The Reframe

Welcome to The Reframe, where we delve into how we can design life on our own terms. I’m Kathleen, a lawyer and soon-to-be early retiree, here to explore how minimalism, stoicism, and financial independence can help us build lives we love. Let’s hop off the hedonic treadmill, investigate all those scripts we’ve inherited, and finally discover what brings us joy.

Ep. 70 - Travel Hacking 101 - Earning, Part 5: Beyond the Points with Checking Account Bonuses and Cash Back Cards

Let's wrap this series on points and miles earning by going beyond points and miles. How to conjure up cash for non-points travel, with very little effort? Enter the checking and savings account bonus game. Tune in to learn how you can pay for your jungle zip lines, Rockies lift tickets, or Italian cooking classes just by opening a few checking accounts with new banks.Please reach out! Gmail is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is ⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠.

09-29
26:11

Ep. 69 - Travel Hacking 101 - Earning, Part 4: Earning Points on All Your Spending

Points earning goes well beyond swiping your card at a store. This week, we discuss how to earn points and miles for paying major expenses such as your mortgage or rent (yes, really!), insurance, taxes, college savings... and more!Please reach out! Gmail is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is ⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠.

09-22
45:50

Ep. 68 - Travel Hacking 101 - Earning, Part 3: The Power of Shopping Portals

Welcome back for Part 3 of our points earning series! Today we launch into shopping portals: what they are, how to use them, and how they can make the ordinary extraordinary by helping you earn boatloads of points on everyday purchases.Please reach out! Gmail is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is ⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠.

09-15
36:50

Ep. 67 - Travel Hacking 101 - Earning, Part 2: Earn Points With Category Multipliers

Tune in this week to learn how to earn big on major categories of spending using category multipliers. From groceries to dining, online retailers to travel, we cover it all.Please reach out! Gmail is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is ⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠.

09-08
37:11

Ep. 66 - Travel Hacking 101 - Earning, Part 1: Earn Points With Sign-Up Bonuses

Tune into the Part 1 in a 5 part series on the "earning" side of travel hacking. Today we explore seven key principles related to earning via sign-up bonuses.Please reach out! Gmail is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is ⁠Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast⁠.

09-01
45:24

Ep. 65 - A Personal Update: 100% Financially Independent; 80% to Early Retirement

For the first 64 episodes of this podcast, I've talked generally about FI and FIRE. In episode 65: here's the skinny on where we stand in this journey. From setting the date, to telling the employers, to All The Feels that went along with it -- this is the episode.Please reach out! I'm at thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, or (for now!) Minimal(ish)Mom on Instagram.

08-25
38:34

Ep. 64 - Can a Frugal or FIRE Lifestyle Be “Aesthetic?”

Let's put to rest the silly myth that a frugal or FIRE-focused lifestyle can't also be an aesthetically-pleasing one, filled with loads of lovely adventure! In this episode, we chat about both the earning and spending sides of the equation, with detailed discussion of seven principles for smart spending on your (aesthetically pleasing) path towards FIRE.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is -- for now -- Minimal(ish)Mom.

08-18
35:20

Ep. 63 - Is FIRE Ethical?

Hot takes, throw downs, you name it -- let's talk about whether FIRE (financial independence, retire early) is ethical. We'll explore angles from tax liability to promotion opportunities to parenting. Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is ⁠⁠thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com⁠, and Instagram is (at least for now) ⁠⁠Minimal(ish)_Mom⁠⁠.

08-12
17:39

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The Minimalish Mom Podcast is now The Reframe

All you want to know (and more?) about this re-naming, re-framing adventure!

08-05
04:28

Ep. 62 - Family Travel Lessons Learned: An Annual Debrief on What Worked and What Didn’t

From travel planning... to time in the sky... to on-the-ground family rhythms, today's episode shares our "lessons learned" (and sometimes, re-learned) from our recent trip to Greece, Malta, and France.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

08-04
49:15

Ep. 61 - Family Points and Miles Travel: Booking a Dream Trip for Five to Greece, Malta, and Paris!

Let's talk global points and miles adventuring for families, made easy. Points and miles travel doesn't require a George Costanza wallet fat with 40 active cards, and it doesn't mean you need to engage in Beautiful Mind-level calculations. In this episode, I share the details on booking a dream family trip to four destinations, requiring 25 airplane tickets and 45 hotel room nights... while keeping it easy breezy. And most importantly, we talk about how you can do the same, while maintaining your sanity.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

07-28
01:02:56

Ep. 60 - Fuel Your Happiness… And Save The Planet?

Let's chat about how we can step up our personal wellbeing game while also showing the Earth a little love! Today we dive into how we can "feed two birds with one scone" whether we're looking at travel, food, fashion... and even our digital devices.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

07-21
40:23

A Mea Culpa on Audio Quality... And A Promise That It's on the Upswing!

Man, I goofed on the last episide. But audio quality is getting better going forward! Thanks for your patience.

07-20
02:34

Ep. 59 - A Listener Money Story: Jennifer, a 31-Year-Old Scottish Veterinarian

This week, please join to hear listener Jennifer tell her money story! Jennifer's story started in Northern Scotland as the daughter of two parents with widely divergent approaches to money, and now as an early-30s veterinarian she's found her own solid financial footing.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

07-14
37:50

Ep. 58 - 45 Things I've Learned In My First 45 Years

Tune in to hear 45 lessons I've learned in my first 45 years, ranging from friendship to finances, marriage to style, work to parenting.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

07-07
19:13

Ep. 57 - The What, Why, and How of a Super Fun “Use It Up” Challenge

Let's talk philosophical "whys" and tactical "hows" of undertaking a challenge to Use It Up all throughout the house. Join for discussions of Granny Habits, jelly jar cocktails, and creative combos to help us use our things, rather than letting them go to waste.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

06-30
29:23

Ep. 56 - Tiny Home System Improvements with Big Payoff

Feeling frustrated with how your systems at home are working (or not working)? Let's talk about applying principles of minimalism to improve our home systems, starting with two questions: Can I remove something? Can I move something?Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

06-23
20:19

One Year of Podcasting!

One Year Podcast Anniversary! A big warm thank you, and a small request…

06-17
00:54

Ep.55 - Are You FI-Curious? Part 3: Doing the Deep Work of Finding Your “Enough”

Reaching FI moves from fantasy to reality as we define what our "enough" is. Join this week when we discuss how to find our own highly-personal versions of "enough," so that we can ditch fear-base or performative spending and enter the world of confident, joyful Financial IndependenceJoin in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimalish_Mom.

06-16
18:20

Ep. 54 - Are You FI-Curious? Part 2: Controlling Large Fixed Expenses, The Earlier The Better

In Part 2 of the "Are You FI-Curious" series, let's go ahead and anger the Fancy House People, the Private School People, and the Country Club People. Not really (or at least not intentionally?)... but we do walk through the true, full costs of these large, fixed expenses. And we analyze what it costs us in "life years" when we choose these luxury options over more modest -- but still totally awesome --alternatives.Join in, and please share your thoughts!  Email is theminimalishmompodcast@gmail.com, and Instagram is Minimal(ish)Mom.

06-09
30:43

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