Kathi Lipp (00:10) 

Well, hey friends, welcome to Clutter Free Academy where our goal is to help you take small doable steps to live every day with less clutter and more life. And I am here with the queen of all things clutter. It is Tonya Kubo. Hey Tonya. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:24) 

Hey, Kathi. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:26) 

Okay, we, it’s my favorite holiday of the year that’s coming up. I’m so excited. I know for other people they’re looking forward to Independence Day or, know, I’m trying to think of other summery holidays, Memorial Day, those kind of things. But for me, it is a month long celebration of Low By July. It really is, it’s crazily one of my favorite times of year. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:32) 

Yeah! 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:55) 

when we as a community over in Clutterfree Academy really look, now let’s be honest, for years it was called No by July. And that was a problem for people, wasn’t it, Tonya? 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:06) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, it was definitely, because our cluttery people, ? it’s really important to them that they do things right. And know by July felt really, really hard to get right. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:17) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes, I’ll never forget. It must have been two years ago. One of our people on July 1st, they needed to repair their car and they like our whole month is gone now. And I was like, no, no, no, no, no. You get to repair your car and you can still do low by. Well, at the time it was no by July, but it was it was stressful for them. You know, I ran out of milk. Well, we’d really like you to get milk. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:35) 

No! 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:50) 

? You know, I know a lot of people there are a lot of boycotts going on right now and I was watching this ? one video where a guy was like I don’t know what to do because the only formula my baby likes the only place I can get it in my town is this certain store and I’m like go to the store go to the store, you know, yeah like 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:09) 

Well, exactly. ? my gosh, that’s 

  

a whole different episode, but a good friend of mine and I, were having the same conversation because she was just like, you that’s easy for you to say when you live in certain areas, but it is difficult, right? Not everybody has the same choices. That’s just, it’s important to know that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:25) 

Exactly. 

  

Right. 

  

And I figure if I reduce things by 75 % and that’s still enough to make an impact and I feel the same thing for low by July. it’s real. OK, so this is not about restrictions. It’s about a reset. And I am the poster child for the reset because I 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:38) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

definitely. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:58) 

I get into bad habits during the year, you know, saving time. And it’s like, you know what? Time is not really my biggest constraint. Now, I would say time is a big constraint for you because you are running human beings all over the town. ? But you know, maybe energy is more of a constraint for me and less of a constraint for you. Like we all have our different constraints, but it’s very easy for me to fall into the habit of. 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:59) 

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:24) 

? This will take less time. So I’m just going to do something out of habit and I don’t want to live like that. I really don’t Yeah, I I want this is about a reset and do you approach it as a reset as well? 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:30) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

yeah, mean, definitely. Even No-By-July was a reset for us. It was an opportunity to go, ? where has the spending incrementally, like little bits of overspending have become big bits of overspending. So for us, Low-By-July has always been the opportunity to eat out of the freezer to like minimize how much stuff we have in our outside freezer. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:57) 

Right. Right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:06) 

It’s the opportunity to go, do we really need to go to the grocery store as often as we’re going? Because Kathi to your point, right, I’ve got kids in school. May and June is a gauntlet for us. And so it’s very easy, especially in the month of May, for us to go from eating out twice a month to suddenly eating out twice a week. And then by June, we are like overwhelmed by the amount of decisions we’ve had to make. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:13) 

Right. 

  

Ugh, yes. 

  

Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:35) 

And then it’s like, maybe we’ll just door dash. Like we don’t even have the energy to go to a restaurant. We’re just like, we’ll just have it come to us. And so in July, it’s a great opportunity to go, my gosh, we’ve got all this food in the freezer that we haven’t touched in a month or two. Let’s start going through all that. Let’s see what we can do. Let’s start reducing the spending. And it’s nice because we’re all home more. So it just makes sense for us. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:43) 

Yes. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Well, and here’s something I’ve wondered, but I’ve never actually asked you about. I know with my kids, like when church would have a challenge or something, the kids would be on board. I could issue the same challenge as a parent and they’d be like, why do we need to do this? Like, is it easier for your kids to accept, we’re doing the clutter free thing, or does it make no difference to your children? 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:06) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

You know, that’s funny is actually ? Lily used to get really upset over it. Like, why would you sign us up for this, mom? Like, that’s not nice. Why would you do this? And ? then Abby always struggled because her birthday is in July. So what I just make it about is we like look at like they’re old enough to though now they’re 10 and 15. So now it’s like we’ve got all this stuff at home. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:34) 

? wow. Okay. 

  

right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:55) 

And so what I do, there’s a big reward at the end. So we save like all the money that we save. We get to decide to do something fun with it. We’re not in that stage where we’re saving that money and we’re like, we have to pay off this big bill. We have to do this. We have to do that. We just get to do something fun. But then what they don’t realize is there’s things that I don’t start doing again in August and in September. And so while all my savings in July may go to some kind of reward, 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:59) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Right. Yeah. 

  

Hahaha 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:24) 

I’m still saving that amount in August and September and I get to use that to other things. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:27) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, you know, I love this because I what I feel like low by July does for me is Yes, it does save us money, but it just creates a breathing room You know in our house because there’s less stuff coming in our schedules and especially you know in those fine You know the day-to-day finances and Tonya I will say it is very comical when roger and I come home from town because we only go to town once a week, right and so 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:57) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:59) 

We unload the car. It looks like we’re going on a month vacation. I it does seem a little preposterous sometime Yeah Yeah, I 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:05) 

I get it though. 

  

I used to live way out in 

  

Boondockville at one point and yes, it is like that. It’s like you are moving is what it feels like. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:12) 

? my goodness. 

  

Yes, it really does. We have finally learned to get everything out of our car before we go to town because we’re going to fill up our, it’s a whole thing. Okay. So I think another thing that is going to be maybe a little different this year is I’m, I’m sure you feel the same, or at least you have people around you who feel the same. Finances feel different this year, at least for us. We are 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:45) 

We are looking at our 401k, there we go. And there’s been a lot going on in the market and stuff like that. If we were panicking, the thought that would be going through my mind is we have to delay retirement for three years now. Because that’s how much we’ve lost in our 401k. And I am not a reactionary, I know things are gonna go up again, but I think a lot of people… 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:01) 

Mm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:12) 

who maybe don’t have a lot of cushion are feeling a lot of stress. Are you noticing that in your circles as well? 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:17) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes, I mean, it looks different in my circles, right? Like we all notice that things cost more right now. So in my circles, people aren’t bringing in less money necessarily. Like I know a few people who are public employees who, you know, downsized or whatever, but for the most part, they’re not bringing in less money, but the money isn’t going as far as it used to. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:28) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah, exactly. I mean, we’ll just call it the egg index, right? It was ? our one of our neighbors brought us over a dozen eggs. Our chicken are not of laying age right now. ? They are up they are upstairs in the bathroom and they’re definitely of pooping age right now. And so ? we’ve yes, it’s not it’s not pleasant. But yes, the egg index, you know, not just because of the bird flu, but just you know, the cost of things are going up. 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:48) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Got it. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:13) 

So I feel like this is coming at a great time. We’re putting this podcast out a couple of weeks early because we want you to be able to think through some of these things. Like Tonya was talking about plan to plan. Yeah, because your daughter has a birthday in July. So you do a lot of your planning in advance. And you know what? That’s really going to help out. So I want to come back and talk about how I think it’s so important to have a 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:22) 

It’s plan to plan. We want you to plan to plan. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:40) 

goal for what you’re going to do with the money you save. And I’ve got some ideas for when we come back. 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:41) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Awesome. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:48) 

Okay. Okay, friends, we are back. ? And I want to talk about you’re going to save some money in July because you’re not going to be buying extras. We will give you all the details in when you join us over at Clutterfree Academy in the Facebook in the Facebook, I was going to say the Facebook group, but it makes me sound like a 75 year no, let’s a 90 year old person when I say the Facebook. ? 

  

Because I’ve got some very hip 75 year olds in my in my circle ? But I think it’s really important to go in with a goal and I know what you you just said that you’re you’re You’re talking to your family about saving for a treat, but Tonya that hasn’t always been your circumstance has it? 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:29) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

No, no, there I mean there were circumstances. Well, I mean we were a single income household for quite a while and there’s just been times where we’ve had to do the cut back because we’ve had to do the cut 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:47) 

Yeah, so I want to talk about a few different ? areas that this could go to. Now for some people, it’s just going to be survival. Like I just need to make it through, you know, I’m just trying to get from paycheck to paycheck. I want you to consider this your learning lab month. This is your we’re going to all be there to support you. 

  

We’re gonna be in the Facebook group talking about how we’re saving money, how to look at things differently. Maybe it’s time to cut out some subscriptions, but you’re gonna be there with people who are going to be able to cheer you on. Then there’s gonna be some people who are going to be like, we need to pay off a bill. Like there’s something that is hanging over our head. Maybe it’s a medical bill, maybe it’s a car loan. ? And if you have a few different things you’re paying off, 

  

Maybe this is the month to start the snowball. I learned about the snowball from Amy Decision, the Tight Wad Gazette that back in the nineties, but I know a lot of people know about it because of Dave Ramsey. And that is just where you pay off one bill ? because you’re making the minimum payment on all these different bills. And you take what you were paying on that first bill. Once you get it paid off and you apply that to the second lowest bill and you do that until that’s paid off. 

  

And I know that that has made a difference in my life and other people’s lives. So to think about that. Three could be an emergency fund. Maybe you need a little cushion for when a disaster happens. Tonya, as you know, Roger and I have had to start a protocol of rabies treatments. We’re fine. We’re 100 % fine. 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:15) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:33) 

But yeah, we had an encounter with a bat and it was the county recommendation was that we get this rabies protocol. And they called me yesterday and they said, your copay on this each is $2,100. How would you like to take care of that? And I’m like. 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:55) 

Mmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:56) 

Do you really have a lot of people who are like, yes, here’s my $2,100. In our case, $4,200. Let’s just take after $1,000 at the ER. Like, I don’t know people, I don’t know a lot of people who can just whip that out. But even just having a small emergency fund, and this is what I’ve noticed with our kids, they keep a small emergency fund. So that extra copay at the dentist doesn’t become a crisis. 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:24) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:27) 

And so if you’re in that place where everything’s a crisis, because I have been there, a small emergency fund can be a great next step. And then the fourth thing is to start saving. Is there something that you’re saving for? Maybe it’s something fun. Maybe it’s something that you really need for your house. And then let’s put the fifth one in there with Tonya. It’s the party fund just for the month of July. 

  

But 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:50) 

Yep. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:50) 

you’re resetting those habits and those things. And I love that you’re doing that with your girls. I just love that. So what is your thing that you’re usually saving for that’s fun in the month of July? 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:03) 

? 

  

Usually we take vacation and so we pre-save, but then we take the money that we save in July and we put that either toward like spending money for the vacation. ? Last year, just because of how things were working out, we actually put it toward our back to school shopping for the girls. Like it was their budget for back to school shopping. ? Because keep in mind, for you and me, Kathi, as moms, 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:07) 

? nice. 

  

Mm, ? I love that. 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:31) 

That’s just stuff we have to pay for. But when you are 10 and 14, that is freedom you have never experienced in your life. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:34) 

Right! 

  

Well, am I remembering correctly that Abby was like weighing things back and forth like gold? that was it her or Lily when she had that cash that she was ? empowered with? 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:53) 

Yes, yes, that was Abby. Abby was really confused at how quarters could weigh more than dollars, but not be worth as much. That was a problem for her. It was very unfair, very unfair that she could have five pounds of small change and it was not worth the same amount as her dollars. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:04) 

It was very unfair. 

  

Yep. ? I totally get it, Abby. I am right there with you. OK, so Tonya, how do people join this challenge? 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:20) 

Yeah, so we’re going to do something that’s a little different is what we’re going to do. So what we are going to do this year is we are going to have it in the Clutterfree Academy Facebook group like we always do. Because in the month of July, this is a crossover with our private membership community Clutterfree for Life. But we are going to give folks an opportunity to sign up for Low By July emails. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:26) 

Okay. 

  

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:48) 

because what we have discovered is they forget to check in on the group, Kathi. And we’ve got some listeners who aren’t on Facebook, but they still wanna participate. And they’re not gonna get a ton of emails. It’s not like an email every day or anything. We’re just gonna give them like, you know, one, maybe two emails a week, just about the challenge. So this is gonna be different than the newsletter. We’re not gonna send it out to everybody, just the folks that appreciate that, but that’s what we’re gonna do. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:49) 

? 

  

yeah, yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

I love that so much. Okay, and a couple of more practice and we’ll have that that link in the show notes. But if you just look for Kathi Lipp’s Clutterfree Academy and Facebook, you’ll find us. Don’t worry. You have to answer a couple of questions before you get into the group because we don’t want well, we like weird people, but we don’t like mean people. So no meanies. 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:20) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

I don’t like spammy 

  

weirdo bots in our group. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:37) 

Nope, nope, we’re not doing that. So just a couple of practical things that might be helpful here. ? Inventory what you already have. Do I have enough deodorant to get me through July? That’s an important consideration. ? Do I need, you know, do I need to replace my toothbrush heads? Whatever it is, just take a little inventory. You don’t need to buy for the rest of your life. You just need to have enough to get you through July. that, and then, you know, if you’re like, 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:49) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:06) 

I don’t know that I wanna do everything. Maybe it’s just not buying clothes. Or maybe it’s just saying, okay, I’m going to eat through everything that I already have on hand. And then that way I don’t have to go to the grocery store as much. Or maybe say, I’m gonna just do $50 a week at the grocery store when you normally do 200. These are all things that you can do on your own. Any other last minute tips? 

  

Tenneil (17:12) 

the issues ? 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:36) 

Tonya? 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:37) 

I would just say if there, maybe just make a list of purchases you wanna think about whether you can get away with not doing in the month of July. So maybe there’s a subscription you have, maybe that you’re like, do I really need Audible or do I really need whatever? Just make a list and consider making July the month you try life out without. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:46) 

you 

  

I love it. Okay, guys, ? pop on over to the Facebook group. Join us before July because we’re going to be gearing up over there. And stay tuned because Tonya and I are going to talk about something that I have decided has earned a place in my house. And by the way, I love it so much. I forced it into Tonya’s house. Like I sent it to her because I knew she needed it so badly. Okay, we’ll be right back. 

 

Kathi Lipp (00:01) 

And we are back and this is one of my favorite parts of the podcast. We’re going to talk about things that have earned a place in my clutter free home. Now, some of you are going to be like, Kathi, we’re talking about low by July and why, why are we buying things? Okay. This is why guys, because my new favorite quote is cluttery people are the meanest people in the world, but only to themselves. 

  

? I didn’t think you’d heard me say that yet, Tonya but isn’t it the truth, right? 

  

friend, I’ve l- 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:36) 

Absolutely 

  

so true, so true. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:39) 

Yeah, it we are so hard on ourselves. So this is why we can no longer call it no by July because ? if you cracked a tooth, you wouldn’t go to the dentist or if you did go to the dentist, you would think you were a complete failure. So this is why it’s. Yeah, right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:54) 

No, that’s what it is. They think they’re 

  

a complete failure for going to the dentist to fix their crack tooth. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:00) 

Exactly during no by July. So that’s why we’re calling it low by July and Hey, you may not need this. So let me tell you don’t buy this but I need it and I I I forced my opinions on Tonya and Said you need this too. And so when I tell you you need something I’m not going to make you need it without getting it for you. So 

  

But I was so convinced that this would change Tonya’s life that I sent her a couple ? post-haste. And it is called Bug Bite Thing. And if you’re watching online, I just held it up. And we’ll have, of course, a link in ? the podcast notes. But what this is, it’s like a plunger for Bug Bites. I don’t know how else to describe it. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:50) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:53) 

So if you’re watching, just gonna, I’m gonna put this on here. Whoops, I’m doing it wrong. So say like I got a bug bite right here. This is great for people who are listening, by the way, as I’m describing this. But ? you’re gonna pull this up and it’s going to suck the saliva, the venom out of your bug bite. And I heard it explained, we just had a doctor here at the Red House. 

  

And we were talking about bug bites and I’m like, okay, so is it true that everybody gets stung the same amount probably and some of us are just more allergic to it or are some of us sweeter? And she goes, it’s a combination of both. And I’m like, okay, well that was really interesting. And so I’ve got all the attractants and the allergies to it. Roger can get, I know that Roger gets bit so often because he’s outside way more than I am, but they don’t. 

  

bug him as much as they do, but they bug me to death. And so you were even I think it was as early as April you were having mosquitoes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:59) 

Well, 

  

and I had them on my face! 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:02) 

Right, which is not a cute look. You’re very cute, but that’s not a cute look. And so I’m like, I’ve got the thing. I’ve got the thing. Now I will tell you, Roger and I have had discussions about whether this is completely psychosomatic or not. And I was like, well, first of all, I don’t care because I’m still using it. And when I use it, it actually works. But I did a little research. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:18) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:30) 

And the research shows that the body reacts to proteins or chemicals injected by insects like histamines or anti-collagra… wait. 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:40) 

Coagulants. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:42) 

There we go. I’ll never be able to say that word. If you remove them early enough, you may interrupt the histamine, histamine, okay. Okay. Guys, these are words that I don’t use. C-A-S cascade, the histamine cascade. I know where the cascade is. Okay. Leading to less itching and swelling. When I read these notes, I’m like, I can say that. Apparently not. ? So suction devices have been used in wound care. 

  

all sorts of things for a really, really long time. But there was a study in Germany that said, and I’m not even gonna try to pronounce the name of that newspaper, but it says that it’s tested a suction-based device for bug bites. It found that both reduced itch and swelling when used immediately. So take that, Roger Lipp. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:12) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, I just feel like it’s a much more hygienic form of a leech. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:38) 

Okay, wow, you just 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:38) 

We use leeches for a long time. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:44) 

Leaches never even occurred to me Okay, but so here’s the thing if you’re hippie-dippy and you don’t like to use a lot of medicines This is probably really good for you ? and ? I will as soon as I notice that something is swelling on me. I go in with the bug bite Extractor it’s called the bug bite thing and I suck out the poison and guys I It works. It just works 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:12) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:13) 

And so, mean, your results may vary, but ? it only works if you use it pretty much immediately. Like you’re not gonna go to Target and buy one and then use it on the bug bite you got. ? But I love this thing. So if you live in a place with a lot of bug bites, have you actually tried it yet, Tonya? 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:24) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

I was going to say like, but you by the time the one you sent to me arrived, obviously I could not use it on my face, but ? you know, they get trapped in our bedrooms. And so Abby woke up with one that was really bothering her on her ankle. And we, said, well, let me just open this up and let’s try it out. And she looked at me with all the skepticism of her 10 year old brain. Right. And, but you could see the like liquid on the surface of the skin afterwards. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:51) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Of course. 

  

Yes, 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:06) 

which she was really grossed out by. And 

  

I was like, but it’s gross cool, right? She was like, no such thing as gross cool, mom. But it did not swell like typical. mean, cause you know how they swell up pretty big, at least on my body and on my girl’s body. I just say it’s worth buying. Buy it, try it. If you hate it, fine. But I don’t think you’ll hate it. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:14) 

Yes, there is. 

  

Yeah. 

  

If you 

  

react to mosquito bites like me, like you, like your girls, you want to do anything you can to make it lessen. And ? if it doesn’t work for you, I am sorry. But ? the anecdotal evidence is that this thing really, really works. And there’s some scientific backing to it. So. 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:40) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:52) 

I have not convinced Mr. Roger Lipp. He still thinks that I am, you know, I didn’t even think about using this on the tick that, you know, could I have sucked the tick out? I don’t know. ? That is not one of its indications because yeah, but hey. 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:03) 

Hell no. 

  

I don’t think so. I’m just going to say no on 

  

the tick thing. You have to actually remove the tick the old fashioned way. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:11) 

Well, here’s the problem. 

  

It did not remove it became one with my body. So I would have tried anything at that point. Yeah, I’ve still got little Herman riding along with me. We are one now. So sorry if that grosses you out. So guys, ? I love this thing. I think they’re probably around ? seven to nine dollars a piece. I think I bought a two pack. I would buy I would buy this again in a second. Okay. 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:16) 

Hahaha 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:40) 

So that’s my little things that have earned it. Let’s just say if this went missing, I would buy another one immediately because it really does make a difference. Okay, friends, you’ve been listening to Clutter-Free Academy. I’m Kathy Lipp Now go create the clutter-free life you’ve always wanted to live.