10 Ways to save money on tour
Get advice from professionals who have done it!
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By: Liz Josefsberg
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About to hit the road with a touring production? Do you know these 10 tips to sock away some extra cash?
Looking at the contract of your first touring production can make you see dollar signs! On paper, the deal seems sweet. In reality, to return home with money in savings, you will need to be savvy and make some sacrifices. Below you will find 10 tips for saving money on tour from experienced actors. Listen to their advice and watch your savings grow. Beware of losing touch with reality on tour and feeling that there is no end in sight. Remind yourself weekly of what your financial goals are and reinforce the habits that will get you there.
1. Don Brewer toured for years with Les Miserables. Don says “If you are a gym rat, buy a YMCA membership before you leave New York. It will only cost around $55 a month. Finding YMCA's around the country is almost always cheaper than the $80 a week gym membership the company manager "finds".” Others insist that bringing their favorite exercise DVD’s to use on their laptops is the way to save.
2. Andy Karl (Tommy, Cats, Saturday Night Fever, and Disney's On The Record) Insists that THE BIGGEST WAY TO SAVE MONEY ON TOUR IS to find someone you can live with. Sharing a room with another person on the road cuts expenses in half. Sometimes Andy even survived with three in a room, putting one person on the floor. That way the hotel bill was just a few dollars, and it allowed him to use only his per-diem money for the week. Not touching his paycheck allowed him to direct it right into savings.
3. Andy Karl also recommends finding an inexpensive hobby. Touring can leave you with a lot of downtime in airports, on busses, and in small towns that offer little to do. A hobby can keep you from spending too much. Andy saw actors knit, design web sites, write music, write books, do photography, draw and practice monologues. Be creative and find a hobby or two to occupy your time. It will keep you out of the malls and away from expensive tourist traps.
4. Never order room service. Aside from being pricey to begin with, room service often has fees attached to it in upwards of 18%. Call the front desk instead, and ask if they have menus from restaurants in the area. Ordering from area restaurants will save you several dollars in taxes and delivery fees alone.
5. Request a mini fridge and/or microwave in your room for your stay. It may cost a few dollars for the week, but will save you several times that in food cost. Take a trip to a neighborhood grocery store and stock up at the beginning of your stay.
6. Ryan Duncan (Fiddler on the Roof, Man of La Mancha) advises to direct savings from your weekly paycheck into a savings account that you don’t have access to. Pick a standard amount that will be set aside, like 10%. In this day and age, with direct deposit, it is possible to split your deposits between several accounts. Speak to your Company Manager at the beginning of the tour to arrange it. You won’t miss what you never see and will be sure to return home from tour with at least 10% saved!
7. Avoid shopping. Each new town will have a new mall. Understand that buying new things will weigh down your luggage and lighten your wallet. Buy ONLY what you truly need.
8. Create a budget and stick to it. Track your daily expenses, and after just a couple of weeks you will begin to know what you spend in an average week. Create a budget off those numbers and stick to it religiously. Our many experienced voices insist that paying for nearly everything you do on a reliable credit card can be life saving. Each month you can look over expenses and track where and how you are spending your money. Don’t get in the habit of just spending without tracking. Accountability is key.
9. Cell phone package. Immediately call your carrier and discuss the parameters of the plan you have. Adjust the plan so that you will incur no roaming charges for calls or texts at anytime, anywhere.
10. Save your receipts. Almost everything you do on tour can be written off on your taxes. Keeping receipts can lead to greater returns at the end of the year.
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