The $22,669 Film Crew Mistake I’ll Never Make Again

If you're watching this, you probably think waiting a few months to start investing won't make much difference. I thought the same thing in October 2023. But that one small delay cost me $22,669. Gone up in flames. I'm Rob Perkins. For 25 years, I've hired crew all over the country. I've seen financial mistakes destroy talented careers over and over, so you'd think I'd know better. Today, I'm showing you the exact math behind why waiting just a few months destroys your wealth and the simple fix you can start today. I'm on a mission to help 1000 freelance film crew build $1 million in wealth. Let's take action. So why did I wait? Same reason you probably are. I told myself I'd start when things settled down. When the timing felt right, when I had more saved. But here's the thing about perfect timing. In our industry, it never comes. And while I was waiting for April, after paying my 2023 taxes to feel like a fresh start, I was bleeding money I'll never get back. Let me show you exactly what that cost looked like. Because once you see these numbers, you'll never think about timing the same way again. Scenario number one. Here's what happened. When I finally started in April 2024, I committed to $583.33 every month for 300 months into my Roth IRA in in order to hit the $7,000 maximum you can contribute until tax day of the next year for the previous year. So it could grow tax free for the next 25 years. 583 is less than most day rates. Over 25 years, I'll put in about 175,000 of my own money. But watch what happens in 25 years. At 7% APY, it grows to $459,354. Of that, 284,355 is pure growth money I didn't have to work for. To me, that means freedom to turn down toxic productions or retirement that doesn't require hauling C stands at age 75? Not bad, right? But I haven't told you the crazy part yet. Scenario number two. Now, here's where my mistake starts to hurt. What if I had just started right then in October, seven months earlier, same monthly amount, but at a head start. That small head start grows to $482,023. That's 22,669 more than scenario one. Let that sink in. Take all the time you need. I gave up over 22k by waiting 7 months. That's worth months of work I didn't have to chase. All because I waited for tax day to feel like a fresh start. That's not just money. That's freedom. That's turning down the toxic director who makes your stomach hurt from call time to rap, which you already know I've done. It feels great, by the way. That's taking two months off to shoot your passion project or spend a couple weeks with your family on vacation. That's the difference between grinding until your body gives out and choosing when you want to retire. And I left it on the table by waiting. But you don't have to now. I know what some of you are thinking. Rob, I don't have $583 a month. Some months I barely cover rent. I get it. I've been there. But here's the thing Nobody tells you. The dollar amount matters less than starting now. Even if you can only do $100 or 50. Hell, even 25. The principle is the same. Time beats everything else. Check this out. Someone investing $100 a month starting today ends up with more after 25 years than someone investing $200 a month starting five years later. It's not about having the most money to invest. It's about being early. And since you're watching this right now, you're still early enough to build serious wealth. But only if you don't make the same mistake I did. Don't wait for perfect timing, because it never comes. Just so you know, I'm not a financial advisor. What I share here comes from decades of producing, managing budgets, and seeing firsthand how money decisions can make or break a project I've delivered under budget and ahead of schedule, even when the odds were not in my favor. But when it comes to your personal financial decisions, always do your own research. That's why it's called personal finance. We'll complain all day about the price of groceries or gas for the van, or if you're a grip, a cool truck, or even a movie ticket. But when it comes to money, our money, the kind that could ease stress between gigs, those same mental outtakes sneak in. Investing is for rich people. Next year will be different. Isn't investing like gambling? I used to say that, too, and you already saw what that cost me. That dollar amount isn't just a number. It's real life. Months of rent, covered, food on the table for years, or the freedom to turn down the nightmare jobs you only take because the bills won't wait. Every year Crew who wait leave thousands on the table. The earlier your money starts working for you, the sooner you can stop chasing every paycheck. Imagine walking onto set. Knowing the job adds to your freedom. Instead of patching a hole in your stress, time beats timing every single time. It's not about the perfect month, the perfect paycheck, or the perfect year. It's about building a system that keeps working even when you're too busy, too tired, or too deep into a 14 hour shoe day to think about it. On set, we automate what matters. Camera settings, lighting cues, sound levels. Your wealth should work the same way. Set it up once, let it run. Let time do the heavy lifting. Whether you start with 100 bucks or a full $7,000, what counts is starting now. Because every month you start earlier is another month your future self will thank you. So once you see that $22,669 difference, you'll know how your money can grow automatically. Waiting those months cost me over 22k. If you're watching this and thinking, I'll start tomorrow, you're making the same mistake I did. So open the account today. Fund it today, even if it's just 50 bucks. Small steps today become real wealth over time. Now that you know where to put $7,000 a year to grow tax free in a Roth IRA, the next question is what to invest in. Watch this video next where I break down the exact investment strategy I use. I'm on a mission to help 1000 freelance film crew build $1 million in wealth. I want you to be one of them. Stay focused, stress less, build wealth. That's a wrap.