Episode Summary: "Here's An Easy Way To Save $3,000 Per Year (with Bryan Suddith)"

The Stacking Benjamins Show episode released on May 28, 2025, features hosts Joe Saul-Sehy and OG engaging with guest Brian Suddith to explore effective strategies for reducing household food waste. This episode delves into practical methods for tracking and minimizing food waste, leveraging gamification to make the process enjoyable, and understanding the broader financial implications for families.

Guest Introduction

Brian Suddith, a seasoned speaker and advocate for reducing food waste, joins Joe and OG to share his personal journey in cutting down his family’s food budget. Brian’s insights are rooted in his experience implementing systematic approaches to minimize waste and maximize savings.

Main Discussion: Reducing Food Waste

Brian begins by recounting how the COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for his family to reassess their food consumption habits. With both him and his spouse working from home, they found themselves together more frequently, leading to increased awareness of their food habits and waste.

Brian Suddith ([14:29]):
"At first, we would just sort of just speak it out loud. If I threw something away, I would just yell to the other room where my wife was probably working, and I would say that was $0.35 of pasta, dairy, butter and cheese that we just put into the trash."

Key Strategies Discussed:

1. Tracking Waste:

   • Initial Steps: The family transitioned from a mental tally to using post-it notes on the refrigerator to document each instance of food waste, noting the type and cost of wasted items.
   • Long-Term Tracking: They invested in a year-long monthly planner to meticulously record every purchase and corresponding waste down to the penny.

2. Intentional Shopping:

   • Purposeful Purchases: Every grocery item is bought with a specific plan for use within the next week or ten days, ensuring that nothing lingers unused in the fridge or pantry.
   • Meal Planning: By sketching out a light meal schedule, they align their grocery list with their planned meals, reducing the likelihood of overbuying.

3. Creative Repurposing of Leftovers:

   • Innovative Recipes: Brian shares examples like creating Hawaiian French bread pizza loaves from leftover ham, bell peppers, and pineapple, or transforming excess tomato sauce into a unique tomato soup.

4. Use of Preservation Tools:

   • Blue Apple Products: Incorporating blue plastic apples with special packets that absorb gases, thereby extending the freshness of produce by one to two weeks.

Brian Suddith ([42:50]):
"By using blue apples, it truly extends the life of your produce by a couple weeks."

Impact and Results

Over a span of six years, Brian and his family achieved remarkable reductions in food waste:

• 2020: Approximately $30-$35 wasted.
• 2021: Reduced to $18 through mental tracking and system implementation.
• 2022: Further decreased to under $10 by adopting a detailed planner.
• 2023: Achieved less than $4 in waste through refined processes and continued discipline.

Brian Suddith ([28:19]):
"By 2023 we were at less than $4 waste."

These significant savings not only alleviated financial strain but also provided the family with additional funds to enjoy discretionary spending, such as dining out.

Career Discussions: Skilled Trades vs. College

The conversation transitions to the evolving landscape of career opportunities, highlighting alternative paths to traditional four-year college degrees. Brian emphasizes the growing importance and profitability of skilled trades, especially in the context of current labor shortages as baby boomers retire.

Highlighted Points:

• High-Paying Skilled Trades: Jobs like welding, fabrication, and other technical roles offer substantial salaries and benefits without the need for a college degree.
• ROI Considerations: Brian stresses the importance of calculating the return on investment (ROI) when choosing educational paths, advocating for vocational training where appropriate.

Brian Suddith ([57:50]):
"If you're going to go to college, you've got to calculate your return on investment. What's the college going to cost and what do you expect to earn when you get out of college?"

Headlines Highlighting Skilled Trades

A key segment of the episode covers a Wall Street Journal piece by TPing Chen, which discusses high school juniors being offered $70,000 per year job offers in skilled trades. This trend addresses the critical shortage of workers in industries like manufacturing and nuclear recycling.

Key Insights:

• Recruitment Strategies: Companies are increasingly courting high school students to secure a skilled workforce for the future.
• Benefits for Students: These positions offer paid training, competitive salaries, and direct entry into the workforce without the burden of student loans.

Joe Saul-Sehy ([56:02]):
"Listen to this. So Elijah, when he graduates next year, he plans to work as a fabricator at a local equipment maker for nuclear recycling and other sectors. A job that pays $24 an hour plus overtime regularly and paid vacations."

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The episode underscores the importance of mindfulness in both daily habits and long-term financial planning. By adopting systematic approaches to reduce food waste, families can achieve significant savings and improve their overall financial health. Additionally, exploring vocational training and skilled trades offers viable and profitable alternatives to traditional college degrees, addressing current labor market demands.

Notable Quotes

• Brian Suddith on Gamification:

  "The game really took hold and become something for us to drive toward. And that was a lot of weird meals and a lot of weird concoctions, but a lot of fun as well." ([24:22])

• Joe Saul-Sehy on Savings Motivation:

  "If you're saving almost $2,000 a year on food, Len, you could buy the more expensive food." ([46:18])

• Brian Suddith on Confidence in Storytelling:

  "Know that people want to hear your story, that there's value in what you have to say and believe that, and to practice that in front of an audience you trust." ([34:45])

Additional Segments

Investing Strategies:

• The hosts discuss the importance of maintaining a long-term investment strategy, especially during market downturns. Brian shares his approach of staying committed to his investment plan despite short-term volatility, emphasizing the benefits of dollar-cost averaging and trusting the investment process.

Listener Engagement:

• The episode features comments and reviews from listeners, reinforcing community engagement and shared experiences in financial management. Notably, the hosts respond to feedback regarding meal planning tips and grocery shopping hacks.

Trivia and Fun Elements:

• A segment includes a trivia minute where listeners are quizzed on financial knowledge, adding an element of fun and interactive learning to the show.

Final Thoughts

Brian Suddith’s insights offer actionable strategies for listeners to reduce food waste and enhance their financial well-being. By integrating these practices into daily routines, families can achieve substantial savings and foster more sustainable living habits. Additionally, the discussion on vocational training provides a timely reminder of the diverse pathways available for career advancement beyond traditional academic routes.

For more detailed insights and resources mentioned in this episode, visit StackingBenjamins.com.