Hey y’all, 

I can’t believe it’s already our last newsletter of 2023. Our whole team is taking a couple weeks off for the holidays, but we’ll be back in your inboxes before the new season starts January 25. Before we go, we wanted to share a few holiday recs and thank you for listening to “This Is Uncomfortable” this year.

In 2023, we explored the fraught finances behind the egg donation industry, we learned about the power dynamics at play in financial domination, and we asked, at the end of the day, who can you trust with your money? I especially loved our most recent episode, about how far two friends went for free rent. 

I’ve loved reading so many of the emails we’ve gotten in response to the episodes, hearing how the stories are resonating in your own lives. And we’re very excited to bring you all new stories in 2024. We’ll be exploring the cost of being our “best selves,” digging into things like our relationships with work, beauty, health and so much more. 

Finally, this is a hard pivot to make, but I wanted to thank you all for responses to the earlier newsletter about my family in Gaza. It’s been an incredibly difficult time, and since that last note, my family has dealt with an unimaginable amount of loss. I may consider sharing more later, but for now, I just wanted to send my deep gratitude for all the kind and comforting messages. They truly meant a lot to me. 

Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy, safe winter. 

– Reema

Defend your splurge

Tell us how you treated yourself lately and why — we’ll include the best ones in our newsletter! This week, “The One Recipe” host and Eater senior editor Jesse Sparks puts his dancing shoes on.

When my dear friend shared that her wedding would feature a chrome cowboy-themed spin on La Hora Loca (Imagine Beyoncé’s Renaissance as an abbreviated post-ceremony party), I knew I had to show up in style. That’s where these glossy-but-not-too-flashy boots from eBay come into play. They were a meager $65 — a reduced price thanks to my being a 13W in boots — but even better, they’re a reminder that there’s always beauty in giving the products we love a second life, especially when that life includes a silver-washed celebration of your best friend.

The comfort & joy zone

• Turns out there’s a lot of Christmas-set movies about life and how money messes with it. A few of our favorites: “Christmas in Connecticut,” “Carol,” “Metropolitan,” “Tangerine” and “Brazil.”
• And then there’s the heavy-duty classics, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Die Hard,” which have more in common than you might think.
• Alice’s new favorite Christmas song.
• Tony’s shopping for “vintage” fashion and trying not to spiral because it’s all from the 2000s.
• Here’s a gift link to a very Uncomfortable “Modern Love” column.
• Zoë is cooking mujadara from the great cookbook “Jerusalem”
• For the vegans at the cookie swap.
• This pie recipe is perfect for the season too.
• “Phoebe Reads A Mystery” is super cozy listening.
• A classic from GQ: “‘You’re My Present This Year’: An Oral History of the Folgers Incest Ad”
• With all due respect to the Muppets, the best version of “A Christmas Carol” is free to watch on YouTube.
• Your winter break vibe: Check out New York Times reporter Caity Weaver’s great holiday playlist.

Help us with an upcoming episode!

Do you have a money secret that’s too juicy not to share? Ever lie about your financial status to fit in? Do you have a sneaky trick so you don’t get stuck with the bill? Whatever your confession, no matter how small, we want to hear about it. Just fill out the form below.