How to BEAT the system in THREE steps

Recently, I encountered a video of a disturbed woman wishing death upon herself if her preferred presidential candidate does not win the upcoming election. Another lady called for civil war.

I was stunned. I understand that politics can be frustrating, even enraging, at times—but not that frustrating. Not to the point where life itself ceases to be worth living simply because of the man who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

This ought to break the nation’s heart. We have become so engrossed in politics, that many of us cannot imagine a positive future, an existence worth preserving if we do not achieve the political outcomes we want.

In full disclosure, I also am “engrossed” in politics. I’m embroiled in it almost daily. I hate to see our country being destroyed. But—and this is key—I do not have to let those things destroy me. I am not an inanimate pawn, condemned to rise and fall at the whim of our chief executive (or anyone else, for that matter). You and I can make the choices necessary to live meaningful, fulfilled lives no matter who is in the White House. It’s called self-governance.

As they say, your happiness does not depend on what happens in the White House; it depends on what happens in your house.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not recommending that we turn a blind eye to politics. Our country needs us to be involved while also taking responsible steps to ensure that we are not defeated by the “system.”

1. Take Control of Your Finances

I recently calculated that what my wife and I can eat at home for $300 would cost us at least $1,800 eating out. Spread that out over an entire year, and imagine how much money we could save just by making our own food! Add a few kids to the picture, and the savings snowball.

A few studies confirm my research. According to the Top Nutrition Coach, “the average meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs nearly 285% more (!) than eating at home.” They add, “Annually, it costs over $13,000 more to eat out than it costs to prepare the same amount of food at home.” Yahoo Finance reports that “restaurants charge at least double — often much more — for any given item on the menu. The markup from wholesale is typically about 300%.” For an average burger, restaurant-goers can expect a 384% markup. An average cappuccino, which Starbucks drinkers purchase for $4-8, costs the company a single buck to make.

Additionally, food delivery services (which I absolutely refuse to use) are skyrocketing in popularity, despite doubling or even tripling food prices. According to one report, “DoorDash delivered 574 million total orders in the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of 23% over the previous year.” This means that 574 million customers paid roughly double the price for meals already marked up by 285-300%! (I wanted to test this out: At home, we can make three Wagyu burgers for about $10. On DoorDash, I “ordered”—believe me, I did not complete the order—two burgers and a side from one of the first restaurants listed on their app for a whopping total of—drumroll, please—$91.90.)

So, what’s my point? Simply this: yes, the economy is bad, but many of us are—let’s be frank—stupid with our finances. Studies show that, since COVID-19, consumers have become so “demoralized by inflation and high rates that they’ve given up on saving for the American Dream.” “The savings rate today is less than half its pre-pandemic level and has absolutely plummeted since January 2021, dropping by more than four-fifths,” The Heritage Foundation reported. Nevertheless, Americans continue to spend—often on “experiences”—at alarming rates.

This has led to what the Foundation dubbed the “bougie broke” trend, a rising cultural phenomenon where people who live paycheck-to-paycheck continue to treat themselves to luxury clothes, Taylor Swift tours (in 2023, the average Taylor Swift concert cost $1,088.56 per ticket), and $90 meals from DoorDash.

Of course, I seriously doubt any of my readers doled out over $1,000 to watch Taylor Swift in concert. But what expenses in your life are unnecessary or needlessly high? Don’t get me wrong—I know the economy is bad. But don’t use a bad economy as your scapegoat for poor personal financial management.

2. Take Control of Your Diet

I often hear conservatives complain that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t do more to protect Americans from bad food. On the one hand, I get it. Americans are notoriously unhealthy, and many of our favorite foods are banned in other countries (more on that later). But then again—do we really need the government to protect us from bad food? Seriously? I can do that myself, thank you very much.

Well, I can do it—the question is, will I?

Good foods are becoming harder and harder to find—and more expensive. Many of our favorite snacks are banned outside the United States due to harmful dyes, flavorings, and preservatives. Popular examples include Twinkies, Swiss Rolls, pre-made stovetop stuffing, Coffee-Mate coffee creamer, Ritz Crackers, Skittles, Mountain Dew, and Froot Loops.

Early research suggests that Yellow 5 and Red 40, two of the most controversial ingredients found in many of the foods listed above, may cause cancer. They have also been linked to “blurred vision, migraines, fatigue and anxiety.” However, despite these concerns (and the fact that both dyes are banned in the European Union and Switzerland), Yellow 5 and Red 40 are almost inescapable in our grocery stores, appearing in pickles, mustard, Doritos, energy drinks, lasagna, and more.

Unfortunately, the problem only gets worse from there. While several foods mentioned above are obviously unhealthy (Twinkies, Skittles, etc.), many Americans may be surprised to learn that even our “healthier,” more natural options are sometimes banned in other countries due to controversial pesticides. U.S. pork, ground beef, chicken, and corn, for example, all can contain ingredients outlawed internationally. To make matters worse, legitimately healthier foods often cost more money, making them less affordable for families. According to one study, if a family that spent $250 weekly on groceries, switched to Whole Foods, a popular organic grocery store, they would spend $650 more per year; if they switched to Walmart, they would spend $2,600 less.

However, this does not mean that your health is outside of your control. Nor does it imply that increasing government regulations is the answer to Americans’ poor lifestyle choices.

In 2012, New York City infamously attempted to ban stores from selling sodas over 16 ounces, particularly “Big Gulps,” citing concerns about the sugary drinks contributing to Americans’ obesity problem. At the time, it inspired a conservative backlash, with many New Yorkers arguing that, while large sodas are unhealthy, self-governing Americans should, nevertheless, be permitted to regulate their own consumption. The same principle still applies.

Frankly, it’s somewhat odd to complain about how the FDA isn’t doing enough to keep us healthy, while we continue to stuff our faces with Cheez-It and Twinkies. Simple steps like cutting out sugars and exercising daily will make a huge difference (and cost us nothing)—if only we are willing to make the effort.  

3. Take Control of Your Time

Finally, if we want to take control of our lives, we, as self-governing citizens, must take control of our time.

Time is a precious commodity. However, it can easily go to waste.

Imagine the transformation our country could experience if everyone redirected the time they typically spent on their phones or watching TV towards reading books, acquiring new skills, or serving in their churches or communities. Tempers would cool, tensions would allay, and we might, at last, realize that politics isn’t everything.

We must resist the temptation to sit on our hands until the government acts. If I or anyone in my family is addicted to social media, that’s not Meta’s fault. That’s not the government’s responsibility to fix. I don’t have to wait for Washington to ban TikTok or regulate Instagram—the solution is as easy as turning off my phone and refusing to waste time.

Every day, we face decisions concerning our finances, health, and time—choices we can either take responsibility for or delegate to the government to handle on our behalf. Opting for the latter will expose us to the prevailing cultural influences that can leave us feeling demoralized and hopeless. But by choosing the former, we empower ourselves to navigate these challenges independently, ensuring that our lives are successful regardless of who is in the White House.