What Do You Mean, “Guacamole Will Be Extra?”
Regardless of your race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, economic status, and how you pronounce “ketchup”, I’m 100% sure we all can agree on one thing:
Extra guacamole at Chipotle should be free.
I’m that guy. The one who complains about guac being extra at Chipotle, yet I’ve spent $363 on Tom Ford’s Tobacco Oud cologne without a second thought.
Don’t get me wrong; the burrito gods shined down upon the world the day Chipotle was created!
I love Chipotle, and I love their guacamole, which only comes if you order it as an extra.
And unfortunately, that is a deal-breaker for me.
A couple of years back, I racked up over $30,000 in credit card debt after moving to New York City right after college. The phrase “ignorance is bliss” was what I was living by. I wanted to try everything and have no FOMO (fear of missing out).
Friends’ going clubbing? Let’s get a table. Michelin-starred restaurant? Sign me up. Fly last minute to Ibiza for a friend’s birthday? Say no more. Cashmere sweater? I deserve it. You get the point.
Why? I’m young, and life is short.
It became a joke how much money we’d spend amongst my friend groups that I noticed we all say, “not bad,” EVERY time we get the bill. Like a natural reflex, “not bad,” cause it could be worse. (If you live in a big city, notice how often you say “not bad” after getting the bill. It’s hilarious).
But the phrase “ignorance is bliss” is only applicable when you’re ignorant about EVERYTHING. And no matter how hard I tried to sleep at night, my increasing financial debt constantly loomed at the back of my brain like black ink staining a white piece of paper, its black tendrils stretching to every corner of my being suffocating me, leaving me helpless.
I reached a breaking point where I finally picked up a personal finance book and learned how to systematically pay the debt over time with self-discipline, created a budget, automated infrastructure, and restricted my lifestyle.
The truly gut-wrenching part was when I had to ask my Dad for a loan to cover a portion of my debt. I had to swallow my pride and build up the courage to ask. It was embarrassing because I never imagined being in this position after I graduated college and got a job.
However, over the last two years, I’ve finally paid off my credit cards!
But since then, I’ve become terrified of debt.
To the point, I had become accustomed to saying “no” to guacamole at Chipotle because, while I like the taste (and now I can afford it), I’m still not willing to pay extra for it.
This got me thinking, what if there is a way to get my guac for free?
And let me tell you, I found an easy Chipotle hack that anyone can do to get their guacamole for free! And it works regardless of if you have a meat bowl or burrito.
The only catch is — you have to go in person (can’t order online) for this trick to work.
I got this idea while listening to an episode of The Tim Ferriss Show featuring Noah Kagan, the founder of SumoMe. Noah encourages people to take the “Coffee Challenge.” It involves overcoming your fear of rejection by asking for 10% off whenever you order the next time you’re at Starbucks or another coffee shop.
People LOVED this idea because the fear of rejection and failure is the biggest thing that holds people back from getting everything they ever wanted.
However, I’m someone who struggles with the fear of rejection a lot. And when I say struggle, I mean genuinely crippling fear.
If you offered me the choice to sit in fiery hell listening to Taylor Swift remixes for 5,000 years or bargain $5 off for a knock-off Gucci belt in Chinatown — I would sigh and reluctantly start bopping my head to “Blank Space.”
Moreover, I don’t drink coffee, so I convinced myself that the challenge was pointless.
However, as Bruce Lee says, “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” I thought to myself, what if I could use the principles of the “Coffee Challenge,” but instead… get free guacamole at Chipotle. 🤔️
Now, THIS motivated me to give it a shot.
Plus, asking for free guac would help me train that rejection muscle with super low risk! Because, worst-case scenario, the server says “no,” and I don’t get the guac like I was going to anyway.
So last week, I built up the courage up to follow through with what I called the “Guac Challenge.”
Mission: Ask for free guacamole.
For everyone else, it was a regular Tuesday evening. For me, it felt like I was back in high school when the barber got rid of my Bieber hair flow — I was terrified.
When it was my turn to order, my muscle memory kicked in: bowl, brown rice, black beans, veggies, chicken, pico de gallo, the spiciest salsa available, and then came the six most annoying words in human history:
“Guacamole is extra. Is that okay?”
My heart started beating out of my chest, my palms were sweaty, and I felt my knees go weak. My self-talk kicked in:
Sid, what is the point of this stupid challenge! She’s going to just laugh at you and say no. Don’t do it. You’re being an idiot.
However, this is exactly what I was here for, to crush that fear of rejection and get stronger.
I croaked, “Could I actually, maybe, get the guacamole of free…?”
Then there was a long pause.
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Shit, why did I say that, I should’ve—
“No one has actually asked that before! Sure, why not.” She replied, flashing a kind smile.
And just like that, I got my guacamole for free!
I was stunned. It’s was almost too simple.
This got me thinking — how many other things have I missed out on in life because I was too afraid to ask for what I want?
And maybe you have to.
If it’s either asking for that discount, that promotion, that salary increase, or even that person on a date?
We simply get paralyzed by the fear of failure and rejection. We shrink ourselves super small and find all the reasons we can’t do something. This leads to HUGE missed opportunities.
So here is my challenge for you; try my “Guac Challenge” next time you’re at Chipotle!
The rules are simple: When you get hit with the phrase,
“Guac will be extra, is that okay?” I want you to reply with, “Can I get it for free?”
That’s it, don’t overthink it.
Because what is the best way to overcome fear? Taking action. Replace fear with initiative. Depend on it. Lean on it. Trust in it.
When I realized that my fear of debt was becoming a problem, the “Guac Challenge” is how I took action to deal with it. Even though saving a couple of dollars was relatively small compared to a larger issue, psychologically, it was powerful because I felt I was taking control of my life and finances.
The “Guac Challenge” may not sound like such a big task to you, but that’s what most people say before they try it. Your initial reaction might be, “won’t it be weird to ask?” or, “what’s the point even?” And trust me, that’s just the ‘fear of rejection’ talking.
I promise you; everyone learns something about themselves taking the challenge.
There is a big difference between talking about doing something — assessing how difficult or easy something is by all the imaginary situations in your mind — and actually doing it.
This challenge forces you outside your comfort zone, helps you overcome unwarranted fears, and ultimately boosts your confidence in asking for things.
And watch this spirit seep into other areas of your life as you demand more for yourself.
Because in life, you don’t get what you want or deserve; you get what you negotiate. And most of the time, negotiating is simply asking — even if it’s just for free guac.
