If you’ve ever experienced a ‘lifequake’ or come anywhere even remotely close to one this article is 1000% for you. 

WTF Is A FUCK OFF Fund??

It goes by a couple of different names (including FUCK YOU Fund and FUCK YOU Money) and the full definition of a FUCK YOU Fund is:

Noun. Money we set aside so we can walk away from any shitty situation: job, relationship, landlord, toxic family, workplace bully, crazy client etc. etc.

The list unfortunately goes on and onnn, which is why I’ll be capitalising FUCK OFF Fund throughout this article.

This isn’t a drill. And ask anyone who knows me: I don’t play about the safety and wellbeing of my Queens. 

A FUCK OFF Fund means freedom, because with untouched funds in your back pocket you’ve got infinite options no matter what curve ball or roadblock life throws at you. 

A FUCK OFF Fund allows you to say no - and it makes that no a full sentence. 

You get to walk away with no pleading, no panic, and financial independence - the true definition of wealth for a Woman in 2026. 

Who Invented The FUCK OFF Fund?

A decade ago, almost to the day, Paulette Perhach published her 2016 essay A Story of a Fuck Off Fund in The Billfold.

I’d call it the 2016 equivalent of Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now? An absolute hurricane of a movement among women as we left 2025 and headed into 2026, whipped up by Vogue contributor and Black culture writer and social commentator Chanté Joseph. 

In her beautifully and brilliantly written (and unfortunately timeless) piece, Paulette Perhach framed the FUCK Off Fund as money that gives us the power to say a loud and firm “FUCK YOU” to situations we find ourselves in that compromise our values and/or our wellbeing.

An excerpt: 

“You wait to pay the electric bill while you’re gathering up the half you owe, and the lights go out. On your phone you see the email about the $50 late fee. Your boyfriend asks how you could be so stupid. “I am not stupid,” you say. You would never be with someone who called you names, but you would never be able to make first, last, and deposit right now, either.”

The piece took off, long before virality was a thing, and FUCK OFF Funds have become an integral part of feminist economics and girl power iconology in pop culture to this day.

In this 2016 interview with The Cut actress Lucy Liu discusses working more just to have FUCK YOU Money and be able to say no to anything that isn’t working.

How To Set Up A FUCK OFF Fund

Important note: I’m not a financial advisor, but I am your biggest cheerleader. 

The first thing you need to do is research.

You need to choose a good bank that suits your needs. It should be separate to all other bank accounts. It should offer paperless statements. A good interest rate would be amazing. Easy access when you need it. But not so easy that you’re dipping into it. 

Obviously a FUCK YOU Fund is not an everyday account. It’s not investments you can’t access in an emergency either. And it’s not the savings account you rely on for life events, holidays and random emergencies either.

It’s a secret third account that you you rely on for lifequake events and you do not touch it - ever - until you find yourself up shit creek without a paddle whispering FUCK YOU with every fibre of your body. 

But you do have a paddle. And that paddle is the untouched gold in your FUCK YOU Fund. And that gold is about to empower you to REMEMBER WHO THE FUCK YOU ARE and be your own damn hero. 

Bonus Tip: keep a cash FUCK YOU Fund too. I personally have three so all my bases are covered. 

The Troubling Fucking History Of Financial Independence For Women 

Historically, Women have found themselves trapped in bad marriages, jobs, or workplaces, typically largely for financial reasons.

Hell in Australia & the US women have only been able to bank independently since anti-discrimination laws were passed in the 1970’s. Not a typo. There’s a reason I started that sentence with the word Hell.

For context I was born in 1977.

And money means leverage, so without it many of our Grandmothers were forced to endure marriage under the pretence of resilience. It’s not resilience if you have no choice in the matter.

It’s actually financial abuse. 

FUCK OFF Funds for DV Survivors

Before we get into this bit, if you’re in a DV situation I Hope you’re browsing in incognito mode. Make sure you delete this from your search history as well as any other tabs that pop open and all related searches. 

If you’re in immediate danger call 000. For DV support call 1800 RESPECT/1800 737 732 or text 0458 RESPECT/ 0458 737 732. There’s an online chat function too with a quick exit function in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Good luck sister, big love 🍀

Now let’s be for real, the way men are behaving these days, if you’re married to or living with a man you need a FUCK OFF Fund more than anyone else on this planet. 

If you’re in a DV situation it’s super important that the fund is private, secure and confidential.  

I mentioned the opting for paperless statements above and just now we talked about deleting searches and being super careful about leaving traces and a digital footprint. This is a good start. 

Next you need to think about the logistics, and details like using a separate mailing address for any correspondence. Maybe your parents or a trusted friend, neighbour or colleague. The same people you could potentially ask to hold onto your cash FUCK OFF Fund if you need it. 

You don’t need to break the bank, start small and even adding in any bonus cash you randomly come across is the beginnings of a powerful FUCK OFF Fund 

“I think the most important thing a woman can ever do for herself is have financial independence. Even if you're saving five dollars a paycheck.” ~ Roxane Gay

FUCK OFF Funds for Kids

I don’t own a house and I don’t plan to in the traditional sense, so my legacy for my kids will be their very own FUCK OFF Funds.

I have two daughters and a son who’ll be getting one too, because I’m raising three feminists here, and the freedom to move on protects both him and his future partners from the potentially devastating effects of toxic relationships.

The same rules apply and again you should do your own research. I’d be happy to share my set up as I think I nailed it and it’s super smart but I don’t want the working of it posted publically online. 

Message me here or find me at @WhatCharlieTOTE on Instagram to have a chat.