Why Fi: In a Parable

What's all this about?

I’m sure we’ve all come across the story of the Ant and The Grasshopper. The fable was based on the importance of saving for rainy days. Perhaps it was the only tale told about money?

The ants saved through summer, and had enough for winter. The grasshoppers had their fun in the sun, and lived to bear the consequences of it when colder days showed up. They were stressed and anxious. Their only option to survive was to turn to the ants for help.

Sounds scary, right? Especially if the grasshopper’s your spirit animal.

But have we ever asked ourselves - Why didn’t the grasshoppers save? The probability of a harsh winter always exists, right?

How often do we consider that maybe the grasshoppers didn’t know the right ways to save? Look around you, is finance really a friendly topic? Most millennials and older generations have a hard time grasping the basics of finance. Growing up, we lacked basic financial literacy. Once we began earning, understanding money seemed like an intimidating mountain many of us couldn’t climb.

Moreover, like the grasshoppers, the need to save was never emphasized enough. The world we live in rewards spending. The world’s ideas of “fun” are always limited to splurging.

We want to make finance fun!

This is why we made Fi. When we left Google, we had one aim - To simplify finance, for everyone. This means inclusive language, simple and clean design, and a helpful, learning environment.

I also think the fable got one thing wrong - You don’t have to live in extremes. You can be both Ant and Grasshopper. You can save and still have fun. You can spend and still be wise about it.

We hope you have fun saving with Fi!