Bad With Money

After YEARS of only getting snippets of listeners’ stories on social media, Gaby finally calls up a few members of her Bad with Money family. Is it worth saving your money to move abroad? How much would you sacrifice to leave the U.S.? We hear experiences from three listeners: Madeline Christensen from Texas, Madison Walsh from Kansas and Gabriela Marrero from Pennsylvania.    Madeline has her mind set on fleeing to Europe, Madison refuses to settle anywhere, bouncing from country to country and Gabriela moved abroad, but returned to America with a powerful sense that she needed to be present to help change her country for the better. Bad with Money family… Let's chat! Gaby needs your advice!

Gaby contemplates what it’s like to live in Paris, a place most tourists would call “romantic as heck.” Why is Paris such a hub for love and how much would it cost for Gaby to take her partner Mal Blum there on a date? First, Gaby talks to Chris O’Brien, a journalist living in France, who happens to share a name with her ex-boyfriend. (Yikes!) And then she lays out a date night plan for her beloved Mal. Would they like to visit or even live with Gaby in France? Happy Valentine’s Day, deadbeats!

What’s it like to travel and live outside the U.S. when you're at high risk for harassment? Gaby talks with queer travel writer Meg Ten Eyck about what should you invest in for safety and what information you need to know before you move or even visit a new country as someone that is queer, gender non-conforming or another member of the LGBTQ community. Plus, find out why countries should be marketing to LGBTQ tourists. Then, we talk to Timothy Anderson, a black teacher from Tennessee, who moved to Japan and regularly finds himself sticking out like a sore thumb. What’s it like to live in a country where you’re one of very few black people? CONTENT WARNINGS: homophobia, racism and sexism

Gaby plots her escape plan by talking to Malte Zeeck, founder of and a German-born expert on expat communities, about the costs of moving abroad and how to find the right place for you. Then, she hears first-hand from Danielle Roberge, an American who moved to Spain and found that lower salaries were a fair trade off for better work-life balance and social safety nets. What are the biggest factors to consider before moving abroad? How much might it cost and what steps do you need to take? Let’s find out!

Gaby explores the lack of money taboos in Chinese culture with TV writer Jessica Gao. Gao, who was born in China, explains the ways her mother shares every last detail of how much Jessica is making. Why are people so open about how much things cost, how much they’re earning and how much they LOVE money in Chinese culture? Then, Gaby welcomes back Andrew Ti, friend of the podcast and "Yo! Is This Racist?" co-host, to talk about the differences between Chinese and Chinese-American wealth displays. Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Here, have a red envelope of cash!