This Is Uncomfortable
This is Uncomfortable is the award-winning show about life and how money messes with it. Each week, Marketplace’s Reema Khrais explores how money shapes our decisions, relationships, and sense of self through conversations that are intimate, surprising, and deeply human. From the economic headlines that hit our wallets to the choices that keep us up at night, the show digs into the money questions we’re too afraid to ask and gives listeners a way to feel less alone in this increasingly complicated world.
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Min Jin Lee asks, is college still a reliable investment?
<p>Does higher education still guarantee financial stability? How can parents set their kids up for success, without subjecting them to overbearing pressure? Reema talks to writer Min Jin Lee to talk about her new novel, “American Hagwon.” They discuss the precariousness of the middle class, and how love, fear, and money get tangled up in what parents want for their children … and what those kids can feel like they owe in return. </p><br/><p></p><br/><p>This Is Uncomfortable is nominated for a Signal Award! We’re up for Best Show in the Money & Finance category, and now we n...
Is money ruining fan fiction?
<p>Before Ali Hazelwood’s “The Love Hypothesis” was a bestselling novel or movie, it was “Star Wars” fan fiction. And Hazelwood isn’t the only one making the leap from fan fiction to traditional publishing. Fan fiction has historically been a labor of love, and not all fans are happy about the shift to monetization, and what that means for the fandom community. Reema is joined by journalist Elizabeth Minkel and cultural commentator Josh Lora to unpack how money is changing fan fiction. </p><br/><p></p><br/><p>Support public media with a donation today: https://mktplc.org/support-this...
Should you leave the country for your next doctor’s appointment?
<p>Millions of Americans leave the U.S. each year for medical care. But how do you reap the rewards of medical tourism while managing the risks? And why do some have to travel out of the country to get affordable healthcare in the first place? This week on the show, Reema is joined by Dr. Alok Patel and podcast host TK Dutes to discuss what it’s like to travel for medical care, and how to do so safely. </p><br/><p>Plus: another edition of “Alice Gets Her Life Together,” in which producer Alice Wilder tries to get into t...
When boomer "collectibles" become millennial "inheritance"
<p>As a special bonus this weekend, we’re revisiting one of our favorite stories from 2024, which Reema and Alice mentioned in the latest episode.</p><br/><p>While sorting through her father’s belongings after his death, Amanda Petteruti came across a collection of locked toolboxes. What she discovered inside made her rethink what she knew about her family’s finances and left her with unsettling questions about her dad: Why had he spent so much money on this secret hobby? Why was it now Amanda’s burden to handle? And how do you find closure with someone once they’re
Listeners weigh in: Wedding hacks, questionable investments, and a fix for doom spending
<p>Who doesn’t love getting mail? This week on the show, Reema and Alice open up the mailbag and respond to your messages about questionable investments, doomspending, and caring for aging loved ones. Plus, we hear your advice on keeping weddings affordable for your guests and wedding party. </p><br/><p></p><br/><p>Past stories referenced in this episode:</p><br/>”The things we leave behind” “Nicole Chung and the toll of caregiving”“Everything's on fire, might as well get my nails done?”“Would you go broke for a bachelorette?”“Wait...where did my retirement money go?”<p>“Can I monetize my hobby...
Is there too much money in college sports?
<p>College sports has become a multi-billion dollar industry, but until just a few years ago, the actual athletes never saw a penny. It wasn’t until 2021 that the NCAA decided that college athletes could make money off of their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Guest host Alice Wilder talks to Madeline Hill and Charlotte Wilder (no relation), hosts of The Sports Gossip Show, to understand how NIL is changing the game for student athletes, financially and emotionally.</p><br/><p>If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-R...
If only he hadn’t spent so much on those turntables!
<p>Ever look back and wish you could stop your past self from making a financial mistake? Yeah, us too. This week, Reema talks to researchers Abigail Sussman and Hal Hershfield about how to handle financial regrets, why our past choices look so much clearer in hindsight, and how our emotions and blind spots shape our financial lives. Plus, a new segment of “Alice Gets Her Life Together” on how to budget for a vacation.</p><br/><p>If you like this episode, share it with a friend! And let us know what you think by calling 347-RING-TIU or emailing unco...
How does anyone afford childcare?
<p>How much should parents budget for daycare? Does it make more financial sense for both parents to work and pay for childcare, or for one parent to stay home and care for their child? And why is childcare so expensive if childcare workers aren’t paid enough? In this episode, Reema shares a big announcement… She also hears from listeners and new parents about how they’re making childcare work for their families, and public policy expert Taylor Morrissey explains why the childcare system in the United States feels so broken.</p><br/><p>If you like this episode, share...
"If this is your first time being poor..."
<p>Tight grocery budget? Try a "recession recipe." Reema talks producer Alice Wilder about her trip to meet Kiki Rough, a TikTok creator who makes hyper affordable recipes. Kiki learned how to to cook on a shoestring budget while on food stamps and has gained a large following as food insecurity in the U.S. rises. But even after going viral, she’s is still struggling to feel financially secure.</p><br/><p></p><br/><p>How have you been stretching your grocery budget? Email us your favorite penny-pinching recipes, and we’ll put them together into a little cookbook on o...
Abigail Disney: “There is such a thing as too much money”
<p>How were you raised to think about money, and how do you know when the values you inherited no longer fit? What do we owe other people, and when is generosity a duty? Reema talks with Abigail Disney, the grandniece of Walt Disney, about family, legacy, and giving away millions.</p><br/><p></p><br/><p>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</p><br/><p>Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!</p><br/><p>Support This Is Uncomfortable with your...
