I’m challenging myself to save $10,000 in 10 weeks, and October 5th official marks the halfway point! (Get the rundown of week 4 HERE).
This has been my most lofty savings goal yet. Deciding to share the journey publicly has done wonders for motivation. But it’s also done wonders for my stress levels– failure is not an option! When I wake up at 4am in a worried state, I gently remind myself that I am both the jockey and the racehorse.
And, in fact, failure is totally fine.
If I don’t reach the goal, all my bills can still be paid. Food will still be on the table. My loved ones will be safe.
There’s a phrase that’s been wafting through my thoughts:
Curated struggle.
The brain adores overcoming challenges. Curating our own problems is a perfect set up for a rewarding dopamine surge. (Plus, if I make up my own problems, my subconscious won’t make ones up for me.)
It’s a concept for privileged folks with problems like, “I can’t decide what career path I want to pursue” rather than, “I’m going to be evicted next month and don’t know how to feed my family.” My fortunate position is not lost on me, and I look forward to giving back during the next phase of life.
Let’s dive into what I did, made, spent, and saved.
The Gigs:
1. Squishmallows Activation
The Event: The Squishmallows tour made a stop in NYC right in Herald Square. The activation had two photo opps as well as a plinko-style game where people dropped a ball that would go into either a small, medium or large slot. Happy attendees would get a Squishmallows sized accordingly. A DJ was pumping some beats. It was a beautiful day. Spirits were high.
Hours: 10:30am-5:30pm (activation was live 12-5pm.)
My Job: I was stationed at the couch photo opp. I helped people take photos and get excited (which involved moving and grooving to the DJ all day long!)
Thoughts and Feelings: 5 hours of dancing around getting people excited and pumped… hmmm… sounds like my usual Saturday night! Bringing the energy for 5 hours was no sweat for me. And it didn’t go unnoticed by the managers.
GIG TIP: One of my rules for thriving in in the gig economy is that “it’s not about getting the call, it’s about getting the callback.” Making a good impression means that the people staffing will reach out to you for great jobs in the future (aka less applications and job hunting!)
2. TooFarMedia Columbia Activation
The Event: TooFarMedia is a “A multimedia storytelling experience combining book, music, art, animation and video.” To promote they app, they are popping up at college campuses to give out free books.
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 9am-4pm.
My Job: My job was to hand out the books while dishing out the elevator pitch.
Thoughts and Feelings: There were three common responses. 1. I love to read! 2. I have too many books already. 3. I don’t read.
3. Saturday Bat Mitzvah:
I headed over to a stunning event venue in Long Island City for a day time Bat Mitzvah. It was a great team, the vibes were low key, and it was a success.
4. Online Work
I made posts as part of my paid partnership on an app and really amped up my SEO work this week to make up for the 3 full days of no in person work.
Total Pre-Tax Earnings:
$1,644
How Much I Spent:
Food Out: $59.25 (looking for the best pumpkin desserts in NYC…)
Transport: $38.15
Groceries: $96.76
Household Items/MISC/Fall Clothes: $86
Weekly Cost of Living (rent, health insurance, gym, storage, spotify): $365.44
Spending Total: $645.60
