2. What you want to do, if not at your dream job right now?
I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up! I think my dream job would involve philanthropy or arts management. Or something that would allow me to travel extensively. I’ve very recently kicked around the thought of owning a yoga studio or some kind of holisticly-oriented wellness center. Definitely something less left-brainy and technical than what I’ve been doing.

3. Have you been deeply affected by the economy? If so, how?
I somehow feel guilty admitting this, but I have not personally been significantly impacted by the recent economic downturn. While all this has been going on, I’ve managed to finish paying off my biggest debts and start socking away cash. Early last year, my employer’s parent company announced that they will close our plant and transfer all our  manufacturing to another facility. The plant shutdown is a 3+ year project, so while I know I’ll likely be laid off at some point in the next year or two, for now it’s business as usual. I’m hoping by the time my number comes up, the availability of jobs will have improved.

4. Do you rent or own your home?
My partner owns our home. Technically, I rent from her. We’re looking to move and purchase a home together next year.

5. You’re a blogger.  Have you gotten any writing or speaking gigs because of your blog?
I have. I’ve been a cityblogger for several years. I started out at the Minneapolis Metblog and then last year I left to start my own cityblog, fresh.mn. Within the local blogging ecosystem, I’ve made connections with mainstream journalists, bloggers of various stripes, and pro-am citizen journalists. The fact of the matter is that the  popularity of the blog as a publishing platform and the evolving social nature of the web has changed the way news is delivered. So while I’m not a journalist, nor do I have journalist aspirations, I will staunchly defend the right of the blog to be a platform for citizen journalism and am have been asked a number of times to speak  on that topic. I have another blog, cinna.mn, which is about minority experiences in Minnesota. I was fortunate enough to be asked to cover a speaking gig with Peggy McIntosh, author of Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, a groundbreaking essay on white privilege. I got a chance to speak with her myself, and that was just mindblowing.

6. Do you and your partner see eye to eye on finances? Do you ever argue while shopping at Ikea or any other “big box” store (no pun intended.)
We have a congruent sense of what to spend money on and how much to spend on it, whether it’s around-the-house stuff or entertainment or travel or food, etc. Neither of us spend flippantly or carelessly. We’re also pretty good about letting each other spend our own money freely. I don’t feel like I need to check with her before I buy something or vice versa, but we also trust each other to make reasonable purchases and to discuss big ticket items in advance. We’ve never fought over money. There has been an interesting evolution over the course of our relationship. I was in a world of financial hurt years ago (right before we got together) and have become accustomed to obsessively tracking every penny. As I’ve paid off all my debts and begun to save aggressively, I’m adjusting to the “loose” feeling of having a little extra money around. She’s coming from a place of not having had to worry about money at all and has been learning to track her spending and budget accordingly. We’re meeting in the middle in a
pretty good place. I think I’ll always be the household CFO, though.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance? What would you buy?
I got a small allowance when I was very young, but I was “working” by the time I was 11 or so. I don’t remember too much about it, though. I know I had a bank account. I’m sure I mostly spent it hanging out at the mall with my friends, buying food or music or movie tickets.

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
Travel. Not that I spend a lot on any given trip. I’m actually pretty good about budget travel. But the choice to travel at all is a luxury,  especially in this country where you often have to fly because you don’t have much vacation time to spend getting from Point A to Point B and you can’t just hop on a train and get somewhere. Travel is very important to me. I love to see new places and visit people and just not be in the same place all the time. It’s particularly important to get away from Minnesota for a bit in the middle of the long winter! Not being able to travel was the thing I missed most when I was broke and one of the first things I did when I scraped up spare cash. I know so many folks who would love to travel but feel like they can’t because it’s too expensive for them.

9. What is one thing that you feel is always overpriced?
Transportation in general.

10. If money can’t buy happiness, what can it it buy?
Money can buy freedom from the stress of not having any money. I’m lucky that in my darkest financial days I wasn’t living on the street or on food stamps or anything, but I was barely scraping by and it was very stressful to not have extra money. To have to think hard about which bill to pay first, how far you can stretch $20 at the grocery store, to have to turn down your friends’ invites to go to the bar or other places that are too expensive for you. To have to constantly choose one basic comfort over another. And then there’s the shame of it on top of all that. I hope I never have to go through that again. I like to think that I know enough now to avoid it but if something terrible happened I also have learned enough to manage it better.

Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

Tim was nice enough to take time out of his evening to chat over dinner about finances.  Some of his answers were rather surprising… so read on!

1. How did you turn a $2,000 loan from your parents into a company that made you a multi-millionaire?
That money went to buy a printer to print manuals for our first software product, Word Juggler.  It was a word processor program for the Apple III.  Surprisingly, Apple shipped the computer for 6-9 months without a word processor.  All we had to do was send letters to Apple dealers to let them know about our product, and we immediately had 100% market share.  I paid my parents back in 2 weeks and we eventually made several million dollars from it.  That was just the start.  It was QuarkXPress that became the cash cow for the company.

2. How did you develop your business and financial sense?  Did you have a mentor of sorts or learn through experience?

I have no formal business or financial training.  I did some financial programming on an HP desktop calculator.  That involved working with a CPA to understand the accounting principles.  My work caught HP’s attention.  They hired me to work part time for them while I finished college and full time after graduation.  Outside of that, the closest person I had to a mentor was my business partner, Fred Ebrahimi.  We each owned 50% of Quark and I would notice his sales tactics, his marketing, and his public speaking.  I learned those techniques from watching him and then created my own style.

3. In order to be successful, one often has to give up other parts of his or her life.  As you were building Quark, Inc., what parts of your life did you have to put on hold?
Looking back I guess you could say that I didn’t have a social life, but I never felt like I was missing out.  I had a boyfriend, I loved writing code, and it worked.  Even now I still have to curb my interest in programming to spend time with my husband, Scott.  When he goes out of town, I find myself staying up until 3 am working on code.

4. When did you officially come out, and how was the news received?
I came out as soon as I got to college.  I was office manager for the campus gay group and spoke to psychology classes about what it was like to be gay.  I told my parents 3 months later.  They took me to see a psychiatrist who said he’d help me change if I wanted to or that we could just work on my parents.  I said we should work on my parents.

After Colorado’s Amendment 2 passed [which targeted the gay community] I came out very publicly.  One of the statistics I’d heard was that 70% of people in Colorado claimed they didn’t know anyone who was gay. Clearly, the problem was that the gay people they knew just weren’t coming out to them!  So I felt I had to be very public!  I would give speeches to large audiences in the publishing industry and declare that I was bi… because I used both PCs and Macs, but mostly Macs!  Everyone laughed and they all knew what I was really talking about.  Beside that, though, there were many opportunities – such as the Q&A sections after my presentations – where I could bring it up.  If the media asked personal questions, such as which newspapers could be found at my doorstep, I would mention which ones I read and which ones my husband read.  If you don’t make a big deal out of being gay, no one else does.  But you really should come out at every opportunity.  It lets the public know who we are.  It’s much harder for anti-gay institutions to portray us in negative ways when more people know us.

5. You began using your financial power in the 1990’s to promote LGBT visibility and equality through personal donations to political causes, establishing the Gill Foundation, and founding the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado.  More recently, you founded Gill Action.  What are the most satisfying changes you have seen that were influenced by your philanthropic and political efforts?
Anything that creates turmoil and chaos for the opponents.  I’m serious!  For example, The Gay & Lesbian fund for Colorado only funds non-gay projects.  One such project was in Sterling, CO where an organization was trying to preserve a number of large public wood carvings by casting them in bronze.  When we funded one of the carvings and our name was on the plaque, the mayor and a few conservative members of the community were horrified.  Some of them started a letter writing campaign against us and told the organization to give the money back.  The organization responded by mentioning that there were more carvings to be preserved, so if they wanted to donate and have their own plaque, they could do so.  How much money did the opponents raise?  Nothing.  But this was an educational process for all who were involved.  It’s part of the dialogue that makes people more moderate over time.

6. You established Connexion.org as a vehicle for engaging the LGBT community in political activities.  You also continue to be its main webmaster.  Has this site fulfilled your original intentions?
Connexion is fun, but it takes a lot of work to do it well.  I was inspired after going to Focus on the Family for the first time and seeing how much public outreach they did.  I wanted to establish something that could do that outreach using the internet.  Now there are lots of of organizations with good online networks: HRC, Lambda Legal, Victory Fund.  So now we just do free nonprofit ads and leave the political activism to others that have that core competency.  Connexion has become more of an experiment in networking, Internet technologies, and human psychology.

7. The Gill Foundation, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, and – I assume – your personal income, are largely dependent on investment returns.  In this down economy, how are you protecting your assets and continuing to grow your investments?
The Gill Foundation won’t last forever, and it was never designed to.  Its mission in life is to spend down the assets in my lifetime.  How soon that happens has less to do with the economy and more to do with the opportunities that arise in a given year.  Spending may very well go up and shorten its duration.  But there should be some other gay entrepreneur that replaces me over time.

My personal spending is quite small compared to my assets.  Like with everyone else my assets went down with the market, but they’re coming back.  I live relatively modestly and don’t have a lot of personal spending requirements so I’m not liquidating a lot of depreciated assets.  Now is a great time to reorganize your portfolio.  You can see which assets didn’t perform well and have little likelihood of recovering.  Then it would be best to switch to different assets.

8. What financial issues, if any, do you think are unique to the LGBT community?
Since we can’t get married in a way that’s federally recognized, we have to simulate marriage in different ways.  If a straight couple is married and there is a difference in net worth between the two, it’s easy for them to transfer assets tax-free.  Their finances are shared.  For a gay couple, you need asset transfer vehicles such as life insurance, trusts, and relevant estate planning.  Those are expensive to maintain.  Even asset transfers of a home that is bought together is different and more costly.

9. What financial advice would you like to give the readers at Queercents?
You mean other than credit cards are bad?  Using credit cards means you’re buying stuff at a negative discount.  You could spend 50% more than the ticket price!  It’s much better to avoid them unless you can pay them off each month.  As for other advice: know how you spend your money.  Even if it’s just in your head you have to have a budget.  And some of it has to be play money.  It’s just like a diet – you can still lose weight while allowing yourself some ice cream.  You’ll lose weight faster if you restrict yourself more, but you’re much more likely to miss your budget if it’s too tight.  If you give yourself play money you’ll stick with it better.

10. What do you see as your next big challenge?
Retirement.  I’ve tried already but I’m not good at it.  Kinda did that already with Connexion and see what that turned into?  A full time job!  So much of my sense of self-worth is based on making something and pointing my finger to say ‘this is what I did’.  I love the philanthropic work and I love writing code even more.  Someday I’ll have to come up with something to do that’s not tied to my programming.

1. You worked in both banking, consulting, and media for big companies. Is it sweet to be your own boss? How did you start Regroup?
I’ve been fortunate to have bosses in the past who let me effectively be my own boss (with clear goals), which I think is always a great way to manage. I started Regroup out of a need I found when in business school at Stanford – I saw all the students going outside of the school to communicate, and Stanford didn’t adequately support our needs to communicate. So I linked up with some others and we started a site that could be used by students at a school (and eventually by the schools themselves to support their students), providing a more robust feature set for group communication while integrating with the other platforms students are using (SMS, facebook, email, etc).

2. What inspired you and your co- founders to start Startout?
We all wanted a way to learn from other LGBT entrepreneurs, while developing LGBT entrepreneurship and helping others. We’re starting a lot of awesome programs such as a mentorship program, capital connections, monthly events (in NY and SF to start), and more. I’m very excited about it.

3. How are you planning to reach out to the gay community to find other potential entrepreneurs?
We’ve all relied on each other to help spread the word. We’re hoping it will grow over time and as we build a core group of good people, things will build. We had over 150 people at our first meeting in NY, so things are off to a good start.

4. Startups are notorious for being able to get a lot done for little or no money. What are some money saving tips could you pass on budding entrepreneurs?
This is a hard question, because hindsight is 20/20. Meaning: there are always ways you can save money, but it’s rare that you know them ahead of time. If you try to build a profitable company from the beginning, I think you’ll always be very conscious of your burn. Probably the best way to save money is to review monthly your burn and balance it with the revenue you’re earning.

5.  So I hear you spent some of your childhood in Alabama (as did I). How has living in a big city changed what how you spend money?
Obviously some things are more expensive, like your apartment, movies or food. And then also patterns change: in NYC it’s so easy to grab food on the way home that I find myself making food less. I think the base cost is just higher. But the things I tend to buy haven’t changed much.

6. What personal finance applications do you use or money-oriented websites do you read?
I DVR Suze Orman; she’s great because she makes it fun to think about your finances. I recently read Andy Tobias’ “My Vast Fortune” and loved the memoir-style advice on going through life and his lessons-learned about how he navigated the financial waters. One of the best resources, I think, is always just listening to what people who’s been there/done that have to say. Running a business has also made me more diligent personally – when you put a lot of energy into organizing a business’ finances, it’s easier to take small steps to start organizing your own finances.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance?  What would you buy?
I did; it was $5 a week but it wasn’t consistent. (Unless I was building towards something in which case I would nag my parents). I remember when Crazy Eddie was going out of business and getting really excited b/c Nintendo games that could be $40-$50 were $20. I made my parents buy me a ton of games.

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
Food, but not “good” food, just a lot of food.

9. What is the one thing that you feel is always overpriced?
I think everything is overpriced. But I think paying $10 for internet at airports/hotels is ridiculous.

10. If money can’t buy happiness, what can it buy?
I think money can do a lot, e.g. the Gates Foundation. Money can save lives.

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Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

1. What do you do for a living?
I’ve been a freelance illustrator for 33 years. Over the past several years I’ve been doing work for galleries too, mostly in LA and Palm Springs.

2. What’s the difference between fine art and illustration?
Illustration jobs have specific demands. Fine art doesn’t.

3. Where do you get inspiration for your art?
I’ve gotten inspiration for my work from dozens of things: cartoons, cubism, art deco, Joan Miro, Paul Klee, Phillipe Guston, Jeff Koons. In college, it was Richard Lindner, Metropolis, Hugh Ferris, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

4. You live in Palm Springs, do you rent or own your home?
Currently my partner and I own our home.

5. Have you been seriously affected by the economic downtown? How?
Yes! We bought here in California at the height of the market. We’re upside down on our mortgage. Now we owe more than the house is worth.

6. What is the perfect illustration job or career situation for you?
I love working in black and white, though 99% of my jobs are color. So, I do quite a bit of black and white for my gallery work. I also love developing characters, especially non-human!

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance? What would you buy?
I got 50 cents a week. I had to empty all of the waste baskets and mow the lawn which almost an acre for that! I would buy 45’s at Woolworth’s. [Yikes! That really dates me.]

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
Several obscure fragrances that are (luckily) hard to find. Oh…and frozen shrimp at Costco!

9. What is the one thing that you feel is always overpriced?
Produce here in southern California…especially since so much of it’s GROWN here!

10. If money can’t buy happiness, then what can it buy?
Comfort, security and frozen shrimp at Costco!

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Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

1.  How did you get started in comedy?
I started almost 6 years ago. I always wanted to do it but was afraid. I did improv for a few years and stand up seemed to be a natural progression!

2. I heard you hosted the Staten Island Pride parade. How was it?
Staten Island Pride was a lot of fun. This was only the 5th Annual SI Pride and everyone there was so excited and proud, it was really refreshing. I heard that it’s growing every year!

3.  Last month, you organized the first Miss Fag Hag Pageant.  How were you able to pull off a big event on a shoestring budget?
It was A LOT of favors. From the amazing talent like Hedda Lettuce, Michael Musto, Kathleen Fitzgerald and Hedda Lettuce to Comix being so supportive and having a fabulous director, Adolpho Blaire who can do a lot with virtually nothing.

4. Do you have any financial advice for people moving into a big city from a small town?
Just know what you’re getting into, especially when going out. A Bud Light in the city is often times $6, not $2. There are places in the city that have cheap drinks like Phoenix has $1 Draft Night on Wednesdays.

5. You live in Upper Upper Upper West side (Washington Heights). Have you tried to negotiate lower rent from your landlord?
I haven’t actually. I came in the middle of the existing lease and it’s really affordable. I wish I had a better story. I negotiated for an iPod cord on Canal Street last night. I won that battle, $20! Is that even a deal?

6. If you could no longer afford to live in New York, where you go?
EEK! Hush your mouth! I would try to live in New Jersey, first. But if that doesn’t work out, I’d move to a smaller city like Chicago or Harrisburg, PA *weeps in hands*.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance?  What would you buy?
I didn’t get an allowance, we weren’t the richest family around. I had to get a job when I was 15. I bought my first car, my first pair of contact lenses and a lot of Bum Equipment shirts.

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
Is alcohol a personal item?

9. What is one thing that you feel is always overpriced?
Alcohol.

10. If money can’t buy happiness, what can it buy?
Alcohol.

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Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

1. How did you get started as a web developer?
I’ve always been passionate about art and graphic design. From there I migrated to desktop publishing and the web. I’m an autodidact by nature and turned my hobby into a career.

2. You are also a blogger. Do you make any money from your blog?
No. But I’ve received other opportunities. I began blogging as mostly a personal outlet. I never intended it to be a money-making venture. I’m working on a couple of other web products that will generate revenue.

3. Have you gotten speaking gigs at conferences as a result of your blog?
I’ve received offers to speak at conferences but, as an introvert, I’ve decline most of them. The topic has to be something I’m passionate about and feel I can lend new insight. So far, I’ve lead sessions at the inaugural Sex 2.0 conference as well as a couple of panel discussions.

4. You live in Atlanta, do you rent or own?
Suzi Orman wouldn’t approve but I’m a big advocate of renting. It requires less work on my part and gives me a sense of freedom. However, I have to admit, plummeting real estate prices have tempted me to purchase something.

5. Have you been seriously affected by the economic downtown? How?
I haven’t been as impacted by the recent economic issues as many of my associates. Several years ago the company I worked for was bought by another and I was laid off. It was the best thing to happen to me as it lead me to my current career, which I love.

6. What is the perfect job or career situation for you?
Something creative and challenging with key decision-making responsibilities. Also, I’d rather not go into an office everyday. And of course, I need to be well compensated, so I can travel.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance? What would you buy?
My parents were pretty frugal which is a trait I inherited. I received a very modest allowance from about 15 years old until I got a job at 18. I spent most of my money hanging out with my friends.

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
I consider music to be a personal item. I’m obsessed with it and spare little expense on concerts, rare releases, imports, etc. A trip to the music store can easily turn into a 2-hour visit for me.

9. What is the one thing that you feel is always overpriced?
Automobiles. I’m thinking of buying a new(er) car and can’t believe some of the prices for basic models.

10. If money can’t buy happiness, what can it buy?
Money buys me a certain sense of security/peace of mind and affords me the opportunity to do the things that will bring happiness. The periods when I didn’t have enough money to pay bills properly or go to dinner were stressful. Of course, I’ve found other things to stress about.

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Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

1. How did you get started as a travel writer?
That’s one of the major misconceptions of my profession. I’m not a travel writer…I’m a travel editor. In most people’s minds, that’s the same thing. In fact, when I tell people that I’m a travel editor, the first thing they say is: so, do you get to travel much? And the answer is…not as much as a travel writer. What I do is HIRE travel writers. And I sit in an office in Hoboken (with a fabulous view) and edit the books. I do get to travel some myself: I can go on press trips, and I’ve always traveled on my own (which is one of the reasons I think I was hired for the job).

2. What is a cheap but fun place to go for a weekend getaway?
I always look for destinations in their off- or shoulder season. I got to beach/resort destinations in the spring or fall. Right now, in the Northeast, you can probably get a good package deal in Provincetown (though off-season transportation there can be problematic), or down at the Jersey Shore, or on Long Island, as the places that stay open year-round are still offering well below high season rates. In this economic climate, bargains abound. I also keep an eye on the last-minute packages, like the ones at Flights.com (formerly Site59.com) and the ones on Priceline.

3.  You have been on “Jeopardy”, “Cash Cab” and “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”.  How easy is it to win on a game show?
Game shows are entertainment; if you can pass a test of basic knowledge, follow directions and be interesting enough to keep people from changing the channel (in a good way), then you will probably pass the audition. I am a big reader; I read everything I see, from newspapers and magazines to reference books. And I have the sort of mind that can pull up ephemera fairly quickly. Of course, I remember nothing about algebra, but then it’s never actually been something I’ve needed as an adult.

4. Have your winnings from game shows been worth the havoc it may wreak on a tax refund?
I talked to my accountant first thing after Millionaire, and he advised me to take 30% off the top and not even look at it. So I bought a CD that matured around April 15 of the following year. And when it was time to file, I took that money and used it to cover my taxes. (And I had actually put away more than needed, so I got an additional, smaller windfall). You are responsible for taxes on your winnings, so just think of what you won as 20 to 30% less (and put that much away), and you should be okay.

5. You are also involved with nonpofit theatre in New York City? How do handle fundraising in this challenging economic climate?
I’m a volunteer staff member at two non-profit theaters, and was previously a paid staffer for two more (a theater and a literary arts center). I feel like the expertise I bring to the companies is a pretty good in-kind contribution. At Emerging Artists Theater, I am the Playwrights Company Manager, and serve as a peer and coordinator for a group of emerging professional playwrights; I also do whatever I’m called upon as a staffer to help things run smoothly, whether it’s writing letters to potential funders, to picking up programs at the printer. At TOSOS, I am coordinator of the Robert Chesley/Jane Chambers Playwrights Project, responsible for finding and helping produce readings of new plays (and revisiting older plays) by LGBTQ writers. I feel like helping develop a strong product is a kind of fundraising, because if people like it, they’ll support it. And if a play goes on to a successful run, it creates earned income.

6. How long have you and your partner been together? Do you always see eye-to-eye on finances?
We met online in 1998, and she moved here in 2000. We have a Vermont civil union and a NYC domestic partnership. She’s on my health plan at work. We go back and forth but are generally on the same page about spending. I spend more on things like eating out and entertainment than she likes, but I figure that’s part of being a playwright and participant in the NYC theater scene. We have a car that’s paid for (thank you “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”) and when I get a windfall like that, we usually discuss the best way to spend it, including  clearing debt, a bit to give away as a charitable contribution, and something for ourselves, like a trip.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance?  What would you buy?
I did get an allowance; not a lot, but my dad always gave me pocket money. I usually spent it on candy and books. Now I spend it on candy, liquor and books.

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
I love to have a massage. I consider it essential for my well being. I try to have at least one a month, and two when I can afford it. We have a very good massage therapist who charges reasonable rates. But she is moving away, so I have a mission for the summer: to find another good massage therapist (who’s cheap!)

9. What is the one thing that you feel is always  overpriced?
It depends on how much money I have on me. I actually think movies are overpriced. I rarely go to first-run stuff anymore; I’d rather wait for it on Netflix.

10. If money can’t buy happiness, what can it buy?
Well, if I had enough of it, it could buy me the time to write; as it is, I can buy a good meal, a weekend away, a ticket to the theater, a girlie drink with an umbrella, a book that one of my friends wrote, and food for the pets.

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Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

1. What did you do for a living? What do you do now?
Formerly, I have been a personal/executive assistant to many CEO’s, President’s and VP’s of top companies. Now I am a freelance photographer, furniture reviver, charity volunteer, treasurer for a political campaign and assistant looking for a boss. Funny enough since I have become unemployed I find that I’m working more now than when I was working 10-12 hour days.

2. You are living on unemployment in New York City (well Queens, but still). How do you manage to afford it?
Well thanks to the fact that I have no debt beyond my monthly expenses it is surprisingly easy to live on $1620 a month. (and now thanks to NYC, NYS and the Federal Gov. the unemployed got a $100 a month “raise”). I live with the bare necessities and my bills; Cable+internet, Cell phone, Electric+Gas, Metrocard and rent, come to around $1440. Also seeing that my dating life has been put on hold, I cook most of my meals at home and groceries for the month come to around $70. And the rest goes to nights out with friends.

3. What are some cost-saving secrets that you have picked up along the way?
Jack’s 99 cent store on 32nd Street is a god send, or at least it was. I could pick up food staples (i.e. mayo, pasta, pasta sauce, bread, etc.) for 99 cents each. Now it is a little cheaper than the local grocery store but sometimes I can still find a good deal there. Shopping around is also a trick. I buy veggies at one store and canned goods at another and dairy at another. Right now I have the time to go to the different stores but I think once I get another full time job I may go back to shopping at just one or two stores again.

4. You are a semi-professional photographer.  How do you save money on photo equipment?  Do you barter?
I wait until I try out new equipment and see if I like it. A friend has the same interests as I and he has been fortunate enough to be able to afford all the equipment he wants and I have been lucky enough
to borrow it when he is not using it. At the moment once I find a piece I like I either wait for my birthday and ask my parents or use my meager tax return.

5. Have you gotten photography gigs as a result of your photoblog or flickr stream?
Not so much. I have been able to show people who I want to photograph my sites and it has shown them that I’m not a pervert trying to get them in my house and take pictures of them naked. I’m hoping with the
revamp of my main website that I’ll be taken more seriously in the photography world.

6. What is the perfect job or career situation for you?
I would love to be an editorial photographer but I have a few more years of shooting my own projects to build up my portfolio before I can enter that realm. But I will get there. Soon enough.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance?  What would you buy?
I got $5 every 2 weeks and I could earn an extra 75 cents a week for washing one of the family cars. As for what I would buy… it was a mixture of micro mini cars, teacups from the local thrift store and plants for my outdoor garden.

Photo by Justin Hoch

Soce, The Elemental Wizard produces and performs hip hop music, writes and films comedy videos, interviews comedians, reviews video games and co-hosts a monthly math bee. His music is a blend of live violin, guitar, bass and singing, mixed in with thought-provoking rhymes, catchy melodies and a megawatt smile. On his tax forms, he is known as Andrew Singer.

1. How did get started being a Jewish Gay Rapper? Does it run in the family?
I’m the only gay rapper in my family. I was the youngest child, so I always had to be different and make my mark. I was also the only one who played trombone in the Jr High School band (my siblings and I generally stuck with stringed instruments and choral music). I’ve always been a fan of hip hop since grammar school, and once I started doing it seriously in NYC, I had to rap about being gay during some of my songs, since hip hop is all about keeping it real, and that’s a big part of who I am.

2. By day, you work in IT on Wall Street. Got any good stock tips?
Now is a great time to buy, while all of the stocks are so low. Just make sure you don’t purchase any sinking ships.

3. How do you finance the recording of your latest CD, Master of Fine Arts? credit cards? savings? barter?
I have been saving up from my day job salary, and from sales of previous CDs and live show income. I’m spending a lot of money pressing this new CD because I decided to go all out and film two music videos–one for I Am (So Gay) and the other for They Call Me–and also include an 8-page full-color booklet plus a bonus DVD of some of my music and comedy videos. I think it’s worth it though because music is my true love, and I want to give my fans a high quality product.

4. As a gay comic rapper, have you found many opportunities for paying gigs?
I get the most money from college and corporate gigs. I will travel across the world to perform for my fans. Last year, one of my MySpace friends hired me to fly out to the Midwest to rap at his book release party. It was great to get to meet him and his wife and all their friends and family. I had a blast.

5. You do comedy videos as well as music. Where do find inexpensive audio and camera equipment?
I purchase my music equipment from Guitar Center or the Mac Store. I get my video cameras from J&R Electronics, and I get my flood lighting from B&H photo. The longer I wait to get new equipment, the prices get lower and the quality gets better. I can now buy an High-Def handicam with an 80 GB built-in hard drive for the same price that I bought a regular-quality handicam with a 40 GB built-in hard drive two years ago.

6. You live in the East Village, a neighborhood that gets more gentrified every year. What would you do if couldn’t live there any more?
I really love living in East Village because there are so many cool restaurants and bars around, plus a lot of the shows I perform at and enjoy attending are here or nearby. I would be pretty sad if I had to leave, although actually I’m looking to purchase a place in Williamsburg or other neighborhoods in Manhattan. I’m hoping to use this terrible economy to my advantage to get a semi-decent deal on real estate for once.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance? What would you buy?
We got a base allowance with bonuses if we were able to start practicing violin early enough in the morning before school. I generally spent it on candy or else renting video games.

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
Now I buy video games instead of renting them. It’s a complete waste of time, but I’m a total addict. Plus I then often review them for WayTooHip Radio once I finish them. I can only hope that some day, publishers will send me advance promo copies.

9. What is one thing that you feel is always overpriced?
Monthly Metrocards are getting crazy expensive these days.. Luckily I pay for most of them with pre-tax money, so that helps me save a bit. Also, glasses are expensive too, but again, I have pre-tax money set aside for those as well. I’m lucky that my job sets that up for me.

10. If money can’t buy happiness, what can it it buy?
Money can buy things that make you feel good, like a tasty sandwich or some fresh, clean undershirts. It can bring you closer to your friends and loved ones by paying to send them a real, handwritten letter or even hook up a phone or internet connection. There’s no point in wasting it on expensive baubles, but it’s great to spend it on new equipment for your art or to get yourself some nice little treats.

More about Soce, The Elemental Wizard
Soce, the elemental wizard is the Jewish, Gay, White MC. A computer programmer on Wall Street by day.. Level 27 Hip Hop Spellcaster by night! He has been described as the male Lil Kim and the white Eminem. soce’s been on MTV, VH1, Logo, HERE and in The Source, URB, Out magazine and numerous German, Austrian and Swiss magazines, as well as being interviewed live on WNYC 93.9 FM and Sirius Satellite Radio, on OutQ 106, Raw Dog Comedy 104 and Shade 45 (where he recently won their first ever gay hip hop battle). The wizard has been filmed in three documentaries on gay rappers.

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Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

1. How did you get interested in city planning?  What do you love about cities?
I think I needed a career switch or another degree or something like that. My good friend is a city planner and I always enjoyed hearing about it. So I thought I could go to school for finance (my background is in accounting) or something much more interesting like city planning. Of course, what’s there not to love about cities?! They are perfect for attention-deficit-disorder people like myself.

2. You bought a house in Philadelphia after living in NYC for years. How did you finance your home? savings? loan?
I was fortunate to buy the house during the times when the banks were giving out loans to everyone… so, we hardly put down anything when we bought the house.

3. How do you manage the costs of remodeling an old house?  Did you seek out many referrals from general contractors?
Those costs are tough. Particularly, because you could really get a return on your buck if you do things yourself. The drawback of doing things yourself is that you HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF. And, after a while, you get really tired working on the house… Philadelphia does have some really good programs for people who want to remodel their houses.

My boyfriend Chris is excellent at searching around for referrals, so we have been pretty lucky although we had some odd ones come in. In the era of internet blogs, it’s pretty easy though to find decent contractors; one thing I have to say, I should have never trusted by initial judgment – some of our best contractors ended up being guys who scared the hell out of me at start.

4. Do you have any tips to share with other people who are rehabbing a turn of the last century house?
Unless you love history, buy an apartment. And, if you do appreciate history, contact me (at a small fee, of course). In all seriousness, there is a lot and a lot of beauty in old houses. And, they were built like a rock! Our house is 160 years old and to this day it amazes me how solid it was built. Not to mention, they used to do everything by hand!

5. How do you save money while commuting between New York and Philadelphia?
I work for a company in NYC, so they generally cover the commute costs. And, nowadays, there are so many nice options – other than the usual suspects of Amtrak, NJTransit/SEPTA, Chinatown buses, there are also Boltbus and Megabus. Philly to NYC for a buck!

6. Do you and your partner always see eye-to-eye on finances?
Finances are a pain, particularly when you are spending lots of dough on house renovations. We don’t always see eye-to-eye but we’ve survived.

7. When you were a kid, did you get an allowance?  What would you buy?
I grew up in mother Russia – there were no allowances at the time. But if I did, I’d buy foreign gum. YES, foreign chewing gum. I think when I was growing up, there was some obsession in Russian kids for foreign chewing gum.

8. What is the one personal item that you always splurge on?
Going out for drinks and travel (and taxis).

9. What is one thing that you feel is always overpriced?
Tuition. WAY overpriced.

10. If money can’t buy happiness, what can it it buy?
Stuff and lots of stuff. Stuff that may appear to substitute for happiness.

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Read other Queercents interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.