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A Week In NYC On A Dancer’s $36,000 Salary

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Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. (Thanks, New York mag, for the inspiration.)

Today, a recently graduated dancer living in Manhattan, juggling a part-time job at the opera and a hostess gig at a restaurant.

Industry: Dance. I specialize in contemporary dance, but I have trained in ballet, modern, pointe, and various other dance styles. My days are spent dancing at the opera and working as a hostess at a restaurant a couple nights a week. I would ideally like to join a contemporary dance company, but for now I am enjoying the unpredictability of freelancing in New York City.
Age: 22
Location: Subletting a family friend's apartment in Soho
Salary: It varies, but roughly $36,000.
Paycheck Amount (weekly): Current dance job $60 an hour. I rehearse anywhere from 10 to 20 hours a week. Hostess job: $12 and hour plus 6% of sales from the shift. I average 3 to 5 shifts a week for 3 to 4 hours at a time. I average around $3,000 a month with both jobs combined.
# of roommates: 0
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,000
Loan Payments: $0 (Thank you, Mom and Dad, truly.)
Utilities: Around $70 for utilities and Wi-Fi.
Transportation: $116.50, unlimited monthly MetroCard
Phone Bill: $0 (still on family plan)
Health Insurance: $0 (still under parents' insurance)
Spotify: $9.99
Gym Membership: $25 for the whole year with the youth membership
Savings: Each week, depending on the size of my paycheck, I will usually put anywhere from $100 to $200 in savings.
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