This Is Uncomfortable

Have you ever daydreamed about leaving your office job, moving to the countryside, and living off the land? In 2008, Laura Griggs and her husband did just that: they moved to a small farm in rural Missouri and raised their family there for nearly a decade. Reema talks with Laura about the real cost of homesteading, and why she ultimately had to leave it behind.

And later in the episode, we’ve got another edition of Alice Gets Her Life Together, where producer Alice Wilder shuts down a high-interest credit card and learns why it’s so easy to get into debt.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

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How are you supposed to juggle caring for your aging parents while also raising young children of your own? And how do you budget for those competing responsibilities? This week, Reema talks to Nicole Chung, author of “A Living Remedy,” about her experiences caring for her parents in their final years of illness, how the U.S. healthcare system failed them, and the toll it took on her both emotionally and financially.

Plus, Reema and Alice dig into our mailbag and hear from listeners in the “sandwich generation” – those who have caregiving responsibilities for both their parents and their children.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions,” see more info here.

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Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

This week, we’re sharing an episode of “Proxy,” a podcast about the emotional questions that make people feel alone — and the conversation that unfolds when you find someone who gets it.

Sam is a progressive person who suddenly has more money than friends and family — and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. He wants to be generous. He wants to be responsible. He wants to stop feeling guilty and secretive and afraid. But the more he thinks about what money can do, the less clear it becomes what having “enough” is supposed to mean.

In this episode, host Yowei Shaw connects Sam with David Steely, a man who has spent years wrestling with the same questions — and has given away most of his money.

We’ll be back with a new episode of “This Is Uncomfortable” next week! If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

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Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

Marriage brings with it a slew of state and federal privileges – when it comes to taxes, inheritance, and benefits – but what if that’s not the most important relationship to you? What legal and financial options are out there for chosen family? Reema talks to LGBTQ+ legal advocate Angela Giampolo and tax expert Brixton Carothers about everything from setting up a revocable living trust to forming an LLC with a polycule.

Plus, Reema and Alice respond to listener messages, including confessions about workplace mishaps and financial infidelity.

If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org

Check out our upcoming virtual event, "Get Your Life Together with This Is Uncomfortable" - a work session to tackle one tedious task...with friends! More info here: https://www.marketplace.org/tiu

Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions,” see more info here.

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!

Weddings are meant to be joyful milestones and a chance to show up for the people we love. But for many people today, being a part of a wedding can come with multi-day trips, expensive outfits, and financial pressure that leads to years of debt.

Reema is joined by cultural commentator Josh Lora and The Atlantic editor Annie Joy Williams to talk about the cost of being a wedding guest, why wedding culture is getting more expensive, and how to navigate the pressure to say yes.

Did you find a creative way to make your wedding affordable for your friends? Give us a call at 347-RING-TIU or send us an email at uncomfortable@marketplace.org

If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.

Check out our upcoming virtual event, "Get Your Life Together with This Is Uncomfortable" - a work session to tackle one tedious task...with friends! More info here: https://www.marketplace.org/tiu

Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod

Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!