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American Financial Influencers/Educators Simply Aren't Able to Speak to Average People in the UK
They're often not really able to talk to the average American, in most cases, though some are better at that than others.
American financial information is almost entirely centred around investing. In the UK, investing doesn't offer anything like the same compound interest rates, and therefore the same returns, as it does the USA. Investment vehicles beyond pensions are also not as readily accesible for the average person in the UK as they are in the USA.
The UK has a similar problem to the USA with a lack of financial literacy.
We aren't taught functional finance in school. Many people never do any in depth reading, with independent research around the original reading, once they've left mandatory education - on any subject, but particularly on finance. There is a strong belief that "finance is maths, and I've never been any good at maths." (Finance is to maths what Italian chain restaurants are to Italian cuisine...only very vaguely connected.)
In every situation where we feel we don't know as much as we perhaps should know, people can become dismissively snarky about finance - "Yeah, well, the rich just scam the rest of us forever! What else do you need to know?!"
People like to complain about "not benefitting from generational wealth" without ever really appreciating what that 'wealth' can look like. A lack of generational wealth also seems to be the one cycle people aren't that invested in breaking.
Absolutely, generational wealth can be investments, property, passive income, a seat on the Board.
But generational wealth is also:
> People providing rent-free space where you can live safely while you build or rebuild
American financial information is almost entirely centred around investing. In the UK, investing doesn't offer anything like the same compound interest rates, and therefore the same returns, as it does the USA. Investment vehicles beyond pensions are also not as readily accesible for the average person in the UK as they are in the USA.
The UK has a similar problem to the USA with a lack of financial literacy.
We aren't taught functional finance in school. Many people never do any in depth reading, with independent research around the original reading, once they've left mandatory education - on any subject, but particularly on finance. There is a strong belief that "finance is maths, and I've never been any good at maths." (Finance is to maths what Italian chain restaurants are to Italian cuisine...only very vaguely connected.)
In every situation where we feel we don't know as much as we perhaps should know, people can become dismissively snarky about finance - "Yeah, well, the rich just scam the rest of us forever! What else do you need to know?!"
People like to complain about "not benefitting from generational wealth" without ever really appreciating what that 'wealth' can look like. A lack of generational wealth also seems to be the one cycle people aren't that invested in breaking.
Absolutely, generational wealth can be investments, property, passive income, a seat on the Board.
But generational wealth is also:
> People providing rent-free space where you can live safely while you build or rebuild
> People offering childcare or petcare on a "general exchange of services" basis - eg, they watch your kids while you're at work, you help them with "life paperwork". They look after your pets while you're on holiday, you do their garden for them.
> People being willing to promote your name in spaces you can't access
> People being willing to recommend you, and to accurately review your services
> People lending equipment, lifts, and expertise
There may well be "an app for that" - but apps don't build generational wealth for people beyond the heads of the companies that own them. Apps don't build communites. And without genuine community, you don't have true generational wealth.
If you really want to "stick it to the system!", express your disappointment and frustration with political leaders, etc - build community. Build offline. Trust people. Talk to people. The system thrives when ordinary people are surviving in low-trust situations, isolated from one another, and dependent on technology (which is never really owned, and can be readily taken away.)
Every Monday and Wednesday, this page will have a new financial literacy lesson uploaded. Lessons will be short, simple, designed for ordinary UK folk.
There will be the option to purchase more indepth, one-to-one, tailored engagement sessions, but absolutely no obligation to do so.
> People being willing to promote your name in spaces you can't access
> People being willing to recommend you, and to accurately review your services
> People lending equipment, lifts, and expertise
There may well be "an app for that" - but apps don't build generational wealth for people beyond the heads of the companies that own them. Apps don't build communites. And without genuine community, you don't have true generational wealth.
If you really want to "stick it to the system!", express your disappointment and frustration with political leaders, etc - build community. Build offline. Trust people. Talk to people. The system thrives when ordinary people are surviving in low-trust situations, isolated from one another, and dependent on technology (which is never really owned, and can be readily taken away.)
Every Monday and Wednesday, this page will have a new financial literacy lesson uploaded. Lessons will be short, simple, designed for ordinary UK folk.
There will be the option to purchase more indepth, one-to-one, tailored engagement sessions, but absolutely no obligation to do so.
The Lessons:
Lesson One: How Do You Make Money When You Don't Have Money?
Making money when you already have money is fairly easy - investment. Stock market, buying businesses, buying assets, buying and renting out commercial property (it's a lot easier to make money being a commercial landlord than a residential one, and a bit more ethical), starting your own business and achieving profitability fairly quickly...Lesson One: How Do You Make Money When You Don't Have Money?
When you don't have money, even the most obvious, basic way to make money - get a job - isn't necessarily a route you can pursue.
Getting a job costs money.
You have to be able to afford some form of internet access - you can "just use a library computer", but, honestly? If you're having to treat looking for a job as though it is your job, that's not really practical for more than a couple of weeks. And, right now, it's almost always going to take a lot more than two weeks to even get your first interview.
You have to be able to afford to reliably travel, often a considerable distance; if you manage to convince the DWP you're eligible for welfare support (honestly a job in itself), you'll be expected to travel an hour and a half, each way, just to look for work. And you're expected to be looking for work at least 5 days out of 7, for at least 7hrs a day. And no, the welfare support you get does not even come close to the pay for 35hrs of work at the UK minimum wage. That's fuel for your car, if you drive. If you don't, it's bus fare, train fare, sometimes taxis, if public transport doesn't co-operate with your interview time.
You have to be able to afford postage, because even in 2026, there will be companies who expect you to print out and post back paper application forms. Oh, yeah - and you'll need to be able to afford printing, either a printer and ink for your home, or to pay for printing from libraries or similar.
You have to be able to afford to reliably have clean, dry, well-presented formal clothing - which, for men, is less available in charity shops, Vinted, etc - and to be well-presented yourself; for women, that usually means affording makeup, for men, it means affording good haircuts.
If you are disabled, these costs may be increased - but don't rely on the DWP recognising that reality, or reflecting it in any of the additional welfare support payments that the media and government insist people are getting in literally 5mins, simply for reporting that they "feel sad sometimes."
If you follow GB News et al, you may well be thinking "Well, the easiest way for me to get money when I don't have money is just to sign on!" - good luck with that. There's a minimum five week wait, before you'll even be assessed. And then there's a further wait, typically of five weeks, before you'll actually get your first payment (assuming you haven't been told to just get a loan from somewhere, regardless of your credit score, and stop bothering them.) And you won't be getting anything like the kind of money you'd get even in a minimum wage job.
Market stalls require a rental payment. You'll also be obliged to have insurance. Then you'll need your own gazebo to trade in all weathers, you'll need to be able to afford to buy or manufacture stock.
An online business is going to cost a lot of money to drive traffic to when you first set it up. Increasingly, people on social media sites are not tolerant of people promoting their businesses, which means unless you're paying the site owners, your business posts will get buried. Most "out of the box" retail sites charge hosting fees, commission on sales, etc. If you're having a website, you'll need to buy a domain name, pay hosting fees. And, of course, you'll need to have more or less 24/7 internet access. Which you'll need to pay for.
You have to be able to afford to reliably travel, often a considerable distance; if you manage to convince the DWP you're eligible for welfare support (honestly a job in itself), you'll be expected to travel an hour and a half, each way, just to look for work. And you're expected to be looking for work at least 5 days out of 7, for at least 7hrs a day. And no, the welfare support you get does not even come close to the pay for 35hrs of work at the UK minimum wage. That's fuel for your car, if you drive. If you don't, it's bus fare, train fare, sometimes taxis, if public transport doesn't co-operate with your interview time.
You have to be able to afford postage, because even in 2026, there will be companies who expect you to print out and post back paper application forms. Oh, yeah - and you'll need to be able to afford printing, either a printer and ink for your home, or to pay for printing from libraries or similar.
You have to be able to afford to reliably have clean, dry, well-presented formal clothing - which, for men, is less available in charity shops, Vinted, etc - and to be well-presented yourself; for women, that usually means affording makeup, for men, it means affording good haircuts.
If you are disabled, these costs may be increased - but don't rely on the DWP recognising that reality, or reflecting it in any of the additional welfare support payments that the media and government insist people are getting in literally 5mins, simply for reporting that they "feel sad sometimes."
If you follow GB News et al, you may well be thinking "Well, the easiest way for me to get money when I don't have money is just to sign on!" - good luck with that. There's a minimum five week wait, before you'll even be assessed. And then there's a further wait, typically of five weeks, before you'll actually get your first payment (assuming you haven't been told to just get a loan from somewhere, regardless of your credit score, and stop bothering them.) And you won't be getting anything like the kind of money you'd get even in a minimum wage job.
Market stalls require a rental payment. You'll also be obliged to have insurance. Then you'll need your own gazebo to trade in all weathers, you'll need to be able to afford to buy or manufacture stock.
An online business is going to cost a lot of money to drive traffic to when you first set it up. Increasingly, people on social media sites are not tolerant of people promoting their businesses, which means unless you're paying the site owners, your business posts will get buried. Most "out of the box" retail sites charge hosting fees, commission on sales, etc. If you're having a website, you'll need to buy a domain name, pay hosting fees. And, of course, you'll need to have more or less 24/7 internet access. Which you'll need to pay for.
People will breezily tell you you can easily make money instantly doing baby sitting, pet sitting, cleaning, gardening, or taking away peoples' rubbish - not in the UK, you can't. The expectation now is that you'll have public liability insurance and be DBS checked - which cost money. (And take forever, in the case of the DBS.) To take away peoples' rubbish? You'll need a waste disposal licence - which costs money. If people are paying you to do their garden, they're expecting you to have your own tools - which, if you don't already have your own tools, cost a lot of money.
People aren't buying second hand clothes the way they used to; they want top-quality designer gear. This sort of stuff does not routinely just hang around on charity shop rails.
I've had things listed for over 6 weeks on Gumtree before I had any interest - and then I got bargained down. I've had things, useful things, in good condition, that I couldn't give away. (Literally - they were for free, and no one wanted them.)
Great; now I feel completely hopeless. What's the point? What the heck can I do to make money when I don't have money?
1. Offer weeding-only services; you won't really need tools, people feel more chill about not expecting you to have insurance or a DBS check, as you'll only be outside. You can also include lawn mowing services - if people have a lawn, they probably have a lawn mower. Weeding and mowing also don't require any actual garden skills. However, you're limited to a few weeks of the year for making the bulk of your money, and you do sort of need to live in an area where a lot of people actually have gardens - especially if you're disabled in a way which means driving isn't an option, or you can't afford to run a car, because you won't be able to easily get to multiple properties without a vehicle.
2. Renting things you already own; Prioritise things you're a little less worried about losing. Examples may include: mountain bikes, standard road push bikes, kids' bikes, wetsuits, hiking and camping gear, tools. This does require having the money to afford to print some very basic black and white flyers for your neighbours, although you can also list things for free on Gumtree, and in local Facebook groups.
If you have a spare room, that is already set up for someone to sleep in (basic bed, basic clothing rail, bedside unit), the easiest way to rent that is simply to list it on Gumtree. (If you're a council or private sector tenant, you will need to confirm that your tenancy allows you to technically sublet a spare room.)
I've had things listed for over 6 weeks on Gumtree before I had any interest - and then I got bargained down. I've had things, useful things, in good condition, that I couldn't give away. (Literally - they were for free, and no one wanted them.)
Great; now I feel completely hopeless. What's the point? What the heck can I do to make money when I don't have money?
1. Offer weeding-only services; you won't really need tools, people feel more chill about not expecting you to have insurance or a DBS check, as you'll only be outside. You can also include lawn mowing services - if people have a lawn, they probably have a lawn mower. Weeding and mowing also don't require any actual garden skills. However, you're limited to a few weeks of the year for making the bulk of your money, and you do sort of need to live in an area where a lot of people actually have gardens - especially if you're disabled in a way which means driving isn't an option, or you can't afford to run a car, because you won't be able to easily get to multiple properties without a vehicle.
2. Renting things you already own; Prioritise things you're a little less worried about losing. Examples may include: mountain bikes, standard road push bikes, kids' bikes, wetsuits, hiking and camping gear, tools. This does require having the money to afford to print some very basic black and white flyers for your neighbours, although you can also list things for free on Gumtree, and in local Facebook groups.
If you have a spare room, that is already set up for someone to sleep in (basic bed, basic clothing rail, bedside unit), the easiest way to rent that is simply to list it on Gumtree. (If you're a council or private sector tenant, you will need to confirm that your tenancy allows you to technically sublet a spare room.)
3. Live modelling for art schools - this does, of course, mean you need to have a local art school, who do live drawing, and who actually both want models, and want to pay them; it's not a long-term income stream, but it's a start, and also means you get to meet more people.
4. If you have a planted garden, take cuttings from your best plants, and sell them - again, you'll need enough money to buy some plant pots and compost, but other than that, an ad on Gumtree and local Facebook groups should do the trick. You won't make a lot of money, and it will be very limited in seasonality, but, again, it's a start.
5. If you keep fish, and know what you're doing with them - breed them. Ad on Gumtree, approach local aquarist pet shops. Another "probably won't bring you much money, or a regular income stream, but is something, when you currently have nothing."
6. Begging - the ultimate "I literally have nothing, not even a home, but I need to eat." Results very much vary, as does your treatment by the locals and the police. If you live in a Reform-governed area, your councillor will not like you, and will stir up anyone and everyone they can to make your life hell. Begging is likely to be more successful if you combine it with some kind of performance - people appreciate being entertained.
While you're pursuing these very basic ways to get a hard-scrabble trickle of an income, either without bothering the DWP, or while you're waiting for them to agree to step in and keep you in a position where you can contribute to the economy by actually being able to spend money on things which have VAT attached to them, apply for literally any job you could conceivably do and get to.
I've already covered the fact that the DWP require 35hrs of "work related activity" per week. That's 7hrs a day, five days a week.
That can feel like a lot, especially if you have family commitments as well.
So, let's break the 35hrs of work-related activity per week demand down into something that's realistic:
I'm going to be assuming that this is for someone who has school-age kids, as that's often where the challenge lies:
Monday-Friday:
10am-12.30pm (2.5hrs): Online Jobsearch:
30mins - Indeed
30mins - LinkedIn
30mins - Facebook
30mins - Instagram
30mins - Reed/Total Jobs/Jooble/CV Library (these can be done one per day, as they don't really update that much.)
4.30pm-7pm (2.5hrs): Skills Research:
1hr: Reading through job ads for (in priority order):
. Dream jobs (Monday and Friday's focus)
. Jobs you wouldn't be too upset about doing (Tuesday's focus)
. Meh, it's a job jobs (Wednesday's focus)
. Complete bs jobs (Thursday's focus)
4. If you have a planted garden, take cuttings from your best plants, and sell them - again, you'll need enough money to buy some plant pots and compost, but other than that, an ad on Gumtree and local Facebook groups should do the trick. You won't make a lot of money, and it will be very limited in seasonality, but, again, it's a start.
5. If you keep fish, and know what you're doing with them - breed them. Ad on Gumtree, approach local aquarist pet shops. Another "probably won't bring you much money, or a regular income stream, but is something, when you currently have nothing."
6. Begging - the ultimate "I literally have nothing, not even a home, but I need to eat." Results very much vary, as does your treatment by the locals and the police. If you live in a Reform-governed area, your councillor will not like you, and will stir up anyone and everyone they can to make your life hell. Begging is likely to be more successful if you combine it with some kind of performance - people appreciate being entertained.
While you're pursuing these very basic ways to get a hard-scrabble trickle of an income, either without bothering the DWP, or while you're waiting for them to agree to step in and keep you in a position where you can contribute to the economy by actually being able to spend money on things which have VAT attached to them, apply for literally any job you could conceivably do and get to.
I've already covered the fact that the DWP require 35hrs of "work related activity" per week. That's 7hrs a day, five days a week.
That can feel like a lot, especially if you have family commitments as well.
So, let's break the 35hrs of work-related activity per week demand down into something that's realistic:
I'm going to be assuming that this is for someone who has school-age kids, as that's often where the challenge lies:
Monday-Friday:
10am-12.30pm (2.5hrs): Online Jobsearch:
30mins - Indeed
30mins - LinkedIn
30mins - Facebook
30mins - Instagram
30mins - Reed/Total Jobs/Jooble/CV Library (these can be done one per day, as they don't really update that much.)
4.30pm-7pm (2.5hrs): Skills Research:
1hr: Reading through job ads for (in priority order):
. Dream jobs (Monday and Friday's focus)
. Jobs you wouldn't be too upset about doing (Tuesday's focus)
. Meh, it's a job jobs (Wednesday's focus)
. Complete bs jobs (Thursday's focus)
Note the skills you would realistically need to acquire or update.
1hr: Researching what the options for acquiring these skills are - in person training, online training, books you could read, volunteer options for gaining experience, etc.
30mins: Consider what skills you already have which may be transferable for the skills you need
1hr: Researching what the options for acquiring these skills are - in person training, online training, books you could read, volunteer options for gaining experience, etc.
30mins: Consider what skills you already have which may be transferable for the skills you need
9pm-11.30pm: Updated Awareness Review
1hr: Reading/listening to news/podcasts about current affairs in your country, and your local area
1hr: Reading/listening to podcasts about business, finance, politics, and HR (HR is going to become very, very relevant.)
30mins: Thinking of local businesses you could visit, and using social media to identify new businesses in your area.
For in-person jobsearch, use the time you're returning from dropping your kid/s at school, or are travelling to collect them, as well as time you're handling life demands in your nearest town/city centre, even if you have your child/ren with you - as you've already covered your 35hrs minimum with the above activities, this can literally be whatever time you can grab, so that you "win" the "dealing with the DWP" game, and are seen as an "engaged claimant."
Be aware also - the DWP will not pay for anything - even if having the thing would make it more likely that you'd get a job sooner. (I've spent years trying to convince them to pay for me to take CIPD training for HR, as that is a job which is more accessible given my disabilities and care commitments mean I need to work remotely, and is somewhat more resilient against AI than pretty much any of the rest of my skillset...hasn't got me anywhere, even though reaching the level typically required for actually being employed in HR would cost a minimum of £5k...which, if I had that spare, I wouldn't be allowed to claim welfare support anyway...)
If you would be interested in hiring me to work in a group setting, my fee for this is £20pp, plus travel expenses (I will advise of these on confirmation of booking acceptance; expenses will need to be paid in advance, while standard payments are on 7 day terms.)
For one-to-one, tailored support, I can offer 1hr remote sessions for £20ph, payable on booking, or half-day in person sessions for £75; in person sessions are only available in central Lowestoft, Norwich city centre (Surrey Street to Riverside), and Great Yarmouth town centre, and are payable on booking.
If you're happy to just take the freebies, and figure out how to fit them to your circumstances yourself? That's mostly why I'm doing these lessons. I know what it is to not have money, in a very literal sense, and I don't want people feeling they "have to" pay for support. Equally, I know some people are in a position to pay for customised support, and are happy to do so - it's whatever feels comfortable for you.
1hr: Reading/listening to news/podcasts about current affairs in your country, and your local area
1hr: Reading/listening to podcasts about business, finance, politics, and HR (HR is going to become very, very relevant.)
30mins: Thinking of local businesses you could visit, and using social media to identify new businesses in your area.
For in-person jobsearch, use the time you're returning from dropping your kid/s at school, or are travelling to collect them, as well as time you're handling life demands in your nearest town/city centre, even if you have your child/ren with you - as you've already covered your 35hrs minimum with the above activities, this can literally be whatever time you can grab, so that you "win" the "dealing with the DWP" game, and are seen as an "engaged claimant."
Be aware also - the DWP will not pay for anything - even if having the thing would make it more likely that you'd get a job sooner. (I've spent years trying to convince them to pay for me to take CIPD training for HR, as that is a job which is more accessible given my disabilities and care commitments mean I need to work remotely, and is somewhat more resilient against AI than pretty much any of the rest of my skillset...hasn't got me anywhere, even though reaching the level typically required for actually being employed in HR would cost a minimum of £5k...which, if I had that spare, I wouldn't be allowed to claim welfare support anyway...)
If you would be interested in hiring me to work in a group setting, my fee for this is £20pp, plus travel expenses (I will advise of these on confirmation of booking acceptance; expenses will need to be paid in advance, while standard payments are on 7 day terms.)
For one-to-one, tailored support, I can offer 1hr remote sessions for £20ph, payable on booking, or half-day in person sessions for £75; in person sessions are only available in central Lowestoft, Norwich city centre (Surrey Street to Riverside), and Great Yarmouth town centre, and are payable on booking.
If you're happy to just take the freebies, and figure out how to fit them to your circumstances yourself? That's mostly why I'm doing these lessons. I know what it is to not have money, in a very literal sense, and I don't want people feeling they "have to" pay for support. Equally, I know some people are in a position to pay for customised support, and are happy to do so - it's whatever feels comfortable for you.
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