A couple of months ago I wrote about how having my own F*ck Off Fund allowed me to quit a job that was making me desperately unhappy. I didn’t have another job lined up but, armed with a healthy emergency fund, I decided to take the leap and leave. It turns out that quitting that job was one of the best things I’ve ever done. The weeks that followed allowed me to give myself a well-deserved break, exercise, blog, spend time with family and focus on freelance projects. I soon realised that life’s too short to be in a situation that has a negative impact on your mental health and, if you’re able to escape - you should!
Here are 8 blogs that perfectly highlight the importance of saving a F*ck Off Fund if you’re able to…
1. The Story of a F*ck Off Fund
If you’ve never heard of a F*ck Off Fund before, this empowering type of emergency fund recently became a huge talking point after Billfold published ‘The Story of a F*ck Off Fund” by Paulette Perhach.
Perhach tells the tale of a girl who leaves university with strong ambitions for the future but things start to take a turn for the worst when her boss turns out to be a creep and her boyfriend gets abusive. Perhach explains that having your own secret savings account gives you freedom and gives you choices.
“To build [your F*ck Off Fund], you keep living like you lived as a broke student. You waitress on Saturdays, even though you work Monday through Friday. You make do with the garage sale coffee table. It’s hard, your loan payments suck, but you make girl’s night an at-home thing and do tacos potluck.
When your boss tells you that you look nice, asks you to do a spin, you say, “Is there some way you need my assistance in the professional capacity or can I go back to my desk now?”
When your boyfriend calls you stupid, you say if he ever says that again, you’re out of there, and it’s not hard to imagine how you’ll accomplish your getaway.”
While this liberating type of fund is by no means a new concept and many young women today will thank their mothers and grandmothers for telling them to save for a rainy day, there’s no denying that Perhach’s viral post has sparked much-needed discussion on the topic. Thanks to Perhach, even more women are looking for ways to save emergency funds, talking about money with friends, and benefitting from the sense of empowerment that comes with protecting yourself financially.
You might also like: 5 Step Guide To Saving A F*ck Off Fund
2. Make Your F*ck Off Fund Happen
It’s easy to see how a F*ck Off Fund can be an empowering asset to have in order to escape a bad situation and embark on a new adventure. But considering how expensive day-to-day life can be, how is the average person meant to actually save up for one? Thankfully, financial planner Shannon Simmons wrote ‘Make Your F*ck Off Fund Happen‘ to help.
Shannon writes: “Not a week goes by in my job where I don’t see a client who is in desperate need of a Fuck Off Fund. I see clients settling for loveless relationships because it’s too expensive to break up and they can’t afford to rent in an apartment on their own anymore. Others who are being emotionally bullied at work, but won’t say anything so they don’t get let go in the next rounds of lay-offs because they are ‘unlikable’ or ‘difficult.’”
In this post you’ll find plenty of actionable advice from living below your means to making sure you know your finances inside-out so that you can make empowered decisions.
3. The Evolution of a F@*k Off Fund
In this post, US blogger Erin Lowry aka Broke Millennial shares a story about how her “entire life has been about saving a f— off fund.”
At the age of 8 she started stashing her pocket money into a candy tin in the hope of one day buying a fancy car and driving off into the sunset in it. She even kept a ledger which noted each of her deposits along with a picture of a car at the top of it. Now that’s what I call starting early!
Later in the post Erin tells a much darker tale where her babysitting job came to an abrupt end after the child’s father came home and confessed to her about having routine affairs and sleeping with prostitutes.
Erin writes: “Horrified, I left the apartment and texted the wife the next morning that I had found a full-time job and could no longer balance babysitting in my schedule. A lie, but I had enough money to cut both that babysitting gig and lecherous man out of my life.”
4. Why A F*ck Off Fund Is Not Enough
And here’s another gem from Erin Lowry, this time arguing that while a F U fund is an important savings buffer to have, it’s not enough on its own. She believes that those who can afford to save money should also strive towards savings an ‘Oh Sh*t! Fund‘ too.
While an F U fund enables you to leave an abusive partner or tell your bully boss to ‘do one’, an Oh Sh*t! Fund is for life’s sudden - and arguably less empowering - emergencies. After all, if your boiler breaks or you need to buy a new car after yours is written off, you don’t want to dip into the funds you’ve set aside for the day you may have to run away from a negative situation.
5. My First Big Girl Job Was A Financial Nightmare
This post by Alyssa at Mixed Up Money is a tough one to read. While other bloggers write about how their F U funds enabled them to flip their desks and start afresh, Alyssa warns that for a long time her non-existent savings prevented her from escaping from sexual harassment at work. Fresh out of university at the age of 23, she was trapped in a job that was making her miserable but, fearing that she’d be unable to pay her bills if she quit, she stayed.
Alyssa writes: “Before successful completion of my probationary period, I started to receive inappropriate text messages at all hours of the night from [my] boss. Scared to tell anyone because I was fearful I may lose my job without warning or pay, I kept these things to myself. The messages were often inquiring about lavish vacations he wanted to take me on, talking about how much he had drank that night, and of course, the much more explicit messages I’ll keep to myself.”
6. Quit Fucking Around And Build Yourself A Fuck Off Fund
I don’t half love big meaty blog posts and ‘Quit Fucking Around And Build Yourself A Fuck Off Fund‘ by Adventurous Kate really is spot on. After highlighting the many reasons one might need a wad of cash to support a dramatic escape, she shares tips on saving the money required:
Kate explains: “[You should have] enough to cover your expenses and live frugally for three to six months. Ideally six, and more is even better. I know this sounds daunting. That is a fuckload of money to save up. Don’t think of this as a long-term struggle, though — this is a lifestyle change.”
7. There’s Something Better Than A Fuck Off Fund
As much as I salute anyone who makes the necessary sacrifices to save an emergency fund, it’s important to acknowledge that building up a savings fund isn’t possible for everyone. In ‘There’s Something Better Than A Fuck Off Fund‘, Girl On The Net emphasises the point that the people who need an F U Fund the most are the people that will never ever have one.
GOTN write: “Financial independence is not possible for everyone. Whether through illness, job prospects, sheer bad fucking luck, not everyone can be financially independent. So when I see lots of people sharing an article and saying ‘women! You MUST have this! You MUST have adequate savings so that at any point you can drop it all and leave!’ I am torn between wanting to punch the air and wanting to weep.”
8. I Have My Own F*ck Off Fund & You Need One Too
I’m going to finish this round-up with one of my own posts because, well, I run this place and I want you to check out my other stuff as well as the work of the fantastic writers above!
As I explained at the start of this post, my F*ck Off Fund enabled me to hand in my notice and escape a toxic working environment that was emotionally draining and having a negative impact on my relationships with my boyfriend and family.
I’m going to finish off this post by saying that if you’re being bullied at work, you’re trapped in an abusive relationship, or you’re struggling with debt, it’s important not to suffer in silence. Talk to a friend you can trust or contact an advice charity for support. Whether you have an emergency fund or not, sometimes you need to fix more than just the financial side of things.
No matter what your situation, if you’re really unhappy and struggling to cope, get in touch with Samaritans.
Mind are a fantastic charity to turn to if you’re struggling with mental health problems.
If you’re a woman trapped in an abusive relationship, Refuge can help. If you’re a man, there’s help for you too.
Having problems at work? Acas can help.
If you’re unable to save a ‘f*ck off fund’ due to debt, Step Change can offer you free debt advice and support.
