1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Hi. This is Laura Vanderkamp. I'm a mother of four, 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 1: an author, journalist, and speaker. And this is Sarah Hart Hunger. 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: I'm a mother of three, practicing physician and blogger. On 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: the side, we are two working parents who love our 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: careers and our families. Welcome to best of both worlds. 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: Here we talk about how real women manage work, family, 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: and time for fun, from figuring out childcare to mapping 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: out long term career goals. We want you to get 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: the most out of life. Welcome to best of both worlds. 10 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 1: This is Laura. This is episode ninety eight. Today we're 11 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: going to be talking about frugal parenting tips, with a 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: lot of tips that we received from listeners who posted 13 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: on our Instagram account. Originally, Sarah and I did record 14 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: this episode together in one place in Miami, and then 15 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: we made a shocking discovery, which is that we think 16 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: our microphone wasn't on. Yes, you can get to ninety 17 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: eight episodes into your podcast and still make that error error. 18 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: There were a confluence of factors that we were using 19 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: my computer to record in Sarah's place because she didn't 20 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: have the cable to put the microphone in, and so 21 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: then when we stuck the microphone into my computer. We 22 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: didn't double check that my computer. I think we were 23 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,279 Speaker 1: just so excited to be doing it in each other's 24 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: actual company, and actually so proud of ourselves because I 25 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: feel like we had a really nice rhythm going that 26 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: we just didn't notice that. We didn't notice. We were 27 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: oblivious to the fact that we were just having a 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: conversation that was just for the two of us. It 29 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: was a private cast for private cast, but we wanted 30 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: to make sure that this episode would still get to 31 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: you on time. And we're also delighted that this is 32 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: the first episode where we have sponsors, and so it's 33 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: even more important that we get it out to everybody 34 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: on time. So we are re recording the day before 35 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: it runs with the sort of timeliness that we have 36 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: seldom achieved. And you know, it's actually kind of nice. 37 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie, like, it's kind of cool to 38 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: think what we're saying, right, you know. I always pictured 39 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: all my favorite podcasters recording like the night before. You 40 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: can say, as you're listening to them, yeah, exactly of 41 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: the conversation. And we have been critiqued before for being 42 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: a little too for ourn advance. So here you go 43 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: for all of our listeners, a much requested topic and 44 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: a nearly live episode. Yes, exactly, So it is actually 45 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: summer as we're recording this, it is mid June. We've 46 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: been getting ourselves into summer here, it's been We're both 47 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: kids out of school, and so a lot of people 48 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: are thinking about how to you know, have fun with 49 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: their family over the summer, managed life, but you know, 50 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: not break the bank as well. So we collected a 51 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: lot of frugal tips from people over on Instagram, on 52 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: our blogs, and we want to share some of those 53 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: and our own as well. So shall we go right in, Sarah, Yes, 54 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to introduce our organizational structure because I felt 55 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: like sometimes when we do these sourced episodes, we have 56 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: just such a bonanza that we wanted to put some 57 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: kind of order to it. So we're going to start 58 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: with some of Laura's favorite tips, segue into some of 59 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: my favorite tips, and then finish with a bonanza of 60 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: listener tips, or at least the sort of the best 61 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: ones that we picked from there. In fact, there may 62 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: be so much material here that I could sense a 63 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: second episode plumbing, but we will begin with what We've 64 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: got today. It turns out that the people who listen 65 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: to this podcast think about how to spend their money, 66 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: so good to know. So one s frugal tip as 67 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: you are thinking about summer activities, and this occurred to 68 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: me because my kids are actually in vacation Bible school 69 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: this week, is that these are often the cheapest camps around. 70 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: I think ours is like fifty dollars per kid per week, 71 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: whereas a lot of like you know, similar hour camps 72 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: can run you know, two hundred dollars per kid per week. 73 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: And so you know, obviously, if you are not of 74 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: you know, fear of the different religion, or you're you know, 75 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: opposed to religious instruction or such, then then this isn't 76 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: a tip for you. But a lot of houses of 77 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: worship do offer like vacation Bible schools, and these are 78 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: very cheap camps, so you don't have to usually be 79 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: a member of the church, so you could go to 80 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 1: lots of them. So, for instance, you know, if you 81 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: are a Presbyterian, you could send your kids to a 82 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: Presbyterian one. You can also send your kids to a 83 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: Methodist one. You can send your kids to an Episcopal one, 84 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: like probably it's not going to be too you know, 85 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: controversial for you within those different ones, and get the 86 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: kids out of the house for pretty cheap for much 87 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: of the summer. Another one we joined the y m 88 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: c A, which is a fairly affordable gym membership because 89 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: it is you know, aimed at families and so there's 90 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: a family plan. And the cool thing about it, there's 91 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: you know, one is that you know, indoor pool, so 92 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 1: year round entertainment for the price of going. They're also 93 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: very kid friendly in general, so my oldest son can 94 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: go lift weights and run on the treadmill, well if 95 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: he's got an adult with him, so that's good to 96 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: have that. And then they also give you know, two 97 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: hours of childcare per visit if you you know, want 98 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: to look into that, so if you know, you save 99 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: money on babysitting or whatever out whatever else. And I 100 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: will admit that I did once to take a phone 101 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: call in the lobby of a YMCA because I didn't 102 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: have a setter on that day, and so I did 103 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: go work out. I want to stress, I did go 104 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: work out, but then I you know, picked up the 105 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: kid like half an hour later. Well actually, one of 106 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: our listener tips was that they joined a very fancy gym. 107 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: I believe it was a lifetime where you're able to 108 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: have up to I believe a three hour block of 109 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: time and it includes classes for the kids. So I 110 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: can imagine if you weren't going to invest in camps, 111 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: but you wanted some kind of structure, and maybe you 112 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: had a flexible work situation. You never know that could 113 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: actually work, you know, pay for itself, depending on what 114 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:55,720 Speaker 1: your workout preferences are. Yeah, exactly. Another way we save 115 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: money is by using hand me downs. We are such 116 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: we've got a system going. There are bins in closets 117 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: that are labeled like six ty four tea that everything 118 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: has been passed down from kids a kid. But it's 119 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: really if you have you know, older cousins or neighbors 120 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: or friends, and you could go back and forth between them. 121 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: So say like they have a six year old, but 122 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: you have like a nine year old and a four 123 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: year old. I mean, your your stuff could go to 124 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: them and then it could come back to you. Some 125 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 1: of it gets destroyed, of course, so you have to 126 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: take that into account. But certainly things like kids dress shoes, 127 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: I mean you wear those like what a couple of 128 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: times a year max. Like, it makes no sense to 129 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: shell out big bucks for them when you know probably 130 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: somebody else has just outgrown them. So we are we 131 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: are serious with that. We send the kids to the 132 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: barber with dad, Like I think, you know, it's interesting, 133 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: women's hair is expensive to cut. People charge more for 134 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: women's hair, So don't send your kids to a place 135 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: where it's like women's hair care is an option. If 136 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: you send them this somewhere that men get their haircut, 137 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: it's like a very reasonable sort of thing. Well, actually, 138 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 1: hair was a hot topic also amongst our listeners. Some 139 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: people mention going to a hairstyling school. So especially if 140 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: your kids want something more elaborate but you're not willing 141 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: to pay for, you know, highlights in an actual salon, 142 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: go to like the Avida Beauty School and you can 143 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: get often a discount process for a supervisor watching, so 144 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: they end up with the same thing in the end, 145 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: or learning to do it yourself, either getting one of 146 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: those nice machines or if it's a boy and you're 147 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: just it's just a matter of using clippers. This is 148 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: a tip that we need to do at our house 149 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: because we haven't just had like a bug, right, you know, 150 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: it's just like at a certain height and that's just 151 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: what you do, right, exactly. It should be easy. As 152 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: we have a surgeon in the family, he should be 153 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: able to handle that. It's like hair surgery exactly. You know, 154 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: we heard from a lot of people and this is 155 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: one we certainly used to going to the library of course, 156 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: I mean because kids go through a lot of books past. 157 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: They also have free activities there. But one thing we've 158 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: started using a lot lately is the Libby app, which 159 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: allows you to borrow ebooks from your library. And so 160 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: particularly Sam has been really getting into Encyclopedia Brown books, 161 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: which are awesome, but they can also be consumed at 162 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: a rate of approximately one per hour. So if we 163 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: were purchasing all these books, it would be you know, 164 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: running up a rate of like twenty bucks a day 165 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: in books pretty easily. So we get them on the 166 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: Libby app and then you could either have them you 167 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: know anywhere you could get the Kindle Reading app, right, 168 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,959 Speaker 1: it can also open Libby's books, So if your child 169 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: has a device, for instance, if they have a candle 170 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: or an iPad or something like that, they could just 171 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: read books on there. You could also decide to just 172 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: give them access. Then if you have, for instance, like 173 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: a teenager, you could put your library card into it 174 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: and they can then borrow books on it. So that's 175 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,959 Speaker 1: a pretty easy way to get back on. I also 176 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: had someone contact me because my daughter is into The 177 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: box Car Children right now, and apparently all of the 178 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: audio titles of The box Car Children are available on overdrive. 179 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: So they actually make very nice sort of background, not noise, 180 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: but a nice background while kids plague. The stories are 181 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 1: kind of peaceful and it's like I can just picture 182 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: a rainy afternoon of which we were having many with 183 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: that going on freely in the background while they play 184 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: with legos or something. Sounds yeahsh I love that. I 185 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 1: mean speaking of like frugal living. The box Car Children 186 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: the first book was like totally that right. You know 187 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: that they go into this box car in the woods 188 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: and they, you know, forage for various things, and the 189 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: oldest kid earns like two dollars a day or something, 190 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: and they squirrel it away for various things that they need. 191 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: So but then they get like adopted by their rich 192 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: grandfather and get whatever they want for the rest of 193 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:44,439 Speaker 1: the series. Lesson and we can all think about what 194 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: the what the implications might be. I don't know. Maybe 195 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: it's that frugal living is rewarded by being adopted by 196 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: a rich uncle or something. I don't know what them 197 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: or it's true, maybe you could say, well they were 198 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: just as happy then, you know, making do with nothing, 199 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: with little carrots that they glean from the doctor's garden 200 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: or whatever it was. I just read it. It was 201 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: a favorite book from childhood. So in activities, kids' activities 202 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: just in general, the ones offered through your school or 203 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: the local city government are gonna be cheaper than private 204 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: ones because they're they're probably you know, subsidized to some degree. 205 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: But on one you know, offbeat fergal tip here, if 206 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: you have your site set on a certain camp or 207 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 1: certain activity, A lot of places will donate a week 208 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: or two for fundraisers. So whether it's a you know, 209 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: church fundraiser, a school fundraiser, an activity fundraiser, any place 210 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: that might have a silent auction for instance, you can 211 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: you know, if you were going to go to this anyway, 212 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: or sometimes you don't even have to go. You can 213 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: register ahead of time and bid online for various things. 214 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: You can often get a camp or a lesson for 215 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: like fifty percent off. These tend not to be the 216 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:55,079 Speaker 1: donations that are than subject to bidding wars for whatever. 217 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: So I once got a week of gymnastics camp for 218 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: I think it was only like, you know, thirty forty 219 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: percent of face value or something, which was a great deal. 220 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: Of course, then I promptly signed up for a second week, 221 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: signed up for a year of gymnastic lessons, which of 222 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: course is why they donate these things in the first place. 223 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: But you don't have to do that a tip. We 224 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: actually heard from a number of people about this one 225 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: as well, and this was certainly one that we tried 226 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: to getting memberships at any institution that you're going to 227 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: go to frequently, so like the Zoo, the acquiring Children's Museum, 228 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: in the Science Museum. Partly it's because then when you 229 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: only go for an hour before your kid has a 230 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: total meltdown, you don't feel like you've wasted your money. 231 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: But you can also ask for these as presents from 232 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: extended family members. So for instance, say like you know, 233 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: between the two sets of grandparents, they might have spent 234 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: you know, thirty dollars a piece on kids for a 235 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: birthday or for Christmas or something they might have gotten you, 236 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: like a sweater you don't really need. If you ask 237 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: them instead to maybe give your family a membership, you know, 238 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: maybe one to the zoo, and somebody else gives you 239 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: a membership to the science museum, Well now you've solved 240 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: the problem with entertaining your family only basically for free, 241 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 1: for you know, the entire winter, whereas the toys they 242 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: would have gotten the kids probably would have fallen apart 243 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: by like January tenth anyway, So that's a great way 244 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: to do that. I also heard, I don't know if 245 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: somebody posted this on our Instagram account, but some libraries 246 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: actually let you check out a pass to some of 247 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,839 Speaker 1: these type of institutions, like they'll have a couple of 248 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: passes to the local zoo and that you can go 249 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: check them out. So you know, obviously you can't keep 250 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: them for the whole year, but if you wanted to 251 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 1: try out something to see if it would be worth 252 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: getting a membership for yourself, then then you possibly could 253 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,559 Speaker 1: do that. That's amazing. Yeah. I also like the idea 254 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: of maybe just picking two for each year and then 255 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: switching them from year to year and then really getting 256 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: to know those couple well, so you're not buying a 257 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: million memberships. And then one listener tip was to buy 258 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:51,839 Speaker 1: them halfway through the summer. So by choosing two places 259 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: and then switching it up midway through the summer, you 260 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: could actually end up with sort of four venues that 261 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 1: you could freely go in and out throughout the summer 262 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 1: and only pay for two memberships a year. Yeah, get 263 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 1: the again, Yeah you can, you can do that. Yeah. 264 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: Another of my tips. Diapers are diapers, our diaper's cloth diapers, 265 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: Laura in my house, what are you thinking. I don't know. 266 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: We've never used the cloth diaper. I have. I have 267 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: heard that actually though, if you buy them secondhand, it 268 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: can be a cost saving So if you're into that. 269 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 1: And bleach is good bleach bleach like disposable line. I 270 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: don't know. I never did it. I never did it, 271 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 1: but yeah, look for your unit price on the diapers. Well, 272 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: because I have memories of like my little brother using them, 273 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: so I was old enough to remember this, right, and 274 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,559 Speaker 1: it just looked like ridiculous. You know, they're different now 275 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: they're different. Now, let's let's hope with the rubber pants, 276 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: the safety pins, like you have to be careful not 277 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: to pin the kid right, like yeah, good good times. Sorry, 278 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: diapers are diapers, and there's a hilarious and now I'm 279 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: remembering I told this story. I'm like, did I say 280 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: this earlier? And I'm like, no, it was when we 281 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: recorded this episode earlier that I said it, and you 282 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: all weren't weren't subject to the previous version of this recording. 283 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: There was a humorous Loves diaper. Love is one of 284 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: the discount diaper brands, and they had a humorous ad 285 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: campaign a few years ago is like Loves the first 286 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: choice of second time moms, and so that you know, 287 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: they have the first time mom who's like all hovering 288 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: over the kid and like careful that nothing touches the 289 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: child whatsoever. And then they cut to like second time mom, 290 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: she's just like handing her kid to the mechanic at 291 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: a car place while she's trying to like, you know, 292 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: do something else with her other child. The implication being 293 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: you stop worrying about what exactly like the kid's diaper 294 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: looks like or you know whatever. So anyway, I thought 295 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: that was funny, So yeah, we we. They are occasionally 296 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: good deals if you follow places like money Saving Mom 297 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: or some of the woods. Some of the places that 298 00:14:54,720 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: track this, you can see different retailers will have, you know, 299 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: things to get it down per sense per diaper, So 300 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: that's often worth paying attention to if you are going 301 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: through a lot of diapers, if you have multiple kids 302 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: under age three, for instance. And then the last one 303 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: I wanted to talk about is stacking up on gifts 304 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 1: post Christmas, because most retailers have major sales in late 305 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: December early January, and particularly if you know that your 306 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: kids will probably be going to a lot of birthday 307 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: parties in the course of the year, you can get 308 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: you know, stuff like toys that you would have bought 309 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: for kids your kids ages, you know, just stock up 310 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: on a couple of them, yeah, legos, or supplies, books, 311 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: whatever it is that you can then use over the 312 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: course of the year. You can even buy supplies like 313 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: you know, tape wrapping paper. Normally it's the Christmas stuff 314 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: that's discounted, but you might be able to find say 315 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: like plain red paper or plane of our paper, either 316 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: one of which would be just fine for birthday gifts 317 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: through the year. So that's that's definitely worth it. You know, 318 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: buying in bulk in general is smart. You just have 319 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: to make sure that you actually use this stuff. So 320 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: we have a buy list and a do not buy 321 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: list every time we go to Costo, so that way 322 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: whoever's going does not accidentally buy like more toilet paper 323 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: when we're completely you know, the pantry is full of 324 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: toilet paper, but we don't have paper toiles. Like you 325 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: have to make a list and that you buy do 326 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: not buy list. I am more of an Amazon subscribe 327 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: and save. Oh yeah does that? So how does that work? 328 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: You get it at a certain you have to actively 329 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: manage it. You get it every mind. But if you 330 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: do not actively manage it, then you get exactly what 331 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: you just said, which is like a lot more toilet 332 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: paper than you need. But you know what, you're going 333 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: to use it eventually. And we have a garage. So 334 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: so now we are going to welcome our very first 335 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: sponsors the podcast, and Laura is going to tell us 336 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: all about betterhealth. Yeah, so listeners, we know you're extremely busy, 337 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: but if there's something that interferes with your happiness or 338 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: is preventing you from achieving your goals, you probably want 339 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: to do something about it. If so, Betterhelp Online counseling 340 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: is there for you. You You can connect with your professional 341 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: counselor in a safe and private online environment, so it's 342 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: incredibly convenient for people who are working and raising families 343 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 1: that definitely still want to prioritize their mental health, so 344 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: you can get help on your own time and at 345 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: your own pace. 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If you're not 351 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: happy with your counselor for any reason, you can request 352 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: a new one at any time for no additional charge. 353 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: There are three thousand US licensed therapists spread across all 354 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: fifty states, so chances are you'll be able to find 355 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: some who works great with you. If you go on 356 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: too betterhelp dot com, you can start communicating in under 357 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 1: twenty four hours, so this can be convenient, fast and professional, 358 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: and best of all, it is a truly affordable option. 359 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 1: Best of both worlds. Podcast listeners get ten percent off 360 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 1: their first month with discount code best Up. So if 361 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: you've been thinking that you would like to talk to 362 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 1: someone and prioritize your mental health, why not get started today. 363 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: Go to betterhelp dot com slash best of. That's v 364 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: e s t of. Simply fill out a questionnaire to 365 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: help them assess your needs and get matched with a counselor. 366 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: You'll love that's betterhelp dot com slash best Up. All right, 367 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: thank you, Laura. We are going to segue now into 368 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 1: my list, which is a little different than yours. And 369 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: I couldn't quite come up with ten because we had 370 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 1: so many from listeners, and I don't think I had 371 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: ten get close, but I've filled in some of the gaps. Okay, 372 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 1: so my first one is not automatically buying a big car, 373 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: and I believe I got this actually from a blog reader, 374 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,719 Speaker 1: but I proudly raised my hand and said, yeah, although 375 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: that's only half true. We did buy one bigger car 376 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,640 Speaker 1: after we had Genevieve because we wanted to be able 377 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: to bring my parents places along with the kids when 378 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: they came to visit. But the rest of the time, 379 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: I still drive all three kids and Josh sometimes around 380 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: in my Prius. And you can fit three car seats 381 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: in the back row of that relatively small car, so 382 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,320 Speaker 1: excellent gas mileage, no car payments because it's from twenty eleven. 383 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: And I tend to believe that it's the big purchases 384 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: that make the biggest dents when it comes to frugality, 385 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,360 Speaker 1: and that has been a nice one for us. Yeah, 386 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: we don't have to buy a gas guzzling suv like 387 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: just because you have three kids. I mean, it's tell 388 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,239 Speaker 1: people about your car seats though, because maybe people are 389 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: oh yeah, so not every car car seats fit the 390 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: definitely not. You have to be strategic. We did a 391 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 1: lot of googling when we were researching this. The Diono 392 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: Radiant is like the world's narrowest car seat. But I 393 00:19:58,040 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: mean even if you have normal sized kids, they fit 394 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: just fine in it. There's just not a lot of 395 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: extra room on each side. Maybe it's a little intimate, 396 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: but you get to know quite well. They haven't complained 397 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: too much. We have one rear facing for genevieven two 398 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: forward facings. The weight limit goes up to something ridiculous. 399 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: I think Josh said one hundred and twenty pounds, so 400 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: that you would say I can use the car seat great, 401 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: so I probably meet the height limit as well. So yes, 402 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: we have all three kids in those and they should 403 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: work for quite some time, so we are we are 404 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: happy about that. Yeah my second one, Now, the library 405 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: was mentioned on every list, but everyone has their favorite 406 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: things about the library. Mine is having a nice active 407 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: reserve list and taking advantage of pickup. I used to 408 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: have a mobile option. I think I had that as 409 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,640 Speaker 1: a level of the week previously, where I could order 410 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:44,679 Speaker 1: books to come to this van that drove to a 411 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,679 Speaker 1: nearby playground and I could walk and pick them up. 412 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 1: That was amazing. Maybe your area has something like this. 413 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: My new area does not, but even so, there are 414 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,919 Speaker 1: so many branches and I really feel like the mobile 415 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: pickup feels just like ordering books, except they're free. So 416 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:01,679 Speaker 1: I I just love it. And you know, when I 417 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 1: find it, I actively manage my reserve list. I find 418 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 1: that I read more. I don't know which is causal 419 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: and which is the effect, but makes me happy and 420 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 1: is very frugal. So yeah, and I do still bube 421 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: and Laura is probably happy to hear when an author 422 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: that I truly love comes out with a book. I 423 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: will still invest in books. And I do buy some books, 424 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: but just from a clutter perspective and in a cost consciousness, 425 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 1: I don't buy every book, so it's nice to mix 426 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: it up. But libraries have bought these books too. I 427 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 1: want to say, as an author, that's true. The library 428 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: has invested resources in buying multiple copies. I mean, most 429 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: people are not going to buy multiple copies of an 430 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 1: author's book, but a library might buy ten of them. 431 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: So I mean, they're good consumers. It's nice to have them. 432 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 1: So don't worry about you know how the author is 433 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: getting common So they are. I love it. We love libraries. Okay. 434 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: My next one that I utilize frequently is my on 435 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: demand workouts. Now, sometimes I go to an actual gym, 436 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,360 Speaker 1: but it is much cheaper and much much more efficient 437 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 1: to do workouts at home. I don't have to drive 438 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:02,919 Speaker 1: it back and forth. The cost per year is really 439 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: I mean, if you look at the cost per workout, 440 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: it's it works out extremely well. I believe my Beach 441 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: Body membership is something like one hundred dollars a year, 442 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 1: and I do at least two workouts a week, so 443 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 1: that's like a dollar a workout. You could pay thirty 444 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: dollars a workout at your New York City Flywheel studio, 445 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: So I feel very good about that. Yes, you do 446 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: have to invest in weights, but weights last a really, 447 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: really long time, so I think that's a nice investment. 448 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 1: And if you're really smart, you could probably find them 449 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,719 Speaker 1: on crislist, because again, they don't really go bad, so 450 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 1: I can imagine people probably sell them relatively frequently. Of course, 451 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: there's many other options, not just Beach Body. There's Bar three, 452 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,920 Speaker 1: there's the Balance Life, there is fitness Blender, there is 453 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: sweat app, and then there's also just a number of 454 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,119 Speaker 1: free things that you can find. Fitness Blender has a 455 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 1: lot of free content, and just also looking on YouTube. 456 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: If you follow some of your favorite fitness bloggers, they'll 457 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: just link to their favorites and you could probably have 458 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: a whole regiment just from that and be extremely fit 459 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 1: with very little investments. So I love that budgeting. My 460 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 1: next one is is just being very aware and intentional 461 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: with budget we track. As I've mentioned previously, you to 462 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: Zee the app, you need a budget. There are other 463 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,719 Speaker 1: options out there you need a budget. Is now a 464 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: subscription model that costs about eighty dollars a year. So 465 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: I'm a little bit sad that it's not quite as 466 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 1: budget of an option as it was when we first 467 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,719 Speaker 1: bought it, when it was just a one time app, 468 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: And we actually still use the old version, so if 469 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: you still have that, know that it does still work. 470 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: They allow you to use it, they just don't provide 471 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: tech support. I do feel like in the future it's 472 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 1: probably going to stop sinking properly. We've started to run 473 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: into some problems, so I'm going to have to look 474 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: into other free options. So perhaps I'll be able to 475 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: do an update on that in a future episode. And 476 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 1: if you know of a new budgeting app, I'd love 477 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: to hear about it. And I'm specifically talking about the 478 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: cand where you actively manage exactly where you're tracking every dollar, 479 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: because I feel like it's actually the act of doing that, 480 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,679 Speaker 1: not the tracking itself, that provides the biggest benefit. So 481 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,640 Speaker 1: something like mint, which autoimports things I'm not sure would 482 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: be as help. And then my last one was also 483 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 1: an idea that a blog commenter sent in, which was 484 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,640 Speaker 1: just having a frugal mindset, surrounding yourself with those who 485 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: think about how they are spending It doesn't necessarily mean 486 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:16,360 Speaker 1: that they need to be spending low amounts of money. 487 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,160 Speaker 1: It really just has to do with whether they are 488 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 1: conscious and whether they are, you know, intentionally putting a 489 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: home to every dollar versus the idea of just like easycome, 490 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: easy go, which kind of used to be more the 491 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: way I thought about things. But I do feel like 492 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: I have shifted with time. And that can be the 493 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: friends that you were around, It could be podcasts that 494 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: you read, books that you read, et cetera. There's also 495 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,640 Speaker 1: the whole Fire community, which Laura did a recent excellent 496 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: blog post about. I thought it was very balanced look 497 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: at what fire is, which means financial independence, retire early. 498 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: And I do think it's a, you know, a mixed bag, 499 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 1: but has some interesting concept that you might get from it, 500 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: even if you're not a card carring member of their movement, 501 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: which I am yet. And in the upside of reading 502 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 1: you know, frugal blogs, I mean, some of them are 503 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: absolutely ridiculous, and if somebody is telling you to make 504 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: a hammock out of six pack rings, you should probably 505 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: just run in the opposite direction. But that said, it 506 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: changes your frame of reference. So if the people you're 507 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: around in real life are sort of more spindy, then 508 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: it might helpful to read, you know, about people who 509 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: put their air conditioning at a completely different point than 510 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: the people in your life, or who you know have 511 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 1: their kids share bedrooms, or who are you buying used 512 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: cars and keeping them for many years so that your 513 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: frame of reference isn't all people who are replacing their 514 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 1: cars within the first three years every time, so that 515 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: you don't see that as normal, or else you can 516 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:48,920 Speaker 1: tell yourself, you know, I'm in the middle. Sometimes it's 517 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 1: fun to just say like, oh, I'm in the middle, 518 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 1: But in order to be in the middle, you have 519 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: to have people on both sides. So that's why it 520 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: could be helpful to read these sorts of things, just 521 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: as changing your point of reference. So we got a 522 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:05,880 Speaker 1: lot of listener tips too, and one sort of counterintuitive 523 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 1: one that we heard from a ton of people, and 524 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: I tend to agree with this is that people love 525 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: their grocery delivery or online pickup. They love it, you guys. 526 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: I mean that was like every other tip we got pactic. Yeah, 527 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: and for a couple of reasons. One is that when 528 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: you go to the grocery store, like everything about stores 529 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: in general, is designed to get you to spend more. 530 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: I mean of course that's how stores are organized. So 531 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: they're pumping in the bakery fumes. You're walking in, they're like, oh, well, 532 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: I didn't come in here for croissants, but they smell 533 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,719 Speaker 1: really good, and so next thing you know, you're walking 534 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: out with them, whereas you can't smell the croissants when 535 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: you order online, and then you know whatever is delivered 536 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: to you is what you actually wanted to get delivered 537 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: to you, as opposed to you walking into the grocery 538 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: store with your physical body that was hungry or thirsty 539 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 1: or angry or whatever else and felt the need to 540 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 1: grab those croissants off the shelf. I think these are 541 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,959 Speaker 1: also so very conducive to meal planning, which in and 542 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: of itself can be a very nice money and time saver. 543 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 1: You know, when you have to think ahead, Okay, these 544 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: are what we're going to make this week, and you're 545 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,360 Speaker 1: not randomly picking up things and then you end up with, like, 546 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 1: you know, all these fresh vegetables that you just aren't 547 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: sure what to do with and then they go to waste. 548 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: That's the biggest waste of money and ecologically terrible. So 549 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: by forcing yourself to think ahead and then ordering it 550 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: all online and trying to do that. You know, people 551 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,600 Speaker 1: probably aren't going to do that every day because you 552 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: have to pay a fee, and because it's kind of 553 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: a pain to have someone you're going to do that 554 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: probably weekly. So it just sort of the whole package 555 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: and process of doing it that way. Yeah, it encourages 556 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: planning and if you're having sort of a sober moment 557 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: while you are sitting down to order your online groceries, 558 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: that you will remind yourself that there are seven days 559 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: in a week, so you won't like wind up on 560 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: Thursday being like, oh my goodness, there's no food in 561 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: the house. We have to get takeout. So there's just 562 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: a way of taking the whole food procuring process and 563 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: making it much more rational, which is often a great 564 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: money saver. The one really important one, of course, is 565 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: being intentional about big things. And this is where yeah, 566 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 1: some of our critique of kind of the whole like 567 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: frugal living bog posts. I mean, you can make you 568 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: can feel content out of small tips like making your 569 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: own shampoo or something like that, but it kind of 570 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 1: saves you negligible amounts of money in the long term 571 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: compared to say, not buying a new car, or to 572 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: not living in New York City, not living in New 573 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: York City, or not living in a five bedroom house 574 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: when you could have done a three bedroom house or 575 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 1: something like that. There's just various. These big decisions are 576 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: what really matter, because then you are you have extra 577 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: room in your budget to buy whatever shampoo you want, 578 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:48,800 Speaker 1: and you can still save if you're spending less than 579 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 1: you potentially could on housing. I know you guys were 580 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: definitely thinking about that when you moved to your new place. Right. Absolutely, 581 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: Miami Beach isn't quite New York City, but I mean 582 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: it's not terribly far off. Now have a lot more space, 583 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: and it costs less, and then the things around it 584 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 1: costs less because it's just it's almost like the currency 585 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: is slightly different. I imagine that's probably a different part 586 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: of Florida. Yeah, and I imagine it's probably similar to 587 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: going from say like Manhattan to you know, to town 588 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: in western Massachusetts or town. Yeah. Yes, that's the case exactly. 589 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: So think about the big things now. Of course, it 590 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 1: may be worth it to you to live in New 591 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: York if that's where all of your family was and 592 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,239 Speaker 1: or your industry or whatever. I mean, like you know, 593 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: if you're going to wind up jobless because you moved 594 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: somewhere else, that's not exactly you know, if you're like 595 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 1: a Silicon Valley person and that's just where your whole 596 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: community is, then maybe you just need to be there. 597 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: But man, it's living in North Carolina as a resident, 598 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: like we felt pretty rich, So I think I should 599 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: move back there. And I'm just kidding. Yeah, No, the 600 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: big things really matter, they really do. Another tip we 601 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: got from this was first mentioned by a listener from 602 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: from Denmark about you know, I don't know if she 603 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: was expecting or what, but not getting all the shiny 604 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 1: baby things. So that definitely pregnancy is a prime marketing 605 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,720 Speaker 1: moment that people will get through all sorts of ads 606 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 1: because people tend to be in a very inquisitive mood 607 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: during that time. But you know, if any of our 608 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: listeners with more than one kid know that a lot 609 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 1: of that stuff is really unnecessary and it's so funeral stuff. Yeah, 610 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: I mean, how long did your kids wear the O 611 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: to three month clothes? I think we had about a 612 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: period of three days because year to three month was 613 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: about two months, but then three to six month was 614 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: a week. Yeah, so it was you know that you 615 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 1: will probably experience the same thing, so you don't want 616 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 1: to necessarily invest a whole lot of money in baby 617 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: clothes since other people have also had babies and were 618 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: probably willing to pass their stuff onto you and well great, 619 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:56,440 Speaker 1: which is why a counterpart to this tip is to 620 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,959 Speaker 1: look at great used clothing stores, look at thread up, 621 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 1: which sells clothes online, look at Facebook marketplaces, look at 622 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: free cycle things in your neighborhood. One blogger I really 623 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: like is called never Homemaker, and she has an Instagram 624 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: and she buys almost all used clothing, and she and 625 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: her kids always look great, so she tends to buy 626 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 1: higher end stuff at like, you know, three dollars dates 627 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 1: per item, and no one would ever know, yeah, except 628 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: she's nice enough to tell us about it. So yeah, 629 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: so there you go. There you go. No, and if 630 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: you are into thrift stores, I mean the people who 631 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 1: do this well, obviously you're not going to walk into 632 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: one random thrift store and come out with a whole 633 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: wardrobe of great stuff. You know, the people who do 634 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: this well and who get like great furniture and clothes 635 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: and handbags and stuff. They are frequent visitors and they 636 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: often wind up going to multiple places in order to 637 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: get the stuff that they are interested in, so you 638 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 1: will wind up investing some time in it. So it 639 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: just depends. If you're the kind of person who loves 640 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 1: to shop, then that's fine, it's like a hobby. If 641 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: you are not, then you may want to just have 642 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 1: you know, a friend or two who passes down kids clothes, 643 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: or maybe just go to an online marketplace like like 644 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: thread up and understand that you won't necessarily get all 645 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: the greatest stuff, but you'll get a reasonable number. Like 646 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: you just need kids jeens inside eight to ten like 647 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: that you can do right, very dole speaking of kids 648 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: age eight to ten. I love the next one. Love 649 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: the next one, which is that if outsourcing is maybe 650 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 1: not happening or you don't want to, you can in 651 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: source to your children. In source. We didn't come up 652 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: with that at which we did. It's a great word, 653 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: but yeah that you know, as one of our listeners wrote, 654 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:36,320 Speaker 1: who needs to pay to have laundry done when an 655 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 1: eight and eleven year old are capable of that task? 656 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: So train up all sorts of things they can do. 657 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 1: Lawn work potentially, if you were thinking of, you know, 658 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 1: outsourcing weeding, or something like that. That's definitely a job 659 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:53,080 Speaker 1: you could probably get your kids to handle, or watering plants. 660 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,240 Speaker 1: I mean they could probably, you know, certainly preteens could 661 00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: learn to do simple cooking. Definitely definitely stuff like washing 662 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: your car, bathroom cleaning. I mean that's not that hard, 663 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: not at all. Now, what we're always wary of strategies 664 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 1: that are sort of geared to avoid childcare or treat 665 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 1: childcare as something that it's optional. But one thing that 666 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,959 Speaker 1: was mentioned that a lot of people like is trading childcare, 667 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 1: so either for days off or for date nights. Perhaps 668 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: you have a kid and enrolled in aftercare, but there's 669 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 1: no school a couple of days. You could have your 670 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: neighbors take the kids for one day, and then you 671 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: could watch their kids for another day, and therefore each 672 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 1: get a full day to work. You know, I think 673 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 1: this does depend on the ages and stages of your children. 674 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: I don't think my three would be I don't know. 675 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:44,719 Speaker 1: I think they're just a little much right now. If 676 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 1: I only had Adabel and Cameron, I totally could imagine 677 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: doing something like that. Yeah, this more works if you 678 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 1: have one or two children, like if you have six children, 679 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: like you are not a family that should descend upon 680 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: anyone like here take them all. So but if you 681 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: of them are of babysitting age, actually baby grad to 682 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: have them. But now if you've got one or two 683 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: kids and you've got a neighbor in a similar position, 684 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 1: you can definitely trade off. We have people talk about 685 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,600 Speaker 1: trading off for date nights that you know, each couple 686 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: got one Friday night off and then the next Friday 687 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:16,960 Speaker 1: night they hosted right like they had even you know, 688 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 1: movie night, or if the kids were old enough, sometimes 689 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: like a sleepover. And so then each couple got you know, 690 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:25,279 Speaker 1: one Friday to Saturday with without kids, which you know 691 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: sounds pretty awesome and it's definitely something you'd have to 692 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,120 Speaker 1: pay a lot for on the market. So that's that's 693 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: that's great. Just sort of wrapping up, I think we 694 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: have one more just vacations that we We've definitely found 695 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: that using Verbo for that's a vacation rental bio owner 696 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: for renting houses in locations is definitely more economical than 697 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: you know, with six of us, we often have to 698 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:53,760 Speaker 1: get two hotel rooms because there's a lot of rules 699 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: for airbnb. Airbnb would be another option that you know, 700 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 1: you can get a whole house which might have you know, 701 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: three bedrooms right there, so you have more bedrooms and 702 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: you'd get into hotel rooms anyway, and you have a 703 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:08,880 Speaker 1: kitchen so you can get cereal and milk and have 704 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:12,040 Speaker 1: breakfast there in the morning as opposed to your hotel 705 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:13,839 Speaker 1: room where you might not be able to pull that off, 706 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,000 Speaker 1: and then you're paying for breakfast some of the time, 707 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 1: and that's you know, more money out the door as well. 708 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: So will also throw out my favorite family budget hotel chain, 709 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 1: which is Homewood Suites. Oh yeah, I've had some really 710 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:28,919 Speaker 1: good experiences at Homewood Suites in the past. I feel 711 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: like lately we've never had a city where they had one, 712 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: but yeah, places like Orlando, like kind of smaller cities. Yeah, 713 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: I can get a lot of bang for your bucket. Yeah, 714 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,400 Speaker 1: We've said the Embassy Suites a few times because they 715 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: do allow six people for room, and they tend to 716 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: have two rooms, so they have like us, sometimes they 717 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 1: have a kitchen. Yeah, sofa bad and like two beds 718 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 1: and the main one so you've got six, like you 719 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 1: can put six people in this room. And then they 720 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:53,840 Speaker 1: also have some other nice stuff like they tend to 721 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,359 Speaker 1: free breakfast, and a lot of them have where they 722 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 1: call the manager's reception at night from like you know, 723 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 1: to six or something, which they test have they have 724 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 1: free drinks, so you know there'd be like popcorn and 725 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:06,800 Speaker 1: free drinks, so you go, like give your kids popcorn 726 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,400 Speaker 1: before dinner and have a cocktail with your spouse and 727 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: you know, but everyone who's staying there has kids anyway, 728 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 1: so it's not like horrible. It's not like our kids 729 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 1: to happy hour, right, So they are definitely targeting parents 730 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 1: with that too. So let's say, should we do our 731 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,799 Speaker 1: Q and a yes, Let's do our Q and A here, 732 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 1: I'll read it, okay, mom, guilt, it just won't go away. 733 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:36,919 Speaker 1: I like that. It's fret forth voting yes. Hi Laurence Sarah. 734 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 1: I'm a mom of a twelve year old and a 735 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 1: ten year old. I work full time as an engineer 736 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: with a great company, and I have very mixed feelings 737 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 1: about my work. Ever since I had kids. I constantly 738 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:47,239 Speaker 1: have a feeling of guilt and have been saying to 739 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 1: myself for ten years now that I should quit my job. 740 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,719 Speaker 1: The feelings of guilt just don't go away. Some days, 741 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:54,560 Speaker 1: I really love my job. Other days not so much, 742 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:56,319 Speaker 1: and I question why I am at work and not 743 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:58,319 Speaker 1: with my kids. It has been going on for a 744 00:36:58,360 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: long time now, and I don't know what to do. 745 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: I'm afraid I am missing out on my kid's life. 746 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,479 Speaker 1: I miss them all the time. When I am home, 747 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:06,319 Speaker 1: I find I am exhausted, and they don't get the 748 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: best of me. Any tips, suggestions, and thoughts are much appreciated. Yeah, 749 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:16,839 Speaker 1: so this is of course, you know, of course, Yeah, 750 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: we get a lot of We get a lot of 751 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:21,279 Speaker 1: this question. And you know, if she has a great 752 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: job and two great kids, it sounds like life is 753 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:27,240 Speaker 1: going pretty well. I mean, guilt is a complicated emotion. 754 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: One thing we've talked about in previous episodes. The best 755 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: of both worlds is substituting the word wistful for guilt. 756 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: So Sarah like using the word wistful because guilt implies 757 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 1: that you're doing something wrong, whereas wistful is just like 758 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 1: you know, oh well, you know, nothing can be perfect, 759 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:45,239 Speaker 1: like you can't be in two places at once, but 760 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean you did anything wrong. I mean, in 761 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 1: a perfect world, everyone could do everything that world doesn't exist, 762 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 1: And she's not doing anything wrong. I mean, she's showing 763 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 1: her kids that you can have a great career and 764 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: be a great mom too. I would point out that 765 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 1: she's showing her daughter that women can be in engineers, 766 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,520 Speaker 1: which is a good thing to be demonstrating, you know. 767 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,400 Speaker 1: I also say she should consider reconsider this idea that 768 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 1: she's missing a lot, partly because her kids are ten 769 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:11,880 Speaker 1: and twelve at this point. Like they're not sitting at 770 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:14,600 Speaker 1: home pining for her, they're at school, they're at activities, 771 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 1: they're with their friends. Like even if she wasn't working 772 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:20,160 Speaker 1: full time, she'd still not be around them the vast 773 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:24,360 Speaker 1: majority of time. So I think if she would like 774 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: to have more sort of afternoon time with her kids, 775 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: she might see she says, it's a great company. Maybe 776 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 1: they're flexible. I mean maybe two three days a week 777 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:35,719 Speaker 1: she could leave a little bit earlier, be home sort 778 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:37,880 Speaker 1: of more like four four thirty, spend the afternoon with 779 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,799 Speaker 1: the kids, do an hour or two of work at 780 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:44,640 Speaker 1: night after they go to bed, or maybe she goes 781 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 1: in early some days and then as you know, done 782 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:50,080 Speaker 1: for the day earlier, she might decide to work really 783 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:52,280 Speaker 1: late one night and then have a much more reasonable 784 00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:53,719 Speaker 1: life the rest of the week. I mean, if it's 785 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:56,680 Speaker 1: a flexible company, all of those would be options for 786 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,320 Speaker 1: her to have more of that kind of like still 787 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:02,680 Speaker 1: high energy time with her family, if that, you know, 788 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: isn't important to her. Yeah, and I mentioned, you know, 789 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:09,600 Speaker 1: she had a line from her comment which said, when 790 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,600 Speaker 1: I am home, I find I am exhausted and they 791 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:13,640 Speaker 1: don't get the best of me. So I urged her 792 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,160 Speaker 1: to explore that a little bit specifically, why does she 793 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:19,239 Speaker 1: feel like she's exhausted every time she gets home? Is 794 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:21,439 Speaker 1: she not getting enough sleep? Is she taking some time 795 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 1: for herself, does she exercise? Does she need to like 796 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 1: tweak her afternoon eating routine or something, because maybe just 797 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 1: coming to home a little bit more refreshed might actually 798 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 1: change her perspective on feeling like she's not doing as 799 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:36,600 Speaker 1: well as she would want you in the realm of 800 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: being there for her kids. And this is one of 801 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: the rare times when we actually got a response to 802 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:43,839 Speaker 1: our written answer, so we were going to share that. 803 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 1: She said thank you so much for the advice, And 804 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 1: this was to Laura because she's the one who emailed 805 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 1: you really helped me to look at my feelings differently. 806 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,720 Speaker 1: Nostalgia is a perfect word to describe how I feel, 807 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 1: and all of us may feel like this, but we 808 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:58,360 Speaker 1: can't go back in time and we live the experience. 809 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:00,520 Speaker 1: I do have a great life and feel very accomplished 810 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 1: and very blessed. I really appreciate your take on this matter. 811 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,839 Speaker 1: So that was like heartwarming. Yeah, I love it all right, 812 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 1: So love of the week, I mean, you know, heck, 813 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:10,520 Speaker 1: that could be my love of the week. I think 814 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:12,800 Speaker 1: I had something else the first time we recorded this episode, 815 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: but I have no idea what it was. So I 816 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:17,920 Speaker 1: love hearing from listeners and hearing the follow up. Then 817 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:20,879 Speaker 1: sometimes we hear back from people who have sent us 818 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:24,399 Speaker 1: questions before, and that's really cool. And if you've ever 819 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:27,240 Speaker 1: made a change in your life or done something different 820 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:30,440 Speaker 1: as a result of listening to us, we would love 821 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 1: to hear about it. You can always email me Elevander 822 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 1: kamat yahoo dot com, or you know, Sarah's got contact 823 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,480 Speaker 1: information on her website as well. Yes, my love of 824 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:42,920 Speaker 1: the week is summer reading, which maybe we'll talk more 825 00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 1: about in the next episode. But I just think the 826 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,799 Speaker 1: whole concept of it is super cool and I've found 827 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,160 Speaker 1: it very motivating and I am tearing through my list 828 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 1: so awesome, awesome, Well, this has been best of both worlds. 829 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:58,600 Speaker 1: We've been talking frugal parenting tips especially for summer, and 830 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:02,400 Speaker 1: a lot of great listeners suggestions, so thank you for 831 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:04,480 Speaker 1: sending those in and we will be back next week 832 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:08,399 Speaker 1: with more on making work in life fit together. Thanks 833 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 1: for listening. You can find me Sarah at the shoebox 834 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 1: dot com or at the Underscore Shoebox on Instagram, and 835 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 1: you can find me Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 836 00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,400 Speaker 1: This has been the best of both worlds podcasts. Please 837 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:26,040 Speaker 1: join us next time for more on making work and 838 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:27,280 Speaker 1: life work together.