[Jill]

So it's fine. I just said I'm retired. And it was. It was beautiful. Chef's kiss. It does not. It did not mean that I was wealthy. I was just playing a character.

[Jen]

She was retired for a weekend and then she came back to work. Okay.

[Jill]

So, yeah, we have a business. We're entrepreneurs, and we are not independently wealthy.

[Jen]

So, like, we are not wealthy.

[Jill]

This viral hack. Not a hack.

[Jen]

You know what is a hack?

[Listener or Guest]

And.

[Jill]

And so viral.

[Jen]

So mega viral.

[Jill]

The girl of the.

[Podcast Host 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.

[Listener or Guest]

Hi, Jen and Jill. My name is Janelle. I recently discovered you from when you appeared on UN F youF Brain with Kara Lowenthal. I loved the episodes that you three did together. My bill of the week is for my engagement photos. My partner and I recently decided to get married and I did want some photos to mark the occasion, but the best quote that I could find was for about $400. We are in Los Angeles so that might be high. But as a true frugal friend, I wasn't too comfortable with that number and was thinking of how much I could get on my if I invested that. So I decided to post on my Buy Nothing group and ask if anyone had a nice iPhone tripod so that we could do our own photos. And a neighbor with whom I've exchanged multiple gifts on Buy Nothing said that she is a photographer looking to fill out her portfolio and offered to take them for us for free. So today we went to our favorite hiking spot nearby and she was amazing and it was a wonderful not only session for us, but we got to know her better and build community a little bit. And it was a bill that I was very happy not to pay though I will be sure to book her to photograph our wedding. That's all for now. Take care and keep up the great work.

[Jen]

Janelle. Okay. Building community through Buy Nothing group snaps because yes, putting things on Facebook marketplace on Buy Nothing groups those. It is a little bit more inconvenient than just getting rid of it at the thrift store. But something you gain that you don't gain when you just throw things out is that connection with other, other people. Even if it's brief, you don't know who you're going to connect with like multiple times unless you do it one time.

[Jill]

Yeah, I love that you were willing to do them yourself but just happened upon somebody who was willing to take the pictures for you for free.

[Listener or Guest]

Who?

[Jill]

It sounds like there's been reciprocity already. There's been some give and take where you've, you've given her some things for free. This is a way for her to give back and also build her own business. Because I do think that people, people who people are worth their money. Right. Like I'm sure that that person who charged $400, that would be a great values based thing for another person to spend on. It just wasn't what you were willing to do.

[Jen]

Exactly.

[Jill]

And so you found another alternative rather than try and down cut her or be cheap about it with her, you're just like I'm gonna just figure out another pathway for me. And you did. And it sounds like they're beautiful. If you do have photos of your engagement, I'd love to see them. Feel free to us. And if you all listening have a bill that you want to share. If it has to do with getting engagement photos for free or paying high ticket dollar for those engagement photos and you feel good about it, we want to hear it all. Frugal Friends podcast.com bill leave it for us.

[Grainger Advertiser]

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[Jill]

And now it's time for the lightning round.

[Jen]

All right, what was your favorite viral hack of 2025?

[Jill]

Oh, go off. Jen.

[Jen]

I have a favorite viral hack and it is being high maintenance. You may have heard me reference this video and we may play it at the end if you stick around all the way to the end screen. But it's from I think she's Molly on TikTok and it's roadkill on Instagram and. And it is Estelle and she is a taxidermy roadkill and she is everything and she is high mate.

[Jill]

Don't need none of that. Don't need none of that.

[Jen]

Girl. You're gonna need to watch it because.

[Jill]

Otherwise we seem nuts. I mean, we might seem nuts either way.

[Jen]

And so I'm bringing that energy in with me to 2020. So six, I am being high maintenance. And yeah, Jill, I don't know if.

[Jill]

This qualifies, but Hot honey, I love your answer.

[Jen]

I honestly, yes, Hot honey came out.

[Jill]

With a vengeance in 2025. All of a sudden I was like, something had it. And I'm like, I like this. And then everywhere I look, hot honey, hot honey, hot honey.

[Jen]

And where it wasn't, I put it.

[Jill]

It.

[Jen]

Where it didn't need to be. I added it.

[Jill]

If it wasn't there already, I made sure it was there.

[Jen]

I went through many bottles of hot honey in 2025.

[Jill]

Hot honey. I get it that it's.

[Jen]

It is.

[Jill]

It's like the pumpkin spice latte of 2025.

[Jen]

I would never say that I love it. I would not.

[Jill]

Even though everyone is so into it, I hopped on that train and never looked back.

[Jen]

Yeah, I'm still on it. Thank you for listening. Let us know. Favorite viral hack of 2025 was what energy you're bringing into 2026. You also are high made to NAS.

[Jill]

Or you are hot, honey.

[Jen]

Thank you, Charles. We love reading your comments and your reviews.

[Jill]

Oh, my gosh. Read it like Estelle. No, I'm challenging you. It's a short one. You can do it.

[Jen]

Okay. Like this review of our book Buy what yout Love without going broke on Amazon. It happens to be be 5 stars. Infringement. Enjoy life with me. I do it.

[Jill]

You're so good.

[Jen]

I love the emphasis on values. Not everybody gonna have identical budgets. That okay. Yeah. I also appreciated the reality. If it isn't simple, you won't stick to it. Very well put together. Bona point for being author narrated. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, Angela.

[Jill]

Oh, yeah, no, Angela got a bonus today. Okay. Thanks for listening, everybody. If you're liking this.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Jill]

We know you are. Please subscribe. Hit the like button comment. Tell us how much you love Jen's Estelle voice, and we're gonna see you next time.

[Jen]

Bye. Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.

[Jill]

Oh, my goodness. Okay. A win for me in 2025 is that. Remember my pot saga where I needed a new well? No, it's a pan saga.

[Jen]

Pans. Yeah. Let's be specific about. For the people who weren't here.

[Jill]

It was a pan saga. Like pots and pans.

[Jen]

Yes.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Okay.

[Jill]

I really only needed one pan that wasn't wobbly, that was level on the stove top and was big enough to fit all the food that I want to cook. Willing to spend an exorbitant amount of money. You remember me saying this?

[Jen]

I'm like, I do.

[Jill]

I will spend. Spend a lot of money for a pan that I never have to buy again in my whole life.

[Jen]

Like, you are a wealthy woman who doesn't work.

[Policygenius Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Jill]

And we tried a pan and that didn't work. And I've just been making do with what I have until we went to the thrift store the other day, and Eric, the. The person working the thrift store literally had just put it on the shelf. Like, we watched him put it on the shelf, and Eric immediately grabbed it. It's a 14 inch, like double, double bottom. Like a thick bottom. Cues and art, which is actually the same brand that I currently have that isn't wobbly. Seven bucks. I was ready to spend like $200. It was very dirty. It was very greasy. And you know what? This man, my husband Eric, came home home. He deep cleaned it. He. He shown that dead up. He used that. He used that SOS he used that bar cleaner he used, that steel wool, and that thing looked brand new.

[Jen]

That's beautiful.

[Jill]

It is beautiful.

[Policygenius Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Jill]

That's a win. That's a frugal win.

[Jen]

Bless them's upon.

[Policygenius Advertiser]

Bless.

[Geico Advertiser]

I'm here on a job site with Tim, who owns his own electrical contracting business.

[Jill]

Three employees and two work trucks.

[Geico Advertiser]

Tim traded up to Geico Commercial Auto Insurance. We're positively here where he needs us most.

[Jen]

They sure are.

[Geico Advertiser]

With step by step help on all his insurance needs, all for shockingly low rates.

[Jen]

Shockingly low, huh?

[Geico Advertiser]

Just a little bit of electrician humor.

[Listener or Guest]

You get it?

[Jill]

I got it.

[Geico Advertiser]

You know, it feels like we have a real connection. All right, I'll stop.

[Sleep Number Advertiser]

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