A Little Rant About Personal Finance Tropes
We’ve all seen this kind of content.
It’s that, “I hustle because I’m built different.” tweet.
It’s that, “Charge your worth.” post.
It’s that, “Poor people spend their money on things, while rich people spend money on assets.” horse shit.
Some of the biggest accounts in this space (I’m not just talking about the Ramseys and Ormans either) still push ideals that are shame based and not in line with the people that claim they want to help.
Here are some of, what I consider, the most cringe worthy statements still being pushed out by some personal finance accounts.
“I hustle cuz I’m built different.”
“Hustling” isn’t trendy. Low-income folks have been doing this for AGES to survive. I wasn’t working 5 jobs in Hawaii because I wanted to show off how hard I work. I had to work 5 jobs to make sure I could eat and pay my rent. Hustle culture is a dick measuring competition. How hard you decide to work doesn’t make you a better person. It doesn’t make you better than people who decide to not be productive all the time. Honestly, you do not have to go that hard to be successful or stable.
“Charge your worth.”
The same accounts that tell you your worth has nothing to do with a dollar are the same people that will tell you to up your pricing because “you’re worth more than that.” If you offer a service or product, price your shit so you can make money. Cover the overhead and have a profit. That’s all your pricing is for. What you charge someone for a coaching session, haircut, babysitting, or whatever has nothing to do with you as a person. It’s about running a profitable business. Maybe some people want to stay fiscally accessible to their communities but that doesn’t mean they don’t value themselves or their business. What I charge for my time has nothing to do with my worth as a person. Making people feel like they don’t value themselves enough is a dick move.
“Poor people spend their money on things. Rich people spend their money on assets.”
As a low-income/poor person, I am allowed to buy myself whatever the fuck I want to. If I want a tattoo, I’m gonna get one. If I wanna drop $200 on new clothes, I’m going to do it. If I want to have a weekend away at a nice Airbnb, I’m gonna fucking do it. How does being in a lower income bracket mean I can’t enjoy nice things? Like I’m just supposed to suffer and hate myself all the time? The tattoos I get help me with my body dysmorphia because instead of seeing a part of my body and hating it, I now see a beautiful piece of art and it makes me smile. Those new clothes I bought definitely boost my self-esteem because I hadn’t bought myself clothing in years. And if I choose to buy more expensive items rather than thrift, excuse the fuck out of me. I like knowing I have things that will last longer than the $1 Old Navy flip-flops. No shade, those flippies are great but I deserve things that will last. Heaven forbid some of us need a break after working shitty jobs and dealing with life. I have a hearty “Fuck You” for this sentiment in particular. Especially because poverty trauma is real and it takes a long time to get comfortable spending money at all on things that aren’t just for survival.
Those of us that decided to create spaces in personal finance to share new perspectives can definitely still be beholden to old-school thinking. We’re learning and unlearning at the same time.
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