WEBVTT - Friday Flight - Getting Paid On Demand, Sneaky Internet Bill Increases, & New Cheap Drugs #384 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.040 Welcome to How the Money. I'm Joel and I and Matt, 0:00:03.160 --> 0:00:06.720 and today we're discussing getting paid on demand, sneaky internet 0:00:06.760 --> 0:00:28.800 bill increases, and cheap drugs. That's right, Joel. This is 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:31.720 our Friday Flat episode where we cover some different headlines 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:33.880 that we came across this week, some different stories in 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:36.319 the news, and specifically we're gonna talk about how they 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:39.440 pertain to our personal finances. But before we get to that, 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:42.120 last weekend, you spent some time on the road, right 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:44.440 you and visited some family last week's right. Yeah, so 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:46.880 we all actually met up. We stayed at a cabin 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:49.879 together for one night. They're just outside of Knoxville, outside 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.280 of Dollywood, which is actually where we went. Roads and 0:00:52.360 --> 0:00:55.800 roller coasters. Very nice, good time. And you're explained to me, like, 0:00:55.840 --> 0:00:58.279 in my mind, I pictured Dollywood being sort of like this, 0:00:58.520 --> 0:01:02.200 like uh, like a fake basically, it's got elements of that, 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:05.080 but it's more six Flags then. Yeah, exactly, you're saying, 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:07.840 there's like actual roller coasters. There're some really good ones. Yeah, 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:10.160 Well that means that Dollywood is kind of like bumped 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:12.520 up slightly in my book, But then again, it's been 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:14.839 like decades since I've even been to six Flags Worth 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:16.959 a visit. I want to say it's a little expensive though, 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:19.840 so but yeah, it's a fun trip and it's you know, 0:01:19.880 --> 0:01:21.840 pretty right there in the foothills of the Smokies. But 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:24.600 you've got family right there as well. Right, good time 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.320 meeting up, no doubt. So, but I wanted to mention, Yeah, 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:29.240 the the second night we ended up staying in a 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:31.479 hotel is my first time staying in a hotel since 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:34.200 the pandemic began, and it was great. It was a 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:37.959 totally fine experience. But then I read this story about 0:01:38.040 --> 0:01:41.600 how Hilton hotels are going to stop doing daily housekeeping, 0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:44.920 and I was like, oh, that that's interesting. Uh, you know, 0:01:44.959 --> 0:01:48.000 you're you're so used to while you're away during the day, Um, 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:50.280 not in your room, someone comes in, makes your bed, 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.080 tidies up, you know, cleans the bathroom, and then you 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:55.240 come back and you're like, oh, it's all fresh and tidy. 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:58.639 But yeah, apparently this is kind of something that's going away. 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:02.880 Housekeeping costs a decent bit and people don't necessarily appreciate 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:05.440 it to the extent that you would expect, and so yeah, 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:07.400 I was wondering, what's your take if you could pay 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:11.320 less to stay in a hotel but not receive the 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:13.720 daily housekeeping, would you do it? Oh? Yeah, Well, if 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:15.400 I could opt out of that and that actually meant 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:17.280 that I was saving money, I would have one hundred 0:02:17.360 --> 0:02:19.800 percent do it. Because here's the thing. I'm one of 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:23.400 those people who isn't used to uh room service coming 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:25.800 in and you know, putting fresh towels up, and you 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:28.240 don't have that at your house. Just well that's the thing. 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:30.519 Like I don't go and stay in hotels all that often, 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:32.760 and so honestly, literally, anytime I go to a hotel 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:36.640 for me, it feels weird for you know, doing it 0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:38.840 for you because I mean at home, I mean we 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:40.440 kind of clean up like once a week or every 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:42.720 couple of weeks like that, and so I just don't 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:44.760 feel the need for there to be cleaning up like 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:47.640 that that has to happen every single day, right, Like 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:49.799 that's not how often I clean my bathroom at home, 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:52.440 and so I'm not expecting that when I'm staying in 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:54.320 a hotel. I guess I do a pretty good job 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:57.200 just like not destroying the place when I go and 0:02:57.240 --> 0:02:59.400 stay at a hotel. But like, yeah, I take my towels. 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:01.280 I hang them up so they dry. It's not like 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:04.480 I need a brand new, you know, freshly laundered towel, 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.160 because mine just like watted up in a wet ball 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:09.280 in the corner. Like, who does that? I mean, I 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:11.520 don't do that at home. Who lives like that? Well, 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.800 I mean obviously people live like that because they're used 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:15.480 to doing that in a hotel. But but that's just 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:18.160 not how I roll. Uh. And honestly, the privacy aspect 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:21.519 of it too, you know, like you're staying into your space. Yeah, 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:23.320 like I've I've got all my stuff kind of out 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:25.320 and especially to like any to be honest, they don't 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:27.639 want your stuff, man, nobody maybe somebody else's stuff and 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:29.920 that you like maybe like a laptop or camera and 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:32.399 so I don't know, not my phone. I will say. Yeah, 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:34.560 it is is a good feeling to come back and 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:36.880 your room is tidy, but it's also an awkward feeling. 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:39.240 I agree. And if it meant that I could save 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:42.640 money by you know, avoiding having someone coming to clean 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:44.320 the room, if it meant that my room costs less, 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:47.000 I would be all about that. Yeah, And I'm for 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:49.760 it anyway because of the privacy yeah, yeah, I just 0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:51.960 don't want somebody like I don't know in my space. 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:54.240 So I don't know, especially if like all the kids 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:55.960 stuff is out as well, it's just like, well you 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:58.360 just just leave it there. We know where everything is 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:00.440 and we'll take care of it later. But well, it'll 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:02.120 be interesting to see if that's something that catches on. 0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:05.080 And if you know, some hotels make that like a 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:07.720 calling card saying hey, come stay here. It costs less 0:04:07.720 --> 0:04:10.000 money because yeah, we don't offer this perk or this perk. 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:12.680 And sometimes it's all about the proliferation of perks and 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:14.400 I'm like, no, no, give me a fewer perks if 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:17.000 it means that I get to pay less money for it, exactly. 0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:19.719 That's like a difference between flight flying Delta versus flying 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:23.360 Southwest or Frontier. Right, It's like, well, I don't care 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:25.680 to have free check bags because I don't want to 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:27.719 check a bag. That's not how I'm going to fly exactly. 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:29.920 So if there are tears and and different rates that 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:31.880 you can pay based on what you're willing to receive 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.160 from that, I am one for that, dude. I think 0:04:34.200 --> 0:04:36.640 that's great. Agreed. Yeah, I'm totally willing to do the 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.280 backpack on my shoulders, and if it means that I 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:41.400 can spend less on the ticket and then also avoid 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:43.560 some sort of check bag fee like I'm in. Kind 0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:47.200 of comes down to the money he has. It always 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:49.920 does us here on how the money. Yep, ye, alright, 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:52.120 let's keep getting on, Matt. Let's let's get to the 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:54.480 Friday flight. In the sampling of stories which on interesting 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:56.800 this week, I want to say to um, congrats on 0:04:56.839 --> 0:04:59.400 your purchase of that Super Mario game, the unwrapped one 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:02.080 one point five six million that I didn't know you 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:04.800 had that kind of money, so ridiculous for the best 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:06.680 investment you've ever made. Well, here's the thing. It was 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:10.120 the Super Mario sixty four, right, it was that cartridge. 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:12.400 And it's not like that was like the first one 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:14.200 they ever made or anything. It was just one that 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.320 hadn't been opened, and so it was extremely ridiculous. People 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:19.320 have too much money. But I mean, if there ever 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:21.560 was a game that were to fetch that much money, 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:24.800 that game was like groundbreaking to you, Like the ability 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:28.279 to explore three D worlds, it was amazing, that's true. No, 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:30.840 it was you've seen the lesson thralled about it. Well, 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:32.560 I don't really play video games. I don't know now, 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:33.880 but back in the day, I mean as a kid, 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:36.400 I never acting my mind blown even had a Nintendo 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:39.200 sixty four, which I feel like it was probably the 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:41.960 best game system. Was the best I always had, like 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:44.120 the Second Genesis, which was which was fine. So it 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:45.880 was great. It wasn't as good. It wasn't as good, 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.040 all right. Well, yeah, and uh man, it's important for 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:51.400 us to mention to the child tax credit updates. Yeah, 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:55.480 thirty five plus million people yesterday should have gotten money 0:05:55.720 --> 0:05:58.479 in their account. So yeah, check your bank accountancy if 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:00.960 that direct deposit showed up for you as it did 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:03.280 for Matt and I. Um, future deposits are going to 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:06.080 happen on the fifteenth day of the month. The payments 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:08.800 are between two and or fifty and three per kid, 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:11.320 depending on the age of your kid, if you're eligible 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:14.839 for the expanded child tax credits. So basically, the fifteenth 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:17.280 is like everybody who has kids, it's like the new 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:19.160 favorite day of the month. The rest of the year, 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:21.080 it's like pay day, and you know you're gonna get 0:06:21.080 --> 0:06:23.039 that little what feels like a little bonus there on 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:25.960 the fifteen. Yeah, but but you know, we want to mention, 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:28.880 don't forget to have a plan for this money, especially 0:06:28.920 --> 0:06:32.760 as people are finally starting to receive it, preferably using 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:35.240 it to accelerate debt payoff if you're in that position, 0:06:35.480 --> 0:06:37.719 or to stabilize your savings if you're in that position, 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:40.359 or you know, even allowing you to invest a little 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:43.920 bit more and maybe even into a plan for your 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:46.240 child if you're already doing a great job investing in 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:49.440 your own retirement accounts. And yeah, if your funds for 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:51.719 some reason didn't show up, head to the I r 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:54.440 S Child Tax Credit Update portal for some details. Will 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:56.200 link to that in the show notes. Some folks, but 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:58.080 not a large percentage, are going to be sent a 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:00.440 check that's going to take a little bit longer to arrive. 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:03.160 But it's just important to note that that money should 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:06.120 be in your account right now, at least the first 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:09.200 installment of it, exactly. Yeah. So on the on the 0:07:09.200 --> 0:07:12.400 note of getting payments earlier than usual, many employees no 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.600 longer want to wait the standard two weeks for money 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:19.960 that they've earned, and employers they are responding to those once. 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:23.240 I guess they're not demands, they're just once picketing you know, 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:25.760 give me my money now. I want to get paid 0:07:25.880 --> 0:07:28.440 right now. But some companies are starting to offer pay 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:32.440 on demand systems, and the biggest payroll services like Gusto 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:36.880 Paychecks are saying that the number of businesses offering access 0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:41.120 to these daily pay services has doubled, and the number 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:44.480 of workers who are accessing their pay early has also doubled. 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:47.640 It's done the same thing, not surprisingly Walmart they started 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:50.680 doing this back in seventeen. The big ride sharing companies 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:53.400 they followed suit. Now there are lots of other companies 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:56.080 who are doing the same. This is of course a 0:07:56.120 --> 0:07:58.840 major benefit to those who are living paycheck to paycheck. 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:02.119 Those folks are the most financially vulnerable and not having 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:04.360 the pay that they're earning from their job the day 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:07.000 that they make it, it might mean that they would 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:09.600 take on riskier measures to to make their ends meet, 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.640 like I'm thinking about, like payday loans or like tidle loans. 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:14.360 Those are two of the worst by far, are the 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:17.520 worst products in existence. And so while it might seem 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:20.560 that these are that this is helpful, right, the benefits 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:23.800 may not extend as much as they might appear. Yeah, 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.880 And I think that's because delayed gratification is one of 0:08:26.880 --> 0:08:29.760 the essential building blocks of personal finances. Something we talked 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:32.160 about on the show, right that saving for your future 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:35.240 is essentially doing just that. It's prioritizing future you over 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:37.840 current you. Um. And waiting two weeks to get your 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:40.240 paycheck was often one of the ways that we learned 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.640 that lessons, one of the very small ways that you 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:44.640 would learn that looks exactly. It was like, okay, cool, 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.000 We'll have to wait for the money that I've earned 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:50.400 for a couple of weeks, and it was forced delayed 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:53.040 gratification helping us I think maybe in other ways to 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:56.199 prioritize that in our own lives. Uh. And so, yeah, 0:08:56.280 --> 0:09:00.360 some employers are making early access to their pay e park, 0:09:00.760 --> 0:09:03.000 but other employers are actually passing on the feet to 0:09:03.040 --> 0:09:06.680 their employees for that quote unquote benefit. Right, So early 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:09.439 access to your pay might actually cost you a little 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:12.120 bit of that pay um. So yeah, make sure you 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:14.719 know that before we start grabbing your pay early. On 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:16.600 one hand, it is nice that employers are making it 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.760 easier for employees to avoid just some of the awful 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:21.520 methods of getting their hands on cash to pay for 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:23.720 rent and groceries. Matt, like you mentioned, But on the 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:27.000 other hand, it's crucial for us all to be saving something, 0:09:27.720 --> 0:09:30.560 to build up enough in our reserves. Starting with the 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:32.400 number that you and I always talk about, two four 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:35.640 hundred and sixty seven dollars, it's uh that that is 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:37.560 the amount that it's going to take for most people 0:09:37.600 --> 0:09:39.920 to be able to weather most financial storms have come 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:42.440 along without needing to find that money elsewhere, and it 0:09:42.480 --> 0:09:44.520 just makes me think mad. There's this like video of 0:09:44.520 --> 0:09:46.600 this guy on YouTube that I gotta say, is like 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:48.920 really incredible. Well, we'll link to it in the show notes. 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:52.320 But Diamond Dallas Page, former wrestler, has this yoga program 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:55.120 and there have been some some people that have done this. 0:09:55.200 --> 0:09:59.400 Who takes from a former w w One of my 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:01.240 friends did and he said it was Yeah. He said 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:03.400 it was awesome. It's a wonderful system. Gott to check it. 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:06.720 I like yoga, go to the free parents yoga associated 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:09.160 with the school. Let's go to Yeah, so it's you know, yoga, 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:12.760 a bunch of moms really the only guy there. But 0:10:12.880 --> 0:10:15.319 literally there's this really cool video about this one guy 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:17.839 who started doing d DP yoga, which is what it's called, 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:20.240 and he lost a hundred and ninety eight pounds in 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:22.760 one year. He was four hundred and seventy five pounds 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:24.520 to begin with. And it just made me think, like, 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:26.560 when it comes to saving up the two thousand, four 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:29.280 hundred and sixties seven dollars, it might seem on its 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:32.400 face for some people that that's gonna be really hard 0:10:32.559 --> 0:10:35.280 or maybe insurmountable. The idea of losing two hundred pounds 0:10:35.320 --> 0:10:38.079 in a year is, you know, at least in its outset, 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:40.840 seems like it's not gonna be able to happen. It 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:43.880 seems like it's a goal that can't be accomplished. But 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:45.959 he just worked at it every single day, um, and 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:47.920 it was just impressive to see his results. And I 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:50.319 feel like for anybody out there who says, well, that's 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:52.559 not possible, I need this product in order to solve 0:10:52.840 --> 0:10:55.560 my financial situation. I mean, I don't know that that 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:57.720 video was an inspiration, and I think to a lot 0:10:57.760 --> 0:11:00.000 of people, and yeah to me too, Yeah, well, because 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:02.760 I guaranteed that he didn't lose nearly two hundred pounds 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:06.560 by like eating fat free triscuits or something, right, he 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:09.040 was actually doing the work. He was addressing the underlying 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:12.000 issues of the problem. He wasn't just like going with 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:15.120 a simple fix, right, no minor tweaks exactly. And I 0:11:15.160 --> 0:11:17.280 feel like that's the biggest problem with these like pay 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:19.720 on demand services, is that they are only it's just 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:22.160 a band aid, it's a temporary fix on something, and 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:25.880 the underlying issues aren't being addressed. And until you address 0:11:25.960 --> 0:11:28.280 those those real problems, uh, this is something that's going 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:31.040 to persist. And so I like, this is why I 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:33.319 feel that sometimes these you know, these pay on demand 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:35.959 services might actually do more harm than good because it 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:38.920 might just enable the behavior that has led them there 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:40.840 in the first place. Right. And then what happens once 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:42.199 you've got your pay the day you get paid and 0:11:42.200 --> 0:11:44.040 which still don't have Now you're on that time schedule, 0:11:44.080 --> 0:11:46.160 you're still living paycheck to pycheck or now you're living 0:11:46.200 --> 0:11:47.880 like week to week or day to day. If you're 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:50.720 if you're getting paid daily, right, you're not addressing the 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.640 underlying issue, which is doing the hard work of saving 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:55.920 a little bit more and having that margin in your life. 0:11:56.080 --> 0:11:57.679 I gotta check out this video though, because I want 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:01.880 to see uh Diamond Dallas page as a yoga instructor. Yeah, 0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:04.000 but okay, so while we're talking about health here, man, 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:06.439 let's move on and talk about cheap drugs. Everyone wants 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:08.240 to spend a little bit less money on their drugs, right, 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.440 not much worse than over priced drugs. We're talking about 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:15.560 prescription drugs. Of course, there's been a a major spotlight 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:18.680 shown on the rising prices of some important drugs recently, 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.600 and many of the like the most substantial increases have 0:12:21.679 --> 0:12:24.240 come on on what are called like these designer drugs 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:27.040 that aren't used by most folks. Right, they're not used 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:29.520 by the masses, but if you happen to to get 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:32.600 a more obscure illness, the drugs to help you could 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:36.360 cost a fortune. However, one drug that isn't a designer drug, 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:38.240 but it's one that millions of people across the country 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:42.280 need and use regularly is insulin, and those prices have 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:45.839 skyrocketed in recent years. Some folks have even taken to 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:49.000 driving across the border to buy their insulin over in 0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:52.480 Canada because the costs have become prohibitive here in the US. 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:56.800 But thanks to Walmart, cheap insulin is is actually now 0:12:56.880 --> 0:12:59.920 a thing again. Yeah, that was really exciting us for 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:02.480 really good to see. And yet starting this month, Walmart 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:04.840 is going to be selling their insulin for about seventy 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:09.280 three dollars a vial, that is actually substantially more affordable. Yeah, 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:12.800 then the three, which is what the big three pharmaceutical 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:15.959 companies charge, right, And so it's ridiculous because they used 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:18.960 to charge a reasonable price of forty dollars back when 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.200 they introduced their form of insulin in the year two thousand. 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:24.840 That was not that long ago, twenty years ago, right, 0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:28.000 it was crazy, like substantially cheaper. So yeah, the the 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:33.640 increase is eight which is just kind of hard to fathom, right, Um, 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:36.240 And according to the Mayo Clinic, insulin in the U 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:38.160 s has cost ten times more than what it costs 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:41.480 in other countries. So yeah, while Walmart gets a lot 0:13:41.480 --> 0:13:45.520 of flak, I think, um and in some ways maybe deserved. Well, 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:48.840 I'm really glad to see them disrupt these massive price 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:51.840 increases by the major pharmaceutical companies because this is a 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:56.360 drug that people need and many currently can't afford. So yeah, 0:13:56.400 --> 0:14:00.360 they're just seeing the price drop that much. Um, Walmart's 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:01.880 gonna have a big influence on a whole lot of 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:04.040 people's lives with this, absolutely, Yeah. And it's not like 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:06.240 this is some crappy version of the drug as well, 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.199 Like they have partnered with Nova Nora disc, who is 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.520 one of the major three pharmaceutical companies, right, and so 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.240 it's not like this is some inferior insulin. This is 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.720 the good stuff. This is like the rapid acting stuff 0:14:16.800 --> 0:14:19.360 that people have come to expect that like you know, 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:22.440 it doesn't take hours to to actually start working, takes 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:24.760 like fifteen minutes. And so just the fact that they've 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:27.280 been able to partner with one of the pharmaceuticals is 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:29.080 just I think, I don't know, just a little telling 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:32.680 of the fact that those three companies have essentially cornered 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:35.800 the insulin market and been price gouging over the past 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.160 twenty years. And Walmart has been at the forefront of 0:14:38.160 --> 0:14:40.960 lord prescription drug prices for years now, starting with their 0:14:41.000 --> 0:14:43.200 four dollar generic drug list back in the day. Still 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:45.960 remember when they first initially launched that, and it's like, Okay, 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:48.120 this is a big deal, huge deal van Uh And 0:14:48.160 --> 0:14:51.040 then you know, since then others quickly followed. But since 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:54.640 we're talking about prescription medicines, good r X, they announced 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:57.440 this deal with door dash uh similar to a deal 0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:00.760 that was created for USA A members. Do Dash workers 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:04.000 also known as dashers. Uh. They now have access to 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:07.680 good our X Gold, which gives them access to substantially 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:11.960 discounted prescription drug prices. But that being said, you don't 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:15.960 need to be a door dash worker or a dasher 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:18.960 or a USA member in order to pay less for 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:21.280 your prescription drugs on the rag, using good or X 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:23.480 is totally free. You don't have to pay anything. But 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:25.320 if you or someone in your family takes a lot 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:29.000 of medications, uh, then you know consider paying and joining 0:15:29.040 --> 0:15:30.960 the Goal program because that could end up saving you 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:33.400 a ton of money. But even just the regular non 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:36.240 subscription good x is an incredible money saving tool that 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.240 we would totally recommend, and we'll make sure to link 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:39.920 to them in our show notes, no doubt. All Right, well, 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.000 we got more to get to, Matt, including why your 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:44.200 cup of coffee every morning it's gonna cost just a 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.160 little bit more. We'll get to that and some other 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:57.400 stories right after this break. All right, we are back 0:15:57.480 --> 0:15:59.520 and it's time to get to some more headlines we 0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:01.480 found inter seeing this week. The Fronday flight, plus that 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:03.880 expensive coffee story that you mentioned, Joel and I am 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:06.480 literally drinking a cup of coffee right now. So I 0:16:06.520 --> 0:16:11.080 am very interested and fearful. I think, well, yeah, but 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:12.920 first before we get to that, Matt, we gotta get 0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:17.240 to the ludicrous headline of the week. Care you go, 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:19.360 You hit it right on the head. Someone on Twitter 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:22.040 requested that we actually go false set out. Yeah, I 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:24.920 actually are. You came through on the clutch, you know, 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:27.360 I try to deliver. I want to make people happy. 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:30.600 All right, Well, this one is how internet and TV 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:33.880 providers get away with jacking up your bill. This comes 0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:37.560 from the Washington Post, and uh yeah, the writer of 0:16:37.560 --> 0:16:40.520 this article describes something that all of us have dealt 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:43.520 with at one point or another, signing up for internet 0:16:43.560 --> 0:16:45.960 and getting a bill for way more than we bargained 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.160 for and way more than we were promised on the 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:51.160 phone or you know, online through a chat right bait 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:55.200 and switched tactics exactly. And Matt, it actually just happened 0:16:55.240 --> 0:16:57.600 to me, Like all we did was moved to a 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:01.040 new house. And so yeah, we're literally just moving service, 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:03.680 which means we should keep the same rate because we 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.520 had our current rate lock through October, but our next 0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:09.840 bill was ten dollars more. A little sneakiness right there, right, 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:13.359 So I had to reach out change service feed no, 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:14.880 but it wasn't even that, Like it was like, no, 0:17:14.880 --> 0:17:17.880 now your new rates forty bucks And I was like, wait, no, 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:20.359 it wasn't no, not at all. So I reached out 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:22.760 to Twitter, like we recommend to a lot of people 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:25.080 to do that. Sometimes you get the best customer service 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:26.639 that way. And then I had to hop back on 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:28.640 the phone with one of those social media specialists because 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:31.679 they can't resolve it fully through Twitter, which is silly, 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:34.119 but yeah, uh they finally were able to get my 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:36.720 bill back to normal. But most of the country has 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:39.160 only two options for home internet service, right, so it's 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:41.840 not like this is a vibrant, competitive marketplace and you 0:17:41.880 --> 0:17:45.120 can leave this crumby sneaky company for you know, one 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:47.399 of many others. Like that's just not how the system 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:50.280 works in the United States. Sadly so, this lack of competition, 0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:54.399 it's led to opaque pricing and frustrating customer service for 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:57.639 many many people, uh myself included, but all of us 0:17:57.640 --> 0:17:59.560 at one time or another. It seems like if you 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:02.240 have a home internet you have at some point been 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:06.000 screwed over by the Comcast, the A, T and T 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:08.920 S or the Cox Campel companies of this world. YEA. Honestly, 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:10.800 if you have just like even a couple options that 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:13.200 you can choose between, you're at an advantage, you know, 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:15.080 because there's a lot of markets where there's only one 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:17.639 provider and they don't really have much choice, you know, 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:19.080 you can't kind of hop back and forth like that. 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:21.440 But even still, like when it's a doopoly, it's like 0:18:21.800 --> 0:18:24.640 there's still not much choice and they kind of work 0:18:24.720 --> 0:18:27.080 together to keep prices high. Yeah, sort of like you did, 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:28.960