I was getting ready in the dressing room Saturday night, and was listening to one of the girls talking about what a hard time she had saving money, and how she thought after dancing for two years, she'd have more money in the bank, but instead, she only had a few thousand dollars in her savings account. This is a pretty girl, reasonably intelligent, decent personality, who makes money. Probably $200-400 a shift. AFAIK, she doesn't have children, and lives in an apartment with a roommate. It occured to me that her situation and lifestyle was kind of similar to mine, so it got me thinking about what I want to have when I retire from dancing. I'm 21 right now, and I think another five years would be about what I would be comfortable with. After thinking about it a while, I came to a couple conclusions: The first, that if I were able to keep my expenses down, (and I can, with proper planning), it would be reasonable to save upwards of $100,000 in a 5-year time period. The second, that having $100,000 in the bank when I'm 26 is not something I would be unhappy with. (And a third conclusion: There is a lot of investing and business opportunity available with that amount of money. Not to mention the interest involved.)
So I did some math to see how easy it would be. Frankly, it's not only reasonably easy, it is RIDICULOUSLY easy.
Follow with me.
5 years x 52 weeks = 260 weeks, the number of weeks to accomplish this goal.
$100,000 / 260 weeks = $385 saved per week to accomplish this goal.
$385 x 4 weeks = $1540 saved per month to accomplish this goal.
$385 / 3 days = $129 per shift if I work 3 shifts a week.
$385 / 4 days = $96 per shift if I work 4 shifts a week.
I think this is the first time I've really sat down and put everything into perspective, on paper, for myself, about the money that I earn, and what it can add up to. From here, I can figure out my expenses, and budget around a goal. Yes, there will be times where I may have to take money out of my savings. I may need a new car, or be behind on rent, or something like that, but it's nice to have a goal, and a realistic one, at that, to work for.
It's just a thought: Think about what you want in five years, and do the math. It's probably easier than you think.



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