“Let it sink…”

As I like to say, I always learn from the mistakes of those who followed my advice.

Power moves

My electricity bill went up.

I know exactly why.

It all started with my shopping lists.

I use them to eliminate temptation.

Stores are sneaky. They crave our hard-earned money - the money we made through sweat, blood, tears, begging, hustling, showing up… and just working.

They have tricks for that: lighting, music, layout, even scents (the bakery section is a trap, and the lumber aisle at Home Depot? That wood scent is my cocaine - I suddenly need new tools).

All of it sets the mood.

They expect us to wander their carefully arranged shelves and have those aha moments: “Oh, I might need this…”

Self-negotiation - that’s all they ask.

Just planting a seed. Testing our resistance.

And when we cave? We’re the cash cows.

If we don’t? No worries. They’ll get us next time when our willpower is running low.

My Defense: The Shopping List Strategy

I realized my resistance needed work. So I built a strategy: shopping lists.

The goal? Do my homework, make a list, and try to stick to it (easier said than done - temptation is real).

At first, I had one list for everything. It failed.

I couldn’t buy everything in one place, and my list turned into a mess.

So, I made three lists for our top stores:

• Costco

• Target

• Groceries (we’re lucky to have three within walking distance)

We buy in bulk to minimize store visits, so the lists evolve daily.

A whiteboard in the kitchen (every kitchen needs it!) is divided into three columns: Costco / Grocery / Target. When we run out of something, we write it down immediately.

Costco → Meat, poultry, fish, frozen goods, eggs, nuts, dried fruit.

Target → Cleaning supplies, toiletries.

Groceries → Perishables like dairy, herbs, fruit.

When it's shopping time, I move the lists to Todoist, and I'm ready to go.

But that’s me.

Bear with me - the plot thickens! The electricity part is coming…

We live in the AI era, after all.

My wife takes it to the next level with AI's help.

Every once in a while, she calls me:

"Hey, my hero, are you home? I’m passing by Target - do we need anything? Drop me the list..."

And that simple prompt turns the whiteboard list into a text message straight to her phone.

However, if “the AI” is pretending to be busy with something else?

It goes selfish.

Instead of transcribing, it takes a picture of the whiteboard and sends it as is.

Yeah, AI is lazy. Still can’t beat humans.

Storage challenge.

So, shopping is kinda optimized.

But a big American fridge, after a few experiments, turned out not to be endless.

We needed to store the haul in a cold, reliable place.

A year ago, after months of debate, we got a standalone freezer (#GodBlessGarage).

Most of the Costco haul goes there.

Then came another realization: we love home-cooked food, but daily cooking? Bad for my mental health.

Yup, I’m the cook.

Solution? Cook once a week.

My wife helps, of course. When she’s not watching a show, she sips wine and critiques my messy cooking.

(First marriage - no benchmark to compare if this is how families work. Hoping that in future marriages, the wives might cook too. But I’m not allowed to complain.)

What does this have to do with my electricity bill?

Once a week, “we” cook.

In bulk.

Time-wise, cooking a small batch vs. a large one? Not much difference.

Half goes in the fridge. The rest gets portioned and frozen.

Blind tests prove: reheated frozen meals taste just as good as fresh.

To make our delicious lazy life work, we’ve gathered a dream team of gadgets:

• Induction stove with electric oven

• Sous vide

• Thermomix

• Powerful range hood

• Slow cooker

• KitchenAid mixer (the red one, obviously!)

• And, of course, the 24/7 garage freezer

They all run at peak performance at least 4 days a month.

And That’s Why My Electricity Bill Went Up.

Should I switch to solar?

Till next time.

Our favorite digital finds

Short & Sweet

The Only Time Management Technique That Works - 6 min read.

Years ago, Carl Pullein “introduced” me to Todoist. A well-known productivity guy now explains why time blocking works and how to use it. You can block 6 mins to read the transcript of the podcast or listen to it.

What I Learned (and Unlearned) Reading 10 Books on Nutrition - 9 min read.

Did you know that Whole Foods sells more non-alcoholic beer than alcoholic? People are crazy about healthy eating lately. No surprise - a lot of books are diving into that topic. Good news - you don’t need to read them all! Scott Young gives a nice summary of 10 popular ones.

How fear of regret influences our decisions - 3 min read.

If you're torn between different options, "stick with your first instinct" might be good advice. Changing your mind without new information often just amplifies loss aversion. Here's why.

A Tweet That Hits

I’m lucky to be an early bird. It’s 6.40 a.m. on a Sunday, and I have the privilege of finishing this newsletter in a quiet and peaceful environment.

Add this to your shelf

It's not just a business book - it's an adrenaline-fueled ride through Richard Branson's life. He shares how he built the Virgin empire from scratch, took insane risks, and broke the rules to redefine industries.

Unpacking the routines of interesting people

Interesting facts:

Dyslexia Didn’t Stop Him

Branson faced challenges in school due to dyslexia and dropped out at 16. His headmaster famously predicted he would either become a millionaire or end up in jail. Instead of seeing dyslexia as a setback, Branson credits it for shaping his success, teaching him to focus on his strengths, think creatively, and delegate tasks effectively.

Started Virgin from a Phone Booth

Before Virgin Records became a global brand, Branson ran it out of a church crypt and used a public phone booth as his office, cold-calling people to sell records. His first big hit was Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells in 1973.

Survived Near-Death Experiences

Almost crashed his hot air balloon into the Atlantic. Had a high-speed bike crash in 2016 that left him with torn ligaments. Survived a hurricane that destroyed Necker Island in 2017… He’s cheated death at least six times by his own count!

Watch-worthy clips

Rejection sucks - whether at work or in relationships. I’m an expert on the topic: I work in sales, and my wife claims I proposed to her three times before she finally gave in. This 5-minute video explains why we hate rejection and how to deal with it.

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