The Decision to Go Flip Phone: Richard's Story Begins

In our 100th Kosher Money episode, we chat with Richard Simon, a guy who went completely offline for a year. What he learned might totally change how you see your phone.

We were promised connection and convenience, but most of us just feel more anxious and distracted. In his book Unplug, Richard talks about how our devices quietly steal our focus and shape our lives without us even realizing it.

If you’ve ever felt glued to your phone, this episode might be the nudge you need to finally take a break.

Get the book: https://amzn.to/4naAcPc

Contact: author@richard-simon.com

✬ SPONSORS OF EPISODE 100 ✬

► BITBEAN – BitBean is the go-to team for custom software that actually works for your business. Whether you're in healthcare, finance, or retail, they’ve built powerful platforms that scale smart. Connect here: https://bitbean.link/4edg53

► TWILLORY – Premium men's wear that works hard and looks even better. Use promo code CHAI20 at https://Twillory.com/KosherMoney for 20% off your first order. Enjoy!

► MONEY HALACHA – Real people have real money questions & Money Halacha has real Torah answers. Get short, practical 1–4 minute halacha clips straight to your phone every week via WhatsApp: https://MoneyHalacha.com/Join

► COLEL CHABAD – Our brothers and sisters in Israel need us more than ever. Every dollar makes a difference at https://colelchabad.org/koshermoney so please give what you can. Thank You!

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

01:29 The Moment Richard Realized He Was in Control

03:23 People’s Outrageous Screen Time

03:50 Forgetting What Life Was Like Before Phones

04:49 What Happens to Our Brains When We Use Our Phones

06:00 How Richard’s Smartphone Affected His Career

07:09 Attention Residue

11:09 You CAN Be More Focused

12:33 This MLB Player’s Big Decision

16:50 Why Get Rid of Your Phone Completely?

20:30 BitBean – Bringing Your Big Ideas to Life

21:23 Twillory – Look Good & Feel Good

22:48 Letting Go of Technology Frees Your Mind

28:00 How to Break Up With Your Phone

33:35 The Awareness of Phone Addiction

35:27 The Challenge of Giving Up His Smartphone

37:15 What Richard Used Instead of His Apps

39:05 How His Wife Was Influenced

39:53 Should We Give Our Children Smartphones?

47:02 Girls vs. Boys – Conversations and Smartphones

47:46 Money Halacha – Weekly Halacha Clips

49:06 Colel Chabad – Feeding Thousands of Families

50:21 How the Corporate World Is Unplugging

52:10 The Different Smartphone Breakup Styles

53:40 Addiction vs. Self-Control

54:19 Saving Money by Going Phone-Less

55:05 What Richard Did With His New Free Time

57:20 Quietness Leads to the Best Results

59:42 Why People Struggle to Let Go of Their Phones

1:00:01 The First Step to a Healthier Relationship

1:04:55 Pros and Cons of ChatGPT

1:07:40 What Richard Would Tell His Younger Self

1:08:22 How He Helps People Work on Their Phone Addiction

1:10:31 Ways to Make Using Your Phone Less Tempting

1:12:38 Richard’s Must-Have Book

1:13:27 How to Contact Richard

1:13:38 Why Richard Doesn’t Have Social Media

1:15:02 Richard’s Next Book? + Recs

1:16:39 Outro: Contest & New Winner

✬ Support the show! - https://www.livinglchaim.com/donate

Need financial clarity? Visit LivingSmarterJewish.org for free resources.

Follow Kosher Money for bonus clips:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@koshermoneypod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koshermoneypod

Call-In-To-Listen Hotline:

USA: 605-477-2100 | UK: 0333-366-0154 | Israel: 079-579-5088

WhatsApp feedback: 1-914-222-5513

Reminder: This episode or description is not financial advice. Always do your own research.

#DigitalDetox #PhoneAddiction #FocusAndSuccess #ProductivityTips #AttentionEconomy #MindfulLiving #DeepWork #SelfImprovement #KosherMoney #LivingLchaim #JewishPodcast #JewishFinance #MoneyMatters #FinancialFreedom #PersonalGrowth #SuccessHabits #TimeManagement #MentalClarity #WorkLifeBalance #KM #DiaryOfACEO #UnpluggedLife #DigitalMinimalism #RichardSimon #SmartphoneAddiction