The New Oil
In general, funds from The New Oil are primarily used to maintain infrastructure like servers and subscriptions that keep the site running. We also use funds to upgrade equipment (like cameras for content creation), purchase things for testing, and other similar expenses. You can get a better idea of where contributions go by checking out our latest transparency report.
The following is a list of unrealized projects that The New Oil is working to implement using the financial support of our readers. If you want to support us to make any of these projects possible, then please consider donating. Keep in mind that these projects may be implemented earlier than expected or pushed back depending on funding and time constraints. We try to make sure we always have enough money in the bank to keep our current obligations funded before adding new expenses.
Reimbursement: Currently, no one at The New Oil draws a consistent paycheck. We sometimes pay freelancers for low-cost or one-time work (such as video thumbnails or web development). We hope someday to reimburse Nate (and future staff members) for their time spent working on the project, which will in return free up more time to focus on The New Oil and reduce dependence on “day jobs.”
Mac Mini Having a budget-model desktop Apple device would help us with testing, reviewing, and troubleshooting various tools and techniques for the website, most notably recommended settings. In the past we were able to run MacOS in a virtual machine, however Apple is making this increasingly difficult to the point where it is no longer possible for us.
iPhone 16e Like the Mac Mini, to keep current with recommended settings and reviews, having access to an iPhone would be helpful. Unfortunately, the new “budget” model from Apple has a noticeable price increase, making it a considerable expense.