The $4,000 travelling mistake that left drag superstar Hannah Conda at the ‘lowest point in her financial life’

It’s Pay Day! The ABC’s new column where we ask Australians the money questions we don’t like to talk about. We aim to demystify personal finance and normalise conversations about what we earn and how we save it — or spend it.

Hannah Conda is an award-winning drag performer who has been dazzling audiences across Australia and around the world for more than a decade. She recently entered the RuPaul’s Drag Race hall of fame as a runner-up on the show’s second season Down Under and again in the latest season of UK vs. The World. 

For Pay Day, Hannah shares the expensive truth behind the scenes of her glitzy television appearances, the lowest point in her financial life thus far, and a deliciously affordable lunchtime splurge.

How would you describe your financial situation right now?

In all honesty, it is not where I thought or hoped it would be. Doing two seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and self-funding a few tours over the last few months have really hit my pocket quite hard, as well as the increase in our rent. I’m slowly getting back on track.

How was money spoken about in your house growing up?

Growing up talk about money was very frank. We understood that it had to be earnt and you needed to be smart with it.

However, money was not the be-all and end-all. My parents had a focus on us being good people and working hard. They set us up with skills so that we’d be able to support ourselves in whatever job that we do.

What did you spend your first pay cheque on?

I started working quite early on, around age 10 or 11, in the kitchen as a dishwasher in the hotel that my parents ran back in Yorke, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Perth.

My first job as a young adult, though, was at a shoe store and my first big purchase was a Country Road bag. It was 2008 and as a young gay kid I just wanted to keep up with the older gays!

About how much of your income goes towards your rent or mortgage each week?

$400 a week. I’m in an apartment in inner city Sydney, splitting it down the middle with my partner, and it still takes up a big chunk of my income.

What has been your biggest financial disaster?

Honestly, the last two years have been extremely financially stressful. I have had some of the most incredible experiences, however preparing costume packages for two seasons of Drag Race really hits hard and is difficult to build back from.

You have to provide runway looks for each episode — that includes fabrics, wigs, jewellery, make-up. You might have to pay a costumer or a wig styler if you’re not doing it yourself. So there’s a lot of costs that come together, and that’s just one look, let alone 10. 

The opportunities that come out of doing a show like Drag Race in Australia are limited and you don’t really make enough to cover all the outlay to make sure you stay at a high calibre of drag that people expect.

Travelling has also eaten up a lot of my finances, with excess baggage, transport and accommodation, which often hasn’t been covered with a few of the trips I have gone on.