Welcome to The Little Guy's Wallet.  Many financial sites and blogs focus on financial success, or do's and don'ts for people on a budget, using formulas and concepts which are considered "tried and true."  Unfortunately, these blogs fail to take into account one very serious matter - the rules have changed.  New banking regulations, financial loopholes, and bureaucratic layers have made it very difficult for the average person who lives paycheck-to-paycheck to get by.  This blog is dedicated to a very underserved section of America (and the world, really) - namely, people with poor credit, saddled with debt, dealing with the consequences of poor choices or bad luck (or a combination), and who simply want to make a change for the better but, for whatever reason, are finding it very difficult to do so.

MISSION STATEMENT:

The mission of this blog is actually simple - judgment-free financial support and education to help anyone wishing who wishes to learn make a better life.  

As a man with poor credit, who has made myriad poor financial decisions in my life, I have learned that there a ton of ways to save money, stretch your paycheck to the limit, and even leverage loopholes and procedures to the advantage of the "little guy."  This isn't about the "big bad businessman," this is about taking responsibility, owning and learning from our errors, and doing the best with a crummy situation.  In the end, we learn by doing and making mistakes.  Some people barely feel a pinch; while many of us take a punch, and still more of us bleed,  The only person who can stop the bleeding is ourselves, but knowing a website which is supportive, and not judgmental or oriented towards upper-income earners or those with moderate-to-great credit helps.  That's where this blog comes in.

ABOUT THE OTHER GUYS

I will never talk badly about financial advice columnists or talk show hosts.  Individuals like Suze Orman, Clark Howard, and Dave Ramsey made their fortune helping others, and I applaud them for what they do.  They have their approaches, but I've discovered those approaches are rather limited in scope, and focus on their target audience; namely, upwardly mobile individuals who have disposable income to purchase their advertisers' products.  There is nothing wrong with this. It is a business model which works for them and I congratulate them on their success, and I know it was not easy for them to get there.  Where my blog is different is that I am focused on the underserved market - individuals who, for whatever reason, have poor credit, no credit, or are living paycheck to paycheck.  While the "big boys" of financial advice have a huge following, and for good reason, they also seem to have forgotten that the well of money only lasts as long as good decisions, and fortune, holds.  My roots are humble, and I am grateful for my errors, because they afford me the chance to help others.

A WORD ABOUT POVERTY AND CHOICES

It is very easy to turn one's nose down at the less fortunate and paint them with a broad brush stroke. Individuals who like to bash on this segment of our society I have given the acronym of "PPE," borrowing from the occupational safety acronym for Personal Protective Equipment (hazmat protection gear).  In this instance, PPE stands for Pundits, Politicians and Experts.  These folks are usually insulated, rarely have suffered true hardship and, save a few of them, are mostly very condescending of impoverished individuals, claiming they simply made "bad choices."  They wish to "protect" themselves from the real issues in life by attacking the underprivileged as being the problem.  This paints with a very broad stroke of the brush.  That's why this blog is judgment free.  I don't care if you lost everything gambling, drinking, or getting fired from every job because of an issue.  If you truly want to change and have committed to doing so, just reading to the end of this post proves it, and that means you will benefit from the tips, tricks, hacks and support I intend to provide. So please, check in often and maybe you can find something useful.  

For those of my readers who profess to be of the Christian faith, remember, Jesus dined with sinners and hung out with the dregs of society.  While I am not religious, but I appreciate the spiritual philosophies espoused by Christian faith, philosophies often ignored and lost to our own desire for comfort and luxury.  True Christian thinking is based in love of neighbor and charitable action towards those lost in darkness.  That's where this blog will go and stay - in the depths of financial hell, providing light and markers to help people who wish to fix their lives and improve get through, and help those who can't do so just yet live with a shred of dignity.

Thank you all for your support and readership.  Now, let's start building.