Try This: I want to give back! How do I afford it?
The 7
The Washington Post
4.5 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 31 December 2025
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
You can read today’s edition of The 7 newsletter here. In the meantime, we’re sharing something else you can listen to now or over the holiday weekend. It’s the second and final “class” of the recent Try This series on giving.
Donating money can induce anxiety if you’re not sure how to afford it or feel pressured into doing so by the people around you.
Host Cristina Quinn talks to Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary about how to give back, whether it’s through money or time. Singletary reminds us that there’s always a way to give. She explains how to think through where you want to give, how to afford it and how to commit to giving year-round.
Michelle Singletary also shares her personal experiences and passion for why she gives, how to make sure you’re giving to a legitimate charity, and what you will experience when you give back.
For more of her work, sign up for her Color of Money newsletter and follow her on Instagram.
Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, it's Hannah. We're now flying into the new year. I hope you've been enjoying the holidays |
| 0:08.5 | however you celebrate and that you're excited for 2026. The 7 will be back with another listening |
| 0:14.5 | treat on Friday and a new regular episode on Monday. But we didn't want to leave you hanging in 2025. |
| 0:22.6 | So here's something that might help you reset your mindset around giving with your time, your money, or both. If you're like |
| 0:28.5 | me, you've been thinking about how much you've spent this past month and even past year, |
| 0:33.2 | and how you can give a little more in 26. So today, we're sharing another episode of Try This with you. |
| 0:40.9 | It's all about how to give in a way that feels sustainable and aligns with your budget. |
| 0:46.3 | This is the second episode of a two-part series on giving. |
| 0:49.9 | We shared part one last week. |
| 0:51.6 | In this episode, Christina Quinn talks with Washington Post |
| 0:55.5 | Personal Finance columnist Michelle Singletary |
| 0:58.3 | about the challenges of giving when money is tight |
| 1:01.2 | and why it's important to give back. |
| 1:03.8 | I hope you enjoy this listen. |
| 1:06.0 | And if you do, please give Try This a nice rating or review |
| 1:09.5 | wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's the show. |
| 1:16.2 | Hey, I'm Christina Quinn. Welcome back to Try This from The Washington Post. This is the second and |
| 1:22.4 | final class in our course on altruism. In our first class, we spoke to Abigail Marsh about how the easiest |
| 1:29.2 | way to be more altruistic is to just start, come up with a plan and go for it. In this class, |
| 1:35.9 | we're going to learn how to apply all that we learned in episode one through a practical financial |
| 1:41.8 | lens. To help us with that question, |
| 1:44.5 | I can't think of anyone more practical than this lady. |
... |
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