Rima Grace

I want to know what sorts of things are keeping you up at night.

What's on your mind?

What are your money wins or the parts of your finances or the economy that don't quite make sense?

You can always call us and leave us a voice message at 347-RING-TIU.

Something that's been on my mind lately is just how precarious the economy feels, even when the numbers don't always reflect that.

So many people are struggling to cover the basics.

And even if your finances technically work on paper, the ground beneath you doesn't always feel solid.

You're bracing for your next rent increase or for your health care insurance to get more expensive or for one medical problem to upend your finances.

I'm someone who tends to feel anxious that everything could tip over at any moment.

Even when I was a kid, that's where my brain went.

I remember being like eight years old and always asking my dad the same question.

I needed to know how much money he made.

My dad was a nurse anesthetist, and I could not understand how his salary alone was enough for a family of five.

He never told me, but I think I just wanted to grab onto a number, onto something.

And I still do this sometimes.

Like, I'll catch myself thinking, maybe if I make this much, then I can finally stop worrying.

Maybe that will be enough.

I'm Rima Jerez, and welcome to This is Uncomfortable.

We're introducing some new things on the show, including what we call this week's question, where I pose a question about our relationship with money, you know, the kind we quietly ask to ourselves, and just sit with it for a bit.

Lately, I've noticed how often people around me are asking some version of this question.