Frugality alone won’t save us.

My two passions are social justice and finances. Part of why I promote a more efficient and restful approach to finances is because I know that sacrificing our bodies won’t solve our economic inequalities; it distracts us from them.

Personal finance is a small piece of wealth building. We have a responsibility to do our best with personal finances, but understand ultimately we need to make legislative changes.

If we keep giving personal finances and grind culture such weight, we won’t make significant improvements to wealth inequality.

I think of people I know that were frugal with their money and are now living comfortably. They are unaware of the systemic advantages they have and equate their success with buying the generic mayonnaise. They then pass judgment on poor people who bought a nice pair of sneakers as if because the poor person spent that $100, they are the ones putting themselves in poverty. That $100 pair of sneakers does not equate to hundreds of years of systemic oppression.

Again, I’m not trying to say we shouldn’t make the most of our situation and improve our personal finances the best we can, I’m trying to keep us from being silly and thinking frugality can save us from the effects of wage stagnation, lack of affordable healthcare, mass incarceration, the devaluation of women’s labor, and other large scale ills in our society.

So in conclusion, on gahhh get your money right the best you can, but don’t stop there. Educate yourself on systemic oppression, work to not just improve your personal finances but our societal systems, and don’t pass judgment on anyone. We’re in this together.