Daybreak Special: What do women really want? A 'f*** off fund'

Daybreak

*This episode was originally published on July 12, 2024

Have you ever heard of a 'f*** off fund'? Or better yet, do you have one?

For the uninitiated, it is a sum of money that women should ideally set aside to get out of a difficult situation – think toxic job, abusive relationship or family situation, you get the drift.

The term was coined by freelance writer, Paulette Perhach, in 2016. We recommend that you read her powerful essay on financial independence. The idea is for it to give you enough power, confidence and control to literally be able to say “f*** off” and walk away.

You are probably thinking, ‘great in theory, but how do I actually build one for myself?’. We have got you covered. In this special episode of Daybreak, Chaitra Chidanand, the co-founder of Salt, a financial services platform for women, demystifies f*** off funds and how you can get one.

Tune in

Suggested reading

A F*** Off Fund: the most important female prep, Reddit

"The FOF has saved me and my kids a few times. Health crisis. Unemployment. Violence. S**t happens. But just as important—having a FOF means you can act from a position of power, not fear, not subservience."

Warren Buffett Invests Like A Girl? Forbes

"Buffett has always said that it’s temperament--not intellect--that makes you a great long-term investor. When you look at studies that have been coming out in the last 10 years about how men and women invest, what you see is that women tend to naturally have this temperament that creates long-term investing success."

For Women With Money Issues, an A.D.H.D. Diagnosis Can Be Revelatory, NYT

'But because activities like planning or budgeting don’t usually give people with A.D.H.D. a dopamine hit, they can find it harder than neurotypical people to get started or stick to accounting activities. This results in extra costs — paying cancellation fees for missed appointments or late fees for not opening a bill on time, or losing refunds because we missed the deadline for returning an unwanted purchase.'

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