My early Secret Santa present last Christmas was a surprising one – a car with a red ribbon on it! I was over the moon to become a car owner for the first time ever and, shortly after, entered the world of car insurance. This is what I have learnt since… 1. Don’t rush As…
Financial lessons for a younger me
Do not mistake your student loan for a grant Sheepishly, I admit this is exactly what I did and, in my first few weeks of university, I was spending about £180 a week until a new friend said to me “you do know we’ll have to pay this back”? I foolishly thought I was living…
Climate-change proof your finances
Your Food Shop A report commissioned by Morrison’s in 2017 found that only 23% of the fruit and veg consumed in Britain is actually grown here. Because of the land used for growing crops sometimes becoming unsuitable thanks to climate change, governments across the world are looking at diversifying where they buy their food from.…
The value of mentoring in the arts
I’ve been working in stage and screen for 13 years now and, during that time, I have informally mentored a lot of young people as they enter the industry, but I had never been mentored myself. So many fantastic mentoring opportunities are offered now for people in their early careers such as Arts Emergency and…
Surviving on an actor’s wage
It’s worth saying that one rarely chooses to become an actor, or any sort of freelance creative, “for the money.” That being said, bills still need to be paid! 8% of actors are in work at any one time, but the majority of actors, even those who work a lot, have days, weeks and even…
Bullying and harassment in the workplace: Can 2018 be the turning point?
You’ll all remember the headlines about Weinstein, Spacey and Stafford-Clark. Many of us will have experienced first-hand harassment and/or bullying in the workplace – whatever industry we’re in – where predators take advantage of their positions of power. The UK theatre industry is rapidly drawing up codes of conducts and guidelines, and the powers that…
2018 – the year I gave up public transport in London
In January this year, I moved for the fourth time in two years. Not through choice – I was happy where I was – but because my lovely landlord needed his flat back, and my other two flatmates were buying their first flats. Given how much I hate moving house, I decided to live in…
Nadia Nadif: A Brit Abroad
I’ve just come back from my first experience of touring in the Middle East. I was part of a three-hander comedy about buying and selling cars for a corporate theatre job. It was a gift of a job, full of opportunities. Here are some of my musings since I got back… 1) The Middle East…
Self-employed and trying to buy: what they don’t tell you
It feels slightly ironic writing this right now. As I am waiting to hear if an offer I’ve made on a flat has been accepted. I’ve checked my emails six times while writing this post in case one has come in from the estate agent. This is the first time I have got to this…
Financial Security vs Personal Integrity: Part Two
I’ve had a BIG rethink since my last blog post on this topic and I have now given up having a day job at all (which was temping). My reasons for doing so were numerous – but the main point is this: life is short, so I vow to spend my time doing things I value…