If you look online these days, it seems like everyone is talking about “recession indicators.”
Some of these are valid - inflation, stock market declines, high volatility.
Others, like the “Lipstick Index” (or Gwyneth Paltrow eating carbs) are less formal but still signal that something is happening.
In line with the “Lipstick Index” there is a tool that’s going viral right now: it’s a stainless steel toothpaste tube squeezer.
Because as Nate Bargatze says, you shouldn’t have to feel muscles when you are squeezing your toothpaste.
This one tool has racked up millions of views for doing one thing: getting the last drop.
Do I absolutely love this but am trying to reverse engineer a way to make a version of the product at home without having to buy it? Of course.
🧠 What Supply Chain Taught Me About “Using What You’ve Got”
In supply chain, we call this resource optimization - getting more value from the inventory, space, and tools you already have, before you bring in something new.
It's not about hoarding. It’s about stretching the return on what’s already sitting there, paid for, and ready to work a little harder.
💡 Try This: Get More from What You’ve Got
In Real Life:
🔍 Credit Cards:
Check if your card offers perks like free roadside assistance, phone insurance, or event ticket pre-sales (they often do).🎒 Unused Gift Cards or Loyalty Points:
Search “gift card balance” in your email. You might find one that still has a balance on it.👕 Your Closet:
Pick one outfit combo you haven’t worn in a while and commit to it this week. Add a scarf, new shoes, jewelry, or a big hat to make it new.🛠 Digital Subscriptions:
Re-download a meditation app, recipe database, or workout program you forgot you subscribed to. Try to use it once this week.
At Work:
💬 Book a call with your software’s account manager and ask:
“What’s one feature we’re not using that could save us time or money?”
🧾 Audit your current tools - what could be replaced, consolidated, or finally used properly?
🎥 Check for recorded trainings or support videos you didn’t have time to watch during implementation.
🧠 Ask your team (or yourself): Is there a better way we could be using what we already have?
🛠 Try This Today (Just 5 Minutes):
Pick one thing you already own - a membership, tool, software, account - and Google “hidden benefits of [thing].”
You might find features or freebies you didn’t know were available to you.
Less chasing. More using.
Let’s run a little leaner - and a little smarter.
See you next week!
Monica
