I live very very comfortably with $60,000 a year.
There's 100 percent a misconception that I can't live in New York
City unless I have this amazing job and I'm making six figures.
My name is Fallon.
I'm 32 years old.
I live in New York City and I make $60,000 a year.
I work at Tony's Di Napoli on the Upper East Side. Dance
is my true passion in life, but serving pays the bills and it gets me to where I need to be.
I moved from Salt Lake City to New York City because in Salt Lake
there's only about three auditions a year, opposed to in New York
City there's probably three auditions a day.
I had no idea how much money I was gonna be able to make here and I
was terrified because I was paying $400 a month for rent in Salt Lake
City. I feel if I can keep my rent under $1,000 then I live very
comfortable on how much I can make.
You can find very nice places to live on a good budget.
Being an actress, dancer, singer - you have to keep up your dancing
and acting and singing, so there's a lot of extra costs that come in
to keeping yourself in shape.
$50,000 to $55,000 of my income comes from serving.
Making tips in Utah versus making tips in New York is a huge
difference. On a usual night I'll make about $250 to $300 usually.
There was a day actually just a couple months ago where me and my partner each made a $800.
Hi, how are you today?
To kind of let you know about our menu.
The first time I was able to walk out with over $300 in one night, I
was so ecstatic.
Like being able to make that much was - I didn't know it was
possible. One of the biggest savings for me is working at the
restaurant. So if you put how much I eat there, I probably save I
would say about $300 a month.
It's really hard actually being a dancer in New York City.
When I go to a audition, open calls usually have around 300 girls there at least.
Usually on a contract, non-equity dancers singers actors will make around $350 to $500 a week.
Even though I do make less money when I am dancing and acting, it's what I live for.
I did the no dancing thing and I was just going through the motions of life.
I wasn't actually really living my life.
I like to keep $5,000 in my checking account.
And then whatever is extra I'll transfer over into my savings
account. I have just over $10,000 in my savings account.
I try not to use any credit cards at all.
I'll use a credit card on a big purchase.
I do not have any retirement, which is not so great.
But I have 30 years
to get a retirement fund.
All of the tips that I make go towards my income.
I make an hourly wage.
However, my checks are mostly always zero because my hourly wage goes towards my taxes.
I end up mostly owing at the end of the year on my taxes because my hourly wage doesn't cover enough.
Coffee is my
big splurge.
I definitely have a lot of coffee.
I usually probably spend $100 a month at Starbucks.
The most expensive thing I bought were my LaDuca boots.
So this is my splurge. These are
my new babies.
Real leather made in Italy.
And they were almost $500 for a pair.
So those were very expensive but they're so comfortable to dance in
that
I had to buy them.
I buy eggs by the cartons.
We all know that eggs are on the cheaper side of some foods.
Laundry. If you can get it in your house that's a huge money saver in New York.
I try to only ride the subway.
That way I know I'm only spending $121 a month.
In five years, I hope to have been able to play more roles in shows
that I would love to do.
Like I make less money when I'm dancing.
But it makes me so happy that making less money is worth my
happiness. You know if you can find something that you love that
makes a little less money than something else that's really the best thing possible for your life.