“They're so focused on the avocado toaster, the coffees, when the real budget killers are your mortgage payment, your utility bill, your food, gas, stuff like that. … The other stuff is just at the edges. You're just messing around.”
Slate Money · October 2026
Peck on the personal finance gurus who tell people to budget by cutting small treats. Her point is that the costs that sink a household budget are the fixed ones you can't easily change. The line comes from Slate Money's personal finance episode.
Transcript
They're very Felix-coded examples. Yeah,
so you buy some artwork after dinner. Exactly.
I guess it's like everyone's always like the Susie Ormans of the world and that other, that other guy, the Ramsey guy. They're so focused on like the avocado toaster, the coffees, when the real budget killers are like your mortgage payment, your utility bill, your food, gas, stuff like that. Stuff you can't really, it's fixed. The other stuff is just like at the edges. You're just messing around. You're moving things from one little zero budget line to the other little zero budget line. Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie. And one thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. Because with every fix, update, and renovation, it becomes a little more your own. So you need all your jobs done well. For nearly 30 years, Angie has helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter. From plumbing to electrical, roof repair to deck upgrades. So leave it to the pros who will get your jobs done well. Angie, the one you trust, define the ones you trust. Find a pro for your project at Angie.com.
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Flowing ad budget on metrics that look great until the CFO sees them. That's bull spend. And marketers are calling it out in dashboard confessions.
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