1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to Stuff You Should Know 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: from house stuff Works dot Com. Join Josh and Chuck, 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: the guys who bring you Stuff you should know, as 5 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: they take a trip around the world to help you 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: get smarter in a topsy turv economy. Check out the 7 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: all new super Stuff Guide to the Economy from house 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot Com, available now exclusively on iTunes. Hey, 9 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. Chuck is cracking up? What 10 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: is going on? Chuck? I just can't believe I said 11 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: that episode growth. Yeah, we can't repeat what Chuck just said. 12 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: He's a dirty, dirty boy. They're all gonna wonder. His 13 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: name is Charles W. Bryant. My name is Joshua M. Clark. 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: I go by Josh. He goes by Chuck or compass 15 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: head and chuckers Um, and this is stuff you should know. 16 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: Thanks for tuning into our podcast. Are you on uppers? Yeah? Okay, 17 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: I did a bunch of amial nitrate. Man, everything is weird. 18 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: Good for you, Thanks so, Chuck Um. Times are tough 19 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: right now. Indeed, as you know, they're particularly tough for me. 20 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: I am broke all the time, right, I know that. Actually, 21 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: we have this cool monthly Yeah you know that because 22 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: I like to bump money off a chunk cords in 23 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: a while. Um, we have this monthly expenses calculator on 24 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: the side. Have you been on it? It's it's unnerving. 25 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: It's got all this great stuff and you know, like 26 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:23,839 Speaker 1: how much you estimate how much you spend on gas 27 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: a month, cable, your phone, insurance, all this, and then 28 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: you put in at the top your your monthly gross income. 29 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: Somehow I'm living on negative two and fifty four dollars 30 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: a month. That's awesome. I have no idea how I'm 31 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: still alive. But Uncle Sam has well, Uncle Sam's in 32 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: trouble too, but they take quite a bite. Well imagine 33 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: if I had put my net income in here, and 34 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: I'd be in the hole like a grand every morning 35 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: when I wake up. Um. But yeah, so, I mean, 36 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: like I said, times of tough. We're all very very 37 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: happy to be here at how stuff Works dot com. 38 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: How stuff Works dot Com. We love this place. I 39 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: love it. Seriously. Please don't fire un exactly as we know. 40 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: Remember we met that guy Chris in our in our 41 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: our podcast. Yeah, so no, I'm sorry. Our spoken word album. 42 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: I just got the Crop the Kakai from our producer Jerry. 43 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: She's like, I don't even say audiobook kid, um, but yeah, 44 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: so so it's a little rough right now. One of 45 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: the things I've learned is that as long as I 46 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: have gas in the car, beer and cigarettes, I'm set. 47 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: Because really, honestly, um, I have virtually discontinued eating. Like, 48 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: I don't eat breakfast. I rarely ate breakfast anyway. I 49 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: don't eat lunch um, and dinner is usually kind of small, 50 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. Uh. And it's amazing how quick 51 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: your stomach shrinks, right. Um, you just I'm not hungry. 52 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: I'm rarely hungry, usually by about seven, which is when 53 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: I'll eat dinner. If I do, um, i'll be kind 54 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: of hungry. But if I just say no, I'm not 55 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: really hungry, it goes away. Sure, um and some coffee 56 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: and that helps. But the problem is is there's like 57 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: there's an arc where it's like, you know, appetitius suppressed, 58 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 1: appetiti supress, and then all of a sudden, the caffeine 59 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: just screams into your stomach and it really points out 60 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: how empty your stomach is, so you have to know 61 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: where the cut off point is, right. Um, but no, 62 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: I've been writing a lot of health articles lately, and 63 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: it turns out that there is a well known fact 64 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: and the medical establishment this isn't crack pop fringe stuff 65 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: that you're really unhealthy because you don't know that that 66 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: I will probably live longer than I normally would have 67 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: because of a calorie restricted diet, which we've talked about. 68 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 1: We have, and I have found out quite happily that 69 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: I accidentally fell uh backwards, thank you backwards, I'm like 70 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: hung up on profanity, uh into a calorie restricted diet 71 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: and I will live longer even smoking cigarettes. Well, good 72 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: luck with that, my thanks. But the point is is 73 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: I've found that you can't get by the very little money, 74 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: and um, that just so happens to be what we're 75 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: talking about right now. That was the longest setup in 76 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: the history of stuff. You should know, which is good 77 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: a new records. I wasn't knocking it. Did I get 78 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: a medal of it? Because I would totally pawn it 79 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: right now, Yeah, to my cigarette. So yeah, Josh, you 80 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: can get by then I think, what's the name of 81 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: the article? How much money do I Really Need to 82 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: Live Written by Jane, our colleague Jane McGrath, who is 83 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 1: our fine, fine financial and money writer, and she also 84 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: has her own podcast, Stuff you Missed in History Class 85 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: with Candice Gibson at the Tricks Extraordinary. Actually, no, it's 86 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: not Candice Gibson any longer. Our dear Candice got married 87 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: Candice Keener. Candice Keener now c K So, Chuck, what 88 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: what do we How much money do we need to live? 89 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: I know how much I need to live, But I mean, 90 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: as far as the government's concerned, don't they have some 91 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: sort of estimate that I may have heard of. I 92 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,799 Speaker 1: think you're talking about out the poverty threshold. Yes, which, 93 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: again reading this article, that's a very little money that 94 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: the government considers the poverty line, right. I looked it 95 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: up in two thousand nine. For for a single person, 96 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,119 Speaker 1: the government thinks you can get by in ten thousand, 97 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: eight hundred and thirty dollars a year. Yeah, you actually 98 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: lived below the poverty line one year? You didn't. I 99 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: did not too long ago. Wow, Chuck. This is when 100 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: I was in the film business and I was working 101 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: as a p A and I made very very little money. 102 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: But like with this article. I had very cheap apartment. 103 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: I had l a Yeah, there's such a thing there 104 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: was at the time. I've had a really good deal 105 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,239 Speaker 1: going and uh, you know how it works, dude. I 106 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: didn't buy much food. I thought really cheap food. Uh, 107 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: and I was able to do it. I was shocked 108 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: when I got my UM statement at the end of 109 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: the year. I was like, you gotta be kidding me. 110 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: I lived on that and I didn't feel like I 111 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: really missed out on that. That's crazy. Well, it's because 112 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: you're hanging out with Matthew McConaughey the whole time. True, Yeah, Maddie. 113 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: So that that's that's for one person, ten grand and 114 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: thirty dollars um. That's absolute poverty, which they've been Uh, 115 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: they've been looking at this kind of stuff since the 116 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties. Right. Well, let me say, also, a family 117 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: of four as far as in two thousand nine supposedly 118 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: can get by on two thousand, fifty dollars. A family 119 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: of four. That's insane to me. But yeah, so this 120 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: is this is uh, this all comes from the sixties. 121 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 1: There's an analyst named Mali Orshansky, and he came up 122 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: with the poverty line. Right. Basically, what he did was 123 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: he estimated the total annual cost of a healthy diet 124 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,679 Speaker 1: in America, and then he multiplied it by three because 125 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: he'd read in nineteen fifty five U. S. D. A 126 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: Report that said that Americans spend about one third of 127 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: their income on food, So that would make sense. You 128 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: figure out how much food you need and then multiplied 129 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: by three, and then you have the poverty line. That's 130 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: the least amount of money you need to make. And 131 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: the bureau adopted that. They like, this is a great job. True, 132 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: and unfortunately they've been using it ever since with very 133 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 1: little adjustment. Right, they ad just for inflation, the inflation 134 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: of uh increases in in the price for food, that 135 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: kind of thing. But really it's still based on that 136 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: original formula, right, with the one third number. I think 137 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: that's what's causing a lot of issues. Some people think 138 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: say that one seventh of your income is what you 139 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: actually spend on food now. And also you have to 140 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: take into account like back in the in the fifties 141 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: and early sixties, you didn't have to get a loaned 142 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: by a car, right they become exponentially more expensive. You 143 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: also didn't have cable TV. You also didn't have wireless internet. 144 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: You also didn't have cell phones any internet for that matter. 145 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: That is true, Thanks for that one. We have so 146 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: many more bills today that the formula should have been 147 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: changed years and years ago, right, but the bills. I 148 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: think this is the crux of the matter is want 149 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: versus need, And that's kind of the crux of the 150 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: article is do you need wireless internet? People think they 151 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: can't live without their cell phone, but not too long ago, 152 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: all of us lived without a shell phone and it 153 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: wasn't that big of a deal. Well, there's this thing 154 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: called the relative needs. Do you remember when we talked 155 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: about the five day weekend? We talked about relative needs 156 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: and it was, uh, like, say your neighbor gets a 157 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: really big TV, and all of a sudden, you need 158 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: a TV. But you need a really big TV. Right, 159 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: that's a relative needs. But not all relative needs are 160 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: kind of want to grabby needs, like I need to 161 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: beat my neighbor. They also reflect the competitiveness that we 162 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: have in the marketplace and in the labor force. Right, 163 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: Like if you have a cell phone and the guy 164 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: who's up for a job next to you has only 165 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:38,959 Speaker 1: a landline, and has to go home or use a 166 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: pay phone to stay connected. Who's going to really come 167 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: out on top or you might just miss the one 168 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: call that you need, you know. Sure, Yeah, So I 169 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: mean there there are certain things that you can say, yeah, 170 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: that's kind of frivolous. We did without them, but the 171 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 1: fact is everybody else has them. You kind of have 172 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: to have him to stay competitive. Like, um, I've been 173 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: trying to find any way I can to cut down 174 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: on a monthly expenses. In one clear way is to 175 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: just get rid of my cable. But I'm not going 176 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: to get rid of my cable entirely because I still 177 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: need wireless internet because I work at home a lot, 178 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: you know, and we we have a research based job, 179 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: so we need the internet exactly, and and the cell phone. Like, yeah, 180 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: you can pare it down, like I could have a 181 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: pretty bare bones um uh cell phone plan and it 182 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:22,719 Speaker 1: would save a few bucks, But if you really look 183 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: at it's like, oh, I'm saving like thirty forty bucks 184 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: a month, which technically adds up over the course of 185 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: a year, but really you're like, ah, that I just 186 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 1: went through that in gas, you know. So it's kind 187 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 1: of a frustrating balancing act, trying to pare down monthly expenses. Right, yes, 188 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: absolutely so. So what are some of the things you 189 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: can do their chuck if you want to really look 190 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: at how to live on the least amount of money. Well, Josh, 191 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: I was raised by my mother and father, but namely, 192 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: my mother raised our family of five on a elementary 193 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: school principal salary. In the it was just your dad working, 194 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: just my dad. My mom quit teaching to raise the 195 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: kids and then went back to teaching later once I 196 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: was older, and she did a sterling job. By the way, 197 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: thank you, thanks mom. But my mom is and what 198 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: wasn't is a master um economist micro economist. She was 199 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: able to She clipped coupons, which is one of the 200 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: things that we highly recommend. I mean, she had a 201 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 1: box filed with coupons, alphae tized, it was already organized. 202 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: We shopped at the discount to clothe the ears, like Marshall, Like, 203 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: my mom was pretty good like that too. And she 204 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 1: could never understand why I would I just refuse to 205 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: wear nights of the round table clothing. She's like, it 206 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: looks exactly the same, Like, no, see that that's a 207 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: little flag was supposed to be the polo. It looked 208 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: just like the polo thing, except instead of a polo mallet, 209 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: the top of the mallet it was a flag. And 210 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, when you're eleven, every kid around 211 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: you sees that flag. Hero win on that flag. Well 212 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,319 Speaker 1: try me, buddy. I Not only that, but in my family, 213 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: we shopped at the store that had the the flaws 214 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: in the clothing. Oh an outlet store. Yeah, well now 215 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: it was an outlet store. It was called I can't 216 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: remember what it's called, but factory store. No liquidator, No 217 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: I don't, I'm out of It's basically like you'll it'll 218 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 1: be the name brand and be like, hey look at 219 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: those Converse shoes, but they're missing two eye holes, or 220 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: your your your genes are missing a zipper, that kind 221 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 1: of thing. Well, what's funny is as I've grown older, 222 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: I've come to see the value and stuff like that. 223 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 1: Absolutely like who pays full price, who pays retail? Not me? 224 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: And that goes back to my point is growing up, 225 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: I always felt like I was maybe missing out here 226 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: and there, and not that we were I mean poor 227 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: by any means. Always felt like I had everything I needed, 228 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: but I didn't get the members only jacket, and I 229 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,959 Speaker 1: didn't get the parachute pants, and now it's no no. 230 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: I think, God yeah for my mom not getting you 231 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,079 Speaker 1: those things. And the end result is as an adult, 232 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: I have a natural inclination toward being a little more 233 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: frugal and watching my money in some ways. But I'm 234 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: also my father's son who is notorious for blowing money 235 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: on flights of fancy, so I always I also have that, 236 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: So it's a nice balance. That is a good balance. 237 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: Like I won't I'll walk around behind my wife turning 238 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: out lights, and I'll try and recycle everything under the 239 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,439 Speaker 1: sun and reuse it. But I'll go out and like 240 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: blow five hundred bucks on the guitar without even thinking, 241 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 1: and he will people I have been there with him 242 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: when he did. It was a great guitar. What was it? Uh, well, 243 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: it's a nice guitar. Okay, he Chuck's afraid you're gonna 244 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 1: break into his house and take his guitar, So coupons wait. 245 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:35,079 Speaker 1: Let me also say that I want to give a 246 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: shout out to my mom, who was a very very 247 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: great woman at being thrifty but also making her kids 248 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: feel like we were rich as I've grown older, I've realized, Yeah, 249 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: not everybody ate turkey loaf and drank green kool aid 250 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: for dinner, you know what I mean. Yeah, So now 251 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: I'm kind of like, hats off, it's off the mom's 252 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 1: mother stays approaching. Let's just yeah, here's two more So, 253 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: clipping coupons is a good way, Josh buying generic. I know, 254 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: I go that was a great grocery store in Atlanta 255 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: called Kroger, and I think I don't know if they're 256 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: nationwide another and yeah, they're pretty big. But man, I 257 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: buy the Kroger brands. It's always cheaper. It's just as good. 258 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: Especially they're delicious private stock brand, right, Chuck, do you 259 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:17,319 Speaker 1: remember the generic? Like the generic brand. There's a brand 260 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: that was like it was a like it was a 261 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: white box and it would say in black block letters 262 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: brand Flakes and then there was a UPC code and 263 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: that was it. Did your see the beer? No, it 264 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: was great. My first this is when my brother lived 265 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles, my first visit ever to l A. 266 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: Me and some friends from U g A went and 267 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,120 Speaker 1: stayed with my brother. We went to the store and 268 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: to get some beer, and literally the first thing where 269 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: I went to was the six pack of white cans 270 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: that said beer and we loaded up. It was awful? 271 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: Was it bad? Could you stomach it? Did you finish it? Well? 272 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: Of course I was in college. I have never seen that. 273 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: I would love. I'm going on eBay find well, it's 274 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: not around anymore, and somebody's got it in their garage somewhere. 275 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: Probably yeah, some Yeah, we could probably find some Billy 276 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 1: beer on there. Oh yeah, from Billy Carter some alright, 277 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: so check, we've got coupons, we've got generic. There's also 278 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: a Cooking at home is huge. Number one. If you're 279 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: like out and about and you're not cooking, but you're poor, 280 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: you're say goodbye to vegetables in your diet because you know, 281 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: no fast food place sells vegetables, and if they do, 282 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: they're no longer nutritious. They have been slathered in fat 283 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: and deep fried so long that you might as well 284 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: just eat, you know, blocks of cheese. That's it. Um. 285 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: So yeah, you if you can cook at home. Number one, 286 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: it's cheaper. Number two's healthier. Um. And in the article, 287 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: uh Jane cites a source that that says that if 288 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 1: if you bring your own lunch to work every day 289 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: you can, you can save about nine and sixty bucks 290 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: a year. Struck me as very low, because don't hear 291 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: you can't get lunch for less than ten bucks. I 292 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: let's go with ten because the mass a lot easier. 293 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: But that comes to if you go out every day, 294 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: which there's a lot of people who work with us 295 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: that do um and that's like bucks a year. That's 296 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: a lot of cheese. I feel guilty when I eat 297 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: out lunch, Yeah I do. I feel like it's a 298 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: complete waste of money. If I don't like bring my 299 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: sandwich or something and I'm forced to eat out, I'll 300 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: try and skip lunch. But yeah, it makes me like 301 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: I don't want to go home and say, you know, 302 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: it's been twelve dollars on lunch. Yeah, yeah, no, no, 303 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't either. I know what you mean. 304 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: I value a buck. I'll treat myself sometimes generally I 305 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: don't eat lunch. I'm a Gordon Gecko adherent. But let 306 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: me give you a little tip. And I know you 307 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: already know this. If you ever happen to be hanging 308 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: around the courtyard downstairs around twelve twelve thirty, you see 309 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: rocks in read strike up a conversation with her because 310 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: she has a policy of buying lunch or whoever she 311 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: runs into while she's out there. She bought me lunch 312 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: one day, she bought me lunch twice. Well, we just 313 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: needed time. This better alternate. Yeah, we can both just 314 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: be there with big dough eyes like hey Roxanne. So yeah, 315 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: need versus want, Josh. That's what it comes down to. 316 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: If you're uh suffering in these tough times, I think 317 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: what you need to do is take a good hard 318 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: look at your finances, break it down, line it, out 319 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: it and buy item and really think about it. Do 320 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 1: I need a cable or can I get rid of 321 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: it for the next six or eight months? Especially with 322 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: the new digital transmissions apparently that opened up If it works, 323 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: it opened up a lot more channels than than it 324 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: was available with just ravities, and it's a lot clearer too. 325 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: So that's something. I went without cable a couple of 326 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: times in my life for extended periods, and I thought 327 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: I was gonna miss it, man, But after a little while, 328 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: you you can just kind of forget. It's like not eating. Yeah, 329 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 1: I've done it a bunch of choice before, and you 330 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: get used to it really quickly. Right, Although we're not 331 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: saying that you should not eat people that's Josh's bag. Nice, 332 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: thanks Chuck. It's not healthy. We're not encouraging that. So yeah, 333 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: I think the irony is in this article we never 334 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: really say how much it takes. It's more like a 335 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:05,360 Speaker 1: relative thing. Yeah, So, as you were saying, I think 336 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: it's it is time for us to take a good 337 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: long look at our finances. It seems like we we 338 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 1: were coming out of a phase where, you know, just 339 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 1: conspicuous consumption is a thing in the past. See somebody 340 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,120 Speaker 1: riding around in a hummer, It's like, did you miss 341 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: the memo? Like, I realize you can't sell that thing 342 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: to anybody or give it away for free. But it 343 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: seems like at least the US is kind of taking 344 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: this new tech where we're getting a little more frugal, 345 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: and you know it, there's a big difference between you know, 346 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: being wealthy and rich and and you know, being able 347 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: to take care of yourself and your family. And it's 348 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 1: good that it's in I feel it. Feel good about that. 349 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: And the other thing is is don't forget to save. 350 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: Saving is huge. It's an important thing where you are 351 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,160 Speaker 1: not a nation of savers, and apparently it's we're becoming 352 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: more and more of a nation of savers, which is heartening, 353 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: is a good thing. Yeah. You know what I hope, dude, 354 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: is that this whole recession blows over and that we're 355 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 1: all better for it in the end. Ultimately we will. 356 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 1: But you know, like the uh, the Great Depression era 357 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: grandparents that everybody gripes about, it's like kind okay, yes, 358 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: I understand, you can use this coffee can for eighty 359 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: different things, and you have been. We're that generation, dude, 360 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: we're in in the making. We're going to annoy the 361 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: kids that come behind us badly. Yeah. It always works. Yeah, 362 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: So look forward, you whipper snappers to hearing from Chuck 363 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: and I because we're gonna tell you all about how 364 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: bad it was. And opp nine. I'd like to also say, 365 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: if you want to learn more about, um, how much 366 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 1: money you need to live, you can go to UH. 367 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: You can type that into how stuff works dot com 368 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:40,400 Speaker 1: in our handy search bar, and there's a monthly income 369 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: or monthly expenses calculators and there's a bunch of really 370 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 1: great personal finance links in that article. It's a good one. 371 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: By again by Jay McGrath. Um, so let's do the 372 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: blog thing, Chuck, right, Uh, speedy plug. We have a 373 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 1: blog now. We've been writing on it. We have people 374 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: uh posting comments and it's a lot of fun and 375 00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: we encourage you to check it out on the right 376 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: out of the homepage. And also, I'm glad you said 377 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: that because you just gave me my new hotel pseudonym 378 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: what is it? Speedy Club. That's pretty good. We actually 379 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: had a bunch of people right in with suggestions for Yeah, 380 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: we need to do that for listener mills because there 381 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: were a lot of them that were French. Didn't you 382 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: notice that? No? Ye, so should we? And quickly our 383 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: audio spoken word record album are spoken word album called 384 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 1: The Stuff You Should Know, super Stuff Guide to the Economy. 385 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:33,360 Speaker 1: It's up on iTunes worth every penny we're coming to realize, um. 386 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 1: And you can type in super Stuffed and the search 387 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 1: bar of your iTunes while while you're searching the iTunes 388 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: store and it should be the first thing that comes up. 389 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: And if you want to buy it, great for you. Right, 390 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: help support Josh and Jerry and Chuck. So we begging 391 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: for Nichols anytime soon is it time. It's time for 392 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: listening rail. Okay, Josh, I just have one today. This 393 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: is from Patrick. Yeah. Uh. Patrick was writing in about 394 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 1: dejab wu, the deja episode. He wanted to respond because 395 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,400 Speaker 1: we talked about biological deja vu, and he has some insight. 396 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: He has an affliction and this is really odd. He's 397 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: had it since he was twelve. Now, occasionally I'll experience 398 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: an intense sensation of deja vu, almost like a dream. 399 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 1: I remember some senior dialogue that feels incredibly familiar. It 400 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 1: sounds like normal dejab It's so far right. However, during 401 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 1: this episode, I feel dizzy, start to mumble, and I 402 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: usually need to brace myself against something for about twenty 403 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: to thirty seconds. I recover. I have a slight headache, 404 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 1: and the dizzy spells occur in clusters, so I'll have 405 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: five or six of these in a given day and 406 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: then not experience them for a month or so. However, 407 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: I'll just have one really intense deja vu episode that 408 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: will cause me to completely lose consciousness for about thirty seconds. Okay, 409 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: can I interject here? What is this person named Patrick? Patrick? 410 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: I would like to strongly urge you to go see 411 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 1: a neurologist, like, immediately, I'm not done, okay, pay attention 412 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: to things. Uh some other weird traits. These happen once 413 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: a month, almost to the day, which is interesting. After 414 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: the episode is over, he can't remember anything about it. Uh, 415 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: no memories of it. He attempts to write things down 416 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,880 Speaker 1: or describe them while they're happening, but it's just gibberish. 417 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: Usually happens in the morning, but in all kinds of situations, standing, sitting, running, stressed, 418 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: calm whatever. He's gone to the doctor. No one can 419 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 1: explain it, he said to E. E. G. S And 420 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,360 Speaker 1: an M. R. I. And various theories have included seizures 421 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: in her ear problems, salt deficiencies, and low blood pressure. Luckily, 422 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 1: it doesn't interfere too much with my daily life, aside 423 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: from interrupted conversation every now and then. Patrick. Long story short, 424 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: Patrick is the stigmata? Is he? I think? So that's 425 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 1: my theory. He's very open. I appreciate Patrick here. Doctor, 426 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: I hope you don't have anything really wrong with you. 427 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 1: I mean, as long as you're not going bonkers or 428 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: you know, it's not you're not hurting yourself, that's that's cool, right, 429 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: so yeah, that's my professional medical opinion of course my 430 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 1: formal trainings and pediatrics. So right, he did actually ask 431 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 1: us to, uh to posit a opinion on it, but 432 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:13,360 Speaker 1: we can't do that. I did no idea, I already did. Yeah, 433 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 1: but that's funk. Okay, So that was that. That was Patrick. 434 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: We appreciate you, Patrick the Stigmata and uh, if you're 435 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: a stigmata, you suffer from some sort of religious affliction, 436 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: or you just want to say hi, you can send 437 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: us an email to stuff podcast at how stuff works 438 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:37,479 Speaker 1: dot com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 439 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff works dot com brought to you 440 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are 441 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: you