Adventures in Gig World: Week 2 Run Down

Welcome to the second weekly rundown of my “Adventure in Gig World” series. I’ll be taking you through what it’s like to be a freelancer in the NYC gig economy, explaining what I earn, what I spend, and what I do on my journey to save $4,500 by November 30th. Click HERE for my week 1 run down if you missed it

NOTE: For legal purposes I will not be disclosing exact salaries or the brands I work with unless given permission.

Getting back into the bustling New York gig economy has been a shockingly easy transition. Interacting with people, being on my feet all day, and walking down the chaotic avenues feels like home.

Australia is super safe and the people are shockingly nice. But even though I was Down Under for 13 months, the “anyone could be a threat” “eat or get eaten” mentality that comes with surviving in NYC never really went away.

 Despite getting the stink eye for snapping up the last seat on the subway and being cursed at for walking too slow, there’s an underlying “we’re all in this together” feel. The silent camaraderie fuels me.

Week two in the gig economy involved some serious pavement pounding. Literally.

These little feet took me 126,599 steps across the city with 6 days of work and 1 day of play. I clocked in 48 hours of work, and I’m fairly certain my sneakers have reached their maximum mileage.  A splash of fun was thrown into the mix. I met a college friend  for dinner and had an epic day off full of some A+  cheap eats (click HERE for the 411!) You can’t only work with no play, after all.

Let’s dive in!

The Gigs:

1. Health Ambassador (3 days)

• My Job:  I enforce COVID indoor dining protocols at a famous New York food market. If someone sits at a table for indoor dining, it’s my job to check the vaccine card. I also provide way finding and customer service to ensure a positive experience.
• Thoughts and Feelings: I worked this job in August 2020. It’s both consistent and flexible, and I have good relationships with the owners and managers. There’s potential to move forward in the company. Stay tune for how it unfolds.

2.  Promotion for a New App in Astoria (2 days)

• The Gig: pods of giggers hit the streets of Astoria to spread brand awareness.
• My Job: Encouraging people to sign up for our program in exchange for free gummies.
• Thoughts and Feelings: This type of campaign is known as “guerrilla marketing.” It’s long hours on your feet and you face the brunt of someone else’s bad day.  But the beauty of gig world is that you collect the paycheck without needing to  bring work home.

4. Bar Mitzvah: (Ongoing weekend side hustle. Stay tuned for the details in a future post!)

• The Details: this week’s mitzvah was at a posh midtown venue. Cocktail hour games included 4 player air hockey,  trivia, and basketball. Dinner had delectable little pastrami sandwiches and epic chips and guac.
• Thoughts and feelings: The guest of honor and his family were incredibly nice, the kids were loads of fun and killed it on the  dance floor, the crew was strong, and it was all in all a great party.

5. Online Work: Ongoing freelance writing and SEO work.

What I spent:

• Groceries and Household Items: $83.03
• Eating Out: $21.48
• Miscellaneous Items (toe spacers, belt, socks): $48.08
• Weekly Cost of Living (rent, health insurance, subway pass, gym, etc): $287.36

Grand Total:  $439.99

Where I saved:

• A free dining experience in exchange for content creation
• $20 venmo from my best friend to have a foodie day.
• Packed meals instead of eating out during meal breaks
• My friend was promoted to a manger position as  one of my favorite taco spots, and he treated me to free tacos.

Where I could have saved more:

• I spent $6.48 across two trips to Starbucks purely to use the bathroom. I could have put more effort into finding a public restroom.

What I Earned:

(Note: Some of these gigs are W9, meaning taxes aren’t taken out. However, I’ve already paid my estimated taxes. For the W2 work as a health ambassador, I have taken 20% out as a rough  estimate given the fact I haven’t received a paystub yet)

$ 1228 from in person gigs and $182 for online work

Grand Total: $1410

Total Hours Worked: 48 hours

Average Hourly Wage Post Taxes: $29.38/hr

Net Savings: $970.02

The Goal: Save $4,500 by November 30th

What’s Left to Save: $2,707.125

Thoughts and feelings on the week:

I worked my ass off, and it paid off! I’m feeling accomplished and proud of the progress I made towards my goal. Plus, I saw friends and ate some great food.

Stay tuned to see what’s next 🙂