Lis and Lisa tackle the mother of all questions: where do we actually want to live when the suburban dream is eating us alive? From German coffin-factory conversions to underground Coober Pedy bunkers, the Vergens explore alternative living that doesn't require selling your soul to the mortgage gods. Plus: mud brick masterclasses, accidental cult formation, and why this conversation escalates from "cute tiny houses" to "apocalypse prep" real quick.

Key Points Discussed

The Housing Crisis is Broken

• One-family-per-dwelling model is expensive and exhausting
• Time to rethink how we live before we're forced to

Alternative Living Inspo

• European co-housing converting old factories, schools, and coffin factories (yes, really)
• Communal spaces for shared resources and skills
• Aussie eco-villages and land co-ownership models (mostly bush-based)
• Tiny house villages everywhere except Australia

The Big Questions

• Community living vs. needing your own space
• Urban vs. rural when things get dicey
• How to avoid accidentally joining a cult while seeking community

Climate Reality Check

• Coastal properties won't be livable soon
• Gippsland, South Coast NSW, and Tasmania looking good
• Three to five years until major system shifts
• Time to learn practical skills like mud brick building

The Vergen Cult Initiative

• Tasmania HQ coming soon™
• CEO already identified (she's a lawyer, we're legit)
• Recruitment perks: caps and community (no actual tithing required)

Links & Resources

• Tomorrow When the War Began - required camping reading
• Earthship Biotecture - radical sustainable housing
• Website: theverge.life
• Instagram: @thevergelife

Got alternative living dreams or apocalypse plans? DM us. We're collecting names for that Tassie property.

In possibly the most unexpected plot twist in Verge history, Lisa casually announces she's been learning to shoot. Yes, you read that right. Our self-proclaimed non-violent, walk-away-loving host has discovered she has a damn good eye for an air rifle, and she's not mad about it. From accidentally loving target practice to navigating Australia's (thankfully) strict gun laws, Lisa takes us through her journey from suburban soccer mum to certified firearm safety graduate. Spoiler: there are A LOT of dick jokes at gun safety school, and absolutely no one else was laughing.

Key Points Discussed

• The Great Gun Reveal: How an ex-partner's "quirky hobby" led to Lisa discovering her hidden marksmanship skills (and why she's keeping it as a potential zombie apocalypse/self-sufficient living skill)
• Legally Blonde Goes to Gun School: Lisa's hilariously awkward three-hour firearm safety course where she was the only one not wearing camo, took eight pages of notes, and definitely didn't fit in with the pig-hunting enthusiasts
• Everything's A Penis: The unintentional comedy of gun terminology (shafts, cocks, butts, and loads) that had Lisa internally dying while everyone else stayed deadly serious
• Australia's Gun Laws FTW: Why we should all be grateful for bolted steel safes, double locks, random police checks, and the fact you can't just Amazon Prime a firearm
• To Gun or Not to Gun: Lisa weighs up whether to go full license and gun ownership, or just keep it as a "fun weekend at the range" skill (her kids are voting hard no on house guns)
• The Verge Philosophy: If I wanted to, could I? Because skilling up isn't just about the end times, it's about that dream of ditching it all for yurt life. And who knows, we might need a gun for that.

Links & Resources

• Visit us at theverge.life
• Follow us on Instagram: @thevergelife

Could YOU shoot a zombie if you had to? Asking for a Vergen friend.

TL;DR: Lis is moving into a new life stage. selling the house, and staring down a mountain of stuff that may or may not include six flutes and skinny jeans from 2005. Lisa tries (and fails) to convince her that nobody needs that many flutes.

Spoiler: they're all staying.

What Went Down:

Lis is officially entering her Version 63.4 era - which means separating from her husband, moving house, and facing the ultimate question: Am I a minimalist who lives in a city apartment, or do I need a rural shed for all my weird shit?

We dive deep into the emotional minefield of decluttering. From punch bowls to Princess Diana porcelain dolls, from accordion pianos to unplayable ancestral flutes - nothing is safe. Except maybe the flutes. They're definitely staying.

Plus: why we call each other "babes" (hint: it's ironic), the Marie Kondo method neither of us will ever use, and Lisa's revelation that anything in the freezer is dead to her forever.

Key Vergen Takeaways:

🔹 The Origin of "Babes" – We're taking the piss out of 2013 online business culture. It stuck. We're stuck with it.

🔹 Hoarder vs Minimalist Poll Results – 2/3 minimalists, 1/3 collectors. Lis is shook (and outnumbered).

🔹 The "Light vs Heavy" Method – Lisa's financial advisor's genius hack: make a list of what feels light vs heavy in your life. Dump the heavy stuff. Revolutionary. Also terrifying.

🔹 Kids Don't Need ALL Their Artwork – Lisa said it. Not every finger painting is a masterpiece. The children will survive.

🔹 Relationships > Stuff – When everything else could literally burn down, people are what matter. (But also maybe keep the accordion.)

🔹 Legacy Goals Shift – From "I want them to remember my weird stuff" to "I want them to remember I was fun, I laughed a lot, and I taught them random skills like welding."

🔹 The Shed vs City Apartment Dilemma – Spoiler: Lis needs the shed.

🔹 Timeline: 4 Weeks – Lis has ONE MONTH to sort her entire life. Send thoughts, prayers, and moving boxes.

Referenced (But Not Linked Because They Don't Deserve It):

• Marie Kondo's "spark joy" method (which neither of us has time for)
• Marie Forleo's Brisbane dance party energy (we're still recovering)
• That whole 2013 "boss babe" era (ick)

Connect With Us:

🌐 Website: theverge.life
📱 Instagram: @thevergelife (come help Lis decide what stays and what goes)

Next Episode: Lisa’s very (VERY!) random new skill

Stay messy, Vergens. 💛

This week on Women on the Verge: Lisa tackles the DIY project that's been haunting her for YEARS - installing a key lockbox after approximately one million lockouts. What starts as a simple solution spirals into drilling brick, phoning friends with actual upper body strength, and confronting the harsh reality that teenage boys are now stronger than us.

From ADHD quirks and expensive Uber trips for spare keys, to discovering the hot handymen of Abbotsford Bunnings, this episode is part home improvement tutorial, part existential crisis about getting old and weak. Spoiler: The lockbox is up, the combination is not set and we're both getting kettlebells. Maybe.

TL;DR: Lisa drilled some holes, solved her key crisis, and we're all getting ripped now. Obviously.

KEY POINTS DISCUSSED

The Great Key Lockout of 2025

• ALL spare keys AND actual keys locked inside at once = $100+ Uber from parents an hour away… and tears.
• Why Lisa finally installed a wall-mounted combination lockbox - thanks Whataspp group
• The combination number *might* be 6969

Drilling Into Brick: Reality Check

• Wall plugs are essential (screws don't just go into brick, Vergens)
• Drilling into brick requires actual muscle - Lisa had to phone a friend
• Lis and Lisa realise they're concerningly weak and need to get ripped
• Perimenopause strength chat: cottage cheese, degenerated discs, and kettlebells that never move

Critical Intel

• Hot handymen hang out at Abbotsford Bunnings on weekdays
• Take your drill bits INTO the store and ask for help sizing them
• Being the only adult in the house at night is nerve-wracking (Lis is known to lock herself in her bedroom)

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

Products Mentioned:

• Wall-mounted combination key lockbox (Amazon—we hate you but also thanks)
• Wall plugs (available at your local Bunnings)

Skills You'll Need:

• How to drill into brick (requires: drill, correct drill bit, wall plugs, and someone with actual upper body strength)
• How to change a combination lock code (Lisa will Google this. Eventually.)

Places Referenced:

• Abbotsford Bunnings, Melbourne (hot handyman headquarters)
• Any Bunnings (for all your DIY therapy needs)

THE VERGE TAKEAWAY

Skills are one thing. Strength is another. We need both. And also community. Because no woman is an island, especially when she's trying to drill into brick at 45.

Next Episode: We'll either have six-packs or more cottage cheese opinions. Probably both.

Got a DIY disaster or a skill you're scared to tackle? Message us! We'd love to fumble through it together.

Connect with Women on the Verge: 🌐 theverge.life 📱 Follow us on Instagram @womenontheverge

Remember Vergens: You're not losing your mind. You're just living on the verge.