Friday Flight - Streaming Sports, Trade-In Tradeoffs & AI Lies #984

Summary

Summary of "Friday Flight - Streaming Sports, Trade-In Tradeoffs & AI Lies #984"

Podcast Information:

• Title: How to Money
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Description: Best friends Joel and Matt provide unbiased, jargon-free personal finance guidance to help listeners thrive in areas like debt payoff, DIY investing, and essential money management strategies.
• Episode: Friday Flight - Streaming Sports, Trade-In Tradeoffs & AI Lies #984
• Release Date: May 16, 2025

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Introduction

In episode #984 of "How to Money," co-hosts Joel and Matt delve into a trio of timely topics affecting personal finances and lifestyle choices: the evolving landscape of streaming sports, the financial implications of trading in vehicles, and the ethical concerns surrounding artificial intelligence. Additionally, they share updates on their personal home renovation project and explore emerging travel trends like set jetting. Throughout the episode, Joel and Matt offer practical advice, share personal anecdotes, and provide insightful analysis to help listeners navigate these areas thoughtfully.

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Streaming Sports and Cord-Cutting

The episode opens with a discussion on ESPN's launch of its first streaming service aimed at cord-cutters. Joel and Matt examine the implications of this move in the context of an increasingly fragmented streaming market.

• ESPN's Streaming Service: Joel notes, "If you want to pay ESPN directly for the privilege of streaming their content, 30 bucks a month. If you want to toss in Disney Plus and Hulu, you're talking $36 a month" (07:18).

• Cord-Cutting Challenges: They emphasize that while cord-cutting used to be a straightforward way to save money, the proliferation of specialized streaming services can lead to higher overall costs. Joel adds, “Cord cutting just used to be the no-brainer way to save money. But now, with the stratification of streaming, you could spend more than you used to spend for cable” (09:06).

• Consumer Impact: Joel highlights the incomplete coverage of sports programming through the new service, mentioning, “Even if you sign up for this, there's still a lot of sports programming you're missing out on” (08:27).

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AMC's Membership Model and the Movie Industry

Joel and Matt transition to the topic of AMC's Stubs memberships, exploring both the benefits and potential drawbacks.

• Membership Benefits: Matt explains, “It allows them to watch four movies a week for the monthly price of $26” (09:24), highlighting the cost-effectiveness compared to individual ticket purchases.

• Content Variety Concerns: Joel raises a valid concern, “Is there enough worth watching that you're willing to pay the price? There aren’t that many new movies coming out every single week” (09:37), questioning the value of the membership given the limited selection of new releases.

• Cultural Reflections: The hosts discuss how the current trend of remakes and sequels in the movie industry reflects broader cultural patterns. Matt observes, “30 years later, all of the top-grossing movies in the box office were sequels... there's just so little creativity” (10:46).

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Home Renovation Update

Shifting to a more personal note, Matt provides an update on their ongoing home renovation project, sharing their success in coming under budget and ahead of schedule.

• Budget Management: Matt shares, “We have come under budget... which was done sooner than they had originally planned” (04:06), praising their contractor’s efficiency and their own efforts in sourcing materials.

• Cost-Saving Strategies: Joel and Matt discuss specific examples, such as purchasing materials directly to secure better deals. Matt recounts a significant saving: “We ended up paying less than half of what that stone per square foot originally was” (05:59).

• Project Progress: Joel expresses pride in their progress, noting, “We are finally getting to enjoy it, which is... a ton of fun” (05:56), highlighting the positive impact of thoughtful budgeting and proactive planning.

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Set Jetting: The New Travel Trend

The conversation moves to the emerging trend of set jetting—traveling to destinations featured in popular TV shows and movies.

• Inspiration from TV Shows: Joel mentions, “White Lotus... has been the main inspiration for people” (12:29), explaining how shows set in exotic locations drive fan tourism.

• Economic Implications: Matt warns about the costs associated with set jetting, stating, “It’s not going to come cheap because demand is out the wazoo” (13:38), advising listeners to seek alternatives to manage travel expenses.

• Alternative Approaches: They suggest strategies like traveling during shoulder seasons to save money and avoid crowds, with Joel adding, “Shoulder season versus prime travel season... you save money and avoid the crowds” (16:01).

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Sustainable Transportation: Embracing E-Bikes

Joel and Matt advocate for the use of E-bikes as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly transportation option.

• Personal Experiences: Matt shares his positive experiences with E-bikes, remarking, “Traveling by E-bike is more doable than many folks think” (22:30), highlighting their practicality for daily commutes and errands.

• Economic Benefits: They compare the costs favorably against car ownership, noting, “An E bike costs much less than a car and allows you to use your car less” (23:30).

• Community and Health: Joel adds, “It allows you to enjoy your life more,” emphasizing the additional benefits of improved physical health and community engagement.

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Artificial Intelligence in Therapy: Ethical Concerns and Effectiveness

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing the rise of AI chatbots in the therapeutic space and the ethical implications thereof.

• AI as Licensed Therapists: Joel points out the alarming trend of AI chatbots falsely claiming to be licensed therapists, stating, “Instagram's AI chatbots lie about being licensed therapists” (28:14).

• Lack of Human Empathy: Drawing from a Psychology Today article, Joel explains, “Chatbots lack nuanced empathy. They miss nonverbal cues, they avoid conflict, and that can lead to worsening mental health risks” (29:47).

• Ethical Implications: Matt criticizes the laissez-faire approach of tech companies, stating, “They are experimenting on the public at large, all in an attempt to gain as much market share as possible” (30:05).

• Human Connection in Therapy: Joel underscores the importance of human-to-human interaction in effective therapy, saying, “The relationship with the therapist is a big part of the life change that takes place for people” (31:03).

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Apple App Store Antitrust Ruling

Joel and Matt discuss a recent court ruling against Apple's App Store practices, highlighting its potential impact on businesses and consumers.

• Court Decision: Joel explains, “A judge just ruled that the Apple Store has been engaging in anti-competitive behavior and that they have to stop restricting app developers from funneling users to their site to make a sale” (33:51).

• Implications for Developers: Matt references the Epic Games case, noting, “Apple was taking like a 30% cut from every purchase... Epic wanted to make sure that Apple wasn't getting a cut” (35:01).

• Consumer Choice: They emphasize the importance of providing consumers with choices, with Joel asserting, “Companies should be able to incentivize their users to take the extra step to save money” (35:58).

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US-China Trade and Tariff Updates

The hosts analyze recent changes in US-China trade policies, including the temporary reduction of tariffs.

• Tariff Changes: Joel summarizes, “Tariffs were put on hold... they're down now to 30% China, they've dialed back their tariffs on US goods to 10%” (36:15), viewing this as a positive move towards easing trade tensions.

• Market Reactions: Matt observes the market's positive response, “The market is back up over where it was on Liberation Day” (36:21), indicating investor optimism.

• Long-Term Outlook: While optimistic, Joel expresses caution about the sustainability of the tariff truce, saying, “It's a temporary trade war truce for 90 days. Depending on how things end up shaking out... we'll see” (36:24).

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Financial Anxiety and Consumer Sentiment

Towards the episode's conclusion, Joel and Matt address the rising financial anxiety among consumers amidst economic uncertainties.

• Impact of Economic News: Joel connects the dots between tariffs, recession predictions, and increased financial anxiety, noting, “Market's been soaring... but Consumer Sentiment index has plummeted” (38:20).

• Managing Anxiety: They recommend maintaining robust savings and debt management as buffers against economic fluctuations. Joel suggests, “If you're tracking your spending and your savings are robust... don't let vibes upend your life” (40:25).

• Resources for Listeners: Referring to a previous episode, Joel advises, “Go listen to that episode [#631] because it might help you develop some skills to reduce the anxious thoughts” (40:25).

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Conclusion

Joel and Matt wrap up the episode by reflecting on the balance between staying informed and maintaining optimism. They invite listeners to engage with their content and share feedback on whether the podcast strikes the right tone between caution and positivity.

• Balancing Information: Matt muses, “We try to strike that balance between sticking your head in the sand... versus incessantly focusing on the negative” (41:24).

• Encouraging Engagement: Joel reinforces their intent, stating, “We don’t want to be causing five alarm fires... but also trying to say, you probably do have some concerns” (41:40).

The episode concludes with a friendly sign-off, emphasizing their camaraderie and commitment to helping listeners navigate financial landscapes.

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Notable Quotes with Attribution:

• Joel at 07:18: "If you want to pay ESPN directly for the privilege of streaming their content, 30 bucks a month. If you want to toss in Disney Plus and Hulu, you're talking $36 a month."

• Matt at 09:24: "It allows them to watch four movies a week for the monthly price of $26."

• Joel at 10:46: "They're all sequels... there's just so little creativity."

• Matt at 22:30: "Traveling by E-bike is more doable than many folks think."

• Joel at 28:14: "Instagram's AI chatbots lie about being licensed therapists."

• Matt at 30:05: "They are experimenting on the public at large, all in an attempt to gain as much market share as possible."

• Joel at 31:03: "The relationship with the therapist is a big part of the life change that takes place for people."

• Joel at 36:15: "Tariffs were put on hold... they're down now to 30% China, they've dialed back their tariffs on US goods to 10%."

• Joel at 40:25: "If you're tracking your spending and your savings are robust... don't let vibes upend your life."

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Final Thoughts

Episode #984 of "How to Money" offers a comprehensive exploration of current financial and lifestyle trends, blending professional insights with personal experiences. Joel and Matt effectively guide listeners through the complexities of modern streaming services, the pitfalls of convenient financial choices, and the ethical dilemmas posed by artificial intelligence. Their balanced approach encourages thoughtful decision-making, empowering listeners to make informed choices that align with their financial goals and personal values.

Transcript

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[Matt]

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[Joel]

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[Matt]

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[Joel]

Learn more at aarp.org skills welcome to how to Money. I'm Joel.

[Matt]

I'm Matt.

[Joel]

Today we're talking about streaming sports, trade in trade offs and and AI Lies.

[Matt]

Joel. I prefer AI hallucinations as opposed to flat out saying that AI is lying.

[Joel]

But we'll get to what's a lie man.

[Matt]

In this case, we will get to how it actually is lying. You want to talk about something you got in the mail recently? Tell me about it.

[Joel]

So I'm sure other people have gotten a mailer like this, but there was a home warranty company sent me something in the mail saying hey, protect your stuff. And actually what they said more than protect your stuff specifically on the flyer was protect your budget with a home warranty.

[Matt]

Oh yeah. Oh they're Tapping into some of our language.

[Joel]

That's right.

[Matt]

That's a term that we would use.

[Joel]

When I saw that, I was like.

[Matt]

You got a plan? You got a budget for these kind of expenses?

[Joel]

I was like, oh, that's a pretty smart marketing tactic because most people assume, oh, yeah, if I get the home warranty and then my air conditioner, you know, bugs out and I've got to replace it, well, this home warranty is going to be there to back me up. Or if it just needs repair, it's going to minimize my repair costs. And so people might. Might read that and might say, like, great, sign me up. What is it, 500 bucks a year? Well, I'll probably, you know, get more than I'm paying to from that home warranty service.

[Matt]

Don't do it. Truth is, no, you know, you shouldn't be doing that. So what's.

[Joel]

So it's a crafty language.

[Matt]

It's the language. That's what I want to focus on here is because what they're home shield is projecting that you are responsible. You are a responsible citizen. Of course, you have been budgeting for some of the different expenses you have in your life, but there are things outside of that that will blow your budget. And so you read that and you think, oh, yeah, somehow they have made me feel good about myself just by the language that they've used. Yeah, they're assuming. Assuming the best.

[Joel]

Yeah. And we've talked about this before on the show, but just what these home warranties do. How one, it's really hard to get an actual replacement. How sometimes the repairs can. A really long time. Like, they're not very responsive.

[Matt]

Assuming that they don't deny the claim.

[Joel]

Right.

[Matt]

Yeah, it's not good.

[Joel]

There are typically fees associated with trying to get those repair people out as well. So what's covered? What's not? Like, it's just better to have money in your emergency fund and not trust that one of these home warranty companies is going to save your bacon and save your budget.

[Matt]

Totally agree. Okay. While we're talking about home stuff, I want to give a quick little update on our Home Edition renovation because we're getting really close to the end of it, and recently we were. We're talking about home expenses, that kind of stuff. And dude, I am proud to say that. So we've got an awesome contractor and we have come under budget.

[Joel]

Wow.

[Matt]

Have you ever heard of a renovation or addition coming under budget?

[Joel]

No. It's usually six months longer and what, 20% over.

[Matt]

And to cap it off, it was done sooner than they had originally planned, man. Which granted, like, we're still punch listing stuff, but I'm going by when were we able to occupy that space? Like, I know that there are going to be small things here and there that we have to address, but the overall timeframe and as far as coming under budget, not just like 50 bucks or something, like, like a significant amount. Significant enough for me to take note and I will give our. Our contractor his due. Right. The fact that they were able to get some quotes and to realistically plan for what some of these expenses are. Right. I think that's a big part of it. But also, Kate and I, at every chance we could purchase things ourselves as opposed to letting the contractor purchase them. Going through the usual distributors sources, different companies that they typically use.

[Joel]

Because you're able to get better deals.

[Matt]

Yes, to get better deals. And so at every. I mean, because they are just constantly buying stuff, they find it, they order it, it's shipped to the house they're looking to make. And that's a big part of how things are able to move quickly. Right. But the ability to save a hundred bucks here, 100 bucks there, 500 bucks here, 500 bucks there, I think that also had a lot to do with why we were able to save some money. And specifically, I will say one of those things that we purchased ourselves, that was one of the big items. So we built out an art studio for Kate. We wanted to get some counters in there. You've seen it looks pretty solid, right? And a, we didn't go with like the fancier counter company that the contractors used to go into. So we went to a more, I don't know, maybe more of a discount.

[Joel]

The big lots supplier of counter companies.

[Matt]

But then on top of that, we. We searched the yard, the lot or whatever where they've got all the slabs. And we found this piece of stone that looked awesome, but you could tell had been sitting there for a long time. It's kind of busted up on the sides. It's real dirty. Look like even there's some staining. And they're like, oh no, no, no, all that will come out. And in fact, we'll give you a discount as well. And so we're like, all right, they cleaned it up and guess what? Some of that staining didn't come out. And so we were able to talk them down even more and ended up paying like less than half of what that stone per square. Originally it was like 130 a square foot, 135 and we got that junk for $60 a square foot.

[Joel]

Great.

[Matt]

So, I mean, that's like a 2000, you know, 1 1500, $2000 win right there.

[Joel]

Just one thing.

[Matt]

Yeah. So it's a little bit more of a hassle for folks to do some of that work. Right. You're placing those orders, but, like, it's not too difficult to search some of the different lighting fixtures or plumbing fixtures to save a buck.

[Joel]

Well, your palatial east wing looks amazing.

[Matt]

It's. We are finally getting to enjoy it, which is. It's a ton of fun.

[Joel]

That's nice. All right, let's get to the Friday flights stories we found interesting this week and how they pertain to your finances. Matt, let's start off talking about streaming. ESPN is launching its first streaming service. They announced this week they're trying to appeal to cord cutters, which is most people. I don't think I know anybody who still pays for cable every month.

[Matt]

What about your folks?

[Joel]

No, no, they're done with it, too.

[Matt]

Did they cut the corner?

[Joel]

They finally did it because that's how.

[Matt]

I used to watch soccer back in the day.

[Joel]

I know, right? We log into their stuff occasionally. But now, I swear, I'm sure I do know somebody who has cable, but I don't hear him talk about it.

[Matt]

And so every person you talk to for the rest of this weekend. Right. Make that be your first question. Just ask me. Like, I got to find somebody.

[Joel]

Well, that's the bane of most people's existence, though, is that it's been harder. Like, you got to have cable if you want ESPN, because ESPN+ apparently was like, trash. I don't know. I don't really watch sports much anymore. But it's not going to be cheap, of course, because, like, when you're talking about the cable package, ESPN committed a huge percentage based on, like, the number of channels that were there. Well, ESPN got a big payout every time a cable package was sold. Well, you're going to pay, if you want to pay ESPN directly for the privilege of streaming their content, 30 bucks a month. If you want to toss in Disney plus and Hulu, you're talking $36 a month. And maybe, maybe this is worth it for die hard sports nuts, but it's a high price to pay if you want to watch sports like basketball and football. And I think the problem here, too, Matt, is that there. There's still a lot of sports programming you're missing out on. Even if you sign up for this.

[Matt]

It'S not fully encompassing of all the sports that someone might want to watch.

[Joel]

If it was like, oh, all the sports I could ever want to watch for 30 bucks a month, I'd be like, yeah, okay, yeah, I might be up for that. But the truth is we're still talking about like regional sports packages for, for baseball. We're still talking about mls, which is on Apple plus, which if you want to watch the European soccer matches, you're talking about going with another streaming services. NFL games now being spread around to different channels and other streaming services too. So cord cutting just used to be the no brainer way to save money. But with the stratification of streaming and more and more a proliferation of streaming services, you have to be careful cause you could spend more than you used to spend for cable.

[Matt]

Now that is very true, man. So on the opposite end of the spectrum, going IRL in real life there to see a movie is getting cheaper, not more expensive. Joel, the Journal, they had an article about the cult of AMC stubs memberships. And I hadn't even heard of this membership until I read this article.

[Joel]

I can't tell you the last time I went to see a movie.

[Matt]

People who have this membership, evidently they love it. And what it does is it allows them to watch four movies a week for the monthly price of 26 bucks, which is actually a pretty good deal.

[Joel]

For a week, which is like 16amonth. That's a lot of time in the.

[Matt]

Movie theater price standpoint. It's actually a pretty good deal given how much movie tickets cost these days. But the problem is, like you said, the fact that it's four, what, four movies are out there that do you even want to see like all year?

[Joel]

Are there that many new movies coming out every single week?

[Matt]

Actually, did you hear friend of the show, Derek Thompson talked with somebody that wrote an article for the Atlantic talking about pop culture these days. Did you hear, did you hear that episode or read that article? Fascinating, super fascinating. Talking about how is pop culture the worst it's ever been. And you know, and they go back and forth and they're like, well, no, like artists back in the day when they first were on the scene, people didn't like them. And it wasn't until after that, after the fact, blah, blah, blah. But you can't argue the fact. Like if you look back at movies specifically 30 years ago, like if you look back at to like 1994, guess what the top, what the top grossing box office movies were in 94. There were movies like the Lion King, like the original Lion King, Lion King. Forrest Gump. What else was Dumb and dumber was in 1990. Classics, all speed. Keanu Reeves. Dude, amazing movies. These were all original movies.

[Joel]

Now we're just remaking all.

[Matt]

They're all remakes. So last year. So 2024.

[Joel]

They haven't remade Forrest Gump yet, but it's coming.

[Matt]

They'll do it with his son. Yeah, but 30 years later, all of the top grossing movies in the box office were sequels. Indispicable Me 4, Moana 2, Godzilla, whatever. Like, it's crazy how we are addicted to sequels, that there's just so little creativity and being given to new ideas. Yes. And some of it has to. And we were just talking about this, how it's somewhat of a reflection of us as a society. Like, we don't have the stomach. We don't have the patience to be able to sit down and experience something new. We're not contemplative enough as opposed to being like, well, I've heard of that. Just give me the second version of that. So maybe this is a criticism of culture at large, as opposed to AMC specifically.

[Joel]

Yeah. So it's like, the pricing's pretty good. The pricing is great, but is there enough worth watching that you're willing to pay the price? I guess maybe if you want to see fewer movies, but you want a discount. AMC announced that this summer they're going to be doing 50% off on Wednesdays. So instead of feeling like, all right, I pay this. This monthly fee, now I gotta go see as many movies as well. Yeah, just go. I don't know, watch a movie on Wednesdays. Do it on Wednesdays once or twice a month.

[Matt]

And that's a free membership. So it's the free tier. It gives you that discount.

[Joel]

That's right.

[Matt]

That's nice.

[Joel]

All right, so, Matt, it turns out Max, the streaming service, is going back to being. Being called HBO Max. They just announced that, which I think makes a whole lot of sense because HBO just had a whole lot of name cache. So many great shows are on hbo. Right.

[Matt]

Did it stand for Home Box Office?

[Joel]

It did. Okay, that's right.

[Matt]

So, like, what does HBO even mean?

[Joel]

Right.

[Matt]

Because I know what Max means, but HBO is just a company.

[Joel]

Well, yeah, so I think it makes sense they're going back to HBO Max. But this leads me to another story that we saw this week about something called set jetting. It's a new travel trend where basically people want to travel to hit up destinations that have been featured in prestige TV shows.

[Matt]

Yeah. Not to be confused with jet setting. Yes, but set jetting, a little play on words. You're flying to the sets of your favorite show or movie.

[Joel]

Exactly. So White Lotus, I think is the main inspiration for people. I think what they just had the third season of White Lotus, which I haven't seen, but that is like the main culprit show because it's set in these fantastic four seasons resorts in different parts of the world. So there was one in Hawaii, then one, I believe season two was maybe in Sicily, and then the most recent was in Thailand. And so instead of just going to a general cool resort in Thailand, now it's like, no, I want to go to that one where my show was filmed. And apparently the article made it sound like this goes back to the Sound of Music, which boosted travel to Austria back in the day.

[Matt]

That sounds so much more wholesome though, doesn't it?

[Joel]

It does. Well, I have a friend who's super into Lord of the Rings and has gone to New Zealand for the second time to kind of some Lord of the Rings spy travel thing.

[Matt]

Yeah, Hobbiton.

[Joel]

Going to Hobbiton and checking it out. Like, he loves that. But the problem, I think, with traveling to a trendy spot, particularly something like that was recently featured in a movie or TV show, is that it's not going to come cheap because demand is out the wazoo. I'm all about finding ways to get a good deal and then figuring out why it's so great. I think it's a better methodology. Instead of saying, I really got to stay at that resort and I'll pay whatever it costs, take the opposite approach. Right. If you say, well, where's the good deal? And then why do I want to go there? That's what's typically going to help you save money on travel. This set jetting sort of mindset.

[Matt]

It's going to cost you so much more money.

[Joel]

It makes sense. It feels so American right now. But yeah, if you can like zig and do something different.

[Matt]

No, I think that's what it comes down to. Like, you need a zag while everyone else is zigging. Right? Like zigging comes first. So, like, while everyone else is zigging, use aggressive. Because that's the thing. Like, I picture a bell curve and like right in, like right in the middle of that bell curve is where everyone is spending the absolute most money. And I think what you need to do is either be ahead of the bell curve, which means just going somewhere because you like it. Like, personally, you find it intriguing. You're like, this this seems awesome. Or you need to be behind the bell curve. You need to be on the tail end, which means you just wait a little bit. And you just have to be okay.

[Joel]

With the fact that season four comes out and then you go to Thailand.

[Matt]

Everyone else is going to Thailand right now. I'm just gonna, like, play it local. Or maybe now's the time to go to Sicily or something like that. But yeah, it's funny too, like the fact that you mentioned the Sound of Music, because we, like, on one hand, this seems like a new trend, but it isn't a new trend. Like, we are always going to be impacted by different things. We are going to find inspiration, whether it's from books we read, things that happen in history. Like, there's a reason why there are, like, battlefield parks and historic monuments and places that we go to visit to learn about history. But it's just a matter of avoiding the crowds. And if everyone else is going to those things at certain points in time, for whatever reason, whether it's being featured in pop culture or because it's the time of year that everyone goes and does this thing, it makes me think of, like, Yosemite, when the waterfall. I forget what the waterfall of fire or whatever it's called. Like, that's a popular time because everyone wants to see that. And okay, if that's a bucket list item, but maybe if you don't really care about that, that's something you can avoid and you'll certainly save money while doing that.

[Joel]

Yeah, I think you're kind of just hinting at, like, shoulder season.

[Matt]

Right?

[Joel]

Hey, look, to other times of year. And I know it's. It's not always easy when you have kids in school and stuff like that, but yeah, shoulder season versus prime travel season. You're not only going to save money, but you avoid the crowds, too.

[Matt]

All right, Joel, so we've talked about flying places, which, by the way, we haven't even talked about the radar outages at the different. Different airports. Well, freaky, isn't it?

[Joel]

Yeah. Newark's having a tough time.

[Matt]

I don't have you. Evidently, something like that happened at the Atlanta airport last week as well. Or maybe it was earlier this week. Yeah, kind of freaky.

[Joel]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Don't know enough to actually comment, but let's talk about not flying places, driving places. We're gonna talk about cars, Joel. Half of new car purchases involve the trade in of an old car, which makes sense, but remember that you are almost always getting paid less for that car than you would have received had you sold it privately. And of course, you've got a company stepping in the void. Carvana. They're trying to convince folks to sell their car directly to them instead of DIY selling it as well. They're sending direct emails in hopes that you're gonna get excited about the possibility of selling your used ride. Upgrading to something nicer makes me think about the mailer.

[Joel]

It's a pretty please email. It's like, please sell me your car. Because they're like, hey, we need more.

[Matt]

Supplies, some more inventory.

[Joel]

Maybe you're the sucker. Maybe this email is going to entice you.

[Matt]

Don't do it. And this isn't because we hate Carvana. I think they're fine for some things. I actually purchased a vehicle from them seven years ago now. I don't think it can hurt either to get a quick quote. I think it can be a great spot to say, all right, let's just kind of see. It's like the first piece of data, right? Like the first data entry. But then after that look at Kelley Blue Book, head over to Edmunds. Because the offer from Carvana could be a lowball offer. And of course, listing it yourself on, like, Facebook, Marketplace or Autotrader, it can be well worth the effort to sell it, because I think there's a good chance you're going to receive thousands more. It's just an interesting thing that Carvana is stepping in to be able to provide a frictionless sort of environment. Carvana isn't ripping you. I don't want to at all disparage Carvana. They are providing a service. They are making life easy for you. It's incredibly convenient to go with them, but what are you willing to pay, right? And like always, like everything, like, even if you want to fly to Thailand and stay at the Four Seasons, more power to you. But just know that you're going to be forking out much more money to do that. Just like you're going to be paid much less money for your trade in were you to upgrade anytime soon.

[Joel]

It feels like convenience is the name of the game for companies these days. They're like, how can we make your life more convenient? But there's an extraction that takes place when you make your life more convenient. And I'm not saying that it's not worth paying for sometimes, but you have to be thoughtful about that because it's also.

[Matt]

You can't convenience everything, right?

[Joel]

You know, and at some point, if you do convenience everything, you're going to be forking over a lot more money than you otherwise would. And this is one of those places, I think, where the numbers are substantial. I think when you look at the data, something you're going to get paid typically 15 to 20% less doing a trade in of a car than you would selling it directly to another private party easily. And so if you're talking about a $15,000 car, you could be talking about three grand less in your pocket. And so, oh, it's a hassle to listen on Facebook. Yeah, I get that. I get that it's not fun to, to feel the incoming Facebook messages and to meet up with somebody, but it also might be worth it because the dollar amount significant and there are other things maybe where the trade off of convenience is, is going to cost you less money and you say, no, I'm going to do that on purpose. So but if we convenience everything, which it feels like we're doing as a culture, it's going to cost money. Right. And you might want to sell your car, by the way, if you move into a car free neighborhood. Dwell magazine, Matt. I used to subscribe to that. I haven't in a while, but I loved that magazine. Like the pictures more than anything. The modern architecture, beautiful homes.

[Matt]

Yeah, like we talked about with, with Cali Cox on Wednesday.

[Joel]

That's right, yeah. Yeah. So, so Dwell had this article about a car free community called Cul de Sac that you and I have kind of kept our eyes on. It's in Tempe, Arizona. And, and it seems like it's been a raging success because folks who opt to live there, they get sweet on campus amenities like a gym, they've got cool shops, they've got, you know, food options. And gen zers in particular seem to be all about the amenities in places that they're living. I know my, I don't think my sister's Gen Z, she's a millennial, but she's got that Gen Z mindset.

[Matt]

She's a very young millennial.

[Joel]

Yes. And she's so into amenities where she lives, even if it means trading off and living in a smaller space. But this, this Cul de Sac in particular comes with free transit passes and free E bike access because hey, guess what, you're giving up your car if you live there. And, and so it's really what they're trying to do is create this antidote way of living to the standard car centric lifestyle. And people are thrilled to pay more to live there because they're downsizing their car fleet. They're going to save money there and So I think also it's not just because about saving on car costs. I think it increases the community vibe. And I think people are thrilled to pay more to live there, not just because they're spending less on car stuff, but because it's an enjoyable place to hang.

[Matt]

Yeah, it was created very thoughtfully.

[Joel]

Right.

[Matt]

Like, with intention. There's a lot of density. Right. Like, who doesn't want to be able to walk down the steps around the corner and boom, there's a coffee shop there.

[Joel]

There's a light rail line connected to Cul de Sac that gets some of the other hopping spots in town.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah. They're getting a real community experience there. And not to mention that you were there with like, like mind, but I think a criticism of that is like, oh, yeah, that's great, folks. If you've got the money to be able to uproot your life, go buy this incredibly posh standard of living out here, removed from all types, all crime, you know, just all this.

[Joel]

That's nice.

[Matt]

It is nice. It is nice. But you don't have to move in order to accomplish something like this. I think even I was. We literally were talking with some neighbors, and we were talking about how great it is to go and check your mail and then be stuck for an hour. Not stuck, but, like, positively stuck. Yeah, for an hour. And she's like, oh, shoot, I gotta get inside and cook dinner. But because folks are walking around having conversations with neighbors, it's something you can literally start doing today. You don't have to move to be able to do that.

[Joel]

I think we underrate those happenstance encounters with neighbors and friends. Those are the best ones. Those are more, like, fulfilling in so many ways than like, hey, let's get drinks two Fridays from now. It's kind of the rubbing shoulders, the everyday stuff that really does.

[Matt]

It's that going back to friction, man. Yeah. It's this thing that makes life a little more enjoyable. And oftentimes we write it off pretty quickly. On that note, a writer over at the Atlantic published an ode to the E Bike, Joel, stating that morning commutes for their family have now become a daily highlight. Instead of being monotonous and filled with traffic, which I could not agree more, man. Like, that's something we have experienced firsthand. You're. You're still doing that?

[Joel]

Still doing it with a little man dropping off at school. And he.

[Matt]

Not me, man. I had to sell that cargo bike.

[Joel]

I had to take him in the car this morning because we had somewhere else to be right after and he.

[Matt]

Was only 5, but he was probably like, man, what's up with this? Dad, this sucks.

[Joel]

He was so disappointed. He loves riding on the bike, and I love how much he loves.

[Matt]

Obviously, this isn't something that everyone can replicate. Right. Like, it's tough to E bike on the interstate. I would not recommend that. Don't do it. But traveling by E bike is more doable than many folks think that it is. And they can work well for people of all ages because it's an E bike, so it provides that assistance there. And you know when you're talking about the price of a vehicle, all like, 15th is, man, so funny. I was literally talking to my daughter this morning, and she's like. Or no, I was talking with both of our daughters. I was taking. I was bringing them home last night.

[Joel]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt]

And they're. For whatever reason, they're starting to talk about cars. Like, how much is, like, a decent car that, like, that won't break down? I'm like, well, it depends. But maybe you're talking about five, seven grand, if you know, like something a little bit newer. Maybe eight, nine. And I don't know, it was just interesting.

[Joel]

But a lot of people out there would say, no, no, we're talking like 30 grand for a decent car at least, right?

[Matt]

Yes. And for something that's, you know, under 100,000 miles, sure. Like, you are going to be forking up that much either way. Both of those prices are much, much, much higher than $2,000, which is what you can easily get an E bike for these days.

[Joel]

Yeah. Brand new.

[Matt]

Brand new. I'm thinking more cargo. E bike as well. I mean, even less than that for some of the more compact. What are they called, Bramptons. Like, the ones that, like, even fold up and you can take in your office.

[Joel]

I mean, I think you can get 7, 800 bucks. You can get one of those.

[Matt]

Yeah. And it allows you to use your car less. If it allows you to enjoy your life more. Man, it could be some of the best money that you've ever spent.

[Joel]

No doubt. All right, Matt, we got more to get to, including. Let's talk about artificial intelligence. And, hey, it purports to save you money, but is it going to. We'll get to that and more right after this.

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Jack. Our show is called the best one yet, but can you introduce it as a Tinder bio? Yeah, this is Jack. That was Nick. We're best friends and ex finance guys who host the Best One yet, the daily podcast merging business news with pop culture Yep.

[Joel]

And.

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[Matt]

So Joel, one of the major reasons we have a personal finance podcast is because it can be so difficult for folks to know what their money is doing or for them to know how it is that they're spending their dollars. They don't realize that they've got these financial blind spots like eating out or spending on food delivery. They don't know the full impact that online shopping is having on their ability to save and invest for retirement. Well, Monarch Money acts like your personal cfo. It gives you full visibility and control. It acts as a financial command center for all of your accounts, all of your investments, your personal goals that you.

[Joel]

Have for your life. I feel called out here, Matt, because I went into the back end of my Monarch Money account recently. The biggest surprise? How much money we spent at Chick Fil? A. It's a problem that needs to be remedied, but at least I know that now. And and you get insights big and small when you partner with Monarch. Without a clear financial picture, your financial dreams truly can feel out of reach. And Monarch makes managing money simple, even for busy lives. By the way, it's the top recommended personal finance app by users and Experts with over 30,000 five star reviews.

[Matt]

You know it, man. Get control of your overall finances with Monarch Money. Use code how to [e-mail] in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first [e-mail] with code how to Money what does the.

[Joel]

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[Matt]

Well, until then, Joel. Over 41,000 businesses have future proofed their business with NetSuite by Oracle. The number one Cloud ERP bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR into one fluid platform with one unified business management suite. There's one source of truth giving you the visibility and control you need to make quick decisions. With real time insights and forecasting, you're peering into the future with actionable data. When you're closing the books out in days, not weeks, you are spending less time looking backwards and more time on what is next. Our business is really small, but if we needed netsuite, we would be pumped about the time the cost savings that it provides. Whether your company is earning millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars, NetSuite helps you to respond to immediate challenges and seize your biggest opportunities.

[Joel]

Speaking of opportunity, download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at netsuite.com howtomoney the guide is free to you at netsuite.com howTomoney that's netsuite.com howtomone all right, we're back. Now it's time for the ludicrous headline of the week. This one comes from 404 Media and the headline reads, Instagram's AI chatbots lie about being licensed therapists. Dirty AI Matt lying to us.

[Matt]

I bet this one really got under your skin. But also the skin of your wife.

[Joel]

Yes, I know. I told her about this and she was like, yeah, let me tell you why this sucks. So my wife literally just graduated this past weekend. Super pumped for her. She is now officially a licensed therapist and harbor the Harvard Business Review finds that the number one use case right now for artificial intelligence. You would think it's cheating on writing papers, but no, it's therapy and companionship.

[Matt]

Well, I do think that there are.

[Joel]

A lot of, there's a lot of.

[Matt]

That students out there who are cheating on papers.

[Joel]

Weren't you shocked though that therapy and companionship actually outranked that as a use for artificial intelligence?

[Matt]

Well, from a. I mean it makes sense, I guess from an official, I like as a whole, as an aggregate, are there more students cheating on papers as opposed to services being offered? Yes, I do think that that's certainly the case.

[Joel]

So maybe they didn't count the data correctly, I don't know. But it's interesting that it's moving. Artificial intelligence is really Moving that hard into this space. That was it. The movie Her Back in the day with Scarlett Johansson was the voice of the AI that's like becoming real life before our very eyes. And so, like, the lines between what's real and what's not are being blurred. And Psychology Today wrote about this phenomenon. They said, hey, chatbots lack nuanced empathy. They miss nonverbal cues, they avoid conflict, and that actually can lead to worsening mental health risks. So. And on top of that, the fact that the chatbots are trying to help and doing so poorly, I think that's one thing. But they're trying to pass as real humans with degrees and credentials. So if you push back and you say, hey, where did you go to school? What's your degree in? They'll make up lies.

[Matt]

That's.

[Joel]

Yeah. And tell you stuff like, well, I went to this school and here's my licensed therapy number, and it's all fake. And so it's a really weird thing. I think it also shows, too, the people who are in charge of these tech companies are taking this, like, laissez faire approach to artificial intelligence.

[Matt]

Yes.

[Joel]

It's a little freaky.

[Matt]

I don't blame the AI because that's what it's programmed to do. It's the companies that are implementing this. You know, like, that's. I think, like, AI does not have a mind of its own. And it makes. It makes me think about. Man, you've heard me talk about this too. It makes me think about smartphones 10, 15 years ago. Right. And it's just like, oh, these are new, new tools, and we need to get our kids on these, using these things. And now the generation that went before us, I feel. I honestly feel bad for them because it's something that was sort of unproven. And this feels similar to me, that in particular, the fact that it just.

[Joel]

Test your mental health with these AI chat bots and see what happens.

[Matt]

They are experimenting on the public at large, all in an attempt to gain as much market share as possible. Like, it's an arms race.

[Joel]

We're crash test dummies over here.

[Matt]

Yes. Yeah. And who's to. I mean, who's to benefit? Oh, well, some of these. A lot of these companies. Who has the risk of being harmed? I think it's the. Obviously the most vulnerable, those who are looking for some type of counseling, but then also kids as well, which really. I don't know, it makes me feel. Makes me feel weird about it.

[Joel]

One of the things that my wife said, too, when I asked her about the story was, well, the biggest thing, the most important part of therapy is human to human interaction. And it's, it's the relationship with the therapist that is a big part of the life change that takes place for people. And so if you remove the human element, like you remove the big catalyst that leads to change for a whole lot of people. So could AI therapy be potentially helpful for some folks? I'm not going to say no.

[Matt]

I could see it being used as a tool. Yeah. But not as a replacement. Right, right. Like, I could see an office and.

[Joel]

The fact that they're lying to us just weirds me out even more.

[Matt]

That's, yeah, that's, but again, that's like you ask any chat something like that and it just makes it up. And they're called hallucinations. And it's like, well, no, that's, it's just, that's how it's programmed to run. It's going to find the information to make to satisfy your query, basically.

[Joel]

Yeah. You come up with something.

[Matt]

Yes, exactly. You talking about, like, the relationship with a counselor, like, what that is, is embodiment.

[Joel]

Yeah.

[Matt]

It makes me think of a recent article. You've seen Zuck talking about AI, AI best friends. Yeah.

[Joel]

I can't hang out with you tonight.

[Matt]

By the way, which seems completely insane.

[Joel]

I'm hanging out with my AI best.

[Matt]

Friends friend now, essentially, he's pointing to the loneliness pandemic and how, like, well, actually people want to have more friends. They don't have the time or ability to. So you're going to have a virtual an AI best friend. Do you think he actually believes this?

[Joel]

I, I, I don't know. Like, if he actually believes this, that scares me. But maybe he believes this to the tune of, like, profit and dollar signs.

[Matt]

That's, that's, I think that's what it comes.

[Joel]

But that's super frightening to think that, that he thinks that AI can be a replacement for friendship too.

[Matt]

Like, my good faith sort of argument is that he's trying to, he's just throwing stuff at the wall. He's trying to innovate.

[Joel]

Yeah.

[Matt]

He's like, all right, the meta glasses didn't really work out, so maybe we can double down on the AI but going back to, like, friction rubbing shoulders, you don't have that with AI Right. Like, what you have is zero friction and so much so that you're not challenged. Like, that's what makes life interesting. Like the fact that we disagree about, like, what do comedians make jokes out of? It's the, it's the friction. It's like the tension. It's all the things that take place in real life, embodied life. And you are not getting that when it comes to these AI bots that are basically. It feels weird, man. It's gonna be like this sycophantic sort of just replies where they're just patting you on the back. Do you have to like upgrade to get like the, the next level, more aware chatbot that's gonna push back a little bit and then you're thinking, well, forget that. Why am I paying you to argue with me? Yeah, right.

[Joel]

It's a scary dystopian future if Mark Zuckerberg has his way. And yeah, just these two stories together this week just had me thinking about like, this is why I have mostly avoided artificial intelligence. It's not because I'm a Luddite or don't care about technological progress. It's that I just don't know that it's best for me to engage with artificial intelligence on a regular basis. And I think there are some real pitfalls to it.

[Matt]

Agreed.

[Joel]

Good news, by the way, on the tech overlord front though, that will benefit millions of people. A judge just ruled that the Apple Store, their App Store has been engaging in anti competitive behavior and that they have to stop restricting app developers from funneling users to their site to make a sale. So basically Apple was taking this like blackmail, like vig from every purchase that a customer made of 30%. And it wasn't just in the app. So if you downloaded the app and you, you bought something through the app, signed up for a service or something like that, even that seemed a little shady to me. But if an app developer wanted you to click over to its website in order to buy the service or good there, Apple still wanted their cut. That's the weird part, which is so dirty. And so I have hated this practice for a long time. It has enriched Apple much to the chagrin of many app developers. It helps Apple's bottom line, but specifically Epic.

[Matt]

So folks might remember this going way back to when it was Fortnite. Basically it was Epic games or whatever, wanting to make sure that Apple wasn't getting a cut of every single fortnight download, even when it was taking place outside of the App Store. I think it was like, I think they're still getting like 27%. Yes, something like that.

[Joel]

So pretty fat Fortnight is back on the App Store now. Or at least they petition to get back on the App Store. This is one of those things where maybe you don't notice it in the background that Apple is scheming and stealing money from consumers and from companies. And they're going to appeal this ruling, but I'm hoping that it sticks because what Apple's been doing to all of us is wrong.

[Matt]

Yeah. To jump through some hoops in order to get a deal, like that's one in the same. Right. And so if you like, I'm totally fine, by the way, for Apple to charge more essentially for apps and different services that are being offered through the App Store. If it's more expensive because it's easy. Again, you're paying for a service, you're paying for convenience. But if you click out of that app and want to do things the hard way, you should be rewarded for that. If you want to put in the extra legwork to get a deal, then you should receiving that.

[Joel]

And companies should be able to incentivize their users to take the extra step to save money and avoid the egregious Apple flame.

[Matt]

Totally. And some folks will do it, some folks won't. But at least give people a choice. Joel, let's talk about tariffs and inflation, because I don't know if you heard tariffs were put on hold. Oh, I heard there's a delay that was announced earlier this week sending the markets up. A lot of folks may have felt that as well when it came to their 401ks.

[Joel]

And actually the market is back up over where it was on Liberation Day. The market's been soaring.

[Matt]

It's almost. It's almost as if it didn't.

[Joel]

Almost as if it didn't.

[Matt]

Didn't even happen. Joel. So instead of 145% tariffs against China, they're down now to 30% China, they've dialed back their tariffs on US goods to 10%. And some folks are calling it a trade deal, like something that they've agreed to. But really it's this. It's a temporary trade war truce for 90 days. And depending on how things end up shaking out in those talks, we'll see if they actually hold for that long. I personally can't imagine. I don't know. I feel like you've let the cat out of the bag by walking back the terrace. You can't go back at this point. I would be shocked to see that. But still, regardless, this is good news for businesses, especially small ones, who get a lot of supplies and inventory from China, but then also for consumers alike, if this does lead to sustainability, sustained bargains that allows for the free flow of goods and not Services, but of goods across borders, across the Pacific specifically. And so it's still hard to know what the political, what the economic goals are here. But for now, we are happy to see things moving in the right direction. I am personally encouraged because to think that, okay, does the White House actually think that terrorists are the solution? And to me, this is evidence that like, oh, yeah, it was all a gambit. It was all a part of the negotiating. What will we actually receive out of it that will hold? We will see. But at least it's not a fundamental disagreement as to how it is that free trade benefits everybody.

[Joel]

Yeah, there's been more talk about the benefits of free trade recently from the White House, which was not happening as a breath of fresh air in the first couple.

[Matt]

But that's the thing. You can't have those talks if you are also saying out of one side of your mouth, you can't say that. And then out of the other side of your mouth saying that like, oh, no, no, no, terrorists. That's gonna be what turns America around. You know, like, yeah, I feel bad for. What was it Lutnick, the guy that like, man, he kind of, he had to play the bad cop, essentially. Like, he had to be the one that was just like, nah, guys, this is gonna be great for everybody. And now they're like, alright, buddy, we're done with you. Yeah, thank you for your service. Thank you.

[Joel]

Peace out. Well, and we're seeing, I think I've seen more articles, Matt, about this uptick of financial anxiety that people are experiencing. And I think part of it is the headlines about tariffs, the uncertainty that those are creating, the recession predictions. They're causing some people to really reconsider some of their spending habits and rein in some of their spending right now because of the increased anxiety they're feeling. And then those anecdotes that are being dropped in those articles, those are backed up by the Consumer Sentiment index, which has plummeted. People are like, I don't feel so great about the state of the economy right now. And I would say you and I, we're not against making changes to your spending habits to prepare for potentially more difficult times, but we also don't want you living in fear. And so if you've been like rolling through the money gears, which you can [e-mail] youm can click start here, you'll see the money gears there. Well, if you're, if you're tracking your spending and your savings are robust because you've been doing that, you've Been investing over months and years. Just I think I want to highlight the fact that you shouldn't let vibes upend your life or make you feel like you have to do more. And I think sometimes, Matt, people get in this position where they're like, I feel uncertain. I don't feel great about where things are going or where. Or the state of the economy right now. And so they just feel like they have to do more and pinch further. But I think for a lot of people, the antidote to anxiety, if you're doing the savings, you're doing the debt pay down, you got that bare bones budget in your pocket. Those are important things. But it's not just that. It's also about working. To dial back on some of those anxious thoughts and just made me think of the episode we did, episode 631 with Lindsay Brian Podvin, about how to reduce financial anxiety in our lives. And maybe that's worth a re. Listen, she's a financial therapist. Or if you hadn't heard that one before, it's worth checking that out because especially if you're feeling. If those feelings are ramping up right now, obviously the answer is not to be like, hey, don't be anxious. That's not what I'm saying. But go listen to that episode because it might help you develop some skills to kind of reduce the. Maybe the incessant anxious thoughts that you might be feeling.

[Matt]

I'm curious if folks are wondering if we are part of the problem, you know, because, like, it's like, on one hand we try to talk about relevant news, but on the other hand, like, we try to be optimistic, right? Like, I wonder if folks are thinking like, oh, dudes, I was good until you told me that I should be worried about the terrorist ones. I think that's a part of why I was found myself not wanting to talk about terrorists after like the first week or so. Because it's like, we don't know if this is gonna happen, like, what's gonna be the end result. But it's like, I don't know, we try to strike that balance between sticking your head in the sand and being like, huh, you know, putting your fingers in your ears and humming, pretending like everything's gonna be fine versus incessantly focusing on the negative, like, or somehow trying to do both. And I'm curious if, listen, maybe listeners will email us if you feel that we are overly focused on the negative or overly optimistic and Pollyannish, because somehow we're trying to find, we're trying to thread the needle man. Yeah, that's what we try to do here.

[Joel]

We don't want to be causing five alarm fires where it's not necessary, but also trying to say, hey, you have questions, you have thoughts about this, you've seen the headline. You are, you probably do have some concerns and you want to hear two besties talking about offer their thoughts on the reality things.

[Matt]

That's right, buddy. And that is gonna be it for this week's Friday flight. We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. We'll see you back here on Monday with a fresh ask how to Money episode for show. You know it.

[Joel]

All right, until next time, Best friends out.

[Matt]

Best friends.

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