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This is our 15th and final weekly roundup newsletter of 2025. When we started this experiment at the beginning of September, I really didn’t know what to expect. Admittedly, I was a little nervous to start writing about newsier topics. And I wasn’t sure if I was ready to start sending out a second newsletter a week.
But any nerves I felt quickly dissipated as Alicia and I got into a rhythm of sharing the responsibility of penning the weekly essay, which reignited my interest in writing (and editing) stories about economic news. Each week, one of us has attempted to take a huge, overwhelming topic (the SNAP crisis, Fed independence, the rising cost of health care) and explain how it impacts everyday Americans, aka me and Alicia, and you dear Purse readers. I’m really damn proud of the work we’ve done.
Last week, Alicia wrote an incredibly informative and pretty bleak essay on the casino economy. (TBH, it may be my favorite thing she’s written since joining The Purse.) I promised one commenter we would try to wrap up the year on a more positive note, and so we decided to do something a little silly and share our 2026 In and Out list.
I unabashedly love the new year. I love all the year-end roundups that lead into new year announcements. I love New Year’s resolutions, even if I never (really) manage to keep them. I love a new calendar and the chance (however manufactured) at a fresh start. Sure nothing really changes from December 31 to January 1, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use a new calendar year as an excuse to try again to be the best versions of ourselves.
I’ve been feeling incredibly sentimental as I wrap up this year. And no doubt that’s impacted my list. I’m very lucky that this is my job and that I get to work with a friend. And I’m so appreciative of you readers who provide us with so much amazing feedback that positively makes my heart burst. (See! I told you I’m feeling sentimental! But I’m being earnest!!) Thank you!
While this is our last weekly roundup of 2025, we have three more newsletters coming your way this year. Tomorrow’s paid Home Economics is a stellar read. And next week, we’re doing a fun roundup of everything we learned from The Purse this year. I’ll be back after Christmas with my annual recap. And if you’re bored while traveling this holiday season, don’t forget, we’ve got a rich archive of articles to read.
And now on to our “ins and outs” for 2026. Share yours in the comments!
-Lindsey
Alicia’s In list
- Physical media
- Deep readings
- Embracing my curly hair
- Posting confidently
- Paying too much for health insurance (unfortunately)
- Ethical business practices
- Lifting weights
- Spreadsheets
- Dancing (all types)
- Small press books
- Baking
- Limiting inputs
- Cash
Alicia’s Out list
- Giving up
- 100% polyester for $300
- Scope creep
- Settling
- Endless self-promotion
- 2-day shipping
- Netflix slop
- Tradwife discourse
- KPIs
- Algorithmically driven taste
- Canceling plans
- Outsourcing your thinking
- Credit
Lindsey’s In list
- Picking up the phone and calling your friends (rather than texting a question)
- Selective news consumption
- Setting up small, recurring donations to causes you care about
- Shopping sales
- (Re)reading the “classics” (any suggestions on which one I should start with?)
- Saying hi to your neighbors
- Fresh flowers
- Hyping up your friends
- Offline, hands-on hobbies
- Asking for help
- Stretching
- Using the good dishes
- Having friends over just because
Lindsey’s Out list
- Sports betting
- Optimization of everything
- The Fed chair (oof!)
- Doomscrolling
- Canceling plans
- Avoiding uncomfortable conversations
- Stressing about your messy home
- Scheduling friend hangouts two months in advance
What Else We’re Talking About
- I personally think it’s some sort of sick joke that the big winter holidays fall at the end of the year, so most of us are running around trying to make seasonal magic at the same time we’re trying to wrap up a bunch of work stuff. And frankly, it’s even worse when you’re a small business owner. But if you hire a Faye Family Advisor, they can help you manage both nagging work and home tasks. Find a photographer to take new headshots? Check! Source and send client gifts? Check! Help ensure your home life and work life run smoother in the new year? Check, check, check! Your dedicated Advisor handles all the details while Faye’s platform allows you to seamlessly (and securely) access all tasks, updates, and information. Each Advisor is U.S.-based, rigorously vetted, and trained for premium service, which means you can focus your attention on more important matters. Learn more on Faye’s website. #partner
- I really enjoyed Emma Straub’s husband sharing his favorite books of the year in her newsletter this week. There are definitely some on his list that I want to check out, but I also loved his sweet recommendation of her forthcoming novel, American Fantasy. I count her novel This Time Tomorrow as one of my favorite reads in recent years. (Also, I loved that they didn’t include links to the books in what I assume is a subtle way to encourage people to go shop at their local bookstore! I’m following suit!) -Lindsey
- Recent posts from Sohla El-Waylly and Brittany Spanos have really resonated with me and are making me reflect more deeply on media’s many problems (and my place within it). -Alicia
- I’m jealous in the best way of New York’s series on the cost of child care in NYC. The child care spending diaries are especially eye-opening. -Lindsey
- This is a really interesting breakdown of credit card processing fees and how they’re hurting small businesses. -Alicia
On Our Radar
- I joined Katie Gatti Tassin for the penultimate episode of her podcast, Money with Katie, where we chatted about Refinery29 Money Diaries, our origin stories, and the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. As usual, I overshare! -Lindsey
- Just a reminder that we’re hosting our first event of 2026 on Sunday, January 11, in Manhattan. Join us and our friends at Copilot Money for an afternoon of crafting vision boards for an abundant new year! Tickets are $30 and include all materials, as well as drinks and snacks! Register here!
- Over in the Substack chat, we’re talking about how we feel about White Elephant/Secret Santa gift swaps. Are you a fan? Weigh in!
Best Money We Spent This Week
- In lieu of individual gifts, I bought the ingredients to make my friends bags of assorted cookies for Christmas. (Baking is definitely one of my love languages.) They were a hit! ~$100 - Alicia
- I overbooked myself on Wednesday, and the trains weren’t running in my favor (why is it always a 12-minute wait for the R in Brooklyn???), so I did something I never do, and I took a Lyft from my coworking space to my son’s school so I wouldn’t miss the parent-teacher conference. I had the best driver. I told him I was late, and he deftly navigated the afternoon traffic and got me there in record time. $20. ($10 for the ride, and $10 for a tip, because he was the best, and it’s the holidays.) -Lindsey
