Both my husband and I grew up with frugal parents, so we come into frugality naturally and it has served us well. Carefully and intentionally minimizing expenses was a huge part of how we were able to pay off six figures of student loan debt in three years.

I love helping people learn to be more frugal. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t worry! You can learn to be frugal!

Since my last Frugal Feats Flops and Funnies post, we’ve had some more frugal adventures to share!

Sometimes our normal money-saving endeavors go off without a hitch. I get excited about our savings and how they will contribute to whatever financial goal we’re currently working toward. These are our “frugal feats!”

Other times, life doesn’t go as planned and what we thought was going to be frugal isn’t. Sometimes we’re hit with something out of left field that derails our normal frugal nature. Money can be frustrating sometimes, so we like to keep it real. I call these situations our “frugal flops.”

I have found that having a relaxed, easy-going attitude helps us handle when things don’t go as planned. Laughter is the best medicine, so we try to see humor in the things that might otherwise just be frustrating. It also helps to be able to laugh at ourselves. We have done some crazy things in the name of frugality. And sometimes life just turns out funny. This is where I share “frugal funnies.”

Feats

Road Trip Food

For our recent road trip to Utah (which included two other adults who we’ve never traveled with) I handled all of the food in my normal frugal way. Planning food for road trips is kind of my jam. I love preparing snack bags for each person so they can self-snack for the whole trip (which makes life so much easier for the co-pilot). I bring most of our food along for meals so we don’t have to rely on fast food which gets really expensive for a big family.

For our breakfasts on this trip we had bagels with cream cheese, yogurt, granola, and lots of fresh fruit. For lunch we brought the makings for sandwiches, string cheese, carrots, and apples. On of our easy and cheap dinners on road trips is getting pizza at Sam’s Club ($8 for a large pizza), but we also often have sandwiches for dinner too. Here are more road trip savings tips (both for food and other aspects). Being able to save money on road trip food was definitely a success this month!

Vacation Savings

If you didn’t see my post about saving for a vacation without using our own money, check it out. Until I wrote that post, I hadn’t added up the total of all of the little (and big) contributions that points, rewards, and bonuses have made to our vacation fund over the past 11 months. It definitely adds up to something significant! Even though half of what we saved was free money, we wouldn’t have been motivated to “earn” it without the specific goal of saving for a trip. And the vacation savings from our earned income could have easily gotten lost in our budget and not made an impact anywhere.

Flops

Big Van Drama

About two months ago we got two new tires for our 15-passenger van. When I left the tire shop to drive home, the van felt weird. It felt very tippy, like it was fish-tailing. We needed the big van to go to my in-laws the next day, so I had Mike drive there to see how it felt to him. He agreed that the van was suddenly scary to drive.

We called the tire shop and took the van in again. They said there was no way that changing the tires could have caused this problem. They diagnosed it to be a front suspension issue and replaced the inner and outer tie rods, lower control arms, and idler and Pitman arms. It was a pretty penny ($2,553) to get it fixed, but we weren’t ready to give up on our big van, so we approved the work.

When we called, the next day about picking it up, the technician was out on a test drive. We figured that meant he was almost done, so we headed over to pick it up. The mechanic returned from the test drive dismayed. It turns out that expensive fix did absolutely nothing for the problem. The lead tech had looked at it and noticed the leaf spring bushings and the shackles in the back needed replacing too. He felt bad about the mis-diagnosis of one of his techs so he wouldn’t charge labor, but the parts still cost a whole lot. We drove it home and brought it back in a few days later when there was an opening. This cut the timing a little close for a trip to Utah that we had planned for the big van.

One of the parts came in the very day we were leaving and the shop worked their best to get the van done in time. We picked it up just after 5 on the evening that we were leaving on our trip. Mike drove it home and quickly decided that it wasn’t trip-worthy. Instead we drove two cars (Prius and Grand Caravan) on the trip, which actually saved money on gas, but required two people to always be driving and caused wear and tear on two vehicles.

After the trip we brought the big van back into the shop and insisted they change out the tires, since that was the only thing that changed just before the instability began. On their own and at their expense, they changed our the rear shocks and several other rear suspension parts, found it didn’t fix the problem, and finally put four new tires on. Please note that this was our initial observation and request from two months ago. Unsurprisingly, four new tires (at the shop’s expense) fixed the problem completely. The professionals denied that changing the tires could cause such a problem, so we spent $3,798  total at Big-O Tires to resolve a problem that was caused by defective tires they had installed. The shop also spent over a thousand dollars on parts and hours and hours of labor trying to right the wrong, not to mention a huge headache!

The silver lining on that dark cloud is that we now have four brand new tires and brand new front and back suspension on the big van.

Funnies

Owl Mirror

Lest you think I am a horrible person, let me start by saying the first part of this story isn’t funny. It’s sad. The funny part is at the end.

A few weeks ago, driving my sophomore to an early morning church class at dawn, an owl swooped down from a power pole and dive-bombed into the passenger side of the Prius with a huge thud (I was going 55 mph)! He took out both himself and the side mirror. My son was glad that he had his window up, otherwise the newly dead owl may have landed on his lap! (He’s a “tough guy” but will freak out if there’s a spider in his bedroom, so I’m sure a barely dead owl would have sent him through the roof with panic!)

We hadn’t had the Prius very long, and now, instead of a mirror, the passenger side had classy wires sticking out all over.

Not knowing if the mirror could be fixed (and not wanting to litter), I pulled over and (carefully) backed up to the scene of the crash. It was immediately clear that the mirror couldn’t be salvaged, but I took my souvenir anyway. I caught one final glance of the majestic creature and felt sorry for the circumstance of our meeting.

My handy husband Mike found us a replacement side mirror assembly on Amazon. Getting one that was white like the original would have cost three times as much as the basic black, so we stuck with black. Now, with one white mirror and on black mirror, our white Prius is easily identify from all of the others driving around town.

For some people, having mismatched mirrors might be a big deal, but “car cosmetics” isn’t one of our financial priorities so we didn’t event think twice about it. For me that’s exactly what frugality comes down to: cutting out (or simply reducing) spending on the things that don’t matter to you so that you can focus your funds on things that do!

It’s your turn!

Hey frugal friends! I know you’re out there living the frugal life too! Tell us about any frugal feats, flops, and funnies that you’ve had recently so we can celebrate, commiserate, or laugh together!,

The post Frugal Feats, Flops, and Funnies- Owl Edition appeared first on Six Figures Under.

I didn’t have a lot to say about money while we were living in Paris last year. I like to track money mostly to plan and predict, which wasn’t relevant for a temporary situation. We decided up front finances would be considered, but not driving. I think I’ll mostly stick to that and not talk much about the finances while abroad, except where I compare and contrast with normal life.

I loved the billingual school that LO went to. She thrived socially and emotionally. I didn’t get a great sense for what she was learning academically, but she learned enough. I got even less of a direct sense of her French skills, since she of course only spoke English to us. But she definitely learned and understood quite a bit by the end. She did rely on her more fluent friends to help her out, which surely slowed learning over an immersion environment. Still, that made her life easier and made the transition easy. The class she was in was the local equivalent of kindergarten due to different school age cutoffs, but it was much less academic than the kindergarten she’s enrolled in this Fall.

Working remotely was fine, until it wasn’t. From September through about March, I was able to do most of my job by working on indepenedent tasks while LO was at school, then running/attending meetings during my evening during US business hours. In the spring, the project moved to a phase where being remote was harder. We worked around it, but it was harder. A couple colleagues had to cover travel that I otherwise would have covered. I did travel back for ~2 weeks to support some hands-on testing, and was willing to cover another 2 weeks until schedule changes made it collide with family visitors. I also got burnt out from having meetings nearly every weekday evening, sometimes for 3+ hours. It was a trade off obviously worth making for the chance – but it would be difficult to sustain indefinitely.

I didn’t quite meet my B1 French language goal before we got home, but I’ve continued learning and am early B1 level now, at least for reading and listening. I have stage fright with speaking. I probably can construct A1/A2 sentences slowly and with bad pronunciation. This is self-taught, aside from a 2-week “conversation practice class” I took in early January. The class was good, too time-consuming to balance with my job. My self-teaching combined Pimsleur and Anki grammar flashcards, Duolingo and consuming French media. It’s a scattershot approach, and a tutor or more conversation classes will be a good next step if I’m ready to invest more time & money.

Overall, I have to say we simply loved our time in Paris, to the point where we are non-seriously daydreaming about a permanent move. We are slightly more seriously exploring buying an apartment there in a few years, very seriously wishing to spend a month each summer there, and almost going to go visit again this coming summer

Life here felt like it picked up where it left off, in some ways as if we’d never left. LO is adjusting pretty well to school. T & I have been frantically juggling trying to piece together aftercare since there are not enough available slots at the on-site aftercare. We’re begging to get off the waitlist, while piecing together other options for the time being. The way public school schedules are structured in the US seems like a failure of society. No wonder the surgeon general has noted that parental stress is a significant public health issue! I did not appreciate the NYT framing it as intensive parenting, as if it is lifestyle choice I’m making. We are litterally just trying to have two full time jobs with a one kid in public school. How do poeple with harder lives manage?

I started organizing our finances again, tracking spending and making projects. Everything looks fine, but we are trying to work out what are near and long term goals are with our savings.

The holidays are coming, and with rising costs everywhere, the pressure to spend feels heavier than ever.

You might be bracing yourself for a joyless, budget-stretched season or even thinking debt is the only way to make it special.

But what if you could have a festive, joyful Christmas without the financial hangover?

Don’t let money worries steal your holiday spirit!

In this guide, you’ll find clever, no-stress Christmas shopping hacks to save money while still making the season magical.

Ready to have a merry Christmas and keep your wallet happy?

Keep reading – these tips will change how you shop this season.

13 Christmas Shopping Hacks to Save You Money

#1. Take Advantage of Cash Back Stacking

Want to maximize your savings this holiday season? Get into cash-back stacking!

This is my #1 trick to save money throughout the year (and definitely during the holidays).

Start by shopping online through a cash-back portal like Rakuten.

You’ll earn money back on every purchase, like finding free money in your couch cushions!

But wait, it gets better: pay with a cash-back credit card for even more savings!

It’s like layering your discounts for a delicious savings sundae.

And don’t forget to install a browser extension like Honey, which automatically applies coupon codes at checkout to save you even more.

This is the cherry on top of your savings sundae.

Here is a breakdown of my recent savings when I was buying some vitamins I needed. (Yes, I use this trick all year long to save thousands of dollars.)

Stacking Item	Savings Percent	Savings Amount
Rakuten	10%	$8.80
Honey	20%	$22
Cashback Credit Card	2%	$1.76
TOTAL		$32.56

Before any of the discounts, my order total was $110. Honey found a coupon code for 20% off, saving my $22 on the spot.

With my new total being $88, I earned $8.80 cash back from Rakuten and $1.76 with my credit card, for a total savings of $32.56.

Yes, it really is this easy.

#2. Leverage Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes are the ultimate holiday gift hack when you’re trying to save money.

Here’s how you can win big: sign up for a free trial or discounted first month, and instead of gifting the whole box to one person, split up the goodies among several people.

A box of snacks? Boom, you’ve got stocking stuffers for the family.

Skincare products? Break it down into mini gift sets for your friends.

It’s like buying one gift and turning it into five! And the best part?

You can cancel the subscription after the first month to avoid any extra charges.

So, you’re scoring multiple presents for the price of one. Now that’s some Christmas magic.

Here’s a bonus trick: sign up for a free Swagbucks account and take advantage of the free trial offers they promote.

You’ll earn points just for trying them out, which you can then redeem for free gift cards or cash.

And as a welcome bonus, Swagbucks will give you $10 just for creating your account!

#3. Check Out Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a goldmine for scoring holiday gifts without paying full price.

You can find everything from gently used toys to practically brand-new gadgets.

And because it’s local, there are no shipping fees or long wait times, just a quick drive to pick it up.

• Read now: Here is what to do if you can’t afford Christmas gifts

If you are feeling more adventurous, you can check out Craigslist, Freecycle, and other second-hand shopping sites to score more deals.

#4. Take Advantage of Gift Card Sales

Gift card sales are a sneaky way to give and get at the same time.

Here’s how it works: around the holidays, stores you already shop at often run promos where if you buy a certain amount in gift cards, you get a bonus card for free.

So grab a $50 gift card to give to someone, and boom, you’ve got a $10 card for yourself!

Or if you need a stocking stuffer, keep the $50 gift card for yourself and gift the $10 one.

It’s like rewarding yourself for being a thoughtful gift-giver.

You’ll knock out a present and pocket a little something for those post-holiday self-care splurges.

Alternatively, you can find ways to get discounted gift cards all year long to stock up so you have them ready when the holidays roll around.

#5. Pay Attention

Want to make holiday shopping easier and cheaper?

Pay attention! People drop hints about what they want all year, whether it’s your friend raving about a new gadget or your sister eyeing that cozy sweater.

If you listen, you can snag gifts they actually want instead of guessing and stressing.

And we all know when we don’t know what to get someone go window shopping a lot more and usually end up buying a lot of stuff we don’t really need.

The other benefit of paying attention is you might get clues about gifts months before the holidays.

This allows you to shop ahead and catch sales instead of scrambling at the last minute when prices might be sky-high.

#6. Give Delayed Gifts

Who says holiday gifts have to happen in December?

Consider giving a “delayed” gift – something fun to do in the spring or summer, like concert tickets, a weekend getaway, or even a dinner out.

Not only does this give you time to save up (because, let’s be honest, your bank account will probably look better in a few months), but it also spreads the holiday joy into the warmer months.

Plus, when everyone else is done enjoying their gifts, your recipient will still have something to look forward to!

#7. Do Group Gifts

Want to score an amazing gift without breaking the bank?

Consider organizing a group gift!

Get a few friends or family members to chip in for one fantastic present that’ll really wow the recipient – think a top-notch gadget, a spa day, or a weekend getaway.

It’s like crowdfunding your holiday cheer, and the best part is that you’ll all look like gift-giving rock stars without maxing out your credit cards.

Plus, you can use the “strength in numbers” approach to snag something way better than what you could afford on your own.

#8. Skip Physical Gifts

This holiday season, why not skip the physical gifts for parents or grandparents who already have everything?

Instead, offer the priceless gift of your time!

Plan a family dinner, a game night, or even a cozy movie marathon.

These experiences create memories that last far longer than any sweater or gadget.

Plus, let’s be honest – most parents and grandparents would probably prefer a home-cooked meal over another set of bath towels they didn’t ask for.

It’s a win-win: you save money, and they get quality time with their loved ones.

#9. Bring Up Politics at Thanksgiving Dinner

Are you thinking about how to save money on gifts this year?

Here’s a cheeky strategy: bring up politics at Thanksgiving dinner!

Nothing spices up turkey day like a heated debate about current events.

Sure, it might offend a few family members, but on the bright side, you’ll suddenly find yourself off the hook for gift-giving.

“Oh, Aunt Karen isn’t talking to me anymore? Guess I won’t be getting her that scented candle!”

#10. Reduce Your Circle

Are you tired of feeling obligated to buy gifts for every distant cousin or that one friend you haven’t seen since last year’s holiday party?

It’s time to reduce your gift-giving circle!

Take a good look at your list and start trimming the fat.

If you rarely see them and they never send you a gift in return, why are you stressing over what to get them?

This year, set a rule: if you wouldn’t invite them to your holiday dinner, they don’t make the gift list.

Instead, focus on those who truly matter and bring joy into your life.

This way, you can focus your energy and budget on meaningful gifts for the people who really matter.

#11. Spread The Cost Out Throughout The Year

Want to dodge the post-holiday credit card hangover?

Starting in January, spread the cost of gifts throughout the year!

Instead of scrambling for cash in December, save a little money each month for your holiday budget.

Treat it like a secret Santa to yourself by setting aside just $25 a month, and by the time the holidays roll around, you’ll have a cool $300 ready to splurge.

That’s enough for some seriously awesome gifts or even a little holiday cheer for yourself.

Plus, when the shopping season arrives, you’ll be sipping hot cocoa, not sweating over your bank account.

#12. Pick Up Free Gift Cards

Love the idea of saving for the holidays throughout the year but money it too tight?

Sure, you might be able to put away $10 a month, but you need more than $120 for gifts.

What should you do?

Why not turn your downtime into dollar signs by picking up free gift cards throughout the year?

You can play online games, take surveys, or use apps that pay you in gift cards for doing simple tasks – like answering questions or binge-watching videos (yes, please!).

It’s like getting rewarded for your procrastination!

Set aside a few minutes each day to rack up those points while scrolling through your phone or lounging on the couch.

Before you know it, you’ll have enough gift cards to cover your holiday shopping without spending a dime out of pocket.

#13. Give Scratch Off Lottery Tickets

Are you looking for a fun and affordable gift idea?

Consider giving scratch-off lottery tickets!

At just a couple of bucks each, they’re a cheap way to spread holiday cheer – and who knows, your friend or family member might just uncover a life-changing jackpot!

It’s like giving them a mini thrill ride; they’ll scratch, squeal, and maybe even scream with excitement (or despair).

Plus, you get the joy of watching their reactions as they reveal the numbers—it’s entertainment and a gift in one!

• Read now: Discover the best ways to make money for the holidays
• Read now: Learn how to turn unwanted gift cards into fast cash

The post 13 Christmas Shopping Hacks to Slash Holiday Gift Costs in Half appeared first on Money Smart Guides.

If your grocery bill is out of control, there are 6 quick fixes to get it under control.

It seems like an endless loop of loss when it comes to 3 meals a day multiplied by how many people live in a home.

And with more month than paycheck, it can feel like there is no way to control a grocery bill.

However, even deploying 1 quick fix is a way to see a difference in a grocery bill.

There is little to lose and a lot of savings to gain.

The post 6 Quick Tips to Lower Your Grocery Bill appeared first on Budget Life List.

Are you searching for life insurance coverage that combines the flexibility of universal life insurance with the potential for higher growth in a cash-value account? Indexed Universal Life Insurance (IUL) might be your perfect solution. This innovative type of policy allows you to link the cash value to the performance of a stock or bond index without directly investing in the market.

Indexed universal life insurance is a comprehensive and intricate form of permanent coverage offering more ups and downs than other life insurance options. It is ideal for savvy investors who value flexibility in their policy. However, a whole life insurance policy may be more suitable if you seek straightforward permanent coverage with guarantees.

With indexed universal life insurance, your cash value is placed in sub-accounts that mimic the performance of a stock index, such as the S&P 500, or you can opt for fixed account options that earn interest at a predetermined rate. Like other universal life policies, IUL allows policyholders to adjust their premiums and life insurance death benefits.

Like universal life insurance, indexed universal life involves paying premiums in exchange for lifelong coverage and the opportunity to accumulate cash value over time. A portion of your premium covers insurance costs and fees; the remainder is added to your cash value. You can select a fixed interest rate or link your cash value to the performance of stock and bond indexes.

One key feature of indexed universal life insurance is the ability to choose between fixed accounts and indexed accounts. Fixed accounts grow at a set rate determined by the insurer, while indexed accounts are linked to the performance of specific indexes. Caps and participation rates are implemented to manage fluctuations in interest payments and limit potential losses during market downturns. Considering an IUL as part of your retirement strategy would be best. Click here for more information on retirement.

Despite the advantages of indexed universal life insurance, there are also drawbacks. The returns on your investment are subject to market fluctuations, and a level of effort is required to monitor the policy and prevent lapses. Additionally, caps and participation rates can restrict your earning potential, and fees associated with IUL coverage may impact the value of your cash account over time.

When discussing indexed universal life insurance with an agent, you will be presented with policy illustrations that project the growth of your cash value based on various factors. It’s essential to remember that these illustrations are estimates and not guarantees of future performance, as market conditions and policy adjustments can impact the actual results.

In conclusion, indexed universal life insurance offers a unique blend of indexed investment opportunities and life insurance coverage. While it provides flexibility and growth potential, it also comes with risks and complexities that require careful consideration. If you value control over your policy and are willing to navigate market fluctuations, IUL could be suitable for your financial needs. For additional information on IULs, you can also visit IULs Explained.

For more information and to schedule a call with me, please visit https://www.iul.kgmeyerpc.com.

The post Indexed Universal Life Explained first appeared on Kirk G. Meyer.

I’ve been doing something really really stupid for the past 5 years.

Not only have I been paying for a subscription that I never ended up using (!!), but over these years it’s also increased by 300%+ and I didn’t even notice it!!

What a dummy!

This service I’ve been throwing my money at for the past 1/2 decade is Avast Premium Security – the antivirus software – which I’d never used my entire life, but have a vague memory of one day caving to a promo thinking it was a smart move.

Followed by another vague memory of remembering I needed to *activate it*, but then promptly forgetting about it and never actually DOING IT (yet continuing to pay for it as if I had, and letting one year roll into the next year and then into the next, and on and on for a total of 5 dumb years – ugh!!)

So that was mistake #1: not even activating the service.

Mistake #2 was then blindly paying the invoices year after year assuming that a) Past Me already did the research and verified it was worth it (nope), and then also that b) the software must be working because I never did get any viruses! Lol… So why cancel a good thing?

Then we have mistake #3: not realizing that each year the rates WENT UP. and I didn’t even notice it. Or check it out. Until I did one day, and, well, realized it was now 300% higher than when I first  signed up for it! Wow….

Here’s what I found when I finally sorted through my email receipts. Which is super embarrassing to even type out (!!):

• 2019 – $29.99 (the promo deal for 1 PC… though 6 months later they “upgrade” my account to cover 10 devices while also providing “better coverage” – something I couldn’t opt out of, even if I were onto their scheme. This “special” was valued at $69.00, giving the grand illusion I had saved $40 since I only paid that initial $29.99! Which is how they slowly got their claws in )
• 2020 – $79.99 (the “upgraded” promo now being over, it goes back to the $69.99 price tag + an extra $10 for good measure – effectively DOUBLING the initial price point!)
• 2021 – $89.99 (creeps up another $10 bucks…)
• 2022 – $95.39 (and then a bit more – “due to taxes”)
• 2023 – $105.99 (and then even more… But it’s okay, because this year comes with a “free gift” – 3 months of Avast SecureLine VPN which probably made me feel good enough at the time to question any of it, even though of course it’s something I also didn’t activate.)
• 2024 – $105.99 (No extra fees this year, but I still let it renew without question… Until  a few days later when I thought to check on it!  And realize not only wasn’t I using it, but I never even needed it – as evidence again of not getting any viruses this whole time lol… So I cancel it immediately and shake my head at how long I let this happen right under my nose…)

And I gotta say – I don’t blame Avast at all here. Outside maybe their tricky “upgrade” scheme there in year 1. It was my job and my job only to know what, and why, I was purchasing, and then from there consciously paying attention to the fee creep each year. All things I blindly ignored.

And to their credit – they gave me a refund as soon as I asked for it, and I noticed they even shot me “1 month out” reminders that the service was about to renew each year too. So I basically had DOUBLE the opportunity to pay attention every year!!

But as we all know we can get so used to subscriptions that we don’t even challenge them assuming Past Us did the work already, but even if it *was* the right move and beneficial for us back then, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for us NOW. Life changes, needs change, and PRICES CHANGE!

So do yourself a favor and look over your c/c statements as soon as you’re done reading this to make sure you still want and need whatever subscriptions you’re currently signed up for too.

I bet you’d be surprised at some of the costs compared to when you initially signed up! And if you’re not happy with any of them, cut ’em! Or try to negotiate! Whatever you do – don’t keep your head in the sand like a jack ass (me) and assume that what you needed back then is what you need right now.

And if you really want to feel better about yourself, check out my entire Resume of Fails here –> jmoney.biz/fails. I’m sure it’ll only get longer with time 😉

You’re (not so) perfect friend,

[This post, My $507.34 Ridiculous Mistake!, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

If you want to change something about yourself, focus on two things: pain vs. perceived pain. What I mean is the pain of your current situation versus the perceived pain of changing your situation. If the perceived pain of making a change is lower than the pain you are currently experiencing, then you will make the change. Otherwise, you won’t. This simple comparison will ultimately determine whether you can alter some part of your life.

For example, if you want to save more money, but saving money feels awful, you probably won’t make much progress. When the perceived pain of doing something is too high, willpower alone is rarely enough for lasting success. This gives you two options:

1. You can either decrease the perceived pain of saving money, or
2. You can increase your current pain when you don’t save money.

In other words, you can make saving money fun/easy or you can hate yourself for not saving money. All financial content creators use one of these two methods when trying to get people to change their behavior.

For example, when Grant Cardone says that earning only $400,000 per year would embarrass him, he’s trying to increase your current pain. If you make less than $400,000 a year, he wants you to think less of yourself so that you go looking for a solution (ideally from him). Ironically, the solution Grant provides is a high priced course/seminar that makes him richer.

Creators in their 20s use the same strategy when they rent a lambo or take pictures on a private jet to convince you that they’ve made it. They want to increase your current pain by making you think less of yourself in comparison to them. That’s how they try to get you to sign up for their day trading course or whatever else they might be promoting.

That’s one way of creating content. Make your audience feel inadequate. Increase their current pain so that they buy what you are selling. Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman have both followed this style throughout their careers. Their brutal honesty with their audience is what made them famous.

But, you don’t have to take this path. Instead of increasing your audience’s current pain you can lower their perceived pain. The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach is one example of this. Bach’s idea to automate your finances through automated transfers is one way to lower your perceived pain when it comes to saving money. Since you don’t notice the money automatically coming out of your paycheck, this method makes it much easier to accumulate wealth.

I tend to use this method when I create financial content as well. My first book, Just Keep Buying, was all about lowering your perceived pain when it comes to saving and investing. To build wealth all you had to do was “Just Keep Buying.” While my book was about more than just those three words, the end goal was to make it easy for the typical person to accumulate wealth.

Outside of the financial space, I see the same pain vs. perceived pain continuum. All content creators fall somewhere on this spectrum. They use their insights and experiences in their given domain to either increase your current pain or decrease your perceived pain of changing. Once you recognize this, you’ll quickly realize who is following which strategy.

For example, when David Goggins goes on a rant and says “Stay Hard” at the end, he’s trying to get you to raise your current pain. He wants you to think that you are always making excuses so that you feel bad enough to change your behavior.

On the flip side, there are workout routines like 8-Minute Abs, which took the U.S. by storm in the 1990s. This hugely popular fitness fad lowered the perceived pain of getting abs. After all, who could say no to a workout that only takes 8 minutes?

In the world of cooking, you have Gordon Ramsay, who makes chefs feel inadequate, and Jamie Oliver, who has a cookbook where every recipe is just five ingredients. Pain and perceived pain. I could go on.

The best part about this idea is that you can use it to make lasting changes in your life. If you want to lose weight through diet and exercise, you either have to make it easy or you have to hate being overweight so much that you don’t give yourself another option. Of course, “self-hate as motivation” isn’t a strategy I would recommend due to the other negative outcomes it could cause. In other words, be careful when increasing your current pain.

If you’ve failed to make a change in your life recently, it’s likely because your current pain was too low or your perceived pain of changing was too high. So, you either need to change one or both of them to make progress.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. The difficulty of pursuing the “pain vs. perceived pain” strategy is getting an accurate gauge of your current and perceived pain. After all, it’s easy to seduce yourself into thinking that you don’t need to change (i.e. current pain = low) or that the path to change is much harder than it looks (i.e. perceived pain = high). But until you reason through this, you won’t know for sure.

For example, if I wanted to become a billionaire, I can already tell you that the perceived pain of doing so is extremely high. To accomplish this task, I would need to start an ultra-successful business and eventually sell it. This would require me to stop blogging, leave my job, and give up all my free time for the foreseeable future. And, even then, there’s no guarantee that I’d become a billionaire.

As you can see, the perceived pain for me to become a billionaire is massive. That’s why I wouldn’t even waste my time trying such a thing. My current pain of not being a billionaire is too low and the perceived pain to get there is too high.

While this example is extreme, it highlights how the pain vs. perceived pain framework can be used to evaluate a specific goal and make better decisions. After all, what’s the point of all this if not to make better decisions and live a more fulfilling life?

Until next week, thank you for reading.

If you liked this post, consider signing up for my newsletter.

This is post 422. Any code I have related to this post can be found here with the same numbering: https://github.com/nmaggiulli/of-dollars-and-data

---

FinCon24 is in the books, and I’ve decided to go back to a tradition that fell by the wayside: giving away conference tchotchkes. Because who doesn’t need more reusable shopping bags or a new T-shirt for when it’s time to paint the kitchen?

This giveaway is a little different, though, because it will also contain a gift card.

For the uninitiated, FinCon is a professional conference for those who write, podcast, advise or are otherwise affiliated with personal finance. There’s always an expo hall for sponsors and vendors to show attendees what they do.

Two things get our attention – and it isn’t signage or name recognition. No, it’s candy and swag.

The swag is what I’m giving away, because I’m still nibbling on the fun-size candy bars and soft peppermints. But it’s useful swag. Most of it has some kind of corporate branding, but heck, as a nation we’ve been conditioned to pay for the privilege of advertising someone else’s business. (Lookin’ at you, Nike swoosh.)

Here’s what the winner will get: 

Lined journal and attached pen bearing the logo of Bluehost, a web hosting company. If you have a relative or friend who is green-minded, this might be a good gift because the first page says, “My story begins as plastic waste from the ocean, but I came back to take your notes. The best part of me is made from marine (wastes), recycled paper and soy ink.” (The reason I put “wastes” in parentheses is that the manufacturer needed a proofreader. It says “marine wasted.” Hee hee.)

Two T-shirts. One of them is from Debt.com (see below) and the other is from WorthyBonds.com. My theory is that free T-shirts are God’s way of saying, “You can put off the laundry for at least one more day.”

Travel pillow. One of those half-ring pillows that you inflate to keep your neck stable during a long trip, it’s courtesy of a tech marketing company called Brainsome.

A 24-count box of Crayolas. This has nothing to do with FinCon24; it’s a gift from my daughter, who bought a dozen or more boxes at the back-to-school sale. She’s sending them home with me to give to a woman I know who does Christmas boxes for kids.

Microfiber screen cloth. De-smudge your phone or tablet with this fabric square bearing the logo of Mediavine, an ad management company.

 

Two golf balls. The XYPN logo stands for “XY Planning Network,” a company that helps match fee-only financial advisors – specifically, fiduciaries with CFP certification.

“Create Every Day” cap. That’s what it says on the front; on the back, there’s a discreet “Kit” logo. Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is an email marketing platform.

Sugar-free peppermints. Two cute li’l tins of these, from Plynk (an investing app for beginners) and The Shred Method (an early mortgage payoff system).

Stress egg. WorthyBonds.com gave out small, squishable foam ovals embossed with the slogan, “Build a nest egg with Worthy.” The company offers no-fee bonds that earn a guaranteed 7% and cost just $10 each. (You can buy more than one!)

Wooden cube blossom kit. This one’s also from Bluehost and it, too, is awfully cute. The box coconut coir pellets, a pot and some seeds.

Clip-on ring light. This teeny-tiny tool is used by content (ugh) creators who make reels or short videos with their phones. I expect it could also be used as a travel help if you want to look through your suitcase without turning on the overhead light and waking up other people in the room.

Water bottle. Plynk donated this one, too. It’s pale-blue aluminum and holds just under 21 oz. of liquid.

A few other FinCon24 items

I was getting as tired of listing those items as you might have become tired of reading them. Suffice it to say there will be a few other conference items in the box.

You might be thinking, “What about the gift card she mentioned?” After spinning a little prize wheel in the expo hall, I earned a $10 Target card. It will go into someone’s Christmas stocking, but I thought it might be nice to offer a GC as a lagniappe to this giveaway.

Therefore: I will add a $10 e-card of the winner’s choice to sweeten the pot.

Want to enter to win? Use one or more of the following entry options:

• Leave a general comment below (one per customer)
• Follow me via Feedly
• E-follow me by using the “get new posts by email” box at the top right of this page (towards the bottom of the page if you’re on mobile), or using the little green envelope icon at the end of this article)
• Sign up to follow me on Twitter
• Sign up to follow me on Facebook

For each entry you’ll need to leave a separate for each entry (e.g., “Follow you on Twitter” or “Subscribed by e-mail”).

The deadline to enter is 6 p.m. PDT Saturday, Nov. 2. I will contact the winner by e-mail that day or the next, so be sure to check yours. If I don’t hear back by 6 p.m. PDT Sunday, Nov. 3, I’ll have the random number generator choose a new name.

Due to the high cost of international shipping, this giveaway is limited to U.S. residents.

The post Giveaway: FinCon24 swag + gift card. first appeared on Surviving and Thriving.

The post Giveaway: FinCon24 swag + gift card. appeared first on Surviving and Thriving.

Tips to Help You Survive on Centrelink Surviving on Centrelink can seem impossible but there are things that can help. It won’t be easy and it won’t be the sort of lifestyle you want (for most people) as the payments are low but for some, there is no choice. I’ve written numerous articles and include …

The post How to Survive on Centrelink appeared first on The Thrifty Issue.