June 20, 2025 • 42 mins
Healing your inner child is one thing but giving in to every trending collectible might be saying more than you think, because the truth is, it is affecting your spending! This episode is not to deprive you of the fun, but to help you understand how these trendy (and sometimes irresistible) collectibles have hidden consequences and smart ways of luring you in.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Collectibles are peak consumerism, talking le Boo Boo, Sonny Angel, Stanley,
and more.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast, where you'll learn to
save money, embrace simplicity and life. Here your hosts Jen
and Jill.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
M Welcome to Frugal Friends.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I'm Jen, I'm Jill, and today we are talking about
collectibles because I don't know what side of social media
you are on, but if you're on the side that
I am, it is now completely taken over by le Booboo.
And I didn't know about it until I watched some
(00:50):
commentary channels on YouTube, and then after I did, then
that's when I got all of all of those videos.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Don't know about La Booboo. You told me not to
look it up. You needed my actual genuine reaction. So
that's what's happening in this episode.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah, so it got us thinking about why, or me
at least, why we have this propensity to collectibles to accumulate,
because it does feel like peak consumerism. Is it all unhealthy?
Can there be a healthy level of it? And if
you're looking at the little Booboo people and you're gawking
(01:31):
and saying that could never happen to me, thinking about
how it could and already does happen to you. But first,
this episode is sponsored by our Challenge membership. So if
you're trying to pay off debt or have a specific
short term financial goal and you're having trouble staying engaged
(01:53):
with it, we have a Challenge membership where we release
a new challenge every month, and these challenges help you
stay engaged with whatever financial goal you are trying to achieve.
So if you are interested in that, to see what
challenge we have coming up next month. You also get
access to four challenges and our no Spend Challenge from
(02:17):
precede like the preceding months too, so if the next
one you're not interested in, you always have access to
others head Difficult Friends podcast dot com, slash Challenge, and
you can drop down into the description to see if
we have any coupon codes.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
They help us so much with our spending and deinfluencing
ourselves from things like what we're talking about today. Currently
it's le Boo Boo and Sony Angels. Last year it
was Stanley and Squish Mollege.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Funny Angels. You haven't even pronounced it correctly.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
I don't even know what they are and that's why
it's written Sony angels.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
So it is written Yeah, Sony only has one n
where he asked, that's how.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Uninvolved with these collectibles I am. But I did hear
about Stanley's and Squish Mellows and I absolutely was a
part of the beanie baby craze.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yes, so let's find out a little bit about these
things booboo.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Boxing, and look what we found. We got some special ones.
I think they're just harder to buying, Babe.
Speaker 6 (03:29):
I'm convinced everyone who's calling the booos ugly is just
mad they can't get one.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Okay, So for those of you who are not on
La Boo boo TikTok La boo boos are key chains
with stuffed animals on them that look kind of like monsters,
like the Where the Wild Things Are booked?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Do you remember that book?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
That is what people are referred like, kind of comparing
them to and they are kind of cute.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
They're kind of what were the what were the ones
that we did back in elementary school?
Speaker 5 (04:01):
I want to say, like fur.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Baby Ferbie Ferbie furbies. Yes.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Yeah, I'm so impressed by how outside of consumerism you
have been your whole life and continue to be.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
They look like ferbies to me, and I did not
like ferbies when they were a thing, like neither. They're
ugly and I had so cute. I never did because
I'm like, they're ugly.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
No, So my dad would put a Ferbie when I
was sleeping in the morning he wanted to wake me up.
He would put it by my ear and when I
was letting sleeping through my alarm and just wake up
the Ferbie. So it would have its little creepy like woo.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Like and that would get me.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Yeah, that would get you up.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
That would That'd be it.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But so the the scarcity in these is pretty much
we'll talk about what's making them popular, but it's a
lot of uh scarcity, and there's secret ones. And this
is how the same thing with sunny Angels. I don't
think they're as spirit.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
You mean sony angels.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, so they are these plastic little dolls that are
naked and have different hats on them. I think that
is as far as I got on there. But it's
not just those. So those are the most popular ones
right now, but there's all kinds of little collectibles and
so we're wondering are collectibles inherently bad as people who
(05:35):
want to be frugal.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
And we don't think that it's bad. But there's some caveats.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
I think, yeah, because that's what we've come to.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, it is something that can connect people. It is
something that can be aligned with our values. Depending on
kind of what that collectible item is, it might have
a lot of meaning behind it. And so we are
not saying all stuff is bad, just like we don't
think spending inherently is bad or debt is entirely bad.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
So this kind of falls into that.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
However, when we are just so caught up in the
consumption of it and it's not actually something we even want,
we're just being told it and eventually we succumb. That's
where we really want to keep a pulse on it
and be able to identify how are there other ways
for maybe me to find belonging rather than needing to
(06:31):
spend in order to get it. But but I mean,
we want to say we both collect truly, I don't,
and I'm so sorry, but but I do collect seashells
at the beach. I love to scroll stroll, not scroll stroll,
collect the seashells that I think are like really adorable,
then I take a picture of it.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
You collect plants.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
And then I throw them. But I haven't bought a
new plant. I don't buy plants. I haven't not a
whired a new plant in over a year. Like I
don't know if I could say I collect.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Okay, So this is one of the things we'll talk
about in like our healthy like collecting. So we're not
going to bash on collecting in this video. If you
love someone who collects and your planning to show them
this video to say how bad it is, that's I'm
so sorry. But hopefully if you are collector and you
feel guilty about it, or you have somebody in your
(07:25):
life who you're trying to understand why they collect, then
this will be a really good video for you the
person who is watching it. Even my husband Travis, who
is the most frugal slash cheap person I know, he
used to collect Spider Man comics. He has a whole
box of them, and you know we still have them
(07:47):
in our atticts. So like, even frugal people collect things.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
I guess especially frugal people can collect things. So do
you get it inexpensive or free? Then it's like, well,
who cares and we're not actually thinking about the space
that's taking up.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, so we're going to talk about why collectible trends
like this can get all of our money.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
But first this.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
These particular collectible trends are a little unique, and I
want to like preface that because it might make a
difference for what we're talking about in the rest of
the episode. Is that these particular ones have an added
level of scarcity because of the blind bag slash blind
box component.
Speaker 6 (08:32):
I bought some sunny Angels from Japan, so let's open them.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I got three of these preschool animal boxes.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
These look so cute.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Hey, guys, um box some sunny Angels with me.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
I'll also be happy with hope, stridity or the secret
all is a secret one.
Speaker 6 (08:50):
I don't care about anys.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
It's okay.
Speaker 7 (08:56):
I'm having fun when I get what I want, I
have fun.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
Bay wake up. New signing Angel series just draft in.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
They're wearing little raincoats and boots.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So when you buy a La Boo Boo, a sunny Angel,
A know me all these they have so many different right.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Now you've never heard before just a sony angel.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Then you don't know what you're buying so you know
what category you're buying it in, like there are seven
different usually options in each like run and so you
know what the possibilities are except for one secret.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
You don't know what you're.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Gonna get, and you don't from social media you'll know
what the secret is. But everyone wants the secret one,
and it can become this thing where people are buying extras.
They're getting the same like of same green one three times,
but they're trying to get the whole set and they're
trying they're trying to get the secret. And so I
(09:56):
think that's an added component to some of the craze
in this collection, which.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Is very fun. I mean, you want to talk about
a dopamine ratsh. Not only have you spent money something
comes to your door, but then there's an extra surprise
during your unboxing that's looking for a hit of dopamine.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
If I ever have.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Seen one, I remember those little toys where they came
they were like little dogs or bunnies, and they came
with babies inside, but you didn't know how many babies
it was going to have, like how many were in
the litter, and that was very fun. Or what the
genders were going to be like, you could have between
three to six babies popping out of this dog's belly
(10:38):
and they were going to be you know, different never genders.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Yeah, so that was fun.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
But this is what's standing out to me is that
these are toys. I have heard of these types of
trends and marketing tactics for kids and understandably, so I
think we're gonna have a lot of people watching this saying, yeah,
I'm not totally on that trend, but I see my
kids on that. And you know, we're going to talk
in another episode about de influencing kids with toys.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
But the thing with this is that kids are not buying.
These adults are buying. And I've even seen that argument
in other videos that this is a toy, this is
for kids. They're actually key chains. And the way that
lab boo boos in particular got popular were from celebrities.
So like Lisa from Black Pink, which is a really
(11:25):
popular K pop group, she went into a Vanity Fair
interview all about her obsession with these La boo boo
and their key chains. So people are buying designer handbags
to match their laboo boos. So this is very much
and then they're buying tiny designer bags for their La
(11:48):
Boo boos. So this is this is definitely an adult thing,
and I think adults and children are both like prone
to collecting. But I think that this we're gonna talk
specifically about, why do we, in the Year of Our
Lord twenty twenty.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Five do this?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Do this, keep doing this even though we've seen it
with squish males, We've seen it with beanie babies, We've
seen it with Stanley's.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Right, yeah, and clothing handbags. You know, we're talking about
La Boo boos. But there's all different ways that this
can show up. And so there are three main reasons
that we will end up purchasing the La Booboo, the Stanley,
the Sonny Angels. And it has to do with first frequency. Yeah,
(12:38):
hot take. No one actually wants a Stanley or a
Lubuo Boo. You did not ever actually want it.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
This is so true because I found so many videos
saying I I don't know why, I don't know what
the point is, and then progressing to if I was
gonna get it, where would I get it? And then
to like find getting it.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
I have been fully influenced by Sam tong.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Never before have I heard of a wa cuckoo, and
now I have two wakuckoo.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Why did I do this?
Speaker 1 (13:10):
The only reason I even bought these One I kind
of felt left out, and two I don't get it.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I don't understand bestiees.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
I finally caved and I bought a sunny Angel. I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I kind of just got sucked in the toy store.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Really just like gets you.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
So how do so many people go from not wanting
it to wanting it? And I really think that it
is this kind of like bandwagon effect or or really
it's specifically called the mirror exposure effects.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
So it's the.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Psychological term that our brains like familiar stuff. It's something
shows up enough then it becomes familiar, and our brains say,
this is safe, this is acceptable, and this is what's
culturally appropriate to like to enjoy. And so the more
we see something, the more we want it. And so
(14:03):
this happens really fast with social media. Before, when it
was beanie babies, the only opportunities you had to see
this stuff was on the news when people are talking
about the beanie baby craze, or when your friends would
bring them to school, or when you're seeing you can see,
you know, one outfit a day per person, right, and
(14:26):
then slowly trends happen in social media. You can be
scrolling and see a hundred videos about La Boo Boos
or Sunny Angels or Stanley's in a day. So this
mere exposure effect happens ten times faster now than it
ever did before.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Yeah, it's what can take you from first time exposure
being like absolutely not, which is me right now you're
seeing it real time, fifth time being like why do
people keep buying these? But then by the tenth time, fifteenth,
twentieth time, when you're seeing it on TikTok and YouTube
and these celebrities carrying them around to their interviews, you're like, Okay, wait, they're.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
Kind of cute, though maybe I do want one.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
And for some reason, and I've seen people say this
the Labooboo thing. People are saying they've never seen more
videos about any other product than Little Booboo, Like even
just like scrolling through and maybe casually interacting with one video,
and then the entire feed is unboxing criticizing. I saw
(15:32):
a tiny scooter for a La Boo Boo and the
thing was it said, this is how I spend my
adult money, and it's a La Boo Boo riding around
on a scoot like a motorized scooter so and then
buying clothes for it and dressing them up and showing.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Off the collection.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
So there is I tinfoil hat for a minute. Maybe
I think there could also be a correlation between mean,
how profitable labuboo is for TikTok, because a lot of
the ways that you get them, because they're so scarce,
it's through TikTok shop. So La Boo Boo's I believe
(16:12):
are super profitable for TikTok, and that's why they're pushing
pushing them out. Yeah, I don't know that for certain. Yeah,
but I mean social media pushes out what is most
beneficial for its platform. Its algorithms are not neutral.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
We know this.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
So here's what to do when it comes to the
familiarity that the mere exposure effect is to ask yourself,
do I actually like this door, I actually want it?
Or am I just familiar with it? You can also
limit your exposure, which literally means unfollowing, muting, not being
on social media, taking a little break, block a take
(16:53):
a walk, and waiting seventy two hours before buying anything trendy.
I love the seventy two to our rule for really
kind of anything discretionary or anything that might have been
an impulse purchase. Just give yourself some time in between,
because you can kind of cool off a little bit,
let the La Booboo craze, just calm down a bit,
(17:16):
and then see if you still want it in seventy
two hours, all right.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
And that is super important for collectibles because some of
these more rare collectibles, like La Boo Boo is so
hard to get. So it is truly it's taking people
who are just casual to if they have the opportunity
to get it, they feel special and like it's they
(17:41):
have a responsibility to get it and then just buy it.
That's I saw a lot of videos on that too,
Like if you have an authentic Laboo Boo, because then
there's also knockoffs they call them lafoufous.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
So if you are in the vicinity of an actual Labooboo,
even if you don't want it, going to get.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
It just because it's available.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
And that this this collectible craze thrives off of impulsivity.
So so sometimes wait seventy two hours, you won't even
be able to get it. So that is not a risk,
that's actually a reward. View it as a reward.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
The next reason that we might be drawn to some
of these trends and collectibles is there affordability. We're not
talking about the five hundred dollars air pods or the
two hundred dollars ninja creamis, although I have heard you
talk about wanting one.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I am.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I am close to getting one on Facebook market okay.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
And there you go, and it is I talked about
it for a while too, so expulsive. I don't know
if it's the mere exposure. Well, I'm also following ninja
creamy accounts, so I'm being allowing yourself.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Right, I mean, but that's like a part of it too.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Like last year I was like, you don't need to
buy a two hundred dollar ice cream maker to make
ice cream, and then now I'm seeing so many like
good ice creams.
Speaker 7 (19:07):
I don't even eat ice cream a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
It's and it makes you feel crazy, right, like there's
no shit, there's no shame in getting caught up in
these things because our brains really do have like they
just are drawn to stuff like this and you don't
know why or what's happening, but that that's been easier
to say no to because that's two hundred dollars.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Yes, but yeah, So especially for things like the Stanley
Cup being forty five dollars, that's expensive but not unattainable.
And then some of these other things that we're talking
about are usually twenty dollars are under Yeah, and so
that just feels like I can be a part of
this thing. I can say yes to this because it
feels so affordable. I don't have to second guess it.
(19:55):
And decreasing that barrier is huge.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah, I can get one, I could eat, can afford
two to see if I can get the one I want,
get the special one. Now I already have to might
as well get the whole set, spend another forty dollars
on another one or two. It's just easier to slip
down the slope. It has a lower buy in, a
lower barrier to entry.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
I ordered a really rare Stanley off of EVA, and
I'm not sure if it's like real, because it was
like really she if. I think it was fifty dollars.
It's just normally like one hundred to two hundred.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
How much.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
I let it go for about forty dollars dollars. Some
people say that this is a recession indicator. That's interesting,
which is so a recession indicator indicates like sinking consumer confidence.
So people would normally purchase, like make big purchases like cars, houses,
(20:53):
even expensive skincare, luxury items, and when that starts to
decline and the purchase of lower priced items like you know,
la boo boos goes up. That some people will call that.
People will call that a recession indicator. It's it's an
indicator of one. I don't think that that's what's happening
(21:15):
with these I really do believe that it's a just
a combination of people tend to go toward affordability. It's
why people buy so much fast fashion. And it's the
blind bag component for a lot of these Stanley cups,
people owning a lot of them. That was rare because
those are you know, you know, forty five to fifty bucks.
(21:37):
But I think it's a lot more common to see
collections that you know of things like fungo pops or
action figures that started out low and then just the
more the deeper you get in than the higher the cost.
But we thanks to dopamine, the future doesn't feel real enough.
(21:59):
We always want to you know, the future doesn't feel
real enough to compete with the present, right, so we
always think of what can I do to get my
dopamine hit in the present. And I think that's a
big reason why collectibles are so popular.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Yeah, it can be so much easier to buy a
twenty dollars thing that's going to give me the dopamine
of purchase the dopamine of the mystery that's inside, and
not really think about what could twenty dollars have done invested?
What could I do if I were to be saving
that money instead, And that's that long term reward that
(22:37):
isn't going to give us that dopamine in the future,
but it can help us to look back and realize,
what what did life look like, you know, five ten
years ago? What would have happened if I could have
put one hundred dollars into the stock market. The S
and P five hundred has had a rate a return
of twelve percent in the last ten years. That could
(22:59):
have met three hundred and twenty dollars today.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And I want to also, if you're not a collector
and you're watching this and you're like, oh, I can't
I can't relate because I'll just invest. There are other
things that you may not be physically collecting, but if
you look back through your ninety day transaction inventory, you
see you are collecting transactions. That's why we think doing
(23:25):
a ninety day transaction inventory is so important if you're
not familiar with one. It's going back through your last
ninety days, all of your transactions and seeing where you
have been spending your money with a mindset of neutrality
and learning, not like shame or making you feel bad.
And I think you're going to start to see you're
(23:46):
collecting things. And it may not be toys, it may
not be water bottles, but there is something on there
that you are collecting. Maybe it's lattes, maybe it's Chipotle
or take out like fast casual take out. There is
something you are collecting. We would love to know about
(24:07):
that in the comments. If you do a transaction inventory
and you're like, dang, I never looked at it like collecting,
but I am doing that.
Speaker 7 (24:16):
Let us know what it is.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
And if you're a collector and you've figured out how
to you know even out you're collecting. We'd like to
know that in the comments too, maybe somebody can find
some extra wisdom down there.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
But there are two ways that.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
We can start to get over this kind of affordability trap,
whether it's things you're collecting or transactions. And the first
one is to look back. We're going to take into
account this kind of like recession indicator, you know, quote
(24:54):
unquote that says that we don't trust the future, and
we're going to take that into account, and that's how
we're going to combat it. So first we're going to
look back, see where you were five years ago, ten
years ago, and have and get some perspective. If you
don't feel confident about where you're going to be in
five or ten years, think about where you were five
(25:16):
or ten years ago and look at the positive things
and the positive growth that has happened, even amidst all
the craziness that has happened in the past five and
ten years. I don't think, I mean, in our generation,
this is the craziest five to ten years we've probably
had since we've been alive as millennials. So see where
(25:40):
you were five ten years ago, see where you are now.
Put it into perspective, Like what you said, the S
and P five hundred has had a cumulative growth of
a return of about twelve percent over the last ten years.
So one hundred dollars invested would have made an additional
two hundred and twenty dollars.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Yeah, and so if you would prefer to think shorter term,
so that's one strategy. Looks back and realize both that's affordable, right,
like putting one hundred dollars five ten years ago, it
would have had been ten years ago, could have returned
this amount of money. But also realized that if one
of the hesitancies is that uncertainty about what does it
(26:23):
mean to release my money into the stock market to
invest now? And you know, knowing that that money, I'll
get to see the growth on it by the time
I'm sixty seventy eighty, but that feels so far away.
Then recognize that there is a short term reality here too,
that we can pull whatever money we put into those
(26:43):
accounts out. We can't draw upon the interest we've earned
without penalty before a certain age, but even then there
are some caveats to it. But whatever you put in,
let's say you do put in one hundred bucks twenty bucks.
You can get that back out no penalty.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
In five to ten years if you need it. So
we want to make sure that we're not because the
dopamine says like we hate losing more than we love winning, right,
which is why we choose the immediate gratification over the
long term success, because we overestimate what we can do
in a year and we underestimate what we can do
(27:22):
in ten years. But if we're thinking about our money, like, yes,
I will have access to it in five to ten years,
even though it's in a retirement account, then that could
make it easier to It won't take away the dopamine
of instant gratification one hundred percent, but it could make
it easier to say no to these things upfront. To
(27:45):
say bigger yes is to things down the line, and
it's not just with investing, but if you're in that mindset,
it is easier to say no to instant gratification because ultimately,
if you build a habit of saving, then it is
very unlikely you'll take that money out in five or
ten years because you're going to see the growth and
(28:07):
you're going to then when you look back, you're going
to see even more growth in your five to ten
year look back. So but just knowing you can access
it makes it feel safer.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
So true.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
And the last reason we might collect is for community
and friendship. Friends are hard to find. Yeah, doing fun
things is hard to find, and so oftentimes collecting can
feel like that fast track to friendship, to a connection,
to an experience of belonging to a community. And that's
(28:44):
why we don't think that collecting is inherently bad. You know,
anything that can kind of connect us with others and
provides that in for relationship and friendship is great. But
wherever relationships are based upon purchasing something in order to
be a part of this group, or every time I
(29:04):
get together with this friend we are always going out
to eat or going shopping, then the friendship is an
actual connection. It's consumption, right, based on consuming things together.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
So if you're meeting new people because of your shared
collections and then forging like real relationships with them, relationships
where you know you're sending gifts back and forth and
you're hanging out at each other's houses and you're really
investing each other like that is beautiful. I think that
is a beautiful aspect of the collector community, but it
(29:40):
gets dangerous when relationships are only about spending money together.
And so that's ultimately how to make this collecting journey healthy.
So like, personally I don't really collect anything either, but
if I had to think of something I do collect,
(30:02):
I would have to say it kind of run Disney metals.
That would be like the only thing I could think of.
I really like doing Disney races specifically. I don't love
running races in general, but like half marathons at Disney,
I really love those exactly. And I could do all
of them and you know, be fine and spend so
(30:25):
much money there, but I love it, so I want
to keep it special. I love the community of people
that do it. A lot of the relationships I've built
there are parasocial, so I'm just like following other people
on social media who do it. So I wouldn't say
that's the healthiest way. But thankfully I have a lot
of really, really great relationships here.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
But there is a.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Friend that I made recently who also runs, and we
decided to run the Wine and Dine half marathon this
October together, and so like it's getting us closer because
we're sharing, aring our training runs, and so that has
been a good part of like how collecting has brought
(31:08):
me closer to somebody who is kind of like in.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
That community how you meet your people.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Right, but it's not.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Right, but it's not based on the race aspect and
the registering for the race aspect. We would still be
friends and will be better friends after it. So yeah,
I would say that if you're collecting is bringing you
closer to people and it's building community, which we think
(31:43):
is kind of like the purpose of everything in.
Speaker 7 (31:47):
Life is to get closer to people.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Right. When are things when when we alienate ourselves, even
if it's to do better financially, that's not healthy, And
when we spend money to get closer to people also
not healthy. So like, how can we form the best
relationships possible and spend the right amount of money for us?
Like that is the key. So like, that's what we
(32:12):
want to hear about in the comments if you have
anything to say about that.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
The final tip that we have here is to do
a thirty day no spend challenge to really be able
to find out who you are apart from consumption. This
can really give you an opportunity to be creative, learn
some of the things that you love doing that maybe
consumption is getting in the way of you even realizing
(32:38):
some with a more fun free activity. So we talk
about how to do a thirty day no spend challenge
in our book Buy What You Love Without Going broke.
You can get it anywhere books are bought by what
youlovebook dot com. We'll have it linked with the YouTube
video here as well. We think that these can be
really fun challenges. Not to say that spending is bad
or that you'll never ever spend again. Really gives the
(33:01):
opportunity to see what do I actually love doing? What
are the things that are fulfilling that I can feel
really good about spending on, and realize the things that
aren't so important and I don't need to keep spending
on those.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yes, So, in conclusion, collecting is peak consumerism. Yeah, but
it doesn't have to be, and it teaches us a
lot about our overall consumerism. So that's why we wanted
to talk about it. I think collecting transactions is a
(33:34):
really important key piece to take away from this, and
collecting can go really well, but it can also be
very destructive. And yeah, so I hope you got something
out of it.
Speaker 5 (33:48):
Do you know what's not destructive.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
It's always uplifting and does get at our core value
of building community.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
The bill of the week.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
That's right, it's time for the best minute of your
entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name
is Williams.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Maybe you paid off your mortgage.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Maybe your car died, and you're happy to not have
to pay that bill anymore. Duck bills, Buffalo bills, Bill Clinton,
this is the bill of the week.
Speaker 6 (34:29):
Hi Jen, Hi Jill. This is Candice from New York
and I just found a really good bill of the
week Today's New York Times game the Connections. One of
the groups was what Bill might refer to a banknote,
a beak, an invoice, or william I cracked up and
thought of you have a great day.
Speaker 7 (34:49):
Oh my gosh, yes, all of those.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
That's so fun.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
I have heard people talk about these New York Times games,
and it's very fun speaking of ways to connect with
people and have fun. That's a great one.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, that is. I mean, it sounds like we have
more things to add to the song. That's what it
sounds like.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
A banknote and an invoice. I don't think we talk
about that in the.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
Song, so we'll see.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Well that is perfect, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Yes, thanks Ca, So that's very fun. If anybody watching
or listening have a bill that you want to share,
if it has to do with connections, games you're playing online,
or uh literally your name is Bill, we'd love to
hear from you. Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash Bill
hearing it now, it's time for the Lightning raw.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
All right, today's Lightning Round question would be it should
be what do you collect?
Speaker 5 (35:55):
I know we could we did kind of already talk about.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
That, yeah, but but anything you've ever collected your favorite
to okay, thing you've collected.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
In childhood, I collected turtles, like anything turtle related.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
I loved turtles.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
I did not know this.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
The problem began arose when everyone took it as an
excuse to not think about what to get me, but
just like, get me random turtle stuff that I didn't
really wants. My mom would anytime she would see something
with a turtle on it, she would get me it,
like even if I didn't. It was just the dumbest stuff.
(36:36):
Has it stopped?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Well, I had to tell her, like in college, just
like I have too much turtle stuff I just want
to get rid of all of this. I still like turtles,
but I'm not obsessed with them, and I was never obsessed.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I just had like a collection of little turtles.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
If I had the option to like get something and
there was a turtle option, I'd always go with the turtle.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
That was how it started, and it ended with too
much turtle stuff.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
So that was my thing.
Speaker 4 (37:11):
Yeah, it is always funny when collections are pushed on you,
which I do believe was probably most of my collections
as a child, but I did have a few.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Now I'm realizing the role of that is going. Okay.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
I talked about my snow baby collection in the books.
I'm gonna choose something different because it wasn't my only collection,
which was a weird one. I would dip my fingers
in hot wax and then wait for it to dry
and then peel it off, and they would for it
(37:47):
in like these little molds, and I would put them
into this like chest, this wooden chest, and just whenever
I had the opportunity to dip my fingers in wax.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
And how often do you have the opportunity, how often
do you come across wax?
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Well, I well, because another one of my collections was
candle snuffers, So I had candles like.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
To come off as this.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
I don't have any collections, and I don't know.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
I don't now, but I'm realized I'm just.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
Too good can yeah, yeah, I'm wow the things I've
blocked off, I did it enough. I had my own candles.
I would dip my fingers into the wax. Then I'd
use my candle snuffer and then when they were all dried.
I loved the sound of them. I was quite like
tactile person, so just to like put these little wax
(38:43):
finger molds back and forth between my hands, they'd create
such a nice, calming noise.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
It was my own like ASMR creation.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
And then I'd put them into this wooden box and
that lived under my bed. Wo yep, but you know
what mere exposure effect. You're judging me now, But if
I come in with any of these wax bolts on
my fingers, you're going to get into it. Uh huh, yup,
just you wait. Oh wow, Okay, that was weird. Well,
(39:21):
thanks everybody so much for listening for watching. As you know,
we have a YouTube channel. Uh so, if you have
not seen this on YouTube. Please go to our YouTube channel,
Frugal Friends Podcast subscribe. That's like the best way that
you can possibly support us. And we want to read
(39:45):
you one of our favorite comments on a YouTube video.
Maybe not a favorite, just a recent one. This is
just happening real time for you all. Okay, here we go.
A recent comment from real Classroom one two seven eight
(40:05):
says on one of our spending intervention videos between my
two sons, I spent about ten years in a row
taking advantage of all the free summer programs at the
public library.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Which one shot you know what?
Speaker 4 (40:18):
I had to do it on the fly, Jen, And
we love libr editing. So there's library.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
That's what I'm choosing.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (40:28):
So if you if you want there to be better
comments on our.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
YouTube videos, then go ahead subscribe.
Speaker 5 (40:35):
Comment on our YouTube videos. Let us know what you're.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
Collecting or what you used to collect if you can
cop me, ask us.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
To read your comment on the air and we will.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
Yeah, okay bye.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
Gorugal Friends is produced by Eric Siriani.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
Jen, what are your kids starting to collect? Probably Kai right,
he'd probably be into collections, nothing.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Like he likes iron Man right now. Okay, So, given
the options to consume something tangible, he prefers it to
be Iron Man themed.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
Oh cool, Yeah, I remember it used to be monster trucks,
but he's off of that now.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Monster trucks were big for a long time. They were
our potty training incentive of choice, and we still love them.
Atlas is getting into them, so that's really nice. I
think we'll take all the monster trucks away and then
six months later to start to potty train him and
(41:59):
then give them out again.
Speaker 5 (42:02):
Yeah, is my plan.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
So I still got about six months of playing and
cleaning up monster trucks before that, but yeah, yeah, that's
about it. The two year old doesn't collect anything.
Speaker 4 (42:22):
The two year old collects climbing. He climbs on things.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Eventually, yeah, climbing experiences collect climbing stuff.
Speaker 5 (42:32):
Yeah, probably
Collectibles are peak consumerism, talking le Boo Boo, Sonny Angel, Stanley,
and more.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast, where you'll learn to
save money, embrace simplicity and life. Here your hosts Jen
and Jill.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
M Welcome to Frugal Friends.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I'm Jen, I'm Jill, and today we are talking about
collectibles because I don't know what side of social media
you are on, but if you're on the side that
I am, it is now completely taken over by le Booboo.
And I didn't know about it until I watched some
(00:50):
commentary channels on YouTube, and then after I did, then
that's when I got all of all of those videos.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Don't know about La Booboo. You told me not to
look it up. You needed my actual genuine reaction. So
that's what's happening in this episode.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah, so it got us thinking about why, or me
at least, why we have this propensity to collectibles to accumulate,
because it does feel like peak consumerism. Is it all unhealthy?
Can there be a healthy level of it? And if
you're looking at the little Booboo people and you're gawking
(01:31):
and saying that could never happen to me, thinking about
how it could and already does happen to you. But first,
this episode is sponsored by our Challenge membership. So if
you're trying to pay off debt or have a specific
short term financial goal and you're having trouble staying engaged
(01:53):
with it, we have a Challenge membership where we release
a new challenge every month, and these challenges help you
stay engaged with whatever financial goal you are trying to achieve.
So if you are interested in that, to see what
challenge we have coming up next month. You also get
access to four challenges and our no Spend Challenge from
(02:17):
precede like the preceding months too, so if the next
one you're not interested in, you always have access to
others head Difficult Friends podcast dot com, slash Challenge, and
you can drop down into the description to see if
we have any coupon codes.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
They help us so much with our spending and deinfluencing
ourselves from things like what we're talking about today. Currently
it's le Boo Boo and Sony Angels. Last year it
was Stanley and Squish Mollege.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Funny Angels. You haven't even pronounced it correctly.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
I don't even know what they are and that's why
it's written Sony angels.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
So it is written Yeah, Sony only has one n
where he asked, that's how.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Uninvolved with these collectibles I am. But I did hear
about Stanley's and Squish Mellows and I absolutely was a
part of the beanie baby craze.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yes, so let's find out a little bit about these
things booboo.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Boxing, and look what we found. We got some special ones.
I think they're just harder to buying, Babe.
Speaker 6 (03:29):
I'm convinced everyone who's calling the booos ugly is just
mad they can't get one.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Okay, So for those of you who are not on
La Boo boo TikTok La boo boos are key chains
with stuffed animals on them that look kind of like monsters,
like the Where the Wild Things Are booked?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Do you remember that book?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
That is what people are referred like, kind of comparing
them to and they are kind of cute.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
They're kind of what were the what were the ones
that we did back in elementary school?
Speaker 5 (04:01):
I want to say, like fur.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Baby Ferbie Ferbie furbies. Yes.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Yeah, I'm so impressed by how outside of consumerism you
have been your whole life and continue to be.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
They look like ferbies to me, and I did not
like ferbies when they were a thing, like neither. They're
ugly and I had so cute. I never did because
I'm like, they're ugly.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
No, So my dad would put a Ferbie when I
was sleeping in the morning he wanted to wake me up.
He would put it by my ear and when I
was letting sleeping through my alarm and just wake up
the Ferbie. So it would have its little creepy like woo.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Like and that would get me.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Yeah, that would get you up.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
That would That'd be it.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
But so the the scarcity in these is pretty much
we'll talk about what's making them popular, but it's a
lot of uh scarcity, and there's secret ones. And this
is how the same thing with sunny Angels. I don't
think they're as spirit.
Speaker 5 (05:05):
You mean sony angels.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, so they are these plastic little dolls that are
naked and have different hats on them. I think that
is as far as I got on there. But it's
not just those. So those are the most popular ones
right now, but there's all kinds of little collectibles and
so we're wondering are collectibles inherently bad as people who
(05:35):
want to be frugal.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
And we don't think that it's bad. But there's some caveats.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
I think, yeah, because that's what we've come to.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, it is something that can connect people. It is
something that can be aligned with our values. Depending on
kind of what that collectible item is, it might have
a lot of meaning behind it. And so we are
not saying all stuff is bad, just like we don't
think spending inherently is bad or debt is entirely bad.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
So this kind of falls into that.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
However, when we are just so caught up in the
consumption of it and it's not actually something we even want,
we're just being told it and eventually we succumb. That's
where we really want to keep a pulse on it
and be able to identify how are there other ways
for maybe me to find belonging rather than needing to
(06:31):
spend in order to get it. But but I mean,
we want to say we both collect truly, I don't,
and I'm so sorry, but but I do collect seashells
at the beach. I love to scroll stroll, not scroll stroll,
collect the seashells that I think are like really adorable,
then I take a picture of it.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
You collect plants.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
And then I throw them. But I haven't bought a
new plant. I don't buy plants. I haven't not a
whired a new plant in over a year. Like I
don't know if I could say I collect.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Okay, So this is one of the things we'll talk
about in like our healthy like collecting. So we're not
going to bash on collecting in this video. If you
love someone who collects and your planning to show them
this video to say how bad it is, that's I'm
so sorry. But hopefully if you are collector and you
feel guilty about it, or you have somebody in your
(07:25):
life who you're trying to understand why they collect, then
this will be a really good video for you the
person who is watching it. Even my husband Travis, who
is the most frugal slash cheap person I know, he
used to collect Spider Man comics. He has a whole
box of them, and you know we still have them
(07:47):
in our atticts. So like, even frugal people collect things.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
I guess especially frugal people can collect things. So do
you get it inexpensive or free? Then it's like, well,
who cares and we're not actually thinking about the space
that's taking up.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, so we're going to talk about why collectible trends
like this can get all of our money.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
But first this.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
These particular collectible trends are a little unique, and I
want to like preface that because it might make a
difference for what we're talking about in the rest of
the episode. Is that these particular ones have an added
level of scarcity because of the blind bag slash blind
box component.
Speaker 6 (08:32):
I bought some sunny Angels from Japan, so let's open them.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I got three of these preschool animal boxes.
Speaker 5 (08:40):
These look so cute.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Hey, guys, um box some sunny Angels with me.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
I'll also be happy with hope, stridity or the secret
all is a secret one.
Speaker 6 (08:50):
I don't care about anys.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
It's okay.
Speaker 7 (08:56):
I'm having fun when I get what I want, I
have fun.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
Bay wake up. New signing Angel series just draft in.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
They're wearing little raincoats and boots.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So when you buy a La Boo Boo, a sunny Angel,
A know me all these they have so many different right.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Now you've never heard before just a sony angel.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Then you don't know what you're buying so you know
what category you're buying it in, like there are seven
different usually options in each like run and so you
know what the possibilities are except for one secret.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
You don't know what you're.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Gonna get, and you don't from social media you'll know
what the secret is. But everyone wants the secret one,
and it can become this thing where people are buying extras.
They're getting the same like of same green one three times,
but they're trying to get the whole set and they're
trying they're trying to get the secret. And so I
(09:56):
think that's an added component to some of the craze
in this collection, which.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Is very fun. I mean, you want to talk about
a dopamine ratsh. Not only have you spent money something
comes to your door, but then there's an extra surprise
during your unboxing that's looking for a hit of dopamine.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
If I ever have.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Seen one, I remember those little toys where they came
they were like little dogs or bunnies, and they came
with babies inside, but you didn't know how many babies
it was going to have, like how many were in
the litter, and that was very fun. Or what the
genders were going to be like, you could have between
three to six babies popping out of this dog's belly
(10:38):
and they were going to be you know, different never genders.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
Yeah, so that was fun.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
But this is what's standing out to me is that
these are toys. I have heard of these types of
trends and marketing tactics for kids and understandably, so I
think we're gonna have a lot of people watching this saying, yeah,
I'm not totally on that trend, but I see my
kids on that. And you know, we're going to talk
in another episode about de influencing kids with toys.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
But the thing with this is that kids are not buying.
These adults are buying. And I've even seen that argument
in other videos that this is a toy, this is
for kids. They're actually key chains. And the way that
lab boo boos in particular got popular were from celebrities.
So like Lisa from Black Pink, which is a really
(11:25):
popular K pop group, she went into a Vanity Fair
interview all about her obsession with these La boo boo
and their key chains. So people are buying designer handbags
to match their laboo boos. So this is very much
and then they're buying tiny designer bags for their La
(11:48):
Boo boos. So this is this is definitely an adult thing,
and I think adults and children are both like prone
to collecting. But I think that this we're gonna talk
specifically about, why do we, in the Year of Our
Lord twenty twenty.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Five do this?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Do this, keep doing this even though we've seen it
with squish males, We've seen it with beanie babies, We've
seen it with Stanley's.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Right, yeah, and clothing handbags. You know, we're talking about
La Boo boos. But there's all different ways that this
can show up. And so there are three main reasons
that we will end up purchasing the La Booboo, the Stanley,
the Sonny Angels. And it has to do with first frequency. Yeah,
(12:38):
hot take. No one actually wants a Stanley or a
Lubuo Boo. You did not ever actually want it.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
This is so true because I found so many videos
saying I I don't know why, I don't know what
the point is, and then progressing to if I was
gonna get it, where would I get it? And then
to like find getting it.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
I have been fully influenced by Sam tong.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Never before have I heard of a wa cuckoo, and
now I have two wakuckoo.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Why did I do this?
Speaker 1 (13:10):
The only reason I even bought these One I kind
of felt left out, and two I don't get it.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I don't understand bestiees.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
I finally caved and I bought a sunny Angel. I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
I kind of just got sucked in the toy store.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Really just like gets you.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
So how do so many people go from not wanting
it to wanting it? And I really think that it
is this kind of like bandwagon effect or or really
it's specifically called the mirror exposure effects.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
So it's the.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Psychological term that our brains like familiar stuff. It's something
shows up enough then it becomes familiar, and our brains say,
this is safe, this is acceptable, and this is what's
culturally appropriate to like to enjoy. And so the more
we see something, the more we want it. And so
(14:03):
this happens really fast with social media. Before, when it
was beanie babies, the only opportunities you had to see
this stuff was on the news when people are talking
about the beanie baby craze, or when your friends would
bring them to school, or when you're seeing you can see,
you know, one outfit a day per person, right, and
(14:26):
then slowly trends happen in social media. You can be
scrolling and see a hundred videos about La Boo Boos
or Sunny Angels or Stanley's in a day. So this
mere exposure effect happens ten times faster now than it
ever did before.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Yeah, it's what can take you from first time exposure
being like absolutely not, which is me right now you're
seeing it real time, fifth time being like why do
people keep buying these? But then by the tenth time, fifteenth,
twentieth time, when you're seeing it on TikTok and YouTube
and these celebrities carrying them around to their interviews, you're like, Okay, wait, they're.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
Kind of cute, though maybe I do want one.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
And for some reason, and I've seen people say this
the Labooboo thing. People are saying they've never seen more
videos about any other product than Little Booboo, Like even
just like scrolling through and maybe casually interacting with one video,
and then the entire feed is unboxing criticizing. I saw
(15:32):
a tiny scooter for a La Boo Boo and the
thing was it said, this is how I spend my
adult money, and it's a La Boo Boo riding around
on a scoot like a motorized scooter so and then
buying clothes for it and dressing them up and showing.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Off the collection.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
So there is I tinfoil hat for a minute. Maybe
I think there could also be a correlation between mean,
how profitable labuboo is for TikTok, because a lot of
the ways that you get them, because they're so scarce,
it's through TikTok shop. So La Boo Boo's I believe
(16:12):
are super profitable for TikTok, and that's why they're pushing
pushing them out. Yeah, I don't know that for certain. Yeah,
but I mean social media pushes out what is most
beneficial for its platform. Its algorithms are not neutral.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
We know this.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
So here's what to do when it comes to the
familiarity that the mere exposure effect is to ask yourself,
do I actually like this door, I actually want it?
Or am I just familiar with it? You can also
limit your exposure, which literally means unfollowing, muting, not being
on social media, taking a little break, block a take
(16:53):
a walk, and waiting seventy two hours before buying anything trendy.
I love the seventy two to our rule for really
kind of anything discretionary or anything that might have been
an impulse purchase. Just give yourself some time in between,
because you can kind of cool off a little bit,
let the La Booboo craze, just calm down a bit,
(17:16):
and then see if you still want it in seventy
two hours, all right.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
And that is super important for collectibles because some of
these more rare collectibles, like La Boo Boo is so
hard to get. So it is truly it's taking people
who are just casual to if they have the opportunity
to get it, they feel special and like it's they
(17:41):
have a responsibility to get it and then just buy it.
That's I saw a lot of videos on that too,
Like if you have an authentic Laboo Boo, because then
there's also knockoffs they call them lafoufous.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
So if you are in the vicinity of an actual Labooboo,
even if you don't want it, going to get.
Speaker 7 (18:02):
It just because it's available.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
And that this this collectible craze thrives off of impulsivity.
So so sometimes wait seventy two hours, you won't even
be able to get it. So that is not a risk,
that's actually a reward. View it as a reward.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
The next reason that we might be drawn to some
of these trends and collectibles is there affordability. We're not
talking about the five hundred dollars air pods or the
two hundred dollars ninja creamis, although I have heard you
talk about wanting one.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I am.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I am close to getting one on Facebook market okay.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
And there you go, and it is I talked about
it for a while too, so expulsive. I don't know
if it's the mere exposure. Well, I'm also following ninja
creamy accounts, so I'm being allowing yourself.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Right, I mean, but that's like a part of it too.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Like last year I was like, you don't need to
buy a two hundred dollar ice cream maker to make
ice cream, and then now I'm seeing so many like
good ice creams.
Speaker 7 (19:07):
I don't even eat ice cream a lot.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
It's and it makes you feel crazy, right, like there's
no shit, there's no shame in getting caught up in
these things because our brains really do have like they
just are drawn to stuff like this and you don't
know why or what's happening, but that that's been easier
to say no to because that's two hundred dollars.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Yes, but yeah, So especially for things like the Stanley
Cup being forty five dollars, that's expensive but not unattainable.
And then some of these other things that we're talking
about are usually twenty dollars are under Yeah, and so
that just feels like I can be a part of
this thing. I can say yes to this because it
feels so affordable. I don't have to second guess it.
(19:55):
And decreasing that barrier is huge.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah, I can get one, I could eat, can afford
two to see if I can get the one I want,
get the special one. Now I already have to might
as well get the whole set, spend another forty dollars
on another one or two. It's just easier to slip
down the slope. It has a lower buy in, a
lower barrier to entry.
Speaker 7 (20:20):
I ordered a really rare Stanley off of EVA, and
I'm not sure if it's like real, because it was
like really she if. I think it was fifty dollars.
It's just normally like one hundred to two hundred.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
How much.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
I let it go for about forty dollars dollars. Some
people say that this is a recession indicator. That's interesting,
which is so a recession indicator indicates like sinking consumer confidence.
So people would normally purchase, like make big purchases like cars, houses,
(20:53):
even expensive skincare, luxury items, and when that starts to
decline and the purchase of lower priced items like you know,
la boo boos goes up. That some people will call that.
People will call that a recession indicator. It's it's an
indicator of one. I don't think that that's what's happening
(21:15):
with these I really do believe that it's a just
a combination of people tend to go toward affordability. It's
why people buy so much fast fashion. And it's the
blind bag component for a lot of these Stanley cups,
people owning a lot of them. That was rare because
those are you know, you know, forty five to fifty bucks.
(21:37):
But I think it's a lot more common to see
collections that you know of things like fungo pops or
action figures that started out low and then just the
more the deeper you get in than the higher the cost.
But we thanks to dopamine, the future doesn't feel real enough.
(21:59):
We always want to you know, the future doesn't feel
real enough to compete with the present, right, so we
always think of what can I do to get my
dopamine hit in the present. And I think that's a
big reason why collectibles are so popular.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Yeah, it can be so much easier to buy a
twenty dollars thing that's going to give me the dopamine
of purchase the dopamine of the mystery that's inside, and
not really think about what could twenty dollars have done invested?
What could I do if I were to be saving
that money instead, And that's that long term reward that
(22:37):
isn't going to give us that dopamine in the future,
but it can help us to look back and realize,
what what did life look like, you know, five ten
years ago? What would have happened if I could have
put one hundred dollars into the stock market. The S
and P five hundred has had a rate a return
of twelve percent in the last ten years. That could
(22:59):
have met three hundred and twenty dollars today.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And I want to also, if you're not a collector
and you're watching this and you're like, oh, I can't
I can't relate because I'll just invest. There are other
things that you may not be physically collecting, but if
you look back through your ninety day transaction inventory, you
see you are collecting transactions. That's why we think doing
(23:25):
a ninety day transaction inventory is so important if you're
not familiar with one. It's going back through your last
ninety days, all of your transactions and seeing where you
have been spending your money with a mindset of neutrality
and learning, not like shame or making you feel bad.
And I think you're going to start to see you're
(23:46):
collecting things. And it may not be toys, it may
not be water bottles, but there is something on there
that you are collecting. Maybe it's lattes, maybe it's Chipotle
or take out like fast casual take out. There is
something you are collecting. We would love to know about
(24:07):
that in the comments. If you do a transaction inventory
and you're like, dang, I never looked at it like collecting,
but I am doing that.
Speaker 7 (24:16):
Let us know what it is.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
And if you're a collector and you've figured out how
to you know even out you're collecting. We'd like to
know that in the comments too, maybe somebody can find
some extra wisdom down there.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
But there are two ways that.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
We can start to get over this kind of affordability trap,
whether it's things you're collecting or transactions. And the first
one is to look back. We're going to take into
account this kind of like recession indicator, you know, quote
(24:54):
unquote that says that we don't trust the future, and
we're going to take that into account, and that's how
we're going to combat it. So first we're going to
look back, see where you were five years ago, ten
years ago, and have and get some perspective. If you
don't feel confident about where you're going to be in
five or ten years, think about where you were five
(25:16):
or ten years ago and look at the positive things
and the positive growth that has happened, even amidst all
the craziness that has happened in the past five and
ten years. I don't think, I mean, in our generation,
this is the craziest five to ten years we've probably
had since we've been alive as millennials. So see where
(25:40):
you were five ten years ago, see where you are now.
Put it into perspective, Like what you said, the S
and P five hundred has had a cumulative growth of
a return of about twelve percent over the last ten years.
So one hundred dollars invested would have made an additional
two hundred and twenty dollars.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Yeah, and so if you would prefer to think shorter term,
so that's one strategy. Looks back and realize both that's affordable, right,
like putting one hundred dollars five ten years ago, it
would have had been ten years ago, could have returned
this amount of money. But also realized that if one
of the hesitancies is that uncertainty about what does it
(26:23):
mean to release my money into the stock market to
invest now? And you know, knowing that that money, I'll
get to see the growth on it by the time
I'm sixty seventy eighty, but that feels so far away.
Then recognize that there is a short term reality here too,
that we can pull whatever money we put into those
(26:43):
accounts out. We can't draw upon the interest we've earned
without penalty before a certain age, but even then there
are some caveats to it. But whatever you put in,
let's say you do put in one hundred bucks twenty bucks.
You can get that back out no penalty.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
In five to ten years if you need it. So
we want to make sure that we're not because the
dopamine says like we hate losing more than we love winning, right,
which is why we choose the immediate gratification over the
long term success, because we overestimate what we can do
in a year and we underestimate what we can do
(27:22):
in ten years. But if we're thinking about our money, like, yes,
I will have access to it in five to ten years,
even though it's in a retirement account, then that could
make it easier to It won't take away the dopamine
of instant gratification one hundred percent, but it could make
it easier to say no to these things upfront. To
(27:45):
say bigger yes is to things down the line, and
it's not just with investing, but if you're in that mindset,
it is easier to say no to instant gratification because ultimately,
if you build a habit of saving, then it is
very unlikely you'll take that money out in five or
ten years because you're going to see the growth and
(28:07):
you're going to then when you look back, you're going
to see even more growth in your five to ten
year look back. So but just knowing you can access
it makes it feel safer.
Speaker 5 (28:20):
So true.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
And the last reason we might collect is for community
and friendship. Friends are hard to find. Yeah, doing fun
things is hard to find, and so oftentimes collecting can
feel like that fast track to friendship, to a connection,
to an experience of belonging to a community. And that's
(28:44):
why we don't think that collecting is inherently bad. You know,
anything that can kind of connect us with others and
provides that in for relationship and friendship is great. But
wherever relationships are based upon purchasing something in order to
be a part of this group, or every time I
(29:04):
get together with this friend we are always going out
to eat or going shopping, then the friendship is an
actual connection. It's consumption, right, based on consuming things together.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
So if you're meeting new people because of your shared
collections and then forging like real relationships with them, relationships
where you know you're sending gifts back and forth and
you're hanging out at each other's houses and you're really
investing each other like that is beautiful. I think that
is a beautiful aspect of the collector community, but it
(29:40):
gets dangerous when relationships are only about spending money together.
And so that's ultimately how to make this collecting journey healthy.
So like, personally I don't really collect anything either, but
if I had to think of something I do collect,
(30:02):
I would have to say it kind of run Disney metals.
That would be like the only thing I could think of.
I really like doing Disney races specifically. I don't love
running races in general, but like half marathons at Disney,
I really love those exactly. And I could do all
of them and you know, be fine and spend so
(30:25):
much money there, but I love it, so I want
to keep it special. I love the community of people
that do it. A lot of the relationships I've built
there are parasocial, so I'm just like following other people
on social media who do it. So I wouldn't say
that's the healthiest way. But thankfully I have a lot
of really, really great relationships here.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
But there is a.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Friend that I made recently who also runs, and we
decided to run the Wine and Dine half marathon this
October together, and so like it's getting us closer because
we're sharing, aring our training runs, and so that has
been a good part of like how collecting has brought
(31:08):
me closer to somebody who is kind of like in.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
That community how you meet your people.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Right, but it's not.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Right, but it's not based on the race aspect and
the registering for the race aspect. We would still be
friends and will be better friends after it. So yeah,
I would say that if you're collecting is bringing you
closer to people and it's building community, which we think
(31:43):
is kind of like the purpose of everything in.
Speaker 7 (31:47):
Life is to get closer to people.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Right. When are things when when we alienate ourselves, even
if it's to do better financially, that's not healthy, And
when we spend money to get closer to people also
not healthy. So like, how can we form the best
relationships possible and spend the right amount of money for us?
Like that is the key. So like, that's what we
(32:12):
want to hear about in the comments if you have
anything to say about that.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
The final tip that we have here is to do
a thirty day no spend challenge to really be able
to find out who you are apart from consumption. This
can really give you an opportunity to be creative, learn
some of the things that you love doing that maybe
consumption is getting in the way of you even realizing
(32:38):
some with a more fun free activity. So we talk
about how to do a thirty day no spend challenge
in our book Buy What You Love Without Going broke.
You can get it anywhere books are bought by what
youlovebook dot com. We'll have it linked with the YouTube
video here as well. We think that these can be
really fun challenges. Not to say that spending is bad
or that you'll never ever spend again. Really gives the
(33:01):
opportunity to see what do I actually love doing? What
are the things that are fulfilling that I can feel
really good about spending on, and realize the things that
aren't so important and I don't need to keep spending
on those.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Yes, So, in conclusion, collecting is peak consumerism. Yeah, but
it doesn't have to be, and it teaches us a
lot about our overall consumerism. So that's why we wanted
to talk about it. I think collecting transactions is a
(33:34):
really important key piece to take away from this, and
collecting can go really well, but it can also be
very destructive. And yeah, so I hope you got something
out of it.
Speaker 5 (33:48):
Do you know what's not destructive.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
It's always uplifting and does get at our core value
of building community.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
The bill of the week.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
That's right, it's time for the best minute of your
entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name
is Williams.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Maybe you paid off your mortgage.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Maybe your car died, and you're happy to not have
to pay that bill anymore. Duck bills, Buffalo bills, Bill Clinton,
this is the bill of the week.
Speaker 6 (34:29):
Hi Jen, Hi Jill. This is Candice from New York
and I just found a really good bill of the
week Today's New York Times game the Connections. One of
the groups was what Bill might refer to a banknote,
a beak, an invoice, or william I cracked up and
thought of you have a great day.
Speaker 7 (34:49):
Oh my gosh, yes, all of those.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
That's so fun.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
I have heard people talk about these New York Times games,
and it's very fun speaking of ways to connect with
people and have fun. That's a great one.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, that is. I mean, it sounds like we have
more things to add to the song. That's what it
sounds like.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
A banknote and an invoice. I don't think we talk
about that in the.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
Song, so we'll see.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Well that is perfect, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Yes, thanks Ca, So that's very fun. If anybody watching
or listening have a bill that you want to share,
if it has to do with connections, games you're playing online,
or uh literally your name is Bill, we'd love to
hear from you. Frugal Friends podcast dot com slash Bill
hearing it now, it's time for the Lightning raw.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
All right, today's Lightning Round question would be it should
be what do you collect?
Speaker 5 (35:55):
I know we could we did kind of already talk about.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
That, yeah, but but anything you've ever collected your favorite
to okay, thing you've collected.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
In childhood, I collected turtles, like anything turtle related.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
I loved turtles.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
I did not know this.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
The problem began arose when everyone took it as an
excuse to not think about what to get me, but
just like, get me random turtle stuff that I didn't
really wants. My mom would anytime she would see something
with a turtle on it, she would get me it,
like even if I didn't. It was just the dumbest stuff.
(36:36):
Has it stopped?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Well, I had to tell her, like in college, just
like I have too much turtle stuff I just want
to get rid of all of this. I still like turtles,
but I'm not obsessed with them, and I was never obsessed.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
I just had like a collection of little turtles.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
If I had the option to like get something and
there was a turtle option, I'd always go with the turtle.
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
That was how it started, and it ended with too
much turtle stuff.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
So that was my thing.
Speaker 4 (37:11):
Yeah, it is always funny when collections are pushed on you,
which I do believe was probably most of my collections
as a child, but I did have a few.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Now I'm realizing the role of that is going. Okay.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
I talked about my snow baby collection in the books.
I'm gonna choose something different because it wasn't my only collection,
which was a weird one. I would dip my fingers
in hot wax and then wait for it to dry
and then peel it off, and they would for it
(37:47):
in like these little molds, and I would put them
into this like chest, this wooden chest, and just whenever
I had the opportunity to dip my fingers in wax.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
And how often do you have the opportunity, how often
do you come across wax?
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Well, I well, because another one of my collections was
candle snuffers, So I had candles like.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
To come off as this.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
I don't have any collections, and I don't know.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
I don't now, but I'm realized I'm just.
Speaker 4 (38:20):
Too good can yeah, yeah, I'm wow the things I've
blocked off, I did it enough. I had my own candles.
I would dip my fingers into the wax. Then I'd
use my candle snuffer and then when they were all dried.
I loved the sound of them. I was quite like
tactile person, so just to like put these little wax
(38:43):
finger molds back and forth between my hands, they'd create
such a nice, calming noise.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
It was my own like ASMR creation.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
And then I'd put them into this wooden box and
that lived under my bed. Wo yep, but you know
what mere exposure effect. You're judging me now, But if
I come in with any of these wax bolts on
my fingers, you're going to get into it. Uh huh, yup,
just you wait. Oh wow, Okay, that was weird. Well,
(39:21):
thanks everybody so much for listening for watching. As you know,
we have a YouTube channel. Uh so, if you have
not seen this on YouTube. Please go to our YouTube channel,
Frugal Friends Podcast subscribe. That's like the best way that
you can possibly support us. And we want to read
(39:45):
you one of our favorite comments on a YouTube video.
Maybe not a favorite, just a recent one. This is
just happening real time for you all. Okay, here we go.
A recent comment from real Classroom one two seven eight
(40:05):
says on one of our spending intervention videos between my
two sons, I spent about ten years in a row
taking advantage of all the free summer programs at the
public library.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Which one shot you know what?
Speaker 4 (40:18):
I had to do it on the fly, Jen, And
we love libr editing. So there's library.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
That's what I'm choosing.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (40:28):
So if you if you want there to be better
comments on our.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
YouTube videos, then go ahead subscribe.
Speaker 5 (40:35):
Comment on our YouTube videos. Let us know what you're.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
Collecting or what you used to collect if you can
cop me, ask us.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
To read your comment on the air and we will.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
Yeah, okay bye.
Speaker 3 (40:50):
Gorugal Friends is produced by Eric Siriani.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
Jen, what are your kids starting to collect? Probably Kai right,
he'd probably be into collections, nothing.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Like he likes iron Man right now. Okay, So, given
the options to consume something tangible, he prefers it to
be Iron Man themed.
Speaker 4 (41:31):
Oh cool, Yeah, I remember it used to be monster trucks,
but he's off of that now.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Monster trucks were big for a long time. They were
our potty training incentive of choice, and we still love them.
Atlas is getting into them, so that's really nice. I
think we'll take all the monster trucks away and then
six months later to start to potty train him and
(41:59):
then give them out again.
Speaker 5 (42:02):
Yeah, is my plan.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
So I still got about six months of playing and
cleaning up monster trucks before that, but yeah, yeah, that's
about it. The two year old doesn't collect anything.
Speaker 4 (42:22):
The two year old collects climbing. He climbs on things.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Eventually, yeah, climbing experiences collect climbing stuff.
Speaker 5 (42:32):
Yeah, probably
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