A Thousand Natural Shocks With Gabe S. Dunn

Gaby plots her escape plan by talking to Malte Zeeck, founder of InterNations 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 bi...

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 Th...

What if the answer isn’t choosing where to live, but rather choosing to live nowhere? Gaby speaks to Rachel Wilson and Natalie Frizza, two members of Australia’s nomad community -- people who have chosen to live and raise kids in converted campers, vans and buses. Gaby explores what that daily life looks like, the cost of living and who tends to be able to experience that lifestyle. (Hint: White p...

Gaby invites a Tibetan Buddhist monk to be on his very first podcast! Gyaltsen Chopel discusses how Buddhism functions to deprioritize money altogether -- and his work as a caretaker who handles day-to-day expenses and donations made to a Buddhist temple in Los Angeles. It’s not the conversation you’d expect from a monk! Then, Gaby calls India to speak to assistant professor of Hindu Studies, Dhee...

In the Philippines, kids jump at midnight to get taller. In Romania, you should pay off all your debt to ensure good fortune in the New Year. Join Gaby as she digs into New Year’s Eve superstitions -- and money superstitions -- with Philippines based writer Katrina Escalona and Romanian studies lecturer Julieta Paulesc. Come on, it can’t hurt to be a little superstitious in 2020! We need all the l...

Did you get money as a gift this year? Bet you're not alone. In this episode, Gaby explores the deeper cultural significance behind gifting money during celebrations. First, she calls up her dad, Marc Dunn, to talk through some of their own family traditions. Like, why do the Jews give money in multiples of 18? Then, she speaks with Kole Ade Odutola, a Nigerian-born professor at the University...

Gaby explores work-life balance in The Netherlands, which has some of the world's shortest work hours, and in South Korea, which has some of the longest.  First, she speaks with expat Jovi Paredes about the emphasis on vacation and mental health resources in The Netherlands. Then she talks with LA Times Seoul correspondent Victoria Kim about the persistent boss-employee hierarchy and emphasis...

As the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, Gaby explores her extremely complicated feelings about Germany. In order to take a modern look the country and consider whether she could live there today, she speaks to Berlin-based journalist Jill Petzinger about the German preference for paying in cash and distaste for debt. Then she chats with American expat Dana Newman about coming to terms with Germ...

Gaby explores the places that always top the “Happiest Countries on Earth” lists. First, she chats with writer and friend Kate Jones, a queer Vietnamese comedian who lives in Switzerland about the country’s pros (high salaries, social safety nets, beautiful scenery) and cons (racism, homophobia). Then, Gaby calls up Helsinki Bloomberg News Bureau Chief Kati Pohjanpalo to talk about money and modes...

Before Gaby searches abroad for a new place to live, she first wants to understand the whys of currency. Specifically, the whys of an American coin she has a real problem with: The penny. Gaby deviates from her “no straight cis white men guests” rule to talk about hating the penny with New York Times reporter Binyamin Appelbaum. Then, she gets into the general inaccessibility of American money wit...

We’re back and this time, Bad With Money is going international! In season 5, we're breaking down what money means around the world! Meanwhile, Gaby seriously considers whether she wants to build a new life abroad. Would she be happier and less financially stressed living in another country? In this premiere episode, we dig into the meaning of money in the U.S. with sociologist Dr. Viviana Zel...

Gaby is back! Season 5 of Bad with Money returns November 20.  This time, we're looking at what money means in America and around the world. We'll get the real scoop from foreign correspondents and ordinary folks who've started their lives over in other countries.  Anyone else ready to have their mind blown? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Advertisi...

For the finale of Season 4, Gaby gets personal and explores the big changes of the last 3 years with help from her comedy partner Allison Raskin, her sister Cheyanne Dunn, her former producer Sam Dingman, and her parents Marc and Caryn. She gets their honest assessment of how she's doing...unpacks all sorts of family drama... and talks about what she'd do if she got really rich.  This epis...

Gaby talks to education superstar Zakiya Smith Ellis, a millennial who's also the Secretary of Higher Education for New Jersey. They talk about how college debt has gotten so out of hand...making community college free... the tricky things universities do to make students feel like they're getting a "deal" on tuition... and the freedom of giving up on a "dream school". Lear...

Gaby talks generational wealth and money management with Ramona Ortega, the founder of online money management tool "My Money My Future/ Mi Dinero Mi Futuro". They discuss specific money concerns of Latinx people, the difference between income and wealth, and facing money fears and taking action. This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter and Thirdlove. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Why aren't there any women on American paper money? Gaby talks to Barbara Ortiz Howard, the cofounder of the "Women on 20s" campaign, that successfully (or so we thought) lobbied the Treasury to replace slave trader Andrew Jackson with freedom fighter Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. They discuss Tubman's amazing life, the history of American currency, and the DIY options for gettin...

Gaby talks to journalist Santi Elijah Holley about his terrifying article in Topic Magazine, "The Hidden History of Holocaust Money." They discuss the little-known currency produced by the Nazi party for Jewish ghettos and death camps during WWII, how history echoes in the present day, and what it means to commit to "Never Again". This episode is sponsored by Podswag. Learn more ab...

Could you get by in the USA on $2 a day? Millions of people in the US are living that reality today. Gaby talks with Princeton University poverty researcher Kathryn Edin, co-author of $2 a Day: The Art of Living on Virtually Nothing in America. They discuss the end of cash welfare, debunking poverty myths, and what people are doing to survive. This episode is sponsored by Care/Of. For 25% off your...

Gaby talks to GetYourShitTogether.org founder Chanel Reynolds about the two things that scare people the most - money and death. Chanel was widowed in 2009 and was totally unprepared for what came next. She talks to Gaby about planning for the unexpected, and why keeping your head in the sand isn't the best approach. Chanel's new book is "What Matters Most: The Get Your Shit Together G...

This week Gaby explores the sickly U.S. health care system - the U.S., one of the only developed countries on the planet where you can easily go bankrupt from medical expenses! Democratic candidates for president are saying that it shouldn't be this way. Gaby talks to Kaiser Health News reporter Shefali Luthra to get the lowdown on the various proposals for universal health coverage - includin...

Joy Shan of The California Sunday Magazine talks to Gaby about her reporting on Generation Z, one year after the oldest Gen Z's entered the workforce. Joy is a young millennial, but found that there really are differences between her and Gen Z when it comes to work. The job landscape is shifting - part-time work is on the rise, well-paying entry-level jobs are on the decline, and the gig econo...

Gaby wades into the scary waters of investing with the help of the "Broke Millennial" - aka Erin Lowry. She talks about how to take the first step with investing, breaks down some of the tricky terminology, explores how to stick to your principles when investing your money, and explains why language really matters when it comes to investing... not SAVING... for retirement. Her new book is...

Gaby brings on a US Congressman to try and bridge the gap between Congresspeople and The People. Representative Mark Takano is a Democrat from Southern California and he talks about his report on the skyrocketing cost of rent, how Wall Street firms are getting rich by becoming landlords of single family homes, some of the ways that federal laws could be helping with housing costs and wage stagnati...

Vicki Robin is an OG financial guru and Gaby turns to her for financial and spiritual advice this week. How do you translate your life energy into money? How is your community a part of your financial wealth? Vicki's book "Your Money or Your Life" was a huge bestseller in the early 1990s, and was just revised and re-released in 2018. Vicki has been financially independent since the 197...

Why is it so easy to get into debt, and so hard to get out? Gaby talks to Marcus Garrett and Rich Jones, hosts of the podcast Paychecks and Balances, about their experiences with both making money AND getting out of debt. Marcus tells the story of a $26,000 weekend spending spree that took him seven years to pay off, and they both talk about what it means to be some of the only black men in the fi...