Frugal Friends Podcast

We are so excited to have Jess Dang, the Founder of Cook Smarts on the podcast today! After experiencing health complications of her own, Jess desired to provide a useful service to others that may be experiencing difficulty in meal planning, and finding recipes to suite their dietary needs. Jess gives us a behind the scenes look at CookSmarts, and shares some expert frugal tips for meal planning, eating at home, and improving your kitchen skills!Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Click here for full show notes!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Extra jobs, gigs, supplemental income, passive income - however you want to define - we're all talking the same thing: side hustles. While it's not necessary to have a side hustle to be frugal, they can certainly help in the "debt-pay-off-and-other-financial-goals" journey! In this episode we look at the most (and least) lucrative side hustles, discuss realistic expectations, things to consider when taking on extra work, and our own experiences with side hustles. Having more money would be great, but how do we do this with the least amount of time investment, and the highest financial return? Listen in!Sponsors: frugalfriendspodcast.com/csCookSmarts: Not an official sponsor, but we like them! It’s a meal planning service that provides recipes, instructions, weekend prep options, and a shopping list for 4 meals per week, with dietary adjustments to meet your needs. They are offering 3 free weeks of meal plans if you sign up at We all only get 24 hours in a day, but planning how to spend those hours is the difference between getting nothing done and getting something done. It’s the best way to feel accomplished - and make room for that amazing side hustle! Time management. If you didn’t learn it when you were 10, try it now!Time Management: Notable Notes:  This article from Market Watch gives the most (and least) lucrative side hustles. What the Internet has to say: We agree with selling/renting property as the most lucrative side-hustle. Jen has had great success with renting a room in her home on Airbnb, it is not a big time commitment but provides a great payoff! Selling crafts is so labor intensive, with such low financial return that you might as well get a part time job at Trader Joe’s instead Biggest key is ENJOYING your side hustle A few resources for getting your feet wet with a side hustle include: TaskRabbit allows users to advertise skills like building furniture or moving boxes Fiverr connects people with freelance work such as resume writing or translation starting at $5 per job Wag! is for dog-walkers and takes a cut of the fee pet owners pay What Jen and Jill have to say: This article from Side Hustle Nation lists a comprehensive 99 side hustle ideas. More from the Internet Nearly nothing on this list is applicable to our lives, but it does get our creative juices going!  Selling on amazon - personal story of the pitfalls, but can be a worthwhile side hustle! Teaching english - can be a legitimate way to earn money VIPkid More from Jen and Jill frugalfriendspodcast.com/billBILL OF THE WEEK - If you want to submit your bill of the week visit to leave us a billOur side hustle experience: -airbnb, amazon - selling t-shirts, self publishing, online data entryJen - custom furniture, painting, cleaning, bartending/serving private events, DJ-ing, flips of vehicles, yard sales (online and in person) Jill Thank you so much for hanging out with us today! Hit the subscribe button wherever you’re listening to this episode and we’ll come at you every Friday with more frugal goodness. Until next week!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Keeping up with repairs and maintenance of our homes can be costly! And the issues always arise at the worst possible times! Today we look at what the internet has to say about economical ways to tackle home repair projects, while also sharing our personal experience. We even discuss the ‘tools’ every home should have. No matter your level of ‘handiness’, frugality can intervene.Sponsors:  Not an official sponsor, but we like them! It’s a meal planning service that provides recipes, instructions, weekend prep options, and a shopping list for 4 meals per week, with dietary adjustments to meet your needs. They are offering 3 free weeks of meal plans if you sign up at frugalfriendspodcast.com/cs CookSmarts: Not the brand, just the tape. Need a dress to wear out on the town? Make it out of duct tape. Broken pipe? Duct tape. Broken door knob? Duct tape. The most versatile maintenance and fashion product on the market.Duct Tape: Notable Notes:  This article from life hacker lists common home repairs that most people could tackle themselves. From clogged garbage disposals to jammed windows, they provide a pep talk convincing you that you’re capable along with video links to show you how!What the Internet has to say: We like this list because these are our most common problems!  Finding video tutorials for the issue you are experiencing is the best way to cut costs on repairs. Oftentimes it is very possible to fix minor issues yourself!  What Jen and Jill have to say: This article, also from life hacker, provides a guide on building a toolbox to meet your home maintenance needs. From basic to pro, there are some great suggestions!What the Internet has to say: Our biggest take-away is organization! DIY repairs and home maintenance will seem all the more overwhelming if you can’t find your tools - and definitely not cost effective if you end up just buying new every time! Tools we like = duct tape, lighter fluid (ok, maybe that’s not a tool), hammer, POWER DRILL! Tools we laugh at = level  We agree with the list of ‘non-essentials’ but helpful items including: safety goggles, work gloves, rags, pencil, superglue, and WD-40. Pawn shops are great for finding cheap tools Cheapskate toolbox: vice grip, WD-40 and duct tape, multitool, pliers, ruler, several screwdrivers, scissors  You don’t need a shed full of tools to get the job done! What Jen and Jill have to say: BILL OF THE WEEK - If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a billThank you Leah for your bill of the week! Thanks for sharing your savvy genius!Bonus Internet Find:This article from Hub Your Home lists projects you should NOT tackle yourself. Call in the professionals for these! Know your limit and learn from the show ‘home improvements’ - it will only benefit your relationship with housemates! Electrical work Garage door repair Roof repair Tree removal Crown molding Thank you so much for hanging out with us today! Hit the subscribe button wherever you’re listening to this episode and we’ll come at you every Friday with more frugal goodness. Until next week! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are so excited to have Cait Flanders, author of "The Year of Less", on the podcast today! Cait underwent a two-year shopping ban that changed not just her finances, but her life.  Cait is here on the podcast to tell us more about her experience, and give tips to others considering a lifestyle change. Sponsors:  - not an official sponsor, but we are big fans! It’s a meal planning service that provides 4 meals per week and they have regular, gluten-free, paleo, and vegetarian versions AND they’re offering 3 free meal plans and 20% off paid meal plans through Sept 26th (with more sales in the coming months). Nobody should say no to 3 free meal plans so head to frugalfriendspodcast.com/cs. If you do make a purchase you’ll help support the podcast. CookSmarts - buy nothing, spend nothing. nothing. try it out!Nothing Notable Notes:Cait Flander's book "The Year of Less" was our first book for our Frugal Friends Book Club in the month of September. So it goes without saying that we are thrilled to be speaking with the author! Cait speaks candidly about the realities of this shopping ban experience, while still maintaining herself and dignity in the process.  Questions for Cait from Jen and Jill:  How was the second year of the shopping ban and how has life been since? Were you surprised by the peripheral issues and difficulties that the ban brought up for you? Did you anticipate so much ‘soul-searching’ and emotional/mental growth? What do you recommend for people who want to do a shopping ban? Overall what has stuck the most? (i.e. shopping being something we bond over, spending and mindfulness, needing friends in the process, overcoming rationalizations, etc.) What feedback have you received from readers? Any exciting stories that others have shared with you about the impact you’ve had? Questions from the Community  Leah: "In the book, you compare and contrast your physical addictions with your spending addictions; wondering about comparing and contrasting between working through each?" Jessi: "What was your favorite part of the shopping ban? And the thing you were most excited to purchase after?" Emily: "So many minimalism writers and creators say to give up the stuff to find what matters but no one talks about how they found what matters after they gave up the stuff. I feel like you’ve tried to fill this gap better than anyone, but what are your thoughts?" Chris: "Have you always had a love for numbers and stats or did you just do it for the book/blog." Jennifer: "Will you ever blog or podcast again?" BILL OF THE WEEK - Thanks Cait for sharing your 'bill' with us this week!If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a bill! Head over to our Facebook group Frugal Friends Community for more content and camaraderie throughout the week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We all want to enjoy quality time with our significant other, but how can we do this on a budget?! Today we’re talking about nurturing our relationships and our bank accounts. We search the internet, and discuss our own tips on getting out (or staying in!) to enjoy fun and memorable dates with your love!Sponsors: If you’re married or in a relationship or a human being you want love. Remember, you can’t buy me love but you can buy me a financial future that will ensure I stay with you until death do us part.Love: Notable Notes:  This article from StyleCaster brings us 31 FREE date ideas. What the Internet has to say:  We like tip #8, which is enjoying a beach day - this can be done inexpensively and even in land-locked areas by finding a nearby lake with a bit of nice shoreline! Tip #13 recommends visiting an open house, which we definitely think is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Jill has taken this a step further to recommend boat and RV show rooms :) We agree with tip #25 which recommends playing old school video games - even those least interested in video games can get on board with pacman!! One of our favorite ideas was #5 which is geocaching - the adult (but still child friendly) version of a treasure hunt! PLUS this is how Travis proposed to Jen!! (aww ;)) We don't recommend #15 Messy Twister - unless chocolate is involved. What Jen and Jill have to say: This article from The Krazy Coupon Lady lists 23 cheap and free date ideas. What the Internet has to say:  We like that this article listed frugal date ideas in addition to free date ideas - there should be money in the budget to go out, but we certainly do not always need to spend top dollar!  #5 cook together - we agree that this can be a great way to bond, create a new experience, and work side by side. We like idea #14 which gives ideas on getting cheap tickets to local sporting events. Because there's so much baseball (Plus minor leagues!) We love that this article recommends playing together, Tip #21 suggests playing outside - we like frisbee, badmitton, volleyball, or simply playing 'catch'!  Check out tip #4 which recommends groupon for purchasing couples massages - this is a great way for a luxury date on a budget! #16 go to a 'you-pick' farm - look into farms in your area allowing you to pick and pay for what you have harvested. This is a nice "two for one" date in that you can enjoy time at the farm, AND go home and make something with your bounty! What Jen and Jill have to say: BILL OF THE WEEK - If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a billThanks so much Jenna for sharing your frugal tips! We love to learn new ways to save on gym costs - and what a great date idea to do a yoga class with your significant other!General Rules to Live by and Other frugal date ideas: Invest in something small that will provide multiple enjoyable and memorable dates (i.e. small motorized raft for a summer-times worth of boating and picnics!) Explore yard sales and thrift stores together, with a set spending limit in mind Work on a project together, or volunteer together Combine something you have to do with your partner. Running, Don’t do something free that will cause you to spend money elsewhere (ie. taking a walk and ending up buying a $4 coffee, just bring your own.)  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we’re talking about minimalism and it’s part in frugality. You don’t have to be a minimalist to be frugal - but you might find that as you buy less and place less value in stuff you cultivate your own definition of minimalism.Sponsors:  Do you like to go out to eat but hate seeing the bill at the end of your dining? Take a friend - split your meal! Furthermore- would you like to practice portion control, and experience the frugal benefits of your clothes continuing to fit you year after year? Split your meal! It’s the original stomach shrinking, wallet preserving technique. Try it out. Meal splitting.Splitting Meals:Notable Notes: This article from The Minimalists explains what minimalism is and what it is not. What the Internet has to say: We like that minimalism can help you afford higher quality things by buying buying fewer things  There is often freedom in the form of greater emotional, mental, and relational capacity as a result of pursuing minimalism and frugality Minimalism comes in many shapes and sizes; this is not a one size fits all! We love the quote: “Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.” What Jen and Jill have to say: This article from Reader's Digest gives a list of 12 things minimalists wish we would all stop spending money on. What the Internet has to say: Single use kitchen gadgets. so true! Find tolls that serve multiple purposes! We agree with the collection of craft supplies being a little excessive and a slippery slope! Beware! We found this statistic listed in the article to be interesting, "Americans wear 20%of their clothing 80% of the time" - let's consider our own version of a 'capsule wardrobe'! What Jen and Jill have to say: frugalfriendspodcast.com/billBILL OF THE WEEK - If you want to submit your bill of the week visit to leave us a billThank you MK! Our life song!! an amazing throw back, and connection to this segment. You are a genius! - What we have to say about minimalismPersonal & Community Maria:  "I feel the shift to this (minimalist) mindset for me has been directly related to frugal and intentional living, especially over the last five years. I've realized I really don't need a whole lot to live a satisfying life." Bronwyn: "Right now my focus in (minimalism) is disconnecting from consumer culture so that I have only what I really need. I’m still trying to find a balance between not having too much and still having enough." Emily: "I started with fitness, which led to simple and clean eating, which led to simple living i.e. minimalism which led to financial simplicity i.e. cleaning up my debt and spending habits"  To hear more from us and our frugal friends community, head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/frugalfriendspodcast/See you there!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It is Jen’s one year debt free-iversary so it's only fitting that we celebrate, and talk about what life looks like after becoming debt-free! From credit card bills to student loans to car payments; debt comes in many shapes and sizes and paying it off is a lofty and noble goal, but requires hard work and laser focus. In this episode Jen talks about what it's like to lift your head up from accomplishing this singular goal, and the difficulties in finding a new rhythm while identifying and naming new (and often diverse) financial goals. Even if you are still in your debt pay-off journey, you don't want to miss this episode!Sponsors:  Podcast Crafter: whether you’re starting from scratch or need to free up your time, Podcast Crafter offers a suite of services for personal and business podcasts including branding, custom soundtracks, full episode production, & publishing. Visit http://www.podcastcrafter.com to schedule your free 1 on 1 consultation. Gazelles: We hoped to have Dave Ramsey sponsor us, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to that the Gazelles offered.  Notable Notes: What the Internet has to say  This article from Good Moneying talks about prioritizing financial goals once you have achieved debt freedom. They give an incredible, and simple, chart to assist in naming and prioritizing goals. The author recommends creating large categories of 'emergency', 'liability', 'desire', 'responsibility' and writing individual goals within each category, followed by numbering each item in order of importance. This is a great exercise for anyone wondering where to begin with setting new financial goals. This article from Financial Panther discusses a new concept coined 'barista FIRE' and explains this notion of 'financial independence, retire early' from a little bit different of a perspective. The article argues that people may be able to attain FIRE at a faster rate if they continued to hold low paying but enjoyable jobs after a large sum of money was saved. These jobs could add a buffer to the amount of money needed each year and provide a more attainable financially independent situation, although not be completely 'retired'. An idea worth considering! BILL OF THE WEEK - If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to record your voicemail right to the website!Thanks Amia! A paid bill is the best bill!Personal & Community Tell us what life looks like for you after becoming debt free (or what your debt free journey is looking like) by joining our facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/frugalfriendspodcast/search/?query=debt We look forward to hearing from you!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paying off debt, saving money, or reaching other financial goals may seem impossible when you have children - but on this episode Allison from Inspired Budget proves to us it's not! Allison talks candidly about how she and her husband paid off 6 figures of debt with babies in tow. Listen in for some useful and tangible tips to help you on your frugal and debt-free journey!Sponsors:  Podcast Crafter offers a suite of services for personal and business podcasts including branding, custom soundtracks, full episode production, & publishing. Visit podcastcrafter.com to schedule your free 1 on 1 consultation. The Financial Freedom Planner was created by Jen to fill in the gap between knowing you need to take control of your finances and achieving the self discipline you need to do it. This planner helps you put your ideas and goals on paper, or in the editable PDF! Check it out at frugalfriendspodcast.com/planner and see if it can benefit you as much as it has benefitted us! Content: We ask our frugal friend Allison from Inspired Budget all about her debt free journey while raising children. Allison talks about  How much debt they had, what it was, and how long it took to pay it off Ways she kept costs low while having kids, medical bills, and managing children's exposure to 'things' Budgeting, cash envelopes, emergency funds, and approaching debt-freedom as a journey What comes after the big debt pay-off, and ways to set goals with your spouse and kids BILL OF THE WEEK Thanks Allison for also sharing your bill of the week with us! We're so glad you found a great preschool for your son!If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to call our Google Voicemail. Or email us a voice memo to frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.comWant more from the Frugal Friends?!We are starting The Frugal Friends Book Club! And you could of the book!win a copy We’re going to read 1 frugal book every month, starting in September with "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders. Cait did a two year shopping ban that changed not just her finances but her entire life. AND we’re giving away the book for free! For every 5 reviews we get this month, we’ll give away 1 copy of the book! To enter to win the book leave us a review on your podcast listening device (not just itunes!) screenshot the review and send it to frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Before the frugal journey, comes the "why" that propels it all. It is different for each of us, but there needs to be a reason behind the unusual frugal lifestyle we choose! Today we discuss our "why's" and help you define yours.Sponsors:  Podcast Crafter - podcastcrafter.com The Financial Freedom Planner - created by Jen, the Financial Freedom Planner fills in the gap between knowing you need to take control of your finances and achieving the self discipline you need to do it. Check it out at: frugalfriendspodcast.com/planner  Notable Notes: This article from US News gives 6 reasons about why frugality is important, followed by a short list of some great frugal skills to acquire. We agree with the frugal benefits listed!Reasons we like frugality:  allows us to work our dream career (even if it's lower paying!) frugality is better for the environment - hello simplicity! helps us save aggressively for retirement changes our perspective entirely on nearly everything!Oh, and here's Jill's sister's deodorant - Native https://www.nativecos.com/product/deodorant-women/ This article gives a unique perspective on frugality and touches on another one of our "why's" for living the frugal lifestyle, which is generosity. Becoming Minimalist writes about 9 ways generous people see the world differently, and we think there are a lot of overlaps with frugality here!What we have to say about this topic:  how we approach frugality and generosity really speaks to the age-old 'ice-breaker' question of “what would you do if you had a million dollars?” frugality allows us to give of our time and resources in a way that is sustainable frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.comBILL OF THE WEEK - If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to call our Google Voicemail. Or email us a voice memo to Thank you Jocelyn for sharing your bill! We love babies, especially babies named Billy in 2018!From our community - here's what our frugal friends had to say about their "why's" behind frugality: Hilary said traveling inspires her frugality and seeing that it’s people, not stuff that brings her joy Shaana is trying to be a good steward of the blessings she has, she wants to help kids pay for college, AND she wants to be able to give more Alexandra said it’s because her family was notorious for frivolous spending when she was a child and she promised herself she wouldn’t follow in their footsteps  Katherine said it’s because her husband is a grad student and she’s a relatively new entrepreneur In case you haven't heard....we are starting The Frugal Friends Book Club! We’re going to read 1 frugal book every month and we’ll start in September with The Year of Less by Cait Flanders, Cait did a two year shopping ban that changed not just her finances but her entire life. And we’re giving away the book for free! For every 5 reviews we get this month, we’ll give away 1 copy of the book. To enter to win the book leave us a review on your podcast listening device, not just itunes, screenshot the review and send it to frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.com We’ll select the winners on August 31st.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.