Episode three eighteen, Frugal Living Tips for Summer.
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast, where you'll learn to save money, embrace simplicity, and live your life. Here your hosts, Jen and Jill.
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast. My name is Jen, my name is Jill, and we are still in the summer slow down where we are releasing one episode per week through July.
And now we talk it like we're NPR hosts.
Yeah, because it just feels gentler, It just feels like rest.
It has been. Maybe people have missed us, maybe they haven't. We'll be back at two episodes again very soon. But yes, we in the summer right now.
We are in the summer. So so today we'll be talking about frugal living tips for so, how summer can trigger more spending, how to stay on the budget that you may or may not have set for summer, and then some ways you can take advantage of this unique season to have frugal fun and save money in unique ways.
But first, our sponsor this episode is brought to you by Hot Girl Summer. It's my new favorite phrase. I'm not entirely sure what it means. So we're gonna go with care free pool side vibes, no homework, limited responsibilities, popsicles dipped in lemonade, flamingo prints on beach balls, hot dogs on a stick, watermelon hair ties, sprinklers under trampolines, and generally not knowing what day it is. If you want a hot Girl summer, visit Frugal friendspodcast dot com
slash capitalize. They're doing all the work to find your old four oh one k and roll it over into a new IRA. It's the no fuss, don't lift a finger kind of company that we're all about during our hot Girl, Hot Girl Summer. That one's that come slash capitalized.
People are gonna get confused when they dipe that in, like, wait, what is this?
It's they find your old four oh one k's and they help you roll them over so you don't lose them.
If you have quietly quit or loudly quit and you have a four oh one k that you need to roll over and you don't want to do any work this summer, then yeah, definitely Frugal Friends Podcast dot com slash capitalize. Yeah, that was a great tie in, Jill.
Thank you fantastic. Yeah, I've done a lot of work in your absence, so you just I know, I was.
Thinking the other day that maybe I should listen to the episodes that I wasn't on, and then I was like, nah, all right, speaking of episodes that I was on. If you are looking for some more summer fun episodes to queue up after this one, then episode three oh six, uh Fruit Friend's Summer book Club, we talk about four personal finance reads that you should have in your beach bag.
And then episode one fifteen Frugal yard maintenance and landscaping, because lord knows, if you miss a day of yard maintenance in Florida in the summer, you have reverted to the jungle like you have. Nature has found a way, it has taken back its property and you live in the jungle. So episode touse, I and I have been to my house and that's how it goes. That's how it goes here. So those are a couple good ones,
but this one is really summer specific. So our first article is from Better by Today from NBC News, and it is summer can trigger over space, try these tips to stay on budget. What'd you think of it, Jill?
I think it's helpful because this is so this first article to me is that look at, well, what are the pitfalls where do we end up spending more as a result of it being summer? And I think knowing the pitfalls can help us to become equipped. I think the second article is going to be giving more tips on how to save. And this is the knowledge the foundation of where do we tend to overspend so that
we can feel equipped to actually implement. So I think helpful in that regard for me to realize, oh yeah, I do do that. Oh yeah, that's where prices on certain things can increase in the summer, and just a greater awareness of myself and my own habits seasonally that I can then feel prepared to make more intentional decisions around.
Yeah, because it's not about not spending. We want you to embrace the season. I've been watching a lot of HGTV since it came onto HBO Max, and I got this really great piece of wisdom from the couple that hosts Hometown and she said that somebody else told her you only get eighteen summers with your babies, Like, if you've got kids, you only get eighteen summers. And when I thought about that, I realized, oh my gosh, eighteen is not a lot, and so I really want to
embrace this summer season. I want to make this one of eighteen count So it's not about not doing anything or spending as little as possible this summer. It's about being equipped with the knowledge to choose and not fall into any of your spending.
I love that.
Yeah, I've been really thinking about that a lot for the past few days.
Mama little too now, Just I know, caring for these cuties, I.
Know, I know. So all right, let's get into these some of these pitfalls and then how we can get back on track.
Yes, So the first is talking about assessing your financial situation, So being able to take a look at where is my financial life, checking your credit score, looking at your spending plan or your budget, whatever word you choose to pick, looking at your debts and expenses. Because we can sometimes approach summer in this kind of extended vacation mindset. Usually
this is where we are actually going on vacation. But then if you've got kids and they're out of school, or even just your work is shifting a little bit because it's the summer and everyone around you is going on vacations and getting tands and going to the beach on the weekend, and there's just a we can feel it, even if we don't have kids or don't work in an academic setting, there is a shift that happens in
the summer. And so I think one of the ways that we can be prepared for this extended vacation mindset, which can lead us to spending more than maybe we would have wanted, is getting a good grasp on what is our financial situation currently? What do I need to be aware of so that I can make the best
postible decisions. That doesn't mean deprivation, and as Jen already mentioned, doesn't mean not spending, but having an awareness of all of these aspects of our financial life, our financial health, is going to help us feel a little bit more freedom to maybe do some of those things that we might want to do in the summer. So just taking inventory across the board, this could be a really good time to do that.
Yeah, it is the hardest time to do it, I would say this. And then the holiday seasons are the are the seasons where people care about their finances the least. So if you're actually listening to this episode, ten out of ten you are doing the most right now, So be encouraged in that you are doing the most, so pat yourself on the back. But it is kind of important to do this before you go into the thick
of summer. I know in Florida where we've already been in the thick of summer for a month, but the rest of the country is just getting into it. So do it now. It's not something after you do it if it's not as good as you thought it would be, or if it's as bad as you thought it would be. It's not like a you can't spend money the rest of the summer sort of thing. But it'll help you say no more easily to some of those smaller expenses that you might have just you know, throwing your hands
up and said, well, it's summer. I'll figure it out in the fall. But if you assess it now, then when you get back on your track in the fall, or whenever you get back on your track, it'll be a lot better.
Well, especially because if you do have kids, back to school is right around the corner. And sorry, don't hate the messager. Also, the holidays are coming, and the better we can do now, the better for her. Don't hate the message, so sorry and bring in the truth.
I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry for her. It's summer, enjoy summer, and just make yourself aware. So then the next one kind of ties into that. It's to knock out any small debts you can to increase your net worth. I would say, if you've got any small debts, small credit cards that you can knock out before summer really gets going, or at least before back to school, then this is the time to do it. If you've got a little bit of savings. A lot of our sinking
funds are for summer and holidays. So if you have used your sinking fund and you have a little leftover or anticipate having some leftover, then don't tempt yourself to spend that money willy nilly. Put it towards a small debt and get that money working for you. Don't you know if you've budgeted two thousand for a vacation and you've saved twenty three hundred, don't I mean maybe you can treat yourself with an extra hundred and then put two hundred towards a debt. Something like that.
Number three on here is plan for each activity that they mentioned impromptu anything is basically your budget's worst enemy. And we talk about this with any type of spending, even if we're just out at the store, we're at home goods, and we're just we've not planned for it. And especially when it comes to summertime when everyone is doing the activity, it's not just you going on a
shopping spree and impulse buying. It's an impromptu, let's say, activity with the entire family is going to be even even more money than just one person doing an impromptu thing. And so I like how they're saying it's not to live life entirely void of spontaneity, but recognizing that some degree of planning ahead, having in mind what you're willing to spend on different things, what's actually valuable to you
to do this summer? Not just doing the thing because it's what everybody else is doing, but thinking through what do I actually want to get? If this is one of eighteen, If you're adopting this mindset that Jen is talking about, then what's actually important to do? And how much is it worth to me to spend on these different things? Is there a way to do that for a decreased amount, or are there opportunities to do free things that are actually more fun to me than going
and spending tons of money on this. So just being aware because sometimes we can think, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm not going to spend too much, and then we realize, oh my, I've just put one thousand dollars on my credit card that I didn't realize and then whatever, I'm on vacation, and then the whole thing becomes this hairy, out of control thing. The more we can plan ahead and think through, all, right, what are these next eight weeks going to entail? How much money do I think
it's going to cost? What am I willing to spend, what am I prioritizing, what do I value? We're going to come to the end of the summer a little bit more pleased with ourselves than if we're just not thinking about it at all, not being at all intentional with what we want to get out of the summer.
So think about what are we going to be doing, how much is it going to cost, what's reasonable, and you're more likely to stick to it if you've got a plan in place versus not even thinking or looking at it at all.
Or if maybe you're just setting a budget for the whole summer. It's like I'm going to spend one thousand dollars on activities this summer. Break that down either week by week or activity by activity, because not every outing is going to cost the same. Some will be twenty dollars outings and some will be two hundred dollars outings. So break it down by activity and know that while this eighteen summer mentality is good to get you in being intentional with your actions, know that this isn't the
last summer. Well hopefully it's not the last summer. You're still going to have more summers, so don't do so much now or let your spending get so out of control now that ten summers down the road you are in a financial crisis and cannot embrace the summers in the future, So you can spread out activities. You don't have to do everything this year or next year, so just be intentional with how you want to spend your summers in the future and that can kind of put
some of your spending this year into perspective. So the next one is also plan and budget, but for non fun summer expenses as well, so we all know that that's the cost of blasting your AC unit not stop, NonStop, But it can also be five dozen weddings or bachelorette parties or all of the other stuff that is not typically your idea that you're not like putting down on your summer buck get list. So think about all of
the things that increase in expense. And you can do this really easily by going back to your transactions for your credit or debit card for last year and see going through July and August and seeing, Okay, what did I spend like last July and August? What should I be anticipating this year? And it'll definitely open your eyes to some things you forgot.
And then the last one on here, number five is tune up everything you let go during the cold season. Now, I think this is still going to be climate location dependent or specific. I think that for those of us who live in the further south, this is not the time that we're doing all the home projects. This is the time when we are just trying to ink water and survive.
But if you do live.
In a place where it's just more temperate, this is the time when you are outside, You're doing the barbecues, you're doing all the things this would be a really great time to think about, Oh, should I do that thing on my car I've been wanting to do for a while. Is this when we do the exterior work on the house. This is when we're adding to the landscaping that we might want to be doing or fixing whatever.
It could be a version of spring cleaning, although you still have time for that, and we've got other episodes
on that too. And I like this for multiple reasons, not only the caring for the things that we own and finding the opportunities to do that if we are experiencing a bit of a summer loul, but I also like this because it is a bit of an activity that could also keep us from spending I know, Jen, you've talked about in the past instead of spending you like, instead of going out for in your debt payoff, was to make money.
My favorite way to save money is to spend time making it.
Yeah, that was my This feels like along those lines of instead of going out and spending a ton of money as a family on an activity outside of the home, is there something that the whole family could pitch in on in the home that you can do together that could still be a fun and memorable experience. It's ticking something off of the to do list. It's keeping you from going out and spending money that maybe you don't have a value for spending on. It's helping to preserve
something for the next coming season. So I like this tip for multiple reasons, and this could be a good time to tune up fix things.
Stay home, yes.
Stay home. Don't leave the house if you're in Florida, just stay inside, all right. So next article is actually ways to save money. It's twelve frugal living tips for summer. And I liked a lot of the things on here. We're not going to go over all of them, but we're going to each pick our three favorites.
So it was your first favorite, gen.
I will go first, and this is my absolute favorite one on the entire list. Attend free events.
Yes, I left that one for you.
Thank you. I love just perusing Facebook events and seeing what's going on. I just and I'll show up. If it's a church i've never been to is putting on something free, I'm there. If it's a club or a civic center that I'm not a part of, I'll show up. If it says I can. Yeah, I'm not going to crash your birthday party, but I might if it's a public event and it's free. So I and there are so many free events in the summer. It's for most of the country it's the best time for free events.
Not as much here we're more spring and fall, but everywhere happening it is summer. Yeah, it is actually still happening.
What's the most recent free event you went to.
Gosh, I haven't done much lately, but I oh Easter. I searched for free Easter egg hunts and we try to hit up several. So we went to a free Easter egg hunt downtown Gulfport, this big field. It was very fun.
And you also told me about something recently hosted by the local fire department and they were giving out free.
Hot dogs with that. Was that? Okay, Yeah, I'm bummed.
I didn't know about that.
Yeah, so the fire department for some reason, they love hot dogs. Yeah, and well they weren't on sticks, but they love giving away free hot and they were there, and then they were also at a Halloween like free trick or treating event that they did at their They did a hunted firehouse and they gave out free hot dogs there too, So I love free events. Check them.
Event bright is a very good one. Facebook Events obviously, and your newspapers, your local websites, Instagram for local organizations, all great places to find free events.
Adjacent to that low cost things to do. I love scouring groupon locally for you can usually find discounted museum tickets or restaurants or just kind of whatever the activity is in your area, whatever there is to offer. Usually there's multiple options on groupon for even getting discounted family tickets for things like that.
And you can get free tickets to museums and stuff at your library. Yes, so check there too.
Yes, Okay.
My one of my favorites on this list is number five.
Hit the beach.
Everyone knows you can go to the beach, like this isn't anything.
Everywhere can go to the beach, shattering.
No, not everyone can, but usually people have at least a lake near a lie, a body's a body of water. Yeah, hit even if that's your bathtub, go there. I love it because this is a full day activity in my opinion, where you can be yoh, food, snacks, toys, chairs, and you can spend an entire day relaxing near the water for free or low cost. I know a lot of times when people go to the beach, the beach is up near us in the north, you had to have beach tags, which I think is ludicrous. I love that
Florida doesn't do that. But parking can be expensive, so.
We'll have that charge twenty bucks for parking.
Yeah. One of the things I would say to that is look into state parks in your area where there's just a flat rate fee rather than an hourly fee. So there is a state park on the water near US where it's an inexpensive flat rate fee for the entire day rather than the hourly. So even if it's a beach you're unfamiliar with, do a little bit of research ahead of time so that it can be as close to free as possible for you. Carpool go with friends, watch each other's kids have fun.
I personally like going to hotel pools. If you know who to talk to in the hospitality industry, you can figure out which hotel pools allow non guests to go there and it's yeah, there's definitely a few in our area. So check around. Do some research to see if there's any pools in your area.
Well, and a lot of hotels will even give you day passes, and that's even something I think they sell on. Groupon two is like a day pass where you could even use the spa, use the pool, have access to their amenities for a flat rate day fee.
But hopefully you don't have to pay because those things can get more expensive in the summer. True. My next favorite one is Number three is to cook outdoors. So I love this. If you want to get together with friends instead of going out to eat, have everybody bring something to grill. This is the time when it is totally okay to invite people over to your house if you haven't cleaned it, because you're gonna be outdoors. You're
gonna be cooking outdoors. You're gonna be chilling outside. You get your mosquito nets, your spray, your lights, your zappers, and hang out outside. It's perfect and enjoy a sunset and a cocktail with your people and spend like ten dollars on something from the grocery store instead of you know, forty dollars for the family to go out to eat somewhere,
and you can have more people. There's no weight to sit down like it's just all around better and get with your friends and be like this week, everyone's coming over my house. This week everyone's going over to your house, and just create a whole schedule of togetherness all summer.
I love the BYO meat or BYO veggies. It takes such a pressure off, like I'll have the grill going and bring whatever you want. It's inexpensive for everyone. Oh I love that idea. Yes, okay. My next favorite on here is number six plant a fall garden. So my favorite this is fun because again it's an activity that can be low cost, potentially even free if you know
how to leverage your by nothing group. Scour your local neighborhood community where there's tons of people trying to give away free plants, free seeds, or at a very minimal low cost. You do not have to get your soil, your seeds, your plants from Lowser home depot. There are plenty of other ways. Check out local garden clubs, local
plant clubs in your area. Usually they'll have in the summer typically and then again another time, usually in the fall, a sale or a plant exchange where you can go and get some free things.
So love that.
And then this would be a really great time where I know sometimes we think the summer isn't the time to plant, but there are things, especially if you look up your zone, your climate, of what you can plant now to be able to harvest in the fall. So this could be a fun activity for you with the family. Ways to find free things. Even at yard sales, people will be selling plants. So I love this way of
getting outdoors, learning more, growing food. There's just so many beautiful things too planting a garden.
Right, if you kill all of your plants, like me, then I prefer to just buy what's in season, a lot of it, and then number eight preserve it. So that's either so either canning or freezing is so freezing is what I like to do. I like to get, you know, if there's a and this is kind of like side of the road stuff, Like we're not going
into the grocery store and buying stuff. It's like the farms and the farmers we're going to not even the farmers' markets because I mean, I guess some times they're expensive now, but like the road or really not cute produce stands, those are the places where you get the good deals on bulk in season produce and you take that big bundle in your arms and you take it home and
you prep it. You're slicing your dyson and either throwing it in the freezer, or if you can can it, if you can borrow canning supplies from someone, and someone in your community can teach you how to can or dehydrate or ferment. This is a really great way to pass down these skills from one generation to the next and create connections with people in your community or your family. And so it would be a really great activity if there's somebody around you who can impart that wisdom on you.
So I love this one.
I love the summertime for this. Remember there were seasons where strawberries were bountiful, and so we would do a U pick strawberry come back with so many, so many more than you can eat before they start to go bad. So you do have to utilize some of these preservation techniques.
I know we would always make a pie or two and then can some of the others and dry some of it, and so it's just a really that's a really fun way to spend a day or two on this exact activity that you're describing, learning a new technique, giving yourself treats for the future, being able to enjoy the fruit of a strawberry summer come the fall. So yes,
I love this for so many reasons. The next number eleven that I'm going to pull out of this article is use this time in the summer to repurpose something. This does kind of tie back into that last thing I talked about on the lat on the previous article of finding a project around the house to do, and it might not even be a maintenance project. It might
be a more creative or hobby like project. This could include decluttering around the house, So walking around and looking at what do I even have on hand here that I might want to simplify or declutter, or what is it that I'm looking to purchase? But maybe do I already have something here that I'm unaware of that's hidden in the garage or up in the attic or shoved back into a closet that we can pull out and
make use of. Or is there old fabric, old bedsheets, scraps of wood lying around that I can create something with.
I do think that there's an aspect to the summertime that does as you've described, Jen this kind of summertime lull, we are maybe more prone to leisure activities or wanting to engage in drawn to to some of these the creativity that we might have, and I think leaning into that reality of the summer, the leisure, the creative, the hobby, the setting our hands to something new that can be utilized but doesn't mean that it has to cost us money.
Is there something around the house that we can do, maybe something we've been wanting to try our hands at and we haven't yet Being able to create during this time I think is really fun, especially for those with kids. It's not homework time, it's not to dos and obligations. Is there something that your kids have shown interest in even that you could engage them with that is just fun and lighthearted and creative. I love this idea as an activity, and inevitably it's free. What do you already
have on hand that you could be creative with? Repurpose, set your hands to.
And you might have a long list of things that you want to do this summer and the ways you want to be creative. Pick one thing, pick one thing, and if you do it and you complete it, and there's still time in the summer to do another cool But the more things we put on the list, the fewer things we get done. So let's let's pick one thing and actually do it, be intentional, and make time to do it.
Speaking of so many different things that we're excited about that really inevitably leads to just one thing, it does just boil down to one thing making a priority connections to it being intentional.
The bill of a week.
That's right, it's time for the best minute of your entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name is Williams. Maybe you've paid off your mortgage. Maybe your car died and you're happy to not have to pay that bill anymore.
Tough bills, but flow bills. Bill claim.
This is the bill of the.
Week, Hijen and Jill.
My bill of the week is my tax bill. I was very stressed about my taxes for last year because I had worked multiple jobs with different types of pay structures, played around with multiple bank accounts to figure out what was right for me, and decided to declare residency in the state I've been living in throughout college. This is the most complicated my tax situation has ever been. I had anticipated that I was going to have to pay someone because Turbo Tax kept telling me I had to
upgrade to upload certain forms. But miraculously I got an email from the university I just graduated from telling me I could qualify for free tax filing.
Program based on my twenty twenty two income.
Long story short, I did qualify and we'll be able to get my taxes filed completely for free.
Thank you both for everything you do.
I love the show. Yay.
Oh my gosh that as two people who really hate tax is not paying them or what they do for our country, but just like filing them. Congratulations. I'm so happy that you could have somebody else do your taxes for you. A gift. Oh.
I feel this in some real ways because Eric and I have had very complicated tax situations ourselves, having moved states in a tax year and having a combination of W two's and ten ninety nine's. It just felt so chaotic and for us it's worth paying somebody. But I love that you were able to find a way to get free help, which I know is available. So I think even alerting people to that tip that sometimes there is free tax prep help out there if we qualify.
I'm so glad that that was your situation. What a beautiful bill.
Well done.
Hopefully this next tax season doesn't feel as complicated for you are listening and have a bill that you want to submit. If it has to do with complicated taxes or finding free help or being a bill, visit Frugal friendspodcast dot com slash bill leave us your bill. We ready and waiting, and now it's time for.
Set summer firewaks, summer fireworks, yes, the firework round. All right, So what are your frugal summer plans? This is what we are going to be doing this summer. I'll go first. I'm putting Kai in swim lessons. He actually just started them. He is four years old and the most terrified. We do not have a pool, so I have like I'm going in somewhere to get him swim lessons and it's painful to watch. He actually as his second one today and I am worried.
But good for you because that is a it's a safety piece too. It's ye can lead to something fun. But I just think this is of utmost importance to prioritize for young kids is getting them equipped for being able to be in the water and know how to swim or at least float. It's so important.
Yeah, I think with the if things go the way they have gone, I might have to set them up for a second round of swim lessons. So I'm glad we started early so that Atlas is going to start daycarey very excited about that, very excited. They are your summer plans. These are my summer plans. But we are
going to do a weekend staycation. So we're going to do a weekend in Orlando, just at a hotel that has a lazy river and cool restaurant on property, and take the kids and let them run around west people look around.
I think most people use the word staycation to mean they stay in their home. Oh you just mean you're just going to go.
Cit a goal. Yeah, I mean stay nearby. We're not going to fly anywhere. We're just going to drive an hour and a half.
Explore your lat area.
Yeah, to a hotel. We're not doing any theme parks or anything. We're just doing the hotel.
Yeah. I do love that. I love hotels so much. Right for me, I am staying. But I know I say this that is.
I mean, you got a legit vacation coming down a vacation. You just had a legit time away.
Yes, I was aware.
I went back up to the place where I'm from, visited friends and family. It doesn't it's not a vacation where you're doing excursions.
And can Philadelphia, Pennsylvania be a vacation.
No, not when the wildfires of Canada are making the air quality very unhealthy. There were two straight days we could not be No.
Oh it was the way down there.
Yes, all all the way from Canada still affecting the air quality. Wow, apparently the main expressway ninety five has collapsed. It's we're in Yeah, they're in a difficult that's the you sent me.
And I thought it was a joke.
I was.
I didn't realize it was sad.
No, it is sad. Yeah.
Oh no, I'm so sorry. I know that's okay.
Sorry, I mean it wasn't it was. It's all real.
Yeah.
So all that to say, like, no, Philadelphia is not necessarily like a vacation destination, but it is where you go to try and like encourage the people who are still there that life is worth living.
And then you come back.
To Florida and go to the beach. Okay, so I'm gonna say, but I'm going to go to the beach. I'm going to do that less expensive parking situation. And something I'm really excited about is trying some fun summer recipes. As I've learned to cook at home more and cut grocery costs, I have really leaned into what is the season, and what are some of the what's the produce that's currently in season, and what are some fun things that
I can do with the food. Following people on Instagram has been really helpful for me with that to get inspiration to try new flavors and learn new cooking technique. So that's actually something I'm excited about doing right now. I've got a beat and Goat cheese salad on the menu this week. I'm making my phone dressing and yeah, I'm really I'm like salivating thinking about it. So find people on Instagram, find some fun summer recipes, cook at home,
but make it enjoyable and related to the season. That's my encouragement. That's what I'm doing.
I love the Budget Bites Budget Bites on Instagram. We already love her website and her recipes, but her Instagram is all pictures and videos of making the recipes and they're great inspiration. Yes, so we hope you are going to have a fun summer, more fun than watching your kid scream as the swimming instructor puts his head under
the water. And thank you so much for listening. We've come to the part of the show where we remind you that we have a membership for our listeners who are paying off debt but really just want to be more engaged with how they're saving money. We do monthly challenges, we offer accountability groups, and we want to congratulate one of our members for a big win. This one's from Catherine.
She says, easy way to increase my income This week, I started bringing breakfast to work instead of buying breakfast at work. I work at a hospital and we get fifty percent off of the cafeteria food and you can use payroll deductions to pay for a meal. Since I've started working there, I've always purchased breakfast, averaging about eighty dollars in payroll deductions each pay period. So this week I made oatmeal bars from scratch with things I already
had in the pantry and brought yogurt. It should end up costing less than I would have spent at the cafeteria, increasing my take on pay. As long as I spend less than forty dollars at the grocery store for breakfast items, I'll make a difference.
Oh, Catherine, this is such a good one because I could see how this would be so tempting, and really it is a great deal, especially when in a pinch. I love that your workplace is offering some discounted food, but still it's a cost, and you can still save more money by buying the things yourself, making it eating at home, or bringing it with you. So it's not as if this is a huge net wind. But you are talking what forty bucks every pay period, so that's
pretty significant. You could add that to another activity or food out with friends rather than just like at the cafeteria at your work, that might be more valuable, more fun for you. So well done, Catherine, And breakfast.
Is the easiest thing to mail prop literally a dozen eggs going into like muffin tins, making little muffin cups, and bake and oatmeal like Sally's baking addiction, her one bowl baked oatmeal best best, It's so good, so customizable, And yeah, those things. I never get tired of them because I can customize them so many different ways and it's so easy. So congrats, Catherine. I think this is going to be a change that you will be able to stick with and we'll save a lot over the
course of your working years. So if you want to check out our membership where we talk about stuff like this, head to Frugal Friends Podcast dot com slash club. We've got courses, interviews without any ad interruptions, challenges and more. It's fun in there.
It's so fun. Yeah, Frugal Friends Podcast dot com slash club and we will see you next time.
Frugal Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni Jill. I have started losing my hair. Oh it is time. Yeah those hair Monday well, I mean yeah, it's different. It's a more higher volume of hair loss.
I remember talking about this after Kai.
M M yep, and it has started now three months after Atlas, and I'm hoping I have been taking collagen peptides for since Atlas was born. I'm hoping it will be less severe than it was with Kai TBD. But yeah, it's a growing It wasn't the hair loss that was difficult because I have a lot of hair.
I'm gonna say, you don't look like you're losing No.
I could stand to lose some strands. It is the regrowth when your hair is half of your hair is the normal length that you want it, and then the regrowth just starts growing out like fuzz like half of your hair almost could be a mullet. But it's all over. It's not just in the front. It's a mullet. It's everywhere and also a party everywhere. It's it's a business air party at the same time. I mean that.
Sounds like you.
That sounds like actually the best representation of you. It's all business and all party. There is a separate Yeah.
But as hair as a hairstyle, it doesn't work. So that's where I accumulated a lot of hats four years ago. That's why I wear hats now.
Good thing, you're not going very far this summer, just in the summer growing your hair.
Yes, I I'm hoping it won't be as bad, but we'll see. And I now also have a small human that can that points out like everything about me. Four years ago it was just me and now it's kai being like that's a lot of hair there's so or there's hair in the shower right now, Like we only have one shower, and so he's showering in our bathroom and there's hair like it's falling out in the shower. Yeah, and he doesn't want to step in this shower because there is hair on the floor.
And for him, like some strangers dunking him underwater. He's like gotta step on all of mommy's hair.
Just everywhere on the hair. There's like a little bit of hair. There's some hair in the corner on the floor. That's brother. It's just traumatizing.
One of his eighteen summers at.
Home is like traumatizing. He's absolutely fine.
Send him over to my house. We'll give him a hot dog on a stick. It'll be the true summer he needs.
It'll be yeah, it'll be the summer he wants. For sure. He just wants a hot dog on a stick. And so side note, second story we went to I'm gonna I'm gonna give the full context of the story because it's hilarious, and then round it out. I had so
Kai got pink eye. I guess that compounds the traumatization, and so I had to put drops in his eyes, and Travis was out of town, so he wouldn't willingly let me do it, So I had to put him in the car seat in the car, strap him down so that I could get his arms down and then get the it was. It really did look like I was traumatizing him.
Oh my gosh, were there any neighbors watching? Like?
What?
No? Thankfully no. One time I had to do it in a dunkin Donuts parking lot because I bribe him with food in these instances. So one of these bribes was going to get a happy meal at McDonald's and he got a toy from the Little Mermaid and he got Prince Eric and it looks like Eric Eric.
Yes, yes, amazing.
So I'm going to have him bring that toy next time we come over. Yes, him bring his Prince Eric toy.
Oh wow, Yeah, he thinks he.
Got an Eric toy. Yeah that's adorable.
He's like, I didn't know you were a prince right.
I'm really excited to hear their conversation about it.
But how confusing could that be for him?
Like in order to get a toy that looks like my friend, I've got to get drops in my eyes?
Like what is this world. I don't know. I don't know. You do the best you can't with what you've got. OH to be four Happy summer.