Cough syrup, sports documentaries, and The Purse
The January 2024 edition of CONSUMED
I hope you’re enjoying The Mindful Consumer. This is a newsletter about paying attention to what you are paying attention to—and how it impacts your mindset, your mental health, and your money.
TMC is 1/3 of my job—and I treat it as such. I’m always trying to be a mindful creator, and put a lot of time and thought into everything I share with you. And I could not do this work without the financial support of this community.
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Hi friend,
You may or may not have noticed but I quietly changed the name of this space, at the start of the year. After giving myself some grace around the fact that, of course, it would take time to come back to my writing and figure out what I want to do after a long hiatus… and realizing I wanted personal finance to be a main focus again… the new name became obvious: The Mindful Consumer. It’s a phrase I started using while doing the shopping ban (outlined in my first book, THE YEAR OF LESS). I realized I had once been a binge consumer of most things (incl. alcohol, food, TV.). I wanted to be more mindful about how I consumed everything. That’s how I’ve been trying to live ever since.
It will never cease to amaze me how one simple shift can create so much space and possibility within a project. Somehow, everything feels easier and more exciting. I feel like myself as a creator again. I have ideas for new things I want to do here in 2024, including new ways you might contribute. First, I thought it would be fun to launch a new monthly newsletter.
I’m calling it CONSUMED.
At the end of every month, I will 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!
In this edition of CONSUMED:
The one financial task I completed this month (UK taxes)
What I watched (oh wow, sports docs)
What I read (meh books + one great Substack)
What I listened to (largely podcasts)
What I ate/drank (and baked for others!)
What I bought (and what I returned lol)
Enjoy!
xx Cait
One financial task: File/pay my UK taxes ✅
While tax season has just begun in North America, it’s winding down here in the UK. The deadline to file/pay your taxes here is January 31st, so I knew it would be the one financial task I’d cross off the list this month—and I did!
This was my first time filing taxes in the UK. I’ve lived here for two years, but with the way the tax year works (and the date I moved over), I didn’t have to file anything for the first 80-something days I was here (the 2021/22 tax season). I just filed my 2022/23 taxes… and I learned a lot.
There are many things I like about how money works in the UK, and there are things that feel complicated. The tax year is one of them. In North America, the tax year for individual taxpayers1 aligns with the calendar year. So, your income and taxes are calculated on your numbers from Jan 1—Dec 31.
In the UK, the tax year follows the government’s fiscal year, which is April 6—April 5 (and then the deadline to file/pay isn’t until Jan 31 of the following year). This might not be confusing for Brits (and for a couple different reasons, which I’ll say more on below), but it feels complicated when you are an expat and you also have to file and pay taxes in your home country—and include information like how much you’ve earned + how much tax you’ve paid in the UK—and the dates for your fiscal years don’t match. I’ve known this was going to happen, since first speaking with an accountant here in 2022… so I just stay on top of my bookkeeping, and use software that allows me to create custom financial reports. I won’t go on and on about this, but let’s just say: it would feel a lot easier and cleaner if our two countries just had the same tax years!
Now, the next thing I share might blow some people’s minds. One of the reasons most people probably don’t overthink the tax year here is because many Brits don’t have to file their own taxes. In the UK, if you are employed (aka not self-employed), all of this is handled by your employer. I’m guessing this is why the UK government calls filing your own tax return a “self assessment.” There is a short list of reasons you would have to file taxes yourself. My reason is at the top: I’m self-employed and earn more than £1,000/year. But there are people I know here who might never have to file taxes in their life. This is not the reality for people in North America who have to file every single year until the day we die—and then our families have to file for us, for 1-2 more years after. (NA friends: can you even imagine never having to do taxes again!?)
While the tax year itself feels complicated, one thing I LOVE over here is that you file your taxes directly through the government website—for free. (Unless you decide to hire an accountant or tax service provider, of course!) To date, this isn’t an option in Canada, and it’s something that’s just starting to be trialed in a few states in the US. We’re more accustomed to using (and sometimes paying to use) third-party tax software. The UK system isn’t perfect, and some parts of the user experience on the HMRC2 website feel clunky. But being able to file directly with the government takes out the middle man, which feels simpler and smart.
Being an expat, you might think all of this would feel overwhelming and I would hire someone to do my taxes… but I opted to do it myself. I’ve always done my own taxes, and wanted to learn as much as I could about how the system works here. So, I resourced myself! I connected with an accountant last year, and he answered a lot of my questions for free (thank you, Raj!). I watched a ton of videos on HMRC’s YouTube channel. I also attended some free HMRC webinars (which were boring AF, but included an ongoing Q&A in the chat, which is where I got a few more questions answered). I may have done it all correctly or may have made a mistake! And I’m not sure if I’ll keep doing it myself or hire someone in the future. But I felt confident when I submitted, and learned a lot by going through this process.
And, as always, I’m happy to have another tax season behind me! (Until I do my Canadian taxes in March, that is… 😂)
➡️ February’s one financial task: renew my Canadian passport. This might not sound like a financial task, but it’s going to cost me $260 CAD (£152/$193 USD) plus the cost of photos + shipping. I’m also feeling some anxiety about shipping my passport away, and being in another country without it. But… this is part of my life now!
CONSUMED // January 2024
What I watched
I was sick for the first 3 weeks of the year. I tend not to read/listen to much when I’m sick, but watch a lot more content instead. I love sports documentaries, and find inspiration in athletes who dedicate themselves to their sport. This month, I was almost obsessed with (consumed by!?) this theme and watched:
PERFECT (documentary about the Canadian synchro swimming team)
THE PLAYBOOK (miniseries about famous coaches and their rules/methods for success)
THE REDEEM TEAM* (documentary about the 2018 US men’s Olympic basketball team)
THE WALL: CLIMB FOR GOLD (documentary about female climbers attempting to compete in the Tokyo Olympics)
UNDER PRESSURE (miniseries about the US women’s soccer team)
…and I even rewatched THE LAST DANCE* (miniseries on Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls, and the 1997/98 season). It’s one of my faves, both for the storytelling and the nostalgia. If you really know me, you know I lived in my Pippen and Rodman jerseys from 1997—1999!
*The clips of Kobe Bryant in both of these feel extra special to watch now too.
What I read
I only finished one book this month (THE WILD ROBOT ESCAPES, middle grade) and actually quit two (the third in THE WILD ROBOT series + one I had started before the holidays). I also started the first UK personal finance book I’m going to review. Overall, it wasn’t a good book month.
But do you know what felt really fun to read this month? Substack. One in particular. After
let me know that was on here, I scrolled back to the beginning and read every single post she’s published so far. It’s been A LONG TIME since I’ve done that, friend… and omg, it felt good. It also makes sense that I would devour her content, knowing where I’m at in my life and work right now. Lindsey is the founding editor of Money Diaries on Refinery29. She has since moved on and worked for other companies. Now, she’s a freelance editor and has started a Substack called . I haven’t owned a physical purse since I did the shopping ban in 2014/15, but that didn’t stop me from diving into her content. Lindsey writes about her thoughts on money, her money, and other people’s money now too. Give it a read. You could start with this recent post, to get a sense of her plans. Or you can read the first in her new Home Economics series (Money Diaries 2.0). Personally, I really enjoyed this post. 🤓📖 If you’re curious and perhaps want to join me, in February I’ll be reading: WHAT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU ABOUT MONEY—a UK personal finance book written by Claer Barrett, consumer editor at the Financial Times and host of the podcast Money Clinic.
What I listened to
My friend Shannon told me about the podcast If Books Could Kill. They ripped apart RICH DAD POOR DAD… and wow, I haven’t laughed that hard in a while. This is the book review to remind you to never read this book.
With my own personal finance book review project in mind, I enjoyed listening to this episode of The Ezra Klein Show on deep reading.
I plan on reading both Paco de Leon’s + Madeline Pendleton’s books this year, so this conversation felt like a great primer to their individual work.
I’ve listened to every episode of Money Clinic published since January 2023, but this one finally answered the exact question I’ve been sitting with.
She feels like a private person/someone who doesn’t do a lot of interviews, so I really enjoyed listening to Ann Patchett talk about her creative process.
This conversation between Elizabeth Day and Dan Levy (Canadian) felt like a little treat.
And
joined Substack. I didn’t read his first post. I listened.
What I ate/drank
When I was really sick, I went to see a doctor and found out I had viral tonsillitis (meaning: antibiotics wouldn’t help). But he told me manuka honey over 40 mgo acts as a natural antiviral. I took his word for it and had a few teaspoons every day for a week or two—on its own, in my coffee, and in fresh mint tea. 🍯
I bought a slow cooker last year, and have been using it to do batch cooking almost every Monday since. One new recipe I tried: creamy lasagna soup. (Swapped lasagna sheets for conchiglie/shell noodles, cut the provolone and prosciutto, and used coconut milk where listed.) THE FLAVOUR! 🤤
Tall Man and I cooked a big Mexican feast for two other couples we are friends with. This was such a treat. It’s difficult to find good Mexican food in the UK, but especially up in the north, so it’s probably best to make it yourself. We bought a few ingredients from MexGrocer, which made it even better! 🌮
And I only got to sample 1, but I baked 40+ cookies for a birthday this month. I use this recipe for gluten-free sugar cookies (you can’t tell the difference) and this recipe for the royal icing. 👩🏼🍳
What I bought
Cough syrup, cough drops, antiseptic spray for my throat, painkillers, and the manuka honey. Somehow, I spent nearly £40 on all of this stuff. I’m so glad and grateful that’s finally behind me!
While tagging along on a quick trip to IKEA: I bought two vanilla candles + a storage box to organize all the random bits in the trunk of my car. The storage box feels like the best purchase of the month. It really is the simple things, my friend!
There’s a hole in my hiking boots (making wet/winter walks slightly less fun), so I’m in the market for new ones. I bought a pair from a new company and wore them around the house, but they weren’t comfortable so I returned them. The search continues… slowly, because I don’t like shopping. (Honestly, I might just give up and buy new ones in the fall, lol.)
What topics were you interested in/consumed by this month? What piece of content did you love and want to share with everyone? And what was the best purchase you made in January?
It also feels confusing as someone who runs a business and would normally think in terms of Q1, Q2, etc. all aligning with the calendar year. And who would say she earns X amount in a calendar year. Am I supposed to re-think all of that in terms of the UK fiscal year!? It’s too much!
HMRC = His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs. Like the CRA in Canada and the IRS in the US.
The UK financial year is so confusing! Making it even more confusing, big businesses here often run their finances according to calendar years, so Q1-4 etc are as you might expect. I’m going back to uni this September, so I’m having to hold the academic year, tax year, and calendar year in my head for all the various financial and task planning I’m doing.
Hi Cait,
This past month I bought / read / listened to free (or almost free, like $0.99 for example) e-books / audio books from Amazon for my kindle. Note that I personally don't wish to use the Kindle Unlimited service for my free books because then you are committed to a regular monthly subscription cost charged to your credit card.
That said, you may still wish to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited so as to be able to get a specific number of free monthly purchases with a subscription cost. Also note that with a Kindle Unlimited subscription you are then able to access practically anything for free without having to search for "free e-books or audio books". Here is what Google says about using Kindle Unlimited:
"Kindle Unlimited is a way to borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines. There's no due date for books borrowed, so while you are a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read and hold onto up to 20 Kindle Unlimited titles at a time until you return them."
I log into amazon.ca (since I'm Canadian) and in the top Amazon search bar I enter "free ebooks on kindle" or "free audio books on kindle". Of course one can refine the search criteria even further by adding a word such as "romance", "financial", etc to the end of the search criteria that you type. Easy peasy and mostly costs me nothing.
So for folks from the US you would log in to amazon.com and for folks from the UK you would log in to amazon.co.uk