Broke-Ass of the Week – Jax Steager
Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit'probably not.
Wanna be a Broke-Ass of the Week? Holler at us here and we’ll send you the questionnaire.
photo by the lovely Julie Michelle of I Live Here SF.com
I met Jax briefly one day while walking down Folsom St. with Julie Michelle from I Live Here SF. I’m pretty sure they were engrossed in the shoot that produced the picture to the left. Julie’s pretty much taken it as her mission to make every San Franciscan look great. While Jax and I didn’t have too much time to chop it up, she did express interest in being Broke-Ass of the Week. So here she is.
Jax a lighting designer, a member of the Air National Guard and is bold enough to eat ceviche from a taco truck. I am none of the above. Read below to see what else she’s all about and make sure to check out her piece on I Live Here SF.
Name: Jax Steager
Age: 29
Occupation: Live performance lighting designer, stagehand-of-all-trades,
What neighborhood do you live in?: The Mission. I guess being a white chick living here makes me guilty of gentrification, but I live on a block that makes other Mission residents cringe, and I get along just fine with my neighbors on the street.
What are you listening to these days?: Local stuff like my folk-punk sweeties Culann’s Hounds and Foolproof Four. I never gave up my 90’s grunge and industrial, though, so if you see me headbanging on Muni, it’s probably Nirvana.
Best money saving tip: Hair dye parties! What’s better than mixing toxic chemicals, lots of coffee, and your half-naked friends? Everybody gets colorful, nobody gets broke.
What do you refuse to spend money on?: Yoga classes. Jesus. Go do some handstands in the park, people.
Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: All by myself? Probably my ink.
How’d that feel?: It fucking hurt! But on the upside, now I have really awesome colorful skin.
Favorite cheap eat: Saag paneer and all-you-can-drink chai at Pakwan, or the ceviche tostadas at that silver taco trailer at 16th Street BART.
Favorite dive bar: There aren’t many skeezy Irish pubs in SF where I haven’t knocked back a few pints, but like everyone else in the hood I’m also fond of Bender’s.
Best deal you’ve ever gotten: I love bartering. A friend recently opened her massage practice and I painted her room'”and she paid me in massage!
Favorite free thing to do: Hike. We’ve got amazing nature here in San Francisco'”not just Golden Gate Park, but also Glen Canyon, the Presidio…and you can get to all of it by public transportation. Pack a snack and make an afternoon of it.
If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy?: A loft much like where I live now, but with a safe place for my other half to keep his bicycles. Having them stolen all the time gets old. And expensive.
Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: I live in a beautiful city, my husband is both smart and sexy, and I have amazing friends. What’s not to love?
Do you own my book?: Nope. Soon as I can find a copy a second-hand store, I will. Want to give me one?
Best hangover cure: Huevos rancheros and hair of the dog.
Are you a hipster?: So I live in the Mission and I’m tattooed, but I don’t own skinny jeans, I hate PBR and generally I like my men clean-shaven, so I think that’s a no.
