Before we dive into this month’s newsletter, I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who liked, commented, and shared last week’s post asking for more support here. And especially to those of you who upgraded your subscriptions. I consider The Mindful Consumer to be one part of my job, and I could not do this work without the financial support of this community. No matter how long you choose to stay for, I’m grateful for every dollar (or British pound) and the vote of confidence that comes with it. ❤️
Today’s newsletter is one I typically only send to paying subscribers. But with lots of new faces, I thought I’d send it to everyone, so you get an idea of who I am, what I do, and what I’m interested in right now!
Hi friend,
At the end of every month, I share a list of what I consumed, as well as what consumed my time and my thoughts (and maybe even my money). What topics was I engaged in? What was I obsessed with (/consumed by)? What was I exploring? What inspired me? And where did my curiosity lead me? These are some of the questions I ask myself, as I piece this together.
My hope is that it helps me reflect on what I have personally been paying attention to, gives you some insight into what’s on my mind (and how my mind works), and leaves you with a few ideas or new pieces of content to explore. It’s also just really fun to put together… and I love creating from a place of joy! I hope it feels joyful to read, too. (Even if the main topic is a little BIG.)
In this edition of CONSUMED:
The one financial task I completed this month (it was a surprise!)
Who I learned from (content on just one topic, in particular)
Which books I read (only two, but they were excellent)
What I ate (a few of the same things over and over again)
What I bought (more like: what I repaired, lol)
xx Cait
One financial task: Create a new budget (for the first time in years) ✅
At the start of 2024, I wrote a long list of financial tasks to complete. Some are regular life maintenance, and some came on the back of moving to the UK and deciding that I want to settle here. The list feels a bit overwhelming, so I’m trying to cross just one thing off each month. In April, I ended up doing 4-5 things!? But one of them took a little more time and thought than the others, as it’s something I hadn’t done in years: I created a budget. And not just a monthly budget, but an annual one, and one that considers some financial stuff I have in Canada, and another one for my income. Yep, it’s a multi-spreadsheet kind of budget!
This task wasn’t on my list, at the start of the year… but was something I ended up thinking about while we were doing Explore Money in Feb/March. What was interesting is that the numbers added up to exactly what I had estimated (I do look at my numbers daily, and know them well). But the new budget did something different for me: it helped me see a bunch of bills I could probably try to lower/change/cancel this year. Basically, it gave me more things to add to the list! But then I did some of them! I lowered my internet bill. And I got quotes for a cheaper contents insurance policy, which is up for renewal next month.
Two other financial tasks I crossed off the list:
✅ Setup my business income so I get paid on the same day each month (was moving money around manually before)
✅ Opened a cash ISA to start saving for my visa renewal application fees in 2026 (could be upwards of £6,000 or more)
➡️ May’s financial task: I feel like I’ve crossed a lot of things off the list already this year… right now, I just want to revisit my list and see what’s left/what I might add to it. So May = make a new list and plan for summer!
CONSUMED // April 2024
Ok, I’m going to format this edition of CONSUMED a little differently… because I consumed things (in particular: content) a little differently this month. Instead of just checking in on some of my favourite creators and enjoying content on many topics, I was focused on one topic and started to go deep with it.
So instead of doing a breakdown of what I read, watched, listened to, etc. I’m going to share everything in one list. And the topic I was focused on? AI.
Something I’ve noticed in myself, over the past many months, is that I’ve been avoiding this topic like it was COVID. I have some moral issues with AI (knowing my first book was stolen to train it), didn’t want to know anything about it, and didn’t think I would need to know. Whenever I saw someone write about it, I just skipped past the headline and moved on. But I don’t think I can do that anymore. And, I don’t want to either. I want to know more about these tools and how they are being used and ways they might change our lives—now and in the future. I also think there’s a lot to learn about things we are avoiding.
I’m starting to form some of my own opinions and beliefs, as a result… but this self-education will take time. For now, I’d just like to share some of the content I’ve been learning from…
Who I learned from
First, I was already a huge fan of The Ezra Klein Show1. But he just happened to do a three-part series on AI recently, so I started there and was not disappointed. Well, the third episode didn’t really do anything for me (felt like the guest was just doing a sales pitch). But if you’re interested in a mix of practical and philosophical discussion on this topic, the first two served it up:
How should I be using AI right now? - this episode didn’t make me want to use AI, but I felt like I got more of an understanding of which tools are available and how people are using them
Will AI break the internet? Or save it? - I’m fascinated by the decline of the internet. And, I’ve never heard someone talk about it so openly, the way his guest Nilay Patel does in this episode. Lots of food for thought, after this one. I’ll probably listen to it again…
After listening to that episode, I searched for Nilay Patel’s podcast, Decoder… and it’s safe to say, it’s my current favourite. It’s all about tech. So if that doesn’t interest you, you can skip past these ones. Personally, I don’t really care about tech… but I care about communication, and the tools we use to communicate, and how they shape us/our work/our relationships. Anyway, a few eps I’ve enjoyed:
Casey Newton on surviving the great media collapse and what comes next - fair warning, both Casey and Nilay are pretty anti-Substack. And, this was a good discussion for writers/journalists
Jason Citron makes the case for a smaller internet - I don’t necessarily agree with everything that was said here, but I certainly understand the appeal of small/safe communities online right now
Why the TikTok ban won’t solve the US’s online privacy problems - I’ve never used TikTok, but enjoyed learning more about it/this ban—and why it doesn’t mean much for creators (yet)
And Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet - I watched this one, and learned a bit more about his own understandings and beliefs. This could actually be a great intro (very much just an intro) for anyone who is curious about AI, possible government regulation, etc.
And I haven’t listened to any of Brene Brown’s podcasts in ages, but she also just did a five-part series on something she’s calling “living beyond human scale”—which, I’m guessing, will be the subject of her next book. Basically, having access to too much at all times—and the impact it might be having on us (it would be a very timely book, I hope that’s what she’s working on!). I listened to all five episodes, but liked these two in particular:
Dr. William Brady on social media, moral outrage, and polarization - the title doesn’t do this episode justice. SO much food for thought on who we follow online and why, what we share and why, etc.
Futurist Amy Webb on what’s coming (and what’s here) - probably my favourite listen of the month. I was HOOKED from the very beginning, and will absolutely listen to this again!
After that one, I watched Amy Webb’s 2024 emerging tech trend reports—which is a talk she gives at SXSW every year. Her concept of the “Great Transition” is really interesting.
And now, I’m starting to go through all the “old” episodes Ezra Klein has done on AI (starting back in June 2021)…
Which books I read
With all of those podcasts, it wasn’t a huge book month for me. I finished and reviewed I SURVIVED CAPITALISM… by Madeline Pendleton. There are still a few more days for paying subscribers to enter the giveaway for that one!
I also read BAD CREE by Jessica Johns. A++ to everyone who recommended it!
📖 Confession: I barely started April’s personal finance book, so will be moving that over to May. If you want to join me, I’m reading WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT MONEY by Otegha Uwagba.
I’ll also quietly be reading an advanced copy of YOU DON’T NEED A BUDGET by our friend
! But I can’t/won’t write a proper review for that until December, when it comes out. 🥳What I ate
For dinners: I tried this chicken and chorizo rice dish and loved it. And I made this slow cooker chili macaroni twice. Wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe, but I do add jalapenos/other peppers for a little heat!
For my sweet tooth: I am completely obsessed with dates filled with peanut butter and a sprinkle of coconut. I do not have a recipe, but the internet has plenty. I just slice a couple dates open, take out the pits, add maybe a teaspoon of PB to each one, then sprinkle over some coconut… AND ENJOY.
What I bought
I was hit with a nearly £700 bill for some car work this month. I want this car to last 1-2 more years, if possible, so it was worth doing and paying for. And, it meant I didn’t have any extra money this month.
The one thing I did buy was a new pair of running shoes, to replace my old ones. My knees and calves thanked me immediately, and the pain of “omg you you need to get new shoes” magically disappeared.
And, I picked up a bag of hedgehog food, which will now need to be purchased every 3-4 weeks… because THE HEDGIES HAVE FINALLY COME OUT OF HIBERNATION! Happy New Year, Hedgies! 🦔🥳
What topics were you interested in/consumed by this month, friend? What is the best thing you bought for yourself in April?
And who have you learned about AI from? I’d take any content recos!
Past editions of CONSUMED
I link to Apple Podcasts for his stuff, because the NYT links don’t always work without a subscription. Whatever podcast app you use, you can just search for the titles of these episodes!
Would you let me build a plan that optimizes your living standard, and write about it? Then you can measure your new budget. Great opportunity for our subscribers!
Omg you weren't kidding about the podcast list, wow! I'm starting on it right now, thanks for the recs :-)