F-You Money: Why We All Need Some

We all need some F-You Money for financial security, but recently I’ve thought about how it can benefit our entire society.  We will take a look at how it can benefit you and the world.

But first…

 

What Does F-You Money Mean?

F-You Money stands for having enough money to tell your employer “Fuck You” and not have to worry about the financial consequences.  Of course, I wouldn’t recommend saying those words exactly.  I still believe in leaving an employer on good terms.  Burning bridges is never a smart idea.

F-You Money means you would have enough money in the bank to cover several months, if not years of expenses.  This would hold you over until you find a new job.

 

Is F-You Money The Same As Emergency Savings?

No. F-You Money and Emergency Savings are not the same.  

Emergency Savings is money in the bank to protect yourself from unforeseen changes that can cause a loss of income like a job loss or a major hospital bill.  Traditional financial advice encourages everyone to have emergency savings of at least 3 to 6 months.

F-You Money is enough money in the bank to have the luxury of provoking a job loss while suffering minimal financial consequences.  This is a much larger amount compared to emergency savings.  Financial advice does not usually include having F-You Money.

I Use Personal Capital To Track My F-You Money

I think about it like this:

Having F-You Money usually appeals to those employees who are disgruntled.  They daydream about the day they can tell their bosses to shove it!  In that sense, it’s different from emergency savings.  I would argue everyone should have F-You Money regardless of their job satisfaction.  You would be helping yourself and all of society.

 

Popularization For Financial Independence

F-You Money in the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) community was popularized by JL Collins.  He highlighted the concept for those who don’t want to depend on their current employer.

I highly recommend reading his Stock Series and his book The Simple Path To Wealth.  If you prefer a summary of the book, try Blinkist it’s free!  It’s a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn how to invest.

This is what he had to say after reading this article:

This is a great take on the power of F-you $$…

— JL Collins (@JLCollinsNH)

 

How Much Is F-You Money?

The amount of money that determines F-You Money is different for everyone.  Someone might consider themselves to have F-You Money once they have 3 to 6 months’ worth of savings.  For others, it’s at least a year’s worth of savings.

Your F-You Number is not the same as your Financial Independence (FI) Number unless you plan on burning bridges and never working in that industry again.  Like I said this is NOT recommended.

Now that we know what F-You Money is and why it’s so powerful for the individual,  we can explore how it can make us a better society.  Imagine a world where every employee has enough money to quit their job and not worry about needing to find another one.

This would lead to a better society in many ways:

 

1. Empowered Employees

Empowered employees are a nightmare for corporations.  Corporations work very hard to make sure the power stays in their hands.  This is why they lobby so hard against regulations and unions.

If a company’s entire workforce had F-You Money, they would be at the mercy of their employees.  Employees wouldn’t be afraid to ask for a raise or decent working conditions.

As a Pharmacist, I’ve personally seen how the pharmacy industry has changed: 

• Corporations have consolidated, giving candidates fewer options for employment
• Schools have become more expensive leading to a crushing amount of student loan debt
• Students are graduating faster than pharmacists are retiring, oversaturating the market

This has given corporations a lot of power.  The results are unsurprising; lower wages, more work, and poor working conditions.  The basics like a bathroom break or a lunch break are not a given.  That’s why I’ve chosen to personally have some F-You Money and a second job, to wrestle the power back into my hands.

I am convinced if everyone did this it would lead to higher wages and much better working conditions.  

 

2. Less Fraud & Corruption 

I am a big fan of a docuseries on Netflix called Dirty Money.  Every episode they reveal bad companies that have abused their power or committed fraud.

Most of the time the employees are aware of what’s going on but they are too afraid to speak up.  They fear job loss and not being able to provide for their family. 

The brave few whistleblowers that speak up are quickly fired by the company and replaced.  This sets an example for the rest of the employees and allows bad practices to continue.  

This is a result of people living paycheck to paycheck, fearing the consequences of speaking up for what’s right.

If everyone had financial security, that fear would vanish.  Employees would finally put pressure on companies to change from within.  They wouldn’t tolerate workplace harassment or unsafe working conditions just to make ends meet.

This pressure from within can make a big difference in protecting ourselves from bad companies that put profits before people.  This leads me to the next benefit…

 

Build Your Pile Of F-You Money With My Free Resources!

 

3. Protects Communities

Once the power of F-You Money has been flexed to protect the workers, we can focus on protecting our communities and the environment.  At times, bad companies have so much power, they destroy entire communities and the environment with no consequences.

This is highlighted in the Dirty Money series but there are examples everywhere:

• Where Does Your Plastic Go?
• Taiwan-Owned Steel Factory Caused Toxic Spill
• Gold mining leaves Peruvian Amazon a wasteland

Yes, sometimes these companies get warnings or pay fines, but this doesn’t stop them from continuing business as usual.

So My Questions Are:

• Who protects the community when toxic chemicals are dumped in drinking water?
• Do companies get charged for manslaughter if their chemicals lead to deaths?
• Why are companies allowed to deforest our planet for their financial gain?

These are questions we should all be asking ourselves as a society.  Unfortunately, we tend to allow these practices to continue except for some activists.  To be clear, I applaud all the activists and whistleblowers for the risks they take in making our world a better place!  This is not meant to take away from their incredibly courageous acts and years of dedication.

However, I believe a better solution to dealing with these corrupt companies is to take away their power from within, by empowering the workforce.

If every employee had F-You Money it would create dramatic change for our society.  It would also relieve some of the burdens from the activists applying external pressure.

I hope I’ve shown you the power of having F-You Money.  I also hope to one day see a world full of employees with F-You Money and the courage to take on bad companies.

 

How Can You Do Your Part?

1. Share This Article With Your Friends
2. Build Up Your Own Pile Of F-You Money

This way, F-You Money starts as just an entertaining idea into a world-changing concept!