💎 Transparency
You’re funding this work. You deserve to know exactly how every dollar is spent.
The Principle
I demand transparency from governments and corporations. I can’t demand it from them without offering it myself.
This page shows every expense category, what I spend, and why. Updated monthly. No secrets.
📊 Current Monthly Status
Monthly Income
$0
From supporters
Monthly Expenses
$127
Operating costs
Current Gap
-$127
Self-funded
Last updated: December 2025
💰 Monthly Expense Breakdown
🖥️ Infrastructure
$80/mo
Server for website, database, email. 2 CPU cores, 4GB RAM, 80GB SSD. Runs WordPress, MySQL, Nginx. Full control, no shared hosting limitations.
Annual domain registration ($12/year). Required for website accessibility.
Professional email (@unearthedbyal.com). Newsletter delivery, reader communication. Better deliverability than free services.
🔍 Research Tools
$47/mo
Primary research tool. Document analysis, source verification, pattern recognition across hundreds of pages. 5x faster research than manual methods.
Access to court records, case law, statutes. Westlaw/Lexis alternatives. Essential for legal investigations.
JSTOR, academic databases. Historical research, peer-reviewed sources. Credibility matters.
Total Monthly Operating Cost
$127/mo
This is the bare minimum to keep the operation running. No salary. No marketing. Just the essential tools to research and publish.
🚫 What’s NOT Included (Yet)
These expenses would make the work sustainable, but aren’t covered yet:
- Living Expenses ($0/mo): Rent, food, utilities, health insurance. Currently paid from day job.
- Full-Time Salary ($0/mo): To quit the day job and focus entirely on investigations.
- FOIA Requests ($0/mo): Government records cost money. Processing fees, copying fees, sometimes legal fees.
- Travel for Investigations ($0/mo): Some stories require being there. Interviews, courthouse visits, on-site research.
- Equipment Upgrades ($0/mo): Better recording equipment, camera, backup systems for source protection.
- Legal Defense Fund ($0/mo): Investigative journalism sometimes gets sued. Need reserves for legal protection.
🎯 The Goal: Full-Time Independence
Funding Milestones
Milestone 1: Cover Operating Costs
$127/moStop self-funding the infrastructure. Every dollar currently comes from day job income.
Milestone 2: Part-Time Sustainable
$500/moCover tools + some living expenses. Reduce day job hours. More time for investigations.
Milestone 3: Full-Time Independent
$2,500/moQuit the day job. Full-time investigations. Living expenses covered. This is the sovereignty goal.
Milestone 4: Full Operation
$3,500/moFOIA requests, travel, equipment, legal defense fund. Professional-grade investigative operation.
📊 How This Compares
Traditional Media Operating Costs
- New York Times reporter salary: $80,000-120,000/year ($6,600-10,000/mo)
- Small newsroom monthly overhead: $15,000-30,000/mo (office, equipment, benefits)
- Independent journalist with grants: $40,000-60,000/year ($3,300-5,000/mo)
- Unearthed by Al target (Milestone 4): $3,500/mo ($42,000/year)
This model is lean by design. No office. No benefits package. No corporate structure. Just research, writing, and truth-seeking.
📅 Monthly Transparency Updates
December 2025
Total Income
$0
Total Expenses
$127
Status:
100% self-funded from day job income. Infrastructure running. Publishing investigations while working full-time. Building readership and proving the model works before asking for sustainable support.
Published This Month:
- “You Don’t Own Your Home: The Feudal Origins of Property Tax” (5,000+ words, 40+ sources)
- “The Hops Conspiracy: How a 1516 Law Changed Beer” (3,500+ words, 25+ sources)
The Commitment
Every month, this page gets updated. Real numbers. Real expenses. Real income.
If you support this work, you’ll see exactly where your money goes. If expenses increase, you’ll know why. If income grows, you’ll see the progress toward full-time independence.
No secrets. You’re funding this, you deserve to know how it’s used.
Support Transparent Journalism
Help move this operation from self-funded to sustainable. Every tier brings this work closer to full-time independence.
Memberships starting at $3/month • Crypto accepted • Cancel anytime