WE WROTE A BOOK!!!

Summary

Frugal Friends Podcast - Episode: "WE WROTE A BOOK!!!"

Release Date: January 7, 2025
Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni | iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction to the Episode

In this milestone episode of the Frugal Friends Podcast, hosts Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni celebrate the release of their debut book, "Buy What You Love Without Going Broke." This behind-the-scenes episode delves into the journey of writing and publishing their first book, offering listeners an intimate look into their experiences, challenges, and triumphs.

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Announcement and Release of the Book

The episode kicks off with Eric announcing the exciting news:

Eric [02:31]: "We wrote a book."

Jen and Jill enthusiastically introduce their book, emphasizing that this episode provides a backstage pass to the creation process rather than diving into the book's content directly.

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Behind the Scenes of Writing the Book

a. Why Write a Book?

Jill shares her motivation behind authoring the book:

Jill [05:04]: "This book is the culmination of valuing myself, what I bring to the table, valuing us and the amazing community and product that we have created over the last seven years."

Eric adds his perspective, highlighting the book as a way to solidify their knowledge and offer a cohesive resource:

Eric [09:20]: "I think a book allows you to really take a reader on a journey and expand upon concepts in a more kind of sit down time that you can really digest this information, make it your own, ask yourself questions, start to implement."

b. The Writing Process

Jill recounts the writing timeline and the iterative process they underwent:

Jill [12:33]: "We wrote it in three months, at the very last three months... we rewrote it again."

The hosts discuss the challenges of merging their distinct voices and backgrounds into a unified narrative, particularly in Chapter Three, which Jill describes as "the bane of our existence."

Jill [14:03]: "Chapter three was the bane of our existence."

c. Favorite and Challenging Chapters

Both hosts reflect on their favorite parts of the book. Eric expresses a fondness for Chapter Nine:

Eric [16:26]: "Chapter nine, contentment over complacency... how we approach and think about money... practice gratitude."

Jill resonates with the final chapter, emphasizing its transformative potential:

Jill [17:20]: "It's the final chapter... part three... I believe it will be the most life-changing for people."

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Publishing: Traditional vs. Self-Publishing

Traditional Publishing Experience

Jill contrasts her past self-publishing endeavors with the traditional publishing route of their debut book:

Jill [25:23]: "It's a lot slower process... great to have a lot of other eyes on the book."

She highlights the benefits of traditional publishing, such as professional editing, broader distribution, and enhanced credibility:

Jill [28:09]: "Traditional publishing really can establish us in these traditional outlets."

Self-Publishing Insights

While appreciating traditional publishing, Jill remains an advocate for self-publishing, offering to support others in navigating its challenges:

Jill [28:11]: "I still believe in self-publishing and would love to help people who are self-publishing and traditionally publish it."

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Book Promotion and Marketing Experiences

Eric's Perspective on Marketing

Eric candidly discusses his discomfort with marketing:

Eric [18:50]: "I don't care for marketing... it feels very self-promotion."

Despite his reservations, he acknowledges the necessity of marketing for their book's success:

Eric [19:53]: "But we've had to kind of get into the minds of people to be able to say yes to having us on their podcasts."

Jill's Enthusiasm for Marketing

In contrast, Jill thrives on promoting the book, leveraging her passion for the message:

Jill [20:32]: "I have enjoyed talking to my friends... get creative is really where I find like my fulfilling work."

She emphasizes ethical marketing practices, aligning them with the book's core values:

Jill [22:20]: "Use an ethical form of marketing and kind of reframe marketing to be ethical."

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Celebrations and Events Post-Release

To mark the book's release, Jen and Jill outline their celebratory plans, including book signings across the Tampa Bay area:

Jill [53:55]: "We're gonna go sign in Tampa, Pinellas and Sarasota, all the books at every Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million."

They also mention private celebrations and upcoming events like their appearance at Nerd Night:

Jill [34:26]: "We're speaking tonight at Nerd Night, which is like a nerdy TED Talk style event."

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Listener Feedback and Reviews

The episode features a heartfelt review from listener Georgie Cam, praising the podcast's impact on her financial habits:

Georgie Cam: "I've learned so much behind the psychology of spending and I feel so empowered... I know now that with values-based spending, that was a gadget. Well worth it to me."

Eric and Jill express their gratitude for such feedback, underscoring the podcast's mission to empower listeners:

Eric [51:05]: "Seeing how it's connecting with people... it's so meaningful to realize... you've actually made some big beneficial strides."

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Future Plans for the Podcast

Looking ahead, Jen and Jill discuss potential directions for the Frugal Friends Podcast, including:

• New Episode Formats: Considering a Sunday reset episode focused on personal stories.

• Public Speaking and Financial Therapy: Jill expresses interest in public speaking and blending financial advice with mental health support:

  Jill [34:09]: "I'd love to do more public speaking... providing financial therapy."

• Continued Engagement: They seek listener input on future content and monetization strategies to sustain and grow the podcast:

  Jill [38:02]: "What do you guys want to see from us next?"

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with heartfelt thanks to listeners, encouragement to purchase and review the book, and a final promotion of their book signing events. Jen and Jill reaffirm their commitment to helping listeners achieve financial independence and embrace frugality without sacrificing what they love.

Jill [49:01]: "Thank you so much for listening to this... take $25 out of your budget to buy a copy of the book."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Eric [02:31]: "We wrote a book."
• Jill [05:04]: "This book is the culmination of valuing myself..."
• Jill [12:33]: "We wrote it in three months, at the very last three months... we rewrote it again."
• Jill [14:03]: "Chapter three was the bane of our existence."
• Eric [09:20]: "I think a book allows you to really take a reader on a journey..."
• Eric [16:26]: "Chapter nine, contentment over complacency..."
• Jill [17:20]: "It's the final chapter... part three... I believe it will be the most life-changing..."
• Jill [20:32]: "I have enjoyed talking to my friends... get creative is really where I find like my fulfilling work."
• Georgie Cam [50:00]: "I've learned so much behind the psychology of spending and I feel so empowered..."
• Jill [49:01]: "Thank you so much for listening to this... take $25 out of your budget to buy a copy of the book."

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Final Thoughts

Frugal Friends Podcast successfully marks a significant milestone with the release of "Buy What You Love Without Going Broke." Through candid conversations, insightful reflections, and heartfelt gratitude, Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni engage their audience, celebrating their achievements while setting the stage for future endeavors to inspire and empower listeners on their frugal living journeys.

Transcript

[Jen]

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[Eric]

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[Jen]

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[Jen]

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[Eric]

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[Jill]

How Pros get more done episode 474.

[Eric]

We wrote a book.

[Jill]

Welcome to the.

[Jen]

Frugal Friends Podcast where you'll learn to.

[Jill]

Save money, embrace simplicity and live a richer life.

[Eric]

Here are your hosts, Jen and Jill.

[Jill]

Welcome to the Frugal Friends Podcast. My name is Jen. My Name is Jill and today we are celebrating the release of our debut book, Buy what yout Love Without Going Broke. And we are doing it with a behind the scenes episode. So you will not learn anything about how to buy what yout Love without going Broke. If you want to do that, you should go Back to episode 472 titled how to Buy what yout Love Without Going Broke. This one is for our frugal friends and our old friend, frugal friends and new frugal friends who want an inside peek behind the curtains. What went down with writing the book?

[Eric]

So sorry for yelling at you in the beginning, but we also know that if you even chose to listen to this episode, you the real deal and you know we yell and you were already prepared. So yeah, this is not gonna be an episode where we're giving a ton of tips. This is us hanging out.

[Jill]

We are interviewing each other. So if maybe if you are interested in publishing a book, even self publishing a book, you will be really interested in this episode. If you are just interested in Jill and I, you will really like this episode.

[Eric]

But first, this episode is brought to you by the star herself.

[Jill]

She is beauty. She is grace.

[Eric]

The one and only Buy what you Love without going broke book. She's what we're talking about today. She released to the public today. It is January 7th. If you're listening to this podcast, on the day it releases, it's how we're celebrating. Get her in your hands.

[Jill]

If you don't already buy what you.

[Eric]

Love book dot com. And here's the deal about this folks. It's out into the world. You're not even pre ordering anymore. You're just ordering. But also if you do order this book soon, like within the next couple of days, you would be able to join our final free live event where we are doing an entire spending plan together. We are creating a one year spending plan walking you through the how to's of how to do that on January 29th. So that's going to be available for all of you who do purchase this book before that date. Then you also have to fill out the form the same place you're going. BuyWhatYouLoveBook.com is where you can pre order the book and it's also where you can fill out this form to get access to that live class. So Jen and I are going to be live with you all walking you through that. If that sounds like something that could really help you in the new year, you should do it. And for those of you who can't make it live, but you pre ordered the book and you filled out the form. You'll get access to the recording.

[Jill]

Yeah, easy peasy. Okay, so we wrote buy what you love without going broke a year ago, essentially. And so we have since been promoting it. Talking your ear off about it, talking about it in the friend letter. And so we are going to interview each other about the process and what you may not have heard us talking about on the show or even on other people's shows. If you found frugal friends from listening to one of the 50 interviews we gave on podcasts, you wouldn't have heard the stuff there either. So we were very excited to share it with you. Okay, my first question, Jill. Why a book? Why do we need a book when we have a podcast?

[Eric]

Great question, Jen. And I'm so glad that you're asking me specifically this question because here's the real behind the scenes for you. This was never my dream, Jill. This is Jill talking. I have written things before. I am coming into enjoying reading more and more, but I never had this long term goal or vision of writing a book. But you did, Jen. And here's the thing, I'm here to support other people's visions. If I'm just going to talk straight when people ask about, why did you start the podcast? Truly my motivation, couple of things, but it was to help you and to help my husband. He wanted to start a podcast from the ground up and more, do the backend audio stuff and be able to get into podcasting world. And you wanted a marketing arm for your business and I just wanted to help y'all achieve your visions and your goals. And I was here for it. And I saw that it could benefit me in learning about a topic that I'm not typically interested in or I knew that there were large knowledge gaps for me and that I'd get better on the mic and I'd get better at interviewing people. And so specifically for me, part of it was to support this next goal that you had. And we thought this would probably be better together than apart. This could definitely be a really good launching point off of the podcast. But then beyond that, why write a book in general? Yeah, you do have the podcast. I think one of the reasons for me was to solidify this knowledge a little more. To me, I've kind of equated a book as similar to a musician creating an album. They have these songs. Maybe you've heard them play their songs out. Maybe they've put a song out on the Internet for you to be able to listen to on Spotify. But an album brings cohesion to the musical concepts and is something that can live on. It represents a point in time, but can go beyond you and can be meaningful to other people. So for me, a book has felt like that, like the coalescence of these ideas, the things that we've been talking about in a little bit more of a succinct manner that can benefit others and live beyond us a bit.

[Jill]

And I'm so glad that you found your own inspiration and motivation for getting on board with the book, because so many of my ideas, you just, I. You kind of. You go along with I'm your ride or die. Yeah. And I never want to feel like I'm pulling you into something you don't want to be in because, well, sometimes it happens. I know, but it really was like my dream to write a book that is traditionally published. I've self published several books, and I just didn't get the opportunity to take them as seriously as I should have. And I didn't value myself highly enough to value the work that I was putting out. And so for me, this book is the culmination of valuing myself, what I bring to the table, valuing us and the amazing community and product that we have created over the last seven years. So it was a celebration and also a chance to usher in a new voice in personal finance, because so much of it is about earning money or investing, and if anything is about saving money or spending it, it is a chapter in a book. And it is the. The ugly stepsister to earning and investing. And I love spending money. I love it. I love what it gets me, and that shouldn't be shamed. So the opportunity to reframe that and knowing that there are other voices in the community that are saying that, and if this book does well, then they will have the opportunity to say it again and again in their own voices. Felt like a responsibility and a gift.

[Eric]

Yeah, I think when we talk about contentment versus complacency, we are content in what we're doing, but we also have goals of growth and things that we want to grow inside of ourselves as a business. More things we want to offer to our community. And this is a part of that expansion that it can be for some people, if they desire it, a natural next step. And even though our podcasts are close to an hour long, it's still just a snippet. And I think a book allows you to really take a reader on a journey and expand upon concepts in A more kind of sit down time that you can really digest this information, make it your own, ask yourself questions, start to implement. I think that a book can solidify action steps, possibly for the more long term than potentially a singular podcast episode could.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Eric]

Okay. Question for you, Jen. What was the writing process like?

[Jill]

I loved the writing process. We had a year to write it, and we wrote it in three months, at the very last three months, which every other writer I've ever talked to has done the same exact thing. And we wrote a good portion of it and then realized it needed to be different. So we rewrote it again.

[Eric]

Like, that was not my favorite.

[Jill]

I felt super strongly about how it should make me feel. I run on vibes and the vibes weren't it, and we just needed to rewrite it and reformat it until the vibes were it and they are it now. Yeah, it was worth it. And we butt heads on some of the ways that we wanted to say things. But, like, if you listen to the show, we come from different backgrounds, we say the same thing in different ways. And that's the magic in a podcast. That's a lot easier to do than in a print book. So we had to navigate that. But, like, this was a fantastic. The writing process was fantastic for us because it solidified what we're doing and where we want to, like, how we want to do it going forward.

[Eric]

Can you remember specific portions where there was some of that rub in how we say things?

[Jill]

Chapter three. Chapter three was the bane of our existence.

[Eric]

Yeah. For both of us, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Chapter three was a rough one. We kind of knew what we wanted to say, but we also knew we needed to say more on it. It was such a strange story, and we didn't know how. I think one of the most difficult parts for me was cohesion throughout. I think whenever people would ask about, like, how's the writing process going? How's the book coming along? It's like I felt as though each chapter could stand on its own. And I actually still feel that way. I think in some ways we wrote each chapter as if we could pull that chapter out and do a whole podcast series on it. We have or put it together. And that has been my biggest concern is how are these transitions going? What is the journey that the person's taking? Does it make sense that this is the order that they're going in? And chapter three really felt like a pivotal chapter of taking you from how to identify what you love into how to say no to what you Don't. But how do we help the reader get there? So super important chapter. Just really struggled with it. I made the joke along the way. I'm like, wouldn't it be so great if this became our favorite chapter? Because it had been just this total rub the whole time. I still don't think it's either one of our.

[Jill]

It's not our favorite chapter.

[Eric]

But it is.

[Jill]

It's really so much better. Yeah, it's good. It's good. But it's definitely like, you know, not our favorite.

[Eric]

It's a necessary chapter. Not every chapter is the best chapter, but they're all necessary to.

[Jill]

What's your favorite chapter?

[Eric]

So this is different for both of us. Oh, there's so many good ones. I like snippets in each one. But I think I realized when we were reading the audiobook, I think chapter nine is my favorite. You've got to get through most of the book to get there. But as I was reading aloud the concepts, it was almost counseling myself reading it back because we wrote this. We finished writing this back in May and then we read the book allowed for the audiobook in November. So we really didn't look at it. You know, we kind of just like left it.

[Jill]

I know we had to let the editing team because you can't change anything else. You just gotta let it go.

[Eric]

So it was kind of like coming back to it with a fresh perspective and reading it aloud. And I think that really drove home for me and maybe it has to do with like the particular season that I'm in right now too. Chapter nine. So it's contentment over complacency. So it's a lot of kind of how we approach and think about money. The narrative that we tell ourselves, what we can do with some of the regrets that we might have, how we move forward, how we identify our enough. How we practice gratitude. So kind of more of these cerebral concepts that just felt like balmy to.

[Jill]

Me currently, I would say for me. 10.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Jill]

So it's the final chapter.

[Eric]

It should be. If it's not for you, I'm going to make it yours.

[Jill]

It's outside. So we've got an intro and then the first three chapters are part one, then we've got part two and then part three and then chapter 10 is outside of that. And it's definitely my favorite though. I think part three, while it is the least sexy of the chapters, it has the fewest action steps. But I believe it will be the most life changing for people. I do believe that if you get to part three and you apply it not just to spending but everything else in your life, it will be transformative.

[Eric]

It's funny cause we did write the book in some parts. Assuming that people aren't gonna read past the first chapter. We were like, we really need to make this good because many people don't continue reading. But our favorites are the final two chapters. So make it through. Make it through the whole thing. It's not good.

[Jill]

It's not a long book is the thing. We didn't make it a novel because we wanted you to be able to get through it in a month. We want book clubs to do this book and we want everyone to be able to get through it in one month so that you can talk about it with your group. And so it's paced well in order to do that. All right, what has been. What's the promotion process been like, in your words, Jill?

[Eric]

Horrific.

[Jill]

Wow, that's not what I wanted to hear.

[Eric]

Hey, we're barren. All right, I'm being honest. I am not a marketer. You all know this. I don't care for marketing, just as an idea and a concept and then to market yourself. It has felt very self promotion. And I've had to shift some things in my thinking in that I truly do think this book is going to help people and that helped me in promoting it. But still, the tactics behind marketing and trying to get people to buy something and sell them on an idea, I just don't like it. I feel like people are smart, they know what they want. If they want to buy something, they're going to buy it. If they don't want to buy it, they're not going to buy it. I don't want to over influence people. It doesn't feel congruent and in part, maybe even ethical.

[Jill]

So.

[Eric]

So I just, I'm not a fan of it. I don't care for marketing. But we have had to kind of get into the minds of people to be able to say yes to having us on their podcasts. And how would you know, TV stations and radio networks, what would they want to hear in order to say yes to us? So it feels like I have to tap into a part of me that I don't want to. I don't want to learn how to do that. I just either want people to be interested in the message or not. So it's not been. I've not loved it, but there's an end in sight. How about you?

[Jill]

I've loved it.

[Eric]

You are very good at marketing well.

[Jill]

Because I believe so strongly in the message and we don't market products like we don't sell a lot of things. We talk about some things that we use that we love and we have a lot of affiliate links for those things but we don't heavily market anything. And I think I just love the message in this book and to have somebody and I think the book almost the title sell it sells itself which I love. I think if you can do a few things right in marketing, it's 8020 rule, you do 20% of things right. 80% of your marketing is done for you. And I have enjoyed talking to my friends. I have so many podcaster like host friends so it's felt like I get a almost a coffee date with a friend and then also get the added bonus of having them talk about my book and my book gets to help their audience. So I have loved marketing this book, coming up with ideas, innovating, getting creative is really where I find like my fulfilling work because I want to use the marketer's game against them. I wrote the chapter on marketing and how the how Edward Bernays and Manufactured Desire, like all that, that was me, that was my chapter and it makes me so happy to use their game against them to not manipulate but educate and use an ethical form of marketing and kind of reframe marketing to be ethical.

[Eric]

So I have loved it and we're two different people.

[Jen]

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[Eric]

Okay, Jen, you have written other books before, but you've self published. This is the first time that you have traditionally published a book and it's this one, the one that we've done together. What have you found to be the difference between this traditionally publishing and self publishing?

[Jill]

So it's a lot slower process. When I self published, I was able to get idea to Amazon in three months. So it has been a slower process and I'm actually thankful for that. I have enjoyed this process 90% of the time. It's been great to have a lot of other eyes on the book. So an editor, a copy editor, proofreaders. It's been great to have somebody else in PR to do their to make a quasi effort in promoting our book even though we did 90% of it. And it's been great to have distribution. It's costing us money but actually in the long run I think it'll make us more money with other things, other doors that it opens up. That self publishing, it just doesn't give you the credibility, I guess in there's so many pros and Cons. As a content creator, traditional publishing really can establish us in these traditional outlets. I think if we came from a more traditional corporate background, we wouldn't need the legitimacy that traditional publishing might offer us. But I think it is, again, I kind of did this to validate to myself that what we've built is bigger than ourselves. And so that has been it. But I still believe in self publishing and would take. I'd love to help people who are self publishing and traditionally publish it. Published. Market their books better because there's so much gap. Yeah, you are brilliant at it with people who are very successful but did not market their books well. And people who have self published and done really well or could do really well, but are just missing, like, some marketing pieces. So if you're interested in that, reach out to me because I'm thinking about it.

[Eric]

Nice.

[Jill]

Jill, what has been your favorite part of this whole experience?

[Eric]

I'm gonna say two things.

[Jill]

Okay.

[Eric]

Okay, thanks. So the first is it was so fun to have publishers fight over us with money was my favorite part. I think we talked about this on a recent episode. Actually, you've heard me say this already, but we. So with the traditional publishing route, we wrote a proposal first. So it included some sample chapters of the book. It included kind of an overview of what it's about, who it's for, a marketing plan, our platform, how we're going.

[Jill]

To talk so much. It was like 80 pages. It was dense, it was long.

[Eric]

And so we did hire an agent, and that agent helped get us in front of some of these publishers. And we had three traditional public.

[Jill]

Four.

[Eric]

We had four publishers interested in us.

[Jill]

Who wanted to back it up with money. Yeah.

[Eric]

So what happens in that circumstance when there's multiple people, multiple publishers interested in buying a book is what they're doing. Even though the book isn't written yet, it goes to auction. So they have a certain amount of time to give their bid on the book. And it includes money. It includes other terms as well, kind of other benefits that you might receive in the process. And so thankfully, we were able to go with the highest bid because we also loved that editor and publisher the most, too. It was our favorite kind of conversation and meeting that we had. We felt like our editor really understood the book. She is kind of our target demographic, which has been really fun to also get fresh eyes on the content and be able to say, like, yes, this makes sense. No, this doesn't. Give more examples, say more.

[Jill]

More stories. That was a big thing.

[Eric]

Yeah. So that was really fun. And I think one of those kind of core validation moments for me throughout the span of having this business and doing this together, that felt like, whoa. Outside of you and I, there's people who are seeing this message, wanting it, believing in it so much that they're willing to invest in it. And then beyond that, I have had a lot of fun in this stage of the book as well. I think while I don't care for the marketing, what I'm talking about is the reaching, like the cold pitching. That to me has been the worst. But talking about the book to our frugal friends community and being on interviews about it and explaining it more through our own podcast has meant spending more time together. Like, you and I have been in person a lot more on a lot more podcasts. And that engagement and interaction and finding new ways to talk about these concepts and seeing how it's connecting with people. You know those moments when you're talking with someone and a concept just kind of like clicks and it sparks more ideas. That's been happening a ton as the result of this content. And so I think, yeah, I've really enjoyed more time with you. Like, I've been noticing, I feel like more alive recently. I feel like not as kind of just like ho hum. I feel a bit rejuvenated. I feel kind of like inspired. And I think it's because we're kind of out of that dark, quiet phase of the book and into now. We can talk about it and it makes sense to talk about it and we can be having these really crucial conversations with people and be helping others with the book and we're starting to see what it's creating and what it's doing and that's been very fun.

[Jill]

Yes. Okay. So yeah, the auction happened on my birthday and that was also my favorite thing. And then we went out to a Mexican restaurant and got a pitcher of margaritas and chips and salsa and queso and guac and that was.

[Eric]

Sure did. The margarita was your favorite part.

[Jill]

The margarita was my favorite part. Yeah. The multi six figure book deal was fantastic, but the MARG did it.

[Eric]

And to be clear that that money is paid over the span of like.

[Jill]

Two years, three years.

[Eric]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jill]

And split between two people. So.

[Eric]

And our agent.

[Jill]

Yes, it goes three people. It's split between three people spread over three years. So that's, that's fun.

[Eric]

That's why we really need you to buy it. Yes.

[Jill]

Yeah. So yeah, I would say my favorite part has been the interviews as well. Again, just like being able to catch up with people and talk about the thing that I love most is so life giving. Like this has felt so purposeful. I love it.

[Eric]

Yay. Okay, what's next?

[Jill]

Oof. Margarita, probably.

[Eric]

I know. Truly.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Eric]

The book just came out today. We can celebrate that a little bit.

[Jill]

Picture of Margs. So I would love to do more speaking. Like, public speaking? Yes. Probably do a little bit more writing on the Internet now that I am. You know, like, I can write about this more than I talk about it, but I still love talking about it. And instead of doing podcasts, I'd love to do public speaking, whatever that looks like in person or virtual. But yeah. So if you have any conferences where you think I would like to hear Jen speak at the conference I go to, then send me. Send me that way.

[Eric]

We are speaking tonight, actually.

[Jill]

Yeah. The night when we're recording this, we're speaking tonight at Nerd Night, which is like a nerdy TED Talk style event.

[Eric]

I'm excited for it.

[Jill]

Same.

[Eric]

Yeah. For me, we've been talking about this a lot. Like, okay, where do we go from here? This feels like such a big milestone. And how do we continue to make meaning out of this milestone? And how do we build upon the foundation that we continue to build? How do we keep building? I guess. And one of the things that I keep coming back to is how life giving the podcast is. I really love doing this. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to look at it, it in and of itself doesn't generate, you know, the revenue that we would need to keep going.

[Jill]

We appreciate you listening to the advertisements on the show. That is what funds the show.

[Eric]

It's the only thing that funds the show. And we don't want to hawk products to you and we don't want you to have to pay for content like I am. I'm the same. I'm. I'm the same as you. I don't. I'm not a subscription person. Like, I have a couple. But, you know, I'm not gonna pay for every podcast that I listen to. For better or worse. It's just kind of like how we have the system we've all created that we do expect to get this content for free. And you know what? I love helping people. Truly. It fuels me. So I want to keep doing this. But also recognizing it's good to have goals beyond that, it's good to also be able to find ways to monetize so that you can keep doing the thing that you love. So all that to say, though, what's next is continuation. Like I don't want to stop the podcast. If anything, we might even be considering a third episode.

[Jill]

We have talked about maybe doing like a Sunday episode that's more personal.

[Eric]

Yeah, like a Sunday reset kind of thing.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Eric]

I'm also considering recently doing like providing like financial therapy. So being able to blend because I found a lot of enjoyment in that, being able to blend both now my gained personal finance knowledge with my mental health background. I love that blend. But it's curious to me too. I mean, of course, if you're listening, we are assuming you're the top 1% fans of the show. I would be so curious to hear from you all. What do you want from us next? I know you haven't read the book yet, so that'll probably, probably be helpful. Read the book and then maybe respond. But even what you know of us so far, what more would you want from us? I know, Jenny, that you would be.

[Jill]

Willing to pay money for. That's the biggest thing. Yeah, but well, or support in the.

[Eric]

Monetization of that is part of it. But I also think that there are things people could want that could generate money in and of themselves that like isn't costing them money all the time. So I mean, it could if. Even if it means like more video or content about this or. Yeah, I do actually want help in this area and you're the people that I would want that help from. But yeah, I mean, if you are a person who pays for subscriptions, like. Yeah, let us know that too.

[Jill]

Yeah, maybe we're wrong.

[Eric]

Right? Yeah. Right.

[Jill]

So, yeah, but I think, yeah, the reason I want to do more speaking is I'd like to take money from people with large budgets. That's who I would like to pay me. So yeah, but I'd be curious, what.

[Eric]

Do you guys want to see from us next? Do you have any ideas after hearing about kind of where we've come from, where we currently are, where we're thinking we want to go? Let us know your thoughts on that.

[Jill]

Because you are the ones that told us where to take the books. So this is a story that I don't think we've shared on the podcast, but we spent $5,000 on a book coach to help us write the proposal. And when we got back, I had about a hundred note cards with notes on them and I put them all up and I was like, this isn't the book. Like it just, I mean, this isn't the book. She's worked with, you know, best selling authors. She knows what sells, but this ain't it for us. This isn't the vibe.

[Eric]

So now I'm like having flashbacks to all those note cards up on your closet doors.

[Jill]

And I. We asked you.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Jill]

What's the thing that we've talked about that has changed your life the most? And 100% of you said values based spending. It wasn't a contest. And that's how we, that's, that's how we came up with the book. So we value your opinions.

[Eric]

Do you know something that we came up with entirely on our own before we even got people's opinions to ask y'all.

[Jill]

Didn't help Diss at all.

[Eric]

We've kept it. The bill of the week.

[Jen]

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.

[Jill]

Maybe your car died and you're happy.

[Jen]

To not have to pay that bill anymore. Duck bills, Buffalo Bills, Bill Clinton. This is the bill of the week.

[Jill]

Hey, Jen and Jill. This is Jill. My bill of the week. Last week I received a health insurance bill that was $30 lower than I was expecting and I was over the moon because of the savings. So for those folks out there that are kind of self sufficient, like, I never thought I would do any kind of charity or any kind of benefit, any kind of that stuff. I did apply for help with health insurance premiums and it came through and for some reason they have actually increased the benefit. So please don't be ashamed to ask for that kind of help because nobody expected health insurance to get as crazy as it has. I enjoy the show so much. Thank you guys so much for sharing this and thanks a lot. Bye.

[Eric]

Bye, Jill. It's fun to meet a fellow Jill. I don't meet many in my life, so I feel connected with you.

[Jill]

I saw this and I was like, oh, I wonder if Jill recorded bill of the week. No, I was like, I half expected you to be the one to be this. Yeah, that's funny.

[Eric]

Yeah, this is a great one. Not only to have a lowered bill, but also this encouragement that you're giving us to look into the different benefits apply to see if, you know, maybe you're eligible to receive some of these discounts. If the discounts exist and you qualify for them, then they're there for you. And I think you're right. In a time when some of our costs are just astronomical and feel untenable, absolutely. We've got to take advantage of all of the resources available to us. So well done. Even Taking the time to look into these benefits, educate yourself on them, apply for them. You know, we're not always guaranteed, but I am celebrating with you that you got this lowered. Sometimes just maintaining our costs can be all that we can hope for. You know, many are increasing, so to even experience a decrease is such a win.

[Jill]

Yeah. I was talking to a business owner the other day who is very into tax loopholes and tax strategies to lower their taxes, taxable income. And I was like, does it kind of like feel cool but wrong? Because people with W2 incomes cannot. And I won't share her opinion because I don't. I didn't really agree, but it got me thinking, like for the middle class, like we feel some shame trying to like ask for help and lower, you know, stuff like that, like, you know, health insurance. But I mean, everybody else out there is trying to lower their premiums, their taxes, all that, not feeling any shame. And so this is, this is what we have available to us. Not all of us are business owners who can, you know, use tax loopholes to lower stuff. But you can do what you can and if you don't know what you can do, you can try. So well done, Jill.

[Eric]

Yeah, thank you so much. If you all are listening, you have a bill that you want to submit. If it's an encouraging bill, if it's a bill about utilizing resources or lowering bills or bills you don't mind paying for bills, who are out here paying their bills. Frugalfriendspodcast.com Bill. We can't wait to hear it.

[Jen]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. And every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Hi, friend.

[Jill]

It's your inner child calling and they want churros. A new toy and a new adventure. Or maybe five with the bestest besties on earth. Find your moment at Walt Disney World Resort.

[Jen]

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[Eric]

There for your first drive.

[Jen]

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[Eric]

Get in zone. AutoZone.

[Jen]

Welcome to AutoZone. What are you working on today? I think my battery's dead. With free battery testing and charging, we can help you get back on the road. So what if I need a new one? We have the right Duralast battery for you only at AutoZone. And what about my old battery? We can recycle it right here at.

[Jill]

America's number one battery destination.

[Jen]

Restrictions apply.

[Eric]

And now it's time for the lightning round.

[Jill]

All right, if you told your 12 year old self that you wrote a book, what would they think it was about? Ooh, I don't know.

[Eric]

What were you into at 12?

[Jill]

Youth group. Yeah, so I probably would have think some kind of like Christian nonfiction, which this is not by any stretch of the means. So that's probably it.

[Eric]

It's not that.

[Jill]

Nope, not at all. There are no curse words in it. I will say that. Yeah. So that's about. That's what I will give it. I'll give it that.

[Eric]

What do you think your reaction would be if you told your 12 year old self you wrote a personal finance book?

[Jill]

I think I would be not shocked.

[Eric]

Okay.

[Jill]

Yeah, I don't think I would be shocked. I would definitely always in the nonfiction genre, I think that is where I was always meant to be. You will not see me writin any fairy and dragon smut.

[Eric]

Mm.

[Jill]

Mm. Nope, not there. I love it. I love reading it. But like that's too much outside of what I know.

[Eric]

Oh yeah, that didn't even occur to me. Would it? Would I have assumed it was fiction or nonfiction? I think my mind immediately went to nonfiction. But my 12 year old self, the world I was living in, probably either like, yeah, I wrote, I wrote a mystery novel or I would have thought that I wrote a how to become an actress book.

[Jill]

Oh, wow.

[Eric]

As a young child that was a goal of mine. Like I want to become an actor. By the time I'm 13.

[Jill]

Wow. You gave yourself goals.

[Eric]

Yeah. And then the closer I got to 13, I kept being like, it hasn't happened yet.

[Jill]

Never going to happen.

[Eric]

Yeah. I was like big into drama and theater and such, so probably either of those two genres would have been my thought. If you would have said it's about money, I probably would have been like, I become rich when I'm older. I also would have been wrong.

[Jill]

Yes. Well, thank you so much for listening to this. I hope that you enjoyed this behind the scenes of writing. Buy what you love without going broke. And I also hope that if you enjoy our show, if you support us, that you would take $25 out of your budget to buy a copy of the book. It would support us so greatly. Whether you keep it for yourself or give it as a gift, it just supports us so much. If we have any chance of making a bestseller list, it all comes down to the purchases made within the next few days and we would love to see what kind of doors that would open for us. So thank you and thank you so much. If you have purchased or for listening, we would love if you would leave us a review of the book if you have pre ordered it or if you already have left a review of the book, maybe a review of the podcast like this one from Georgie Cam that says life changing. It's five stars. And they say this year has been financially challenging for me based on changes in my commission based retail job. It's caused me to feel very helpless and frustrated. I recently was introduced to the podcast through another favorite farmhouse on Boone and I've been burning through these episodes ever since. I've learned so much behind the psychology of spending and I feel so empowered. I've struggled in the past to spend less than I earned because my income fluctuates month to month, but I am now headed in the right direction. I do however, take personal offense when they make jabs at the Ninja Creamy and its lack of importance in the kitchen as it is one of my most prized possessions. But I know now that with values based spending, that was a gadget. Well worth it to me. Thanks Jen and Jill. Love listening to you guys.

[Eric]

Ah, this is so great Georgie Cam. Thank you for, you know, calling us out on that. I'm so glad you had a Ninja Creamy.

[Jill]

I the other day thought about getting a Ninja Creamy and I was like, oh my God, I've made so many Ninja Creamy jokes I can't possibly. But I was thinking about it because I saw some, some pretty good recipes but like maybe over the summer. I'll just get one on Facebook, Marketplace.

[Eric]

Oh, that's a good idea.

[Jill]

And try it out. Maybe it too will become one of my most prized possessions again.

[Eric]

I love it when I hear where people have come from, like how they heard about us. And then we've been having so many reviews lately that are giving such tangible examples of the way that the podcast has helped them, which tells me that maybe we're coming into, like, our era. Like, truly, truly. We found our voice. And I think the book helped us get there.

[Jill]

I know it did.

[Eric]

To really solidify kind of our current messaging and how we want to say it and then to hear it's just so heartwarming isn't quite the right word. I don't know what it is, but super meaningful to realize. Oh, man. You've actually made some big beneficial strides in your lifestyle and actions and decision making around money, which will benefit you for the long term. You did that. Well done. We are just so floored to get to be a part of that. So, anyways, thank you for that in depth review. And if you all haven't reviewed the show yet, we would be so grateful if you did. You don't have to be as wordy. You don't have to tell us all of the things, but if you've got kind of specific examples, we love that too.

[Jill]

Or be wordier. You do.

[Eric]

You all, wherever you're listening to the podcast, review the book. All of it helps us. We appreciate you.

[Jill]

Thank you. Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni. Okay, what are we doing to celebrate tonight or tomorrow? Because I know we're going over the next few days, we're going to go to all the Barnes and Nobles in the Tampa Bay area and sign books. So if you're in the Tampa Bay area and have not purchased a book yet, or you just want a signed copy and you want to return your book that you bought and buy one signed copies. I don't know if that's unethical. I don't know if you can do that. But, uh, we're gonna go sign in Tampa, Pinellas and Sarasota, all the books at every Barnes and Noble and books a million.

[Eric]

And we'll keep that updated on Instagram, like where we are. But also feel free to reach out to us and let us know where. Where you want us to show up. Yeah, if you're in the area, we could see if we could make it there.

[Jill]

So we're gonna do that. We've got our event at Tombolo books in St. Petersburg on January 14th. That's going to be fun. Q and A reading, high fiving.

[Eric]

We're having a party on the 18th at my house.

[Jill]

That's private though.

[Eric]

Yeah, I know. I'm just saying what we're doing, how we're celebrating. Hopefully there's going to be an event in Pennsylvania. We don't have a date solidified again. We'll keep our Instagram.

[Jill]

Hopefully by the time this comes out we will have something for sure.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Jill]

Yeah.

[Eric]

Our Instagram will tell you so.

[Jill]

But I really do think we need to get margs.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Jill]

A pitcher of margs.

[Eric]

A whole pitcher. A whole pitcher with lots of salt.

[Jill]

Yes.

[Eric]

Love that salt.

[Jill]

Love. I'm living the salt life and I am consuming sodium.

[Eric]

Perfect.

[Jen]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report hey guys, as.

[Jill]

You know, I've been taking some time.

[Jen]

Off drinking, but when I go out.

[Jill]

I want to be able to hang with the boys.

[Eric]

So I've been checking out some non.

[Jen]

Alcoholic beer options and Heineken 00 was.

[Jill]

The perfect drink for that. Yeah buddy.

[Jen]

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[Jill]

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[Jen]

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[Jill]

BET Wednesdays at 10, 9 Central. BET+ Original Series Diora from Detroit from executive producer Kenya Barris and BET Studios comes what Variety calls a PI drama with flair. Meet Diara Brickland, a public school teacher turned amateur private eye after the disappearance of a very hot date. With the help of her friends and even her ex husband, D? Ara's on a mission to find her missing lover.

[Eric]

D?

[Jill]

Ara from Detroit is now on BET Wednesdays at 109 Central.