Recently, I was told by a producer of a certain podcast that I was being overly frugal. This comment came after an interview covering my upcoming book, Buy This, Not That was done.
I had thanked her over e-mail, pointed out a spelling error in my name in the show notes, and also asked her to tell the host I had finally gotten a headset for potential future interviews. Here’s what she wrote:
“Re mic: I totally get the frugality mindset but treat yourself to a Shure MV7 or ATR2020 and write it off against tax. You’re a fab interviewee who deserves a better mic.”
Been Battling Frugality For A While
At first, I was slightly taken aback by the comment because I’ve been trying hard for the past couple of years to get out of the frugality mindset. I’ve admitted I suffered from frugality disease. So to be reminded that I may still be battling this affliction stung.
This year, at age 45, I’ve finally entered the decumulation phase of my life and have purposefully been spending more on things I care about, e.g. food, children’s education, and nicer travel accommodations. It’s been hard to spend more than usual, but I’m making progress. Heck, just the other day I ordered toro sushi instead of the usual salmon sushi!
Furthermore, I already have an external microphone for doing podcast interviews which I purchased a couple of months ago. It had been working great over multiple interviews until this podcast session. When we connected, the host said he heard an echo whenever he spoke. Therefore, he wanted me to put on a headset.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a headset that could plug into my laptop because I didn’t have an adapter. I ended up not using my external microphone and doing the interview with my Apple earbuds plugged into my iPhone. As a result, the sound quality wasn’t as good as it could have been.
I don’t think I was being overly frugal. I’m just a newbie at doing podcast interviews and didn’t have the ideal setup. I’m also technically challenged. Or, maybe I am actually cheap and just don’t realize it!