Money Troubles

In January Billfold writer Paulette Perhach reminded us that life under capitalism is better when you have money. In her widely shared essay, “A Story of a Fuck Off Fund,” she contrasted two possible futures for a young woman entering the workforce. In one version, “you”—her missive was delivered in second person in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure paperbacks—fritter away your income, rack up debt, and are subsequently left without the means to escape a lecherous boss and an abusive boyfriend. In the second, you have had the foresight to live humbly and direct the bulk of your income into a personal savings account (the “fuck off fund”). You are rewarded with the freedom to walk away.