Ten Random Ways to Save Money and Not Starve as an Actor By Katherine Schreiber
1. Shop Wisely. Avoid buying food in high income and trendy areas. Choose Trader Joe’s over Whole Foods and head to Harlem, Inwood, Chinatown, Jackson Heights, or any neighborhood that has a Pathmark or Pioneer…You can also stick this list in your back pocket next time you head to any store for a cheap yet still healthy way to stock up: http://greatist.com/health/44-healthy-foods-under-1-dollar-031412/
2. Swap garbage bags with (FREE) grocery bags. You know, the complementary kind you get at the grocery store. (Paper, plastic, whatever you can get without an extra purchase.) The seven bucks or more you’d normally spend on a box of Hefty, Husky, Glad, or other anthropomorphized swath of stretchy plastic could be better invested in an en-route-to-rehearsal falafel. Or a Metro Card…
3. Immerse yourself in culture the cost-effective way. Don’t give me that Oh I can’t afford to go to museums excuse. Virtually every cultural venue in the city has some night they’re open for free. Try MoMa’s Target Free Friday Nights, the Neue Galerie’s First Fridays. Head to the Frick for Free on Sundays between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. After Saturday brunch (at a cheap restaurant, of course) dip into the Jewish museum before 5:45pm for no charge or swoop into the Guggenheim between 5:15 and 7:45 without paying anything at all. Wednesday work better for you? Go to the Bronx Zoo (think of it as a live, occasionally disturbing museum) or the NY Botanical Garden for zero and we mean zero dollars.
4. Milk that student ID. If you’re studying at T. Schreiber or elsewhere you’ll likely be provided with some form of identification verifying your enrollment at a studio or institution. USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. Student discounts come in all shapes and sizes, and you may be surprised just how far you can stretch that little piece of plastic (or paper). Bring your student ID to Angelika’s Village East Cinemas on Tuesday nights for discounted tickets and free popcorn. Flex your muscles for cheaper by inquiring at 24 Hour Fitness about their Student Discount membership rate. And don’t forget student rush tickets on Broadway! Check the hours of operation at the theater of your preferred production for the best time to line up outside. (But in the interim: Here’s a rundown of just how cheap the current Broadway offerings are…)
5. Get (List)Served. Sign up for deal alerts from Groupon, Lifebooker, LivingSocial, Buy With Me, and Rue La La for the latest, greatest, and relevant deals for your lifestyle. The key here is patience — sometimes it takes a while to have something crop up that you can really use. Be forewarned to resist urges to buy something just ‘cuz it sounds cool…like a $79 Laser Hair Removal Package or a $295 ultrasound liquified fat cell treatment (what!?).
6. Befriend someone with a Costco membership. (If you don’t have a membership yourself.) Go with a said friend — especially if s/he has a car — and stock up. Nuts, peanut butter, frozen veggies, yogurt, milk. Act like it’s the apocalypse but the kind of apocalypse where refrigerators still work. (You’d be surprised at just how many edible things can be frozen and saved for suspiciously long periods of time.) And while you’re at it, store up on canned goods — lentils, soups, legumes, yea we know you crave Annie’s mac and cheese… The weather has already been frightful, so these may help you prep for what the Mayans predicted. (Hey, it’s always good to play it safe, right?)
7. Know your tax exemptions. Being your own advertiser, publicist, and independent contractor. Traveling to shows, auditions, and go-sees. It adds up. But rest assured. To the chagrin of those on one end of the political spectrum, state and federal governments can help you foot the bill. Until we hear back from Congress on a tax reform plan — rest assured nothing’s happening anytime soon — working actors everywhere can squeeze through a fair number of loopholes for a hefty reimbursement after that dreaded April deadline …Check out this über helpful expense list from Actorstaxprep.com for a run down of just how much you can get reimbursed for:http://www.actorstaxprep.com/docs/ATPInfoSheet-ExpenseList2011.pdfnnhttp://www.actorstaxprep.com/writeoffs.ph
8. Rent what you wear. Need to look sharp for an audition? Do NOT waste money on an insanely overpriced piece of material you will wear a possible total of three times ever. Two venues in NYC offer fancy designer dresses, jewelry and more for a far more affordable sum than you could ever imagine. (Provided you don’t spill, tear, or otherwise mar the eye-catching piece.) Check out RentTheRunway.com or Ilus …
9. Cut your hair and your bill. A good do doesn’t have to ruin your wallet. Check out Time Out NY’s guide to the cheapest haircuts NYC offers. The best deal? Getting a COMPLETELY FREE cut by being a hair model. The once catch here is you may radically change your look. But hey, if it fits the character you’re going up for, sign up for Bumble and Bumble’s Hair Model project.
10. Exchange. Yea, yea, the altruist would donate her old clothes to Goodwill. But not all of us can afford to be so selfless. Head to Buffalo Exchange to swap your old clothes for cash or store credit. Why Buffalo Exchange? Well, one of their locations (26th between 6th and 7th) just so happens to be right across the street from T Schreiber Studios. So feel free to drop by for a (FREE) info session if you’re exchanging on a Monday around 5:45 pm…