I love money.
I’ve always loved money.
And I always will love money.
My relationship with money has been on a bit of a rollercoaster over the years, but I’m pleased to say we’ve got a healthy little thing going on these days.
The reason I’ve mentioned money in every sentence so far is because money, in all its spiteful glory, is the precursor to saying no.
When you strip it back, you’re doing things you don’t want to be doing because you don’t have enough money.
Don’t feel bad, I’m right there with ya’.
If you’ve never heard the term ‘F-You’ money, the way you view financial freedom is about to change forever.
Money Is Your Escape
My life changed when I stopped viewing money as a pathway to material objects, but instead as a precursor to freedom.
Read that again.
I don’t love money for the things it can buy me.
I love it for the things it helps me avoid.
Adopting this mindset can take a while, and I certainly don’t have as much freedom as I would like… yet.
But I can say no to a lot more now than I could a decade ago.
My work environment reflects this.
The people I surround myself with reflects this.
And my daily schedule, for the most part, reflects this.
The more financially secure I’ve become, the more options I have when it comes to the way I want to live my life.
The more I get to say no.
This seems so simple…
Yet people still willingly throw away their money on crap they don’t need and wonder why they’re living a life that doesn’t fulfil them.
This crap costs more than just money.
Every purchase you make costs the time and freedom it took to even make that money in the first place.
If that terrifies you, good.
The first step it complete.
The True Power Of F-You Money
Let me take you back to July of 2023.
I was waking up uninspired, working a job that I was starting to hate and dealing with people I didn’t really like.
That is the reality for so many on a daily basis.
So, I quit.
Then I went to Europe for four months.
And did all of this whilst not having an income for eight months.
This is not me trying to flex, but it kind of is… because that’s what F-You money is all about.
F-You money is the literal definition of a mic-drop.
It’s literally like saying “F*ck that, I’m out.”
And let me tell you… it’s one of the best feelings there is (I’ve done it twice!!!!).
You need to start realising that money does indeed buy happiness (what it can’t buy is fulfilment, but that’s another blog post entirely).
If you’re in a crappy situation right now, chances are money would make it a hell of a lot better.
Usually people’s poor relationship with money is symbolic of their inability to make (or save) said money.
It’s easy to dismiss the importance of money when you don’t have any.
People hate what they don’t understand.
But when you understand how simple it can be, saving becomes second-nature.
Building Your F-You Fund
Okay, this all sounds great… but how can you actually get yourself in this position?
Well the first and most important step is making sure you have an emergency fund.
An emergency fund is a savings reserve set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies.
But we, of course, call it an F-You fund.
My definition: having a bunch of money sitting there so you don’t have to do something you don’t want to do (doesn’t that sound amazing?).
Accumulating your F-You fund will take some sacrifices, and that’s why most people don’t have one.
I’m not going to tell you exactly what to invest in etc. because I’m pretty sure that’s illegal in Australia if you don’t have a finance degree (which I do not).
But here are seven easy things you can do right now to prime yourself for that mic-drop moment:
1. Cancel Your Subscriptions
I’m not telling you to illegally stream your TV shows and movies, but if you’re struggling for money and you aren’t setting sail for the seven seas then I don’t know what you’re doing.
2. Build Your Body, Not Your Wardrobe
Clothes are expensive, and nothing will make you look better than having a fit body.
This will benefit every aspect of your life.
3. Live With Your Parents As Long As You Can
If you move out because you’re embarrassed of what others think, you’re a silly billy.
If you’re lucky enough to have good parents, use it to get ahead in life.
Just don’t trade your sanity for it.
4. Stop Eating Out
I cannot believe the prices people pay to eat shit food.
Do it occasionally, but don’t make a habit out of it.
5. Start Building Your Personal Brand
Crazy addition to the list, right?
This won’t pay straight away, it will take years.
But it will pay dividends later on – best to start early.
6. Reduce Responsibilities
The more responsibilities you have, the less power you have to say no.
Think long and hard about taking on responsibilities.
Dogs, humans, loans.
7. Try a no-buy challenge
I did this, it worked wonders.
The easiest (and hardest) way to get started.
8. Just Stop Doing Expensive Things
Nature is free.
Nature is also really cool.
What more do you need?
Responsibilities Are Killers
I want to quickly expand on point 6 before I end this article, because it’s incredibly important.
Every responsibility you take on, especially when you’re young, comes at a huge cost.
Bringing something good into your life often involves taking something good out of it.
When you’re young, this good thing usually comes at a cost of your time, money and freedom.
As we’ve discussed, these are all the precursors to saying no.
If you want to take on this thing, a dog, a baby, a mortgage – that’s completely fine.
But just know your ability to escape that thing you’re hating may be greatly diminished.
I might be about to take on a big responsibility soon.
I am scared.
So this is a message to myself as well.
