Welcome to The Money Resource For Broke Commies, a website where I attempt to make personal finances more simple and less daunting for people who feel too poor and/or too radical for “traditional” personal finance advice.
The vast majority of personal finance content creators online fit a very specific demographic, and make content primarily geared towards the middle class. This sort of content takes a lot for granted about its viewers- like that everyone watching has or wants a monogamous heterosexual marriage, that buying a house and starting a family must look one certain way and be something everyone wants, that people don’t have any ethical qualms about the bank they use or where their money gets invested, that everyone watching is housed/employed/living above the poverty line, and most importantly, that every single person seeking out personal finance advice wants to maximize how much money they are hoarding. The idea that there is anyone on Earth whose number one priority with their money is not to make and have as much of it as humanly possible would not cross the mind of most creators making personal finance content.
However, I believe that developing a healthy and informed relationship with money is important for everyone. It might even be more important for those of us who are broke, homeless, queer, politically radical, or marginalized in other ways. I know it may not seem like it right now, but it is possible for all of us- even those of us who are poor- to have a healthy relationship with money. For us to not be consumed with anxieties about money. The thought of money doesn’t have to be something that fills you with fear and dread. The future can be exciting and fun and something you’re genuinely looking forward to.
I’m not here to tell you all the things you love that you need to stop spending your money on. I’m not here to guilt you or shame you or try to force you to see the world my way. I’m not even here to tell you that consumer debt is bad or that you need to shred your credit card. I genuinely believe that (obviously as long as you’re not using your money to harm people, and at the end of the day unfortunately all of us who pay taxes are harming people with our money whether we like it or not) any decisions you’re making with your money are morally neutral. Saving isn’t “good,” debt isn’t “bad,” and being uninformed or ignorant about personal finances isn’t some sort of ethical or moral failing. The only thing wrong with the financial decisions you’re making is that you’re probably just making them in a blind panic and now they’re causing you stress.
The problem with your consumer debt, for example, isn’t that there is something inherently wrong about being in debt. The problem is that you probably got into debt without really meaning to or thinking about it. You didn’t have the financial literacy to make informed decisions with your money. The thought of money stresses you out so badly that you refuse to look at it- you never check your credit card statements, you don’t set specific goals for your money, you don’t want to look up exactly how much you owe, etc. You signed up for the first student credit card that was advertised to you and got yourself into extremely high interest debt that sits on your chest like a dumbbell every night as you lie in bed. The point of The Money Resource For Broke Commies is not to tell you to stop doing whatever it is you want to do with your money. The point is to help you feel more confident that the decisions you are making actually reflect your wants, desires, morals, and goals.
I want everyone to feel empowered when it comes to money. It’s possible for all of us, no matter our financial situation, to feel peace when we think about money. Financial literacy is a skill all of us can learn. And once we are empowered and educated about money, we become more difficult to take advantage of and much more capable of caring for one another. So, no matter your financial situation, I hope you’ll find something here that helps you feel more confident, informed, and conscious about how to manage your money. Thanks so much for being here!