1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that fun at home doesn't have to 4 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: be free. It is just as valid to use your 5 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: entertainment budget for fun you will have at home as 6 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: it is to use that cash for fun out in 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 1: the world. So feel free to splurge on the fund 8 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: that will make time at home I feel like time 9 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: well spent. One of the time management rules in my 10 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: new book Tranquility by Tuesday is effortful before effortless. That is, 11 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: before you engage in effortless fun like watching TV or 12 00:00:54,320 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: scrolling social media, enjoy some effortful fund first. Effortful fun 13 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: might be reading, drawing, doing puzzles, knitting, baking, or some 14 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: other hobby or pastime. Effortful fun, as the name suggests, 15 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,759 Speaker 1: is more active than relaxing in front of a screen. 16 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: Effortful fun tends to be more rewarding, too, which is 17 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: why I advocate prioritizing it. If you want to engage 18 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: in effortful fun, you need to be ready. Your phone 19 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: is always at hand, so if you don't want to 20 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 1: spend all your leisure time scrolling you need to have 21 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: another sort of fun that is equally accessible. My personal 22 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: favorite forms of effortful fun are reading, playing the piano, 23 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: working puzzles, and building lego kits. So that means I 24 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: always need to have supplies for those activities. I need 25 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: a book, I want to read, I need sheet music, 26 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: a puzzle in progress, or a lego set. Thanks to 27 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: the library, I don't always have to spend money on books, 28 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: but I do spend money on sheet music and puzzles 29 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: and legos, and I am okay with that. I am 30 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: a reasonably frugal person, but I am willing to spend 31 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: money on experiences, and sheep music, legos, and puzzles make 32 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: possible experience as I enjoy. They make effortful fun look 33 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: as enticing as effortless fun, so that makes them a 34 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 1: good investment in my book. Now, maybe some folks already 35 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: have that mindset, but I am guessing a lot of 36 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: folks who listen to this podcast are frugal souls too. 37 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: It can be challenging to spend money on stuff that 38 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: you don't really need. We might worry that we are 39 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: wasting the money too. That you might buy supplies for 40 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: an at home experience and realize you won't use the 41 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: supplies again. You won't do the same puzzle twice. Or 42 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: maybe you thought you would enjoy hate decorating and you 43 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: bought the supplies, but you decided it's not for you, 44 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: And you might think that's a problem, But is it. 45 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: When you go to a concert, you spend the money 46 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: and then it is over. If you've spent an evening 47 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: cake decorating and don't really want to do it again, 48 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: that is no big deal either. Money for entertainment is 49 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: money for entertainment. You had the experience, and you can 50 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: pass on the supplies to someone else who would enjoy them. 51 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: In the last few years, there's been a proliferation of 52 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: remote classes and performances. Some of them are free, and 53 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: some of them require a payment, especially if your geographic 54 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: location or your family situation makes it harder for you 55 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: to attend in person classes or performances. Remote options can 56 00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: be great. They are worth paying for. Indeed, aid making 57 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: that investment can upgrade your leisure quite a bit. Buying 58 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: an art book is as legitimate as paying for museum admission, 59 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: particularly if the art book keeps you off Instagram. Buying 60 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: a jewelry making book and supplies is as legitimate as 61 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 1: taking a jewelry making class, especially if making jewelry keeps 62 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: you from watching hours of reruns. Within the guardrails of 63 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: your budget, buy what you need to have fun at home. 64 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: There is nothing wrong with paying for entertainment that happens 65 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: in your house. Of course, the one caveat is that, 66 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: in addition to at home fun, you do want to 67 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: have some fun that involves leaving your house. Don't just 68 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: do a puzzle of the woods covered in snow if 69 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: you can go for a walk in the snowy woods too. 70 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: But wherever you are there is fun to be had. 71 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 1: So generate ideas and acquire supplies so that even when 72 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: you are home, you are ready to engage in effortful 73 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: fun when leisure time comes your way. When I finished 74 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: my autumn themed one thousand piece puzzle a few weeks ago, 75 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: I thought about leaving it up and taking a pause. 76 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: But then I remember that I really do enjoy doing puzzles, 77 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: So I bought a holiday themed puzzle, and I have 78 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,839 Speaker 1: already found a few hours to work on it. Those 79 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: are hours that I probably would have spent reading headlines 80 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: or something else forgettable, But anxiety producing the puzzle is 81 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: a far more relaxing choice. In the meantime, This is Laura. 82 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 83 00:05:55,520 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: our time. M Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 84 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 85 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 86 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast 87 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 88 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,239 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com 89 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 90 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 91 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For 92 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 93 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 94 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: favorite shows.