July 4, 2025 • 43 mins
If you think about it, proving your love for your country almost sounds too easy—just shop, and you’re goods! Feels like a win-win. Only it’s not. And worse, it usually costs you more. In this episode, we unpack the propaganda that’s shaped the idea of shopping as a patriotic act.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Propaganda how shopping became patriotic.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast, where you'll learn to
save money, embrace simplicity and life. Here your hosts Jen
and Jill.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Welcome to Frugal Friends. I'm Jen, I'm Jill. And we
mentioned in our Memorial Day episode which we will link to,
that not just the sales for Memorial Day and Fourth
of July get us to overspend on parties and food
and decor, but also that to an extent, shopping in
(00:45):
and of itself is patriotic and has been positioned via
selective advertising to be your civic duty and does impact
a lot of how you spend today. And that's what
we're diving into in this episode.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
But first, this episode is brought to you by the
Annual Finance Planner WOO. This is where you can see
everything at a glance. It is your one stop shop
for anything you've ever had to plan out, stay on
top of get organized in your life. Rather than having
(01:24):
docs and paperwork and receipts and things all over the place,
this is one spreadsheet with multiple tabs to help you
figure out when you should be doing your wellness checks
for insurance, home maintenance, schedule, auto maintenance schedule, travel rewards,
card track, our secondhand shopping list, benefits check, and a
(01:46):
ton of resources and links throughout it as well to
kind of help you know where to even look for
some of these things, things you might be forgetting, the
types of benefits that you could be asking for. So
it is just chock full of everything all in one
that you could possibly need, and we are influencing you
to buy that one.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Frugal friendspodcast dot com slash planner.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I made it because I was the person that had
all the different docs and the sheets and even notes apps,
and I just wanted one place that was also mobile
optimized because you know, we love mobile optimized for everything.
And so all I did was I had Goldie make
it pretty and offer it to you guys. So there
(02:29):
will be a link in if you get the front letter.
We do offer occasional links to get that at fifty
percent off, So definitely head to Frugal friendspodcast dot com
to get on the friend letter and check the link
for the link to the annual finance Planner.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, so we've said something pretty pretty saucy, pretty spicy here.
We saw what we said that shopping is becoming patriotic.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
How is that become patriotic since the forties?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, I mean potentially even before that. But yeah, I
mean we can at least point at least to the forties.
The government and companies definitely want to tie our spending
to patriotism. I think it is helpful to define propaganda first,
So here's a little dictionary moment for you. It is
a form of communication aimed at influencing opinions, beliefs, or
(03:24):
actions by presenting information selectively, often in a biased or
misleading way, to achieve a desired outcome. So companies benefit
when you shop, and they will utilize this type of propaganda.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, propaganda in and of itself is not negative. It's neutral,
but the way people use it is typically negative. They
will leave out information that does not serve the greater purpose.
And that is truly what the government has done throughout
the decades in different ways to lead us to these
(04:00):
spending habits that we have, and we don't necessarily know
why we have them. So throughout this episode, we're going
to go through four instances in history where the government
has influenced how we should spend and how that's resulted
in the spending habits we have today, so that you
can recognize that your spending may have been systematically decided
(04:24):
for you, and so you can decide whether you want
to continue or change. So the first area of history
that we're going to look at is World War One
and World War two, and so this is where things
started where the government started to get involved with our spending,
(04:47):
and that is through buying war bonds.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, they were strategically positioned as a way to support
the troops by buying these bonds that you could then
event ually turn back in at small amounts of interest.
But this was the messaging to consumers and citizens was
(05:11):
buy a war bond, and they would utilize slogans This
was so interesting to me. They would pray upon and
this happens today too, praying upon really the eras xenophobia,
framing enemies to drive some of this financial support. So
slogans like buy a bond, beat a hunt, which is
(05:32):
a very derogatory term for the Nazi soldiers at the time,
So again playing into kind of the ideas that people
had about their enemies and saying this is one way
that you can participate in winning the war. Supporting the
troops by a war bond. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
The government really does thrive when we have something to do, right.
They love when we shop. And so in this time,
there wasn't a lot of consumer goods to buy. There
was rations you couldn't and so with a lot of
free time, what and you know, not a lot of
money going around in the economy, war bonds were a
(06:15):
way that people could participate and the government kind of
like keeps the toddlers busy for a minute.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Another slogan was save freedom of speech, buy war bonds.
So by doing this, you are preserving your right to
free speech.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
And even cartoons like Mickey Mouse Bugs Money, they were
used in ads to promote buying war bonds. So this
was the first time in history where we really see
the government putting themselves in how people should be spending
money and investing. So the second part of history is
(06:54):
after the war, So post war consumerism is where the
government was encouraging people to spend money. So after World
War Two, the US promoted capitalism and consumption as defenses
against communism, So they encouraged people buy cars, buy homes,
(07:15):
buy modern appliances, and celebrate freedom and American prosperity, so
viewing yourself as better than communists, this is how you
can like actively do that is buy newer cars, newer homes,
(07:36):
newer appliances.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
And it's interesting. We found a quote from economist Victor
Lebau who said in nineteen fifty five, our enormously productive
economy depends that demands that we make consumption.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Our way of life.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Buying things, discarding them and buying them again is the
very essence of the American way.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
How much you crazy?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Does that sound? It is so true though we don't realize,
Like sometimes I see like people asking on Instagram and YouTube,
like how did we get this way? How did we
become such a single use economy, such a single use society?
(08:22):
And this is why people actively told our grandparents and
our parents that in order to keep the American economy running,
we have to purchase and discard and purchase again an upgrade.
That was the way we keep America running.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, and specifically women because historically women have been the
ones to manage the money of the household. That doesn't
mean that they were earning or had a lot of
autonomy to build wealth, but manage the money and so
women were marketed to that it was their patriotics civic
duty to purchase new appliances for the kitchen, buy beauty products.
(09:05):
This is how you keep the nation alive is by
doing these things. And my goodness, what kind of messaging
that is, and how how much of a purpose that
then adds to my purchase?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Well, okay, I have to do It's not that I
want to buy these new things. I also have to.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
But also, like women are not women in the fifties
and women now are not different. We see women like
owning businesses and in the workforce. Right, women were not
different in the fifties. They were just not allowed or
accepted in a lot of places. And so you've get
(09:43):
women who've got their first taste of being in the
workforce and being autonomous, you know, with Rosie the riveter,
like participating working on machines, and then instantly they have
to go back to being perfect little homemakers and housewives
and they're dissatisfied. So I think this was another way
(10:04):
that propaganda could keep women in the home by saying,
you're doing your part, your patriotic duty by buying things,
and if I can't work to make money, then I'm
gonna work to buy things because again, like we all
need something to do, we all need something to put
(10:26):
our hands to and to feel purpose. And children are great.
I love my children, but they are not enough for me.
For some women they can be, but for many women
they are not. And so this is I think where
we see the beginning of women being they were already
(10:48):
the primary purchasers of their household, but being seen as consumers.
So men are workers and women are consumers, and so
I think that is a big reason why today you
see so many women on social media like overshopping, over consumption,
(11:09):
all of this it stems back from the fifties.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Which is almost a whole other topic, but they are
all connected. Have the types of ways that we are
marketed to as citizens, but then also how we're marketed
to depending on our gender.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
There's so much.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
If you want to see an episode on the differences
in the way women are marketed to versus men, let
us know in the comments, because that is an episode
I have been interested in making. And I don't know
if it's just me, but yeah, there were ads literally
saying you're not just buying a washing machine, you're supporting
(11:49):
American industry.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So yeah, that is there, It is right there.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, let me know, let me know in the comments
if you want to see that. Yeah, I mean see
it now too.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
That the purpose is always tied to us spending now
never an emotional connection can be made.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
That's going to come in soon.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Jumping ahead a few decades. The next example that we
have is nine to eleven. So after the terrorist attacks,
President George W. Bush at the time encouraged Americans to
go shopping after these attacks, saying, even get down to
Disney World, go to Florida, take your families, and enjoy
(12:32):
life the way we want it to be enjoyed, kind
of sending this message to the terrorists that our American
way of life cannot be disrupted and that shopping was
kind of our way of showing American resilience.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
So from the fifties to two thousand and one, there
were different little things that changed our shopping habits. But
I think what was key in two thousand and one
is that was the foundation of when the the tech boom,
the internet boom, was happening. Before then, we didn't really
(13:08):
have all of the availability and ease of shopping. And
even when he said that we didn't have that that
was you really did have to leave your house. People
in two thousand and one two thousand and two were
afraid to leave their houses. That was another tool that
is used against this a lot is fear, and people
were staying home. They didn't want to be in the
(13:32):
next place that was potentially attacked for like really good reason.
So that was kind of the key to the message,
is that don't let outside people make you fear being
an American, and you can be an American by going shopping.
(13:52):
And so with that kind of as the foundation, then
the Internet and Amazon have that foundation to grow off of.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, and during that time, Americans bought homes and cars
in record quantities. From October through December, consumption soared up
to six percent that year.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And you might not be surprised by that in knowing
that two thousand and eight there was a housing.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Crash and then we experienced what we experienced.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Right, So, yeah, we have this and people shopping at
record rates and then the housing crisis where jobs are lost,
and we kind of have this small reset of sorts,
but then we quickly this gives way for a lot
of people to build wealth in real estate. And we
(14:50):
quickly have this rebound to jump forward to twenty twenty,
and so this is our most recent boom in consumerism
and how shopping has been patriotic, but in a slight shift.
(15:11):
So now instead of support, there is still some like
marketing that is like supporting troops. And I'll come back
around to that. But I think there was a key
shift in twenty twenty when we all had to stay
home from work. We were all very well versed in
(15:33):
the internet. We'd had it, We've had it for twenty years,
and so we all have an Amazon account. So online
consumption started to boom and a lot of things happened
in twenty twenty, not just COVID, and consumerism shifted to activism.
(15:54):
So if you wanted to fight back against what a
political party was doing, you could shop to support this cause,
or you can shop from this local business owner, what
have you. And it can all be done online. And
we've got social media now, something that we didn't have
in two thousand and one, telling us these are the
(16:17):
causes that need your support, these are the people that
need your support, these are the injustices. And so it
also becomes so overwhelming because there's so many people who
need help in this time, and we all get stimulus checks.
So that is a way a lot of people were
(16:37):
able to show their activism and invest in different communities
and people. And we have a new the current I
would say, uprising of political or activist spending.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Yeah, and that's a tough one a bit, because we
do want money is power and we can we talk
all the time about voting with our dollar and being
able to put our money towards into local businesses, into
the types of businesses that we want to support. So
(17:16):
there is something to tease apart with that to say, yep,
there's these messages. Be aware of the messages, but then
also eyes wide open in what your dollar is doing
and where it's going. Because some of this we do
agree with, and you'll hear us say yeah, buy local, Yeah,
pour the businesses around you, you know, buy from the
(17:37):
people who are doing good things with the money, putting
it back into the community.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
But also understand that just like there was propaganda in
the forties, the fifties, the two thousands, it's still happening
now and not just from the government, but companies benefit
when you feel insecure, when you feel afraid and when
you want to act and that they prey on your empathy,
(18:05):
they prey on your insecurity. We all want to be
accepted and one of the ways that we can be
accepted is by joining similar causes to people who are
you know, are in need. So we recognize that that's
(18:25):
a good thing. But also some of the people in
need you may not be getting the full picture. And
so we've seen stories like that too, where there's this
rise in like go fundme scams we covered in our
scam episode. These you know, quote unquote older people who
(18:48):
are having to shut down their business and or need
support to keep their business open and will pray on
that for you to buy their products, when really they
are just p products from like Sheen or Timu or
something from China. It's not like real So people are
praying on this desire for activist spending. And even still
(19:13):
like there is marketing that's targeted to like veterans and
supporting the military and veteran owned businesses and supporting you know,
people who have similar political parties as you. So this
(19:33):
is still in the realm of government as well. Yeah,
but it's transcended.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Yeah. Yeah, I like the advertising as activism how you're
describing that and also selling a lifestyle too. You know,
I think we've heard people talk about the American dream
ad nauseum, and that means different things to different people,
but it is still being utilized as a marketing technique
to sell some version of the American dream.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
We saw a lot of examples of this.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Rocket Mortgage had a own the Dream ad in the
twenty twenty five Super Bowl commercial. There's an example of
Northwestern Mutual who also did an American Dream campaign, and
the ad highlights that the American dream can vary for
different people, but it is encompassing this idea of financial independence,
(20:25):
career fulfillment, personal growth. Really selling this idea of this
is what it is to be an American and it
includes these things of buying from our business and achieving
some of these things that might look to be a
version of success, whether that's the type of house you
have or the car that you drive. Ikea, which this
(20:47):
is very funny to me that Ikea did an American
Dream campaign. Yea as not an American company. It's like
they see what works for us.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, it is so funny because I also see on
the other end of the spectrum like people saying the
American dream is dead, but it's definitely not dead. In marketing,
it's definitely still working. People like companies wouldn't do it
if it wasn't working, right, Ikia wouldn't have an ad
about the American Dream if it.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Wasn't what they play on it though, It's like, yeah,
their ad is where did the American Dream go? So
even the fact that that concept is still circulating within
our vernacular is a huge part of this.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Yeah, so where do we go from here? So now
that we know kind of why this like spending is
so ingrained in us and it was really just leading
to this idea of like activist spending, where do we
go from here? I think it's still important that we
(21:49):
don't just like rag on activists spending. I do believe
in that, Like you were saying, I do think that
you vote with your dollar. I think you we focus
so much on voting once a year in a polling booth,
(22:09):
but you do vote every day with where you spend
your money. And I think that's far more important because
where you spend your money the people you're giving your
money to. Those are the people who are bank rolling elections.
So I think that's super important, and I think we
should keep as many of our dollars local and in
(22:30):
small businesses as possible. But supporting small businesses doesn't always
have to cost money. It's not always having to spend
more to support these because that you have that issue
as well. It does cost more to buy to shop
at a smaller grocery store or a farmer's market or
(22:54):
you know, a locally owned place. Yeah, and we do
think that that's worth it. If you're going to buy something,
if you want quality, maybe skip buying a thing and
use that money to be able to spend more to
support local Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
I think ultimately this can help us to tease apart
what is the messaging from the actual product, Because no,
me buying a Subaru is not me buying an enjoyable
life living in the woods with my dog, like they're
selling you a lifestyle with the messaging. Fine, if you
want a Subaru, but let's tease a part some of this,
(23:31):
the ways that they're preying upon our emotions or our
patriotism or lack of patriotism, just to get you to
spend your money. Be sure that if you want purpose
behind your spending, that you know that your purchase is
going to accomplish that purpose and you're not being scammed
lied to propaganda too. And so along with that, things
(23:52):
that you can do that don't even require you to
spend your money include leaving a quick review to support
your local businesses, so that is free. It helps to
get them noticed. Yeah, it takes a little bit of
our time, but if you've enjoyed a produce, stand a
local restaurant, a service they did good quality work, reviews
(24:13):
go such a long while.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Spend an afternoon a time that you were going to
scroll on Instagram or TikTok and instead of opening the
social media app, just go on to Google and start
reviewing local businesses that you have been.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
To, or the Google Friends podcast.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
And subscribe to Frugal Friends on YouTube because we are
a small business, and yeah, do things like that to
help local businesses, local creators, local service providers. A lot
of local businesses are service providers too, so like your
lawn team and your laundry teams and mats and stuff.
(24:56):
So that could be a great way that you a
skip a you know, thirty minute session scrolling on social
media if you're trying to do less of that and
you're voting with your time where you choose to spend
your time.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
And when you are on social media, liking a post,
sharing a post, commenting on a post of a local business,
a service, whoever it is, that can also really help
these businesses have engagement visibility find new customers. So there's
another freeway to see.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
When you comment on something or like something, that gets
a further reach that that business doesn't have to pay for.
So if you see it and you comment on it,
then an algorithm could push that out to two more
people and that business didn't have to pay for that
extra push. It doesn't have to be anything insightful. Could
just be love this, like yeah, and like on our videos,
(25:55):
comment love this and give it a lot yeah, or
all of your favorite YouTubers please like, especially the ones
with you know, one hundred thousand subscribers or less like
they could Truly, if they're putting out good educational content
and you like it, then you can support them by
doing that.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Like we've already said, choosing local whenever possible, I mean,
do your research on the companies and make sure that
you feel comfortable about spending the money if it's within
the budget. Grate if it's not, because it's not always
going to be. Sometimes it's a lot more expensive and
just not feasible to buy something more local. Then maybe
(26:36):
it would be from a big box store. That's okay,
we're not going to hit the mark every single time.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
We're not.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
There's no like perfection to be found here, but whenever possible,
let's do that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
I think something is simple as meal planning so that
you can so Yeah, for me, like it's too expensive
for me to shop at the local grocery stores. I
buy my groceries at Walmart or ald but then I
make a meal plan and I try to eat all
(27:09):
that food, So then I am not eating at fast
food chains that are you know big like franchises or
you know big I don't know corporate entities, right, so
I'm choosing I will put my money here, and yes
it's not one hundred percent of like everything I agree with,
(27:30):
but I'm also doing what I can to avoid putting
my money in all of these other places too. So
it's like that eighty twenty role. We are never going
to be perfect, and I think this illusion of perfection
this is another like advertising technique. Again, Businesses make money.
When you feel vulnerable or insecure, when we can't be perfect,
(27:55):
then we just decide to not do anything, or that
all of our efforts are for nothing and they're not.
Like we talk about meal planning as a way to
save money, and it's so that you don't have to
put that money into you know, big corporations, and so
then when you have date night, you can afford to
(28:16):
go to a locally owned, nice restaurant's. So that's kind
of how we do it.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Or by quality over quantity on something tangible. Another way
that you can support local businesses is to show up
to the free local events. Just your presence contributes to
places being seen, being able to grow, and telling your
friends about the different businesses and services that you've liked,
(28:44):
helping them find new customers. Honestly, for local companies, referrals
are the biggest way that they get business and so
you are a part of that process by being a referral.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
And I think we ultimately, like first we'll think of
like restaurants and places that you know, coffee shops, but
providers are super important. Your mechanic, your oil change guy,
like all of these people who provide services to you.
If you like them, telling people like, hey, this person
(29:15):
did really good work, they were well priced and I
like them. That is so helpful to people and Facebook
can be a good platform for that. I don't know
if I would do it in a group because it
could sound like your sponsored or putting it on your
social media in your Instagram. So whatever, it's helpful for
(29:41):
the people around you, it's helpful for the business. And
just lastly, reiterate you vote with your dollars. So if
you want to push back against this idea of like
patriotic shopping and that your worth to the country is
(30:02):
as a consumer, then view every dollar you spend as
a vote on what you want to happen where you live.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
And also recognizing that what we do with our time
is important too, like that we don't have to be
spending money in order to have purpose or have a
hand in activism and advocacy. Like all of the free
examples we just gave about ways that we can show
support for the things that matter.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah, start small, and even just a small change in
how you spend over time can can lead to more
and more habits that have a big difference.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Do you know what else is super helpful? And I
do tell people about every single time.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
And is not propaganda. We give the full context the
bill of the week.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
That's right, it's time for the best minute of your
entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name
is Williams. Maybe you've paid off your mortgage, 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 5 (31:28):
Hi, jenn and Jill. I just moved to a new
town from Seattle down to Texas.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
And we just paid our.
Speaker 5 (31:40):
Local library thirty five dollars because our new home is
technically outside of city limits. And I'm just psyched to
pay my library thirty five dollars because one, I love books,
and renting books helped me save money for myself and
my daughter. And two, I don't know anyone in my
new town, and so we've been going to free events
(32:03):
at the library and meeting other parents, and it's been
a great way to build community in a new place.
So I am stoked to give my local library thirty
five dollars a year so I can enjoy these activities. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
I fully support libraries. That is where you should be
putting your money libraries advocacy.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Groups' just a one issue voter.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
I am a one issue voter, and it's on the
support and funding of libraries.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
This is so great. We love that you don't mind
paying this.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
I love five dollars a year. I mean, for most
of us, libraries are just all the way free. I'm
so sad that you live too far outside.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
They don't even let me pay late fees anymore. They
took away late fees. Yeah, they just auto renew it
for you, and so then you have the opportunity to
just bring it in late. It's I can't say a
bad thing about the life.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
We're tired. They were so tired of fighting people on
late fees.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Good, I mean good for them. I just the library
does so much for so many.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
Yeah, yes, and thirty five a year. That is a
small amount to enjoy everything they have to offer, all
of the books, all of the enjoyment. Well done, Sarah
would love this, you sill. And if you all are
listening and you have a bill that you want to submit,
if it has to do with a bill, you don't
mind paying. If you are a one issue voter and
(33:29):
that issue is libraries, and you want to talk about that.
If your name is Bill and you work at a
library or literally you've got anything vaguely related to a
Bill Frugal friendspodcast dot com slash Bill, leave it for us.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
We can't wait to hear it.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
And now it's time for the lightning row.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
All right, today's lightning round question. What's something you spent
money on recently to support a local business? Oh gosh, well,
can I look at my transactions real quick?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Yeah? I love this? Okay, yeah, yeah I do. I
can go first.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
So we just paid somebody to detail our car?
Speaker 4 (34:19):
You did? Yep?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Yeah, you were there for that. You know, I'm not lying,
not that I lie that often. But they there is
a mobile I mean these exist everywhere, but around us
there's a mobile car detailer. Who our office, our shared
co working space where we have the studio, has this
(34:43):
mobile car detailer come, I don't know, once a quarter maybe,
And we found out that this person was coming in
our car has been dirty, so so dirty.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
She doesn't know what dirty is.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
She doesn't have to. You're right, I don't have children,
but my.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Dog threw up in my car this morning.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
That's very filthy, actually, my car was dirty. Your car
sounds filthy, and.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
We kept meaning to clean this vehicle ourselves. We do
love going to our local car wash to do this,
but the thought of not needing to do it, and
to support somebody else to give him the business that
day was everything. And now our car is so spick
and span. I've been saying I'm at the pinnacle lately.
(35:41):
I feel like I'm at the pinnacle. Wow. My home,
my renovations are done for now done on the home.
The car is spotless, my house is clean. I have
a meal plan. And I'm not saying this like well,
I I mean it feels great, but also to recognize
like it is also only downhill from here. You never
(36:04):
experience everything converging like this all at once.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
So I am also a little scared, but it feels great.
Oh for this.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Moment in time. I love very short lived moment. Yeah,
I love that for you.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Okay, what about you?
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I have two.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
So.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
The first one is we just got our dog Spade
at Operation Snip, which is a nonprofit that works to
get as many dogs spade and neutered as possible.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
It sounds like a wild goal.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
That's it's a really good goal if you don't want
like all a bunch of dogs running around everywhere.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
Do we have a problem with stray dogs?
Speaker 1 (36:48):
I know we don't because we have Operation Snip. We
pay for that. They offer affordable spade and neuter, and
then also like provide the surfaces to dogs who can't
afford to you know, dogs you don't.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
Have got dogs lazy dogs.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah, so that one. And then also we had my
birthday party at a local coffee shop called Poor and Decor.
It's very fancy, and they if you go to my
Instagram at Modern Frugality, you'll see this the last picture
I posted from like months ago. Uh and they put
(37:28):
happy birthday on my lot.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
On it. Uh.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
So they are actually a locally owned part like part
of a like a family of businesses almost you know
Mazarro's which also I recently went there for lunch, which
is a fantastic like locally owned Italian restaurant, and the
(37:54):
family member of the you know that family and believe
they own porn decre I could be wrong, but I
think they're part of the same.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Conglomeration family.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I literally call it a conglomerate literally bloodline. So yeah,
those are my most recent ones. We do not go
out much, but.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
But it sounds like you're doing it.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
We're trying. We're trying to plan a date night to
another locally owned restaurant.
Speaker 5 (38:34):
Whatever.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
In the comments on YouTube, what you do to support
local businesses?
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, let us know how you vote with your dollar,
because I think we could all use an expansion of
our mind on how to do that. It is a
foreign concept, I think for a lot of people, and
I would love to hear how other people are doing it.
So thank you so much much for watching, so much
(39:01):
for listening. Yes, we love your kind reviews, your kind comments,
whether that's on Spotify or Amazon. If you buy our book,
we hope you buy our book at a local bookshop
or get it from the library. But if you have,
and you could leave a review on Amazon.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Because you know here Amazon, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
If you're going to get a book from the library,
where you're going to look for reviews of that book,
You're going to Amazon. So if you could leave a
review there, you don't have to purchase it there, but
you can still leave a review there, like Noira Martinez
did five Stars. I adore this book. I read it
cover to cover within days of receiving it, and can
honestly say that this book delves not only into the
(39:47):
process by which you can choose your priorities and spend accordingly,
but also into the psychology behind our spending and money practices.
These two authors are personable and make you feel as
though a friend is chatting to you over coffee. Already,
purchase two more books for friends and family.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Oooh yeah noirah, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Buy what you Love Without Going Broke is available wherever
you buy books and wherever you check out books hopefully,
and if it's not, go to buy what you loovebook
dot com. We've got instructions on how to request it
at your library.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
So, speaking of supporting things you love and believe in,
if you are loving this, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Even if you're not a YouTube person, Just hop on
over to YouTube and hit subscribe. You never have to
visit it again. But it don't help us never again. Uh,
comment on a video, like a video, h leave a
review on our podcast, leave a review of our book
(40:45):
Freeways that you can support us in exchange for of
scrolling instead of scrolling.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
And other creators who are also trying to say the
same things about anti consumerism and conscious conception and if
that's what you're into, we'll see you next time. Grugal
Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
That party at poor Into Court I missed because.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
I was not going to throw you under the bus.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Not I'm throwing myself because I was not at the
pinnacle of my life. Then I did miss my birthday. Well,
it wasn't a real, like big party. I just invited
like five girls.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
I really wanted to be there with me.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
I was looking forward to it, and then I got
swept up in my renovations.
Speaker 4 (41:47):
And totally forgot.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
But to pull myself out of from being under the
bus the day before, we did do a lot of
things Birthday. We did decorated the office, we went out
to lunch. I made you a special drinky drink.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, I did not feel like you forgot.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
I did not forget because you were forget the coffee shop.
Speaker 4 (42:16):
Hang.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
But you know what, it also helped me to get
my renovations done sooner so that I can now be
at the pinnacle of my life. I don't know how
long it's gonna last for, but I'm really and I
don't know how it's going to benefit me.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
But I am pleased that you're at the pinnacle of
your life.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
Yeah, well, because it can be contagious, right.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Hasn't been so far. I feel, I feel other things,
But I am absolutely not a joy for you to
be at this part in your life.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
I am.
Speaker 4 (42:56):
Yeah, check in next week, we'll see where we're at.
But for now, yeah, we'll see
Propaganda how shopping became patriotic.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome to the Frugal Friends podcast, where you'll learn to
save money, embrace simplicity and life. Here your hosts Jen
and Jill.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Welcome to Frugal Friends. I'm Jen, I'm Jill. And we
mentioned in our Memorial Day episode which we will link to,
that not just the sales for Memorial Day and Fourth
of July get us to overspend on parties and food
and decor, but also that to an extent, shopping in
(00:45):
and of itself is patriotic and has been positioned via
selective advertising to be your civic duty and does impact
a lot of how you spend today. And that's what
we're diving into in this episode.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
But first, this episode is brought to you by the
Annual Finance Planner WOO. This is where you can see
everything at a glance. It is your one stop shop
for anything you've ever had to plan out, stay on
top of get organized in your life. Rather than having
(01:24):
docs and paperwork and receipts and things all over the place,
this is one spreadsheet with multiple tabs to help you
figure out when you should be doing your wellness checks
for insurance, home maintenance, schedule, auto maintenance schedule, travel rewards,
card track, our secondhand shopping list, benefits check, and a
(01:46):
ton of resources and links throughout it as well to
kind of help you know where to even look for
some of these things, things you might be forgetting, the
types of benefits that you could be asking for. So
it is just chock full of everything all in one
that you could possibly need, and we are influencing you
to buy that one.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Frugal friendspodcast dot com slash planner.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I made it because I was the person that had
all the different docs and the sheets and even notes apps,
and I just wanted one place that was also mobile
optimized because you know, we love mobile optimized for everything.
And so all I did was I had Goldie make
it pretty and offer it to you guys. So there
(02:29):
will be a link in if you get the front letter.
We do offer occasional links to get that at fifty
percent off, So definitely head to Frugal friendspodcast dot com
to get on the friend letter and check the link
for the link to the annual finance Planner.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, so we've said something pretty pretty saucy, pretty spicy here.
We saw what we said that shopping is becoming patriotic.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
How is that become patriotic since the forties?
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, I mean potentially even before that. But yeah, I
mean we can at least point at least to the forties.
The government and companies definitely want to tie our spending
to patriotism. I think it is helpful to define propaganda first,
So here's a little dictionary moment for you. It is
a form of communication aimed at influencing opinions, beliefs, or
(03:24):
actions by presenting information selectively, often in a biased or
misleading way, to achieve a desired outcome. So companies benefit
when you shop, and they will utilize this type of propaganda.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, propaganda in and of itself is not negative. It's neutral,
but the way people use it is typically negative. They
will leave out information that does not serve the greater purpose.
And that is truly what the government has done throughout
the decades in different ways to lead us to these
(04:00):
spending habits that we have, and we don't necessarily know
why we have them. So throughout this episode, we're going
to go through four instances in history where the government
has influenced how we should spend and how that's resulted
in the spending habits we have today, so that you
can recognize that your spending may have been systematically decided
(04:24):
for you, and so you can decide whether you want
to continue or change. So the first area of history
that we're going to look at is World War One
and World War two, and so this is where things
started where the government started to get involved with our spending,
(04:47):
and that is through buying war bonds.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Yeah, they were strategically positioned as a way to support
the troops by buying these bonds that you could then
event ually turn back in at small amounts of interest.
But this was the messaging to consumers and citizens was
(05:11):
buy a war bond, and they would utilize slogans This
was so interesting to me. They would pray upon and
this happens today too, praying upon really the eras xenophobia,
framing enemies to drive some of this financial support. So
slogans like buy a bond, beat a hunt, which is
(05:32):
a very derogatory term for the Nazi soldiers at the time,
So again playing into kind of the ideas that people
had about their enemies and saying this is one way
that you can participate in winning the war. Supporting the
troops by a war bond. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
The government really does thrive when we have something to do, right.
They love when we shop. And so in this time,
there wasn't a lot of consumer goods to buy. There
was rations you couldn't and so with a lot of
free time, what and you know, not a lot of
money going around in the economy, war bonds were a
(06:15):
way that people could participate and the government kind of
like keeps the toddlers busy for a minute.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Another slogan was save freedom of speech, buy war bonds.
So by doing this, you are preserving your right to
free speech.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
And even cartoons like Mickey Mouse Bugs Money, they were
used in ads to promote buying war bonds. So this
was the first time in history where we really see
the government putting themselves in how people should be spending
money and investing. So the second part of history is
(06:54):
after the war, So post war consumerism is where the
government was encouraging people to spend money. So after World
War Two, the US promoted capitalism and consumption as defenses
against communism, So they encouraged people buy cars, buy homes,
(07:15):
buy modern appliances, and celebrate freedom and American prosperity, so
viewing yourself as better than communists, this is how you
can like actively do that is buy newer cars, newer homes,
(07:36):
newer appliances.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
And it's interesting. We found a quote from economist Victor
Lebau who said in nineteen fifty five, our enormously productive
economy depends that demands that we make consumption.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Our way of life.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Buying things, discarding them and buying them again is the
very essence of the American way.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
How much you crazy?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Does that sound? It is so true though we don't realize,
Like sometimes I see like people asking on Instagram and YouTube,
like how did we get this way? How did we
become such a single use economy, such a single use society?
(08:22):
And this is why people actively told our grandparents and
our parents that in order to keep the American economy running,
we have to purchase and discard and purchase again an upgrade.
That was the way we keep America running.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, and specifically women because historically women have been the
ones to manage the money of the household. That doesn't
mean that they were earning or had a lot of
autonomy to build wealth, but manage the money and so
women were marketed to that it was their patriotics civic
duty to purchase new appliances for the kitchen, buy beauty products.
(09:05):
This is how you keep the nation alive is by
doing these things. And my goodness, what kind of messaging
that is, and how how much of a purpose that
then adds to my purchase?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Well, okay, I have to do It's not that I
want to buy these new things. I also have to.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
But also, like women are not women in the fifties
and women now are not different. We see women like
owning businesses and in the workforce. Right, women were not
different in the fifties. They were just not allowed or
accepted in a lot of places. And so you've get
(09:43):
women who've got their first taste of being in the
workforce and being autonomous, you know, with Rosie the riveter,
like participating working on machines, and then instantly they have
to go back to being perfect little homemakers and housewives
and they're dissatisfied. So I think this was another way
(10:04):
that propaganda could keep women in the home by saying,
you're doing your part, your patriotic duty by buying things,
and if I can't work to make money, then I'm
gonna work to buy things because again, like we all
need something to do, we all need something to put
(10:26):
our hands to and to feel purpose. And children are great.
I love my children, but they are not enough for me.
For some women they can be, but for many women
they are not. And so this is I think where
we see the beginning of women being they were already
(10:48):
the primary purchasers of their household, but being seen as consumers.
So men are workers and women are consumers, and so
I think that is a big reason why today you
see so many women on social media like overshopping, over consumption,
(11:09):
all of this it stems back from the fifties.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Which is almost a whole other topic, but they are
all connected. Have the types of ways that we are
marketed to as citizens, but then also how we're marketed
to depending on our gender.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
There's so much.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
If you want to see an episode on the differences
in the way women are marketed to versus men, let
us know in the comments, because that is an episode
I have been interested in making. And I don't know
if it's just me, but yeah, there were ads literally
saying you're not just buying a washing machine, you're supporting
(11:49):
American industry.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So yeah, that is there, It is right there.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, let me know, let me know in the comments
if you want to see that. Yeah, I mean see
it now too.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
That the purpose is always tied to us spending now
never an emotional connection can be made.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
That's going to come in soon.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Jumping ahead a few decades. The next example that we
have is nine to eleven. So after the terrorist attacks,
President George W. Bush at the time encouraged Americans to
go shopping after these attacks, saying, even get down to
Disney World, go to Florida, take your families, and enjoy
(12:32):
life the way we want it to be enjoyed, kind
of sending this message to the terrorists that our American
way of life cannot be disrupted and that shopping was
kind of our way of showing American resilience.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
So from the fifties to two thousand and one, there
were different little things that changed our shopping habits. But
I think what was key in two thousand and one
is that was the foundation of when the the tech boom,
the internet boom, was happening. Before then, we didn't really
(13:08):
have all of the availability and ease of shopping. And
even when he said that we didn't have that that
was you really did have to leave your house. People
in two thousand and one two thousand and two were
afraid to leave their houses. That was another tool that
is used against this a lot is fear, and people
were staying home. They didn't want to be in the
(13:32):
next place that was potentially attacked for like really good reason.
So that was kind of the key to the message,
is that don't let outside people make you fear being
an American, and you can be an American by going shopping.
(13:52):
And so with that kind of as the foundation, then
the Internet and Amazon have that foundation to grow off of.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, and during that time, Americans bought homes and cars
in record quantities. From October through December, consumption soared up
to six percent that year.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And you might not be surprised by that in knowing
that two thousand and eight there was a housing.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Crash and then we experienced what we experienced.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Right, So, yeah, we have this and people shopping at
record rates and then the housing crisis where jobs are lost,
and we kind of have this small reset of sorts,
but then we quickly this gives way for a lot
of people to build wealth in real estate. And we
(14:50):
quickly have this rebound to jump forward to twenty twenty,
and so this is our most recent boom in consumerism
and how shopping has been patriotic, but in a slight shift.
(15:11):
So now instead of support, there is still some like
marketing that is like supporting troops. And I'll come back
around to that. But I think there was a key
shift in twenty twenty when we all had to stay
home from work. We were all very well versed in
(15:33):
the internet. We'd had it, We've had it for twenty years,
and so we all have an Amazon account. So online
consumption started to boom and a lot of things happened
in twenty twenty, not just COVID, and consumerism shifted to activism.
(15:54):
So if you wanted to fight back against what a
political party was doing, you could shop to support this cause,
or you can shop from this local business owner, what
have you. And it can all be done online. And
we've got social media now, something that we didn't have
in two thousand and one, telling us these are the
(16:17):
causes that need your support, these are the people that
need your support, these are the injustices. And so it
also becomes so overwhelming because there's so many people who
need help in this time, and we all get stimulus checks.
So that is a way a lot of people were
(16:37):
able to show their activism and invest in different communities
and people. And we have a new the current I
would say, uprising of political or activist spending.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Yeah, and that's a tough one a bit, because we
do want money is power and we can we talk
all the time about voting with our dollar and being
able to put our money towards into local businesses, into
the types of businesses that we want to support. So
(17:16):
there is something to tease apart with that to say, yep,
there's these messages. Be aware of the messages, but then
also eyes wide open in what your dollar is doing
and where it's going. Because some of this we do
agree with, and you'll hear us say yeah, buy local, Yeah,
pour the businesses around you, you know, buy from the
(17:37):
people who are doing good things with the money, putting
it back into the community.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
But also understand that just like there was propaganda in
the forties, the fifties, the two thousands, it's still happening
now and not just from the government, but companies benefit
when you feel insecure, when you feel afraid and when
you want to act and that they prey on your empathy,
(18:05):
they prey on your insecurity. We all want to be
accepted and one of the ways that we can be
accepted is by joining similar causes to people who are
you know, are in need. So we recognize that that's
(18:25):
a good thing. But also some of the people in
need you may not be getting the full picture. And
so we've seen stories like that too, where there's this
rise in like go fundme scams we covered in our
scam episode. These you know, quote unquote older people who
(18:48):
are having to shut down their business and or need
support to keep their business open and will pray on
that for you to buy their products, when really they
are just p products from like Sheen or Timu or
something from China. It's not like real So people are
praying on this desire for activist spending. And even still
(19:13):
like there is marketing that's targeted to like veterans and
supporting the military and veteran owned businesses and supporting you know,
people who have similar political parties as you. So this
(19:33):
is still in the realm of government as well. Yeah,
but it's transcended.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Yeah. Yeah, I like the advertising as activism how you're
describing that and also selling a lifestyle too. You know,
I think we've heard people talk about the American dream
ad nauseum, and that means different things to different people,
but it is still being utilized as a marketing technique
to sell some version of the American dream.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
We saw a lot of examples of this.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Rocket Mortgage had a own the Dream ad in the
twenty twenty five Super Bowl commercial. There's an example of
Northwestern Mutual who also did an American Dream campaign, and
the ad highlights that the American dream can vary for
different people, but it is encompassing this idea of financial independence,
(20:25):
career fulfillment, personal growth. Really selling this idea of this
is what it is to be an American and it
includes these things of buying from our business and achieving
some of these things that might look to be a
version of success, whether that's the type of house you
have or the car that you drive. Ikea, which this
(20:47):
is very funny to me that Ikea did an American
Dream campaign. Yea as not an American company. It's like
they see what works for us.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Yeah, it is so funny because I also see on
the other end of the spectrum like people saying the
American dream is dead, but it's definitely not dead. In marketing,
it's definitely still working. People like companies wouldn't do it
if it wasn't working, right, Ikia wouldn't have an ad
about the American Dream if it.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Wasn't what they play on it though, It's like, yeah,
their ad is where did the American Dream go? So
even the fact that that concept is still circulating within
our vernacular is a huge part of this.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Yeah, so where do we go from here? So now
that we know kind of why this like spending is
so ingrained in us and it was really just leading
to this idea of like activist spending, where do we
go from here? I think it's still important that we
(21:49):
don't just like rag on activists spending. I do believe
in that, Like you were saying, I do think that
you vote with your dollar. I think you we focus
so much on voting once a year in a polling booth,
(22:09):
but you do vote every day with where you spend
your money. And I think that's far more important because
where you spend your money the people you're giving your
money to. Those are the people who are bank rolling elections.
So I think that's super important, and I think we
should keep as many of our dollars local and in
(22:30):
small businesses as possible. But supporting small businesses doesn't always
have to cost money. It's not always having to spend
more to support these because that you have that issue
as well. It does cost more to buy to shop
at a smaller grocery store or a farmer's market or
(22:54):
you know, a locally owned place. Yeah, and we do
think that that's worth it. If you're going to buy something,
if you want quality, maybe skip buying a thing and
use that money to be able to spend more to
support local Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
I think ultimately this can help us to tease apart
what is the messaging from the actual product, Because no,
me buying a Subaru is not me buying an enjoyable
life living in the woods with my dog, like they're
selling you a lifestyle with the messaging. Fine, if you
want a Subaru, but let's tease a part some of this,
(23:31):
the ways that they're preying upon our emotions or our
patriotism or lack of patriotism, just to get you to
spend your money. Be sure that if you want purpose
behind your spending, that you know that your purchase is
going to accomplish that purpose and you're not being scammed
lied to propaganda too. And so along with that, things
(23:52):
that you can do that don't even require you to
spend your money include leaving a quick review to support
your local businesses, so that is free. It helps to
get them noticed. Yeah, it takes a little bit of
our time, but if you've enjoyed a produce, stand a
local restaurant, a service they did good quality work, reviews
(24:13):
go such a long while.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Spend an afternoon a time that you were going to
scroll on Instagram or TikTok and instead of opening the
social media app, just go on to Google and start
reviewing local businesses that you have been.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
To, or the Google Friends podcast.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
And subscribe to Frugal Friends on YouTube because we are
a small business, and yeah, do things like that to
help local businesses, local creators, local service providers. A lot
of local businesses are service providers too, so like your
lawn team and your laundry teams and mats and stuff.
(24:56):
So that could be a great way that you a
skip a you know, thirty minute session scrolling on social
media if you're trying to do less of that and
you're voting with your time where you choose to spend
your time.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
And when you are on social media, liking a post,
sharing a post, commenting on a post of a local business,
a service, whoever it is, that can also really help
these businesses have engagement visibility find new customers. So there's
another freeway to see.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
When you comment on something or like something, that gets
a further reach that that business doesn't have to pay for.
So if you see it and you comment on it,
then an algorithm could push that out to two more
people and that business didn't have to pay for that
extra push. It doesn't have to be anything insightful. Could
just be love this, like yeah, and like on our videos,
(25:55):
comment love this and give it a lot yeah, or
all of your favorite YouTubers please like, especially the ones
with you know, one hundred thousand subscribers or less like
they could Truly, if they're putting out good educational content
and you like it, then you can support them by
doing that.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Like we've already said, choosing local whenever possible, I mean,
do your research on the companies and make sure that
you feel comfortable about spending the money if it's within
the budget. Grate if it's not, because it's not always
going to be. Sometimes it's a lot more expensive and
just not feasible to buy something more local. Then maybe
(26:36):
it would be from a big box store. That's okay,
we're not going to hit the mark every single time.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
We're not.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
There's no like perfection to be found here, but whenever possible,
let's do that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
I think something is simple as meal planning so that
you can so Yeah, for me, like it's too expensive
for me to shop at the local grocery stores. I
buy my groceries at Walmart or ald but then I
make a meal plan and I try to eat all
(27:09):
that food, So then I am not eating at fast
food chains that are you know big like franchises or
you know big I don't know corporate entities, right, so
I'm choosing I will put my money here, and yes
it's not one hundred percent of like everything I agree with,
(27:30):
but I'm also doing what I can to avoid putting
my money in all of these other places too. So
it's like that eighty twenty role. We are never going
to be perfect, and I think this illusion of perfection
this is another like advertising technique. Again, Businesses make money.
When you feel vulnerable or insecure, when we can't be perfect,
(27:55):
then we just decide to not do anything, or that
all of our efforts are for nothing and they're not.
Like we talk about meal planning as a way to
save money, and it's so that you don't have to
put that money into you know, big corporations, and so
then when you have date night, you can afford to
(28:16):
go to a locally owned, nice restaurant's. So that's kind
of how we do it.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Or by quality over quantity on something tangible. Another way
that you can support local businesses is to show up
to the free local events. Just your presence contributes to
places being seen, being able to grow, and telling your
friends about the different businesses and services that you've liked,
(28:44):
helping them find new customers. Honestly, for local companies, referrals
are the biggest way that they get business and so
you are a part of that process by being a referral.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
And I think we ultimately, like first we'll think of
like restaurants and places that you know, coffee shops, but
providers are super important. Your mechanic, your oil change guy,
like all of these people who provide services to you.
If you like them, telling people like, hey, this person
(29:15):
did really good work, they were well priced and I
like them. That is so helpful to people and Facebook
can be a good platform for that. I don't know
if I would do it in a group because it
could sound like your sponsored or putting it on your
social media in your Instagram. So whatever, it's helpful for
(29:41):
the people around you, it's helpful for the business. And
just lastly, reiterate you vote with your dollars. So if
you want to push back against this idea of like
patriotic shopping and that your worth to the country is
(30:02):
as a consumer, then view every dollar you spend as
a vote on what you want to happen where you live.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
And also recognizing that what we do with our time
is important too, like that we don't have to be
spending money in order to have purpose or have a
hand in activism and advocacy. Like all of the free
examples we just gave about ways that we can show
support for the things that matter.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah, start small, and even just a small change in
how you spend over time can can lead to more
and more habits that have a big difference.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Do you know what else is super helpful? And I
do tell people about every single time.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
And is not propaganda. We give the full context the
bill of the week.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
That's right, it's time for the best minute of your
entire week. Maybe a baby was born and his name
is Williams. Maybe you've paid off your mortgage, 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 5 (31:28):
Hi, jenn and Jill. I just moved to a new
town from Seattle down to Texas.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
And we just paid our.
Speaker 5 (31:40):
Local library thirty five dollars because our new home is
technically outside of city limits. And I'm just psyched to
pay my library thirty five dollars because one, I love books,
and renting books helped me save money for myself and
my daughter. And two, I don't know anyone in my
new town, and so we've been going to free events
(32:03):
at the library and meeting other parents, and it's been
a great way to build community in a new place.
So I am stoked to give my local library thirty
five dollars a year so I can enjoy these activities. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
I fully support libraries. That is where you should be
putting your money libraries advocacy.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Groups' just a one issue voter.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
I am a one issue voter, and it's on the
support and funding of libraries.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
This is so great. We love that you don't mind
paying this.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
I love five dollars a year. I mean, for most
of us, libraries are just all the way free. I'm
so sad that you live too far outside.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
They don't even let me pay late fees anymore. They
took away late fees. Yeah, they just auto renew it
for you, and so then you have the opportunity to
just bring it in late. It's I can't say a
bad thing about the life.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
We're tired. They were so tired of fighting people on
late fees.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Good, I mean good for them. I just the library
does so much for so many.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
Yeah, yes, and thirty five a year. That is a
small amount to enjoy everything they have to offer, all
of the books, all of the enjoyment. Well done, Sarah
would love this, you sill. And if you all are
listening and you have a bill that you want to submit,
if it has to do with a bill, you don't
mind paying. If you are a one issue voter and
(33:29):
that issue is libraries, and you want to talk about that.
If your name is Bill and you work at a
library or literally you've got anything vaguely related to a
Bill Frugal friendspodcast dot com slash Bill, leave it for us.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
We can't wait to hear it.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
And now it's time for the lightning row.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
All right, today's lightning round question. What's something you spent
money on recently to support a local business? Oh gosh, well,
can I look at my transactions real quick?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Yeah? I love this? Okay, yeah, yeah I do. I
can go first.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
So we just paid somebody to detail our car?
Speaker 4 (34:19):
You did? Yep?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Yeah, you were there for that. You know, I'm not lying,
not that I lie that often. But they there is
a mobile I mean these exist everywhere, but around us
there's a mobile car detailer. Who our office, our shared
co working space where we have the studio, has this
(34:43):
mobile car detailer come, I don't know, once a quarter maybe,
And we found out that this person was coming in
our car has been dirty, so so dirty.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
She doesn't know what dirty is.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
She doesn't have to. You're right, I don't have children,
but my.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
Dog threw up in my car this morning.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
That's very filthy, actually, my car was dirty. Your car
sounds filthy, and.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
We kept meaning to clean this vehicle ourselves. We do
love going to our local car wash to do this,
but the thought of not needing to do it, and
to support somebody else to give him the business that
day was everything. And now our car is so spick
and span. I've been saying I'm at the pinnacle lately.
(35:41):
I feel like I'm at the pinnacle. Wow. My home,
my renovations are done for now done on the home.
The car is spotless, my house is clean. I have
a meal plan. And I'm not saying this like well,
I I mean it feels great, but also to recognize
like it is also only downhill from here. You never
(36:04):
experience everything converging like this all at once.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
So I am also a little scared, but it feels great.
Oh for this.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Moment in time. I love very short lived moment. Yeah,
I love that for you.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Okay, what about you?
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I have two.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
So.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
The first one is we just got our dog Spade
at Operation Snip, which is a nonprofit that works to
get as many dogs spade and neutered as possible.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
It sounds like a wild goal.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
That's it's a really good goal if you don't want
like all a bunch of dogs running around everywhere.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
Do we have a problem with stray dogs?
Speaker 1 (36:48):
I know we don't because we have Operation Snip. We
pay for that. They offer affordable spade and neuter, and
then also like provide the surfaces to dogs who can't
afford to you know, dogs you don't.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
Have got dogs lazy dogs.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah, so that one. And then also we had my
birthday party at a local coffee shop called Poor and Decor.
It's very fancy, and they if you go to my
Instagram at Modern Frugality, you'll see this the last picture
I posted from like months ago. Uh and they put
(37:28):
happy birthday on my lot.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
On it. Uh.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
So they are actually a locally owned part like part
of a like a family of businesses almost you know
Mazarro's which also I recently went there for lunch, which
is a fantastic like locally owned Italian restaurant, and the
(37:54):
family member of the you know that family and believe
they own porn decre I could be wrong, but I
think they're part of the same.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Conglomeration family.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I literally call it a conglomerate literally bloodline. So yeah,
those are my most recent ones. We do not go
out much, but.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
But it sounds like you're doing it.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
We're trying. We're trying to plan a date night to
another locally owned restaurant.
Speaker 5 (38:34):
Whatever.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
In the comments on YouTube, what you do to support
local businesses?
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, let us know how you vote with your dollar,
because I think we could all use an expansion of
our mind on how to do that. It is a
foreign concept, I think for a lot of people, and
I would love to hear how other people are doing it.
So thank you so much much for watching, so much
(39:01):
for listening. Yes, we love your kind reviews, your kind comments,
whether that's on Spotify or Amazon. If you buy our book,
we hope you buy our book at a local bookshop
or get it from the library. But if you have,
and you could leave a review on Amazon.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
Because you know here Amazon, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
If you're going to get a book from the library,
where you're going to look for reviews of that book,
You're going to Amazon. So if you could leave a
review there, you don't have to purchase it there, but
you can still leave a review there, like Noira Martinez
did five Stars. I adore this book. I read it
cover to cover within days of receiving it, and can
honestly say that this book delves not only into the
(39:47):
process by which you can choose your priorities and spend accordingly,
but also into the psychology behind our spending and money practices.
These two authors are personable and make you feel as
though a friend is chatting to you over coffee. Already,
purchase two more books for friends and family.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Oooh yeah noirah, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Buy what you Love Without Going Broke is available wherever
you buy books and wherever you check out books hopefully,
and if it's not, go to buy what you loovebook
dot com. We've got instructions on how to request it
at your library.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
So, speaking of supporting things you love and believe in,
if you are loving this, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Even if you're not a YouTube person, Just hop on
over to YouTube and hit subscribe. You never have to
visit it again. But it don't help us never again. Uh,
comment on a video, like a video, h leave a
review on our podcast, leave a review of our book
(40:45):
Freeways that you can support us in exchange for of
scrolling instead of scrolling.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
And other creators who are also trying to say the
same things about anti consumerism and conscious conception and if
that's what you're into, we'll see you next time. Grugal
Friends is produced by Eric Sirianni.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
That party at poor Into Court I missed because.
Speaker 1 (41:23):
I was not going to throw you under the bus.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
Not I'm throwing myself because I was not at the
pinnacle of my life. Then I did miss my birthday. Well,
it wasn't a real, like big party. I just invited
like five girls.
Speaker 4 (41:39):
I really wanted to be there with me.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
I was looking forward to it, and then I got
swept up in my renovations.
Speaker 4 (41:47):
And totally forgot.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
But to pull myself out of from being under the
bus the day before, we did do a lot of
things Birthday. We did decorated the office, we went out
to lunch. I made you a special drinky drink.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, I did not feel like you forgot.
Speaker 3 (42:10):
I did not forget because you were forget the coffee shop.
Speaker 4 (42:16):
Hang.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
But you know what, it also helped me to get
my renovations done sooner so that I can now be
at the pinnacle of my life. I don't know how
long it's gonna last for, but I'm really and I
don't know how it's going to benefit me.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
But I am pleased that you're at the pinnacle of
your life.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
Yeah, well, because it can be contagious, right.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Hasn't been so far. I feel, I feel other things,
But I am absolutely not a joy for you to
be at this part in your life.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
I am.
Speaker 4 (42:56):
Yeah, check in next week, we'll see where we're at.
But for now, yeah, we'll see
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