Hello from Shrill Society!

This month, we’re all about the money! It’s not just Equal Pay Day (April 2) or Tax Day (April 15) that has us with Benjis on the brain, the theme of our Nasty Woman planner in April is financial health. Money can be a minefield of a topic, especially as so many of us are reconciling our knowledge that, yes, capitalism is a seriously broken system and we also benefit from its many conveniences (we’re not the only ones on our iPhones right now, right?!?). So this month we’re looking at the macro―a corrupt global banking industry, systemic wage inequality―as well as the micro―managing a household budget and the pleasure of a (vicarious) splurge.

Our planner takes inspiration from Oprah Winfrey, the Queen of All Media and the first black woman billionaire. And while we’re not saying we all need Oprah cash (or that anyone does), we can still stan her financial savvy and ability to carve out meaningful space for herself and her voice, all the while making that money. This month, we’re excited to talk with women who are similarly carving out a niche for themselves in the world of financial education, advocacy, and entrepreneurship and at the same time paving the way for other women. In this issue of The Shout, we share their stories, as well as what we’re reading, watching, and laughing our heads off about this month. Tell us what you think or share recommendations with us of boss women to watch at hi@shrillsociety.com.

xo,

Amanda + Cameron

PS: Our planners just went on sale and you can score a mighty fine deal. Buy one, get one free. No discount code needed. We’ll just double your order at checkout and throw in a free Shrill Society pin (valued at $8)!

What we’re reading

How many of us were taught to never talk about money? Luckily there’s ample evidence on the Internet that that’s changing one personal essay at a time. Writer Ashley C. Ford writes poignantly for the Helm about overcoming “poor” being her only financial language and learning to invest in the future. Karissa Chen talks about learning how to spend (or not) from her immigrant family in her contribution to The Cut’s “Get That Money” column, plus there’s plenty more great money writing from women on that site. And when we’re feeling more voyeuristic, we pop over to the always entertaining, sometimes cringe-worthy looks into other women’s weekly spending at Refinery29’s “Money Diaries.” Alone these intimate stories can seem like small gestures, but they’re contributing to a big shift in how we collectively share our financial anxieties, goals, and daily habits.

What we’re watching

Meanwhile over on Capitol Hill...On Wednesday, the House Financial Services Committee convened a hearing featuring the CEOs of several major banks. One of the absolute highlights of our week was this clip of Freshman Representative Katie Porter going in on JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. Her line of questioning framed the real-world consequences of the gross pay disparity within the industry between executives and other employees. She stumps the CEO when she asks how a single mother should make ends meet on an entry-level salary at the bank (hint hint, pay her more!). It will make you laugh, well up with pride, and want to punch the screen all at once.

What we’re talking about

For our first interview this month, we had so much fun talking with Tiffany Aliche aka “The Budgetnista.” With a name like that, you know she knows her way around a budget. Here’s what she had to say about why it’s the most important tool in your financial toolkit:

“It is the financial backbone, the foundation for all things. It is the foundation for credit, the foundation for getting debt free, the foundation for savings, for investing, for insurance. If you do not have a budget, it’s going to be really difficult to grow towards your goals. People think, ‘I don’t want to have a budget to tell me no.’ A budget is not your ‘no plan.’ To me, your budget is your ‘say yes plan.’ With a budget, I say, ‘Hey budget, I’d like to go on vacation.’ And budget might say, ‘Well, if you reduce your cable for the next six months you can!’ A budget is a physical picture of what your money is doing and, if you don’t like the picture, you can change it.”

Read the full interview to learn more about becoming “The Budgetnista,” her mission to help women, and the best money advice she’s ever received.

That’s all for now. See you next time for Issue #23! Missed Issue #21? Read it here!