Everything They Didn't Teach You About Working In Entertainment: Paying Your Bills

EVERYTHING THEY DIDN'T TEACH YOU ABOUT WORKING IN ENTERTAINMENT

Today's session: Paying your bills.

Let's get this out of the way...

The city of Los Angeles thrives off turnover. Local businesses recognize that thousands of hopefuls flock to Southern California with cash-lined pockets from their parents' savings accounts. Targeting these people is what a good marketing department does best. Sounds nasty and manipulative, but so are commercials, billboards, magazine spreads, those little banner ads that scroll along your free weather apps, and the fact that gas costs 25% more the closer the station is to a major on-ramp.

This article is going to read like a giant wet rag.

Preparing yourselves with the tools to save money and plan for years of minimal income is crucial for survival as an aspiring screenwriter. Let's look at a few topics and tips.

RENT

If you didn't give the previous lesson a read, go back and take a look at how LA breaks down. Rent usually follows in that fashion. The nicest areas closest to the popular central locations and the nicest areas farthest from the central locations are the most expensive. Everything in between is completely hit or miss. Identify the radius you want to live in, find a few good streets and get something reasonably priced in that area.

SUMMARY: Don't live beyond your means. Charm, and a hardwood floor, go a long way.

UTILITIES

It's moving time and you've got to open new accounts to get that shiny new apartment properly wired. These are necessities and you don't have much of a choice. There are low-income programs that you may be eligible for. Look into them as soon as you can.

As for cable TV...

You don't need it. I know it seems incredibly oxymoronic to suggest that as a writer you don't need TV, but you really don't need it. Spend the money on improving your internet connection. Streaming media is all the rage and cable is on its way out. Don't get yourself into a two-year contract no matter what the perks are. This is a monthly expense that is just not required. There are plenty of opportunities to consume content outside of live television. Join the revolution and cut the cord.

SUMMARY: There's no real opportunity to competitively bid utility services. Just bite the bullet, sign up, and ditch cable for a Roku.

TRAVEL

This city is huge, you're going to be driving. This necessitates gas, maintenance and repairs. If you have the option, don't drive anything bigger than a 4-banger. If you're a struggling artist, you don't have the means to drive a fancy car or the need for an SUV. Drive something small and reliable -- economic. Yes, that means it's rather boring, but don't let the identity of your car identify you. Be utilitarian. Premium gas costs a premium price -- stick with something that uses grade 87. Remember, you moved out here to pursue screenwriting. This may mean that your enthusiasm as a car hobbyist takes a backseat.

Find a good mechanic before you have car issues. There are auto shops across the southland looking to prey on California newbies. Get a recommendation from a friend and test them out by requesting a simple oil change. If you like their service, and feel they are trustworthy, keep their info handy for when you've got AAA on the line and need somewhere to tow it to.

SUMMARY: Drive something parkable, reliable, and gets good MPG. 90% of your driving will be by yourself. You don't need a Yukon.

FOOD

Los Angeles is ripe with trendy eateries begging to be explored. It's a perk of living in a mega-metropolis: you aren't stuck with Chili's and Applebee's. However, like all things LA, they're pricey. This is where your internet investment comes in handy. The Groupon/Living Social resources of the world are innumerable in opportunity for Los Angeles. Unless you're on a hot date and don't want to look like a cheapskate, utilizing these "coupons" can save you a ton of money. (If you are single, leave the Groupons at home and only date girls/guys who are OK with Chili's or Applebee's).

The Whole Foods revolution is rampant throughout Los Angeles. Buying organic meats and produce requires extra cash. If you are a stickler for these types of foods, budget accordingly. If not, don't be afraid to look for the yellow sale tags at your local Ralph's. Your food-buying habits aren't broadcast, so leave the ego at home and save the money. You'll have plenty of time to overspend on name brands when you're rich and famous.

SUMMARY: It's easy to blow your budget on exotic LA eateries. The social peer pressure to "go out," needs to be regulated. Don't be afraid to say no, and/or invite people over to your place for Cheese-Its.

DRINK

Drinking alcohol is built into the fabric of the LA social scene. Prices are adjusted accordingly. (I am in no way condoning this practice.) You can go broke very easily with absolutely nothing to show for it. Any fellow writer worth their weight in booze will understand the option of getting together at home over a shared bottle of Trader Joe's wine. If not, and they demand a night at The Standard, make sure they're paying -- cause it ain't worth it.

Social nights at home provide a fantastic outlet for in-depth conversation. If you're an introvert and prefer only to talk when the conversation is stimulating, this is your environment. It's affordable and can lead to "Send me your pages and I'll check them out." Bottom line: drink at home, with friends.

SUMMARY: The mark-up of "5 o'clock coffee" will drain your bank account. (Check out happy-hour at Gyu-Kaku -- a Japanese BBQ franchise around the southland that features $1.50 Sapporo.)

TECHNOLOGY

You don't need a MacBook Pro to be a screenwriter. I repeat, you do not need a MacBook Pro to write a great screenplay. The luxury of screenwriting is that it requires minimal computing power. You need your word processing software and an active internet connection for research. Any laptop from any retailer will provide you with this. It's 2014.

This gives you the chance to again save money. Apple products are notoriously trendy. They are well-built and nice on the eyes. They also cost a small fortune compared to their equally capable counterparts. I know a very active screenwriter that still uses a Gateway Celeron desktop that sports Windows XP and a stable version of Final Draft 5. His scripts are no worse off.

Now, you may be technically inclined and require additional software -- perhaps you'd like to build a personal website. You will probably want a higher-powered machine. Do your research. Again, Apples are pretty but you'll pay for it. With that said, a good computer is one of the very best investments you can make. It's 2014, you need a computer...

...and a smartphone. I don't know enough about the second-tier providers (Boost, Metro PC), but I do know T-Mobile is awfully aggressive in their rates and provides decent coverage. Their customer service is a different story.

SUMMARY: For writing, it's what's on the outside that matters. Ergonomics, keyboard responsiveness, portability. Even the most basic machine works as a word processor. Also, a cellphone can double as a notepad for jotting down ideas -- check out Google Keep and Microsoft OneNote for good mobile noting.

INSURANCE

Not even going to tackle this one.

ENTERTAINMENT

It kills me to say this, but nothing sucks away your artistic soul faster than bad Los Angeles theatre.  A good play will live with you forever, a bad play will too. This is not to say that there aren't great theaters in LA that need and deserve your support; there are, trust me there are. Do your research. Just like faux production companies, there are faux theatre companies -- a couple of people who come up with a witty name and rent the back of a library to produce material on a ten dollar budget. I'm sorry to insult those who do this -- I can say it cause I've been there and done that.

Spending your hard-earned cash on a painfully bad performance of "A Doll's House" will ruin you and your credit score. (Worse are the over-the-top farces written in a different time for a different audience -- produced due to cheap royalties.)

SUMMARY: Going to the movies is still your most economic form of entertainment, and Los Angeles provides some excellent distraction-free movie houses.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Materialism is killer. There is so much temptation to spend money on the latest and greatest, I write this more for myself than anyone. You can get burned by being an early adopter of new products. You'll pay the highest price and be treated like a beta-tester. Giving something enough time to go on sale is almost always the best option.

Also, most of these new products are time-killers that will take you away from working on your masterpiece. But, damn, somebody buy me a PS4.

SUMMARY: Check out www.dealnews.com. It's an aggregate sale site that offers both internet and retail sale listings for the most wanted big (and small) ticket items. Also, if you haven't already figured this out, stay away from Best Buy altogether -- sooo many reasons...

When starting out, you have to be prepared to build a stable life off a limited fixed income. There are no guarantees that after ten/twenty/thirty years you'll finally get your break and make a six-figure sale. If you're not prepared for the long-haul, the move back in with your parents will come that much sooner. Be smart and sensible with your money. It may take some of the immediate fun away, but will give you the stamina to perform up until you can live off your royalties.