because "you have to spend money to make money" and building a resource people value for free despite the fact that you loose money, and then charging or asking

because "you have to spend money to make money" and building a resource people value for free despite the fact that you loose money, and then charging or asking for money is a proven technique for earning way more than $7 a month. It could be a financial stretch that has them on the edge, in hopes of earning a significant reward later.