WEBVTT - Fun at home doesn't have to be free

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is that fun at home doesn't have to

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<v Speaker 1>be free. It is just as valid to use your

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<v Speaker 1>entertainment budget for fun you will have at home as

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<v Speaker 1>it is to use that cash for fun out in

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<v Speaker 1>the world. So feel free to splurge on the fund

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<v Speaker 1>that will make time at home I feel like time

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<v Speaker 1>well spent. One of the time management rules in my

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<v Speaker 1>new book Tranquility by Tuesday is effortful before effortless. That is,

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<v Speaker 1>before you engage in effortless fun like watching TV or

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<v Speaker 1>scrolling social media, enjoy some effortful fund first. Effortful fun

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<v Speaker 1>might be reading, drawing, doing puzzles, knitting, baking, or some

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<v Speaker 1>other hobby or pastime. Effortful fun, as the name suggests,

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<v Speaker 1>is more active than relaxing in front of a screen.

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<v Speaker 1>Effortful fun tends to be more rewarding, too, which is

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<v Speaker 1>why I advocate prioritizing it. If you want to engage

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<v Speaker 1>in effortful fun, you need to be ready. Your phone

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<v Speaker 1>is always at hand, so if you don't want to

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<v Speaker 1>spend all your leisure time scrolling you need to have

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<v Speaker 1>another sort of fun that is equally accessible. My personal

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<v Speaker 1>favorite forms of effortful fun are reading, playing the piano,

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<v Speaker 1>working puzzles, and building lego kits. So that means I

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<v Speaker 1>always need to have supplies for those activities. I need

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<v Speaker 1>a book, I want to read, I need sheet music,

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<v Speaker 1>a puzzle in progress, or a lego set. Thanks to

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<v Speaker 1>the library, I don't always have to spend money on books,

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<v Speaker 1>but I do spend money on sheet music and puzzles

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<v Speaker 1>and legos, and I am okay with that. I am

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<v Speaker 1>a reasonably frugal person, but I am willing to spend

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<v Speaker 1>money on experiences, and sheep music, legos, and puzzles make

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<v Speaker 1>possible experience as I enjoy. They make effortful fun look

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<v Speaker 1>as enticing as effortless fun, so that makes them a

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<v Speaker 1>good investment in my book. Now, maybe some folks already

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<v Speaker 1>have that mindset, but I am guessing a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>folks who listen to this podcast are frugal souls too.

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<v Speaker 1>It can be challenging to spend money on stuff that

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<v Speaker 1>you don't really need. We might worry that we are

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<v Speaker 1>wasting the money too. That you might buy supplies for

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<v Speaker 1>an at home experience and realize you won't use the

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<v Speaker 1>supplies again. You won't do the same puzzle twice. Or

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you thought you would enjoy hate decorating and you

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<v Speaker 1>bought the supplies, but you decided it's not for you,

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<v Speaker 1>And you might think that's a problem, But is it.

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<v Speaker 1>When you go to a concert, you spend the money

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<v Speaker 1>and then it is over. If you've spent an evening

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<v Speaker 1>cake decorating and don't really want to do it again,

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<v Speaker 1>that is no big deal either. Money for entertainment is

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<v Speaker 1>money for entertainment. You had the experience, and you can

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<v Speaker 1>pass on the supplies to someone else who would enjoy them.

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<v Speaker 1>In the last few years, there's been a proliferation of

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<v Speaker 1>remote classes and performances. Some of them are free, and

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<v Speaker 1>some of them require a payment, especially if your geographic

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<v Speaker 1>location or your family situation makes it harder for you

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<v Speaker 1>to attend in person classes or performances. Remote options can

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<v Speaker 1>be great. They are worth paying for. Indeed, aid making

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<v Speaker 1>that investment can upgrade your leisure quite a bit. Buying

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<v Speaker 1>an art book is as legitimate as paying for museum admission,

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<v Speaker 1>particularly if the art book keeps you off Instagram. Buying

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<v Speaker 1>a jewelry making book and supplies is as legitimate as

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<v Speaker 1>taking a jewelry making class, especially if making jewelry keeps

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<v Speaker 1>you from watching hours of reruns. Within the guardrails of

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<v Speaker 1>your budget, buy what you need to have fun at home.

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<v Speaker 1>There is nothing wrong with paying for entertainment that happens

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<v Speaker 1>in your house. Of course, the one caveat is that,

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<v Speaker 1>in addition to at home fun, you do want to

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<v Speaker 1>have some fun that involves leaving your house. Don't just

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<v Speaker 1>do a puzzle of the woods covered in snow if

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<v Speaker 1>you can go for a walk in the snowy woods too.

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<v Speaker 1>But wherever you are there is fun to be had.

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<v Speaker 1>So generate ideas and acquire supplies so that even when

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<v Speaker 1>you are home, you are ready to engage in effortful

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<v Speaker 1>fun when leisure time comes your way. When I finished

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<v Speaker 1>my autumn themed one thousand piece puzzle a few weeks ago,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought about leaving it up and taking a pause.

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<v Speaker 1>But then I remember that I really do enjoy doing puzzles,

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<v Speaker 1>So I bought a holiday themed puzzle, and I have

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<v Speaker 1>already found a few hours to work on it. Those

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<v Speaker 1>are hours that I probably would have spent reading headlines

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<v Speaker 1>or something else forgettable, But anxiety producing the puzzle is

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<v Speaker 1>a far more relaxing choice. In the meantime, This is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. M Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, then Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>p o D. You can also shoot me an email

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<v Speaker 1>at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com

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<v Speaker 1>that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For

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