The book tells the story of four characters—two mice named Sniff and Scurry, and two 'Littlepeople' named Hem and Haw—living in a maze and searching for their favorite cheese. When the cheese at their usual spot, Cheese Station C, disappears, the mice adapt quickly and find new cheese at Cheese Station N. However, the Littlepeople struggle with change, with Hem refusing to move and Haw eventually embracing the need to adapt. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of complacency and the importance of embracing change to succeed in both personal and professional life.
This book teaches managers an unforgettable lesson: how to have time to do what they want and need to do. It explains why managers who accept every problem given to them become hopeless bottlenecks. Through a vivid and humorous scenario, the authors show how managers can free themselves from doing everyone else's job and ensure that every problem is handled by its rightful owner. By using Oncken’s Four Rules of Monkey Management, readers learn to become effective supervisors of time, energy, and talent—especially their own.
Can you save too much? Spoiler alert: absolutely. On today’s episode, Joe, OG, and Neighbor Doug tackle a financial pitfall many Stackers don’t think about—oversaving. Yes, socking away cash for the future is important, but at what cost? People often work extra hours, miss family dinners, skip vacations, and end up with regret instead of memories. The real tragedy? You can’t deposit lost time back into your bank account.
We’ll share stories of people who saved so much they missed out on the life they were saving for, and we’ll dive into strategies to strike a better balance. From stress-testing your financial plan to understanding your personal inflation rate, we’ve got the tools to help you live for today and plan for tomorrow. And of course, we’ve got Doug’s trivia, a TikTok minute that might make you laugh out loud, and plenty of basement banter to keep things light.
What’s Inside This Episode
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Opening: Joe, OG, and Doug kick things off with a mix of jokes, announcements, and OG’s latest attempt to seem cooler than he is.
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The Real Cost of Oversaving: Stories of people who worked too hard, saved too much, and missed the moments that really mattered.
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How to Avoid Regret: Strategies to prioritize both your financial goals and your quality of life.
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Taking Breaks to Save Your Sanity: Burnout isn’t just bad for your mental health—it’s bad for your wallet too.
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The TikTok Minute: Doug’s take on energy conservation (or as he calls it, “saving money with style”).
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Trivia Time: Doug’s question of the day—proof that you never stop learning in the basement.
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Listener Question: How do you plan for retirement when inflation keeps messing with the math? Joe and OG break it down.
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Stress-Testing Your Financial Plan: Find the cracks now, so your future self doesn’t have to.
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Amazon Purchases vs. Amazon Stock: A fun exercise that might make you rethink those impulse buys—or laugh at them, at least.
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Wrapping Up: Final thoughts, laughs, and a classic basement sendoff.
Don’t Miss
- Why the “save everything” mentality can lead to serious regret—and how to avoid it.
- A hilarious dinner story involving Joe’s nephews and a lesson in why you never leave Doug in charge of the menu.
- A nod to Hell or High Water—because what’s a day in the basement without a classic callback?
Join the Fun
Ever feel like you’re missing out because you’re too focused on saving? Share your story with us, and let’s talk about finding that perfect balance. And don’t forget to tune in on Friday for more laughs, lessons, and, of course, Doug’s dubious wisdom.
FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/are-you-saving-too-much-for-retirement-1631
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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The Stacking Benjamins Show 
