What We Spend

Stephanie is a 61-year-old rideshare driver. She lives with a roommate in the same apartment complex where she grew up. She has little in savings and limited financial wiggle room, but she values the freedom of her work over the stability of a 9-to-5 job. We follow Stephanie as she tries to live by her motto: don’t live to work, work to live.

James is a bodybuilder. Even at the amateur level, staying competitive requires a significant financial investment, from supplements and trainers to gym memberships. We follow James as he works toward his goal of placing in a national competition and weighs the financial and physical risks of the sport.

We join Kathy for a week in theHamptons, in the second home she and her husband own. She knows how lucky she is to be in this position–but that's not always how it feels. The house has become a source of financial anxiety, stress, and regret. We follow Kathy as she reckons with the cost of the dream they worked so hard to achieve.

Amanda and her wife are going through IVF, a process that's taxing emotionally, physically, and financially. Their families come from different worlds, one blue-collar and one affluent, and they're responding in very different ways.

Charlie, a recent college grad, comes from a wealthy family—and he has complicated feelings about it. That's part of what drew him to a job in the Netherlands, which he hopes might offer a greater sense of equality, its stronger public services, and overall better “vibes” than the US. We follow Charlie through his first week in the workforce and see how it changes the way he thinks about money, privilege, and his own country.

Alyssa is a postal worker and her family’s primary breadwinner, so budgeting is serious business. Her magic spreadsheet is the key to making her salary stretch to meet the demands of her growing family, their tithing obligations, and ideally a little fun. And right now it’s more serious than ever: she’s on unpaid maternity leave.

Join Season 2 host Lloyd Lochridge as he follows Alyssa through a week in her life.

Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what they spend.

Sharing an episode of Giving Done Right, a podcast from the Center for Effective Philanthropy about how to make an impact with your charitable giving.

Shifts in federal policy and funding have profoundly impacted the nonprofit sector, and it has never been more urgent that donors act decisively and wisely. You’ll hear from experts across the social sector who shed light on the rapidly shifting landscape of need and the crucial, but complex, role of charitable giving in filling critical gaps. In this episode, Julie Butner, president and CEO of one of the largest food banks in the U.S., reveals that food bank clients are often working families who simply can't afford basic necessities. She explains how modern food banks have evolved far beyond emergency food distribution to address root causes through healthcare partnerships, nutrition education, and community gardens. The eye-opening conversation challenges common misconceptions about who needs food assistance and addresses debates about the roles of government and private philanthropy.

You can listen to more Giving Done Right at https://link.mgln.ai/whatwespend.

A few years ago, Alissa suffered the devastating loss of her husband. In the aftermath, she was left to navigate not just grief, but all the financial questions and decisions that came with his death —finding work, supporting four kids, and the emotional weight of figuring out how to use the money he left behind.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Charli is a filmmaker living in the Bible Belt. They’re on the brink of a big step in their relationship – moving in together and merging finances.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Jacob just graduated college in Wisconsin — but his degree in computer science might not mean what it used to. Now, he’s struggling to land a full-time job and questioning what comes next.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Mick owns a fireworks shop in Indiana. We'll follow him during the week leading up to July 4th — his busiest and most profitable time of year.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Scotty is a federal employee in Washington, D.C. He's made it through multiple rounds of DOGE layoffs, but the uncertainty has forced him to think more seriously about the future—and whether, even if he keeps his job, he can afford the life he wants.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Morgan works as a consultant, but her income is not the only thing making her life possible. She’s opening up about her financial privilege, her relationship to it, and why she thinks more people should do the same.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Mel is a touring musician based in Pennsylvania. But despite her many successes in the music industry, she still has to work odd jobs to fund her rock star dreams.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Eryka is a professor and a bartender in Pittsburgh, who is used to working a lot of jobs to support herself. But after years of working non-stop, Eryka is slowing down a little, and assessing what she wants her work to look like now.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Molly is a lawyer in Chicago, whose youngest kid is about to leave for college. As she prepares to be an empty nester, she’s thinking about selling her house and looking ahead to a whole new chapter.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Michelle is a copy writer in Australia, and she’s part of the FIRE movement—Financial Independence, Retire Early. After watching how her parents worked, she set out to take a different path—and retire by 35.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Last week we heard from Michael, a single dad of twins in Massachusetts. This week he’s leaving all the hidden fees and mishaps of the cruise and returning home—where it’s much harder to ignore the weight of his current financial situation.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Michael is a single dad of twins in Massachusetts. He’s overwhelmed by the costs of raising a family on a teacher’s salary, but this week he’s trying to escape it all—by going on a cruise.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Angela is a single mom raising 10 kids in Iowa. She manages a lively home, all while supporting her family with a career that isn’t guaranteed to be lucrative — writing novels.

If you want to learn more about the organization that supported Angela, Dress for Success, check out their website: https://dressforsuccess.org/

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Yuhas is leaving behind their career as a makeup artist to step into a new one—as a drag queen. Performing as CryBaby, they're about to make their full-time debut.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Last week, we spoke to Maxine—a long-haul trucker who works full-time, but still lost her home when she could no longer pay her rent. We wanted to know how that could happen. And it turns out, the problem is much bigger than we thought.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Maxine is a long-haul truck driver in North Carolina. She loves her job, but she doesn't make enough to pay her bills.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Victoria is a preschool teacher's assistant in New Jersey. She's struggling to make ends meet—and weighing whether to get her teaching license.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Olivia is an actress in New York City. She's in the last week of her Broadway show, and facing the uncertainty many actors face between gigs— unemployment.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you. Write us at [email protected]

Helena works remotely as a marketing director. This week, she's traveling—part of her new goal to stress less and enjoy her money.

If you want to be on What We Spend, we'd love to hear from you: write us at [email protected]