1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to How the Money. I'm Joel and I and Matt, 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: and today we're discussing the high cost of paying for convenience. 3 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: We live in a world where we are saturated with convenience, 4 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: and with that convenience comes fees and costs associated with that. 5 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: You know, you sounded like a movie trailer for a second, 6 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: in the world in a world where convenience costs rain, 7 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: But it's true. More and more, these are costs that 8 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: we are incurring. And the problem is is that we 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: are incurring them without actually even realizing them. Sometimes I 10 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: don't want to die of too much into it. But 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: that's what we're gonna talk about today. Man. We're gonna discuss, 12 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: you know, the reasons that we do pay for convenience, 13 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,319 Speaker 1: but then also how we can combat those fees, how 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: we can reduce the amount of money that we are 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: spending towards convenience. Man. But for let's mention this resource. 16 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: We actually had a listener. Listener wrote in and let 17 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: us know about the site called furnished finder dot com. Uh, 18 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: And we wanted to share it because this could be 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: a really great resource for some folks out there. It 20 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: could be helpful for those who you know, might have 21 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: a space that they've been running out on Airbnb, but 22 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,759 Speaker 1: but also for the people looking for these furnished spaces, 23 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: uh nurses. Yeah, Matt, we got that email from a 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: listener and we took a look at the site. It 25 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: seems like this great in between when you're considering Airbnb 26 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: or running something out full time, and that you found 27 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: out pretty quickly running something out on an Airbnb that 28 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: it's you're more in the hospitality industry at that point. 29 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: It's less real estate and it's more hotel management. Yes, exactly. Well, 30 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it just depends on how you want to 31 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: do it. I think there are a lot of folks 32 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 1: who might be approaching it more like just a traditional 33 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: real estate sort of model, right where they have check 34 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: in codes and they've got the rules laid out and 35 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: it's all pretty automated. Maybe they even have management and 36 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: other folks who come in. But the way we were 37 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: doing it, and considering that we were doing it on 38 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: our our private residence, you know, on our own property, 39 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: We're wanting it to be done in a certain elevated 40 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: sort of way. You know, we didn't let just any 41 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: old person you know, looking to slim it through Atlanta 42 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,399 Speaker 1: to to be able to stay there. We wanted someone 43 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: who was looking for something extra special. But you know, 44 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: it takes a lot of time and effort and energy 45 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: when it comes to wanting to do it at that level. 46 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: But I agree with you, this is a nice kind 47 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: of in between. You know, we were moving in the 48 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:23,399 Speaker 1: direction of getting away from uh Airbnb guests to kind 49 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: of eliminate some of that work. We were looking for 50 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: something a little more long term, but at the same 51 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: time not like a traditional lease, right, We weren't looking 52 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: for someone to sign up for a year uh down 53 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: here in the basements, which by the way, we have 54 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: we're not doing at all anymore because you and I 55 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: we took it over for the podcast. So we've got 56 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: soundproofing panels up on the wall. We were cord down here. 57 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: This is where we do our work. It's fantastic. Yeah, 58 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: it's pretty sweet podcasting studio. But I love the kind 59 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: of in between idea of renting. And you can do 60 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: that through like furnished finder dot com, or you could 61 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: try to do it kind of on your own by 62 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: listing it on Craigslist or Zillo or or however you 63 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: choose to to listen omern on property. But yeah, I 64 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: think like airbnb does work for for a lot of people, 65 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: but but for other people who are like man, it's 66 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: just too much work and I'm tired of cleaning the 67 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: space like every other day. Is something like this. Uh, 68 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: thinking slightly longer term can maybe make you more money 69 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: than it would on a traditional year long lease because 70 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: you can charge typically more per month when you're doing 71 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: a shorter term. And at the same time, uh not 72 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: cause you nearly as much of the hassle and headaches 73 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: and the and the cleanup time, right that that listing 74 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: something on Airbnb would. Yeah, And speaking of Airbnb, man, 75 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: this is something that you and Emily you have been 76 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: talking about recently, right. Uh. So, y'all's house was set 77 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: up sort of like a duplex. You were running out 78 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: the back part of your house there for a while, 79 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: and so now that you've taken that over with a 80 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: growing family, you know, you had uh sort of wild 81 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: idea to maybe build an a d U, which is 82 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: an accessory dwelling unit there in your backyard, basically a 83 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: tiny house in the backyard exactly. Uh. And they're super 84 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: cute by the way that the company I know that 85 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: you were looking at. They've got some really sweet looking 86 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: models and like that's exactly how it works. Like you 87 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: choose which model, like which house you want built, and 88 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: they just come and build it. You gotta pay him 89 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: to do it. Oh yeah, yeah that they don't do 90 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: it for free. But but yeah, you want to get 91 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: folks an update on that. Sure, yeah, so a little 92 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: bummer it's not happening anymore. And uh yeah, it's It's 93 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: just one of those things where when you're talking about construction, 94 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: uh and and building something on your property, oftentimes cities have, 95 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,559 Speaker 1: you know, pretty specific rules about where you can build, 96 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 1: how you can build, and you know, in our city 97 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, in seventeen, they changed the rules and you're 98 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: allowed to now build an a d U, whereas it 99 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: took a lot more effort in order to do that 100 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: before then. But at the same time, we had a 101 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: kind of specific location on our lot that we wanted 102 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: to build it, and it just wasn't possible, you know, 103 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: where where we were hoping to build it, and if 104 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,239 Speaker 1: we built it elsewhere on the lot, it's just gonna 105 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: look pretty crazy. And we we didn't want to like 106 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: essentially ruin the flow of our backyard, and because the 107 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: specific location on our property isn't gonna work out, then 108 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: you know, I just don't think it's gonna workut in 109 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: general for us, which is a bummer. It seems like 110 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. You know, I love real estate, 111 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: and it was kind of a way to try something new, 112 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: um and hopefully make a little income on the side 113 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: from it as well. But not only real estate, but 114 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: meeting new people, right, Like, that's seriously one of the 115 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: things that I enjoyed the most about air me Like, 116 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: I loved it, but I also hated it, Like I 117 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: loved being able to talk to folks here, where they're from, 118 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: why they're in town. But then you want to clean 119 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: up after their mess. Yeah yeah, yeah, and so well 120 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: not not even it wasn't even about the mess, because 121 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: even that I actually enjoyed that time to kind of decompress, 122 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: you know, like put a podcast on or some music 123 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: and then perform some of those monotonous cleaning tasks. You know. 124 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: I guess when you have a lot of kids and 125 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff in your mind, it's good sometimes 126 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: to be able to do some things where you don't 127 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: have to actively think about things. But again, it wasn't 128 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: even necessarily the cleaning. It was the fact that just 129 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: even meeting them would take so much time. Again, I 130 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: enjoyed that aspect of it, but then we would end 131 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: up talking too long and I look down at you 132 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: know what time it is, and it's been an hour, 133 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: and I got to get back to work. And so 134 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: for us, it was the massive time suck man. It 135 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: was just the amount of time that was being lost 136 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: to that endeavor. Yeah, it seems like, you know, those 137 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: medium term rentals can actually hit that perfect spot where 138 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: you meet somebody, you actually get to know him over 139 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,119 Speaker 1: a couple of months while they live in your spot, 140 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: and then they move on, you move on to somebody else. 141 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: You're not you know, the whole time commitment is just 142 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: a whole lot less um. So yeah, I just wanted 143 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: to mention that website to other people. Also give that 144 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: update on where I'm at with a d U. It's 145 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: not happening right now and I'm a little bumped. Sadly, 146 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: no a d U for our family. It was super cute, 147 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: and I love real estate man in all its forms 148 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: and fashions, and building kind of like a tiny house 149 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: in my backyard sounded exciting, but it's just not in 150 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: the cards for right now. I'm not gonna happen this time. Yeah, 151 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 1: but you know what is in the cards, Matt drinking 152 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: a good beer on this episode. Now, they're good beer man, 153 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: this episode, you and I we're sharing a y grand reserve. Uh. 154 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: And this is the blue bottle, by the way. So 155 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:35,839 Speaker 1: there's a couple of different ms or a few different 156 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: chimis out there, right, Yeah, I think there's maybe three 157 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 1: main chremas. And I'm pretty sure I've had this before, 158 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: but I'm not one sure, and so I'm excited for 159 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: for you and I to enjoy this one. Man. I 160 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: know that you and I have never had this beer 161 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: before together. So yeah, it's a true classic beer, Belgian beer. 162 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: And I look forward to having this one on the 163 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: show and we'll give our thoughts on it at the 164 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: end of the episode. But a mount, let's get onto 165 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: the subject at hand. We're talking about the high cost 166 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: of paying for convenience. I feel like when I think 167 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: of the word convenience, I think of convenience stores, right, 168 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 1: pretty pretty ubiquitous. Yeah, exactly, And obviously convenience stores are 169 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: named because it's pretty simple to get in and out 170 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: of there with with what you want, with what you 171 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: need pretty quickly. I'm gonna start calling all the convenience 172 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: store because it's also very easy to get in and 173 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: out really quickly. True, but it doesn't fall prey to 174 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: the high prices, uh and kind of the other tricks 175 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: of the traditional convenience store. Why I love them so much, man. Yeah, 176 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: So it is of course quicker to grab a candy 177 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: bar or a gallon of milk at your conveniently located 178 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: convenience are on the way home instead of popping into, 179 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: you know, a giant grocery store or a big box store. 180 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: Maybe that's a couple of miles away. But there's a 181 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: cost to that convenience. Right. You're gonna pay maybe twice 182 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: as much for that gallon of milk just because it's 183 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: easier to get it there. Right, And so that's really 184 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: what we want to talk about today, Right. There are 185 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: times when it does make sense for us in our 186 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: lives to pay more for easy accessibility to something. But 187 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: we will talk about how to think through the paying 188 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: for convenience dilemma so we don't just take the easy, 189 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: more expensive way every time we're faced with the decision. 190 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: I think right now in our culture, it's it's probably 191 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: easier than ever to find something that's more convenient than 192 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: the way you're used to getting it, But oftentimes you're 193 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: gonna pay a whole lot more for that ability. And 194 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: we're not necessarily just talking about convenience stores. We're talking 195 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: about just all aspects of our lives where convenience is 196 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: factored into the cost. Right. You know, for example, some 197 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: like their summer beacho rentals to be conveniently located a 198 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: block or two from the beach, but those definitely cost 199 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: more than homes for rent a mile inland. Or maybe 200 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: another example, let's say you find it more convenient to 201 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: grab coffee at a Starbucks or your local coffee shop 202 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: instead of bring your own coffee at home. And first 203 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: let it be said that, you know, we're definitely not 204 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: judging your vacation choices or you know, or buying nice coffee, 205 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: but if you are doing it every single day purely 206 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: on the basis of convenience, you know it's time to 207 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 1: rethink your game plan. The big problem here is that 208 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: American consumers are spending more money than ever on different 209 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: services and conveniences without giving it much thought, we're being 210 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 1: parted with our money without even realizing it, and that's 211 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: the big crime here. Yeah, I agree, man, I feel like, 212 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: you know, the one of the perfect examples of that 213 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: is like laundry detergent in pod form, And it's one 214 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,719 Speaker 1: of those things where first off, you shouldn't eat them, right, 215 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: like some people were doing that that was that was 216 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: terrible idea. But second off, like how much convenience does 217 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: that actually add to your life? I feel like that's 218 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: a selling point sometimes behind something that that looks convenient 219 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 1: or is supposed to be more convenient, but in the end, 220 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: like how much more convenient is it really? But but 221 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: that is often a selling point, right. It just all 222 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: depends though that, you know, it all depends on what 223 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: you value. Yeah, and that now you can even get 224 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,599 Speaker 1: scotch in pod form, Now that's ridiculous, that's crazy. I 225 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: love that you can get like cocktails and like scotch 226 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: samples and like, I mean they literally do look like 227 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: uh close detergent pods. You know, they're like clear and squishy. Yeah, 228 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: it's it's like gushers for Adults's just a bad idea, right, right, So, yeah, 229 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: we're all forced to basically make these trade offs, so 230 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: it's really just worth digging a little deeper, right. I 231 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: feel like some of the modern convenience offerings have kind 232 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: of like jumped the shark, right, like like the Scotch pod. 233 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: And one recent article I saw discussed the ultimate in 234 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: modern convenience mat which is like food delivery apps, and 235 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: it turns out that picking up that order of Chinese 236 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: or Thai food yourself can end up costing you up 237 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: to less than having Uber Eat, Scrubhub, or Postmates delivered 238 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: to your door. And Covid has certainly made the value 239 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: proposition a little different for these apps for getting food delivery, 240 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: because you know, we're avoiding going inside a restaurant, We're 241 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: we're trying to stay safe. But it's important to think 242 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: about how big of a cost difference that really is 243 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: right to to get it delivered as opposed to picking 244 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: it up. And many of us tend to choose the 245 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: most convenient option in spite of the price or worse, 246 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: without even knowing how much more we're paying. Like sometimes 247 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: we're doing it blindly, and I think that's like the 248 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: worst possible way to be doing it. So our goal 249 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 1: for this episode is the shine of lights on the 250 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: different reasons you know that we often go with the 251 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: more convenient options, and then not only you know, are 252 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 1: we going to highlight these different reasons, but we're going 253 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: to also suggest some simple solutions. By recognizing our natural tendencies, 254 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 1: hopefully we can resist these urges, which will also allow 255 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: us to save money in at the same time, hopefully 256 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: we can realize the host of other benefits as well 257 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: from avoiding some of these conveniences in our lives. So 258 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 1: that's gonna be our discussion for this episode. Mane, Let's 259 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,559 Speaker 1: die have a little bit more into that right after 260 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: this break. All right, Matt, we're back from the break. 261 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: We're talking about paying for convenience and how it adds 262 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: a whole lot of cost into our lives, and we 263 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: highlighted just a few examples a second ago. But now 264 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: let's kind of identify maybe some of the reasons that 265 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: we end up going with more convenient and costlier options 266 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: in our lives. And I think you will have some 267 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:37,719 Speaker 1: examples in there as well that can kind of help 268 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: flesh it out. But I think sometimes seeing what leads 269 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: to the problem can be really effective in helping us 270 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: solve it and I think one of the biggest reasons 271 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 1: we end up going with the most convenient option so 272 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: much of the time is that we just haven't given 273 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: it much thought of all the different reasons to pay 274 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: more for convenience. I think this is probably like the 275 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: most innocent excuse. It's kind of hard to curb convenience 276 00:11:57,679 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: spending when you don't even really realize that you're doing 277 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 1: it in the first place. Right, So, so to everyone 278 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: listening to this episode, unfortunately, no longer can you claim 279 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: this reason because we just told you exactly it exists, 280 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: and and you're you're probably doing it without even thinking 281 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: about it, right. We want to really encourage the practice 282 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: of thinking through all the different areas in your life 283 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: where you spend and then asking yourself if you're paying 284 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 1: a premium just for convenience amount. I feel like one 285 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 1: of the places that this bears out most frequently for 286 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: us as consumers oftentimes is is like online shopping. Yeah, 287 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: online shopping obviously it's created major benefits for us, but 288 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,679 Speaker 1: it has also made it far easier to pay for convenience. 289 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: It should raise a bright red flag when paying this 290 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: premium weaves this way into our lives, you know, and 291 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,559 Speaker 1: we just accept it without question or without any hesitation. 292 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: This is when it can become virtually invisible. You know, 293 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: when we assume these expenses are fixed in that they 294 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: are just a part of our way of life without 295 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: us even questioning them, that's when I thinks it truly 296 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: is a problem. And a lot of times that's because 297 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: we haven't, like you said, we haven't given it any 298 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:57,959 Speaker 1: amount of thought at all, and that we just assume 299 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: and take these expenses as just part of our daily living. Yeah, Matt, 300 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,079 Speaker 1: online shopping, You're totally right, that's one of those ways 301 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: in which it's creative benefits. But then, uh, it's also 302 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: instilled this assumption that everything should be convenient, and I 303 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: think it's caused us actually over the years to pay 304 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: for more convenience. And I think Amazon Prime is probably, 305 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,199 Speaker 1: uh an even more specific example of that. Amazon's kind 306 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: of gotten its customers addicted to essentially convenience. It's just 307 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: so easy to buy from them, and so we often 308 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: forsake comparison shopping on other websites. And most of us 309 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: probably haven't realized, but Amazon has done a really good 310 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 1: job over the years at becoming less and less price competitive, 311 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: just assuming that you're going to make the purchase on 312 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: their website without checking elsewhere, and so you're gonna spend 313 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: more and Amazon's profitability is going to rise at the 314 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: same time. And so much of the time we don't 315 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: even think to give these convenience purchases a second thought 316 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: because of how integrated something like maybe a website like 317 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: Amazon has become in our lives. I think it's um 318 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: good to to recognize and to think about the fact 319 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: that we might need to break that chain. It's not 320 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 1: like you can never shop on Amazon again, but it's 321 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 1: at least helpful to recognize maybe an unhealthy relationship that 322 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: you have with the website like that, and to give 323 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 1: more thought before you do click to purchase in the future. Yeah, 324 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: and even you know what, we do realize that we 325 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: might be spending more than we should on convenience technology apps, 326 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: you know, maybe a prime membership. It all makes it 327 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: so incredibly easy to keep up those unhealthy habits. You know, 328 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: that's another easy to identify reason that leads to more purchasing. 329 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: And when it comes back to Amazon, I think we 330 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: should be weary. You know, when the world's richest man 331 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: runs an online business that allows us to conveniently purchase 332 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: whatever we want with a single click. Uh. Technology has 333 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: just greased the wheels when it comes to consumer spending, 334 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: and we're the ones footing the bill. Yeah. I don't 335 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: know if Amazon still has the little click to buy things. 336 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: You know, what are those calls? I forget? But yeah, 337 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: you like stash it next to your dishwasher, so when 338 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: you ran out of like dishwashing detergent, you just push 339 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: those button and it automatically purchased it for you. Yes, 340 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: never mind how much it costs. It's like the ultimate 341 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: in just like our worst nightmare. I'm like, why would 342 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: you ever do that? Right? It's the ultimate inconvenience is 343 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: having some sort of pushable button that then orders the 344 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: thing for you, and again regardless of price. Right, which 345 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: so crazy. Obviously That's why we called this episode the 346 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: High Cost of Paying for convenience, because there is a 347 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: massive cost the easier it gets. And so I think 348 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: you know, one important thing for us all to remember 349 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: is is it actually increasing the level of friction in 350 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: our purchases is helpful to our bottom line. We're talking 351 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: about how the Internet has made snagging stuff that you 352 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: need so much easier one click to purchase ordering from Alexa. 353 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: I mean, all these easy ways to order something. But 354 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: as a culture, I think we've taken that ease and 355 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: we've essentially created like a chronic problem. And I think 356 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: you know, you can still order from your favorite retailers, 357 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: but it's important to try to make it harder for 358 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: yourself to do so. Force yourself to comparison shop on 359 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: at least two other sites before making a final purchase. 360 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: You might actually get a better price. And creating a 361 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: more complex strategy actually helps you to avoid impulse buyes 362 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: and buying things purely for the sake of convenience that 363 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: sometimes you might receive the ship and two days later 364 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: and you're like, oh, I ordered that. I don't really 365 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: remember ordering that. That's kind of a more common thing 366 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: that's happening to people too, as we end up valuing 367 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: convenience um mostly at the expense of our our money. Right, 368 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 1: and and taking that to another level. Two, we would 369 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 1: recommend for folks to maybe establish a purchasing rule, something 370 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: like a forty eight hour rule. Right, A huge percentage 371 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: of the time, if you wait that long, you'll never 372 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: go back to that decision that you would have you know, 373 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: purchased without that rule. This will prevent some of the 374 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: spur of the moment purchases and give you a better 375 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: framework for future buying decisions. Maybe for you, that might 376 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: even mean removing the Amazon app from your phone, because 377 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: when when that apps there, man, it's so easy just 378 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: to click it, search it added to your car, or 379 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: not even added to your car. You're buying it right 380 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: there on the spot. And and so maybe instead what 381 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: that means is you utilizing some different apps on your phone, 382 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: like you know, the note taking app on your phone, 383 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: or reminders, something where when you think of something you're 384 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: able to quickly write that down so that you don't 385 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: forget it. You're replacing that bad habit with maybe one 386 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: that's a little bit healthier, one that would allow you 387 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: some more time to comparison shop like you just mentioned Joel, 388 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: or again, maybe just letting it sit on that list 389 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: and then you realize a couple of days later that 390 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: you don't even want to look at it on the 391 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: list anymore, let alone actually having that item in your house. 392 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: You might realize how silly of a purchase that would 393 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: have been. Yeah, I like that because there's still like 394 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: an action that you're taking right, you're putting it on 395 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 1: a list somewhere, trying to keep it in your brain 396 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 1: for for the future, and like, oh, yeah, I'll try 397 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: to remember to buy that tomorrow or the next day, 398 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: but having it on a list somewhere that you then 399 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: go back to and you say, oh, yeah, no, I 400 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: can cross this off. I don't really need that. That 401 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: was kind of an impulse, spur of the moment sort 402 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: of thing, or realizing two days later, no, no no, no, 403 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 1: that's something I still need and want, and now I'm 404 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: going to make the purchase. I think it's really helpful. So, Matt, 405 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 1: we just mentioned that one of the biggest reasons that 406 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: we we pay too much for conveniences because we haven't 407 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: given it any thought. And hopefully we'll all be a 408 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: little more thoughtful about those convenience purchases. But another reason 409 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: I think that we tend to pay for convenience is 410 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 1: out of laziness. And I know this has been the 411 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: case for me at different times, right, And I think 412 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: this is what happens when we know what we should 413 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: be doing, but basically instead we passively allow ourselves to 414 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 1: take the easy way out. Instead, we we really need 415 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: to resist whatever the easy path might be, and to 416 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: brace something a little more difficult, right, it is kind 417 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: of that increased friction, or it is that forty eight 418 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 1: hour rule. Anything that we can do to prevent ourselves 419 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: from falling into laziness and making the easy choice because 420 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: it's what's the easiest, is going to go a long 421 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: way and helping us not over consumed then by things 422 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 1: that we don't really need. Yeah, and there there are 423 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: other lessons as well when it comes to embracing what's 424 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: difficult and what's hard instead of always taking the easy path. 425 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: But you know, when it comes to being lazy, I 426 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 1: think food is probably one of the number one areas 427 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,040 Speaker 1: where a lot of us are susceptible to paying for convenience. 428 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: You know, whether it's the previously mentioned delivery apps and 429 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: getting groceries delivered, or even apps like grub pub. You know, 430 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: we're meals to show up at your door, or even 431 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: going out for dinner or drinks. When we don't necessarily 432 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 1: have the money in our budget, it's easy to spend 433 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: too much on food when in reality, like we are 434 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: just being lazy. I think this is definitely an example 435 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: where paying for convenience can really cost us when instead 436 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: what we should be doing is the hard work of 437 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: going to the grocery store, you know, walking in there, ourselves, 438 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: figuring out what it is that we're going to cook, 439 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: coming up with the meal plan maybe, and then actually 440 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: cooking that food. Think about all the money that you're 441 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: gonna say, and not to mention it will probably be 442 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: a little healthier too. Yeah, And I think there's such 443 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: a big difference here between actively paying for convenience and 444 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: passively paying for convenience. I know we felt that in 445 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,960 Speaker 1: our lives as a family that we don't mind paying 446 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,440 Speaker 1: for takeout when it's a conscious choice that we're making 447 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: and it's something that's kind of like a special thing 448 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 1: to do one night of the week as a family, 449 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: But when we last minute do it because we weren't prepared, 450 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: it's way more of a bummer. It doesn't feel as special, 451 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: And I kind of hate just feel stressful because you're like, 452 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: we're short on time and we're spending extra money to 453 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:48,199 Speaker 1: do something we don't really want to do, right, And 454 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: when we spend that money, I hate it. But when 455 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: when we spend the money for the thing that we 456 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: planned to head for and we're excited about it feels meaningful, right, 457 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,880 Speaker 1: And so yeah, active versus passive on this convenience front 458 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: is an important thing. When we're passive, we're really getting 459 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: sucked into the modern economy and we're not really advocating 460 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 1: for ourselves or our hard earned dollars. This is truly 461 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: the convenience that it's important to avoid at all costs. 462 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:12,719 Speaker 1: But I think when we actively choose to pay for 463 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: convenience in certain areas of our lives that are well 464 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 1: thought through, I think it's a different ball game. Yeah, 465 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: on the service it might look the same to a 466 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: lot of people, right, but the underlying intentions and the 467 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 1: mindset behind it is what makes that difference so noticeable. 468 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: And so yeah, before we get any hate mail, you know, like, 469 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: we're not against paying for for more things, We're not 470 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: against paying for convenience, but we do feel that the 471 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: only good reason is if it's something that you truly value. Right, 472 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,679 Speaker 1: Whether or not you know, we value something like that 473 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:41,959 Speaker 1: comes down to our you know, your own intentions, and 474 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: whether we intentionally or unintentionally pay for convenience makes all 475 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: the difference in the world. So, for example, you know, 476 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: we often might argue that what we're paying for is 477 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: our time. You know, when we go to a convenient option, 478 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:54,880 Speaker 1: it means that we don't want to spend the time 479 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 1: associated with whatever the alternative might be. And that's totally fine. 480 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: We're not knocking that decision at all, as long as 481 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: we are aware that we are paying a premium for it, 482 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: and that these conveniences aren't just becoming these impulse decisions. 483 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: We don't want them to be reactive moves. We want 484 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,680 Speaker 1: them to be proactive moves that we've all thought about. Right. 485 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:14,679 Speaker 1: We don't want to be reactionary here. We want to 486 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 1: be you know, in charge in directing our own lives. Yeah. Man, 487 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: I feel like even sometimes, uh, it's easy to get 488 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,199 Speaker 1: dragged into paying for convenience just because it fuels like 489 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,680 Speaker 1: a new societal norm, like the way everybody does it, 490 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,479 Speaker 1: and like I think Amazon Prime is is totally one 491 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 1: of those examples ordering take out and having it delivered 492 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: as opposed to going to pick it up and spending 493 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: that extra five or ten minute that you normally would 494 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 1: have and then the much higher costs associated with that. 495 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: But everyone's doing it, so why not. I think it's 496 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: just really helpful if we're a little more thoughtful before 497 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: we we choose to do something that everybody else is doing. 498 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: And so, yeah, we've covered some of the reasons that 499 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: we end up paying for convenience and how big of 500 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: a cost it can actually be in our lives, and 501 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 1: and then a little bit about how to lower those costs. 502 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:58,120 Speaker 1: But let's go further, mat and let's talk something about 503 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: the methods that can lessen our depends on convenience, and 504 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: maybe even how gamification can help us in this area too. 505 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: We'll get to some of that stuff right after this break. 506 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 1: All right, Joel, we're back from the break talking about 507 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: the high cost of paying for convenience. Man, uh, do 508 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: you feel like this is gonna be too tough of 509 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: a message for some of our listeners to swallow? Because 510 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: I will be honest, us just talking about this, like like, 511 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: we do this in part because we need to hear 512 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: this ourselves. You know, a lot of what we talk 513 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: about it's our own medicine that we're serving up, and 514 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: part of us talking about it is us taking our 515 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: own medicine. And so we need to hear this as 516 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: much as I think our listeners need to hear it. 517 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 1: But at the same time, I think this is gonna 518 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:45,919 Speaker 1: this might ruffle some feathers. Yeah, I think so. I mean, 519 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: I think convenience is one of those things where it's like, 520 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: I'm so busy, I'm up to my eyeballs. How can 521 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 1: I not pay for the most convenient And I understand that, 522 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 1: And I mean I'm kind of partial to the costco 523 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: rotisserie chicken or something like that on the occasional week 524 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: nine or whatever it is. Yeah, we're not, you know, 525 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: trying to get rid of convenience altogether. We're just trying 526 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: to get folks to think about it a little bit 527 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: more and be intentional about it. You don't have to 528 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: rip out your dishwasher and because those are incredibly convenient. Yeah, 529 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 1: but so much of it does come down to, like 530 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: we said earlier, what adds value into your life and 531 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,679 Speaker 1: intentionally seeking the conveniences that matter, that are actually going 532 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: to move the needle is really important because who wants 533 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: to be some sort of zombie consumer going with the 534 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: easiest option in every turn. I think that's a recipe 535 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: for unhappiness. But it is important to to come up 536 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 1: with a recipe essentially that will work for you in 537 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: how you do pick and choose which conveniences you are 538 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:35,880 Speaker 1: going to pay for it, and they do actually matter 539 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:37,640 Speaker 1: in your life. Yeah, you know, That's why I think 540 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:39,640 Speaker 1: sometimes it can be hard for us to even give examples, 541 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: because anything that we talk about as like a bad 542 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: move financially for somebody else, it could be the best 543 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,880 Speaker 1: move for them, you know, because they've thought about it. 544 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: For them, it's say like they can give you all 545 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: the reasons why it's worth it for them to spend 546 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:54,119 Speaker 1: money on that specific thing. And it also makes me 547 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: think of you know, we've talked before about the why 548 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,479 Speaker 1: behind our money, you know, and we talked about finding 549 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: three or four different things that you really love which 550 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,159 Speaker 1: you are happy to spend money on. And so we 551 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 1: would suggest for folks, for us as well, to do 552 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,720 Speaker 1: something similar with the conveniences that we allow in our life. 553 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,879 Speaker 1: You know, consciously allow yourself some conveniences that move the 554 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: needle the most, but you have to identify a few 555 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: those because you can't have them all, you know, you 556 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: can't splurge on every single thing out there, otherwise you're 557 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: gonna end up broke. And we also think it's important 558 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: to to kind of revisit what you know, you said 559 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 1: that those things are. I know in the past you've 560 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: mentioned how your one of yours is travel. That's obviously 561 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: not something that you're splurging a bunch on right now. 562 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: But even when it comes to like our conveniences, there 563 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: are things that probably used to dramatically increase our standard 564 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: of living, right, but maybe recently things have changed. And 565 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 1: if you were to actually sit down and think, oh, wow, 566 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 1: I'm spending how much for this, when in reality things 567 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: have changed and that's something I can easily do on 568 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 1: my own now. In fact, I could see a bunch 569 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: of reasons why that it would be better for me 570 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,160 Speaker 1: to do this instead of paying for the service involved 571 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: or paying for the convenience associated with it. Uh. It's 572 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,439 Speaker 1: good to revisit these things and to channe of ourselves 573 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: by asking whether or not these things are actually as 574 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 1: beneficial as they used to be and if the if 575 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: the cost warrants that service. Yeah, and I think sometimes 576 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: when we drop a convenience out of our life, you 577 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: can actually feel good like it. It's a surprising thing 578 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,199 Speaker 1: because convenience, it feels like, in the culture, is always 579 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: preached as something that is consistently good for us. Like 580 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: the more convenient things are the better our lives are 581 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 1: going to be. But that's not always the case either. 582 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: It's like a marketing miss right, yeah, exactly, and its 583 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: you want your life to be easier, right, I mean 584 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: kind of. But I do realize that the more that 585 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: I make things less convenient, and I think that's like 586 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 1: one of the things about getting fit, right, It's not 587 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: necessarily easy, but there's a reward in the end. And 588 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 1: I think sometimes when we drop the conveniences that cost 589 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,439 Speaker 1: us money, there's a reward in the end in it 590 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: for us too. It can be convenient for me to 591 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: have someone else mo my lawn or to grab money 592 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: out of the nearest a t M, which is gonna 593 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: cost me five or six dollars in fees, But battling 594 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: against our desire, I think for that easiest solution, doing 595 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 1: a little bit about tra legwork in order to save 596 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 1: that money can feel really good. It kind of reminds 597 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: me a mat of the episode we did about gamification. 598 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 1: You can kind of turn it into more of a 599 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: game and one that saves us money and builds some 600 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,920 Speaker 1: resiliency to some financial resolve to avoid the easy thing 601 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: in favor of the money saving choice instead and we 602 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: don't always have to choose that, but I think when 603 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: we do, and when we make the attempt to forsake 604 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,360 Speaker 1: the convenient in favor of the slightly more difficult route, 605 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: I think we're gonna see some some added benefits. Yeah, 606 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,239 Speaker 1: I mean, I love the idea of gamifying it right. 607 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 1: Using gamification as a tactic to curb spending is a 608 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: great way to go. So instead of letting, you know, 609 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: whatever is easiest win out, let let's create a competition 610 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:41,399 Speaker 1: out of this with rewards maybe in the end, you know, 611 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: so that we can do well. Consider maybe even keeping 612 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,720 Speaker 1: a log of, you know, the different times you don't 613 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,679 Speaker 1: spend for convenience. You know, maybe when you avoid uh 614 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 1: an a t M fee, or maybe you you opt 615 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: to pick up dinner instead of choosing the easier, yet 616 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: more expensive delivery uh Then every month add up the 617 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,479 Speaker 1: money that you would have spent on convenience, then use 618 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,959 Speaker 1: that money saved as a reward towards one of your 619 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: bigger goals, one of the things that truly does move 620 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: the needle for you. Maybe that's you know, padding you know, 621 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 1: your vacation, saving his account for that sweet trip you're 622 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: hoping to take next fall, not anytime seeing probably, but 623 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:16,679 Speaker 1: this will help with with motivation, you know. It's it's 624 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: about finding ways to prove and to demonstrate to yourself 625 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: and maybe even to your family, maybe to a partner. 626 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,919 Speaker 1: That's not all about deprivation. We're not just trying to 627 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 1: make life harder. We're trying to find ways to optimize 628 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: our lives and find ways to you know, put our 629 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: money towards the things that we care the most about. Yeah, Matt, 630 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: the let's get a little nerdy here. There's this psychological 631 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: concept called disfluency, and it basically says that the harder 632 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: we have to work to understand something, the more it 633 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: will stick in our brains. And that's why sometimes that 634 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: YouTube video doesn't have the same impact on you as 635 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,199 Speaker 1: actually reading a physical book at night, because there's more 636 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: of a hurdled overcome to read the words on a 637 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: page than to watch attend in a video and hope 638 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 1: that you've got the concept down pat And that's even 639 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 1: why writing things down and then you know, may be 640 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: trying to teach what you've learned can greatly improve your retention. Yeah, again, 641 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:05,360 Speaker 1: let's get a little meta here. Maybe this is why 642 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: we even have this podcast because we're trying to prove 643 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: to ourselves, uh, to avoid some of these conveniences and 644 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: to save more and invest more of my money. Right yeah. 645 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: Every time we do an episode together, it hammers home 646 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: kind of the exactly how I should be living, because 647 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: you know, we come together and we discuss some topics 648 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: and then I'm like, man, yeah, I'm doing some of 649 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 1: these things. Some of these things I need to do 650 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:27,159 Speaker 1: better at, and it's a reminder for me, and some 651 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: of these are like stretch goals for us, right yeah, exactly. Yeah. 652 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: So I think the more we for sake convenience, or 653 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 1: at least the more we are consciously aware when we're 654 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: trading our hard earned money for the sake of these, 655 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: the harder it's going to be for us to continue 656 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: to blindly take the easy road. And just remember that 657 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: concept of disfluency that sometimes when we work harder, the 658 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: more meaningful I think the results of that money saving 659 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,719 Speaker 1: actually is by by taking the extra effort to not 660 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 1: take the easiest route, taking a path that's slightly more difficult, 661 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: the money you're able to rack up in the log 662 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: you're keeping at the end of every month is actually 663 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: gonna feel way more important, probably than it actually even 664 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: is to your bottom line. Nice man, I'm glad we 665 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: have a nice nerdy term for this episode and something 666 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: else too. It's also important to point out that there 667 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: are other non monetary benefits that we miss out on 668 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: when we pay for convenience, you know, like, for example, 669 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: when we hop in the car for a short errand 670 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 1: instead of biking or walking, we miss out on the 671 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: benefits game through a dose of fresh air and you know, 672 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: conversations with neighbors that you wouldn't have if you were driving, 673 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: or maybe when we pay for grocery delivery instead of 674 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: going ourselves in person, we lose that opportunity to catch 675 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: up with the cashier that you used to always see, 676 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: you know, when you had a chance to build some community. 677 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 1: When we pay for someone to clean our house or 678 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: you know, or to take care of our yards for us, 679 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: we miss out on the physical benefits of putting our 680 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: bodies to work and learning how to maintain and to 681 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: care for things. And granted, our podcast is called how 682 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: the Money Right, Like we talk about the personal finances 683 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: of basically everything, but it's not always about the money. 684 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: There are these other benefits that don't pertain the money. 685 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: And also, you know, it's not just about these immediate 686 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 1: lessons or these immediate benefits. I think that we gain 687 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: by doing one thing over the other. But there's something 688 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: too to be said about these sort of bigger lessons 689 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 1: that surround working hard, uh and appreciating something, you know, 690 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: Like I think it's easy to not appreciate things when 691 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: everything comes to us really easily. But when we understand, 692 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: you know, all the work that goes into producing something 693 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: or maintaining something, I think it goes a long way 694 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: in building who we are as people. Uh. And you know, 695 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 1: we like to be well rounded individuals. Here. We're not 696 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 1: just about you know, saving money at whatever expense because 697 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: that would be considered cheap. We try to be frugal 698 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 1: while at the same time being kind of well rounded people. 699 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: And by avoiding some of these conveniences that cost us 700 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: a lot of money. I think that would go along 701 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: ways in creating that in us. Sometimes even the more 702 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: we we opt for convenience over maybe the harder alternative. 703 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: It feels like the more entitled we become, And I 704 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: think the more entitled we become, the less appreciative we 705 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 1: we can be of the things that are around us 706 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: right there. Yeah, that we that we get to enjoy 707 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: on a regular basis. And so I think another part 708 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: of the antidote to paying for convenience is to step 709 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: back and actually really have some appreciation for the conveniences 710 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: that you currently have. It's in particular the ones that 711 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: are free, uh, that that actually truly continue to make 712 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: life better. We talked about dishwashers a second ago. Man, 713 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: just stepping back to think about how great it is 714 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: to have a dishwasher in your house. Pretty sweet, It's 715 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 1: pretty sweet. And then the first house that I owned 716 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 1: didn't have a dishwasher in it. I remember those nights 717 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: doing dishes with my wife, and you know, it wasn't 718 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: all that bad. But it's nicer to have a dishwasher, 719 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: I'll tell you that. And and so, yeah, giving thanks 720 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: for things like a dishwasher, automatic bill pay, automatic investing 721 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: with draws, apps that help us monitor our financial progress, 722 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:41,000 Speaker 1: that are free. Right, They're all these modern conveniences that 723 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: are pretty magnificent in a lot of ways. I mean, Matt, 724 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 1: even money itself was created for convenience, so that we 725 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 1: didn't have to barter and trade like a chicken for 726 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 1: six beers or something like that. Would you take the 727 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: chicken over six beers or vice versa. No, of course 728 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 1: I'm taking the beer. Right, here's essential, right, Yeah, it's 729 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 1: so much better than bartering. Having money that makes you know, 730 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 1: everything more convenient and the more that we can, I think, 731 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: appreciate these modern communiences, many of which are free, don't 732 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: cost us a penny. I think that the more likely 733 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: we are to balk at paying for the hyper convenient 734 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: things that the world around us is pushing that are 735 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 1: going to cost us a lot of money, that are 736 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: going to make our lives maybe feel a little more convenient, 737 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: but in the end they might make us feel a 738 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: little more entitled and a little less grateful of the 739 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: conveniences that we have all around us that currently exist 740 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: that are incredible, but it's hard to recognize them for 741 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: what they are when our lives are basically sold out 742 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: to convenience. Yeah, and Julie, these different attitudes you mentioned 743 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,000 Speaker 1: are some of the different effects that convenience can have 744 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: on us as individuals. But don't forget about all the 745 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: different external effects as well. I'm thinking about just the 746 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: increased amount of waste that comes with over consumption I'm 747 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 1: thinking about the effect that it has on us physically 748 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: by paying for things to be done for us to 749 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: where we don't have to like get up and go 750 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: do something instead of, you know, just sitting there and 751 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: just smashing a button on our phones. There's a host 752 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: of external but also kind of an internal emotional effects 753 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,400 Speaker 1: that convenience has on our lives. Man, it certainly seems 754 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: to be making us a little unhealthier physically mentally. I mean, convenience, 755 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 1: I think in small amounts has a lot of benefit. 756 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 1: Convenience in overabundance actually has a lot of detriments. Yeah, 757 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: I mean taking it back to money, you know, like 758 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:20,600 Speaker 1: the time saved in pursuing convenience often costs us on 759 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: the flip side, right in the time that we need 760 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: to spend working in order to make money to afford 761 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:27,280 Speaker 1: those conveniences. It's kind of like this chicken or the 762 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: egg thing, And we would in all likelihood save more 763 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 1: money and learn some important life lessons if we just 764 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 1: allowed just a little bit more inconvenience into our lives. Matt, 765 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: I feel like some Old Testament profit preaching that the 766 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: gospel of inconvenience, and I'm interested to hear how people 767 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:46,880 Speaker 1: are going to respond, because it certainly isn't kind of 768 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 1: the trajectory that we're headed in the United States, and 769 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: it's all about convenience, man, and I think it's not 770 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: what we naturally want to do, and nor is it 771 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: what's being fed to us. It's not what's being marketed 772 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 1: to us, and it's not what technology is leading us 773 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 1: in the direction of. Yeah, so we're gonna need to 774 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: make some important decisions in our own lives. If we're 775 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: gonna try to avoid just convenient at any cost, and 776 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 1: any cost monetarily, but then all these other costs we're 777 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: talking about too, we're gonna have to be a little 778 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: more intentional. All right, Let's get back to the beer 779 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: that we had on the show. This beer is called 780 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: Chimay Grand Reserve. A lot of people call it Chamay Blue. 781 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: That's what I call it. At least got the blue label, 782 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: got the blue label. This is an ale from a 783 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: Trappist brewery in Belgium. What are your thoughts on this beer, man, Yeah, 784 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 1: first has mentioned what it means to be a like 785 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 1: an official legit Trappist beer, and what that means is 786 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,000 Speaker 1: that this beer has to be brewed within the walls 787 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 1: of a Trappist monastery, and literally is this beer is 788 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 1: made by monks, and so maybe us drinking this beer 789 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 1: kind of got us fired up about like pushing against 790 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: culture and fighting consumption and all the things that accompanied it. 791 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 1: I locked myself away, put a robot, and just start 792 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: brewing beer. We're gonna just like go commune with nature 793 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 1: and with God out in the woods. But but yeah, 794 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 1: so there are very few breweries in the world that 795 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: can actually call themselves Trappists breweries, and this is one 796 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 1: of them. This is one of the kind of o 797 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 1: g originals. They're a classic. But man, this was a 798 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 1: really tasty one. This is unlike a lot of the 799 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,400 Speaker 1: beers that we typically have. It's good for us to 800 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: kind of step outside what we normally like to drink. 801 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: But this one was dark and CARAMELI kind of had 802 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 1: like different flavors going on of like I imagine if 803 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 1: there's a bunch of fruit that was then candied that 804 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:20,440 Speaker 1: have also been sitting there aging and molasses. You know, 805 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: it's like all the different fruits. But then just everything 806 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:26,600 Speaker 1: turned dark and made sweet. But it made for a 807 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:30,800 Speaker 1: really just delicious, well balanced beer that also doesn't taste 808 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: too heavy, you know, here at the end of summer. 809 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: A lot of times darker beers we tend to reserve 810 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,279 Speaker 1: for the winter, but this one, I don't know big 811 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:40,239 Speaker 1: I guess because it's a Belgian style beer, it still 812 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 1: feels really kind of fizzy and fruity while also having 813 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 1: some of those darker notes. But I really enjoyed it. Man, 814 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: I'm glad, you know I got to share this one. 815 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:48,359 Speaker 1: And what were your thoughts on it? Yeah, I've had 816 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,480 Speaker 1: this beer a handful of times throughout the years, and 817 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: every time I have it, I'm always just super impressed. 818 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: It's just this it's really like a classic beer at 819 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 1: this point that anybody listening can find I'm sure on 820 00:35:58,160 --> 00:35:59,359 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not sure if you can find out 821 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 1: your supermarket you can. Probably for a lot of times 822 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: you can, though. Yeah, it's on the shelves there if 823 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:04,919 Speaker 1: you've got a decent beer selection, and it's totally worth 824 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: picking up because it is like complex and unique. It's 825 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: it's multi with like kind of some some bready notes 826 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 1: to it, I feel like, and um, it's like those 827 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,799 Speaker 1: dark fig kind of notes going on too. It has 828 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: like some Belgian quad kind of spice notes going on 829 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: a little bit too, not a little bit of banana maybe, yeah, 830 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: And so man, I like a good Belgian beer and 831 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,920 Speaker 1: and this one is one of the classics, I would say, 832 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 1: And I love to kind of what Trappists monasteries are 833 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: all about. They make a good, whether it's beer or 834 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: cheese or something else, and then they sell it and 835 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:37,879 Speaker 1: that's how they fund all their good deeds, all their 836 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:40,759 Speaker 1: good works, and how they keep the monastery going. So man, 837 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: I love that many of the Trappist monasteries have developed 838 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 1: a reputation for making just impeccable beers with high quality 839 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 1: ingredients that taste superb. And this is like definitely one 840 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: of the best ones out there. Yeah, don't think by 841 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:55,520 Speaker 1: buying this beer that that's a charitable donation, because you 842 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:58,600 Speaker 1: are in fact receiving goods are services with the money 843 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: that you gave for this beer. But it's good to 844 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 1: know that it's going towards good causes where they brew 845 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 1: this beer. And real quick one last recommendation as well, 846 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 1: I mentioned banana is a second ago. If you liked 847 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 1: a good spice like banana nutbread, totally pick this beer 848 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 1: up because it has those flavors going on for sure, 849 00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:15,880 Speaker 1: like you maybe think of it when you kind of 850 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:19,960 Speaker 1: mentioned like the breadiness there, uh, and I agree. It 851 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 1: makes it feel like you're kind of biting into just 852 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: a nice banana nutbread. It's so so good, like a 853 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,399 Speaker 1: fresh loaf at home for sure. Yes, yeah, the best 854 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: kind there is when it's hot and fresh, like yeah, exactly. 855 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 1: All right, Well, that's gonna do it for this episode. 856 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:34,439 Speaker 1: If you haven't been to our website, go check out 857 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,400 Speaker 1: how to money dot com. We have articles and previous 858 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:39,239 Speaker 1: episodes up there for for you to check out, and 859 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 1: we'll also have show notes for this episode. And if 860 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:43,919 Speaker 1: you found this episode in lightning and you haven't yet 861 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 1: left us a review over an Apple podcast, we would 862 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: be incredibly thankful if you did. Joel, that's gonna be it, 863 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: buddy for this episode. Until next time, Best Friends Out, 864 00:37:53,400 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 1: Best Friends Out,