Culture shapes so much of how we think, and American culture is obsessed with money. If we aren’t careful, our bank accounts can easily become intertwined with our self-worth, turning financial accumulation into the core focus of our daily lives.

But when we decouple what we earn and spend from our inherent value as human beings, money stops being this relentless scorekeeper. In that space of freedom, we get to define on our own terms what a happy, successful life actually looks like.

Is it impossible to fully de-center money while living in a capitalist society? Probably, but we’re trying anyway! On today’s episode, writer Tess Waltenburg Akenhead helps us explore what it looks like to de-center our finances from our identity, our self-worth, and our daily decisions.

Here's a preview:

- Why trading finite energy for a paycheck often leaves us so depleted that we end up spending money on convenience and consumer pick-me-ups just to recover

- How reducing money to a neutral utility tool rather than using it as a yardstick for human worth opens up mental capacity, presence, and peace

- Why paying extra to outsource daily friction doesn't always buy back free time (and how to evaluate whether service expenditures genuinely enhance your life or just create more bills to pay)

- The ways in which intentional living is about owning your choices, honoring small non-monetized moments, and treating yourself with self-kindness along the way

Resources mentioned:

• Tess on Instagram
• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com

Modern conveniences make life easy. But has living become too easy? Convenience culture has made us vulnerable, and outsourcing our basic needs has cost us our independence and problem-solving skills.

The remedy to modern restlessness is working with your hands. Whether you live on sprawling acreage or a tiny apartment, you can take back your agency from the corporations profiting off our desire for ease. Learning new skills rewires your brain for better focus; it builds confidence and builds resilience through real-world problem-solving, too.

On today’s show, homesteader Sandy Eplett encourages you to take steps today to move from passive consumer to active participant in your own life.

Here’s a preview:

[4:00] The hidden fragility of modern convenience

[8:00] The logistics behind learning one new skill a month or one new skill a year

[13:00] OK, but where do we find the knowledgeable grandmas?

[18:00] On the immense joys to be had in “bucking the system”

Resources mentioned:

• The Homestead Event
• Next Book Club! Nov. 4 7:30pm EST Book: TRASH! A Garbageman's Story

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com

In our fast-paced, convenience-driven world, we’ve made our waste invisible. But 'out of sight' isn't out of existence, and our wastefulness is creating big problems for future generations.

True self-awareness starts with taking responsibility for what we throw away. On today's show, author Cassandra Marketos joins us to reframe composting from a messy chore into an easy-as-pie, grounding antidote to instant gratification that teaches us slowness, observation, and presence.

Here's a preview:

[5:00] Nature wants to decompose, no expensive gadgets or insane time commitments required!

[11:00] Composting is "soul-opening". Here's how

[16:00] You literally can't get composting wrong! Browns, greens and other tips to get started

[29:00] Troubleshooting Stephanie's backyard compost pile

[33:00] Ready to level up? Here's how to supercharge your composting habit

Resources mentioned:

• Compost After Reading: A Practical Manifesto for Purposeful Decomposition (via bookshop.org)
• The Rot (via Substack)
• Next Book Club! Nov. 4 7:30pm EST Book: TRASH! A Garbageman's Story

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com