As I've gotten older, there is one thing that I've learned to do that has really reduced my stress. I've changed my spending habits. So much of how we treat our money is ingrained behavior. Most of us spend the way our parents did. It takes conscious development to alter those habits. Qualities like maturity, delayed gratification, and impulse control come into play.
When I was a professional dancer, I reinvested a large percentage of my weekly salary into dance classes and vocal training. Those expenditures were also deductions on my tax return, so they were worth it. They also kept me in top condition. When I went to auditions, I was confident and capable. Training and practice are so important when you are working in the arts. Show business is very competitive. Only the top one percent of dancers are able to make a living at it, professionally.
When I switched to teaching dance and yoga full time, my income dropped. Dance teachers generally don't make nearly as much money as professional performers. When touring with an Equity show, you can really save a high percentage of what you earn. The pay is excellent. Shifting to being a dance teacher was quite an adjustment. I had a lot of trouble with my finances during those years. I found the cost of class music, dance clothes and shoes, daunting. Commuting, keeping an older car maintained, and owning a home as a single woman stressed me. I was now paying for my own medical insurance, property taxes, and home repairs. These large bills really seemed to eat up my paycheck. I wasn't used to having them, and I didn't plan for them in advance. That's what I needed to do. Some of the studio owners were paying me late. Others were bouncing checks, or forgetting to sign them. Many only paid once a month. I began using credit cards to buy groceries and gasoline. I told myself it was just until payday. I always intended to reimburse myself once I got my check. I started to experience a lot of unexpected things going wrong. The water heater would break, or I'd have an unplanned vet emergency. I was really living on the edge. I struggled with credit card debt for fifteen years. In hindsight, I'd say that I was under earning.
Once I got out of debt, and began working for myself, my finances came into balance. My cottage was now paid off, which made a huge difference. I started using public transportation and riding my bicycle regularly. I bought a train pass one weekend, for ten dollars. I could take it anywhere in Los Angeles. It was fun to sit, knit, and to watch the world go by through the window.
I scrutinized my bills. I cut out television, restaurants, Starbucks, and buying books. I started ordering books from the library. It's so easy to do now, with the Internet. I had always cooked my meals at home, but I began making more soups, bone broths, and stews. I bought less meat. I cut my grocery bill by 40 percent. I began baking bread. I had always baked cookies, cakes, and desserts in my kitchen. I was pleased to discover that homemade bread was very inexpensive and delicious.
Overspending on groceries was one of my weak areas. I used to reward myself for working hard by buying lots of treats at Trader Joe's. I loved their pumpkin pie mousse cake, Belgian chocolate, and bagged white cheddar popcorn. I was spending $100.00 a week for groceries as a single person! I didn't realize at that age that the amount was very high. It was so easy to buy a few packaged items or expensive dog treats as I stood in line at the checkout counter.
I even went car free for a year. That was interesting, but challenging. It can take all day in Los Angeles to go from where I live to an audition in Burbank and get home. It was also exhausting. I switched to being car light. That's the best of both worlds.
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