Name: Scott L. Goldman
Age: 35
Location: Los Angeles, California
Why we care: Goldman started his own production company at 26, and has produceda slew of movies for TV and the big screen (latest hit: My Sister's Keeper, which starred Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin). To do so, he's become a master at keeping many balls in the air, even under conditions where "all of those balls are having a contest over which can most inventively fall to the ground and smash into a million pieces." Fun, right? He talked to Bundle about how his spending habits have changed with time, budgeting for 2-year-old Henry, and why he's paying for law school at 35.

A lot of people dream of working in the movies. How did you start out?

I studied film at Middlebury and after I graduated I got a job at a small production company that focused mainly on making movies for TV. My job was to bring in material, get movies made and make sure the movies in development were moving along. I was making $13,000.

That's not a lot of money to live on in a city like LA.

I wasn't making $13,000 for long, but it was enough to cover basic expenses, and I was living with other people, so we were able to keep the rent low. And when you're working in development, there's no time to spend money, because you are working all the time.

What would you spend money on in those early days?

Food. I wanted to make sure I was eating well because I was working so much. I should have been cooking more often.

You were 26 when you started your production company. Producers typically don't get paid very much until a movie gets made, so how did you have the money to start?

I saved up. Fortunately, it's a low-overhead business.

Have you done anything that you think gives you an edge?

For a while I was a partner in Pocket Billboards, a start-up advertising company, so I was continuing to produce while doing advertising deals with them. It's very helpful to know how the advertising and marketing world works if you are making films. And now I'm going to law school, which will give me a creative writer/producer side and a legal side - which is, hopefully, a rare and valuable combination.

Law school is expensive! How are you paying for it?

Out of pocket. I'm going part-time at night and working during the day, so it's a challenging schedule. And it's a huge expense, but I look at it as a great investment.

Are you still careful about spending?

I am better than I've ever been about money. When we became parents, some expenses became less relevant. We didn't worry about spending a lot going out to dinner, because when you are a parent, you don't go out that often anyway. We're balanced between the short-term and long-term in terms of money. And the time constraints are enormous.

So if you're spending less on dinners out, what are you spending more on?

Matchbox cars and Legos have become a more significant part of our budget. It's hard to walk into any store or go online and not buy Henry something fun. And the costs of parenting are huge. There's clothes and diapers. Daycare is a large expense for us. Three seats on a plane instead of two. On and on. It adds up.

What do you splurge on?

We like to relax and get out of town. We went to Big Bear recently, stayed at a B&B and did things that Henry would like, like taking a ride on a pirate ship. Jane and I don't get a lot of time alone, so we recently booked a hotel in LA and relaxed. It was great. Sometimes it's hard to relax at home, with a million reminders of what you need to do.

Do you have a budget?

We're in the ever-evolving process of evaluating the best way to save and spend our money. The most important thing is for Jane and I to communicate and be on the same page. We try to spend wisely and learn as we go.

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