1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to How the Money. I'm Joel and I and Matt, 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: and today we're discussing getting paid on demand, sneaky internet 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: bill increases, and cheap drugs. That's right, Joel. This is 4 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: our Friday Flat episode where we cover some different headlines 5 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: that we came across this week, some different stories in 6 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,319 Speaker 1: the news, and specifically we're gonna talk about how they 7 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: pertain to our personal finances. But before we get to that, 8 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: last weekend, you spent some time on the road, right 9 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: you and visited some family last week's right. Yeah, so 10 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: we all actually met up. We stayed at a cabin 11 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: together for one night. They're just outside of Knoxville, outside 12 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: of Dollywood, which is actually where we went. Roads and 13 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: roller coasters. Very nice, good time. And you're explained to me, like, 14 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 1: in my mind, I pictured Dollywood being sort of like this, 15 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: like uh, like a fake basically, it's got elements of that, 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: but it's more six Flags then. Yeah, exactly, you're saying, 17 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: there's like actual roller coasters. There're some really good ones. Yeah, 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: Well that means that Dollywood is kind of like bumped 19 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: up slightly in my book, But then again, it's been 20 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,839 Speaker 1: like decades since I've even been to six Flags Worth 21 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: a visit. I want to say it's a little expensive though, 22 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: so but yeah, it's a fun trip and it's you know, 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: pretty right there in the foothills of the Smokies. But 24 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: you've got family right there as well. Right, good time 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: meeting up, no doubt. So, but I wanted to mention, Yeah, 26 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: the the second night we ended up staying in a 27 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: hotel is my first time staying in a hotel since 28 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: the pandemic began, and it was great. It was a 29 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: totally fine experience. But then I read this story about 30 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: how Hilton hotels are going to stop doing daily housekeeping, 31 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: and I was like, oh, that that's interesting. Uh, you know, 32 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: you're you're so used to while you're away during the day, Um, 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: not in your room, someone comes in, makes your bed, 34 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: tidies up, you know, cleans the bathroom, and then you 35 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: come back and you're like, oh, it's all fresh and tidy. 36 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,639 Speaker 1: But yeah, apparently this is kind of something that's going away. 37 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: Housekeeping costs a decent bit and people don't necessarily appreciate 38 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: it to the extent that you would expect, and so yeah, 39 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: I was wondering, what's your take if you could pay 40 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: less to stay in a hotel but not receive the 41 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: daily housekeeping, would you do it? Oh? Yeah, Well, if 42 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: I could opt out of that and that actually meant 43 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: that I was saving money, I would have one hundred 44 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: percent do it. Because here's the thing. I'm one of 45 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: those people who isn't used to uh room service coming 46 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: in and you know, putting fresh towels up, and you 47 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: don't have that at your house. Just well that's the thing. 48 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: Like I don't go and stay in hotels all that often, 49 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: and so honestly, literally, anytime I go to a hotel 50 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: for me, it feels weird for you know, doing it 51 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: for you because I mean at home, I mean we 52 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: kind of clean up like once a week or every 53 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: couple of weeks like that, and so I just don't 54 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: feel the need for there to be cleaning up like 55 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: that that has to happen every single day, right, Like 56 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: that's not how often I clean my bathroom at home, 57 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: and so I'm not expecting that when I'm staying in 58 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: a hotel. I guess I do a pretty good job 59 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: just like not destroying the place when I go and 60 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: stay at a hotel. But like, yeah, I take my towels. 61 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: I hang them up so they dry. It's not like 62 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: I need a brand new, you know, freshly laundered towel, 63 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: because mine just like watted up in a wet ball 64 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: in the corner. Like, who does that? I mean, I 65 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: don't do that at home. Who lives like that? Well, 66 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: I mean obviously people live like that because they're used 67 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: to doing that in a hotel. But but that's just 68 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: not how I roll. Uh. And honestly, the privacy aspect 69 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 1: of it too, you know, like you're staying into your space. Yeah, 70 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: like I've I've got all my stuff kind of out 71 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: and especially to like any to be honest, they don't 72 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: want your stuff, man, nobody maybe somebody else's stuff and 73 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: that you like maybe like a laptop or camera and 74 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,399 Speaker 1: so I don't know, not my phone. I will say. Yeah, 75 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: it is is a good feeling to come back and 76 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: your room is tidy, but it's also an awkward feeling. 77 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: I agree. And if it meant that I could save 78 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: money by you know, avoiding having someone coming to clean 79 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: the room, if it meant that my room costs less, 80 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: I would be all about that. Yeah, And I'm for 81 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: it anyway because of the privacy yeah, yeah, I just 82 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: don't want somebody like I don't know in my space. 83 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: So I don't know, especially if like all the kids 84 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: stuff is out as well, it's just like, well you 85 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: just just leave it there. We know where everything is 86 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: and we'll take care of it later. But well, it'll 87 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: be interesting to see if that's something that catches on. 88 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: And if you know, some hotels make that like a 89 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: calling card saying hey, come stay here. It costs less 90 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: money because yeah, we don't offer this perk or this perk. 91 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: And sometimes it's all about the proliferation of perks and 92 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, no, no, give me a fewer perks if 93 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: it means that I get to pay less money for it, exactly. 94 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: That's like a difference between flight flying Delta versus flying 95 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: Southwest or Frontier. Right, It's like, well, I don't care 96 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: to have free check bags because I don't want to 97 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: check a bag. That's not how I'm going to fly exactly. 98 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:29,920 Speaker 1: So if there are tears and and different rates that 99 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: you can pay based on what you're willing to receive 100 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: from that, I am one for that, dude. I think 101 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: that's great. Agreed. Yeah, I'm totally willing to do the 102 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: backpack on my shoulders, and if it means that I 103 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: can spend less on the ticket and then also avoid 104 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: some sort of check bag fee like I'm in. Kind 105 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: of comes down to the money he has. It always 106 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: does us here on how the money. Yep, ye, alright, 107 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: let's keep getting on, Matt. Let's let's get to the 108 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: Friday flight. In the sampling of stories which on interesting 109 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: this week, I want to say to um, congrats on 110 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: your purchase of that Super Mario game, the unwrapped one 111 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: one point five six million that I didn't know you 112 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: had that kind of money, so ridiculous for the best 113 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: investment you've ever made. Well, here's the thing. It was 114 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: the Super Mario sixty four, right, it was that cartridge. 115 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: And it's not like that was like the first one 116 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: they ever made or anything. It was just one that 117 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: hadn't been opened, and so it was extremely ridiculous. People 118 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: have too much money. But I mean, if there ever 119 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: was a game that were to fetch that much money, 120 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: that game was like groundbreaking to you, Like the ability 121 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: to explore three D worlds, it was amazing, that's true. No, 122 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: it was you've seen the lesson thralled about it. Well, 123 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: I don't really play video games. I don't know now, 124 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: but back in the day, I mean as a kid, 125 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: I never acting my mind blown even had a Nintendo 126 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: sixty four, which I feel like it was probably the 127 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: best game system. Was the best I always had, like 128 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: the Second Genesis, which was which was fine. So it 129 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: was great. It wasn't as good. It wasn't as good, 130 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: all right. Well, yeah, and uh man, it's important for 131 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: us to mention to the child tax credit updates. Yeah, 132 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: thirty five plus million people yesterday should have gotten money 133 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: in their account. So yeah, check your bank accountancy if 134 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: that direct deposit showed up for you as it did 135 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 1: for Matt and I. Um, future deposits are going to 136 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: happen on the fifteenth day of the month. The payments 137 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: are between two and or fifty and three per kid, 138 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: depending on the age of your kid, if you're eligible 139 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: for the expanded child tax credits. So basically, the fifteenth 140 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 1: is like everybody who has kids, it's like the new 141 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: favorite day of the month. The rest of the year, 142 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: it's like pay day, and you know you're gonna get 143 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: that little what feels like a little bonus there on 144 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: the fifteen. Yeah, but but you know, we want to mention, 145 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: don't forget to have a plan for this money, especially 146 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: as people are finally starting to receive it, preferably using 147 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: it to accelerate debt payoff if you're in that position, 148 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,719 Speaker 1: or to stabilize your savings if you're in that position, 149 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: or you know, even allowing you to invest a little 150 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: bit more and maybe even into a plan for your 151 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: child if you're already doing a great job investing in 152 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: your own retirement accounts. And yeah, if your funds for 153 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: some reason didn't show up, head to the I r 154 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: S Child Tax Credit Update portal for some details. Will 155 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: link to that in the show notes. Some folks, but 156 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: not a large percentage, are going to be sent a 157 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: check that's going to take a little bit longer to arrive. 158 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 1: But it's just important to note that that money should 159 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: be in your account right now, at least the first 160 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: installment of it, exactly. Yeah. So on the on the 161 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: note of getting payments earlier than usual, many employees no 162 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: longer want to wait the standard two weeks for money 163 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: that they've earned, and employers they are responding to those once. 164 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: I guess they're not demands, they're just once picketing you know, 165 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: give me my money now. I want to get paid 166 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: right now. But some companies are starting to offer pay 167 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: on demand systems, and the biggest payroll services like Gusto 168 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: Paychecks are saying that the number of businesses offering access 169 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: to these daily pay services has doubled, and the number 170 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: of workers who are accessing their pay early has also doubled. 171 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: It's done the same thing, not surprisingly Walmart they started 172 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: doing this back in seventeen. The big ride sharing companies 173 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: they followed suit. Now there are lots of other companies 174 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: who are doing the same. This is of course a 175 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: major benefit to those who are living paycheck to paycheck. 176 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,119 Speaker 1: Those folks are the most financially vulnerable and not having 177 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: the pay that they're earning from their job the day 178 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: that they make it, it might mean that they would 179 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: take on riskier measures to to make their ends meet, 180 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: like I'm thinking about, like payday loans or like tidle loans. 181 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: Those are two of the worst by far, are the 182 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: worst products in existence. And so while it might seem 183 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: that these are that this is helpful, right, the benefits 184 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: may not extend as much as they might appear. Yeah, 185 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: And I think that's because delayed gratification is one of 186 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: the essential building blocks of personal finances. Something we talked 187 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: about on the show, right that saving for your future 188 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: is essentially doing just that. It's prioritizing future you over 189 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: current you. Um. And waiting two weeks to get your 190 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: paycheck was often one of the ways that we learned 191 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: that lessons, one of the very small ways that you 192 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: would learn that looks exactly. It was like, okay, cool, 193 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: We'll have to wait for the money that I've earned 194 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: for a couple of weeks, and it was forced delayed 195 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: gratification helping us I think maybe in other ways to 196 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 1: prioritize that in our own lives. Uh. And so, yeah, 197 00:08:56,280 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: some employers are making early access to their pay e park, 198 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: but other employers are actually passing on the feet to 199 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: their employees for that quote unquote benefit. Right, So early 200 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: access to your pay might actually cost you a little 201 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: bit of that pay um. So yeah, make sure you 202 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,719 Speaker 1: know that before we start grabbing your pay early. On 203 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: one hand, it is nice that employers are making it 204 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: easier for employees to avoid just some of the awful 205 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: methods of getting their hands on cash to pay for 206 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: rent and groceries. Matt, like you mentioned, But on the 207 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: other hand, it's crucial for us all to be saving something, 208 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: to build up enough in our reserves. Starting with the 209 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: number that you and I always talk about, two four 210 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty seven dollars, it's uh that that is 211 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: the amount that it's going to take for most people 212 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: to be able to weather most financial storms have come 213 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: along without needing to find that money elsewhere, and it 214 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: just makes me think mad. There's this like video of 215 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: this guy on YouTube that I gotta say, is like 216 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: really incredible. Well, we'll link to it in the show notes. 217 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: But Diamond Dallas Page, former wrestler, has this yoga program 218 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: and there have been some some people that have done this. 219 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: Who takes from a former w w One of my 220 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: friends did and he said it was Yeah. He said 221 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: it was awesome. It's a wonderful system. Gott to check it. 222 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: I like yoga, go to the free parents yoga associated 223 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: with the school. Let's go to Yeah, so it's you know, yoga, 224 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: a bunch of moms really the only guy there. But 225 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,319 Speaker 1: literally there's this really cool video about this one guy 226 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,839 Speaker 1: who started doing d DP yoga, which is what it's called, 227 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: and he lost a hundred and ninety eight pounds in 228 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: one year. He was four hundred and seventy five pounds 229 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: to begin with. And it just made me think, like, 230 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: when it comes to saving up the two thousand, four 231 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: hundred and sixties seven dollars, it might seem on its 232 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: face for some people that that's gonna be really hard 233 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: or maybe insurmountable. The idea of losing two hundred pounds 234 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:38,079 Speaker 1: in a year is, you know, at least in its outset, 235 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: seems like it's not gonna be able to happen. It 236 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: seems like it's a goal that can't be accomplished. But 237 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: he just worked at it every single day, um, and 238 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: it was just impressive to see his results. And I 239 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: feel like for anybody out there who says, well, that's 240 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: not possible, I need this product in order to solve 241 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: my financial situation. I mean, I don't know that that 242 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: video was an inspiration, and I think to a lot 243 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: of people, and yeah to me too, Yeah, well, because 244 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: I guaranteed that he didn't lose nearly two hundred pounds 245 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: by like eating fat free triscuits or something, right, he 246 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: was actually doing the work. He was addressing the underlying 247 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: issues of the problem. He wasn't just like going with 248 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: a simple fix, right, no minor tweaks exactly. And I 249 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: feel like that's the biggest problem with these like pay 250 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: on demand services, is that they are only it's just 251 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: a band aid, it's a temporary fix on something, and 252 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: the underlying issues aren't being addressed. And until you address 253 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: those those real problems, uh, this is something that's going 254 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: to persist. And so I like, this is why I 255 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: feel that sometimes these you know, these pay on demand 256 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: services might actually do more harm than good because it 257 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: might just enable the behavior that has led them there 258 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: in the first place. Right. And then what happens once 259 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,199 Speaker 1: you've got your pay the day you get paid and 260 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: which still don't have Now you're on that time schedule, 261 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: you're still living paycheck to pycheck or now you're living 262 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: like week to week or day to day. If you're 263 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: if you're getting paid daily, right, you're not addressing the 264 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: underlying issue, which is doing the hard work of saving 265 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 1: a little bit more and having that margin in your life. 266 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: I gotta check out this video though, because I want 267 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: to see uh Diamond Dallas page as a yoga instructor. Yeah, 268 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: but okay, so while we're talking about health here, man, 269 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: let's move on and talk about cheap drugs. Everyone wants 270 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: to spend a little bit less money on their drugs, right, 271 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 1: not much worse than over priced drugs. We're talking about 272 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: prescription drugs. Of course, there's been a a major spotlight 273 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: shown on the rising prices of some important drugs recently, 274 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: and many of the like the most substantial increases have 275 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: come on on what are called like these designer drugs 276 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: that aren't used by most folks. Right, they're not used 277 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: by the masses, but if you happen to to get 278 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: a more obscure illness, the drugs to help you could 279 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: cost a fortune. However, one drug that isn't a designer drug, 280 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: but it's one that millions of people across the country 281 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: need and use regularly is insulin, and those prices have 282 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:45,839 Speaker 1: skyrocketed in recent years. Some folks have even taken to 283 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: driving across the border to buy their insulin over in 284 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: Canada because the costs have become prohibitive here in the US. 285 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: But thanks to Walmart, cheap insulin is is actually now 286 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: a thing again. Yeah, that was really exciting us for 287 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: really good to see. And yet starting this month, Walmart 288 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: is going to be selling their insulin for about seventy 289 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: three dollars a vial, that is actually substantially more affordable. Yeah, 290 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: then the three, which is what the big three pharmaceutical 291 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: companies charge, right, And so it's ridiculous because they used 292 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 1: to charge a reasonable price of forty dollars back when 293 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: they introduced their form of insulin in the year two thousand. 294 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: That was not that long ago, twenty years ago, right, 295 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: it was crazy, like substantially cheaper. So yeah, the the 296 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 1: increase is eight which is just kind of hard to fathom, right, Um, 297 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: And according to the Mayo Clinic, insulin in the U 298 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: s has cost ten times more than what it costs 299 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: in other countries. So yeah, while Walmart gets a lot 300 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: of flak, I think, um and in some ways maybe deserved. Well, 301 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: I'm really glad to see them disrupt these massive price 302 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: increases by the major pharmaceutical companies because this is a 303 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: drug that people need and many currently can't afford. So yeah, 304 00:13:56,400 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: they're just seeing the price drop that much. Um, Walmart's 305 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: gonna have a big influence on a whole lot of 306 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: people's lives with this, absolutely, Yeah. And it's not like 307 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: this is some crappy version of the drug as well, 308 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,199 Speaker 1: Like they have partnered with Nova Nora disc, who is 309 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: one of the major three pharmaceutical companies, right, and so 310 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: it's not like this is some inferior insulin. This is 311 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: the good stuff. This is like the rapid acting stuff 312 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 1: that people have come to expect that like you know, 313 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: it doesn't take hours to to actually start working, takes 314 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: like fifteen minutes. And so just the fact that they've 315 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: been able to partner with one of the pharmaceuticals is 316 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: just I think, I don't know, just a little telling 317 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: of the fact that those three companies have essentially cornered 318 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: the insulin market and been price gouging over the past 319 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: twenty years. And Walmart has been at the forefront of 320 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: lord prescription drug prices for years now, starting with their 321 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: four dollar generic drug list back in the day. Still 322 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: remember when they first initially launched that, and it's like, Okay, 323 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: this is a big deal, huge deal van Uh And 324 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: then you know, since then others quickly followed. But since 325 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: we're talking about prescription medicines, good r X, they announced 326 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: this deal with door dash uh similar to a deal 327 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: that was created for USA A members. Do Dash workers 328 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: also known as dashers. Uh. They now have access to 329 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: good our X Gold, which gives them access to substantially 330 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: discounted prescription drug prices. But that being said, you don't 331 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: need to be a door dash worker or a dasher 332 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: or a USA member in order to pay less for 333 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: your prescription drugs on the rag, using good or X 334 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: is totally free. You don't have to pay anything. But 335 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: if you or someone in your family takes a lot 336 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: of medications, uh, then you know consider paying and joining 337 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: the Goal program because that could end up saving you 338 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: a ton of money. But even just the regular non 339 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: subscription good x is an incredible money saving tool that 340 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 1: we would totally recommend, and we'll make sure to link 341 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: to them in our show notes, no doubt. All Right, well, 342 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: we got more to get to, Matt, including why your 343 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: cup of coffee every morning it's gonna cost just a 344 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: little bit more. We'll get to that and some other 345 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: stories right after this break. All right, we are back 346 00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: and it's time to get to some more headlines we 347 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: found inter seeing this week. The Fronday flight, plus that 348 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: expensive coffee story that you mentioned, Joel and I am 349 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 1: literally drinking a cup of coffee right now. So I 350 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: am very interested and fearful. I think, well, yeah, but 351 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: first before we get to that, Matt, we gotta get 352 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: to the ludicrous headline of the week. Care you go, 353 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: You hit it right on the head. Someone on Twitter 354 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: requested that we actually go false set out. Yeah, I 355 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: actually are. You came through on the clutch, you know, 356 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: I try to deliver. I want to make people happy. 357 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: All right, Well, this one is how internet and TV 358 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: providers get away with jacking up your bill. This comes 359 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: from the Washington Post, and uh yeah, the writer of 360 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: this article describes something that all of us have dealt 361 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: with at one point or another, signing up for internet 362 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: and getting a bill for way more than we bargained 363 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: for and way more than we were promised on the 364 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: phone or you know, online through a chat right bait 365 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: and switched tactics exactly. And Matt, it actually just happened 366 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: to me, Like all we did was moved to a 367 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: new house. And so yeah, we're literally just moving service, 368 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: which means we should keep the same rate because we 369 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: had our current rate lock through October, but our next 370 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,840 Speaker 1: bill was ten dollars more. A little sneakiness right there, right, 371 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 1: So I had to reach out change service feed no, 372 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 1: but it wasn't even that, Like it was like, no, 373 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 1: now your new rates forty bucks And I was like, wait, no, 374 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: it wasn't no, not at all. So I reached out 375 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: to Twitter, like we recommend to a lot of people 376 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: to do that. Sometimes you get the best customer service 377 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: that way. And then I had to hop back on 378 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 1: the phone with one of those social media specialists because 379 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,679 Speaker 1: they can't resolve it fully through Twitter, which is silly, 380 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: but yeah, uh they finally were able to get my 381 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: bill back to normal. But most of the country has 382 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 1: only two options for home internet service, right, so it's 383 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: not like this is a vibrant, competitive marketplace and you 384 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,120 Speaker 1: can leave this crumby sneaky company for you know, one 385 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: of many others. Like that's just not how the system 386 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: works in the United States. Sadly so, this lack of competition, 387 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 1: it's led to opaque pricing and frustrating customer service for 388 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 1: many many people, uh myself included, but all of us 389 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: at one time or another. It seems like if you 390 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: have a home internet you have at some point been 391 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: screwed over by the Comcast, the A, T and T 392 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 1: S or the Cox Campel companies of this world. YEA. Honestly, 393 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: if you have just like even a couple options that 394 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: you can choose between, you're at an advantage, you know, 395 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: because there's a lot of markets where there's only one 396 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: provider and they don't really have much choice, you know, 397 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: you can't kind of hop back and forth like that. 398 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: But even still, like when it's a doopoly, it's like 399 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,640 Speaker 1: there's still not much choice and they kind of work 400 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: together to keep prices high. Yeah, sort of like you did, 401 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: kind of getting on the phone with him, dealing with 402 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: these different customer service representatives with the internet companies, that 403 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: takes a lot of a lot of patients kind of 404 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: have to get zen with it or maybe put your 405 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: head in like a monk like state where you're not 406 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 1: gonna let the stress get the best of you, man, 407 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: because if you start yelling, it unhealthy anything. But here's 408 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: an interesting stats of Americans say that internet is as 409 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: important as electricity or water coursing through your veins. And 410 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:57,239 Speaker 1: I made uplast. Yeah you still need your blood. You 411 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: could live without internet, But that was according to a 412 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: survey by and some reports. It feels like maybe it's 413 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,680 Speaker 1: a bit over the top, certainly will will take water 414 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: over home internet access every day of the week. Water 415 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: water is a little more important. But since home internet 416 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: is probably the the equivalent of oxygen to too many 417 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,640 Speaker 1: folks these days, let's quickly talk about how you can 418 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: pay less for internet. So first of all, you've gotta 419 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,439 Speaker 1: be willing to go through the song and the dance 420 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: of canceling your service. Not unlike what you did, Joel, 421 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,919 Speaker 1: This will get you the customer retention department, which is 422 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: the the only department that has leeway to offer you 423 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: better terms. So if you're you're pleased, maybe fall on 424 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: deaf ears, then you're probably gonna need to switch to 425 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: the only other provider where you live for a new 426 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: customer deal. And again that's assuming that you have access 427 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: to a second company. And also keep in mind that 428 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,439 Speaker 1: switching back and forth on the RAG is sometimes the 429 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: only way to save if you have options. You know, 430 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: when you're being loyal to Comcast or or to a 431 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: T and T or two Cox, that's just gonna be 432 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: a recipe for consistently paying too much. I think loyalty 433 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: is a good thing, Matt, being loyal to your friends, 434 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: to your family, but to company where you're getting Internet 435 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,399 Speaker 1: from yeah or your insurance providers, was what I was 436 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: gonna say. As well, Sure your car insurance rates tend 437 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,479 Speaker 1: to go up, they don't go down. They don't reward 438 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 1: you for being a longtime customer exactly. Also, I think 439 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: another way to save money on your Internet is question 440 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: whether you need the fastest speeds or not. Right, Like, 441 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 1: you could save more by downgrading the service that you get. 442 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 1: If you're currently like signed up for like the four 443 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 1: d meg service, well maybe you can switch to fifty 444 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: or a hundred meg service, which is maybe plenty fast 445 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: enough for how you use the Internet. I think sometimes 446 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: people frown on that, but it's like, I don't know, man, 447 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: We're we're rolling with the fifty meg service and we're 448 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: paying thirty dollars a month, and it works plenty fine 449 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: for the streaming that we do and the ways that 450 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: we use it. But exactly, it might not work perfectly 451 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: for every family, especially if you're working a lot from home, 452 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: but it's worth considering. Also, get your wireless router out 453 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: of the cabinet, get it up high and out in 454 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 1: the open placement matters of a great deal so that 455 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: you can actually get what you're paying for. And if 456 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: you're still having issues with it not being fast enough, 457 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: connect directly to your or modem with the the ethernet 458 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: cord right Like, we did this during virtual school and 459 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 1: it made a big difference. It made the speeds consistently 460 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 1: faster um and hopefully in the future this isn't gonna 461 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: be as much of an issue as five G connectivity 462 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,919 Speaker 1: brings us more options and more competitors into the space, 463 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: like T Mobile already offers five G at home, so 464 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: that's worth considering if that's offered where you live. But 465 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:22,920 Speaker 1: you gotta fight back against the high prices in the 466 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 1: annoying fees, and it's not easy, right because they come 467 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: standard in the industry. I know it's a huge pain 468 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: point for a lot of people, but it's one of 469 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: those things where we gotta kind of stand up for 470 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: ourselves and waste of time communicating back and forth in 471 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: order to get the price that's right. Yeah, And I 472 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 1: want to kind of circle back for a second, because 473 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: you talked about making sure that you're wireless router is 474 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:45,879 Speaker 1: in the proper place. People don't think about that right 475 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: like they like they truly do. Stick them in like 476 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: a close cabinet and they're wondering why their internet sucks. 477 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 1: It's like, well, well the single has to go through 478 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: the wall or you know, through a cabinet, it's not 479 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,479 Speaker 1: going to work as well. And oftentimes folks or if 480 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: it's in the front left corner of the house and 481 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 1: you're mostly in the back rear, and it's like put 482 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: it somewhere central. But folks want who take this seemingly 483 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 1: easy path and just throw more money at it, and 484 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,360 Speaker 1: they think, oh, well we need the higher service router 485 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: now that cost four and maybe like maybe you do right, 486 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: but first make sure that you've got your router place 487 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 1: somewhere where you can experience like essentially the proper flow 488 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: of WiFi around your house. It doesn't come down to 489 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: just you know, pumping more speed behind it if it 490 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 1: can't get through you know, the walls. Especially, man, we 491 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 1: live in an old neighborhood and the old houses like 492 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 1: the walls, but not made of drywall. They're made of 493 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: like rock, like the old plaster walls. It's essentially like 494 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: concrete so hard. Yeah, it's a lot different than the 495 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 1: newer construction. So especially if you live in an older home, 496 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 1: this is something to consider. Uh, Joel, you know, while 497 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: we're talking about like technology here, let's talk about another 498 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: expensive tech item smartphones. Uh see that they had this 499 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: article on the two year upgrade cycle this week and 500 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: they said that it's essentially obsolete, and we couldn't agree more. 501 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 1: It's like this was basically a function of the old 502 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: two year contracts that used to to be standard with 503 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: a different major wireless carriers. I'm so thankful that the 504 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 1: two year contract thing is gone. It's actually like I 505 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: feel like it's almost coming back because the phones are 506 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,880 Speaker 1: getting more expensive. We talked about that not too long. Yeah, 507 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 1: it's true. It's like they're trying to lure us back 508 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: into that system, but that is not a good system 509 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:19,360 Speaker 1: for us if we want to pay and you don't 510 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: have to participate with it, right, Like, I'm still rocking 511 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: the original iPhone sc that was released over five years ago, 512 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: and so while upgrading every two years it never made 513 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: financial sense, it's certainly made some sense from it, like 514 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: a tech improvement standpoint. Uh, phone cameras and the screens 515 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: and the battery life have all gotten much much better. 516 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: I don't know how much longer I'm gonna last with 517 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 1: my old phone. Yeah, Yeah, the difference between an iPhone 518 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: four and iPhone five is much bigger than the difference 519 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: between the iPhone eleven and twelve, or what the twelve 520 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: and the thirteen is going to be when it comes 521 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 1: out or whatever. That increases in technology are incremental, whereas 522 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 1: phones we're changing a lot back in the range. The 523 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: marketing makes it seem like you need that new phone, 524 00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: but the upgrades are just so minor that is best 525 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: to stick with what you already got for a little 526 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,160 Speaker 1: bit longer. That's how you're gonna be able to save 527 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: the most money. Yeah, let's normalize longer upgrade cycles, maybe 528 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: maybe four to five year upgrade cycles. Right, Just holding 529 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: onto that phone longer is going to be a big 530 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,479 Speaker 1: monetary savings and you're not really losing out on all 531 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: that much. Yeah, it shouldn't be just to where when 532 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: you start approaching that two year window that you think 533 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,959 Speaker 1: it's automatically time to get a new phone, Like it's 534 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: almost been programmed into our minds that that's the case. 535 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:29,199 Speaker 1: But hopefully when you step back and look at it, 536 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 1: you realize that it is not necessary. Yeah. I think 537 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: I think the older phone it should be more like 538 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: a badge of honor for us, for the people. Right, 539 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: That's that's what we're trying to do at least because 540 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 1: and not only are you saving money, but you're you're 541 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: preventing waste, right because the US is the world's second 542 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: largest contributor to the ways we talk, nearly seven million 543 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 1: tons of discarded electronics, you know, from our home every 544 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: single year. So yeah, forget about the size of the 545 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 1: match or the slightly sharper camera. Doing away with the 546 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:59,120 Speaker 1: standard to year smartphone ownership timeline altogether is a boon 547 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:00,679 Speaker 1: for your bottom line. Is good in a whole lot 548 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: of other ways. To write, phones are just not changing 549 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: enough to justified the expense that cell phone manufacturers continue 550 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 1: to try to get us to shell out that money 551 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: for um. So yeah, we completely agree with seeing that 552 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: hold onto that phone a little bit longer. And if 553 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: you're like itching to get something new, um, maybe like 554 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: get yourself a cute little case or something or something 555 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,480 Speaker 1: like that that makes your your old phone feel a 556 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: little newer, show it to love, get you with that 557 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: fresh pop socket to keep you from dropping that thing. 558 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: Let's talk about inflation. It continues to rise at least 559 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 1: for the time being, and use car prices are a 560 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: huge reason for that. According to the White House Council 561 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: of Economic Advisors, of the month over month increase has 562 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: to do with either car sales or a car or 563 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: auto parts in car rentals. And so just because we're 564 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,880 Speaker 1: seeing inflation figures at their highest level since two thousand eight, 565 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 1: you know, just before the Great Recession, that doesn't mean 566 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: that we should be overly concerned with it. It seems 567 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,679 Speaker 1: as if the rise in inflation is leveling off a 568 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 1: little bit here, but we'll just have to actually wait 569 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: and see until July's report comes out next month before 570 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: we know what the future holds. I think in a 571 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: lot of ways, it's good to see that so much 572 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: of that headline number really stems from one section of 573 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: our economy, and as that supply chain begins to get corrected, um, 574 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:19,960 Speaker 1: we're going to see the overall rate of inflation decline. 575 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: So right now, if you're trying to buy a car, 576 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 1: obviously not a good time you're experiencing record levels of inflation. 577 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: But for the rest of US, UH inflation is a concern, 578 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: but it's not nearly as big of a deal I 579 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 1: think as it's been made out to be by some people. 580 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: But one sad headline map this week came from the 581 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal, and it was bad news for coffee draink. Yes, 582 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: this is it. So coffee prices are going up due 583 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: to poor harvests and increased demand. I guess people are, 584 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: you know, taking back three cups of coffee instead of 585 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: to on ourges these days? And I will say, the 586 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,879 Speaker 1: price of coffee does impact all of us. So I 587 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 1: guess what's the answer to saving there? Well, drinking coffee 588 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: at home is a big one. The cost difference between 589 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 1: buying a cup of coffee while you're out and making 590 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,639 Speaker 1: it at home is incredible, Like it's substantial, because what 591 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: was the average cup of coffee cost when you make 592 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 1: it at home? Something along the line of if I 593 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 1: had a guess, yeah, it depends on how nice your 594 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:12,880 Speaker 1: beans are. But yeah, drinking less coffee out. And I'll 595 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: add to you can drink less coffee at home, you know, 596 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: even though you're spending what like a quarter or something 597 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 1: like that on a nice cup of coffee at home. 598 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: I think you can reduce your consumption of coffee at 599 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: home by drinking it at more strategic points in the day. 600 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: We've talked about this before. Do you drink you something 601 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: it's like noon, right, yeah, Well so if you can 602 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: just even delay your morning coffee by a couple of hours. 603 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: The the idea is that cortisol, your cortisol ofvel spike 604 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:36,679 Speaker 1: first thing in the morning. So that's what makes you 605 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 1: feel alert. Um too much quartisol, like, that's what makes 606 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: you feel anxious and stressed out, But that's what makes 607 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 1: you feel alert. And by drinking coffee first thing, like 608 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:45,399 Speaker 1: right when you wake up, like most people do, it 609 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: actually kind of dampens that natural effect of that cortisol. 610 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: And so you you're supposed to wait a couple of 611 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: hours until it starts to taper off a little bit, 612 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:53,879 Speaker 1: and then you get to pick it right back up 613 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: with that first morning cup of coffee. Alright, I personally 614 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: I like my coffee right after lunch. And I guess, well, 615 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 1: I wonder what would any buddy with rising coffee prices 616 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,719 Speaker 1: consider quitting coffee altogether? I think anybody out there who 617 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: drinks coffee is like, ultimately, that seems kind of crazy. 618 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 1: No way, Yeah, I'm not gonna happen. Although, but there 619 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: was an interesting article by Michael Pollen, who the Food writer. 620 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: Recently he had an article in the Guardian and he 621 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: quit caffeine for three months and he said that his 622 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: productivity declined quite a bit. He was like, um, lit 623 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: a little more quicker to get frustrated or angry. And yeah, 624 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: he said that most of us are basically dependent on 625 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: caffeine these days just to make it to our baseline 626 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: of productivity. I think there's some truth to that. Um, 627 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:36,400 Speaker 1: But yeah, all of us are gonna have to get 628 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: ready to pay a little more for our little daily 629 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: addiction here maybe in the coming weeks and months. Yeah, 630 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 1: this might be a way that we all as consumers 631 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: see inflation start to affect our bank accounts just a 632 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 1: little bit, because it's gonna come on. It's not like 633 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: coffee costs all that much. It's not a huge part 634 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: of our budget. But yeah, something to be aware of exactly. Well, 635 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: that's gonna be it for this episode of our Friday Flights. 636 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 1: Have links to the different stories that we mentioned, as 637 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: well as any other resources that we mentioned during this 638 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 1: episode up on our website at how to Money dot com. 639 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: We'll have those show notes there for you. We hope 640 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: everyone has a great weekend and look forward to an 641 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: interview this coming Monday with Ken Honda. We're gonna talk 642 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 1: all about happiness and money. Ken has a unique approach 643 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: to how it is that we think about money and 644 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: we look forward to sharing that episode with you here 645 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: on Monday. Joel, that's going to be it for today 646 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 1: until next time. Best Friends Out, Best Friends Out,