Inflation may be doing its best to body slam your budget, but this episode is all about fighting back without turning your life into a sad spreadsheet.

Joe Saul-Sehy, Neighbor Doug, Paula Pant (Afford Anything), and Jesse Cramer (Personal Finance for Long Term Investors) are joined by special guest Justin Brown-Woods (Price of Avocado Toast) for a roundtable tackling the big question Stackers keep asking: Why does life feel so expensive even when I'm doing everything right?

Instead of the usual "just cut lattes" advice, the crew digs into what's really happening. How to calm chaotic expenses. How to stop getting ambushed by "random" costs that aren't random. How to build a plan that makes your money feel predictable again.

The conversation hits the real pressure points: food, housing, subscriptions, and the sneaky spending that doesn't look dangerous until it adds up. If you've ever looked at your bank account and thought "Wait, where did that go?" this episode will help you spot the leaks, tighten the system, and still enjoy your life while you do it.

What You'll Learn:

• How to stop chaotic expenses from wrecking your month

• The difference between fixed and variable spending, and why it matters more than you think

• Practical ways to lower food costs without eating sadness for dinner

• Why housing is the heavyweight champion of your budget and what to do about it

• How subscriptions quietly drain cash even when you barely use them

• The best way to cut costs without feeling punished

• Why mandatory expenses are often more negotiable than you've been told

This Episode Is For You If:

• You feel like you're doing everything right but still barely keeping up

• Your bank account keeps surprising you with where the money goes

• You're tired of frugality advice that makes life feel like punishment

• You want to cut costs without giving up everything that makes life worth living

• You're ready to calm the chaos and make your spending feel predictable again

Questions to Think About:

What's one expense that used to feel normal but now feels completely ridiculous? Which category gets you more: food spending, housing, or the sneaky monthly subscriptions? Drop your answers in the comments or the Basement Facebook group because this roundtable's framework for taming chaotic spending might be exactly what you need.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/how-to-afford-the-new-normal-1794

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

Enjoy!

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This Weekend with Gordon Deal January 17, 2026