What’s Going On at the Beach?
On the road again!  This time of year in Costa Rica is what we call the “Green Season,” AKA Rainy Season.  It isn’t all that bad, some days we will get some rain for 20 minutes, others will be a few hours.  What does end up happening is a lot of the tourism business will close for a few weeks or a month.  Our boys’ school closes as well, so for our 2 week break we went back to Canada to visit family!
It is always weird coming back to Canada and the faster pace of life.  Traffic, people everywhere, construction, lineups, and 18% suggested tipping… So far one of the highlights has been going to a Saint John Sea Dogs hockey game! We really sent it! Cotton candy, slushies, 50/50 draw, chuck a puck and souvenirs were all checked off the list.  Watching the kids enjoy a live game and take in new experiences is always fun…but explaining all the rules and whistles on the other hand takes some time!
Well… hope you’re ready for an awesome week. Let’s get it started right now…
It’s illegal to not go to at least one hockey game when you visit Canada…
Can I Interest You in a Quickie? Today’s Value:
  • How to pay less for everything
  • A Reddit travel hack that basically turns you into a local
  • Can I interest you in a hairy eyeball? It’s delicious!
  • Get rid of your slow selling inventory for FREE
  • Reimbursement discount codes = more money for you
Together with Seller Investigators
The actual easiest way to get free money (because it’s already yours). Are you doing your own reimbursements? Did you know Amazon owes you money and they won’t give it to you unless you ask in a very specific way? 
Seller Investigators takes all of the legwork out of hunting for lost or damaged items. They help with missing shipments, or miscounts, too. As a thank you for being a loyal SFTB reader, we’ve secured you a rate of 20% (normally 25%) on all reimbursements they gather for you. That means if Seller Investigators finds $1000 (and they will…), you get $800. For doing nothing. Not bad.
Of course, getting your money back from Amazon is totally possible to do by yourself. But… I don’t know about you, but i’d rather be building my business than looking at spreadsheets and opening case after case. That’s just me.
credit: midjourney / prompt: A windsurfing scene, with palm trees lining the beach and surfers riding the waves. Medium: Photorealistic photography. Style: Dynamic and thrilling, in the spirit of action sports photography. Lighting: Late afternoon sun, casting a golden glow on the water. Colors: Vibrant blues and golds, with the colorful sails of the windsurfers. Composition: Shot with a Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, using an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens. The composition should capture the speed and excitement of windsurfing. Settings: ISO 400, shutter speed 1/1000, aperture f/5.6. –ar 16:9 –v 5.1 –style raw –s 750
Insane prompt, right? Try Photorealistic.
The 1% Zone 👊 Actionable Amazon Tips
Have you read James Clear’s Atomic Habits? Little things add up.
Here’s something you can to TODAY to improve your business:
HOW I PAY LESS IN FEES
Negotiate everything.
(okay this one isn’t explicitly Amazon, but it can still be applied!)
When it comes to paying for SaaS, banks, suppliers, and other stuff, there’s one thing that I did to lower my fees. It’s super basic.
I asked them to lower them.
Often just asking for a reduction in costs will lead to lower costs. I make sure to throw in a “because” in there too – it helps.
  • “Because I’m not able to commit to a plan right now”
  • “Because I am not able to buy inventory”
  • “Because my Mom got a better plan”
  • “Because I’m looking to make a change”
  • “Because I think I’m going to just do it myself.”
When that didn’t work, I used leverage.
  • I threatened to leave
  • I got a quote from a competitor and played them off each other
  • I mentioned a friend who had a lower rate then I did
  • I offered to sign up for their other services if they’d lower my rate
  • I offered to cancel banking products in exchange for higher credit limits
Or, I offered to be an affiliate
  • sign up your friends and family (if you actually like the service) in exchange for lower fees
Also remember: The person (or organization) who cares less about making the deal always wins.
Give it a try. Let us know how it goes! 👊
2/ Traveler’s Toolkit✈️ The Latest Travel Hacks
Flights, hotels, packing and everything in between.
Using Reddit to Find the Best Outings
Simple enough. Skip Google, Tripadvisor and Chat GPT. Instead, navigate to the local subreddit of the location you’re traveling to. I.e. https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/ Then, filter by “best restaurants,” “best experiences,” “best beach,” etc. Generally speaking, the people responding are native to the location, and often have the best ideas for less-touristy, better experiences.
As an added bonus: I always check out Atlas Obscura. It’s full of unique and interesting things to do and see.
P.S. Share your best travel tips for a chance to have your message or service shared with thousands of readers!
3/ The Local Lowdown🌴
Things You Didn’t Know About Paradise
The good, the bad, the f***ing great.
Mamone Season!
About this time of the year “Mamone Chinos” AKA Rambutan fruit vendors start showing up on the side of the road.  This fruit is super tasty, almost like a grape or lychee inside of the hairy outside shell. These are usually stacked in massive piles and sold by the Kilogram (kg).
As the season goes along and more vendors show up our boys like to keep an eye on the current prices.  Prices will come down or the deals will get better and better. Instead of selling 3,000 colones per kg it will be 2kg for 4,000.  In smaller towns the prices are usually cheaper but the larger areas are a little more expensive.  These are super fun to pick up and eat right out of the shell.
They are weird as hell… but so so tasty!
Can I interest you in a delicious hairy eyeball?
4/ SFTB Community❓
Stuff You May Have Missed
Value-packed community posts.
5/ The Sand in my Swimming Trunks🤬
(What I’m Pissed About Lately)
Lack of knowledge on any subject coupled with defeatest attitude. I used to believe that because nobody “ever taught me how” to do something, that was the end of it. It wasn’t. There’s never been a better time to learn a new skill. I challenge you to find a subject that isn’t able to be learned using something as basic as YouTube. Crochet? Bookkeeping? Investing? Amazon PPC? Candlemaking? …what excuses do you have left?
Alex Hormozi famously said that “most skills can be learned in 20-hours of well-intentioned work. But most people delay the first hour for years.” Don’t be one of those people.
Hey – Wanna hang out? Check us out on Facebook.
Hungry for More? 
“Of course I deprecate war, but if it is brought to my door, the bringer will find me at home.”
– James Garfield
That’s a wrap, folks!  🍹🍹🍹
How was today’s newsletter? Love it? Hate it?
Do you just want to be on a beach with a cold drink?
Let us know.
—
All the best,
Max & Rob