Cooking Your Way Through "What Are You Cheap About" with Chefleen

Cooking Your Way Through Life

Host Chef Hollywood and guest Chefleen explore personal spending habits, contrasting where they refuse to cut corners with areas where they actively save money. They

Key takeaways

• Chefleen refuses to overspend on designer labels or fast fashion like Shein, prioritizing comfort and durability over markup-heavy brands.
• Both hosts strongly criticize post-pandemic companies that underpay chefs and household staff, arguing that fair compensation for labor is non-negotiable.

Main topics

• Personal spending habits & financial responsibility
• Grocery shopping strategies & rising food costs

Notable quotes

"I don't want to ever be cheap about people like, you know, people that are working with me."

Conclusion

The episode challenges listeners to reevaluate where they allocate res

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:07) Hello and welcome to Cooking Your Way Through Life. Speaker 2 (0:10) Today's episode is Cooking Your Way Through, What Are You Cheap About? And today's culinary side answer, what are you cheap about in the grocery store and substitutions in that way? Speaker 1 (0:22) Cooking Your Way Through Life is a podcast combining knowledge of the kitchen and applying it to real life situations. This podcast is all about understanding techniques to make things you already know even better. Topics from traveling on a budget, setting and achieving short and long term goals, and of course, cooking. Speaker 2 (0:42) On today's episode, Chef Lean is back and we're discussing all things concerning whether we really spend our money on. Now, me and her live two completely different lifestyles, which is why I wanted her to join me on this episode. So we're going to talk about everything that we spend in our personal life, business life, plus talking about what we spend at the grocery store, because we're both chefs and we have to buy those groceries no matter what. Speaker 1 (1:04) Please welcome Chef Hollywood. Speaker 1 (1:08) Alright guys, welcome back to Speaker 2 (1:09) another episode of Cooking With You Life with me, Chef Hollywood. And today I am joined by the star, the myth, the legend, the most famous chef that I know in my personal Rolodex. She's a mother of two, she's a chop champion, she's been on countless TV shows, probably cooked for all your favorites in the world. And yeah, so welcome back. Wow, what Speaker 3 (1:33) an introduction. Man, I feel like the star that I am. Speaker 3 (1:39) Thank you. Thank you for having me. Glad to be back. Speaker 2 (1:42) Thank you. You know, since you've been on, I think you might have Speaker 3 (1:46) had Nola the Speaker 2 (1:47) last time. I think I just Speaker 3 (1:49) had Nola. Like Speaker 2 (1:50) just had Nola. Speaker 3 (1:51) Yeah. Speaker 2 (1:52) So yeah. So welcome back. Tell the people what you've been up to since Nola was three months. You Speaker 3 (1:59) know, so much, honestly, the world has changed a lot. I think around when we filmed was like we were coming out of COVID, right? Yes. So, like, you know, the world's changed. I'm working a lot more. People want me back in their houses. People are having events. I'm not doing Chef Lee's Virtual Kitchen anymore because no one wants to be cooking online. They want to be cooking in person. And I have a whole other human that I grew and birthed who is now three months. So I have two children. a lot of clients oh i started a meal prep business yes Speaker 2 (2:39) and Speaker 3 (2:40) um it's just like i don't even know what's happening like if you saw me like 30 minutes before this you wouldn't have thought my husband looked Speaker 2 (2:50) at me like um are you do Speaker 3 (2:52) you need an energy drink Speaker 2 (2:56) Yo, shout out to Chris. Making Speaker 3 (2:59) sure Speaker 2 (3:00) you get on here because I'm just telling you offline that I just came from visiting my little nephews and I don't know how parents do it. I feel like I am a great uncle. Some people put on this Earth, Do Certain Things, like I am a great uncle. Like I can come in for that clutch. You need like a weekend in that month and you're about to die. I got you. I won't kill the kids. We have a good time. But every day. Speaker 3 (3:25) Yeah, no, every day, every night, too, because they come in your room at night. Well, what's funny thing is my oldest stopped, actually. So we had Zora in May, end of May. And Nola was constantly coming in our room before that. And I used to be like, oh, my gosh, like, when is she going to stop, like, staying in her room all night long? And then, like, she came in one night when Zora was born, and Zora was, like, crying. And she's like, ugh, this baby's making a lot of noise. So mostly now she stays in her room, but there are nights. And then, like, that kind of. it's like parenting is so dumb because like you think i'd be like so happy right like oh my gosh like she's back no i was like oh man like she's she's so old she's not coming in our room anymore she doesn't need it so then i was like sad but my sadness gets erased very quickly whenever she does come like once every two weeks because i'm like like sunday i legit did not sleep she came in the room at one and was snoring away and i didn't sleep till monday night Speaker 1 (4:22) Oh Speaker 2 (4:23) man, alright. So hold on before we get started too. Because I know Nola is a Taurus so you got two Taurus's now, right? Speaker 3 (4:30) No, so Zora is a Gemini. She crossed over the other side. So I have two Geminis because Chris is a Gemini and then Nola is a Taurus. She made it just at the very end. Speaker 2 (4:42) We still got one in the house. All right. We keep you guys grounded. We keep people grounded around here. Speaker 3 (4:48) For sure. She's a rule follower. I mean, unless she has to follow the rules, but she will tell everyone what the rules are. You Speaker 2 (4:55) can do what I say, not as I do. It's pretty much our whole credo. We're going to get into what are we cheap about today? And actually, for you guys to know, I send people out the topics, and then I have them pick. And because... Kathleen is in New York City. I just really thought this would be a great topic to talk about because it's so drastically different from my life. But, you know, so I want to know what you're cheap about. Before we jump into what we're cheap about, though, what's one thing you would happily spend more money on right now without thinking twice? Speaker 3 (5:31) more money on vacation Speaker 3 (5:36) I would spend my last dollar on vacation and traveling and adventure. Like, sign me up. Anything that's going to, like, provide me a new experience, I will. But I will say, okay, I say vacation. Speaker 2 (5:51) Yeah. Speaker 3 (5:52) But. I don't need like luxury vacation. I need like mid luxury vacation. I don't have to say it's a Ritz Carlton. I could just say it like, you know, the next level down. Well, even like a few levels Speaker 2 (6:03) down from that. Speaker 3 (6:05) But Speaker 1 (6:05) I Speaker 3 (6:06) just like to do like Chris makes this joke all the time. Like I need vacation once a month. Or I think I told him that when we first got married. And he was like, who did I marry? I was like, I don't understand why people just can't go somewhere once a month. Like that makes sense to me. Speaker 2 (6:20) But see, that's an uncle and auntie role. So that's not for you no more. Speaker 1 (6:24) That Speaker 2 (6:25) is something that I accepted as an uncle that I do take vacations about once a month. But yeah, you know, you'll get there. It'll come back. Now you're going to take family vacations. We Speaker 3 (6:36) did a lot with Nola. Now I'm realizing it's really hard with a baby. I struggled through with a baby with Nola, or when Nola was a baby, but now with two kids and one is a baby, it's like, no. And also just speaking of expenses, it's like expensive to, like Nola costs a whole plane ticket now. Like, I feel like Speaker 2 (6:58) she Speaker 3 (6:58) should cost half. Speaker 2 (6:59) I just learned that. I didn't even think about that, like them paying. And that's the same thing my friends say, like the baby can ride for free if a baby can sit in your lap, but then you have to pay. for the kid if they can sit in the that's crazy like that's a whole like Speaker 3 (7:14) no Speaker 2 (7:14) as soon as they turn to first class no Speaker 3 (7:17) that's Speaker 2 (7:19) great you know you definitely not coming to first class with me you can't be doing all that like not for the same price all right guys we're gonna get into today's actual topic and i want to talk about this for a couple reasons but really it's because i feel like everybody's cheap about something but sometimes we don't realize we're cheap about and we will pick and choose different things so with the first thing I want to jump into is what's something you absolutely refuse to spend a lot of money on even if you can afford it you're like I don't care if I can afford it I'm not spending money on it I Speaker 3 (7:53) think about this question a lot um because you know I will be very wealthy one day and Speaker 2 (8:00) I and I and Speaker 3 (8:01) I work for a lot of wealthy people so I see how wealthy people spend their money right um Speaker 3 (8:10) And just thought of a story. I don't know if I can say Speaker 2 (8:12) it because it's more exciting working for currently. Speaker 3 (8:18) I think like I would never spend a lot of money on like designer clothes or bags or things of that nature. I mean, right now, I'm literally it would make no sense for me to buy like a two thousand dollar garment. Right. Speaker 1 (8:35) But I Speaker 3 (8:36) think about like if I did have that kind of like disposable income, would I even want to do that? Right. like i might buy higher quality clothes like clothes that like not as quite as much as fast fashion i am in my older years trying to move away from fast fashion um i bought things off a sheen like twice and i feel very guilty about it for the environment and all of those things but but so like i would like i would i do try to buy like higher quality but like i don't know if i need like the designer name for like 10 times the markup. Really right now it's all about like comfort and you know it needs to be like cozy and feel good over like I mean it needs to look good but like I just don't need the name brand all over it. Speaker 2 (9:27) I see that. I mean, I honestly, I feel like especially too, because of, I mean, like as a mom and as like, as a family unit, it is kind of not like, I don't want to say weird, but it's a choice to go out and buy. Like as you have a three month old designer coat that you're going to be swaddling her in and then like, so yeah, it definitely like, I think it comes with like, because for me, I work. I work with a lot of wealthy people. And yeah, same thing. I see a lot of stuff that I'm just like, I would not spend money on that even if I had it. One thing for me is because also my lifestyle and the people I work like on ships and things, they buy, or not all of them, but some of them have so many cars. Speaker 3 (10:12) And Speaker 2 (10:13) I was just like, I don't understand why you have so many cars. Like I Speaker 3 (10:17) - You Speaker 2 (10:17) work on a ship? And you work on a ship. And most of these guests, too, that have this much money, they're traveling. You're on a world cruise now, which is already five months. And then you're going to go home for a month. And then you're going to do another cruise, do another trip. You're home less than me. You have 12 cars. And I just don't know. I don't know. Even if I had the disposable income, I would buy that many cars. Because it just doesn't work with my lifestyle. I have one car now that I keep in Georgia, just because. Have you ever been to Georgia? It's hard to be without a car. Like literally. But if it wasn't for that, if like my home base, I've been in New Zealand the past two years for really my home base. My mom is taking care of my car. I've been driving my car since 2025, maybe? Like, so I don't know. It's just like, that's one of the things like with designer bags and clothes, like cars for me. I'm like, I don't know. With this lifestyle and y'all lifestyle too, because y'all here with me, why you got so many cars? Like, it just feels. Speaker 3 (11:16) Yeah, I feel like you just need a car to get you places. Again, with like the, although I will say that we did have a Mercedes at one point. It was older Mercedes, like 2014. And I do see the difference in like a designer, that's not a designer, a luxury car. Luxury car. Speaker 2 (11:34) No, no, you're right. Over like a Speaker 3 (11:35) basic car. Like I would spend the money on that if I were to buy another car, but. Speaker 3 (11:41) Yeah, I don't know why you need more than one. Different days of the week, different pants. Speaker 2 (11:47) I agree. One luxury car is nice. Even if it's a family too, two cars because maybe both you guys, but when it's over three and then these people are empty nesters too, it's like, yeah, what are you doing? Is this your Monday car and then your Wednesday car and your weekend trip? It feels like too much. I do agree. Designer cars. Luxury cars. do you play a different role in that? I agree. All right, guys. So next one for you coming right up the bat would be what's something other people are cheap about that you think is actually worth spending more money on? Speaker 3 (12:25) OK, this was like my favorite question because I have a really good answer. Speaker 2 (12:31) Yes, Speaker 3 (12:31) I love. Well, I don't love no one loves spending money, right? Like except for if I'm traveling, right? Then I'm like, God, Speaker 1 (12:38) money everywhere, like Speaker 3 (12:39) whatever. Or if I'm outside in New York, just having it's a nice day in New York. I'm like, oh, yeah, sure. Bova. Sure. Like all the snacks, whatever. But. Speaker 3 (12:50) I spend more money or as like as much as I possibly can on people who work in our home. And this hits hard for me, right? Because I work in other people's homes. So I see when other people are cheap with the labor that they have in their home. But it like makes absolutely no sense to me because like these are the people that are like. integral to how your life runs right like if you have a nanny or if you have a chef or if you have a cleaner right like all of these people I honestly wish you