How to Create a Spending Plan for Your Acting Career

Yes the acting business is fun, yet it’s not so fun when you see how expensive it is to stay in game. Acting is a business and a business has expenses. Below are the expense categories you need to keep in mind when pursuing an acting career.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• paper & pen
• excel spreadsheet

1. 1. On a word document, excel spread sheet or just a good ole bank piece of paper write down the following expense categories to keep in mind when pursing an acting career in NY/LA
   - Photo shoot
   - Photo touch up
   - Reproductions
   - 8 x 10 prints
   - Postcards
   - Reprints
   - Office supplies
   - Blank paper for cover letters
   - Staples
   - Paperclips
   - Ink for printer
   - Envelopes
   - Mailing labels
   - Stamps
   - Acting classes/workshops
   - Union dues
   - Website hosting monthly & annual fees
   - Your website
   - Casting websites
   - Actors Access for resources
   - Imdb.com – Internet Movie Data Base
   - Clothing
   - Hair
   - Travel
   - Research
   - Scripts
   - Movie tickets
   - Theater tickets
   - Food
   - Gifts

2. 2. Most of the expense categories listed may be used as deductions come tax time with some exceptions of limited write offs for clothing, hair, travel, and meals. You can only use those expenses for an actual audition and a real booked job as a working actor.

3. 3. Gift write offs as a tax deductions is limited to $25 per business associate, example: agent or manager

Tips & Warnings

• You can enter these itemized expenses into your money program to plug in the numbers as they occur. Take notes that that some categories may only be an annual expense and some will be monthly. Creating this spending plan will help you have clarity for what expenses will be coming up and what to plan for in the future www.excel-lentsolutions.com/

[musicdeb]

on 4/24/2009 My dramatic daughter needs a spending plan for her acting career! I'll pass this on...deb

[acole]

on 7/21/2008 Ok. Good info.

[ActorAndHost]

on 7/11/2008 I like this!

[luv2blog]

on 7/10/2008 Good information.