Profile
I am 40 years old, working as an occasional digital event producer and a freelance stage manager. Additionally, I serve as a teaching assistant and adjunct instructor. My schedule is filled with various side gigs, and I am a full-time PhD student in Drama.
Spending & Saving
Another month has passed quickly.
In notable news, the dollar has been declining against the pound, evident in the rising costs this month. I noticed a $20 increase in my rent, which is just part of a bigger trend.
I’m somewhat anxious about the summer. June will mark the end of my teaching pay in pounds, and I’ll need to start exchanging dollars for living expenses here. I’m hoping to secure a part-time job to at least cover my rent. I had an interview this week for a digital producing job with a British company.
In a recent producer meeting at my current job, it was made clear that bookings are not expected to increase anytime soon. I had zero bookings this month and only one paid booking from January. For April, there’s only one workshop scheduled, which isn’t great, especially since I’m only teaching half as many days as usual due to the spring break.
On a positive note, I’m set to teach two classes next term as an adjunct, which will help. I also received a package of tax papers from my dad that included my paycheck for stage managing during the holiday and a stipend for writing a journal article, which was unexpected.
Despite the state of my income, I continue to live as usual, albeit with some uncertainty about whether this is a wise choice. My expenses were mostly standard, with an increase in train costs due to a return fare to Glasgow for a friend’s wedding. I also purchased a plane ticket to return home for Memorial Day weekend. My family hosts a large camping trip, and I plan to extend my stay by working from home for an additional week.
I found an affordable flight through Icelandair, but it will likely be uncomfortable with an overnight return and a layover in Iceland. I’ve grown accustomed to the convenience of a direct morning flight to London, but I miss my family. My travel plans are ambitious; therefore, the cheaper option must suffice. My dad is selling our family home, which has been our home since I was three. I’m relieved to have the chance to pack up my room and ensure that sentimental items are kept, rather than discarded. It’s also time for a change as I’m concerned about my dad’s balance and the stairs in our house.
He has found a house to flip about 30 minutes away and will live there while working on it. He tells me there will still be a room for me, so I look forward to seeing it when I visit in May. While I may not handle change well, I believe I’m adapting to this news.
With the usual expenses when visiting my partner’s family in London, especially while his mom recovers, we also rented a car to visit friends who are in a location difficult to reach via public transport. We had a great evening playing Blood on the Clocktower with friends.
In positive news, my partner’s mom has been discharged from the hospital. This is excellent news not just health-wise, but for us as we can reduce our London trips, both financially and in terms of time. He hasn’t had a free weekend since January, and I’ve only had one. We haven’t spent a weekend at home together since early December, making for a really busy winter.
I’ve put down a deposit for a car rental for my driving test, which feels like a rip-off—£400 for a two-hour rental, including an hour before the test and the hour of the test itself. This feels like an exploitation of foreigners. I paid a £50 deposit and booked a hotel room near the test center because the earliest appointment at our local center is in September. I hope to buy a car by this summer, so I am preparing for a test first thing in the morning in May, which is approaching quickly. If I pass on my first attempt, the total cost of this endeavor will be close to £1000, and if I don’t, I can’t even bear to think about repeating this expensive process.
I’d love to say that next month’s expenses will be lower, but I doubt it. It’s time to start planning for the trip to Egypt and summer adventures with my best friend. My car insurance for my vehicle in the States is also coming due soon, which is still cheaper than renting a car for just 2-4 weeks a year. My experience with my car breaking down over the summer really highlighted the value of having my vehicle when I’m home.
Expenses this month:
- Rent – $808.63
- Q1 Taxes – $740.00
- Airfare Home in May – $477.88
- Food – $468.99
- Trains – $346.80
- Utilities – $329.07
- Tubes, Busses & Car Rentals – $194.94
- Driving Test – $115.94
- Entertainment – $96.85
- Council Tax – $84.74
- Gifts – $66.81
- Ubers – $59.42
- Charity – $41.40
- Blog – $37.00
- Toiletries – $11.01
Total Spending in March: $3879.48 (or $3,139.48 without taxes)
Hustling
This month’s income:
- Adjuncting – $1866.54
- Stage Managing – $1500.00
- Teaching Assistant – $886.75
- Digital Producing – $467.50
- Journal Article – $150.00
- Blog – $114.61
- Dividends – $43.20
Income This Month: $5,028.60
Goals
Moving forward with my goals!
- Max Out My Roth IRA for 2024: Done.
- Max Out My Roth IRA for 2025: $7000 to go.
- Max Out My HSA: $4300 to go.
- Go to Egypt with My Boyfriend and Family: Aiming for $3000 saved (though I hope it will be closer to $2500). I have $500 saved towards this so far.
- Best Friend Summer Adventures: My best friend visits every summer for about two weeks; we typically explore the UK for a long weekend and fly somewhere cheap for another weekend. If digital producing doesn’t pick up, I may need to dip into savings for this, but I aim to save between $2000 and $3000 for her visit.
- Anniversary Getaway: In May, we usually aim for a long weekend trip to celebrate our anniversary. I’d like to save $1,000, although we can likely manage for about half of that. I might have potentially ruined our anniversary weekend by planning a camping trip, so that’s still to be determined. We have also been considering some deals for a beach weekend in Albania for about $250.
- Save $1,200 for my US Car Insurance by June: Completed.
- Buy a Used Car in the UK: I currently have $10,000 in a new car account since my Toyota Matrix is nearing the end of her life. I’m now looking to buy a used car in the UK for around £5,000 or less after my driving lessons.
- Pay for a Graduate Visa: This will cost approximately £4000, and I have $6000 remaining in my tuition account, so I should be set for this by year-end.
