Contentment, Gratitude, + Flexible Minimalism within Frugality

about it. So if you are listening there, you get the raw, unedited version, and if you're listening in your normal podcast app, you'll get the clean version. Well they're both clean clean, just one may have more mistakes than another. Yeah, we'll find out that we haven't messed up yet, so let's get into our sponsors before we do. Also brought

to you by Junk Drawers. That's right, all the junk Drawers got together to remind us that they're still there and also to inform us that junk is just a nicer word for trash, So basically it's a glorified trash drawer. Are you really going to use all those paper clips. Oh, in that battery with all the goo on it. Yeah, that's not gonna work anymore. And yes, those pens without the caps are dried out. And no, you will never

figure out what that tiny piece of plastic goes. To. Let's face it, we're using a perfectly nice drawer to store our garbage. In trash drawers. You can hide, but you can't run. Oh that is so convicting, squirrel. You really got to be deep gulp. You have trash strawers. Yes, I do garbage drawers, coaster fires, and you're cabinets. Even when you're so, even as a minimalist ish ish minimalist dish, I still have junk drawers. It's a fact of life. You just bring things in, you don't know where to

put them, you put them in the junk drawer. I think it's especially something that happens for parents, you know, like your kids are just handing you stuff and you're just picking stuff up off the floor, and you don't have discern whether you need it or not. You're just like, this might go in the trash, but let me put it in the place that it goes before it goes into the junk drawer so real. So we all have

that junk in our lives. But today's episode we are talking about being grateful for all of the junk and all of the good stuff and everything before it goes into the trash. So this is really the way that you can get control of your spending long term, I believe, because it's one thing to save money, but to make this a lifestyle, and frugality is a lifestyle, Wanting less is really the main goal. It's one of the reasons we enjoy the concept of minimalism, and we just haven't

gotten around to talking to it. So I'm really excited to share how to be more content, how to be more grateful, how to incorporate these things into your life so that you can want less and ultimately spend less. I really like this first article. It's from Moneying, and it talks about why being content is the most important aspect to getting at financial goals or just in life

in general. And they have a quote kind of speaking to what you're saying, jen It in here where they say we're when we're not content with what we have, it leads to spending more money. So you can see this direct correlation between contentment and financial freedom. That if we are able to be content, we're less likely to continue to get ourselves into this financial rut or keep

accumulating things, which is neither frugal nor minimalist. Right. And it's not being content in that you're not striving to be better or to do more, or even striving for to have better things. That's not the point. The point in being content is to be present where you are. I think that's the most important concept of contentment, is being present and enjoying and being fulfilled what's around you

right now. Yeah, that's such a good distinguishing feature. I also really like the way that this article starts out is with some of the things we often say to ourselves. And this really resonated with me, so I think it's worth repeating because this is what we're talking to, this thing inside of ourselves, this narrative that can run. So

I really want to highlight this. A couple of things that this article says about what we say to ourselves is if I only had made more money, I would be able to get on track financially, Or if I just had a bigger home then I'd be more organized, or if I had a nice art wardrobe, then I'd feel more confident in myself. Or if I could afford

better groceries, then I could get healthy. Holy smokes. I think I've said every single one of them, and we've heard all of our friends in the frugal friends community also say things like this, And so it's not like an isolated thing that if you're thinking these things, then you actually need these things to to get where you are. It's just this mindset that culture is selling us. These are selling tactics, their marketing tactics, but they're not true.

They're not truth. They're glorified excuses really to not do the thing, the next best thing with what we have right now. And I think one of the best mantras that helped me in that mindset and to kind of change my narrative is what you do with little, you will do with much. I think even when when we made such a low amount of money that to remember that really helped me that I can start practicing now

what will be when I hopefully make more money. So to you what you were saying, yes, I can still strive for that, I can still set goals, but I can also start now and I can practice things now that will only help me when I do get to that point where maybe I have a bigger house, maybe I am in a better financial situation, maybe I do have nicer clothes, But what am I doing with what I have right now? Yeah? And I mean one of the ways to to practice that, which it is not

in this article, but we'll get into more ways. But it's to be generous. I think we try to when we are paying off debt, pause things like that, because we're so intense we want to finish it as quickly as possible so that we can be making more money

and have more money to give. But to consistently give while you're trying to reach any financial goal is so important because it solidifies a mindset, and the mindset is more important than your actions, and it it cultivates this habit of giving, so that when you have a small disposable income, you're giving small all. But then when you have a larger income that's disposable, then you will already

be groomed to give more. If you're not exercising that muscle, then it's it's not going to be a strong muscle by the time you actually have the money to be able to give and we've got to practice it with where we're at now. So the article also lists out some important pieces of how we can do this. How do we get at contentment in whatever life situation we're in. You want to kick us off, Jen, Yeah. The first

one is to write down your blessings. And we mentioned this in our self care episode, but like, keeping track of the good things in your life, even if it's just one, two, three things a day, will help you focus on those things and it will fight the mentality that I need this in order to be happy. I need this in order to be successful, because you'll be able to have this log of all the things in your life that are already making you happy, that are

already helping you be successful. Another way that I like, because sometimes the word blessings may not resonate with every person, So this could also be keeping a gratitude journal. This could be tracking The way that I like to phrase this, not that this is going to resonate with everybody, but is kindnesses. Where are the kindnesses in your life and being able to recognize that, write them down, speak them out loud, verbalize it however you want to describe this.

It's a similar concept of noticing and paying attention to the good and taking note of it. Yeah, I love that one. The second one is live within your means, So rather than striving to get something that you cannot afford, or to yeah, live outside your means, spend money you don't have, learn what it is to where are my parameters? Where are my boundary lines right now? And how do

I live within that currently? So maybe you want a bigger home, but you can't afford it right now, or it would be really stretching your budget to do that thing. You'd be house poor. Okay, what does it look like to make the place you're living now fit your needs right now? So yeah, that could mean I mean right now, if you're watching us on YouTube, you see that we are recording in a nursery. This is my office and

Kai sleeps in my office, thank you very much. It is an office that Kai sleeps in, not a nursery that we record. In my bad mind all of the baby furniture and the tiny deaths. But this is living within your meanings and it's working like your baby is not in here right now, and so we're using it to record. So I think, rather than looking at what does everybody else have. Do they have a dedicated office that has all this cute, pretty stuff that they spend

a ton of money on. Okay, maybe eventually that's something you can work towards gin, but how do you make it work with where you're at currently. That's such an important note because we can see on Facebook and Instagram other people being successful and think that they have all of these things to be successful. And some of them do. Some of them are at the level where they can have dedicated studios and uh, you know, hiring out for

different services. But some of us are just recording on a tiny table in their nursery, and of us are recording in our closets at times. And everybody's at a different level. So don't let the filtered picture influence what you're thinking about yourself, because your life isn't filtered, it's just real. So and this, I mean, yeah, and one of the reasons we're putting more of our stuff on video and YouTube just because we want you to see

what we're really like. And I did put on makeup for this and I woke up and and so but yeah, that's I mean, I'm self conscious when I'm not wearing makeup. So I'm gonna be honest about that. I put on lipstick just so I did not put on lipstick. I missed that one. Maybe the next video, right, So, the last one on this list is one I'm super passionate about, and it is to simplify your life, not just stuff.

Simplifying your stuff can really help in lowering your spending because instead of seeing a carefully curated hodgepodge of things that you would see like a fan see restaurant, and try to recreate your home, to have a simple space with just a place for everything and everything in its place. It will keep you from trying to acquire more things to quote unquote complete the look so that in itself and then there's less visual stimulation and that can aid

in mental processing. It's not thought of like our our surroundings. And we'll actually talk about more of this next week how your surroundings affect what you do mentally and physically. But your physical surroundings are very important to the mental decisions that you make. And so simplifying your stuff, but also simplifying your schedule and simplifying your media consumption social media,

news and and just the things that you consume. Just having be simpler can can give you less to process, therefore you can process it better and be more content with it. That's the thing I think to make that

connection between simplicity and contentment is a big deal. I don't think we realize how much emotional and mental space are things take up when we think about them, and it's like, well, oh, then I need to get more to maintain this thing that I have or that thing, and I want I want this or I want that to make it look nicer, whereas and I didn't realize I would not have realized this unless I actually walked

through the process. Many of you know my husband and I live in a hundred seventy square feet it's a camper, and so we've we've literally had to simplify because we wouldn't be able to fit everything in it. And I have had to practice over and over again not buying things because I simply couldn't there's not space for it, which was a practice for me. Yes, I'm frugal, but I would still buy things. I would buy a dollar here, two dollars there, fifty cents there. I loved yard sales.

I still do. Don't get me wrong, but I go to them less because I can't. I don't have the space for it. But what that did produce is contentment. I wouldn't have known that. It wasn't even that it was fully aiming at that. I've just realized that because I can't go purchase, I've become more satisfied with what I do have, or more aware of what I do

have to say, No, I don't need another planter. I have three planters that are beautiful for the plants that I have, and I don't have more space for plants. So that's it. I can't get anymore. And yeah, not that I am perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Eric can chime in on that one. But it has led to contentment. So even taking this first step towards simplicity, just knowing that it can breathe this. The more that we stretch that muscle can help. Just practicing some of

these these three things we just listed. Yeah, and one thing of note, I think we need to stop purging and decluttering and then giving ourselves the excuse to purchase more. That is a cycle we need to break, and I'm guilty of it. So that's why I'm verbalizing it, but actually living in the simplification after we create it, and not going out and like buying something else put in your classt because now you have the space for it. Yeah, look at all this empty space that I'm not used

to seeing. So just be okay living with the with the gaps, living with the gaps in your home where things used to be, and living with empty drawers, living with space on the counters and in the closet, and and don't try to fill things that can live with space. I love that living with the gaps where things used to be. Yeah, man, that's something I'm going to later. Beautiful gold coming out of your mouth. Our next article is from Chopra dot com and it is simple ways

to practice gratitude. So another thing that this article didn't mention. A way to contentment is through gratitude. And I loved this article because there was a bunch of small ways that maybe you wouldn't think about to practice gratitude. We all think about gratitude journals and writing stuff down, but there are so many day to day things that you can do in addition to that to just be a more grateful person, and that gratitude will result in contentment,

whether you want it to or not. Yeah, So they mentioned something before they got into you know, the ways to practice gratitude. In their intro introduction, they talk about how the brain is like vel grow for negative and teflon for positive, and how it takes a whole lot more positive things to help us towards gratitude contentment to really be able to focus on the fact that that

the positive is what's happening in our lives. Um, you know, it kind of like that concept of like you say one bad thing and that far outweighs like twenty five compliments, which that's an unfortunate thing, but it's helpful to know that so that we can be putting in more positive or that we can be paying attention to the good, the kind, the worthwhile, the lovely, because that will help us to train to even focus on those things maybe

when there are a lot more negative things going on. Yeah, we have to be intentional about creating positivity, especially for us. We're like not the bubblest people. I mean, maybe I'll just speak for myself because you're looking at me like, you're right, we have fun, but yes, people call us cold hearted sometimes or just me say that about me

to you. But so it has to be this intentional thing that I do to focus on positive and to be If I value being servant, hearted, or being generous, then those are the things I have to focus on doing. Does my schedule and do my daily actions reflect what I say I value? And I have to make take an inventory of my day and make sure that that's

how I'm living. And it doesn't always line up. A lot of days it doesn't, but I do sometimes just randomly, a time will come up where I can be rateful or do one of these things, and I'll have it in the back of my mind so I can't act rather than just being not self aware at all and I wouldn't even think about it. So self awareness is really important in this and the intentionality piece. But I do also want to say that that doesn't mean it

takes a lot to make a big difference. So yes, we have to be intentional, but these are very small things that do make a big difference. So the first one on here, I we're not going to go through all twenty five, but I did like the first one, which is send a text message, and I'll elaborate on that. Really to say thank you to somebody, or to encourage another person, or for connection with another person, just to

even say hey, I'm thinking about you. On the days that I've done this, it makes such a big difference, not not just so it's it's twofold, because number one, I've been intentional to think about somebody in a kind way and to remember and reflect upon what a great person they are, or to be grateful for something maybe that they've done for me or just an interaction that we've had, I don't know. But then also it's encouraging that person, which then causes usually a kind response back

that can solidify that connection with that person. So uh, that has tremendous impact. And it literally takes all of thirty seconds. And it's interesting. A lot of times I'll think about people. This is gonna sound weird, but whatever. I'll think about people either while I'm driving or when I'm in the shower. Those are my reflection times. But unfortunately two times when I can't send text messages. But what I've started to do is voice to text. So

I can't the shower. That's like iffy, that's not really going to happen. But if I'm in the car and I'm thinking about somebody. I could do voice to text and send that you know, short little message to somebody. So yeah, sending all those things out and making note of it. What I think it does is that punctuates something for us to say, yeah, I thought about them. Then I send a text message that solidifies that thought or that idea for yourself and for the other person.

So I love that tip. I'm so bad at that. I will I'll think about someone and then for some reason, I just won't verbalize it or send the text. And I don't know if it's just because I don't think that they'll care what I have to say or anything that's most commonly what I think my brain is saying, or I don't want to be vulnerable right that too, And so I think that's something that I have to get over. Is that like calling a friend or texting

a friend I haven't seen in a while. I love getting those texts, so like why wouldn't somebody else like to get them from me? But there's this block in my head that like says like they're not going to care, like don't waste your time, and then I don't. But it can do as much for the other person as it does for me. Absolutely. Um, what are your favorites on this list? So this one has a weird title,

but stick with me. It's try a body scan and so it's saying that it's not move from your head to your toes and like thank your body for what it can do, which is a little woo woo, but like for me, I had an ice skating accident when I was in grade school and it was a few millimeters off, um from slicing a ligament that would have caused me to lose my leg. And so I am the worst at athletics. I'm a horrible runner. I hate Yeah,

sports are horrible. But every time I'm doing something hard that I don't want to be doing that I know is good for me, I think about my leg and how grateful I am to have my leg and that both legs. Both legs, yeah, um, specifically the one I almost lost, but I am grateful to have both legs. Your left leg. It's a lot more gratitude than you're

right leg. Yeah. Um. So it's thinking about that time in my life and even when something is hard, being grateful for that part of my body um or being grateful for my eyes that they can look at a computer so I can do my work, And for my brain because I don't know how long i'll have it. That sounds like morbid, but I don't know how long I'll be mentally cognizant. So like having a brain to do what I do, I fully expect to go crazy by seventy I mean, just look at me. I'm grateful

to have my eyes. I can be looking as you girl, girl, you're turning this around. But yeah, so just thinking about the things that I do and thinking being grateful that my body can do it even when it's hard, right. I mean again, it's the things that we would normally take for granted that we want to be paying attention to and and can make a huge difference in just our mental space that we're in. The Next one that I like is run errands with gratitude. I like this

one too. So basically what they're saying is when you're out and about, be aware of how you are approaching the situation that you're in and the people that you're encountering, and are you making it a good experience for yourself and other people, or are you making it miserable. We all know those people. We've seen it. We've either been the person on the other side of the miserable experience, or we've made it miserable, or we've seen it happen.

Let's just let's just try and make it a good experience. And granted I'm preaching to myself on this one here too, but there are days where I feel that energy. I'm just like, I'm good, I'm having fun, and I'm and like I'm gonna be the best part of that cashier's day, and I'm gonna make jokes and we're gonna just like have a good time. Then there's the days where I'm just like, this is the worst and this person could not be going any slower, and like I always choose

the wrong line? How do I always choose the room? I always choose the wrong line. But like, what if we could just slow down, look around us, laugh at the people, magazines, and just just enjoy ourselves and make it enjoyable for the other person. Like when I literally can think about those two experiences where it is all on me whether it's a good or a bad experience, and the days that it's good and it's fun and

it's lighthearted. My goodness, those are fantastic days. I don't want to sidestep the fact that, yeah, it depends on what's going on in our lives and the chemicals that are happening in our brains and love's face it, what time of month it is. But if I'm aware of what's happening, I can there are choices that I can make in that situation of how I want that experience to go. Definitely. Another one on this one that I

really liked is write a thank you note. And this is also something I wish that I did more often. So I didn't realize the value of a thank you note until we were in Nashville and we were at Ramsey Solutions and they were talking about how much they value to thank you notes there and I had just finished hearing our friend Alison Baggerley from Inspired Budget she wrote thank you notes to everybody who enrolls in her

membership site, and it's a lot of people. And I'm like, isn't there something better you can be doing with your time?

I was and uh, and she was like no. And then they're talking about thank you notes in Nashville and I was just so convicted, and I was like, oh my gosh, those are so important to not just the person that receives them because it will inevitably end up in the recycling bin, but or the drawer or the junk drawer, but for the person sending it to to take note of the magnitude of like what they have

to be thankful for. And I mean, in Alison's case, it like all of the people she had to be thankful for, and it puts things into perspective when you write it down, how significant it is and so and I've always believed, like a lot of things like like thank you notes and prayer and stuff like that, it's less for who it's directed to and more for yourself, the person performing it. So, yeah, that was thank you know,

that was my big revelation. Yeah, one more on this list for me and then then we'll get into the next thing. Stop and smell the roses. Okay, I don't fully resonate with exactly the way that that's worded, but here's what it means for me. And I've noticed a big difference. I as my friend Brittany Wrigley pointed out to me, apparently, just like tiny things, anything tiny I appreciated. I mean, go figure, I live in a tiny home. Your travel mugs are tiny. Everything's just tiny. I really

there's I just love tiny things. And I've realized within the past couple of years tiny flowers just in the grass even or hidden within bushes or whatever, just these little, tiny, intricate it delicate, little little guys, little little babies, and and I will stop to notice them. What I will do is take photographs of them. You literally did this last week, and you took a photograph to it all the time. Yes, And there's so many life things that

I've learned through this process too. It's just my own little fun thing. I'm not saying everybody has to do this. You can find your own thing. For me. This is what it is, just tiny things and stopping to pay attention to them and the intricacies within it. For me, I like to take a picture. Thank goodness. I'm grateful for my phone that is able to kind of get these very close thoughts of tiny things. And I'm so

grateful for my husband who lets me do this. Thank you, Eric Sirianni for literally never giving me a hard time about like stopping when we're on a walk or trying to get somewhere, even sometimes like pulling off to the side of the road because they see something that I want to take a picture off. But yeah, noticing these little things has really helped me to pause and then notice other things as they happen. So that practice has stretched a muscle that I didn't even know I needed

stretched and exercise. I'll move off the muscle reference. But you know what else is tiny and maybe seemingly insignificant, but makes a big difference in our week. It's a bill of the week. That's right. It's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is William. Maybe you paid off your mortgage, maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore. That bill Buffalo Bills, Bill Clinton, This is the bills of the week. Hi,

Jen and Joe. This is Emarellas from Campa, Florida. I have a good bill. That was kind of a mistake, but a really exciting mistake. Um. So, I owned my own business and I was putting to the side one percent of everything that I made last year. Like mid year, I started to put away five percent of everything I made well May being me, uh, did not update the

spreadsheet to reflect that. So at the end of the year, Um, what I thought was only eight in profit turned into almost two thousand dollars in profit and I was able to pay off my business credit card. Um. So I now have a debt free business. And it is one of my greatest accomplishments because everything that I now make, I get tacked and then I get to pay off the rest of my bills. So yay for a mistake bill. Okay, bye, mistake bills from Florida. First of all, debt free business

in Florida. Just a little order right now. That's what I'm paying for your debt free business. That's so awesome. And to know that you like can write off business expenses if you have a small business. I just did our taxes. Well, we just went to have our taxes done. And knowing that, like we have a small business and so many things can be written off. It's like everyone should have one of these. It's also such a nice gift to give to yourself to put aside that money.

And the mistake of not updating the spreadsheet, that's amazing. It's like finding money in your gene shorts when you pull them out the next season. Yes, it's my favorite. That is it's like yeah, yeah, but this was like done more intentionally than that, and it sounds like it's a lot more money than you might find and you're in the pockets. That is the money you are finding in your pockets. Let's be friends. Be friends with anyhow, good job future thinking with your business and putting aside

that money and now being debt free. I mean, it's what more could you ask for? Well done? Yeah, If you want to submit your bill of the week to us, if it's a mistake bill or it's a real bill, or it's a bill bill, you know what I mean, visit us at for girl Friends podcast dot com slash bill, leave us a bill or listen to it. We'll be excited with you. Yes, And now it's time for round

for lightning round. Today we're going through things we're grateful for, because what else would we do for a lightning round on gratitude and contentment? Practice gratitude exactly, Jill, You're at first, I am grateful for my home because I love it.

It's perfect, and I'm practicing contentment right now in it's tiny but it's all that we need and to have a space of our own is invaluable and so for me it's like it sounds cliche like my home, but it means so much more to me, especially having come from the different types of living situations we had. We moved into our camp or directly from living with and taking care of my grandmother, which that was a privilege to be able to do, and I'm grateful that we

did it. It did come with its sacrifices and its difficulties though, of not having our own space, sharing a space with an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, and we didn't have any of our own plates, cups, forks like right, we kept everything of hers so that we could keep as much familiarity as possible for her as her memory declined.

So again, glad that we're able to do it. But it has highlighted for me how amazing it is to have our own things that I am able to use my own for my own plates that I picked out and be in my own home. I love it. I'm so grateful and I hope, I hope I don't lose them. I'm a year out from living with my grandmother. But I'm still I still feel that I still remember what that was like, and I'm grateful for my own Spacey. I am grateful for my family, which sounds cliche, but

I I have a cute baby. I sometimes will try to work since I work from home, and it is impossible really to work with an nine month old. Uh just you know, needing your attention all the time. And sometimes the thought will cross my mind, be like if I didn't have a kid, I could just work, And then immediately the second thought will be, but like, for what what would be the point of of doing this, like working from home and building this business, Like what

would be the point? And so it puts it back into perspective of like this is why I'm doing this, and like my my son and my husband are the reason that I'm You know that I have this business so my lifestyle can be flexible, so I can spend as much time with them as possible. Because if given the choice between running my business or just hanging out with my with my dudes, I would take my dudes every time. My dudes, my dudes. That's awesome. I'm also

grateful for the sun. For obvious, I don't know that I needed to elaborate on that. I mean vitamin D, warmth, sunshine, growth, happiness, happiness, hm hm. Who doesn't like the sun? Not me? I love it, skin cancer. I am grateful for um. Also my job, So I love what I do. I love writing, I love talking about personal finance. I love helping people. I am obsessed with what I do for a living. I am generally obsessed with it. I just get to

talk about and write about personal finance all day. Yeah, like I do it for work, and then I come here and I talk about it for like three dollars an episode. Referencing back to one of our Side Hustle episodes. That is absolutely in the archives where we mentioned how on average, podcasters make about three dollars an hour, that's not even true. It's like less than that. Yeah, it's like three dollars an hour. But then also we are have to split it, which ends up actually being like

a doode whatever. We're grateful to do this because we actually genuinely like it, so we don't. Yeah, it's fine. I don't take my job for granted. It's why I don't subscribe to the like Fire movement because I don't want to retire from this. As long as my brain can do this, I want to put my hands to the computer and I want to write, and I want to talk to people. And when I feel bored of that, I'm going to put up a camera and start recording my face doing it and do it in a new way. Yeah,

you're not going to get away from us never. So if please tell us what you're grateful for, either on our YouTube channel comment to the video, or tell us in our Frugal Friends community group on Facebook or what wherever, just get at us. Let's keep spreading the things that we are noticing as kindnesses in our lives. Where the gratitude is how we're getting at contentment because it is one of the foundational pieces to frugality and realizing the

financial goals that we have. So in addition to all this gratitude, we're gonna heap on some more gratitude. We want to say thanks so much for listening. This is not getting old that we're actually reaching people and people are listening to our voices like I hope the novelty of that doesn't wear off. And we're grateful for all of your kind reviews like this one on iTunes, uh iTunes and Stitcher. I think this one's I don't know where this one's from, but thank you. This one's from iTunes.

It's from Pari Larry, and it says easing about to graduate college anxiety five stars. I'm a senior in college who comes from a low income family that has never taught me anything about money. Thankfully, I'm graduating with a relatively low amount of loans, who woo. But I still wouldn't have known what to do with them after graduation

if it wasn't for Jen and Jill. They're like the big sisters I've always wanted, teaching me to budget and be responsible before I make my more mistakes hello credit card debt from the past four years. While not being judgy about the mistakes already made, they also helped me come to terms with the fact that I was never financially prepared by a family who I know loves me

a lot. Taking responsibility of my finances had has made the road to becoming an adult, whatever that means, much easier, especially when there's so much fun to listen to, making difficult topics actually enjoyable to discuss. Thank you, guys, I can never recommend you enough. Holy smokes, I love that. I know the Bill of the Week is my favorite time of the week, but like reading these reviews is my second favorite time. And thank you so much for

all the effort that you put into that review. You obviously, yeah that wasn't just like well the podcast, which those are great too, especially if stars keep doing that. But this is this is really meaningful, and we're so glad to be there for you and be your big sisters. I love that. I love it. I never had a big sister either, and so to be somebody's I'll take it. I have a big sister. I am a big sister. But there's more room for you, sisters, sister sister. So

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us if you're on YouTube. Literally. Frugal Friends is produced, edited and mixed by Eric Sirian. M hmm, how is that thrice concert? The thrice concert was good? Um, we stood for about ten hours, so my my lower back early hurts, and my legs hurt, and my arms feel like jelly. I don't know why. I don't remember doing anything with my arms, but this standing there for ten hours. Yeah,

we had a really good time. But then when we left, we both said we felt like we worked like a ten hour shift on our feet, and then we didn't get paid for it, so we're kind of like we might have been paid to be there. We paid to be there. We should have just got behind the bar and trying to bar down while we were there, Yes, make some cash if we're going to be standing. You remember when we were in college and like going to those shows was nothing, like we just go to a

show stand for ten hours and then stoked about it. Yeah. No, if there are not shares at the theater, I'm not going. I still still show. I'm just going to pay the price for it. Also, I found myself for the first time in the middle of like a mash pit, which was a new experience for me. Um. I was wearing flip flops, so that was it felt dangerous. I felt like I was living on the But I also learned.

I was like, oh, I can use my elbows and my arms, and like the big dude in front of me and he's like pushing into me, and I got my arm out and I'm like curling in my toes knowing that like I am on the brink of losing a toenail, like pushing up against him. I'm like, I'm thirty years old, what is happening? If anybody, anybody who knows me right now where to see me and what I'm doing at this very moment, they'd be like, no way,

no way. She in the middle of a Mashman right now, like pushing dudes, like big dudes, like out of her way. But yeah, it's that that happened. That's why your arms feel like. That's true. That what I always doing. It wouldn't not good, doctor, but I think not a bit. Eric kept looking over like are you good? Are you good? I'm like, yeah, I'm good. I got this at one point to get a little intense on my feet. Are

not going to sustain this journey. We got to get out of here, and thankfully we did because from the stage Thrice announced that somebody got hit in the eye real bad, and I was like, yep, I saw the writing on the wall with that one. Oh so I'm gonna go get more coffee now you deserve it.