Hi!
Welcome to Moss Mint Teal (not gonna lie, way too proud of the cleverness of that blog title…).
We’re going to explore the intersections of sustainability and personal finance, while acknowledging the impacts of the bodies we inhabit.
What does that mean? For example, the level of frugality and “sustainable living” possible can vary depending on factors like weight, race, or gender:
Thrifting can be difficult when looking for plus-sized clothing.
Some workplaces can tell employees they can’t wear dreadlocks, removing a natural hairstyle option for those who want it.
Walking instead of taking a cab is more difficult after being conditioned to be concerned with physical safety, especially at night.
Whether or not a person’s body is considered to be the “default” or “high-maintenance” can influence the ability to eliminate expenses or even live more sustainably. And that’s not even getting into barriers to earning more.
Now, I know some tough-love peeps may call this out as “whiny” or “making excuses,” but it can make a personal finance discussion richer to acknowledge that different people have different choices available to them.
It also presents the opportunity to come up with creative solutions. Like maybe one day, women can feel safe walking home at night instead of needing to spring for a cab, without fear of hearing “Well, what were you doing walking home at 1 am?”
(How the hell are we going to do that? No freaking clue, but at least we can actively think about it, right?)
It’ll create a more compassionate personal finance discussion to not just avoid judging others, but to actively fight for everyone’s right to earn more or not to spend if they don’t want to.
A lot of blogs say that “personal finance is personal,” but there’s the assumption that our approaches to our finances are going to vary based on our individual personalities or willingness to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps.
However, there are also ways in which our choices are limited by factors that are beyond our control. While some writers are great about acknowledging their privilege, I also want to explore how exactly different factors can play into personal finance or living a more sustainable life.
Where possible, I also want to explore what we can all do to change the status quo: ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to spend less or earn more requires changing systemic biases.
I haven’t figured out who I’m writing for yet (if anyone, let’s be real here), but if you feel like you haven’t found writing on these topics yet that resonates with you, I hope you’ll feel included here.