In Residency, it is common to show up in a new city and overindulge (see Pink Street Lisbon: My Nostalgic Home & Sunday Vino in Lisbon: In Drinking, I Found Purpose). It is also common to feel the anxiety of eating too much, drinking too much, and spending too much shortly thereafter.
To literally combat the physical atrophy that comes from drinking and to preserve my mental well-being, I sign up for Muay Thai training and yoga wherever I go (see Fitness Worldwide). To get my finances under control, I have done something that previously would be unthinkable: I have forsaken using credit cards and now use cash.
This revolution came after my devolution from conscious broke international summer lawyer intern in Shanghai in 2010 (see MBA in Travel & Tourism Part II), to points addict budget traveler through 2017, to Jay-D money ain’t a thang Bachuwa attorney until July 18, 2025 when I went to my favorite establishment in Lisbon, O Trevo (see My Favorite Bar, Restaurant, Hangout in Lisbon). There, only cash is accepted. There, everything is top quality. There, remarkably, everything isn’t expensive.
Somewhere from here to ‘there’, I got lost, thinking that Michelin sushi was justifiable (see Michelin Sushi Tenerife: $375 Worth Spent?). I rationalized it by saying, “Anything for the blog.” Somewhere from here to there, I enjoy the bravado of spending with complete disregard for how much a dollar is worth.
I am happy to say that those days are over. The spell of American consumerism has broken. I am returning to how I got here – frugality (shout out to The Frugal Travel Guy, the OG of the points game).
In this public service announcement, I call on my points brethren to reevaluate the definition of success. Before, success meant being the poorest person in the Maldives but having the most expensive room (see The Conrad Maldives: Heaven Can Wait). Now, as the other OG Outakst said, we’re supposed to be believe, “It’s not what you make but how much you spent.”
Seeing the workers at O’Trevo work from morning until night made me ashamed of how much I have spent these last 8 years. While they charge only a few euros for a sandwich and next to nothing for alcohol, they are probably better off than most of us. First, they work all day, so they don’t have the idle time to take up expensive hobbies or shop on Amazon. Second, they are grinding for every euro they earn. I would assume that makes them appreciate the value of money.
In my book, Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong . . . Including Mine I wrote, “Detouring for yet another grand trip may cloud your vision, forcing you to lose focus on what you originally set out to accomplish. Recognize that Enjoying #ThePointsOfLife is the cause, not the effect. Being inspired to strive for a better life, not just a better trip, is the real point of this lesson.” This book was published in 2014, yet 11 years later, my multi-million points balance far exceeds my bank balance. Until that deficit is reduced dramatically, I am imposing a 5000% tariff on all goods that I want to buy via a credit card. That’s the only way that I can stop the unfairness and end this madness.
Of course, I am going to TACO because a new DJI Drone is coming out. But I’ll get there, not ‘there’, eventually.
Ditch the booze, not the card.
Not the worst advice.