I know for sure you don't come to Broke-Ass Stuart to hear from a finance person, you come for insight into art, music, local politics and all the things that make the Bay Area a great place to live. I've been the (very part-time) CFO of Broke-Ass Stuart since 2015 and have seen all the financial ups and downs of being a local independent publisher. One thing that has stayed constant through the tech booms, busts and pandemics, is keeping the site going is a constant struggle. Right now I am preparing for the annual end-of-year financial review of the business side of BAS with Stuart and Alex. 

I'll be honest, none of us look forward to it. Every year since 2020 I have questioned if BAS remains a viable business. Every year the cost of running BAS goes up and there is rarely room for compensation increases for our dedicated editors and writers. Stuart and Alex have cut the operating expenses to the bone. They exist in San Francisco on incomes that would send most people fleeing to cheaper locals. Trust me, if you've seen their rent-controlled apartments, you know these fellas are frugal.

They switch tech providers, find every efficiency that exists and are constantly thinking of ways to keep costs down. It costs about $175,000 a year to keep it going. They hustle and pitch to keep advertising dollars coming in, hire local artists to design new t-shirts to sell, and work with local bars to put out beer and wine books to get folks out to local businesses, but it's never enough. Broke-Ass Stuart only exists today because of the generosity of our readers. 

If you enjoy Broke-Ass Stuart and want to see it continue, one of the best things you can do is join our Patreon. Reader support accounts for about 30% of BAS income. It provides a consistent base of funds we know will be there every month and you get some great benefits like sweet deals at restaurants, discounts on merch, weird postcards, and more. January and February are always some of the lowest income months for BAS so joining now can help smooth out the transition to 2026. It would also make that end of year meeting that's looming a lot less stressful for all of us at BAS.

I thank every one of our Patreon members for keeping BAS in business and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Also, if you’re looking for a tax write-off or have a money in a DAF you’d like to give, you can make a tax deductible donation right here.

Sincerely,
Amiee