Money Hacks for Metalheads and Old Millennials

by Jessie May; self-release; available Dec 1, 2020 via Kimble Direct Publishing and as paperback

Well, maybe this book should have existed sooner, like 10 months ago… the pandemic illustrated its key message harshly: Every person in the art / culture / entertainment biz should have more than one financial leg to stand on, ideally a “real” bread-and-butter job. And the latter, moreover, should be located somewhere in cyberspace… because now everyone in tourism and gastronomy is fighting for bare survival in the pandemic crisis, and probably everyone outside a “digital” job for home or working as a nurse or coffin maker …

The librarian and freelance writer Jessie May, editor of AlternativeControlCT.com and more recently MetalheadMoney.com blog, has been involved in the scene for many years. She has e.g. organized metal concerts and helped many bands with their promo, hence her solid background in the scene. However, “Money Hacks for Metalheads and Old Millennials” is her first book, which will be available as an ebook from Kindle Direct Publishing and as paperback on December 1st.

First the plus sides: Jessie’s style is direct & frank, no bullshit or just-filling-the-pages; in between her life-hack chapters there are interviews with music professionals such as Jeramie Kling (Venom Inc., The Absence) and Monica Strut (The Last Martyr). No whitewashing and lots of useful tips, not only for bands and promoters, but also for the average fan. Or actually for everyone. For someone like me, coming from a poor background, many of these tips have become part of my life philosophy very early (e.g. second hand stuff, hand me downs, “upcycling”, long-time saving for expensive stuff etc). Therefore some chapters seem shockingly plain and simple, e.g. “don’t live beyond your means” or “keep 2-3 monthly salaries for emergencies”. Shocking, because I find it hard to believe that people out there actually don’t know such basic stuff and need to have it spelled out…?? Jessie provides many actual examples on how to get by on a budget and how to save money, she even gives cooking recipes. The tone of the book is relaxed and easy-to-read, and yes, there were actually a few tips for me on how to improve my online presence …

Now the downsides: Many of her tips seem very “US-American” for an EU citizen and therefore a bit unrealistic. On the other side of the pond it’s not so easy to find mini-jobs or houses/apartments to buy as investment objects, and the average EU citizen rarely speculates on the stock market personally (they usually let their banks to that) … On the other hand, in EU you don’t have to finance your social security yourselves. As a European reader, you can probably just skip the chapters on “best investment for doctor’s bills” or “retirement plans”. (At this point I’d wish to invite US readers who might see the EU as a “communist regime”: Please do some research on “social-democratic system of government” …)

Summing up:  Recommendable – not only for Metalheads. Perhaps an idea for X-mas – digitally or as paperback…

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