The Rachel Cruze Show - What’s Going On With the American Economy? with Jason Tartick

Episode Date: May 2, 2022

Okay, if you know me, you know I’m just a little obsessed with all things The Bachelor. And in this episode, I get to have a great conversation with Bachelor Nation’s Jason Tartick about everything from his experiences on the show to inflation and personal finance! I also cover whether or not the dollar is collapsing and walk you through some tips on protecting your bank account from constantly rising prices. In this episode: Is the American Dollar Collapsing? I Talk Money With Bachelor Nation’s Jason Tartick Bulletproof Your Finances From Inflation Helpful Resources: EveryDollar Christian Healthcare Ministries Sponsors pay the producer of this show, The Lampo Group, LLC, advertising fees for mentioning their services or products during programming. Advertising fees are not based upon or otherwise tied to any product sale or business transacted between any consumer or sponsor. The following sponsor has paid for the programming you are viewing: Christian Healthcare Ministries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looking at the track record of what has gone on and what will probably go on in the future, I just still have enough belief in the economy that I am still investing my money in the market. The currency, it's still leading, and what it would take to overthrow the dollar would be a lot. Hey guys, welcome to this episode of the Rachel Cruz Show podcast. I'm so glad that you're here. In this episode, we're going to talk about the American economy. That's right. I'm going to break down how to budget for inflation right now,

and you're going to hear a conversation I had with author and Bachelor Nations, Jason Tardick, about The Bachelor. Love it. We also talk about inflation and budgeting so much around money, so I can't wait for you to hear that conversation. But first, let's talk about the American dollar. Is it really collapsing? Well, let's find out.

All right, there's been a lot of craziness happening, around the world. So I wanted to talk about whether the American dollar has stayed the same in value or if it's gone down. And if it's gone down, why? Well, the value of the dollar definitely has gone down over a long period of time. So, for example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in the year 1800 is the same in purchasing power as about $22.52.5,000. since today. So that means today's prices are 22.52 times higher than the average prices from 1800. So when $1.1 is the same as $22.52.

over time, that means the value has decreased because it can't buy as much as it used to. And the inflation rate in 1800 was 2.44%. and the current inflation rate today is about 7.9%. So, why does this happen? Well, inflation happens when prices go up, and purchasing power, or the value of the currency, goes down over time. So what causes goods, their prices to go up?

Well, basically, it's a supply and demand issue. So to simplify it, people want to buy things, but there aren't enough things for them to buy. So will the dollar collect? completely. Well, right now, Russia and some other countries are looking for alternatives to the U.S. dollar, but the U.S. dollar is still the world's leading currency, and it would take a really, really long time for the dollar to become completely worthless. So it's probably not going to happen. The conspiracy theorist to me probably has other thoughts, but truly, when you look at the facts,

it's probably not going to happen. Now, you may be wondering, about other currencies, you know, like Bitcoin, and asking, will Bitcoin be worth more than the U.S. dollar eventually? Well, we can't predict the future, but some are saying Bitcoin's prices could hit $100,000 per coin in 2022. But also, Bitcoin is pretty volatile since it's been around, which is not a very long time, so it's pretty unlikely. And honestly, it has been extra volatile lately with everything going on with Russia and the Ukraine. You can just watch it. It just goes up and down, up and down.

So with Bitcoin, remember, it is not a great investment strategy. Do not cash out your 401k and buy Bitcoin, okay? If you are out of debt and you have an emergency fund and you're funding retirement, you're paying extra in your house, and you have some fun money and you kind of want to play around with Bitcoin, that's totally fine. But again, it is not a stable investment. Now, at the end of the day, the reality is the American economy will have its ups and downs, but the best place to invest your money,

I believe still is there in the market. And something could happen again. The conspiracy theorist in me has all these theories. But if I'm being realistic and I really am like, okay, for real, looking at the track record of what has gone on and what will probably go on in the future, I just still have enough belief in the economy that I am still investing my money in the market.

Again, people have other opinions than that, but I just think when I see the currency, it's still leading, and what it would take to overthrow the dollar would be a lot. And I think we'd have a lot of other problems. Big problems, big problems going around the world if that was the case. So the cruises, we are still investing in our money if that helps answer any of those questions. So I hope that helps you guys as you're thinking about this. And again, don't get caught up in all the fear and the drama of what you're seeing.

If you're watching the news and, you know, CNN or Fox, day in and day out, listen, turn off the TV, take a breath. Do not let fear drive your investment strategy or your financial decisions. The worst decisions you can make with money are when you're fearful or when you're drunk. So let's take those off the table. Let's be smart. Let's look at the facts and base everything on that. That's what is so important. Now, if you know me, if you've been watching or listening, any amount of time, there's kind of a love for reality TV that I have. Uh, mm-hmm, it's true. true. The Bachelor's always been one of those. So the fact that Jason Tardick is here with me on the show today, so pumped. It is so good to be here. Bachelor Nation back in the house. I know. That's right.

That's right. I know. I had your significant other sweet Caitlin for so on years ago back 2019. Yes, about two years ago. We were talking. Yes, we met then and yep, all of it. It was funny because I took her to that episode. And Caitlin's a creative entrepreneur and does great. But finances aren't her forte. So when she was coming into this show, she's like, okay, what should I say about like savings accounts and stuff? I don't know how this works. Help me. That's so funny.

Full circle moment. I know. It was such a good discussion. But you, I feel like kind of came onto the scene through the Bachelor world, if you will. So you were on season. 14. 14. It was Becca's season.

Becca, yeah, yeah. And then you and Caitlin met. Yes. How again. So we met, it was after the show, I was a corporate banker for 10 years. And then after the show I went right back to work. And there was a big discussion of who's going to be the next Bachelor. And there were discussion about Colton Underwood, Blake Horsman, myself.

And they selected Colton Underwood. And so Caitlin came out to Seattle to interview me to say, what's next? Like, what are you going to do now? And ironically enough, what was next was like right in front of me because that's how we met. So the first time we ever met, we have the audio of it, which is wild. Oh, that's fun. And three months later, we start dating. And three and a half years later, we're engaged living in Nashville.

And then it all happened for that. Yeah, exactly. Okay. So what caused you to do The Bachelor in the first? place. Yeah, so I was, I was like your corporate guy, like in the office early, staying late. Seattle. Well, I was in New York and then they moved me to Seattle. But that's the kind of guy I was. I was like, you tell me where to go and when, I'll be there. And so they moved me 3,000 miles across the way to Seattle. I knew no one. How old were you at the time? That was 29. 29 at the time.

And I just got to a point where I like kind of hit a wall. I was like, I don't, I don't even know myself anymore. I'm like, I'm living my life through my title and what I do and how I do it. I was kind of like depressed, and I get a call to go on The Bachelorette. And it was like the most unconventional, illogical thing to do. My bosses, my peers, my friends, my family are like, no. You have a rocket on your back in corporate America. You're not doing. Keep going.

But I just said, you know, for me, I'm just going to finally do something that I want to do that's against what I like refer to as the blueprint. And I decided to go on the show. And you did it. I did it. Okay. And how was it? Well, I mean, it's changed my life in every way, right?

right, like who I'm engaged to and what I do. But it was a wild experience, as you can imagine. But what was really cool about it is it was the first time for two and a three months, no phone, no TV, no internet. That's right. They take everything away. No friends. No music.

No sports. Which is like a psychological play, right? It is a psychological play. But it finally allows you to kind of like eliminate so many distractions in your life and focus on you a little bit. And something about that was like weirdly healthy. And I would challenge like anyway. even listening to this, try doing that for 12 hours and see how maybe like more connected with

yourself you feel. So after three months, while I had highs and lows and, you know, weird emotional changes, I was much more like connected with where I was and why. That is so true though, because I'm like, you just like, and I think even in my line of work when I talk about people just accumulate stuff, right? There's this level of like, I'm just going to upgrade and keep getting, getting, getting, getting. And there gets to a point that it's like, yeah, you can have all this stuff and it almost becomes that distraction and this weight. And you can put that in with your cell phone. You can put that in with your social.

You could, that tentacle, I feel like goes so many different directions. Totally. And when it's all removed, it really is. It's who you are. That's it. That's left. And so that's so fascinating. Yeah.

I love that you learned that on like reality TV. I know. That's what it took. It's like the most 20-22 things someone could say. A reality television show got my life together. So funny. So you got how far I get in Beck's. So I came with Joe Cry, I say, I got bronze.

I came in third. You got three. I got third. And I got booted off at the dinner table. So it was right before the fantasy series, which is a blessing. You know, hindsight. Yes. Didn't have to deal with any of that looking back on it.

So it's all good. So what year was that again? That was 2018. Okay. Okay. So it's a little bit more recent than I was even thinking. Okay. Yeah.

That makes sense. Yep. And then you go from there. Yep. And what happens? You go back to baking. So I go right back. Well, it was Mother's Day.

So I flew home to go see my mom. I had to go see mom, you know, get my head squared away again. And then I went back to work. And that was. It was wild because I'm trying to deal with CFOs that earn, companies that earn over $100 million in revenue. Totally. And at the same time, I'm trying to be taken seriously.

I'm walking in and, like, our admin was like, oh, I heard you're the best kisser on this season of bachelor. I'm like, oh, my God. So it was this wild world of, like, managing professional and personal. Yeah. You were a banker. Exactly. That's so funny.

One of the interesting takeaways from that, though, is there was this sense of, like, vulnerability that I never showcased. at work. There was a world of my life that I'd never told anyone. And now that it was like exposed, like, you know, my good, my bad, my family, like everything. It allowed me to like actually build deeper relationships, which was interesting. But I went back for a year. And what ended up happening is I started some of my side businesses and side hustles. And I got put in this ultimate ultimatum, all because of the personal worlds and professional worlds colliding. Something Caitlin said on her podcast. For everyone that knows Caitlin, she's very raw and real with expressing what she's thinking.

And so they told me, you know, this is 10 years of work, seven relocations for promotions every year exceeded expectations. And they said, either you restart your brand here at work, and you have no more side hustle, no more Instagram, you can't do podcasts, you can't do anything else, or go outside the bank and restart what you're going to do. And so that was this ultimatum they put me in. And I actually created a company called Restart on my own to really help people with financial literacy and career navigation. And under that, we've been able to do a lot of things. We have a podcast. We have a networking group. We have a newsletter. We have one book of two that's coming out. We've been able to build a pretty cool community with it. That's so good. So I feel like

even your story. I'm like, I think a lot of people have had this fork in the road in their life, whether it was the pandemic that changed their career, whatever it was. But this idea of I'm going to have to change. Yeah. And so whether it's how I'm going to change how I'm viewing my money and handling my money, or I'm going to change my parenting style, whatever it is, I'm having to change. Yes. That change is scary, and it's hard.

Yep. And that level of vulnerability to step into something new can be a rub. And just going to something safe, I feel like a lot of people just default to. Sure. So you really took the other fork in the road, and you were like, okay, I know the banking world. You could have done corporate America, climbed the ladder. Yep. Because you're good at it, obviously.

From 209, they're moving you across the country, all of that. So talk to me about that idea of changing course in your life. Yeah. Because it's what you wanted to do. Yes. What was that like? No, exactly. And that, so this book is like an eight-step roadmap for anybody that's trying to make, like,

the most subtle change in their career, like managing a relationship with their boss or negotiating for themselves, or the most material change. But it comes back to a lot of stuff you talk about daily, and I was set up financially to be able to make that, right? So if fear will drive complacency. But fear for fear for. me was driven by financial independence. And I didn't have any debt. I paid off my MBA, my undergrad debt. And I had a two-year window where I knew that when I went to Seattle, I knew

I had two years of diligent budgeting that if I could do it, I could be in a position to go write my own story, as opposed to what I felt like the last 10 years, my story had been written for me. Yes. And so having that flexibility gave me the wherewith all to do it. If I didn't, though, If I did, you know, I know you guys talk a lot about debt, that management and stuff like that, if I was buried in debt, if I had these things, I would have had no choice but to stay where I was. In the unbelievable opportunity that has come from creating my own thing, it's sometimes I pinch myself.

But if I wasn't in a financial position to do so, I'd still be back there, doing what it was making me unhappy, having my story written for me and living my identity through my suit, coat, and title. Yes. Oh, it's so good. Money is such a tool to help myself. on the show, create a life that you love, right? It is a tool to help you do those things. And so often that script is flipped where the money just controls us.

It controls our life, and it tells us what to do versus the opposite. And you did such a great, I mean, it's incredible. So you mentioned a couple of things. And I was like, oh, yeah, dive into the money stuff. Let's get me on. Okay, you threw in budgeting. Yes. So overall, what would you say?

Because I preached a lot on the show. And I'm like, listen, budgeting is a permission to spend. Yes. You can do a budget and still enjoy life. This does not mean you can't go on vacation. Go out to e-go shopping, none of that. It just actually is you're being intentional and saying, here's my income, and here's the plan for it to make sure I want to do everything I want to do. Yes.

Do you concur? Do you disagree, Jason? Tell the people out there. What do you think? I'm on board with you with this one. We are in total agreement. I think you look at inflation right now, right? 7.9%. It is the biggest increase we've seen since January of 1982. And so a year ago, if you didn't budget, it was like, shame on you, but start budgeting. today, if you're not budgeting, it's not like shame on you. It's like, you must. This isn't more of like, I want to budget. It's a you need to budget because the consequences of not doing so are so material in the world we live in. Okay, emergency funds.

Okay, emergency funds. Savings, having money in the bank, whether it's a money market account, savings account, your safety net. Yep. What do you think? We know that people aren't doing it, which is an issue, right? I think it was like early 20-22, 56% of people didn't have $1,000 if an emergency. if an emergency came up. Terrifying, right? And so having what I, you know, people all have their names, I call it the rainy day fund.

And it's like the idea of getting caught outside when it's raining without an umbrella. It's just so important to have that. I think debt management is step one. Rainy Day Fund is step two. So if you find that you are really focusing on all these new investment opportunities, you're getting rich quick or really focused on the market, but you have yet to set up a rainy day fund, I think step one is take a pause, go back to your rainy day fund.

And then the question is, what should that exist of? If I ask you right now, like, or someone that's listening, do you know your fixed and variable expenses on a monthly basis or have an idea of the range? The answer you typically get is no. So sit down, look at your last month, understand what you're spending is on a variable and fixed basis. And then put in that savings day or put a plan in place to have, you know, there's so many different rules of thumbs out there.

I'd say two months to, and a great. aggressively like 10 months. But that stuff is so much more important right now than focusing on, you know, where you're going to get rich quick and how you're going to invest in X, Y, and Z. Okay, I love that you said that because a lot of people disagree because when I talk about the idea of becoming debt-free and getting that emergency fund in place, even before investing, people cringe. And I'm like, it's not that you're never going to invest. Sure. Because I love a 401k, Rothair, all of it.

Yes. We want to do that. But if you don't have the short term in place and something happens, a pandemic or whatever that happens. happens, and you don't have that income, but when you don't owe anyone anything and you have three to six months in the bank, your life is different. You have more options. The fear is lowered because your risk is eliminated all of it. So the idea that I love that you even say, having that emergency fund, even before that long-term investing, I think it's key. And I love that. I mean, I always like making analogies to money back to things we can relate to. Like March Madness,

you see someone's hot. They're hot because they have momentum. They have confidence. They're hitting and every three-pointer, like the amount of mental stress that you won't have because you have some money there. And the expectation of the opportunity to cost of capital, like the fees that are associated with taking out from your 401k and everything else, it's material. I mean, that's material. I've been saying it, y'all. He's just, he's concurring. That's all I'm saying. Okay, let's talk about student loans. You mentioned how you paid off your student loans, which is huge. Because a lot of people just keep them around hoping either the government's going take care of it or they're like, oh, I'm on the 20-year pay-off plan.

I'm just going to get it. What caused you to pay them off? I'm risk-averse to debt. I don't love debt, and I just wanted to get paid off. And that was more of a mental thing. But I accelerated the payment, and I don't love paying interest. So that's what caused me to do it. Okay. Okay. How did it feel after? Oh, I mean, you're like weightless. It's like a thousand pounds off your chest. And I think we live in a world. I mean, you see, so price elasticity, right? So this was like one of the few things I took away from my MBA. There you go. Price goes up. You have to do all these equations to figure out, you know, how it's going to impact demand.

But with school, as price continues to go up, demand is going up. It's price inelastic. And as a result of that, people are buried, right? It's on average, like $40,000 per person. And so it is just so important at that age. Just think about, like, the age 18, you have to raise your hand in high school to go to the bathroom. But in the same age, you're asked to make a huge decision on what you're going to study and how much debt you're going to take out. The big tip I have, I think, for parents or kids.

that are looking at this stuff, is really think about the ROI you'll get on that education where you're going. Because even if you do, like, analytics on private school versus public school, the amount of financial debt that someone is in versus public school versus private school is so material. It's like free to get. Right. And so just making those decisions and really understanding where you're going, why is so important.

I think it's so key. I'm like having a brain around education. Yes. And actually looking, because I mean, we say it on the show all the time, but I'm like, you know, even when you study millionaires, you study people that have become successful, whatever it is, looking at where they went to school.

I mean, you could do all studies around it, but I'm like being able to go to something that you can afford and not always the degree name, people don't always care where you went to school. Now, do certain fields, obviously, you need a degree, all that, absolutely. But being smart about it is what's so key. And the hard thing is people don't think.

Or they let their 18-year-old make all the decisions. And they think, okay, sure, this sounds good, why not? Because you don't know at 18. No, it does. So walking through and having the conversation, so key. Yep. Love it, Jason. So fun.

We're on the same page. I love it. That was so good. Well, thanks for coming by again. I love chatting about, obviously, money. Love, love that you have a connection as a Bachelor, too. Always so fun. And your new book is out.

April. April 5th. April 5th. I'm so sorry. Pre-sale. No, yeah. And they can get it where? You get an Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble.

It's all about career navigation. So whether you are trying to make, like, the smallest adjustment in your career because you have career confusion, or you're trying to make like the most material change, of what you're doing and why. It's an eight-step process. And the big thing is that I have seen so much behind the scenes in some of like the offices of these big Wall Street executives or even like production in an unscripted television show.

And the thing is the thing that happens behind the curtains, there's so much that people are doing when it comes to negotiation, branding, positioning, networking. And it's allowing them to accelerate what they want to do and how they do it and getting their message out there. And so this book is about sharing those experience with everyone so that they can do it accordingly. And big thing is like write your own story.

You only have one career, one opportunity to do it. Like take control of it now if you feel like someone else is. Yes. Oh, I love it. The restart roadmap, you guys, you can pick it up. Anywhere books are sold. And where can everyone find you? Yeah, Jason underscore Tardick.

So fun. Any form of social media, that's where I am. So great. Okay, so one question I always ask my guess is what's one thing you're doing with money that you love right now? It could be something small. It could be something huge. All right.

Well, Rachel, and I talk. talked about this before the show, I would say I love it and hate it. I have like a love-hate relationship with this, but it's wedding planning. Katie, I was looking ready for wedding planning. It's a lot of action. We're putting a lot of budgeting and thought towards it and we're all over it now. So fun. Well, congrats. I'm so excited for you guys. It's awesome. Thank you for having me. Yeah, thanks so much for coming on. All right, we're going to keep talking about inflation. Yep, we've done a couple of episodes on this, but it is. is a real problem, and it's continuing to be a real problem. I read an article from NBC recently that

said inflation will be costing the average American household an extra $296 a month. That's an extra $300 a month just because of inflation. You guys, it's crazy. I mean, $300, so that's your food, that's your gas, everything. It's going up by $300. And it's a big deal. Finding an extra $3.3.00. And it's a big deal. Finding an extra $300 a month is not always easy. So let's go over some tips on how handling your money right now in ways you can adjust your budget can help you when it comes to inflation. So using this article as kind of a springboard, this article calls out planning ahead. So thinking of things in advance, like when you're running your errands,

so you're making fewer trips out and you're saving on gas. I would also say plan ahead to the future, like think beyond just your errands. think about the future and making sure you have an emergency fund in place. Because when crazy times like this hit, having that extra cushion between you and life is really a huge deal. Now, in this article, they actually call out meal planning, which is a great way to save money. We talk about that a lot on this show. So you can check out the Rachel Cruz meal planner and grocery savings guide, and it can really help you be more intentional with your grocery budget.

So make sure to check that out. Also, being a smart shopper. So this means shopping around for the best deals. This means using coupons. This means buying in bulk, if it makes sense, all of it. So I recently did a video on how to save money at Walmart. And we also have a ton of videos on price comparisons and saving money in stores, all of it. So I want all of those videos to be a helpful resource to you.

Because, again, just being intentional with that. I know it takes more effort. And you're like, oh man, you know, looking up different websites or even looking at different stores and prices. But listen, these little things, that can save you $300 a month just by doing that, by saying, hey, I'm going to save a few bucks here or there. It's amazing what that does. It's easier and I don't want to say lazy, but it is just like, okay, I'm just going to buy what I want when I see it, versus saying, no, I'm actually really going to be smart about my purchases.

So be very intentional, you guys, shop around. Also, staying on top of your budget. We talk about the budget a lot on here, but it is the best way to stay in control of your money, even when the world feels completely out of control. I use every dollar, our budgeting app, and I go to it every day. But Winston I, we do a budget every month. We do. We go and look at it because every dollar is great because you put in your monthly income,

and again, account for about an extra $300 in expenses, because after your income, you're going to list out everything you spend money on. And every dollar gives you categories. you can delete those if you don't want them, you can add more categories, but make it to your lifestyle. Make the budget to your real life. And then you put dollar amounts in the categories. The goal is your income minus those categories will equal zero. So every dollar of your income coming in is assigned to a category. And then with every dollar, it's great because your transactions can come in and you plug in each transaction in the right category and your budget shows and

reflects how much you have left in each category, all of it. So it's huge. And when you do this, what's great about it is you can actually cut back on some budget categories, like eating out and clothes, entertainment, things that you don't need right now. That's why I love when a budget is visual. I hate when people are like, oh, I budget and it's in my head. No, being able to see it on paper or on your phone, visual is so key. So if you want to start budgeting for free today, go to ramsysolutions.com slash every dollar. not turning to credit cards. This is huge during this time, you guys.

I mean, I know things can feel so unstable, but racking up credit card debt is not the answer. I'm telling you, it feels like, oh, this is a good safety net I can have just in case. But what happens is if your life is in trouble and you don't have the money to pay your bills and you go charge it on a credit card, then your life's in trouble

and now you have a worst financial situation versus saying, hey, I'm going to stop, I'm going to figure out ways to bring in more income. I'm going to find ways to cut back on my expenses and forcing yourself to live below your means. If you continue to dig a financial hole during this time, because it is difficult, right? I'm not giving you a pass.

I'm not saying like, oh, yeah, it's so easy. It is hard. You are making sacrifices. But if you don't do that and you continue to charge and charge and charge, you're going to look up, you know, and you can go 10 grand in the hole. and then now you have that problem plus everything else. So stay on solid financial ground.

Do not be tempted to take out a credit card and rack up credit card debt. Now the article also says to not stop putting money into retirement. And I agree, but that's only when you're debt-free. So when you are in debt, you guys, pause retirement. I want all your money, any extra money you have going towards getting out of debt, building up that emergency fund, and then you can press play on investing.

Now, if you're already investing, do not take money out of your retirement to cover extra expenses, okay? Do not do that. You get dinged because you're pulling money out too early and you're double taxed. So you pay, when you fund like your 401K, for instance, it is after-tax dollars that go into that.

And then when you take it out early, you pay taxes again on that. So don't do it. Keep your money into 401K, just leave it alone. It's so, so important. Let that money grow. but again, if you're in debt or don't have an emergency fund, pause that for now, then press play when you're debt-free and have money saved.

Listen, I know it's difficult. It's so hard. It's not fun. None of us are at the gas pump being like, yes, that's how much it took to fill up my car. We're all like, oh, my gosh, what is happening? So it's not fun. It hurts. It's not fun.

So you want to be in control and be intentional. Do not throw your hands up in the air and be like, oh, this all sucks. I'm just going to keep living my life. I'm not going to worry about it. I'll worry about it later. No, I don't want you to worry, but I do want you to be intentional right now. Okay, so the more buckled down you can be during this time,

not only are you creating great money habits by doing that, but you're not setting yourself back financially. So make the adjustments you need to make, again, no matter how hard it is, which it stinks, but it is the reality in which we're living in. So I hope this helps you guys. I hope that it wasn't too hopeless. I hope that it really did give you some ways to adjust your budget and help during this crazy time of inflation.

Oh, inflation. I'm going to tear you guys, but again, budgeting and knowing where your money's going is going to help this problem, but it hurts. I know it hurts. All right, one thing that I'm loving right now, we got a new suitcase. You know you're getting old and an adult when a suitcase is exciting.

So we had the same suitcase set, you guys. We got it the Christmas. we got married, which was 2009. So we've had our suitcases for like 12 years, okay? And they were like the, I don't know, not cloth, but like the, you know, the material that's, I don't know, cloth, is that what you'd say? And they were great.

They lasted 12 years. So talk about an investment. It was awesome. Well, they started breaking left and right. You know, a handle broke off one. The other one with like the thing that you pull the suitcase with, that you're supposed to press the button and goes down. It broke on the other suitcase.

I mean, they were just, they're falling apart, falling apart. So I upgraded. Well, I don't know if it was an upgrade necessarily. I, you know, got with the times and did a hard suitcase, a hard shell suitcase with the four wheels, a Samsonite. And I'm telling you, it was great. Now, here's the tricky thing. If you travel a lot, you know this. Certain airlines have different overhead compartment sizes.

So I think it's American, but for sure, Southwest, there are two in. Southwest is one of them. They have larger spaces, so you can actually get a two-inch larger suitcase if you fly Southwest. But all the other airlines, they're a little bit smaller. So you got to be careful. So I really took the gamble. And I went with a little bit of the larger carry-on because I know it'll fit on Southwest, because that's usually what I fly. And I love it. I love it. I'm a great packer. I really don't pack a lot. And I can pack for four to five days in that suitcase. And I can carry it on because a checked bag is a lost bag. I learned that. I learned that. that traveling too. So I love it. I love a good roller. I'm a four-wheeler now. I don't roll it behind me.

I push it next to me. It's a whole thing and it feels great. I love it. All right. One thing that I am learning. So Winston and I are doing a garden. I think I've mentioned this in past episodes, I think. But we really went for it, you guys. And by we, I really mean Winston. He's done all the work, made the boxes and did the chicken wire and the mulching and the dirt, all of it. But before we started, we thought we need a compost because apparently the, I think they call it the black gold, which is like the best soil possible, comes from composting.

So we got a compost and we started doing it. But we just learned recently that you're supposed to put other things in the compost like sticks. And, you know, like after you cut your grass, like that kind of stuff goes in there. And even cardboard, like other stuff besides food. And then I talked to like my soup. super crunchy friends who like really compost for real. And I was telling them what I put in my

compost, which was like Doritos and gummy bears from the kids' lunches. Like I just put everything in there. And they were like, oh gosh, Rachel, no, like now it's mixed in with all the chemicals that's what you're trying to avoid. And I didn't avoid that because it's happening. But the compost goo that was in the compost is now in the gardening bed. I don't know. And we're going to plant seeds next weekends. Who knows? I mean, it may turn out terrible.

Like, these vegetables, I'm supposed to be growing. To be healthier. It's going to, like, I don't know, it tastes like nach cheese or something. I don't know what's going to happen. But I'm still learning. I'm learning and I'm growing, and that's what's important. All right, you guys, thanks so much for listening to this episode.

And I want to thank Jason Tartick for being on. on. It was so fun. I love talking about The Bachelor. I love talking about money. So he was such a great guest. And thank you guys again for listening. If you have not subscribed to the podcast, make sure to hit that follow button. And if the spirit leads, you can leave a review. And also tell your friends about the podcast. If you have friends out there and you guys are talking about money, just throw this podcast in the conversation. And maybe they can learn how to take control of their money and create a life you love.