Editorial guidelines

What The Dough Report publishes

We publish anonymous money diaries: a week-long snapshot of how one person earns, spends, and thinks about money. Every diary follows the same structure: background context, a 7-day spending log, and reflections on the diarist's relationship with money.

Our diaries are inspired by the money diary format that became popular in online media in the late 2010s. We're an independent platform with no affiliation to any media company.

Who can submit

Anyone. We welcome submissions from any country, any income level, any industry, and any stage of life. There's no minimum or maximum salary. You don't need to be in debt or be wealthy. You don't need to have your finances "figured out." The whole point is real life, not aspirational content.

How we review submissions

Every submission goes through editorial review before publication. Here's what we look for:

• Completeness: all required fields are filled in, the 7-day log has actual entries, and the background questions are answered thoughtfully.
• Authenticity: the diary reads like a real person's week. The numbers are internally consistent and the spending patterns feel plausible for the stated income and location.
• No promotion: the diary is about your financial life, not a platform for promoting a business, product, side hustle, affiliate link, or personal brand.

What gets rejected

We don't publish everything we receive. A submission may be declined if:

• It's incomplete or too thin to be useful to readers.
• It reads like an advertisement or contains self-promotion.
• The financial details don't add up or the diary appears fabricated.
• It contains content that could harm or target a specific individual.

We don't reject diaries because someone earns too little, spends "too much," or makes financial choices we disagree with. The point is honesty, not judgment.

How we edit

We may lightly edit your diary for clarity, grammar, readability, and formatting. We do not change your financial numbers, your opinions, or the substance of your story. If we ever need to make a significant change, we'll reach out to you first (if you provided an email).

We also add the structured metadata that appears on the published page: the summary stats, the "at a glance" section, and the financial identity tag. These are derived directly from the information you provide in the submission form.

Anonymity

Your real name is never published. Your email is never displayed. The information readers see is limited to what appears in the diary itself: occupation, age, city, salary, expenses, and your own words.

That said, we can't guarantee absolute anonymity. If you write that you're a 34-year-old pediatric surgeon in Boise making $310K who just bought a boat, someone who knows you might connect the dots. We encourage diarists to consider this and to leave out details they're uncomfortable sharing, or to slightly generalize identifying details (e.g., "the Pacific Northwest" instead of a specific small town).

Sample diaries

During our launch period, the site includes sample diaries created by our editorial team to demonstrate the format and populate the platform. These are clearly marked with a "Sample" badge. Sample diaries are fictional but designed to be realistic and representative of actual financial situations.

As real submissions are published, sample diaries may be gradually retired.

This is not financial advice

The Dough Report is a storytelling platform, not a financial advisory service. We publish personal accounts of how individuals experience money. Nothing on this site should be interpreted as investment advice, tax guidance, or a recommendation to make specific financial decisions. We're here to help people feel less alone with money, not to tell anyone what to do with theirs.

A note on why this exists

Money is one of the most powerful forces in daily life, and one of the least talked about. Most people have no idea how their peers actually spend, save, or stress about money. That gap creates shame, confusion, and isolation.

The Dough Report exists to close that gap, one diary at a time. If you've ever wondered whether your spending is "normal," whether your salary is fair, or whether anyone else lies awake thinking about their credit card balance — you're in the right place.