Saugerties young people are frugal and handy

Jobs closed off

Stephanie Dougherty, 26, lives with her mother and grandmother in Blue Mountain. She is currently a part-time student at SUNY Ulster pursuing an associate’s degree in fine arts. Dougherty says it’s taken her awhile to get her degree because she has always had to work—at times as many as three jobs—which hasn’t left her a lot of time for school. Now, she works at a day care in Saugerties, which pays well enough to serve as her sole source of income.

Like Todd and Hines, Dougherty says she doesn’t have much in savings (less than $50). She says her income is just enough to cover her expenses, which include her car, a cell phone, outstanding medical debt (she currently cannot afford the health insurance offered by her job) and groceries. Her education costs are covered by a Pell Grant.

“I’m surviving, but I would like to thrive,” said Dougherty. “That would be nice.”

Like Todd and Hines, Dougherty says she buys much of her clothing secondhand. She mends her own clothing and makes her own coffee. Whenever possible, she, too, takes advantage of free outdoor recreation, like walking, hiking, swimming in local swimming holes and urban exploring—the examination of abandoned buildings.

Dougherty does admit to splurging on going out for coffee and food occasionally. She also recently attended the Newport Folk Festival, which she says took months of saving. Unfortunately, many of her friends were unable to join her because their employers do not offer paid time off. Dougherty said many of her friends are reluctant to take time off for fear of losing their jobs. Of her splurges, Dougherty says, “It’s an incomplete life to just be working.”

When asked if she’ll be moving out on her own any time soon, Dougherty says no. She wants to save more money. When she is ready to move out, she thinks her budget of $400–500 a month won’t be enough to secure her own private apartment. She expects she’ll have to share a home with one or more roommates, though she would rather be able to live by herself.

Further down the road, Dougherty hopes to become an art teacher. While going to school, she’s also building her creative portfolio, which consists of play backdrops and props, costumes, drawings and jewelry. She’s excited about a plan to use locally-collected cicada wings, preserved in epoxy, to make earrings.

However, Dougherty isn’t optimistic about her job prospects once she has finished getting her credentials. She says that because art programs in K-12 schools are constantly being cut, the competition is fierce for jobs teaching art. She’s considering the possibility of teaching art outside the public school system.

Another concern is finding an employer who accepts her appearance. Currently, Dougherty has blue-dyed hair. She says it’s part of her identity. “People aren’t able to fully be themselves because they are trying to be attractive to employers,” she laments.

Hard without college degree

Nick Denise, 27, saves on living expenses by residing with his parents in Mount Marion. He currently works in construction. Ideally, he says, he would like to have a higher level job, but finding better employment is difficult without a college degree.

To supplement his income, Denise works nights with his father in the family karaoke business. He said unfortunately, several of the business’s regular gigs have been terminated because their hosting locales—local restaurants and bars—have closed recently.

Denise admits to going out to eat regularly, but says fast-food chain dollar menus and purchasing cheaper cigarettes help him cut costs. He tries to save in other ways. For starters, he says he takes excellent care of his belongings. With his carpentry knowledge, he does many home repairs himself. He’ll even fix machinery. Just recently he fixed a broken lawnmower. He does his own oil changes. Also, he doesn’t quickly discard his clothing and sneakers.

Denise says he does want to move out of his parents’ home eventually, but like Dougherty, expects to have a roommate to offset the cost of rent and to live comfortably.