In this episode of Money Feels, we're kicking off season 10 by saying something that doesn't often get said out loud: the middle class might be the loneliest group in society. Not in a "cry me a river, it must be so hard to be comfortable" way. In a structural way. When we eradicated middle-class wealth, we also got rid of middle-class community.

Alyssa and Bridget break down who the middle class actually is in Canada, why so many people in it feel stuck between "too rich for a potluck" and "can't afford a private chef," and why there's no shared rule book for how to show up for each other.

This one is equal parts economics and feelings. Because small talk is what leads to big talk.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• How Statistics Canada defines the middle class
• What the K-shaped economy is
• Why a middle-class income doesn't buy the life it did 30, 40 or 50 years ago
• The gap between the "average Canadian"
• How lower-income communities survive through interdependence while wealthy families outsource everything, therapy included
• Why the middle class has no shared code for asking for help
• Self-actualization vs. status anxiety
• Whether "you don't owe anyone anything" is a personal value or a survival mechanism
• The neighbourhood coffee morning experiment, and why gratitude isn't the same as reciprocity
• Why building community starts with a low-stakes first move

Video mentioned: @lynn.allure on TikTok

Thanks for listening to another episode! If you want bonus episodes and more, you can join our Patreon! Until then, follow us on Instagram @mixedupmoney, @bridgiecasey and @moneyfeelspodcast, and we’ll see you next time!

In this episode of Money Feels, we break down the thing that makes most people's eyes glaze over: Canadian taxes. And actually make it make sense. Not just the numbers, but the feelings. The confusion, the resentment, the sneaking suspicion that you're being robbed. We're going there.

Alyssa and Bridget walk through every layer of the Canadian tax system, from federal income tax all the way down to the municipal mill rate, and tackle two of the most misunderstood — and politically charged — conversations happening in Canada right now: the myth that Canadians pay over 50% in taxes, and what Alberta separation would actually mean for your wallet.

This one is equal parts financial education and myth-busting. Because you deserve accurate information, not social media math.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• What a progressive tax system actually means
• The four layers of Canadian taxation: federal, provincial, municipal, and GST/HST
• Why CPP and EI deductions aren't money disappearing
• How Alberta compares to other provinces
• The truth behind the "Canadians pay over 50% in taxes" claim
• Why GST hits lower-income earners harder
• What Alberta separation would actually mean
• The credits and deductions most people leave on the table without realizing it
• How to look at your own pay stub and actually understand where every dollar is going

Thanks for listening to another episode! If you want bonus episodes and more, you can join our Patreon! Until then, follow us on Instagram @mixedupmoney, @bridgiecasey and @moneyfeelspodcast, and we’ll see you next time!

In this episode of Money Feels, we explore what AI actually is, and why it doesn't just change what technology can do… it can change how society functions, who holds power, and what the future of human work and life might look like.

Bridget sits down with Timo Ewalds, former Google DeepMind AI researcher and founder of Nexopia, to cut through the hype and fear around artificial intelligence.

This conversation goes far beyond "AI is coming for your job." It's about how artificial intelligence intersects with consciousness, ethics, economics, and the environment — and why understanding it matters whether you're a tech insider or just someone trying to make sense of the world changing around you.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• What AI actually is and why the definition matters more than most people think
• The difference between AI, AGI, and ASI, and where we actually are on that spectrum
• Why is sentience and consciousness so hard to define, even for researchers
• How AI capabilities are growing exponentially and why that pace is difficult to comprehend
• The societal implications of handing more decision-making power to machines
• Why AI benefits individuals and society in very different, sometimes conflicting, ways
• The environmental cost of data centers and AI infrastructure that rarely gets talked about
• How job displacement from AI could reshape entire economies
• Whether Universal Basic Income could be a realistic response to widespread automation
• Why even experts at the frontier of AI disagree about where it's all heading

Thanks for listening to another episode! If you want bonus episodes and more, you can join our Patreon! Until then, follow us on Instagram @mixedupmoney, @bridgiecasey and @moneyfeelspodcast, and we’ll see you next time!