The Human Revolution with Dylan Bain

What does it mean to live life with intentionality? What does it look like to do things with more intention? Perhaps most importantly, how do you start acting with more intentionality?

Dylan answers these questions and more in this latest episode of Fiscally Savage.

Show Highlights

• [02:11] Intentionality and why it's important
• [04:38] Examples that show a lack of intentionality in decisionmaking
• [08:10] What happens when you act with more intentionality
• [11:18] Five steps to acting with more intentionality
• [12:20] The importance of cultivating a sense of self
• [15:51] Why core values matter in relationship building
• [19:06] The importance of creating a plan, no matter how small

Links and Resources:

• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savage on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

The so-called "quiet quitting" trend has recently taken the workforce by storm. Unlike real, actual quitting, quiet quitting refers to doing nothing more than what one's job description states. Quiet quitters continue to fulfill their primary responsibilities but are unwilling to do extra, unpaid work. No more staying late at the office or attending unnecessary meetings.

But how and why has quiet quitting come to be so prevalent among today's workers? What exactly changed in the months following the COVID-19 pandemic?

In this episode, Dylan gets into the nitty-gritty of quiet quitting — what it is, why it's happening, and whether it's a good idea.

Show Highlights

• [01:03] Recap of the episode on the social contract theory
• [03:47] How the idea of social contracts is linked to quiet quitting
• [08:40] The social contract that "baby boomers" know
• [13:32] Why the social contract that baby boomers grew up with hardly held true for millennials
• [16:23] Why the HR practice of promoting from without gave rise to job hopping
• [18:17] How the COVID pandemic changed the US job market
• [21:54] How the COVID-19 recession differs from previous recessions in US history
• [23:28] How the COVID-19 pandemic affected how Gen Z employees approached jobs
• [27:11] Why quiet quitting goes back to discussions of GDP as a poor measure of well-being
• [28:06] On whether quiet quitting is a good idea
• [28:36] Closing statements

Links and Resources

• Episode 12: Unpacking the Social Contract Theory
• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savage on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

Books Mentioned

• Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
• The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam

Debt is a common source of financial stress for many Americans. Job losses, medical expenses, and even impulsive purchases can lead to insurmountable debt and get in the way of your financial goals.

If you're in a financial hole due to debt, the only real solution is to change your debt mindset and start digging your way out, one step at a time.

In this episode of Fiscally Savage, Dylan talks about the debt equation, why people go into debt, and how we can deal with debt problems.

Show Highlights:

• [04:36] What is debt?
• [06:08] The true cost of debt
• [07:37] How debt fools us
• [10:17] Why credit card companies hide their interest rates
• [12:38] Why it's easy to go into debt
• [13:51] Average American household debt in 2022
• [17:45] The importance of cost-benefit analysis
• [21:39] The four steps to dealing with debt
• [27:22] How Dylan applied those steps to get around his debt situation

Links and Resources:

• Episode 6: Understanding Your Needs and How to Fulfill Them
• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savage on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

"Quiet quitting" is on the rise in a post-COVID world. But what is it, exactly? And why is it happening?

To answer these questions, Dylan turns to the concept of the social contract as presented by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Show Highlights

• [01:42] On the link between "quiet quitting" and social contracts
• [02:34] Thomas Hobbes and Leviathan
• [03:38] Hobbes on government
• [05:28] The social contract theory of Hobbes
• [08:42] John Locke on human nature and social order
• [10:46] The difference between Hobbes' and Locke's social contract theories
• [12:52] Jean-Jacques Rousseau main argument in The Social Contract
• [14:41] On whether Rousseau's ideas influenced the French Revolution
• [18:33] The social contracts in our day-to-day lives
• [20:43] Bottom line
• [21:29] Closing statements

Links and Resources

• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savage on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

Books Mentioned

• Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
• Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
• Second Treatise of Government by John Locke
• The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

As humans, we need food, security, intimacy, self-esteem, and purpose. But we need money to fulfill these needs.

In this episode, Dylan discusses Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs, how money impacts that hierarchy, and how understanding that hierarchy can help us build better, long-lasting relationships.

Show Highlights:

• [03:46] Why finances are critical to relationships
• [07:36] What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
• [08:13] Tiers one and two as the service to self tiers
• [10:27] Tiers three and four as the service to others tiers
• [12:12] Tier five as the tier of self-actualization or service to a higher purpose
• [12:46] The problem with "tier zero" people or the "unaware"
• [15:16] Why tier zero people struggle to move up the hierarchy
• [16:45] The challenges that tiers one and two people face when moving up the hierarchy
• [20:46] Who are the "sensitive seekers"?
• [21:54] The truth about Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Links and Resources:

• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savage on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

Gross Domestic Product or GDP is one of the most talked about economic indicators. You might have heard about growth rates or projections for GDP on TV, the radio, or podcasts like this one. You might have also heard about GDP in reference to previous recessions or periods of high economic growth.

But what is GDP, exactly? How is it measured? And is it actually a good tool for looking at how well, or badly, an economy is doing?

In this episode of Fiscally Savage, hear what GDP measures, how it's calculated, whether or not it's a good indicator of standard of living, and whether or not we should actually care about it.

Show Highlights

• [03:10] What is GDP?
• [05:45] The standard formula for GDP
• [06:05] What is the consumption component of the GDP?
• [07:19] What is the government spending component of the GDP?
• [09:10] Why political parties may sometimes want to cut government spending
• [10:40] What is the private investment component of the GDP?
• [11:48] What is the net exports component of the GDP?
• [14:06] On the impact of the news on customer sentiment
• [15:13] Economic activities that are not included in the GDP
• [18:49] How oil and gas exports affect the United States' GDP
• [21:34] Why Dylan doesn't think the GDP is a good measure of economic performance
• [26:23] Why does GDP matter?
• [27:32] Closing statements

Links and Resources

• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savage on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

In this episode of the Fiscally Savage podcast, Dylan talks about the value part of the money equation — money is equal to the time you give plus the value you add — and how you can increase that value to take control of your life.

Show Highlights:

• [02:26] The equation on how to make money
• [03:10] Changing the value you add with the time that you have
• [04:08] How you can increase the value you add
• [07:48] The importance of understanding the system you are in and how it works
• [13:24] The reality that you are playing a game whenever money is involved
• [20:30] Practicing excellence as a way to increase the value you add
• [21:12] The "yeah-buts" and why you shouldn't listen to them
• [25:35] Moving forward as a way to gain sovereignty

Links and Resources:

• Episode 4: How to Be More Intentional With Your Time
• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savae on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

Banks are among the oldest businesses in American history, but they have changed in many ways through the years. Today, banks offer a wider range of services than ever before, and they deliver those services more efficiently.

But banks weren't always as cut and dried as they are today. There were no modern American banks as late as 1781, let alone a central bank to oversee banking and finance. This resulted in some major problems, like financial instability, unemployment, and a chaotic currency.

In this episode of Fiscally Savage, Dylan wades through the drama and pageantry that is the US financial system. What did it look like in the years following the Revolutionary War? What led to the creation of the Federal Reserve? And what does all this matter to the average American?

Show Highlights

• [01:20] How Alexander Hamilton laid the foundation for the US Federal Reserve
• [03:09] Why Thomas Jefferson opposed the National Bank
• [06:27] Jefferson's view on national debt
• [08:52] Why the Second Bank of the United States was established
• [10:51] The difference between the First Bank of the United States and the Second Bank of the United States
• [11:24] Andrew Jackson's concerns about the National Bank
• [12:52] Land speculation during Jackson's presidency
• [14:06] The issue with buying land with paper money against held gold reserves
• [16:05] Jackson and the Bank War
• [18:43] The effect of Jackson abolishing the Second Bank of the United States and demanding that all federal land be purchased with gold and silver
• [19:54] Abraham Lincoln and the Free Banking Era
• [24:36] Why the history of banking in the US ultimately matters to the average American citizen
• [28:09] Closing statements

Links and Resources:

• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savae on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

In this episode of Fiscally Savage, Dylan talks about time — our most precious, nonrenewable resource — and the role it plays in the money equation, as well as the ways in which we can create more time in our lives.

Show Highlights:

• [02:16] The equation on how to make money
• [04:25] Why we do not all have the same 24 hours
• [05:00] How food can impact your 24 hours
• [07:18] How your living situation can impact your 24 hours
• [11:13] Why improving your life is an iterative process
• [14:47] How you can create more time in your day
• [15:29] How making your bed every morning can improve your life
• [16:20] How an everyday carry kit can improve your life
• [18:45] Why you should plan your meals
• [19:20] How task batching can free up time
• [20:32] How you can use your smartphone to manage your time better

Links and Resources:

• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savae on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter

Did you buy a house in 2020? Did you change jobs in 2021? Are you holding off on buying a new car this year?

Believe it or not, only one institution stands behind all of your financial decisions: the US Federal Reserve.

In this episode of Fiscally Savage, Dylan takes a closer look at the structure, responsibilities, and work of the US central banking system. What does it do? Why do we have it? And how does it affect you and your money?

Show Highlights:

• [02:48] What the Federal Reserve System (FRS) is
• [03:48] Why the FRS was created
• [05:40] How the FRS works
• [08:22] The structure of FRS
• [13:13] Checks and balances of the FRS
• [16:33] The mandates and duties of the FRS
• [22:19] How the FRS impacts people
• [23:02] Is the FRS "good" or "bad"?
• [24:10] Closing statements

Links and Resources:

• Fiscally Savage
• Fiscally Savage Tools
• Fiscally Savae on Instagram
• Fiscally Savage on Facebook
• Fiscally Savage on Twitter