Joan, since my gigs are 3-6-9 months or longer, I rent a room or a house in the area. Currently my monthly rent is $500 for half a 3 bedroom house. I spend another $400 per month on food and recurring living expenses. Since my state of residence is California, I get a per diem of $168 per day (in Oregon) which is more then I need to offset my living expenses/rent...and of course the per diem is tax free! I pay myself a very, very low salary so my tax burden is tiny. My current monthly income is around $12,000.
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