Dynamic Marketing Communiqué

Starbucks ISN’T the problem. Check out this CEO’s tips on how to save money! [Fridays: Mindfulness by Miles]

December 23, 2022

Miles Everson’s Business Builder Daily speaks to the heart of what great marketers, business leaders, and other professionals need to succeed in advertising, communications, managing their investments, career strategy, and more. 

A Note from Miles Everson

Hi, everyone! 

We’re excited to share with you another important insight in today’s “Mindfulness by Miles!”  

Every Friday, we talk about topics related to wealth, health, and our overall well-being. Our goal is to help you improve both your personal life and career. 

Today, we’ll focus on some of the money-saving tips I personally live by. 

Keep reading to know why managing your wealth is important and how you can control your urges to check out what’s in your cart. 

Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute


Mindfulness by Miles  

Over the years, Starbucks has received a bad rap for being “too expensive.” 

Lots of articles and blogs online have talked about how the brand’s prices are “capitalistic,” and that the price of a single cup of Frappuccino can be used to buy something more useful or meaningful instead. 

Other opinionated articles even claim that if people would give up their daily dose of Starbucks cup of joe, they’d be able to grow their savings by 2 times. 

Here’s the thing: At the end of the day, Starbucks is just a brand of coffee. It can only influence someone’s decision, but it cannot totally control that person’s actions. 

In short, Starbucks ISN’T the problem and more importantly, it’s NOT the reason why some people get broke! Saving money goes waaaaaay beyond that, and there are several factors involved. 

Photo from Healthline

According to MBO Partners CEO Miles Everson, what made him think about Starbucks and saving money was a recent conversation he had with his daughter. At that time, his daughter was explaining that if she gave up 5 Starbucks runs for a few weeks, she would be able to compensate for the spending splurge she did during Black Friday. 

At first, Everson did not think too much about that conversation… but after pondering on his daughter’s statement a bit more, he called her to explain how he thought she could actually save money while keeping her favorite Starbucks drink. 

What Everson realized through this was there are countless habits and ways individuals can boost their finances without giving up something like Starbucks. 

He says other outlets have much more significant hindrances on one’s wallet than a branded cup of joe that brings joy to many people, especially during the holiday season because of its Christmas-themed cups.  

That’s why Everson is sharing his top 5 saving tips! He states following these guidelines will help you keep whatever it is you’re fond of doing, drinking, or eating, and still save some cash.  

  1. Say “NO” to 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. buys.

You’ve probably scrolled through your phone in the early hours of the morning when you can’t sleep. Everson says he’s also done that several times in the past. 

He’s also quite certain that some of the posts you saw on your social media feed during that time were product recommendations. While there’s nothing wrong with seeing those ads, the danger is when you can’t control your urges to check out those products even when you don’t actually need them. 

According to Everson, you DON’T need to buy that new gadget or other things just to keep up with the latest trends, and especially very early in the morning! 

If you’ve read his other past articles, you’ll know that he’s passionate about getting enough sleep, and the number 1 tip he always gives to people wanting to improve their sleeping habits is to avoid having their phones near them. 

Besides, lack of sleep can cause you to make impulsive decisions. So, strengthen your sleep and wallet by creating a no-phone-on-or-beside-the-bed rule. Your health and wealth will thank you later on for that.  

  1. Stick to a meal plan.

Everson states ordering a meal through Uber Eats, Doordash, or Grubhub has become easier during the pandemic. At the same time, the health crisis trained people to rely on these apps to ease their hunger pains or “hangry” (hungry + angry) moments.

The thing is, not only does this instant gratification cause you to waste groceries you just bought, but the delivery fees, taxes, and tips can also add up to the fees, causing you to pay more than the actual amount of your order. 

That’s why it’s crucial to plan your meals and stick to them. Everson says with food costs being over 13% higher now compared to last year, meal prepping can help you save a large amount of cash. 

  1. Track your app subscriptions.

You probably have app subscriptions on your TV, computer, or phone… and sometimes, you don’t even care about how much they cost; you simply connect those billings to your credit or debit card so they’ll be automatically charged there per month. 

Everson says it’s now time to change that habit and do an inventory check. You can do this manually or by using apps that help you manage your billings. However, take note that while such apps are helpful, some of them will charge you with fees once you upgrade them or exceed their free trial. 

Everson recommends going through your bank statements one by one and canceling the subscriptions you no longer need. Yes, it may take more time, but it will be worthwhile.  

  1. List your monthly expenses.

Everson is not just talking about house or apartment rent, estimated gas use, electricity, and other utilities here. He’s also talking about any purchase or fees over USD 100 that you know you will make on a monthly basis. 

These include gym memberships, wellness treatments, doctor appointments, vet appointments, etc. 

Once you’ve listed all these along with their estimated costs, compare them to your monthly income. From here, you can remove unnecessary expenses from the list, write down the extra funds you have for eating out or shopping, and note how much you want to place into your savings account. 

By doing this, you not only know how much you spend, but you can also plan for how much you want to save per month. 

  1. Set healthy challenges.

Everson’s last tip is to set good and attainable goals or challenges for yourself. 

He always thinks it’s a great idea to challenge yourself and see what you’re capable of. For instance: Maybe for one month, try committing to eating out only once a week… or instead of denying yourself something, try putting up a garage sale for some things you no longer need or better yet, donate them. 

Everson says challenging yourself can genuinely transform your habits, finances, and outlook on life. So, create space for new things, disciplines, and learnings!

—  

In reality, many things can slow down the growth of your finances more than a cup of Starbucks coffee. Especially now that it’s the holiday season, it’s easy to get tempted into spending lots of cash. 

That’s why Everson says it’s important to always plan your expenses! 

He says by applying all, or at least one, of his tips above, you’ll feel more financially secure and happy for yourself. 

We hope you find Everson’s money-savings tips helpful and insightful!  

Happy holidays and spend wisely this season, everyone! 


(This article is from The Business Builder Daily, a newsletter by The I Institute in collaboration with MBO Partners.) 


About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Fridays: Mindfulness by Miles”

High-performance businesses are run by people who think and act differently. 

In other words, these are people who are high-performing individuals

Companies and individuals of this kind have found ways to escape the grind of commoditization and competition by focusing on the RIGHT goals. 

High-performing businesses and individuals are also “return driven” businesses and “career driven” individuals. They conscientiously develop unique capabilities and resources that allow them to deliver offerings in ways no other firm or individual can. 

Every Friday, we’ll publish tips and insights from MBO Partners and The I Institute’s “The Business Builder Daily” newsletter. 

These will help you gain knowledge on the things that Miles Everson, the CEO of MBO Partners, often talks about regarding the future of the workforce. 

We’ll also highlight other mindfulness advice on how you can be a high-performing individual both in your career and personal life. 

Hope you’ve found this week’s insight interesting and helpful.

Stay tuned for next Friday’s “Mindfulness by Miles!”


Cheers,

Kyle Yu 
Head of Marketing 
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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