The Rachel Cruze Show - Lies People Believe About Getting Out of Debt

Episode Date: January 21, 2019

I’m going to let you in on a secret: You can actually enjoy your life while you’re getting out of debt! Getting out of debt may be uncomfortable. It’s pretty countercultural. And it definitely requires discipline. But believe it or not, millions of people have gotten out of debt and didn’t hate their lives in the process. This episode is all about super practical ways to love your life while getting out of debt! Here are some of the lies you might hear about getting out of debt: “You can’t find a nice, affordable used car.” “You can’t eat healthy on a budget.” “It’s too hard to have fun when you’re getting out of debt.” One of the lies you might tell yourself is that you’re the only one stressed or struggling with your money. But that’s not true, and if you need a safe space to have all the feelings about it, check out my Facebook community for encouragement. Resources: Learn Rachel's Simple Rules of Successful Negotiating EveryDollar Financial Peace University Jenna's Peanut Butter Cups Recipe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're trying to get to a place in life, but we can breathe. We just didn't feel like we had any freedom. And I also didn't really know, like, we have this money. Where is it going? From the outside looking at, you guys probably, like, looked like you had it all together, though. There's still a journey to go, but, man, we're not where we used to be. My friend and dietitian, Jenna Waters, let's be wise about which ones we're buying organic. There's a huge lie out there that you cannot eat healthy on a budget.

You have to plan, purchase, and prepare. Hey guys, welcome to the Rachel Crewe Show podcast. I am so glad you're here. Thank you so much for tuning in on this new journey of me doing a podcast. I really am. I'm so excited. I know when I listen to podcasts, I'm usually driving home from work, debriefing from the day, prepared to tackle two little girls when I get home and make dinner and all the things. Or maybe you're home, maybe you are cooking, maybe you're driving, maybe you're doing laundry, wherever you are. I'm just so thankful that you are joining me here on this podcast. And I'm so pumped about today's episode because I have an incredible couple that is going to be on. And I've interviewed a lot of couples on my show,

but these people might be my favorite. Seriously, I mean, they are incredible. Rosanna and Jeremy are just phenomenal. So I can't wait for you to hear their story. And also my friend, Jenna Waters, who is a registered dietitian, she is going to break down ways to save money and eat healthy while you're getting out of debts. So both of these topics were really important for me to cover hearing someone's story and having Jenna on because there's this lie that people believe that when you are getting out of debt, it's just terrible. That like life is the worst possible thing in the whole wide world.

Now, is there sacrifice involved? Yes. Is they working extra hours? Probably. is there cutting cable and unsubscribing from Netflix, which makes me secretly want to cry? Yes. So, there is sacrifice involved when getting out of debt. But life can be exciting.

Life can still be full of joy and you can actually have fun and love your life while you're getting out of debt. Like this couple I told you about earlier, Rosanna and Jeremy are doing just that. So I cannot wait for you to hear their story. I was just living a life that was just, you could just feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. I just started getting fed up with the way things were. We just didn't feel like we had any freedom. And I also didn't really know, like, where was, we have this money.

Where is it going? Our church, they just put up on the screens, hey, we're doing Financial Peace University. We just looked at each other and say, hey, we just got to do it. It was almost as a matter of fact. It was something about the word financial and peace was, it was perfectly named. It really was. because I wasn't having peace. Our finances worked.

There was nothing peaceful about it. And even though it was hard coming to terms with, okay, we need to make some really big changes here. We were up for it. We were like, man, because what we were doing was just not working. Once we got through financial peace, we immediately the BMW had to go. The motorcycle had to go.

If we haven't used it in the last month, we're selling it. And we did. As that was happening, you could just, you could feel the freedom. Oh, that's amazing. It still feels amazing. It still feels pretty good. watching Dave's YouTube channel and you're constantly seeing people screaming their necks off, like, I'm out, I'm out, I'm free, debt free.

I'm like, I'm like, now, you want to be those people. You want to be those people so desperate. But the thing was is that our goal, we didn't want to go back to where we were. So making that sacrifice for that short amount of time was completely worth it. This is our new excitement in life. You know, the cars and the stuff and all that, that was fun. But this is more thrilling because we're achieving. something phenomenal.

You know, when babysat two, so there's still a journey to go, but man, we're not where we used to be. Well, thank you guys so much for coming in. You guys have a story. I love so much. So to kind of jump right in, you guys are currently on babysat... Babysad one, too. Yes, we are. Okay, so take me a little bit before the journey.

You know, I was just literally remember being... Every time we swiped the card, the pressure was, it was like a knife. I'm not sure we'd be swiping this card. Yes, it's food. You have to do this one. Right. And how did we get here? Yeah, like, how did we get in this position with all this debt and we don't know what to do?

Yeah, so how much debt did you guys have? So we had about 92,000 debt after all is. And what was it? Was it credit card student loans? All of it. It was credit card, student loans. We had cars, motorcycle. I mean, we would just, you know.

So everything you just listed to me, you're like cars, you know, credit card debt, which is probably a lot of stuff, you know, motorcycle, everything. From the outside looking at and just looking at you guys, You guys probably, like, looked like you had it all together, though. Like, you probably had some great stuff. Were you on great trips? Like, from the outside, did you look good to people that didn't know the money situation? Yes.

We looked normal. Yeah. We looked like all of our neighbors. Yes. Everybody else, you know, just doing life. But we didn't realize how bad we were in debt until we sat down and we listed everything. And I cried. I was like, wow.

And then you think you're doing good because you, you, you're doing good because you, you, you, Every couple of weeks, you pull out a pencil and paper and you're writing down numbers to make sure you can pay the bills. But paying the bill, that's just not enough to pay the bills. Your status quo, you're not getting anywhere. So you guys got to a point with your money that you're like, okay, we're just like piecing things together. We're trying to pay the bills. We're starting to feel the pressure or we're feeling the stress. What was the moment that you said, we have to change and do something different?

Well, I think it was a church. It was a church. Yeah. It definitely was a church because, you know, you walk in there just feeling like it's a number. the week, heavy-hearted. You're praying that God comes and reveals himself that Sunday physically to pull us out of our situation. Which he did. Which he did.

What she did. Yeah, he did. It came up on the screen. Hey, we're doing our next course of Financial Peace University. And at the end of it, like, are you all like nudging each other? Well, Jeremy was like, hey, financial peace. It was just like the perfect word. What?

Financial peace. Put them together. They don't go together, but they should. They should go together. They should go together because it is. They're like, all right, let's sign up. And we did. And we got in there.

And during Financial Peace University, what was there like, what were your big aha moments of like, oh, wow, we can do this and like, oh, we're doing it wrong? Like, what were your thoughts? Uh-huh moments for me was we are sending other people all our money. Why don't we have any of our money? It's Christmas for everybody else but us. Like, you take some money. You take some money.

Yeah. It was tremendous. It was first, the feeling of, my God, why did I, I didn't know this information sooner. Yeah. The weight of the gravity of that just hit me like, my God, had I done this even a couple of years prior? Yeah, even before we bought our cars and the motorway, before we bought all that, we wouldn't have done it. Okay, I just want to pause it right there. When I heard them say the words, oh, if I only did this sooner, if only we started this a year or two ago, only if we started this before we bought our,

new car, like how much different our life would be. So I just want to encourage all you guys, where you are right now, if you are stuck in a place that you're like, I know I need to change the way I'm handling my money. I know that there is freedom in the subject, but I'm not feeling it because I am living paycheck to paycheck. I'm just like this couple I'm listening to. And I want to do something different. Start now. Start now, you guys. Do it. Start working your way out of debt. Start this process because I promise you, once you become debt-free, you're going to think, oh, thank God I did this. And here's the deal. If you hate being debt-free, you can go easily back into debt if that's what you want to do. But I believe wholeheartedly that I don't

want you sitting there listening to this and thinking, okay, well, I'll start it next year. Or maybe maybe when the summer comes, maybe we'll start this, you know, no, start it now. You hear the regret and their voices, and I don't want you to have any more regret. So the fact that they even started, I loved, but you sitting out there, if you've not begun this journey of being in tension with your money, getting out of debt, budgeting, getting in control, do it now. You can start by just clicking the link in the show notes to help you get started. So, but we fortunately had a great, a great coach, and he said, hey, that was then, you know now.

Yeah, exactly. We drew the line in the sand and said, okay, here's the game plan. Rosanna happened to be pregnant at the time. So we're going to save up, stash up enough cash for those, you know, emergencies that that might come along the way. And fortunately, they weren't any in that immediate journey. So once he was born. Once he was born, we got right to it. We got right to it.

Right in the baby step two. Yeah. And the total debt was $92,000. $92,000. And where are you guys at right now? How much have you paid off? So we paid off just about $70,000. You guys, seriously.

You're like way down the road in baby-saint-2. We got rid of those immediately. We saved up that first $1,000. Yep. We got rid of those big ticket items. Yep. So you sold cars. So cars.

So got rid of the BMW. Sold the motorbike. We actually had some money come in, so we paid off a major credit card that was just eating. It was hard selling the cars. Because we tell it to do, like, for people were like, if you can get it. We did the math. And we, I think the cause was what we struggled on. the motorbike and the car was what we struggled.

Because we had a beautiful BMW. He had a Harley. And the Harley's fun. And the beam is fun. You're going on the highway and all that stuff. But then we did the math and the math became more attractive to us than the vehicles. Exactly. And that lifestyle that we were leading.

We wanted a more enduring lifestyle. Yes, yes. A more permanent situation. We wanted to have more fun with our life. Yes, absolutely. We did the math and it didn't add up first. Yep. Okay.

We lost money on both. But... Which was... That was heart-wrenching, obviously. But the great thing was is that we were no longer paying almost $1,000 a month for vehicles. And so even though the money we lost, it was still a better situation. Because it's a short-term loss. Yeah.

That's right. And honestly, we actually, in the grand scheme of things, we're saving money. Yes. Because those big ticket items we're no longer paying for, you know. And so those are guns. We're now saving that money. money and putting into other debt that we're trying to now pay off. Yeah.

So we're, we're still on a little bit of a journey, but it was so close. Yeah. I mean, you guys are killing it. I mean, seriously, I'm like, you're doing, you've made such progress and you've made the sacrifices, right? Like, I mean, we talk about when you go into debt, you can wander your way in, you cannot wonder your way out. You have to be intentional, you have to have sacrifice.

Yes. So what has life looked like in baby step two? Have you had fun in baby step two? Absolutely. Yeah. Honestly, part of the fun is seeing that you're getting out of debt, seeing that you're getting out of dead. See the reality of, wow, I don't, I'm not straddled by that huge, that huge amount of debt. Like, it's so close. It's exciting. So we, we definitely have to be,

so we have two kids, we have an almost four-year-old, and we have a seven-month-old, and you always have to be doing stuff with your kids. Kids want to be entertained, and we find that we're doing more now than we were before. Wow. And it, it takes more planning, absolutely. But there are so many things that you can do for free. There are so many ways you can get discounts. We're always online. Hey, let's sign up for that email. We can get 20% off. There's always something. Download an app and you get a discount for this. If we're going to spend money that's already pre-plained. Pre-plained. Yes, that's right. That's right. You can always be spontaneous, but you get to do all this other. And it makes you get creative too. So what are, like,

the favorite things that you guys have done with the kids and baby stuff too? I think sometimes, you know, Rosanna is really good about just, We'll pack some lunches, you know, some foods, and then we'll go out, drive somewhere, and just take pictures, explore. This is a new city for us. So we'll go explore different, just different parks. Yeah, we'll Google recreation centers, whereas a free. We'll go take pictures as a family, just stuff that's, you know, building us, you know. And it hasn't cost us anything but just, you know, gas.

Totally. Which is in the budget. It's in the budget. It's only free plan. Yeah. They're always like, everyone's like, oh, well, don't you just want to go out and have coffee together and, you know, I've got keep cups. We'll pack a hot coffee or a hot cup of tea with us and we drinking in the car instead of going through the Starbucks drive-thru and spending

$10 and then they want a snack. So you buy a snack and it just goes up. But, well, hey, we packed great snacks. And we packed great coffee that probably tastes a little bit better than it's a great coffee. And we have that, we still have that experience of going out and eating out. We're just not giving other people our money. And it's actually a better experience because, one, you're being, something about being intentional and riches your experience for your family. Yeah. Because you're thinking about your family. You're thinking about the experience you're going to have. And so when you're intentional, it just elevates your overall experience that you're going to have with your wife and your kids. And you can't, and then knowing that at the end of the day,

you can come home guilt free, like, okay, cool, we're still good. That's right. That's right. Coming home, we're still on target. And we're another day, closer to being 100% out. Okay, I wanted to stop right there because I think that was one of the wisest quotes. He said throughout this whole interview. I mean, obviously, this interview is amazing. And don't you just love their accents? I'm like, yes, so great.

But when he said, being intentional enriches your experiences, I love that, you guys. Because there's something when you are intentional that there is a peace. There is a rest. There is something that is enriched in you because you are actually. actually taking control of your life and your situation. And then another thing that he said right after was that he kept thinking about his family. You know, this is for our family. And so those of you that are on this journey of getting out of debt, always focus on your why.

Because there are going to be hard times, yes. But think about the why. And I kept hearing him talk about his family. And I'm like, that is a big reason why they did this was for their legacy, which you'll hear in a little bit. But I think that is so powerful. So whether it is to relieve stress, that's why you're doing it, you're doing it so that you can retire with dignity, whether you're doing it for the legacy of your family or all the above, whatever your why is, focus on that because this couple, they are. And I can hear it in their voices.

I can hear it in the way they're talking. And I just, I love that so much. For me, I could feel the momentum building. Yeah. Like after we got some of those big ticket items, and then as we take care of our daily life within our budget, you can just feel momentum building. And just you could see the end now. You can see. And we're so close for probably a year to a year and a half out.

Yeah. And it's fun. And it's exciting. And even, I just might sound weird, but at the end of the weekend, I love having money left over. Yeah. So we budgeted the money. Yep. But we didn't spend it.

And that's so exciting because then we save that into something. Maybe we want to go on like a bigger trip in a couple of months. So if we don't spend it all, that money, goes into a pool and that goes towards something even bigger. And if we know, hey, there's a great concert coming to town. We want a babysitter. We want to go out. We just plan for it.

That's right. We didn't do that before. Roseanne's been great using the app. So that's been. I'm like, wait. I just got to go in there. I need to put that in. We got it.

We got it. For every dollar. Every dollar. It saves our lives. Absolutely. And I love, oh, okay, I've got this left. Okay, you know, I paid that bill. It's very clear.

Here it is. Yeah. If she made a change, I'll pull out my phone. Okay, cool, just checking, making sure you're good. Okay, cool, we're good. It's freeing, especially as a mom. And I've been a stay-at-home mom as well. So finding things to do with the kids, you don't have to spend money.

You just need to be a little bit creative. Arts and crafts. You can find us and crafts outside. Go pick some leaves and get some sticks. Glue it all together. And you're so happy. They love it. I feel like, you put pressure on ourselves as moms.

Absolutely. I have to go do all this great stuff. But no, genuinely, I'm like, some grass and leaves and stares. The kids aren't clamoring for you to swipe the card on something. They're clamoring for your attention and your time. Exactly, yes. Yeah, you don't have to spend money to have fun.

And I think, too, as parents, you can't compare yourself to other people either. Oh, well, they bought this and they bought that. Well, that's fine. That's their family. This is our family. You have your own calling, the own destiny. You have a real plan. Yes, yes.

Have the blinders on. Absolutely. Yeah, exactly. I don't need to look at you because this way is great. Ironically, we actually, when we see other people like, oh, my God, they got a car note. They got a car note. You're a car. Judge, George. But God, forgive us, we were there.

And we were like, pray financial peace over there. That's a big comment. That's a big card. It's really bad. So great. Okay, so you guys are obviously like so joyous. You're paid off debt. You're making the sacrifice.

But you're doing it. So what would be your encouragement? What would you say to someone? I would say stop. Stop thinking. Just do it. Just do it. Yeah. Do the plan. Just do it. Put everything about your worries. Oh, I'm not going to have this and I'm not going to have that. Don't worry. You can get it back.

Just stop overthinking. Go do a financial piece. Right now. Nothing's going to change with you on the couch. We want to be the ones victorious. We want to scream. That was getting on me so much. I was watching Dave's YouTube channel. And everybody was scream. I don't want to scream. I want to scream.

I want to scream. I want to scream. I want to scream. And you will, you guys. We're getting crazy. We're getting close. We're going to be screaming. Yeah, it's going to be loud.

Seriously, you guys are such an encouragement. I mean, like, for people that don't think they can or people that are in the middle of the journey, like you guys are living and out, but yet you are enjoying life. Yeah. And in a deeper, richer way than with BMWs and motorcycles on payments. Exactly. They may look fun. Yes.

But this is way fun. So good. This is much more. Take a breath. Take a breath. I can breathe, Betty. I'm starting to breathe. No, I love it.

Okay, guys, if you want this, go to Financial Peace University, sign up, check it out because it is the proven plan. Amazing. And you guys are living proof of it. Thank you guys so much for coming on and sharing your stories. Seriously, fantastic. Okay. Do you believe me now that they're probably the most fun couple I've had on the show?

Seriously, their joy is just contagious. I mean, I walked away from their interview personally, like just a happier person, I think. And that's one thing I've decided in our life, you guys, you get to choose if you want to be happy. You do. I mean, yes, are there circumstances that happen to you in life that you cannot control that are terrible and hard? Yes, absolutely. But day in and day out, when you wake up, you get to make a choice. Do I want to enjoy life?

You get to make that choice. And they are perfect examples of choosing joy. of choosing to love life, to love their lives while doing some of the hardest work you can possibly do of getting out of debt. So not only is it a choice for you to take control of your money and walk this journey to become debt-free, but it's also your choice to enjoy it. Okay, so no Debbie Downers here, guys. Like, let's look at life with the glass half full that you have the opportunity to change your life. If you woke up every day with that thought process when it comes to your money, I mean, how much more fun and enjoyable life can be. So they were such an encouragement to me. Hopefully,

they're an encouragement to you in their story that no matter who you are and where you are, you can do this. So again, click the link in the show notes below. Financial Peace University, it's going to be right there. It's going to walk you through this guided experience of taking control of your money. All right, coming up next is actually one of my personal friends in life. I went to college with her, but she is brilliant. So I was like, Jenna, you have to come on my show. She is a registered dietitian, and she has so many great tips and tricks when it comes to cooking and being healthy. I had her on a show earlier this year to check that out if you haven't seen her. And all my comments I got from her were like, have Jenna back, have Jenna back. So from your

request, she is back, and I love the advice that she gave because another lie that people believe when it comes to getting out of debt is that you just, you can't eat healthy. Like all healthy food and organic food, it's all too expensive. There's no way to feed my family in a way that's healthy while we're on a really, really tight budget. Well, she debunks that lie in such a practical way, and I cannot wait for you to hear her tips. Thanks for coming back, Jim. Thanks for having to be a It's fun to be good. Well, back by popular demands, you guys. She's here to give us all the secrets because there's a huge lie out there that you cannot eat healthy on a budget.

And so people getting out of debt, you know, everyone's budgets are really tight and like, well, I still can't eat healthy with my family. Sure. But that's a lie. It is. It is. And it's so easy to believe because, I mean, it seems like drive-through meals would be a whole lot cheaper because they're not that expensive. Totally. But then when we actually calculate it and look at the food.

I know. So you're telling me about this. This is so fascinating. It is crazy. We did a little experiment. So we went through the drive-thru and got a kid's meal. This kid's meal was about $3.29 for a cheeseburger, kids' meal, French fries.

And then I made it at home. So completely different ingredients. The ingredients are almost not comparable in terms of health. So this was $1.75 to make at home. Seriously, per serving. So half the price and literally so much better for nutritionally. So much better for you. So great.

Okay. And you have such a great system in place. So tell us about. that, how families out there can eat healthy on a budget. Sure. So ultimately to eat at home, we have to set up rhythms. Otherwise, it just gets so overwhelming. I mean, we've all been there. And so I say you have to plan, purchase, and prepare. And that's a weekly rhythm. So choose a day to plan, choose a day to purchase, and choose a day to prepare. Now, I do this, Jenna. I'm a planner. I don't know that I'm the two steps, but I am. I am. I'm a planner. So what do you

And that makes all the difference. Well, I do just a template, just like on a Friday, I'll sit down and write out the meals for the week. And that's hugely helpful to have it just mapped out. You're not thinking about it 20 times a week. Yes. If I don't plan, I'm in the grocery store like five times a week. Oh, totally, yes.

And just buying things that we don't need to be buying. Yep. And that bust the budget, too, just buying unnecessary things. And so that is super helpful. So plan on a Friday. We purchase on the weekend. So if we do order online and then pick up on a Sunday or Saturday. and then I do some preparation just throughout the week.

So that weekly rhythm just helps us set up things. Planning, when it comes to planning, I often try to make something at the beginning of the week that I can use all the parts of, again, to maximize the budget, and then use in different ways throughout the week. So this is an example. Whole chickens are about $2.99. I've seen them at $2.49 a pound if you're buying an organic whole chicken.

And this is something that's super easy to put in something like the instant pot or the crock pot. And then we'll eat that for dinner one night. And then as soon as we take the meat off of it and eat that for dinner, then I'll throw up the bones back in the instant pot with some carrots and celery and onion, just super quick.

Yeah. And then I make homemade bone broth, which is super nutrient dense. Yes. It has a lot of good collagen and good protein and gelatin in it. And then you're using all the different parts of the food. Yes, yes.

And so you're maximizing that food to its fullest potential. I love that. And so being that the whole chicken is, cheaper by the pound. Also means that the chicken size, certain cuts of chicken are going to be cheaper. So things like chicken tenders are going to be the most expensive. They're usually about $6.99 to $7.99 a pound, assuming you're buying organic of some of the kind. Chicken thighs are generally less expensive at about $4.99 a pound. Whereas chicken breasts are going to be about $6.99 a pound.

Okay. So that makes a huge difference. So one of our favorite things to do during the week is like a pulled barbecue chicken. And I used to do it. it with chicken breast, but then when I realized, hey, we could save some money by doing chicken thighs. I tried chicken thighs, and it's actually better because it pulls so much easier. Yes. It makes a really kind of like juicier chicken meal, and so that on top of a sweet potato with a barbecue sauce. And then cilantro. Yes. So that's something, a super simple transition. Same thing for beef. I find that meat is one of the most expensive categories. And, you know, my husband wants a meat every night. He's a good.

Like, don't, you have to feed me some kind of meat with the veggie. So that's important for us. And so I found that I was trying to buy this really high-quality grass-fed beef at the grocery store. And it was about $6.99 to $7.99 a pound plus tax. Yeah. And that gets really expensive. Yes. So we looked up a local farmer, and he sells 100% grass-fed beef for $4.80 a pound.

Oh, my gosh. And in the state of Tennessee, if you're not, or if you're buying directly from a farmer, you don't pay sales tax. So you're automatically saving a property. percentage. And that goes for a lot of different states. Yes. And so that's almost half price for a better quality product. You're supporting local farmers. And that's huge. I mean, that's, it tastes so good, too. All health. All health. It's so expensive. Yeah, it's awesome. So the other category of that would be that bulk section in the grocery store, that wall of bins. And usually it has dry items in it. So things like nuts and seeds, different flour, like almond flour and coconut flour.

different kinds of beans. It's interesting how much money you can save there. And I always walk right by it. Yeah, because it's just like a big thing of beans. Who goes there? Right, right. I'm not going to scoop. But interestingly, you can save so much money there.

So just buying organic black beans from the bulk section, it's about $1.99 a pound. Whereas if you buy them in the bag, it's $2.99 a pound. So that's an automatic dollar savings just by not getting the bag with it. Easy. It's like, it's like, you're just paying for the bag. Yep. And that section is great, too, because they have.

have the nuts there, and usually those are just the raw nuts, which are much healthier than the roasted nuts. Okay. Because typically roasted nuts are going to be in oils that are not necessarily great for us. Okay. Whereas the raw... And it's cheaper. And the raw nuts, you can even roast them yourself in something like avocado oil or olive

oil or coconut oil, but you're going to have that better quality product for less of a price. So good. Yeah. I love it. I love it. Another category of food, that big produce section. Right.

And that can be really expensive. Fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies. Right. And so one thing, this is super interesting. This is a container of pre-slice apples. It's five bags of pre-slice apples. The whole container is 11 ounces and it's $6.99. $7 for the apples. Yeah, exactly. Just so they've sliced it for you. But then a whole bag, a three-pound bag of organic apples, is $5.99. And so you're getting almost triple the product, well, quadruple, really, for less of a price. And so just get that little apple slicer out. Do some hard work, people. You save a lot.

That's right. A little elbow grease on the apples goes a long way. So good. So then we think about what produce. A lot of times when we think about health, we think about, hey, do I want to buy organic? Should I buy non-organic? Yes. Oftentimes we want to buy all organic because we think it's healthier. And to a certain extent, that's true.

But let's be wise about which ones we're buying organic. So there's a list released by the Environmental Working Group. It's called the Clean 15 or the Dirty Dozen. Okay. Same list. Yeah, it's a different list. Yeah, so the dirty dozen are fruits and vegetables that have more pesticides on them that are generally sprayed more. And these would be examples of that.

So things on the dirty dozen list are things like spinach and berries, celery, bell peppers. So get these organic. Get these. This is a good place to put your money if you're going to buy organic. Exactly. Go there, okay. Exactly. And I find that even cheaper because organic is obviously more expensive.

A great way to do that is to buy frozen. Right. And it's just as healthy, right? Frozen berries. In fact, frozen is almost more healthy because they pick it at peak season, or the peak ripeness, rather. And then they're just flash freezing it. Okay.

Rather than picking it before it's ripe because it's traveling to the grocery store. Yes. So that makes a huge difference. And if you're putting it in a smoothie, it doesn't matter. Right? And I'm not going to lie. This in the summer, I'll freeze. We have like a blueberry farm area near our house.

Yeah. And we'll get like a big bag of them. And I like them frozen. They're like actually a delicious snack. It's like a little bit of a treat. It kind of is. It kind of is. Absolutely.

Absolutely. And so the kids like them like that, it's super easy. And then on the Clean 15 list, things like that have a thick skin, like an avocado. You don't necessarily need to buy organic because it doesn't really matter that much. So things with a skin that you're not eating the skin on, you don't necessarily need to buy organic. So money's same for there. Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah. As far as the preparation category goes, I love to think about how we can use leftovers in a way at the end of the week where we're not wasting food. Because inevitably when Saturday rolls around or the weekend rolls around, there's all this food in our fridge that if we don't do something with it, we're throwing it out. So every time we throw something out, I'm like, oh my gosh, that's like $10 in the garbage. Yes, seriously, seriously. So I try to think about reinventing leftovers.

So, for example, on one week we had leftover meat sauce that we did with like a spaghetti squash. Yes. Leftover random piece of a bell pepper. Some leftover salsa that really had to be eaten. Yes. some taco seasoning and some leftover roasted sweet potatoes. And so I threw it into a soup with actually the chicken broth that I made earlier in the week into a taco soup.

So good. And so I had some canned on top. Yes, fresh avocado. Just an easy way to kind of, and really it's the recipes that I don't have recipes for that you're just throwing stuff together. Oh, Jenna, you're one of those. No. You're one of those.

No. It actually ends up being the best. But it's so good. It just takes practice, right? Sure. Once you kind of get in a rhythm of it, you try a couple of things. It just takes practice. Absolutely.

Well, and getting comfortable in the kitchen is always a process. And so just not being afraid to try new things is huge. I mean, it's really the things that I thought, man, this is going to be disgusting, that have turned out to be the best thing in our staple items. So good. That's huge. And it is a great way to save money if you just kind of experiment, right? It is.

Throw things together, figuring out. You're going to have a great meal on a random Saturday nights. It is. Otherwise, everything would have been in the trash. Totally. And I might even just like that. look up taco soup recipe. Just as a guide.

Totally. Because it's like, hey, you just want somebody else to lay it out sometimes. And that's fair. And verify how you're not crazy. Yes, absolutely. You're like peanut butter, flour and egg. Yum. Yeah, chicken broth.

You never know. It could be your new thing. So the last thing is treats. I say that the most expensive things for the week are meats and treats. Those are the things that drown us in the grocery store. Because the kids are like, hey, we need these random things. And then we spend, you know, way too much. money on random treats in the grocery store. And so these I just made peanut butter cups are my weakness.

And so this is a base of almond flour, maple syrup, peanut butter, just natural peanut butter, cocoa powder, raw cocoa powder, and coconut oil. Those are the only ingredients. And so you're getting much better ingredients, and it's like pennies compared to what you would buy if you're buying, you know, a good quality treat. Sure, right, right. In the organic section. Exactly.

You can just like... Exactly. And it really doesn't take much time. I mean, in all of this, there's the balance of what's the balance between cost and convenience, right? Yes, yes. And so we all kind of have to find our happy place. But when it comes down to it, once we get in rhythms, it doesn't take so much time. It's just getting in the habit of doing that.

So great. Jenna, you're brilliant. Seriously. All of this is so, so good. It's fun. Am I kidding? Well, thanks for coming and busting the mix. Thanks for having.

You can eat healthy and still save money. and be on a budget and do all the things, but still be wise with your nutrition. So thanks a much. And it can be delicious. Oh, man. I kind of want to be Jenna when I grow up. I've decided. I'm not going to lie, you guys.

I try to be a good cook. I try to like do all the healthy stuff if I can. I'm just like hit or miss when it comes to nutrition and food. Winston's actually the one that enjoys cooking more so than I do. But when I hear her talk about it, I think that it is just so wise, not only the way she lays it out, but what she's also talking about on a deeper level. So on the surface, what she's saying is plan, purchase, prepare. And I love that sequence because planning, I know for me, I am a great planner. I do plan out, okay, here are what we can have for dinner, Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, and then Friday night.

I mean, I try to do, this is our menu for the week. and then here's our grocery list and all of that. And then when it comes to actually preparing it, usually it's Winston in the kitchen doing it, which I'm so thankful for. But just again, this whole idea about being intentional, even with purchasing and planning, your food is so crucial to your budget. And then all the tips that she gave around being able to shop in the organic section, but picking and choosing what you're buying. And I also love her balance of cost versus convenience, because, guys, we're going to be in different seasons, I think week by week even, the way our family eats and our schedule, it's just going to be different. So give yourself some grace. There are going to be times where convenience comes into play because it's best for your family there in the moment.

And that's totally fine. And if I could say it again, I'd say it all the time. I am. I'm a little jealous of people that can just like throw ingredients into a pot and it ends up being a taco soup. I was like, Jenna, you're like my mom. My mom's always like, oh, Rachel, just. so open up your spice cabinet and throw some stuff in and it turns out good. I'm like, my mom makes like Thanksgiving dinner every night it feels like when she cooks. So I'm like, man, those people, but I'm going to get there, guys. If you're not a great cook like me, I think we should, I think that we should do it. Let's do it. Let's just get in the kitchen.

Experiment, do some stuff, be healthy, all the above. But I think one of the reasons that we are motivated for our families to be healthy, because this is a real thing. This is a real topic that people kind of go out of control with because what happens is they're driven by fear. They're driven by fear that, oh, if my child has an apple with a pesticide, they're going to die, right? Like we blow all this stuff up in our minds. And is there truth to some of this, right? Overall, yes. But when you are functioning in your life and you're planning your life, fear cannot be the factor.

It has to be a more positive light of, hey, I want my family to. to be healthy for the good of them, for how they're going to feel on in the long term, not based on fear. And I think one of my favorite things growing up, my dad would always say to me as some dramatic teenage girl when I was having my moments. He'd always look at me and be like, Rachel, fear is not a fruit of the spirit. I was like, oh, thank you, okay, I need to hear that. I mean, seriously, it's like over 300 times fear not is mentioned in the Bible. You guys, don't let fear be your motivation. Is information good to know on this stuff? Absolutely. Take advantage of it. But don't let fear be.

be the driver. Figure out your why on why you want your family to be healthy and smart ways to to go about it when it comes to your money is going to be key. So you guys, we're coming to an end, and it kind of makes me sad. But I just want to say thank you so, so much for tuning in to this episode of the podcast. I love doing this. I haven't done it very long, obviously, but it's really fun for me. And so I really want to hang out more with you guys. So hit that subscribe button because it's going to be minimal effort for you. So maybe if I do that. jump on the mic a little sooner. It'll just pop up there on your phone and we can hang out more. So for you guys, make sure to do that. And if the spirit leads, you can leave a review if you want.

All the podcasts I love, they always say that at the end. So I feel like I'm an official podcaster because I'm like, you can leave a review. But really, I am pumped to be here with you guys and cannot wait for the next episode. And remember to take control of your money and create a life you love.