Podcast Summary: How to Money – Friday Flight: Political $ Planning, Free Electricity, & Cash is Cringe (#1074)

Hosts: Joel & Matt
Podcast: How to Money (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: December 12, 2025

Overview

In this Friday Flight episode, Joel and Matt tackle the week's top personal finance stories, from the influence of politics on financial planning, the possibilities of free (or cheaper) electricity, why Gen Z thinks “cash is cringe,” renting vs. owning everything, and eye-opening price manipulation trends at Instacart. The duo brings their characteristic blend of practical advice, skepticism about over-consumption, and playful banter, making personal finance relatable and jargon-free.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Advent Calendar Phenomenon – Frugal Fun or Self-Indulgence?

[02:19–07:45]

• Hand-Me-Down Advent Calendar: Joel shares his family’s secondhand Harry Potter Funko Pop advent calendar—a frugal and reusable twist on holiday fun.
  • “So it’s a free advent calendar…but the kids are loving it.” —Joel (03:29)
• Luxury Advent Calendars: They discuss a Harper’s article on expensive adult advent calendars (makeup, jewelry, wine, perfume), poking fun at the consumer excess.
  • Matt highlights that while the religious origins of Advent have faded in popular culture, intentionally marking time can have value—but adult indulgence feels “wasteful” and juvenile.
  • “There are less serious adults in the world.” —Matt (07:14)
  • Both agree: Kids? Fun. Adults? Maybe rethink the overindulgence.

2. Political $ Planning – How Much Should Politics Influence Your Finances?

[07:56–12:02]

• Clients and Advisors Talk Politics: Recent survey of Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) show policy and political fallout are dominating client conversations.
  • Policy changes (deductions, tax rules, new account types) make these discussions relevant but over-fixating can lead to poor financial decisions.
  • “Focusing too much on politics or fixating on potential changes…can also leave us feeling stuck.” —Joel (09:17)
• Stay Optimistic, Stay Flexible: Most people are optimistic about meeting goals next year (citing Pew Research). It’s important to tune out hype, make minor pivots, and prepare but not panic.

3. Retirement Uncertainty – Stop Chasing A “Magic Number”

[10:19–12:02]

• Retirement Guesswork: Both men and women are often just guessing at how much they’ll need.
  • “Fixate less on the number…and just knowing that you’ve got some flexibility.” —Matt (11:19)
• Life is Dynamic: The key is adaptability—needs and expenses will fluctuate over decades. Prepare to pivot, rather than worry about hitting one target figure.

4. Free Electricity? Incentives and Smart Habits

[12:02–17:58]

• Leah Stokes’ “Free Electricity” Proposal: Should electricity be free at certain hours (e.g., mid-day) to incentivize grid-friendly consumption? Some utilities already offer cheaper rates during off-peak times.
  • “If electricity were free…people would overconsume it” —Matt (12:07)
• Smart Usage: Both hosts share tips: set thermostats low at night, use space heaters only when needed, and schedule appliance use during cheaper hours.
  • “It’s when it’s opaque how much it’s costing…that’s when you don’t change your habits.” —Joel (17:00)
• Awareness & Incentives: Being conscious of usage makes savings possible. Tech and policy can guide people to be more efficient.

5. AI & The Job Market – Threat or Opportunity?

[18:03–21:43]

• MIT Study: AI could technically replace 12% of jobs (“Iceberg Index”). The shift is more about capability than immediate layoffs.
  • “AI can do a lot of tasks, but it can’t do a job.” —Joel (21:15)
• Host Reflections: They joke about “Guaranteed Human” podcast intros, reflecting on the surprising cultural impact of AI (no flying cars, but chatbots instead).
• Wisdom vs. Automation: Friend of the show Allison Schrager argues AI will deepen the shortage of skilled workers, not eliminate jobs en masse. Critical thinking, effective communication, and judgment remain crucial.

6. Gen Z: “Cash is Cringe” & The Rental Economy

[24:25–33:44]

Cashless Preferences

[24:25–27:21]

• Gen Z & Physical Money: Cash now only makes up ~10% of payments; for younger folks, cash feels like fun money or “not real.”
  • “[For Gen Z], cash isn’t king. It’s a joke.” —Joel (24:32)
• Old Habits vs. New: Previous generations worried about credit card debt. Now, the danger is treating all cash as play money and losing discipline.

Contributing to the Household (or Not)

[27:29–30:47]

• Adult Kids Not Paying Rent: 60% of adult children living at home don’t pitch in for expenses, which can hurt parents’ finances and kids’ readiness.
  • Matt shares how his parents prepped him to pay rent after high school, and he’s having the same conversation early with his own.
  • “Teach them to be functioning, contributing members of society.” —Matt (28:19)

Renting Everything

[31:30–33:44]

• Rise of Renting: Gen Z increasingly prefers renting (clothes, baby gear, camping equipment, etc.) over owning.
  • Hosts endorse renting for one-off needs (formalwear, infrequently used items) but warn the cost must justify the convenience (should save at least 50% to be worth it).
  • “Borrowing can be even better than renting for some things.” —Joel (33:20)
  • Caution: Recurring rentals can get expensive fast.

7. Instacart Iniquity – Opaque, Algorithmic Pricing

[33:44–39:29]

• Dynamic Pricing Nightmare: Groundwork Collective + Consumer Reports found Instacart charges wildly different prices for the same items, from the same stores, at the same time, depending on the customer.
  • “The pricing—it’s not just dynamic, it’s seemingly random.” —Matt (34:04)
• Personal Experience: Matt discovers a 50% markup on a $175 Aldi order when he saw the real in-store receipt compared to his Instacart charge ($261). This made him swear off casual use.
  • “The scales fell from my eyes. I saw the light.” —Matt (37:10)
• Takeaway: Convenience is costly—and consumers should regularly check real-world prices to avoid desensitization to price increases. Services like Instacart may reward impulse control but can stealthily add major costs.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Overly Fancy Holiday Consumption:
  “For kids, I’m like, okay…it’s fun, it’s a little treat. But it’s the adults…that rubs me the wrong way.” —Matt ([07:13])
• On Politics & Investing:
  “The pessimists are their own worst enemy.” —Matt ([10:20])
• On Flexibility in Planning:
  “The more comfortable I get with knowing that life might look very different in the future…it just puts me at ease…we've got the ability to pivot.” —Matt ([11:45])
• On AI Displacement Fears:
  “AI can do a lot of tasks, but it can’t do a job.” —Joel ([21:15])
• On Algorithmic Pricing:
  “The pricing—it’s not just dynamic, it’s seemingly random…eggs might cost one person $3.99 and another $4.69.” —Matt ([34:04])
• On Instacart Markup Epiphany:
  “The scales fell from my eyes. I saw the light.” —Matt ([37:10])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Advent Calendar Rant & Reflection: [02:19–07:45]
• Political $ Planning: [07:56–12:02]
• Retirement Planning Uncertainty: [10:19–12:02]
• Electricity Pricing & Efficiency: [12:02–17:58]
• AI and the Future of Work: [18:03–21:43]
• Gen Z: Cash is Cringe: [24:25–27:21]
• Gen Z & Paying Rent at Home: [27:29–30:47]
• Renting vs. Owning Everything: [31:30–33:44]
• Instacart’s Secret Markups: [33:44–39:29]

Tone and Style

• Conversational, friendly, lightly skeptical, and focused on practical financial wisdom over hype or “hot takes.”
• Emphasis on reflection, intentionality, and skepticism of both outdated traditions and new tech-driven trends.

Final Thoughts

This Friday Flight was packed with engaging stories and practical money lessons:

• Reflect on consumption—especially as adults during the holiday season.
• Keep politics in perspective when making financial plans.
• Don’t sweat hitting a perfect retirement number; cultivate flexibility and habits.
• Consider electricity-use incentives as smart financial behavior.
• Watch for new tech’s impact (AI, algorithmic pricing) while retaining timeless skills (critical thinking, communication).
• Stay vigilant with cash, digital payments… and especially convenience services like Instacart.

And above all, don’t be afraid to question, adapt, and keep having open conversations—whether it’s about paying rent at home or finding a better way to save on your next grocery bill.