Money Diary: Drag Queen In London On 16k

I’m a freelance writer and drag queen who has a terrible history of saving money but a colourful history of spending it. When I’m not on deadline, or working for the magazine for which I’m contributing editor, I can be mostly found eating, rehearsing and performing for drag shows or gigs with my queer punk band. Or shopping for things I genuinely can’t afford. One time I got a Raf Simons hoodie on finance (it was £550) and it took me seven months to pay off.

I’m originally from Lancaster, a beautiful town in northwest England, and went to a high school which was wonderful — if a little Catholic and a lot homophobic — but had no funding for PSHE lessons. So how am I supposed to know how to save money?

I have lots of incredibly loose theories about money which really don’t stand the test of reality, but I live by them nonetheless. Some of them are:

1. Why move to London — the epicentre of amazing food — to pack a packed lunch for lunch?

2. What am I saving for right now anyway? A house? As if.

3. You can’t take it with you. And I’ll be damned if my kids get it.

4. Extravagance is next to godliness (I just made that one up).

Industry: Drag performer, freelance journalist
Age: 25
Location: London
Salary: Anywhere between £12,000 and £20,000, depending on the year (£16,000 average)
Paycheque amount per month: Variable, between £800 and £3,000
Number of housemates: 3

Housing costs: £532.50
Loan payments: N/A
Utilities: £120 (more expensive right now because we are still paying backlogged fines from
ignoring council tax bills…)
Transportation: £240
Phone bill: £41
Health insurance: N/A
Savings? I haven’t left my overdraft since I graduated four years ago. I do have £0.19 in an ISA somewhere.
Other? No.