Cuprajake as I said earlier, I pay for most of what I have. What I don’t, I actually give away. I also give away most of what I buy (I have given away about a dozen handgrinders, some espresso machines, and like 8 or so electric grinders). I do NOT have the means for this, especially shipping internationally. I just dive into my pocket because I already overspend any measly funds I make from Youtube/patreon. I am always fully transparent- I make about $2500 monthly from Patreon (you can check this- I have it transparent on the site) and about $2,200 from Youtube. I spent around $12,000 for my studio, around $10,000 for equipment, $1500 monthly for my videographer/editor, and an obscene amount on coffee gear.
Should be noted those monthly incomes are recent. Patreon has slowly grown and youtube goes up and down.
I work way too much so as to ensure I can be as bias-free as possible. For instance, before partnering publicly (and I was VERY public about it to be above board) with XBloom, because I consulted on the project and will be an ongoing advisor, I refused affiliate links from every company. Even Breville, whose Dual Boiler I have championed, offered me a 20% commission! because how many people became interested due to my *unsponsored and unasked for video. I refused this commission, even though it has cost me well over 5 figures.
I take very seriously my authenticity. I speak from what I know and, when it is subjective, try to make it clear I am speaking from taste. Obviously, being human, I err, but I try my damnedest.
Threads like these help me understand my shortcomings to fix for future videos.