Transparency

💎 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. The income figure updates itself from the membership system. No secrets.

📊 Current Monthly Status

Monthly Income

$0

From supporters

Monthly Expenses

$6

Operating costs

Current Gap

-$6

Self-funded

Income is live. Expenses last checked October 2026.


💰 Monthly Expense Breakdown

🖥️ Infrastructure

$6/mo

VPS Hosting (Vultr) $5/mo

Server for website, database, email. 1 CPU core, 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD. Runs WordPress, MySQL, Nginx. Full control, no shared hosting limitations.

Domain Name (unearthedbyal.com) $1/mo

Annual domain registration ($12/year). Required for website accessibility.

Total Monthly Operating Cost

$6/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:

  • 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 ($0 currently): Better recording equipment, camera, backup systems. Funded through dedicated fundraisers when needed.
  • Legal Defense Fund ($0/mo): Investigative journalism sometimes gets sued. Need reserves for legal protection.

📅 Monthly Transparency Updates

February 2026

Total Income

$27

Total Expenses

$6

🎉 First Member

The first member joined in January at the $27 Excavator tier, and this was their second payment. No payment came after February. Building slowly, sustainably, and with full transparency.

Published This Month:

  • Content in production

The Commitment

The income on this page updates itself. 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.

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 independence.

Memberships starting at $3/month • Crypto accepted • Cancel anytime