Podcast
This Is Uncomfortable
Hosted by Marketplace · EN
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.
36episodes
Episodes
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Would you go broke for a bachelorette?
1w ago00:36:34Tap to summarizeWeddings 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/tiuSupport This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_podFollow us on Instagram and Tiktok!
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The secret lives of romance scammers
2w ago00:35:12Tap to summarizeUnfortunately, a lot of us know someone who has been scammed… but how many scammers do you know? After reporter Carlos Barragán’s mother fell victim to an online romance scam, he traveled to Lagos, Nigeria, to investigate the world of “Yahoo Boys,” as Nigerian scammers call themselves. He spent years getting to know these young men, earning their trust and reporting the most intimate details of their lives. This week, Carlos joins Reema to talk about his new book, “Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria's Romance Scammers,” and the complicated story he discovered about the social and economic forces that push people into these crimes. Plus, how loneliness is key to the scam… on both sides! Here is our Spotify playlist of all the stories about scams and scammers that we’ve had on the show. 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.orgIf you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!Support “This Is Uncomfortable” with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod
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Is it time for a new career?
3w ago00:34:51Tap to summarizeLots of us have dreamed about taking on a completely different career, but how do you actually make the leap? This week, Reema visits a cohort of people pivoting to the trades in North Carolina and speaks with career coach Phoebe Gavin to get her tips on making a successful pivot. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.If you want to answer our “Uncomfortable Questions” see more info here.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod
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Money can make or break your relationship, from NPR’s "It’s Been a Minute"
May 2800:42:46Tap to summarizeToday, we’re featuring an episode of NPR’s “It’s Been A Minute.” Reema Khrais joins host Brittany Luse and Wailin Wong, host of NPR’s “The Indicator,” to talk about the hidden ways money shows up in dating and marriage.And we’ve got a new “This Is Uncomfortable” project to share! You’ve heard Reema Khrais ask rapid-fire “uncomfortable money questions” on the show, where she asks guests to share details of their financial lives. Now we want to hear how you would answer! Send us a voice memo, and we may feature it on the show. This week, we kick things off off with listener Thistle from California. Learn more here: https://www.marketplace.org/uncomfortablequestionsFollow This Is Uncomfortable on Instagram and Tiktok! And support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_podIf you liked this episode of NPR's “It’s Been A Minute,” you can follow their podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Four days a week you will get for more episodes like this, featuring deep dives into how culture impacts what you think, feel, and believe.
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Everything's on fire, might as well get my nails done?
May 2100:28:27Tap to summarizeDo you ever look at the world and think: everything is so uncertain, who knows if I’ll ever be able to retire … so I might as well get those concert tickets? Then you might be doomspending. Reema talks with The Financial Diet’s Chelsea Fagan and behavioral economist Judd Kessler about why we doomspend, and what we should do instead. Plus, producer Alice Wilder makes a confession. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok! And support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod
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How far would you go for a boycott?
May 1400:35:53Tap to summarizeHow far would you go to participate in a boycott? Cancel your concert tickets? Spend 25% more on groceries? What about refusing to visit your family? This week, Reema speaks to Canadians who are going to great lengths to boycott the United States. Plus, a conversation with financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin about how to practice “good enough” boycotting. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok! Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod
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Help! My work crush just became my boss!
May 700:28:16Tap to summarizeGot a tricky situation at work and not sure what to do? In our recurring advice column, “Work Drama,” we try to find answers to your sticky work questions. This week, Reema is joined by Tobin Low of “This American Life” to answer your workplace questions – from coworkers falling asleep mid-meeting to crushing on your boss.If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And if you have any work drama going on, we want to hear about it! Leave a message at 347-RING-TIU or email uncomfortable@marketplace.org.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok! And support “This Is Uncomfortable” with your donation today.
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Patrick Radden Keefe on parenting in the age of mega-wealth
Apr 3000:29:46Tap to summarizeWhat do you do when your child’s ideas about money start to sharply diverge from your own? Reema is joined by journalist Patrick Radden Keefe to discuss his new book, “London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth.” Along the way they get into the thorny realities of parenting in a time when young people are aspiring to be like the ultra-wealthy. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok! If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.Support “This Is Uncomfortable” with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod
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What it costs to leave the U.S.
Apr 2300:34:11Tap to summarizeAs the U.S. immigration crackdown intensifies, some undocumented people are choosing to leave the country. But what’s the financial and emotional cost of leaving?Reema speaks with immigration lawyer Michael Foote, who is helping his clients navigate this process, as well as two undocumented immigrants at different stages in their departure: Javi (not his real name) is an undocumented college student saving up to move abroad, and Monsy Hernandez left the U.S. for Germany almost ten years ago and now supports others weighing the same decision.If you’re thinking about leaving the U.S., organizations like Onward provide toolkits with resources and information.If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And let us know what you think by emailing uncomfortable@marketplace.org or calling 347-RING-TIU.Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok!Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/mkp_tiu_pod
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Would you tell your BFF about your credit card debt?
Apr 1600:31:04Tap to summarizeWould you feel comfortable telling your best friend how much debt you’re in? That was the last thing Jamie Feldman wanted to do, but when her credit card debt spiraled out of control, she knew she needed help. Together, Jamie and Rachel Webster tackled that debt and documented the process with their award-winning podcast “Debt Heads.”Reema is joined by Jamie and Rachel to talk about friendship, shame and how opening up about money changed their relationship with debt. If you liked this episode, share it with a friend. And if you have an experience with debt to share, we want to hear it! Call our hotline 347-RING-TIU and leave a message, or you can always email us at uncomfortable@marketplace.orgFollow us on Instagram and Tiktok.Support This Is Uncomfortable with your donation today: https://bit.ly/tiu_mayfy26
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