“Let it sink…”

We are taught to be resilient, persistent, and never give up. But at times, this can be misinterpreted as merely trying different approaches. If a horse is dead, don't beat the horse.

Power moves

Christmas is over.
Finally.

Time to financially recover.

I’ve always been fascinated by how the holiday marketing flywheel works. It plays on our emotions and drains our wallets:

• We want to have fun.

• We want to be generous.

• We want to feel and show love.

Dopamine rises, and money flows.

But here’s the thing: I hate spending money. So much so that I’ve learned to save by doing things myself - like cooking, lawn care, replacing toilets, and installing ceiling fans.

To keep spending under control, I’ve built a system. A Notion database where I track subscriptions. Each has a renewal reminder a week in advance so I can decide if it’s still worth it.

Spoiler: I don’t have Netflix or Spotify.

But I’m not extreme about it. I prioritize spending on things that improve:

• Health

• Wealth

• Safety

• Time (conditionally)

The Rule: If outsourcing costs less than my imaginary hourly rate, I outsource. If fixing something saves more, I DIY.

Following the rule, I figured that replacing a toilet myself (30 minutes studying on YouTube + 40 minutes of actual work) would cost me much less than the $250 fee for a handyman. The second toilet I replaced took just 25 minutes, with no extra time spent on YouTube.

But!
At this stage of my life, I have extra capacity, so I’m "buying" experience and giving my mind a distraction. Later in life, I’ll shift to "buying" time by outsourcing tasks like cooking, cleaning, housekeeping, and other mundane routines.

Anyway, if an expense falls into Health/Wealth/Safety/Time category, I’m likely to invest.

Here’s a peek at my carefully curated subscriptions and why they’ve made the cut:

• YNAB ($109/year) | Wealth + Time-Saver
  A budgeting tool that replaced my spreadsheet chaos. It automatically pulls transactions from all my accounts, saving me hours every month for the past eight years. Each month, my wife and I review our expenses and plan the budget for the upcoming month. We learned so much in the first few months of using it.

• Amazon Prime ($139/year) | Time-Saver
  Convenient for fast deliveries but requires discipline to avoid impulsive dopamine traps. Plus, it includes unlimited photo storage and a video streaming service. No need for Netflix.

• YouTube Premium Family ($23/month) | Health + Time-Saver
  Ad-free learning, fitness content (Caroline GirvanCaroline Girvan - YouTube is a favorite), and a great music library for the whole family. No need for Spotify.

• Ring Camera ($40/year) | Safety
  My wife insisted. Enough said.

• Cookidoo ($55/year) | Time-Saver + Health
  The perfect companion (not that I had a choice) to our Thermomix for easy, healthy meals.

• 1Password (Corporate perk, ~$60/year) | Safety
  A lifesaver for secure and efficient password management. Even if it weren’t covered by my employer, I’d definitely pay for it myself.

• Apple Fitness+ ($80/year) | Health
  About 1.5 years ago, I bought a Peloton bike on sale for what felt like a ridiculous amount of money. Did you know the Peloton subscription for the bike is $40 a month?! Ha! Instead, I just place my iPad on top of the Peloton screen and stream cycling sessions for about $7/mo. As a bonus, it seamlessly integrates with my Apple Watch for data tracking.

In total, I spend about $700/year on optional subscriptions. Of course, there are cellular and internet services and other essentials. For me, it’s not about cutting to the bone - it’s about mindful spending. I prioritize value and only pay for things that serve a purpose or make life better.

The takeaway? Spend where it counts, cut where it doesn’t.

What’s on your “essential subscriptions” list? Am I missing anything?

Till next time.

Our favorite digital finds

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Press Play

Nice beats could be great for either deep work, study, or workout sessions.

Add this to your shelf

The War of Art is a book that talks about the inner struggles that creative people face when trying to do their best work. It's about overcoming self-doubt, fear, and procrastination. The author, Steven Pressfield, calls this inner struggle "Resistance." The book helps you understand this Resistance and gives you practical advice on how to defeat it. It's a great read for anyone who wants to be more creative and productive.

Unpacking the routines of interesting people

Victor Hugo - was a famous French writer, poet, and artist from the 1800s. He wrote classics like Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which are still loved today. Known for his passion and creativity, Hugo also fought for social justice and human rights.

*It's worth noting that there are some discrepancies between sources, and Hugo's routine may have varied throughout his life.

Interesting facts about Victor Hugo:

• Writer's Block Cure: To combat writer's block, Hugo would remove all his clothes and lock himself in a room with only pen and paper, allowing no distractions.

• Quirk Discipline: Hugo wrote each morning, standing at a small desk in front of a mirror.

• He was a talented artist: In addition to being a literary giant, Hugo was an accomplished artist, creating over 4,000 drawings. His art was so impressive that famous painters like Vincent van Gogh admired it.

Watch-worthy clips

Excellent quick step-by-step guide from Jeff on how to set up NotebookLM and get the tool working with your amounts of documentation. Information provided by this AI is going to be reliable and based only the data you “feeded” the tool with.

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