Hello all,
I have some updates to share!
I am taking a break for the next three weeks and will resume regular publication on Friday, January 16th.
Why am I doing this? Frankly – I need to take a break! Rest is part of the process, which I’m finally realizing after burning myself out again and again and again. One of my favorite books of all time is Four Thousand Weeks – Time Management for Mortals. It’s really helped me understand what I can and cannot get done, and there’s a whole chapter dedicated to rest. Although I don’t believe in God, I do like the concept of the sabbath with “On the seventh day, he rested.” Even an all-powerful all-mighty God made sure there was time to take a break – so us humans should too.
Beyond taking some time to relax, I will be working on lots of improvements to make Cut Off the Spigot even better.
What does this mean for you? I’ll be sharing updates and announcements on Substack and videos across my other channels, so you’ll still hear from me! I’m finalizing my website launch and have new bonus content ideas I want to try and play around with, so lots more on the way 😊
For Paid Subscribers – the merch designs will finally be coming for you to vote on before 12/31! I’m really excited to see what you guys like.
Want to get in on the action? Get a paid membership here.
Instead of covering a new category every week, I will be doing “Boycott News Updates” every other week alternating with category alternatives. Similar to my “Latest Boycott News Round Up” post from October, I’ll break down the latest news in companies/individuals supporting Trump and other important boycott and consumer news. This also gives me an opportunity to dive in on other things I think would be interesting, like deeper analyses on boycott effectiveness, or taxing the rich. I’d also like to take a deeper dive into political candidates in 2026 as we move into the House and Senate races.
Why am I doing this? I started Cut Off the Spigot in April of this year, and for the first couple months my category deep dives were lighter – see Kitchen Tools as an example. But as I’ve learned and grown, the category deep dives have gotten longer and more in-depth. It’s nearly impossible to maintain that level of depth on a weekly basis and make videos, let alone create bonus content, merch, and other cool things.
What does this mean for you? My goal for this new schedule and format is to help keep you informed in a concise, straightforward way – not the swirl of the endless news cycle. With this new structure, I will have more time for backend improvements like building my website into a resource destination, benefits for paid subscribers, and other fun things. I believe this will be better for everyone, but if not, I’ll make adjustments!
When I started Cut Off the Spigot, I was hopeful that I would gain a following but had no idea if it would actually work. Now nearing the end of 2025, I have over 3,600 subscribers on Substack, 271K followers on Instagram, 74K followers on TikTok, and more across YouTube & BlueSky. While high follower counts and subscribers are incredible, it’s been amazing hearing your stories on how I have helped you shop & source items in the way you want and move on from bad companies. I don’t know a way to convey this well digitally without sounding insincere, but every comment/message/etc saying thank you, you’ve helped me, I’ve been able to do this…it all means so much to me. My heart swells and I go teary eye-d and it’s just incredible.
People talk a lot about wanting to make a difference, and I feel like I truly am. But that’s because of all of you – sharing your stories and thank yous to keep me going, knowing I’m making an impact. Sharing my accounts and telling your friends and family. And my paid subscribers and supporters on Buy Me A Coffee, that have supported me monetarily as I try to make Cut Off the Spigot sustainable as a full time job.
For my paid subscribers especially – thank you. I know I haven’t been sharing the most amazing perks and bonus content for paid subscribers, but you stuck with me and your support means the world to me. I’m working on bigger and better benefits for you guys, and I truly think you’ll love them.
So thank you all so much, and excited to share all the updates with you as they roll out. I hope you get some rest and relaxation over the holidays and New Years too – you deserve it!
I’ll end it with my personal motto: Excelsior* – onwards and upwards.
Thank you,
Alexa
*While I do love this scene in Silver Linings Playbook, I have been obsessed with this phrase since staring at it on the New York state flag when bored in gym class growing up. To me, it embodies the idea that no matter what, you can move forward and learn from your experiences to grow and develop. Every experience is a step on your path forward. Also, I’m a Bills fan.
