What’s in It For Me? (with Vivian Tu)

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This episode is all about the Benjamins, baby! Financial expert and social media creator Vivian Tu (aka Your Rich BFF) joins the podcast to drop some serious knowledge and Ku and Su are taking notes. They discuss financial literacy, fake lashes and flying first class in an episode that asks the crucial question, “what’s in it for me?” Like the gift bag at a gala, their discussion is full of stuff you won’t want to miss out on.

Please note, Add To Cart contains mature themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners.

To see all products mentioned in this episode, head to @addtocartpod on Instagram. To purchase any of the products, see below.

  • Vivian never misses an appointment with her lash guy Primp Daddy
  • EsponJabón is a bar of soap inside of sponge, great for clearing up KP
  • Vivian’s podcast Networth and Chill is like talking to your friends about finances over mimosas
  • Tractor Beverage tastes good and does good. Find Tractor craft refreshers, sodas, teas, and lemonades at a restaurant near you

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Kulap Vilaysack, SuChin Pak, Vivian Tu

SuChin Pak  01:30

Welcome back, folks, to Add To Cart. This is a show about the things we buy the things we buy into the things we leave behind what it says about who we are. I am SuChin Pak.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  01:42

And I’m Kulap Vilaysack. Auntie Su, it was a delight to see you in person at the gold house gold gala in your finery. We were both in black and both in a bold orangey red lip.

 

SuChin Pak  01:53

Correct. Correct that orangey red lip recommendation from JDR June Diane Raphael went a long way. But I was feeling like the goth vibes. And I did feel a bit like I was I told you I felt like I was the chairman’s wife at a funeral. That was my look for the night. I’m too old for Wednesday, Adams, but just the perfect age for the chairman’s wife at a funeral.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  02:24

I mean, we were both in black, but our necklines could not have been any different.

 

SuChin Pak  02:29

Mine was up up up.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  02:30

And mine was just, I mean, I said to our friends, like one false move, and the spillage would have been on the level of the Exxon Valdez.

 

SuChin Pak  02:44

It’s what we call the nip line. You know, that’s that’s the nip line plunge.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  02:49

I just took some chances. I took some chances.

 

SuChin Pak  02:56

Once the full moon we get together. Yeah.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  02:59

AndI as you know, have two full moons. Su, you were very upset the day after? Because you realize you made a big mistake.

 

SuChin Pak  03:07

All right, I see. We’re going to talk about this. I don’t like to bring it up again. Because yesterday was a hard day for me. There was a gift bag. And as I was leaving the night, I did say to my friend should I grab a gift bag and she was like no. And every ounce of my body like just was taught, you know, like like a tight rope. Like I knew it was wrong. I was I was in fight or flight. And yet I just I just didn’t do it and I got in the Uber and we left and then the next morning we were texting about the night before and I actually got sick I don’t want to say it was the cause of my level 10 migraine that put me to bed all day yesterday. But let me just say in the morning I was fine. Then we texted about this frickin gift bag I left behind and I did not get out of bed again.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  04:04

Our guests I want to say her mouth was a gape.

 

SuChin Pak  04:10

I would love to get her opinion on this.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  04:11

Yeah, let’s bringher into the fold. Let us introduce her because I’m like us our guests lives and breathes financial literacy. She’s on a mission to make the financial industry less male pale and stale which you know Su and I love known as your rich BFF online she uses her platform to share financial advice you can actually understand even this Auntie this Auntie kit gets it like when somebody for me her account suit when I tell you is the quickest follow.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  04:45

I guess follow please add to cart Vivian Tu.

 

SuChin Pak  04:45

Oh yeah.

 

Vivian Tu  04:52

Thank you guys so much for having me.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  04:55

Welcome really just right away. We need your opinion your thoughts on Su leaving behind a backpack.

 

Vivian Tu  05:01

So as someone who went to the gold gala last year.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  05:05

Oh.

 

Vivian Tu  05:06

That, that gift bag?

 

SuChin Pak  05:08

Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Don’t don’t oh my god, I’m already sweating. Like I need my underarm pad. What are you going to say? Oh my God say it.

 

Vivian Tu  05:16

Better say I am so sorry. But that gift bag was one of the coolest gift bags I’ve ever gotten. So like, there were like, foods and treats and makeup and goodies. And there was even a pair of boxing gloves. I don’t know what was in this year as well. I’m assuming they’re only like these every year only gets cooler. But.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  05:39

Okay, I’m not allowed. I was like, so do you want me to do an unboxing? I’ll take a video. I’ll take some pictures for you. I’m not allowed to do that. But then she asked me to do that then took it back.

 

SuChin Pak  05:50

No, I found some strength. And I said, Okay, fine. Show me what’s in it. And then I was like, Absolutely not. No, I’m actually getting sick thinking about what is in that gift back.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  05:59

But Vivian I While this bag is heavy, Su I’m not going into details. Well, it was heavy in heft. There weren’t boxing gloves. I think yours was, I think your maybe.

 

SuChin Pak  06:10

Maybe your one was they just went all out.

 

Vivian Tu  06:13

I dont, I guess you know what, let’s just leave it at this. I guess we’ll never know. But soon and grab a bag. And

 

SuChin Pak  06:23

And I don’t want to know what’s in the bag. And, and listen, the irony. I get it. I get it like we were this is a podcast where we regularly get free things. I mean, that’s why we started this way.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  06:36

We beg for free.

 

SuChin Pak  06:38

All of us have experienced the joy of getting something you didn’t want for free. You know, the most it’s The Sweetest, sweetest scent. And yet it’s never enough. There’s nothing for free. That isn’t precious. And I don’t care what it is.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  06:54

Correct.

 

SuChin Pak  06:54

It could be ostrich feed pellets. I don’t own ostriches precious. I love it. I want it I want it in the jumbo bag. Give it to me. And I frickin left this damn gift bag behind anyway.

 

Vivian Tu  07:07

I don’t know. Yeah, I need to I just need to know. But like, what demon possessed you to not grab this?

 

Kulap Vilaysack  07:14

Okay. Vivian you figured it out? This?

 

Vivian Tu  07:17

Yes.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  07:17

Amen is the only thing that makes sense.

 

SuChin Pak  07:19

This is the demon and I’m not going to drag you guys down to my level. But that perhaps as a as a female, as a female of color as an Asian female. Some of you may understand this demon that lives inside, which is Oh, no, I’m fine. Okay, just little. Oh no, I couldn’t eat another bite? Oh, no, you keep that, that that Gremlin that lives inside of me. And in that moment, for some reason. That person instead of this bold 47 year old woman that takes space and is like, Hey, give me my gift bag. It just she just took over and I and I became that the Kulap likes to say closed mouths don’t get fed my mouth. And I am here I am suffering the consequences. Were yesterday. I spent all day physically ill about it. Let’s get back on track or do you know what that was part of that?

 

Kulap Vilaysack  08:29

Yeah, I think I don’t track.

 

SuChin Pak  08:34

In fact it Yeah. It’s like the backbone of this show. But Vivian, tell us about your new podcast, Networth and Chill. Yeah. Tell us about this. I didn’t even know about this. I’m so excited.

 

Vivian Tu  08:45

I was creating all of this personal finance financial literacy content on the internet. And people were just banging down the door and saying like, Hey, what are your podcast recommendations, I want to listen to something where I don’t have to watch I can do this on my commute to work. And so I was like, Okay, I’m gonna go and find some good podcast recommendations. A lot of old rich white guys talking about money. A lot of shame, a lot of judgment. A lot of you should eat beans and rice until all of your debts paid off. And it just absolutely did not vibe with my brand. It didn’t vibe with my, my personality, but it also didn’t vibe with like, who my friends are. And I think about the audience of rich BFFs I made this brand for my seventh idiot friends from work like, they would never ever listen to that. I’ve picked up a microphone and I said, You know what, let me talk about money. Let me talk about it in a way that’s just you know, the two of us. We pretend we went out last night we got a little too drunk or a little hungover and instead of talking about who kissed who last night, let’s talk about money. Let’s make it fun. Let’s talk about this over a mimosa. Let’s talk about this. Like we’re two friends just getting our nails done and I wanted to really feel like you’re having a conversation with your best friend versus getting a lecture from your dad.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  10:04

Wow sold beyond sold, and not only sold. I am like the elder in my small community in Los Angeles. And I am not a pillar of financial literacy. So what a great tool for me just to give a link to your podcast, just.

 

SuChin Pak  10:22

Text, tenure you go eat better, free, go go live you better, you better be better. And not everybody has a BFF that is financially literate Ku and I sit here on this podcast, encouraging each other to make terrible financial.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  10:43

Encouraging some people say enabling,

 

SuChin Pak  10:46

Enabling supporting all of the above. So most of us I feel like don’t have that BFF and you trust the person understands where you’re coming from that you’re not going to eat a bean burrito and pass up a T J Maxx off the one. You’re just not going to do that this time.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  11:05

Well, you guys when she’s talking about her leaving LA I mean, it’s so specific to you SuChin.

 

SuChin Pak  11:11

I only know, I only know specific. I only know me.

 

Vivian Tu  11:16

But you guys, you want to know what’s so funny about this whole thing. Everybody’s like, oh, like your rich BFF. Like, the reason like that’s a fun cool name for me is because like, I had a rich BFF. And when I started my job on Wall Street, I looked around, everybody was older to white guy except my manager. I don’t they were definitely trying to go for the one to diversity punch. Because yeah, she was also an Asian woman. And they were like, Oh, we’ll get like people of color and women at the same time. Nice. And like she was just so fucking cool. And she was rich. And she walked in every day with a new pair of, you know, Gucci, like stilettos and a new Chanel bag. And I was like, damn, I want to be just like her. And the way she would ask me questions and explain personal finance to me, was from a place of like her not having that when she was a young 20 Something on Wall Street. And she’s like, Yeah, no one told me to like put money into my 401k. So I’m telling you to do that now. And like, No one told me that these are things that I needed to be budgeting for. But I’m telling you to do that now. And because she spoke to me as a peer and as like my mentor as like an older sister, versus my mom or my dad lecturing me, you know how it is like, you know, alpha daughter in an Asian family, you’re sitting at the kitchen table, and your mom like literally has chopsticks in her hands. And she’s like pointing at you with the chopsticks and like lecturing you and it’s like, horrible.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  12:42

Yeah, and for Sue and I both her parents are sets of immigrant parents. They don’t have this knowledge. No, they have, you know, they were struggling and surviving. And it’s so wonderful to be doing what you’re doing. It’s such a service.

 

Vivian Tu  12:57

Thank you. And yeah, I mean, like, again, my parents, I’m first gen so my parents were the ones who came over from China. And something I noticed about my parents so much versus me is like, their mentality is so survival based. Like, they were so so careful about how they spent their money. It was like, let’s be frugal. Like, let’s wash ziplock bags, let’s Penny pinch, let’s cut coupons, because they were just trying to make ends meet for a very long time. And I, I was born here. And I say this with like, confidence and in a positive way. But like, I’m entitled, I am an American, you’re not going to take that away from me for a very long time. Parents were always worried like, you know, what if like, we can’t get the visa renewed? What can what like what happens? Do we have to go back to China, like, I don’t worry about those things. I know my rights. I know I have a right to be here I have a right to be financially stable, I have a right to be rich. And that allows me to focus on thriving over surviving. So for me now, having learned these things from my mentor on Wall Street, and obviously, I still definitely have taken away some of that frugality, like unlike so I never would have given up that gift back. Had to bring it back. Oh, I mean, but you’re right. It’s you’re right, you’re entitled to I am entitled to that gift bad. But you know what? I think I am really focused now on saying like, hey, while I can do all of these things, to save money and be mindful with my spending, I’m not going to be you know, a dodo bird when I make purchases. But like, I am even more focused now on actually leveling up my career, growing my wealth, and really carving my path towards the new American Dream. Because in the past, historically, the American dream was you get a good education. You get a good job, you save a bunch of money, you buy a home and then you retire and it’s awesome. You can’t do that anymore. You cannot save your way. Get Rich anymore. And if you are not investing, if you are not focused on growing your wealth, if you’re not focused on leveling up your career getting a raise every single year, it’s just not going to happen. And I hate to be the one to say that, but like, the rules of the game are just different than it was for our parents.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  15:17

Yeah, it’s not just this whole concept of like, pull your pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. And whenever those people who have the chopsticks at us be white, or our parents, they’re talking about their experience in their paradigm in their time with the set of circumstances that have changed.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  15:46

So let’s let’s slide right into Vivian’s cart. Right away, you say Add to Cart, you see demand arrays annually,

 

Vivian Tu  16:51

Every single year, you got to do it.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  16:52

Every single year.

 

Vivian Tu  16:53

Every single year.

 

SuChin Pak  16:55

So talk about that. Yeah,

 

Vivian Tu  16:57

So statistically speaking, if you stay at a job for longer than two years, you are likely to make less than if you were to leave and go to a either lateral or slightly higher position at a competitor. And the reason I say you have to ask for a raise every single year is because you’re not going to get one every single year. But you need to be asking. And the mistake that so many people make is that they’re like, it’s November, like end of year reviews are coming like I got to ask my boss for money. You know who else is asking for money? Every single person on your team? I asked for money at every job I was at every three months. I would ask in March, I would ask in the summer, I would ask in the fall, I would remind my boss that they could make it known to me that they valued my work that they valued my contributions by paying me. I am motivated by nothing but money.

 

SuChin Pak  17:54

Chills Daniels, like.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  17:57

It’s like what it’s like watching a basketball player dribble down, and like it’s amazing. Okay, yeah, I’m listening and keep going.

 

Vivian Tu  18:05

Yeah, but you know, I even had managers laugh and be like, okay, yeah, so you’re getting promoted this year. But getting on to the important stuff, because I know all you care about is money. And I remember laughing with that manager, because I’d made it so clear to him that I needed to get paid. And what would happen is every single year, I would ask for like a 15 to 20% raise with people are always like, you know, shocked that I say that. And most years, I would get somewhere between eight to 12%. In terms of raise, that is certainly a lot better than the you know, the cost of living increase the two 3% Raise, it’s certainly a meaningful jump, meaning I’m going to make more money next year than I did this year. And it really meant that I kept leveling up. My big rule for everybody these days is up or out every two years, if you’re not getting a raise, not just asking for one, but getting one, or at least getting a promotion and a raise, you got to leave because your work is worth something, and the right company will value you. And you need to make sure you’re getting paid. We do not do the shit for free. Like for every job that I’ve had, whether I hated it with our loved it like it was a job. I would rather have been sitting on my couch with my eyes closed. And you know, I don’t get paid to do that. So if you’re doing a job that pays you money to be there, you need to be asking for a raise every single year.

 

Vivian Tu  18:05

Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

 

Vivian Tu  18:29

That certainly doesn’t. The Gremlin inside that didn’t take that gift bag. Well, you know what I mean, but that’s, that’s it. And I think that like, so much of your audience is young and just starting their career and so it’s so different than when I was having a career but like, you think that you have a career in your build a career because Do you want stability? You know what I mean? That like you want to stay at a job for a certain amount of time, certainly not as long as our parents did, but like, you know, 5, 10 years, you know what I mean? And then make a really big jump somewhere else. I mean, that’s kind of how I grew up. And in my industry, like that made sense. But now you’re saying, you’re trying to get out of this mentality of like, being settled in a job, just for the sake of stability and security.

 

Vivian Tu  20:29

I always tell people to think about the wiifm W I I F M, what’s in it for me? So back in our parents generation.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  20:43

You I like everything you’re saying. It’s so clear. And the truth is, is I may be 43, but I am an idiot with money. I’m hearing it like I’m a teen. I love it.

 

SuChin Pak  20:55

I have this. This is the summer camp. I want my children to go to by the way. You know what I mean? Vivian it just think about it. You’re working on a lot. But but there’s a summer camp here for kids. Yeah, that idiot moms can send their kids to where they come home. And they say, Well, what’s in it for me?

 

Vivian Tu  21:13

Yeah. Well, if you think about our parents generation, the wisdom that they had, what’s what’s in it for me? Was that when they were loyal company, company, men company women. And they stayed somewhere for 20 30 40 years. It’s not because they were like, nice and loyal. It’s because they got something called a pension. So back in the day, your boss or your company would put money aside for retirement for you when you got old. And they would invest that money. And then when you were, you know, ready to retire, they would pay you out monthly installments to make sure that you were taken care of in retirement. And you’re probably thinking like, oh, yeah, like this sounds like our 401k. It is. But the 401k is just like shittier in every possible way. Because in our generation, there was a transition from the pension to the 401k. And the 401k basically said, Hey, instead of the employer wearing all of this risk, why don’t we make the employees wear the risks. So now, instead of your employer putting money aside for you, you need to put money aside for you. And in many cases, an employer will also contribute, they’ll do something called a match. So if you put in $100, they put in a certain amount, whether that be $100, or $50, but they match your contribution. But it’s not just employer money anymore, you have to contribute too. And you are then responsible for choosing which investments you buy, and you are held responsible for how well those investments do. Whereas in back in the day, like, if your employer picked the wrong investments, and they did not do well, by the time you retired you too bad. That’s your problem, you still owe me XYZ every single month. And so it really did pay for our parents to stay somewhere for 30, 40 years, because they were, the longer you stayed, the larger those contributions your company would put in for your pension. So I’m even thinking about like my father in law, he stuck around at one company for multiple decades, because he was like, Well, when I do retire, it’s going to be smooth sailing, I have nothing to worry about, which is a very good reason to stick around somewhere. Because yeah, even if you’re making less slightly this year, or making less slightly next year, what about when you don’t work anymore, and you’re just like, I know, I’m gonna be taken care of, that’s a really great sense of comfort. Whereas now, like, if young people are not getting these raises, or not getting these promotions, or not making more money, they don’t even have the money to put into a 401k to take care of future them. So again, loyalty back in the day it paid and these days, you got to ask yourself, What’s in it for me in, in a lot of the cases, nothing.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  23:59

Okay, we’re going to be swinging from a couple different vines. We’re gonna make a little bit regrow up for another vine. And I want you to tell me about why you always get lash extensions.

 

Vivian Tu  24:10

Okay, so I back in college, this we really have to rewind here back in college, I was, for lack of a better term, a club rat. And I would hit the club a lot, like multiple times a week. This is so humiliating for me to say out loud, but me and my girlfriend’s, especially my, my last year of college, we would go out in downtown Chicago quite a bit. And as we would all be getting ready. Everybody knew that I was going to do winged eyeliner, and I am no makeup guru. Okay, and my hand is quite shaky. It’s not great. And so I would do my winged eyeliner and one of them would be enormous and one of them would be skinny, and then I’d be like, Okay, I gotta redo them. And then like One of them would be a little long, and then the other one would be a little short. And I’d be like, God, I have to do it again. And I would do them over and over and over again until they were even. And I had a saying, because people would be like this, like, are you ready yet? And I’d be like, if my wings are not even, nobody is having a good time tonight. And I would hold my friends hostage until my winged eyeliner was even. And it would literally feel like my eyes were bleeding because I’ve wiped them so many times to redo it. And I just got so sick of doing my eyeliner because I wasn’t good at it. I never got any better at it. And when I moved to New York City, this is another gift that my mentor gave me. I looked at her one day and I was like, wow, like you have really beautiful eyelashes like mine are so short. And she was like, these are fake, bro. Like, these are not real. And I was like what? And she’s like, Yeah, you can go get semi permanent extensions. And if you go every three weeks, you don’t really need I make up. That was all I needed to hear. Okay, I went got these extensions, and never looked back. I had them on consecutively for four years until COVID. Like my fiancee, my now fiance had never even seen my face without these extensions. And I was like, bro, you don’t even know what I look like. And as soon as the COVID doors opened up and salons were back open. I was like, I don’t care if you have to have three masks on and I have four masks on. I am seeing my lash man and shout out to my lash guy. Primp Daddy. He’s an incredible brand. He he does the best work. And I just like every time I go back to New York, I have to see him. It’s like live love lashes.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  26:43

Look so good. i, I There was a time and a place because I too have short lashes that, you know, I’ve short Chinese lashes that are sort of a diving board down. They go down. And I have done the lashes and we look so good. I don’t but there’s something about me. Vivian. I can’t explain. I just have an active face. I’ve tried it over and over again. They don’t last a week on me. All of a sudden day four. Yeah, I guess I’ve tried something. New York. I guess I need to go to New York, but then I would have to do that every three weeks, you know? But you’re absolutely right. What it looks like is unbeatable. If I could if I could do what I would.

 

SuChin Pak  27:25

This is this is why the Auntie’s get their island or tattooed.

 

Vivian Tu  27:29

Yeah, they get that stuff centers me though, because the ink ends up migrating. And then you look like just like a little crazy.

 

SuChin Pak  27:38

No, of course. No, the whole thing is crazy. But I’m saying that the mentality of getting there was I don’t want to do this every day. I want to struggle with it. I have other things to worry about food on the table. My visa, clothes. You know what I mean. There’s things in life that I must worry about. I can’t remember.

 

Vivian Tu  28:00

You gotta value your time.

 

SuChin Pak  28:01

I get it.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  28:43

Let’s swing to another bite again. And Vivian why should we pay off our credit card balance monthly? Why not let it stretch? Six months.

 

Vivian Tu  29:17

Okay. So you know how you go to a store? And it’s like, oh, 20% off you like that sign? Right? Would you ever go into a store and you would see a sign? It’s like 20% more and you’d be like, Yeah, I definitely want I definitely want to pay 20% more. You don’t? You don’t? Okay.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  29:33

I don’t I don’t I don’t.

 

Vivian Tu  29:34

You don’t and.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  29:36

I have ever thought about it that way.

 

Vivian Tu  29:39

Like.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  29:40

Oh.

 

Vivian Tu  29:40

The problem too, is that financial companies oftentimes use psychology against us. So if you like log into your little like banking app, and you see your credit card, and it’s like minimum payment due and it’s always like $25 Right? And so that taps into a psychological concept called anchoring bias. And basically, you anchor to the first number first recommendation you are given. And so a lot of people are like, Oh, well, the credit card company recommends I paid $25. So I’m gonna pay $25. But in reality, to make the most out of a credit card, where you are getting rewards, getting perks, you know, basically spending somebody else’s money a month ahead of time, and then just paying them back, you need to be paying your full balance off every single month. And that is the only way to avoid paying extra for stuff. If I like buy something and I forget to use like a cashback plugin, or I use the wrong credit card with the like not highest redemption. Just again, we’re going back. Just the way Su forgot that gift back that purchase will eat it.

 

SuChin Pak  30:51

Touchdown.

 

Vivian Tu  30:52

Yeah, it’s really interesting. We got to bring it back every single time. But like we do, I don’t know if you guys watched Fresh Off the Boat but when Constance Wu goes to that car dealership, and she gets every single one of her asks, but forgets to get the, the little floor mats for her shoes. And then she like, beats herself up about it, like that’s me. So, for me, it’s really, really important to make sure that like I am getting the most of my money and not paying any extra for something that I don’t need to be paying extra for. And that means I pay my credit card bill off in full every single month.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  31:32

There was never a clear visual in all my years.

 

SuChin Pak  31:35

Now when you said 20% More sign.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  31:38

Wow, Su, Su.

 

SuChin Pak  31:41

I want to go to the TJ Maxx where you pay 20% More for things. Yeah.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  31:49

Oh my gosh, that college self. My call herself was like.

 

SuChin Pak  31:55

Yeah, we walked on it.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  31:57

High APR credit card.

 

SuChin Pak  32:01

It’s so and I always say like, they, you know, they they put those I don’t know if they still do. But you know, they when you got your welcome packet, and half of it was credit cards. And so for the first time you’re like, damn, I actually have money. I mean, I’ve I bought my first car on a credit card. It took me like 15 years to pay the car off.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  32:25

And now we swing to another vine, what is the EsponJabon soap?

 

SuChin Pak  32:29

Wait I’ve never heard.

 

Vivian Tu  32:30

Okay, so this is my favorite Mexican soap EsponJabon.  It’s basically like a sponge. But inside of the sponge is a bar of soap, this bar soap it exfoliates while cleaning you and my fiance he had like these red bumpers on his arm. And I am obviously a WebMD doctor, so I googled it. And it’s called keratosis pilaris. And it’s just this extra buildup of keratin. It’s not dangerous. It’s not like a medical concern. It’s very, very common. But I was like, you know.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  32:30

I have it.

 

Vivian Tu  32:33

Do you know, if you Google they’re like, a big thing that you can do is exfoliate. So I was like, Okay, I’m going to get the soap because he is so bad at adding anything to his routine. Like he this man is so lucky. He has good skin because he doesn’t even moisturize he does not wash his face with soap. He’s like, Oh, yes, I’ll use a three in one shampoo body wash conditioner, all like just one liquid and that their floor cleaner. Yeah, exactly. Toothpaste like it, like doesn’t matter. And I got him to use this bar of soap. And he tried it for a couple days and his arms. Like they were like almost completely cleared up. And I was like, that’s insane. I’m a big fan of this soap. It smells really nice. And I actually made a video about this. But now I kind of regret making that video because my favorite scent of EsponJabon is sold out on Amazon so I can’t get it.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  34:06

But you don’t want to be a gatekeeper. I know. You’re rich. We Contain Multitudes that’s that’s what we go back to.

 

SuChin Pak  34:17

Yeah. Why do you that people are like what what vintage store in Paris. I’m like none of your business vintage store in Paris. I have no desire to share that information with you at all. But I get it. You’re You’re just a gentler, kinder, more giving soul than I. Okay.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  34:37

We’re gonna do some remove from cart Su. Yeah. Okay, so, Vivian. I’m curious, like you say removed from cart paying with debit cards. It’s got to be connected to what you were talking about with the credit card.

 

Vivian Tu  34:50

It’s not actually. Okay, so with the credit card, this is just what we need to remember a debit card is you spending your money out of the bank, a credit card is you spending the bank’s money and then paying them back later. Okay, that’s just the thing we need to really remember here. First and foremost, most debit cards do not offer rewards. So that’s already a big red flag for me, because I always like to get something for nothing. Two, back to that point of whose money you’re spending, if your debit card gets stolen, or found on the street, and someone charges it, they are spending your money. And how incentivized is the bank to help you get your money back. Not really, it’s not their problem. Whereas if your credit card gets stolen, the thief is spending the bank’s money. And you can call and be like, my credit card was stolen. This is not me making these charges. And the bank is like, oh, shoot, that’s our money that’s being spent, and they go after that thief with the theory of God, and they’re like, we’re gonna get our money back, we’re gonna check security cameras, we’re gonna call all these stores, we’re gonna make sure we know exactly who’s spending this money. So there’s no protection against fraud with a debit card. And then on top of that, I would just say like, it’s really not wise to be spending using a debit card with the exception of when you need to get cash out of your bank or out of an ATM. Because that again, that’s your money, you get the money out. And that’s it. Whereas with a credit card, you will get charged a very high fee for cash withdrawals against your credit card. Because basically the credit card companies like can this person like not afford this cash? Like what’s going on? This is suspicious, so you have to pay them again? Do you like paying 20% More on that cash? I don’t. So it’s, you know, there’s a time and a place for a debit card. But for the most part, I really don’t recommend like carrying a bunch of them around or putting your purchases on them. It’s just a lot smarter to have a credit card that you know, you pay off in full every single month and putting all your charges on that to get perks and rewards and points.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  37:09

Su you know, I love the perks and rewards.

 

SuChin Pak  37:12

I know I’m you probably Europe a year on the points and rewards. Yeah, I mean, concierge service, Marriott Rewards.

 

Vivian Tu  37:21

I mean, if I can just live my everyday life and accrue something that eventually lets me fly to Europe, in business class layflat. Someone comes over with a warm towel left for my hands, and they serve me a nice plated meal with silverware. That costs me What 75 To 150 bucks in fees or whatever, they just have to pay aside from the points like it’s a win because a flight to Europe that in that class would be 1000s of dollars, if not 10s of 1000s of dollars. And I’m not going to spend that but I’m not trying to sit in the middle seat of the five seater and like you know, tough it out. I want to make sure that I can make my money work hard for me.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  38:06

Oh, oh, wow, Su, Su. Su, you’ll go in that middle seat. That middle seat.

 

SuChin Pak  38:18

That’s where unfortunately all my money goes is to not tuck into that middle seat and.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  38:24

I stand corrected.

 

SuChin Pak  38:25

Yeah, I will shower underneath the basement staircase, barely getting water above my belly button in a stinky hotel. I save there, but I will lie flat with silverware on the way there. I just know my body. You just know where my limitations are. That’s not where I stretch. You know,

 

Vivian Tu  38:48

Everybody I know everybody all my friends they shit on me for this for any flight under I would say like four and a half hours. I will sit in the middle seat in the last row next to the bathroom. I do not care. I will show up to the airport with no seat assigned you can put me where I like I will just I’ll hold on to the wing if you need me to it doesn’t matter.

 

SuChin Pak  39:12

Okay, but but.

 

Vivian Tu  39:14

For any flight over five hours or so especially So today this morning. I came from the East Coast to LA like I need to lay down. It is an absolutely brutal flight. You’re getting on there at the crack of dawn. You are trying to sleep you’re trying to get a little food in your stomach and you’re trying to work like six hours of that that’s absolutely brutal. And I think about it you know for me like I think about all of the horrible, terrible shitty, just atrocious spirit flights I took in the middle seat and all of the money that I saved doing that and I’m like, I deserve to lay down that’s for this six hour flight.

 

SuChin Pak  39:53

It is your goddamn right.

 

Vivian Tu  39:55

That’s right.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  39:57

You are entitled you are entitled Listen to that see? So Vivian, we, we have to, oh, God, we have to let you go. I don’t want to but I want to know I want you. You’re also removing from cart, any social obligations in the front half of the week? Yeah. Why?

 

Vivian Tu  40:17

Because I feel like for me, I am business in the front party in the back. And if I, if I cannot necessarily.

 

SuChin Pak  40:26

Club rat, I remember you guys, she started this thing she was a club rat.

 

Vivian Tu  40:35

Because I have had, you know, back in college, again, I was drinking probably three or four nights a week, and I had a high tolerance, I could go out with the best of them. Now, I’m almost 30. And a hangover is three to five business days. And for me, if I go out and go to a social obligation on Monday, Tuesday, or maybe sometimes even a Wednesday, whether or not I drink, I know that I’m going to be a little sluggish. I’m going to be a little, you know, back footed for the next day. And for me, it’s really important to be on top of my tasks, because it helps keep my anxiety at bay, it helps keep me mentally mental health wise, like well, so if I know I can get all of my tasks done Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, typically, I have more time for things like sitting around and ideating like what can we build on the business like something that is more free spirited, and doesn’t necessarily require me to be at my A game 100% of the time. So it’s important for me to be sharp Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then Thursday night, Friday night, if I do want to go out if I do want to see friends, like, I can use my little time travel binoculars and be like, Okay, well, all I have to do is like make it through one more day or like, tomorrow, Saturday, it doesn’t matter. Like I’ll be fine. And it helps me mentally pace myself in the same way that like when I’m running. I’m like, okay, you don’t have to run that far. You just have to get to that fire hydrant, you just have to get to that stop sign. You just have to get to that tree. And that is how I keep myself going in a way that is sustainable versus feeling really burnt out the entire week.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  42:21

Wow, you are wise beyond your.

 

SuChin Pak  42:25

Math master class master class.

 

Vivian Tu  42:29

I learned all these things by having made all of these mistakes before.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  42:34

Yeah, and I just you know.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  42:35

I keep making making the mistake.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  42:40

The different record. But this record is playing a lot.

 

SuChin Pak  42:44

It’s on repeat. And it’s amazing.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  42:47

Wow. Vivian, thank you so much for joining us. Where can people find more of you?

 

Vivian Tu  42:52

You guys can find me across all social media as you’re rich BFF and you can listen to Net Worth and Chill my podcast anywhere you listen to your podcasts.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  43:02

I’m forcing my little sister who’s 30 years old, who works in a corporate job and is rounding your fifth year they’re forcing your podcast upon them.

 

SuChin Pak  43:11

Forcing my nine and 11 year old you know because it’s never too young. You know? What’s In It For Me.

 

Vivian Tu  43:19

Summer camp coming soon.

 

Kulap Vilaysack  43:25

That’s all for today’s episode. You can find all Vivian’s items on our Instagram at Add to Cart pod.

 

SuChin Pak  46:24

All right, let’s see you next time. Bye

 

Kulap Vilaysack  46:25

Bye.

 

CREDITS 46:28

Well that’s it there’s more add to cart with Lemonada Premium subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content like where we give you an unfiltered look at the actual last thing we bought subscribe now in Apple podcasts. There’s more ADD TO CART with Lemonada Premium. Subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content like where we tell you about the last item we bought or returned and why. Subscribe now in Apple podcasts. Add To Cart is a production of Lemonada Media. Our producers are Kegan Zema and Tiffany Bouy. Brian Castillo is our engineer. Theme music is by Wasahhbii and produced by La Made It and Oh So Familiar with additional music by APM music. Executive producers or Kulap Vilaysack, SuChin Pak, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Be sure to check out all the items we mentioned today on our Instagram at @AddToCartPod. Follow Add to Cart wherever you get your podcasts or listen at free on Amazon music with your Prime membership.

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