How a Freelancer Making $20K a Year Shops

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Welcome to Racked’s How Do You Shop? series, in which we ask a variety of people some deeply personal questions about how they earn, save, and especially spend their money. If you know or are someone with an interesting relationship to $$$, email alanna@racked.com.

This week, we spoke with Kate Killet, a 26-year-old freelance photographer, writer, show booker, nonprofit owner, and true jack-of-all-trades in Toronto about her spending habits as a young creative person always looking for the next big thing.

Salary: “It really depends: somewhere around $15,000 [CAD] to $20,000 depending on how good the year is.”

Rent: $1,000, no roommates

Average money put toward savings per month: $100

Average money put toward clothing per month: $50

Most she’d spend on jeans: $99 (if they fit perfectly)

Most she’d spend on a T-shirt: $40

Most she’d spend on a bag: $100

Most she’d spend on a fancy outfit: $100

What’s your job?

I’m a freelance photographer and writer. I also run a nonprofit called Posi Vibez, putting on parties and events with a focus on social justice and safe spaces.

How did you get started doing all those things?

I started writing and doing photography when I was 16 working at [television network] Much Music. I was a little blog nerd. I was really lucky — since I commented on the Much Music events they reached out to me and asked if I was interested in writing and it spiraled from there. I’m obsessed with everything and I don’t know how to stop.

Do you have other sources of income?

My schedule works out in a way where I’ll often work on the festival side of things. I’ve worked with film festivals in the past; I’ve gotten really good at picking up random jobs to fill in those gaps. It’ll be anything from working the door at parties to working as a consultant with brands. That helps out a lot, filling in those money gaps. DJing, too. I do too many things that I forget sometimes.

What’s your biggest monthly expense besides rent? Toronto is such an expensive city!

I have a really serious Uber problem and because I overwork myself I sometimes forget to eat, so I have a really serious delivery problem, too.

You don’t have a car, so how much do you spend on Uber and delivery a month?

Honestly, $100 or more. It’s far too much and I need to be stopped.

How much do you put toward savings, if you save?

I have a savings account. Whenever I get a paycheck that’s over $100 I’ll try to split it up. I’ll split it between that and my credit card, which always seems to be maxed. I try to put as much on my credit card as I can to get those flight points to help me travel for work. It’s the difference between paying $100 for a flight that’s usually $400. That little bit goes a long way. You’re spending money anyway; it might as well go toward a cheaper flight.

Whatever I don’t have to pay off on my credit card I try to put in savings for future travel. The savings dwindle pretty fast.

How much would you say you spend on clothing per month?

Not that much, to be honest. I really try and finagle my work into my wardrobe. I would say 80 percent of my closet is band merch that I’ve gotten for free or by working with [the band]. If I really like a certain brand, like Hayley Elsaesser for example, I did a piece with them and from there asked, “How can I rep you guys? How can I work with you? I don’t have $300 for overalls, but I can pay $70 for that.” Then that’s my one big purchase for a couple months. I try to work out deals with brands and local clothing lines I like. I try focus on and work with local Toronto designers, even vintage stores. It’s an “I help you, you help me” situation. It’s an out-of-necessity thing — I can’t afford cool shit, but I work my ass off.

I’m really into having small, signature pieces that I wear all the time. When I do spend money on something, I’m still trying to support musicians or bands that I like that are independent. I don’t feel guilty about spending money if it’s going to an artist I appreciate.

Do you think there’s pressure to look a certain way in creative fields, especially music? Festival fashion is such a thing now.

Because I am a photographer and I was just shooting a festival fashion piece at Osheaga [in Montreal], it helps — if you’re approaching people and asking to take their photos, you want to be up to snuff as well. That’s especially true if you’re approaching people playing the festival. I’m also just a goof and I enjoy wearing stuff that’s unusual and stands out. Sometimes I can be shy and it’s nice to let the outfit do the talking for me.

Photo: Matt Williams

What’s the most you would be willing to spend on a single clothing item?

I recently got a skirt from Hayley Elsaesser — they gave me a deal. It was $70 and that felt really crazy to me, but that was me [thinking], “Okay, this is the one thing I’m getting for myself this summer. I know I’m going to wear it a shit-ton.” I have a hard time spending more than $100 on anything because that’s a bunch of work. If its really dope and I know I’m going to get a lot of wear out of it, then I’ll do that. There are only really two or three of those purchases a year.

How much of your wardrobe comes from thrift/vintage/consignment shops?

Probably 80 percent! Whenever I travel I usually end up picking something up at a vintage place because I’ve forgotten to pack something, but then it ends up being a nice little memory. Vintage stuff is typically less expensive and still dope. There’s this thing in Toronto called Bunz, a trading group. Everything is for trade — there’s no money [exchanged]. I do a lot of Bunz trading; I’ve acquired a lot of pieces from there.

Do you ever feel pressured to shop?

I definitely find that the industry that I’m in can be style-focused and brand-focused, so there is this “keeping up with the Joneses” anxiety that I get sometimes. Whatever the cool Instagram girls are wearing, [if] I feel jealous I just remember that if I bought those $300 platforms, I wouldn’t be able to travel for my next project. The logical part of my brain allows me to feel less bad.