Drew DeVault

Drew DeVault shares his personal journey toward sustainable full-time FOSS development, detailing how recurring donations from over 80 donors across three platforms (fosspay, LiberaPay, Patreon) now total ~$548/month. He breaks down the math behind his $6,000/month full-time goal, covering Philadelphia living costs (~$1,700 rent, ~$1,000 other expenses), self-hosted infrastructure costs ($380/month), a 1.5x savings buffer for financial security, and US tax estimates. He emphasizes that recurring donations from many small donors are more stable than one-time gifts or single-platform dependence, and notes his goal will decrease as donations increase and his lifestyle adjusts.

The path to sustainably working on FOSS full-time