Tipping, it’s complicated. With so many more tip jars and digital tipping options available, it can often be confusing to figure out what goods or services you should always be tipping on and how much. Well, turns out tipping culture is pretty complex and spoiler alert, there isn’t always one set of straightforward rules to follow. 

With the help of special guest Stacey Vanek Smith (Bloomberg Audio, NPR’s “Planet Money” and “The Indicator,” APM’s “Marketplace,” and author of the book “Machiavelli for Women: Defend Your Worth, Grow Your Ambition, and Win the Workplace”), Matt and Molly explore the nuances of tipping and some of the signs to look for and consider when that screen turns in their direction. Plus, learn about what a subminimum wage is, the origins of tipping, and how to embrace the custom tip option. 

Cited Sources: 

• “Tipping Culture in America: Public Sees a Changed Landscape” - Pew Research Center
• “Do You Tip More or Less Often Than the Average American?” - Pew Research Center
• “Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees” - U.S. Department of Labor
• “Did COVID-19 Pandemic Dampen Americans’ Tipping for Food Services? Insights from Two Studies” - Compensation & Benefits Review
• “Technology May Turn You Into A Bigger Tipper” - NPR’s “Morning Edition”

Do you have grown-up stuff that you want to figure out and learn more about? Send us an email or voice memo with your ideas and questions to [email protected] You may hear your question on an upcoming episode! 

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So your friends are getting married, and they’ve asked you to stand up at their wedding. . . in some ways, this can be a rite of passage for many grown-ups. It can feel like an honor. But it can also be a lot to take on, too. What are the actual expectations of a wedding attendant (i.e. bridesmaid, groomsman, MOH, or best man)? 

Lizzie Post from the Emily Post Institute returns to the podcast to teach Molly and Matt about the roles and responsibilities of a wedding party: Who’s included, what to budget for, and which events you actually need to attend. 

Cited Sources: 

• “21 Surprising Historical Duties of the Wedding Party” - Mental Floss
• “Couples Spend an Average of $33,391 on Weddings, Incorporating Cultural, Religious and Personalized Elements, According to The Knot 2017 Real Weddings Study” The Knot World Wide

Do you have grown-up stuff that you want to figure out and learn more about? Send us an email or voice memo with your ideas and questions to [email protected] You may hear your question on an upcoming episode! 

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Your epidermis is showing! So give it a good wash with a gentle cleanser, moisturize and slather on the sunscreen cause Matt and Molly are back for Season 2 and learning all about skincare. No matter what your gender, age or location, listen up because your skin needs attention, love and protection. Jennifer Sullivan, beauty columnist for The Cut at New York Magazine and co-host of the podcast “Fat Mascara” talks pimples, exfoliants, oils and skin checks. Plus, find out how often you should be changing the washcloth you wash your face with and why you might want to think twice about washing your face in the shower. 

Cited Sources:

• “10 Surprising Things About Your Skin” - Skin Cancer Foundation 
• Skin Conditions - Acne - Yale Medicine
• “Moisturizers: The Slippery Road” - Indian Journal of Dermatology 
• “The Beauty Market in 20203: A Special State of Fashion Report” - McKinsey & Company
• “Skincare Products Market is Expected to Reach US$ 213,363.09 million by 2028” - The Insight Partners

Do you have grown-up stuff that you want to figure out and learn more about? Send us an email or voice memo with your ideas and questions to [email protected] You may hear your question on an upcoming episode! 

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The work of a grown-up is never done. There’s always something we’ve got to figure out, navigate, or just straight-up accomplish. And thankfully, your favorite podcast about how to win adulting is back. “Grown-Up Stuff: How To Adult” returns for Season Two on March 26th with even more life lessons! Join Matt and Molly as they learn about everything from the importance of a good skincare routine to understanding rules around tipping. Come for the information, but stay for the glow-up. 

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It’s our Season One Finale and we’re going out with a budget-friendly banger! We’re going to figure out how to grocery shop like heroes, and we’re not talking about the sandwich. 

With the help of consumer and food trends expert and “Supermarket Guru” Phil Lempert, Molly and Matt learn how to reign in impulse buying, find the best deals and discounts, and change their shopping habits to avoid food waste. 

Also, learn why you should buy frozen fish in the freezer section instead of the “fresh” stuff at the seafood counter and re-examine those water misters in the produce section. 

Sources Cited: 

• The Food Industry Association (FMI) -  “The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2023”
• “The Paradox of Choice - Barry Schwartz
• US Food and Drug Administration - “Are You Storing Your Food Safely?” 

• Real Simple - “The Ultimate Guide to Storing Every Type of Food in the Refridgerator for Long-Lasting Freshness” 

• The Environmental Working Group - “EWG’s 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™” 
• Mayo Clinic - “Organic Foods: Are they Safer? More Nutritious?
• Consumer Reports - “Cage-Free vs. Free Range –and Other Egg Carton Labels–Explained”

Additional References: 

• NPR - “California Becomes the First State to Ban 4 Food Additives Linked to Disease”
• Yuka App
• How Good App

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Do you know how often you should rotate the tires on your car? What about when it comes to checking your oil? And do you know what it means when your “check engine” light appears? Not only does it feel grown-up to know how to maintain your car, but with winter coming (and winter IS coming), car maintenance is a very real necessity when it comes to keeping it running smoothly.

In this episode of “Grown-Up Stuff: How to Adult,” Matt and Molly are joined once again by CarTalk’s Jamie Page Deaton as they discuss the dos and dont’s of car maintenance. Learn how and how often you should wash your car in the winter, what type of gas your car actually needs, and the one thing about electric vehicle maintenance that dealerships don’t want you to know. 

Sources Cited: 

• 2021 US Census Data 
• U.S. Department of Transportation: Bureau of Transportation Statistics "Automobile Profile,"
• “How Much Routine Car Mainten ance Costs” - Nerd Wallet
• “Can You Wash Your Car in Winter?” - AAA
• “Here’s How Much the Average Car Repair Costs Now” - Kelly Blue Book
• National Average Gas Prices - AAA

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The holiday season is officially here! 'Tis the season for joy, cheer, and, well… managing the chaos that is family gatherings. 

Looking for ways to survive the next couple of months while navigating these complicated dynamics? We’ve got your back. In this episode of “Grown-Up Stuff: How to Adult,” Molly and Matt chat with Dr. George James (LMFT), founder of George Talks and host of the podcast LEAPcast, about how to actually enjoy the holidays with our families. 

Learn how to successfully navigate the holidays with family as an adult (especially when transitioning from being seen as a kid to asserting yourself as a grown-up). Arm yourself with tips on how to step away from potentially harmful discussions. Set yourself up with a support system, set healthy boundaries, and more!

Sources Cited: 

• “Season of Joy? Actually, Season of Stress for 88 Percent of Americans” - Perrigo Company via PR Newswire
• “9 Causes of Holiday Stress (and How to Manage Them)” - Lyra Health
• “The Importance of Setting Boundaries: Ten Benefits for You and Your Relationships” - BetterHelp
• “6 Ways to Stop Comparing Around the Holidays” - TalkSpace
• “Mental Health and the Holiday Blues” - National Alliance of Mental Illness

The Bear Television Series, Season 2, Episode 6 “Fishes” FX/Hulu

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Happy Halloween! Did you know that Halloween is one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year? For those of us who are of legal age to imbibe liquid spirits and pumpkin ales, there’s a lot to learn about drinking alcohol. 

From wine to beer and everything in between, Matt and Molly talk about how to train and refine our palates with Certified Cicerone® and wine and spirits expert Ethan Fixell, who has written about the bar and beverage industry for major publications like Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast and Travel + Leisure. 

If you want to graduate from chugging cheap beer to impressing your boss with your knowledge of craft beers at your next work happy hour, listen and learn as we find out how we can drink like adults. Plus, we’ll also take a look at how to elevate your drink choices if you’re abstaining from alcohol.

Sources Cited: 

• “What Percentage of Americans Drink Alcohol" - Gallup 
• Merriam-Webster
• “Rose, Musty Basement, and Oak? How to Train Your Palate to Taste Wine Like a Pro - VOGUE
• “How Smell and Taste Change as You Age” - NIH: National Institute on Aging
• “Innate and learned preferences for sweet taste during childhood” - Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
• “Dietary Nutrient Intake, Alcohol Metabolism, and Hangover Severity” - Journal of Clinical Medicine
• “The No-Alcohol Drinks Market Surpassed $11 Billion in 2022” - Forbes

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It’s one of the scariest times of the year. . . . it’s open enrollment time for health insurance. Every year, we’re all overwhelmed by the options and terminology of our policies, but this year Molly and Matt have full hearts and can’t lose. This year, they are determined to understand their coverage options and whether they should choose a high-deductible plan or one with a high premium. But first, they’re going to figure out what those terms mean in this episode. With the help of KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner, learn about the difference between an FSA and an HSA and what your plan is legally required to cover. 

Sources Cited: 

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - Primary Care Visits Available to Most Uninsured But at a High Price
• Forbes - How Much Does Health Insurance Cost In 2023?
• US Department of Healtth and Human Services - About the Affordable Care Act 

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That new-car-smell is closer than you think! In this episode, Matt and Molly welcome Car Talk’s Editor-in-Chief Jamie Page Deaton back to the show to weigh in on the differences between leasing, financing, or outright buying new and used cars. Learn how to enter a dealership with confidence, uncover the tools you need to score the best deal, and determine whether or not you need that extended warranty or service plan! 

Sources Cited:

• Experian: State of the Automotive Market
• Cox Automotive

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.