The One with Five Steaks, an Eggplant, and Shitty Freelance Work
Watching most sitcoms, you’d think people who live in New York never struggle to pay their bills, but I remember every now and then sitcoms would tackle the whole you’re-a-20-something-living-in-Manhattan-so-you’re-poor problem. The best example is The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant. (As a quick recap: Rachel, Joey, and Phoebe are upset that Ross, Chandler, and Monica are always asking them to go out to expensive dinners and activities. Monica gets a hickey from a Blowfish.)
In the case of my life, I’m on Team I-can’t-afford-this with one friend on Team I-wipe-my-ass-with-a-50. Most of our other friends fall into an invisible Team I’m-okay-but-really-two-missed-paychecks-from-a-problem. But I’m the one who’s really struggling to survive life as a 20-something in Manhattan.
I knew it would happen when I accepted a job with a ridiculously low salary, but they were the only ones to offer me employment and I was shocked to being getting a job where I actually get to use the master’s degree that brought me to the city. And, I mean, c’mon. How many 20-somethings can say that without nepotism in their back pocket in this economy?
So what was a girl to do to make sure that she could not only pay her bills but could also stock her cabinets with some ramen* to eat? The obvious answer, or at least obvious to the English degree I got back in 2012, was freelance writing work. At least I’d be writing again. But, of course, there are some serious drawbacks to this answer.
Drawback #1: Through the website I get my freelance work from I make about $3.92 for every gig. (The client pays $5 per gig.)
Drawback #2: Because of some dumb website policy, I have to wait two weeks after the client approves the work to get that $3.92.
Drawback #3: Clients can sometimes be shitty at communicating their instructions, shitty at following directions, or just shitty people in general.
Drawback #4: I can’t take a day off. Clients need their orders now, now, now, so I work every day, whether it’s Thanksgiving**, Christmas***, or a bad mental health day.
On the upside, however, most people are actually really great to work with. I’ve met some great clients, some of whom come back for more work which make me feel like I’m not a total failure. And I'm actually really happy to be in the habit of writing again.
But, I’m not going to lie. I can’t wait ‘til I can afford five steaks and an eggplant.
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*Because real food is luxury that’s not in the budget.
**Yes, I worked on Thanksgiving.
***Yes, I’ll be working on Christmas.
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