

The Reframe
The Reframe Podcast
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 27, 2025 • 39min
Ep. 74 - Travel Hacking 101: Burning, Part 1: Transfer Partners and Points Pooling
 It's back, baby -- another series on travel hacking basics, this time focused on burning all those hard-earned transferrable points we've stashed. This week, we start with six foundational principles to frame up the booking process. Tune in, my friends -- understanding these core points is the first step to getting out there and seeing the world for nearly free.Please reach out!  Gmail is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast. 

Oct 20, 2025 • 20min
Ep. 73 - Reality Check - Are We Already Living Our Dream Lives? (Or At Least Something Pretty Darn Close)
 It's easy to focus on the gaps. Let's focus on the gains. In this week's episode, we discuss four practical ways to see how we're much closer to living our dream lives than we might realize at first blush.Please reach out! Gmail is thereframepodcast2025@gmail.com, and Instagram is Kathleen at The Reframe Podcast. 

10 snips
Oct 13, 2025 • 35min
Ep. 72: Are You In Your In-Sourcing Season, Or Your Out-Sourcing Season?
 Explore the tug-of-war between insourcing and outsourcing based on life stages. Discover cultural judgments surrounding these choices and the valid critiques of both approaches. Hear personal stories about how outsourcing can ease the chaos of busy parenting. Learn a helpful decision-making framework to navigate when to take on tasks yourself versus when to hire out. Plus, tips on trial runs for outsourcing services and insourcing activities, ensuring you make informed choices that fit your lifestyle. 

16 snips
Oct 6, 2025 • 34min
Ep. 71 - The Lies We Tell Ourselves - “Good Adults” Grind Away for 40 Years
 Explore the myth that 'good adults' must grind away for decades and its toll on health. Discuss the glorification of hard work and personal experiences with guilt around downtime. Learn practical tips to cope with workplace stress, like using a treadmill desk, incorporating micro-workouts, and setting email boundaries. Dive into the need for sunlight and fresh air to boost mood. Unpack the fear of losing identity after leaving work and discover how financial independence can lead to fulfilling pursuits without the grind. 

Sep 29, 2025 • 26min
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. 

Sep 22, 2025 • 46min
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. 

Sep 15, 2025 • 37min
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. 

Sep 8, 2025 • 37min
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. 

Sep 1, 2025 • 45min
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. 

Aug 25, 2025 • 39min
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. 


