WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS BROKE?

10 HARD TRUTHS ABOUT HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY

Let’s stop lying to ourselves. A lot of us in the Black community are not broke because we don’t make money. We’re broke because the money leaks out of our hands faster than we can bring it in. We’re broke because we keep buying things that make us feel good for a moment but leave us stressed for months. And we’re broke because nobody ever taught us real, simple, everyday financial sense. Not in school, not at home, not in the streets.

But at some point, we have to take responsibility. At some point, we have to stop saying, “The system is against us,” while we’re the ones throwing our own money at nonsense. Trust me—I know how life works. I know the odds aren’t fair. I know the world isn’t designed for us to win. But that doesn’t mean we need to help the world rob us.

We need to talk about this because too many of us are suffering in silence. Too many of us are hiding behind pride, hiding behind image, hiding behind “treat yourself,” while our bank accounts are empty, our credit is trash, our savings don’t exist, and our stress is sky-high. We work hard, then give the money right back to the same corporations that don’t care if we live or die.

And I’m not here to be polite about it. We don’t need polite. We don’t need gentle. We need truth that shakes us. Truth that hits us in the chest. Truth that forces us to look at ourselves and say, “What the hell am I doing?”

If you want to stay broke, keep doing what you’re doing.
If you want something better, lock in. This is the wake-up call.

POINT 1: FAST FOOD IS DRAINING YOUR POCKETS

Fast food used to be cheap. It used to make sense. Today, it’s a scam with a drive-thru window. We’re paying $15–$20 for greasy bags of food that leave us hungry two hours later. And the worst part? We do it like it’s normal. We do it like it’s a necessity. We do it so often we don’t even see the money leaving.

Black people especially fall into this trap because we’re tired, busy, stressed, and don’t want to cook. I get it. But that “I’m tired” meal is costing you hundreds every month. Hundreds. And those food companies don’t mind taking it. Every burger you buy is one step further from having savings.

If you cook twice as much at home, you’ll feel the difference immediately. Not next year—next month. But most won’t do it because convenience owns their life. And convenience is expensive.

POINT 2: EATING OUT REGULARLY IS A LUXURY YOU CAN’T AFFORD

Sitting down at restaurants used to be a treat. Now it’s a bill. Two meals, two drinks, maybe an appetizer—and suddenly you’re at $80 or $100. And the food is gone the moment you finish eating. Nothing to show for it except an empty wallet and maybe some leftovers.

Many people swear they’re “struggling,” yet eat out multiple times a week. That’s not struggling. That’s choosing expensive habits over financial peace. When you add up all those dinners and brunches, it’s thousands a year. Thousands that could change your life.

I’m not saying never enjoy yourself. I’m saying stop using restaurants as emotional therapy. Your bank account can’t keep absorbing the hit.

POINT 3: NEW CARS ARE FINANCIAL SUICIDE

Buying a brand-new car is like throwing money off a cliff. The minute you drive it away, the value drops. Not slowly—instantly. You’re paying interest on something that becomes worth less every single day. Then we brag about it like it’s success.

In the Black community, cars are status. We want to look good pulling up. We want to look like we’re “doing well.” But guess what? That new car payment is the chain around your ankle. It’s killing your ability to save, invest, or breathe financially.

Buy your cars used. Buy smart. Stop financing your ego.

POINT 4: DESIGNER CLOTHES ARE ROBBING YOU BLIND

Some of us love to wear our money. We love to let people see the logo, the brand, the status. We’ll buy $200 shirts, $500 sneakers, $1,500 bags—but can’t scrape together $200 savings. That’s insanity.

Designer brands target our insecurities. They know we care about how we look. They know we want respect. So they sell us the illusion of status while draining our future dry. Most people can’t afford this stuff, but buy it anyway to feel better for a moment.

Nobody cares about your logo. They care if you’re stable, reliable, and secure. Build that instead.

POINT 5: VACATIONS YOU CAN’T AFFORD ARE DESTROYING YOUR FUTURE

Travel is beautiful. But debt is ugly. And too many of us take vacations we have no business taking. Flights are high. Hotels are high. Food is high. But social media pressure is even higher. We think we have to travel to prove something.

Then we come home to bills waiting like wolves. We spend a week in paradise and a year paying for it. That is not winning. That is financial self-harm.

Travel when you’re stable, not stressed. Travel when you can afford joy without paying interest for it.

POINT 6: SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE SILENT BANK ACCOUNT KILLERS

Streaming services look cheap—until you add them up. Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Disney, Apple, whatever else… suddenly you’re paying $70–$100 a month just to flip through shows you don’t watch. It’s wasteful, but it’s also easy to ignore because the money disappears quietly.

And cable? Cable should be a crime. People paying $150 a month for TV in 2025? Insane. That’s $1,800 a year burned on entertainment instead of building your future.

Cut what you don’t use. Simplify your life. Your wallet will thank you.

POINT 7: ELECTRONICS ADDICTION IS KEEPING YOU BROKE

New phone every year. New laptop every two years. New gadgets because they “look cool.” Most people are upgrading devices that already work fine. Why? Because companies have convinced us to chase the newest version like it’s oxygen.

A $1,000 phone every year is not self-care. It’s self-sabotage. And most people don’t realize they’ve spent $5,000–$10,000 on electronics in just a few short years. That’s money that could’ve been invested or saved.

Hold onto your devices until they truly die. Not until your pride wants a new one.

POINT 8: OVERPRICED HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AND FURNITURE

Too many of us equate “looking nice” with “being financially stupid.” We buy expensive kitchen gadgets we never use. Fancy name-brand cleaners when the cheap ones work just as well. $400 blenders for one smoothie a month. Furniture financed like it’s a car. A couch with payments? A dining table with interest?

Stop decorating for Instagram. Decorate for your budget. Decorate for your real life.

When you’re broke, you don’t need things to be perfect. You need them to be affordable.

POINT 9: STATUS SPENDING IS A TRAP

Buying things to impress people keeps more Black families broke than anything else. And it’s deep. It’s emotional. It comes from pain. It comes from wanting to feel like we made it.

But the truth is simple:
Rich people don’t spend to impress. Broke people do.

Status spending is a trap that keeps you stuck in the same cycle while the people you’re trying to impress don’t care at all. Live for yourself—not for a fake image.

POINT 10: STOP BUYING THINGS YOU DON’T NEED

This point is the simplest—but the hardest to live. Most of us buy things because we’re bored, stressed, lonely, insecure, or trying to keep up with other people. Not because we actually need anything.

Cutting unnecessary spending is freedom. It’s power. It’s control. The moment you stop caring about what people think is the moment your bank account finally starts healing.

You don’t need everything. You need discipline.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS…

Here’s the truth you might not want to hear:
You can either look rich or be rich—but you cannot do both at the same time. And the Black community needs to hear this loudly. Our future depends on us breaking these habits. Our children need to see different behaviors. Our grandchildren need something passed down besides debt.

Every dollar you waste is a dollar you could’ve put toward your future. Every unnecessary purchase is a step backward. Every emotional spending habit is you choosing today’s pleasure over tomorrow’s peace.

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to cut everything overnight. But you do need to wake up. You do need to admit when you’re wasting money. You do need to take control. Because nobody is coming to save you. Not the government. Not your job. Not society. The only person who can save your financial life is you.

And yes, it’s going to take sacrifice. Yes, it’s going to take honesty. Yes, it’s going to take discipline. But the payoff? It’s freedom. It’s pride. It’s the ability to sleep at night knowing your bills are covered, your savings are stacked, and your future is secured.

The sooner you start, the faster your life changes.
The later you start, the longer you stay broke.

Choose wisely.