July 13, 2026

683: (Solo) The Expense Audit That Could Save Your Brand Thousands This Year

12 minutes

This is not a growth hack. It is not going to go viral on a Twitter thread. But I genuinely believe it is one of the highest leverage things you can do for your brand right now, and most founders never do it properly because it is not exciting.

Here is what a mentor told me years ago that I keep coming back to: a dollar saved is a dollar earned. And depending on your margins, that dollar saved is probably worth $1.30 or $1.40 on the bottom line.

In this episode, I walk you through a full line by line expense audit covering every major cost area in a typical e-commerce business, the same process we have run at Foundr that has saved us tens of thousands of dollars a month.

Here's what you'll take away:

Why the average growing Shopify store is paying for 15 to 30 apps but actively using only eight of them, and how to fix that fast

How to negotiate your SaaS tools, 3PL rates, merchant fees, and supplier costs in ways most founders never think to try

Why agency retainers are one of the most expensive line items you can cut, and what to build in-house instead

How to use AI and Claude Code to replace tools and creative spend that is quietly draining your budget every month

The Meta ads Net 30 arrangement that can make a significant difference to your cash flow if you are spending at scale

Why businesses waste an average of 26% of their marketing budget on campaigns that are not performing, and where to redirect it

If your margins are tighter than they should be or you have not done a proper audit in the last six months, this episode will show you exactly where to look and what to do about it.

If you're loving this solo series, I'd love to hear your feedback. Email me directly at [email protected] — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it.

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