My privileges
- Amanda Riddell
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- Feb 16, 2024
- 1 min read
Are mostly those of any white, upper-middle class person: I got a good education, and I have money that was capitalised from a house sale.
It's not all that much. It was $150,000, then I put $30,000 in my Kiwisaver. I went through around $70,000 from 2020-2024.
But I've also got $48,000 of student debt. The trust is invested with some company, and that's finally turning around after a poor year in 2023.
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It's enough to be truly uncompromising, though. Like, I can say no to ideas because I've still got enough money to pay my rent and by my food, drugs and booze.
Plus I can survive while being unemployed, which allows me to pursue this quest to legitimise gender-diverse identities in the workplace.
I'm looking forward to being on the Student Allowance this year while taking a course that is free and won't increase my student debt.
This suggests that my lifestyle requires around $35,000 p.a. to live a half-decent life. That's about the standard rate for an artist, with the caveat that nobody pays me to make my stuff and that I've made it mostly on my own dime.