1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,319 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: tip is to know what you're paying for. Don't get 4 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: hung up on the cost of something if the purchase 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: enables something you value. Just because it might be possible 6 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: to save money somehow or do things cheaper doesn't mean 7 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: that it's always the best choice. Longtime listeners know that 8 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: I tend to be frugal. My wardrobe includes a lot 9 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: of Amazon essentials, I color my own hair, I am 10 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: driving a thirteen year old car. I do not relish 11 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: the idea of spending money just to do so, but 12 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: I have also learned not to be so opposed to 13 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: spending money in circumstances where that is going to make 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: life a lot easier or enable something that I do value. 15 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: The key is thinking less about what I am actually 16 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: buying and more about what it is that I am 17 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: truly paying for. For instance, my family recently went to 18 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: Disney World together, which was definitely not a low cost experience. 19 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: Having shelled out all that cash, there was then the 20 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: question of whether to pay for the Genie Plus service. 21 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: That's the fast pass type service that lets you spend 22 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: less time in line for certain rides. Now, this was 23 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: obviously an optional expense. Not paying for it would save money, 24 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: But keeping five kids happy all day in crowded, sometimes 25 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: overwhelming parks is hard enough. If it was going to 26 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: be possible to skip a seventy five minute line with 27 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: my two littlest children in particular, that was going to 28 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: be a big win. I was not just paying one 29 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: of Disney's ridiculous fees. I was paying for peace and 30 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: the chance that a family vacation might be more enjoyable 31 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: than aggravating, and that is worth a lot. Remembering what 32 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: you are paying for can make lots of choices about 33 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: spending easier. Maybe you are craving a quiet Friday night 34 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: at home with a magazine, But the thought of paying 35 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: ten dollars for a single issue of a magazine from 36 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: the newsstand just rankles when you know you could pay 37 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: not much more than that for a year's subscription. But 38 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: if you are standing there at the news stand before 39 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: you hop on the train home, just let that thought go. 40 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: You are paying ten dollars dollars for Friday night entertainment, 41 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: and that is totally reasonable. It's a lot less than 42 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: you'd pay if you went to a movie or a show, 43 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: So just pay the ten dollars for the magazine and 44 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: enjoy your relaxing evening. Or if you're job seeking, you 45 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: might think it is wasteful to pay for your own 46 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: Zoom account. Basically, anyone you would be doing informational interviews 47 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: with would have a work account. They could use that 48 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: for the call. But consider this, you are asking people 49 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: to offer their time and you want to make it 50 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: as easy as possible for them to do so. Therefore, 51 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: you should be the one providing the link. You are 52 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: not wasting money on a service that you could theoretically 53 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: get for free. You are paying to be a gracious 54 00:03:52,760 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: host for informational interviews. That's a little more worth the money. 55 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: In deciding how to spend your money, get clear on 56 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: what you are actually paying for. Sometimes that is not 57 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: actually the same thing as what shows up on your 58 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: credit card statement or your Venmo account. I am sure 59 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: you have heard the phrase that a housekeeper is cheaper 60 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: than a divorce, and that is the thought process we 61 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: are getting at here. Yes, you could certainly clean your 62 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: house for less, but if that's at the cost of 63 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: resentment and constant household battles. Well, better to view it 64 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: as money spent on harmony, which is pretty close to priceless. 65 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 66 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 67 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 68 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 69 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 70 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 71 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.