Next week I get to fly home. My tickets were horribly expensive. I was lucky, I had a lot of help, but as it stands I did have to charge part of them so I have some debt to clear. Not only that, but this month and next month I am squeaking by on very little work. I'm hoping that things will come up, like the 6 days of work I randomly had booked this month which covers most of my rent. Still, though, it's probably going to be rough sailing for my until September.
I have work booked from August 30th to November 26th so far. I'll be able to breathe during that time and hopefully use that as a way to catch up a little. My goal is to finish out this year completely in the black with a little extra in my Emergency Fund. It'd be so nice to have that account sitting with three months worth of bills in there.
I've done a few odd jobs here and there to make some extra money. Some suited me, some really really didn't. I'm looking at heading back into the world of writing a little more heavily on days when I am not working. I have so many project ideas but have difficulty sitting down and writing. I've noticed I get more done in certain parts of the house, though, so I really should just get up in the morning, set my computer up on the dining room table, and work. We'll see if that theory works out at all.
In the meantime, soon I will see my brother married and meet my niece and nephew. I'll help my Mum move into her new house and I'll see my sister on her birthday. Very exciting and total worth every penny.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Time Flies
Everything is going by so fast right now. I can't believe it's almost July.
Tomorrow I get to close a show, and I'm still very uncertain about what might happen between now and October. Everything feels as though it's so up in the air.
I was going to be working a job in August that I had to turn over to someone else purely because I can't afford it. It's weird when you can't afford to work. But I have to get better about remembering my minimum amount that I need to make a week, and I can't take jobs any more that don't pay that. I really really need to be better about that. It's so hard for me to turn down work that I don't always look at things in black and white. I don't always remember that work takes up lots of time, and that time also needs to be spent paying rent.
Wow thats a convoluted sentence. Basically. Think things through, pay attention to the salary, remember what you're worth.
I think it's all going to be okay, just need to do a little brain rewiring.
I still have a lot of money to find in order to fly home. I have time, but it's really running out. I'll make it work somehow, I always do.
Tomorrow I get to close a show, and I'm still very uncertain about what might happen between now and October. Everything feels as though it's so up in the air.
I was going to be working a job in August that I had to turn over to someone else purely because I can't afford it. It's weird when you can't afford to work. But I have to get better about remembering my minimum amount that I need to make a week, and I can't take jobs any more that don't pay that. I really really need to be better about that. It's so hard for me to turn down work that I don't always look at things in black and white. I don't always remember that work takes up lots of time, and that time also needs to be spent paying rent.
Wow thats a convoluted sentence. Basically. Think things through, pay attention to the salary, remember what you're worth.
I think it's all going to be okay, just need to do a little brain rewiring.
I still have a lot of money to find in order to fly home. I have time, but it's really running out. I'll make it work somehow, I always do.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Getting All Booked
So after not having work booked, I'm getting a fair bit busy. I have one show in rehearsal right now, another show starting rehearsal tomorrow. Then in July I start rehearsals for the next one, and I'm also booked for November and February.
This is pretty great for me. Some of these gigs pay well, some of them less so. I'm excited to have work in my calendar. Right now I'm consistently working until September 4th. I'll really need to keep on top of day gigs and extra work to get my bills paid though.
One thing that I haven't had much success in recently that drives me nuts is getting my savings back in shape. As a general rule, you should have three months of expenses in saved up. I don't. I've got about two weeks right now. It's one of those frustrating things because I find it so hard to get ahead.
When I'm working this much, I eat out a lot. If I just have an hour to go and grab food, I do. I don't buy expensive food, but it really does add up. So, it's going to be back to using my trusty bread maker to make fresh bread and back to buying things to make sandwiches with.
I've got to keep on top of this, get my savings built back up, and get travel money saved up. My big brother gets married in July and trans-atlantic plane tickets sure aren't cheap these days!
This is pretty great for me. Some of these gigs pay well, some of them less so. I'm excited to have work in my calendar. Right now I'm consistently working until September 4th. I'll really need to keep on top of day gigs and extra work to get my bills paid though.
One thing that I haven't had much success in recently that drives me nuts is getting my savings back in shape. As a general rule, you should have three months of expenses in saved up. I don't. I've got about two weeks right now. It's one of those frustrating things because I find it so hard to get ahead.
When I'm working this much, I eat out a lot. If I just have an hour to go and grab food, I do. I don't buy expensive food, but it really does add up. So, it's going to be back to using my trusty bread maker to make fresh bread and back to buying things to make sandwiches with.
I've got to keep on top of this, get my savings built back up, and get travel money saved up. My big brother gets married in July and trans-atlantic plane tickets sure aren't cheap these days!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sacrificing Wealth for Art
June and July are going to be financially rough for me. I know this already. I'm prepared for it.
I'm working on two plays that, in a nutshell, pay diddly squat. But gosh it's going to be satisfying. I get to work on new contemporary work, play with some of my best friends, meet new awesome people, and add some very nifty credits to my resume. I'm glad I'm doing that, but this is one of those things where there isn't money in it.
When I left my corporate job last year, I knew there might be times like this. I was prepared for it and I've never really been into having money but hating my job. This is the first time, though, where I've really put myself in a financial pickle. I really think it'll be worth it, but I doubt very much that I'll be clearing my overdraft either month.
As well, the price you pay for loving what you do and working in the non-profit industry. I'll be doing as much side work as I can, but I still doubt it'll quite be enough.
By the way, you can now find some of my writing on the Gaucho blog
Also, hi Mimi :-)
I'm working on two plays that, in a nutshell, pay diddly squat. But gosh it's going to be satisfying. I get to work on new contemporary work, play with some of my best friends, meet new awesome people, and add some very nifty credits to my resume. I'm glad I'm doing that, but this is one of those things where there isn't money in it.
When I left my corporate job last year, I knew there might be times like this. I was prepared for it and I've never really been into having money but hating my job. This is the first time, though, where I've really put myself in a financial pickle. I really think it'll be worth it, but I doubt very much that I'll be clearing my overdraft either month.
As well, the price you pay for loving what you do and working in the non-profit industry. I'll be doing as much side work as I can, but I still doubt it'll quite be enough.
By the way, you can now find some of my writing on the Gaucho blog
Also, hi Mimi :-)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Plink
I have no idea why I have titled this post "Plink". Just felt right.
Sometimes, being broke is particularly rough. I'm having trouble getting my spending under control again. You'd think that I'd be fine, what with working a bunch and such, but I find myself always spending more money than I intend. If I go to Target for one thing, I end up with three other things I had forgotten that I needed. I've been trying to be on a spending freeze, but that doesn't seem to be working so well.
What I really need is a major kick in the teeth. I should be done with vet bills for now. I need to save for plane tickets, but I certainly don't need to be going out a bunch or buying anything that I don't absolutely need.
Each month I start with nothing charged to my ING overdraft. This is where I pull gas and grocery money from, as well as other miscellaneous expenses. Pretty much every month it's got several hundred dollars charged to it that I need to clear. It's driving me bonkers. So I think May is going to be my serious lockdown month. I'm considering taking my card out of my wallet. Drastic times call for drastic measures of course.
Has that ever actually worked for you?
Sometimes, being broke is particularly rough. I'm having trouble getting my spending under control again. You'd think that I'd be fine, what with working a bunch and such, but I find myself always spending more money than I intend. If I go to Target for one thing, I end up with three other things I had forgotten that I needed. I've been trying to be on a spending freeze, but that doesn't seem to be working so well.
What I really need is a major kick in the teeth. I should be done with vet bills for now. I need to save for plane tickets, but I certainly don't need to be going out a bunch or buying anything that I don't absolutely need.
Each month I start with nothing charged to my ING overdraft. This is where I pull gas and grocery money from, as well as other miscellaneous expenses. Pretty much every month it's got several hundred dollars charged to it that I need to clear. It's driving me bonkers. So I think May is going to be my serious lockdown month. I'm considering taking my card out of my wallet. Drastic times call for drastic measures of course.
Has that ever actually worked for you?
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