Dollars and Sense

Hello, readers!  Tonight I am blogging from a remote location…and probably one of my guiltiest indulgences: the Admiral’s Club.  As my friends know, this is one club of which I am so grateful to be a member.  I discovered it many years ago when taking a red-eye to Palm Beach, Florida, where I was going to enjoy some fun in the sun with my family and nieces.  I had a layover in Dallas, but my flight out of Los Angeles left later than scheduled.  After a bleak, sleepless red-eye, I arrived in Big D at about seven in the morning only to find that I missed my connecting flight to Palm Beach.  I had to fight my fatigue and figure out when I could take another flight to Pam Beach.  Thank God there was one!  Except…it wasn’t leaving for another six hours.  Oof.

I'm stuck here?

As I looked around the airport, at the masses of travelers loudly milling about, I was overcome with desperation.  How was I going to curl up in one of those uncomfortable chairs by my gate and catch a much-needed snooze while passengers arrived and departed around me? (I know, I know…the cross I had to bear.)

And then I discovered THE ADMIRAL.  American Airlines has a private lounge…an exclusive club.  The Admiral’s Club.  It’s the peaceful oasis in a desert of grumpy travelers and noisy terminals.  And when it’s early in the morning and you’re operating on half-a-second of sleep, walking into this lounge is as if Keanu Reeves has just welcomed you into the penthouse suite at the Ritz-Carlton.  I had to join this club.

Relax, weary traveler.

Now lest you think I’m wandering off into another one of my silly Keanu-induced digressions, this is really my long-winded way of addressing the subject of money.  While membership at the Admiral’s Club definitely has its privileges it also comes at a price.  And I need to be scrutinizing how I’m spending what little discretionary funds I have these days.  The point is, there are some very real dollars and cents attached to launching an independent film.  And I do want this blog to provide some real-world wisdom experience.  I imagine if I were a recent NYU Film grad with a handful of talented filmmaking friends who don’t mind working for free, I could dive into this process without forming an LLC.  Or perhaps if my last name were Trump, I’d already be casting Beneath the Surface and scouting for locations.  But that’s not my situation.

The bottom line is that in planting the seeds of creativity, you need actual seed money.  So have a little socked away before you get going.  How much?  Considering the LLC set-up, the company branding costs, the attorney fees, the travel, the informational lunches, etc., I would guess I’m going to spend close to $10K in these early months.  And that’s with some very generous “friends and family” discounts, too!  Still, it’s money I’m spending that I know will be worth it in the long run.  (Right?  Right?!?)  But I may need to make some sacrifices along the way.  Can I cover up those grey hairs with Miss Clairol instead of the magical CR at SH Salon?  Does Lucy really need doggy daycare twice a week?  Should I just pull out the scissors to my Ann Taylor Loft card?  Again…I’m sure you’re amazed that I’m able to even contemplate these tough life choices.

Lucy

Don't you dare take away my doggy daycare!

At least my time with the Admiral doesn’t expire until next June!

NEXT UP: DLB and VP Babs hit New York City!  Can the Big Apple survive?

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