24

Jul

Managing Your Freelancing Income

Money does not buy you happiness. True, but it would certainly be nice to have some! Freelance writers often face the prospect of an inconsistent wage. The next paycheque may be some weeks away. The amount you are earning one month may not be the same as the next, if indeed you are getting paid at all. The lack of money is the root of unhappiness. It is not easy to feel good about yourself when another bill arrives through your door and you realise you may not be able to pay it! If you are relating to this then consider the following pieces of advice.

Do not shuffle your bills under the carpet and try to forget about them. Ring the people you owe money too and explain your situation. It may be that they will have a solution to help you manage the bill in installments.

Prioritise your bills. Pay off those that are most urgent first.

Make a financial plan. Write down what you need to pay each month and when. Seeing it in black and white may help you to visualise your situation better.

Stop paying for things you don’t really need. Tell your bank to stop unnecessary charges. Having a Netflix account is awesome but is it something you could cancel for a while until you are more financially stable? Could you cut down on junk food and takeaways? It’s painful to stop paying for what you enjoy but sometimes you may have too. Hopefully it won’t be forever.

Take a part time job. It may not always be work you enjoy but at least it will give you a little extra income to tide you over until your freelance writing pays again.

Start saving. You may think you have nothing to save as every penny is catered for. However in your budget try and take a little something and store it. It may be a pound a month but at least its something.

Don’t stress. There are organisations out there that can help if you really are struggling. The Credit Union and Christians Against Poverty are two of the UK organisations that can help. Forget your pride and ask for help.
It may be that you are earning enough money to live on and the above does not apply to you. That’s great and long may it continue. However in this ever changing financial climate you still need to take check of you finances and prepare for the future.

If you are struggling I hope the above helped a little. Most of us go through hard times financially at some point in our lives. It is nothing to be ashamed of. We need to adjust our lives accordingly and have wisdom until the situation improves. At the very least going through that experience will give you something to write about!

Don’t let low finances put you off your freelance writing. Adopt the advice above if needed. Times may be hard now but it doesn’t mean it will be forever. A lot of successful writers will have experienced similar at some point in their lives yet they persevered. And so should you. Your writing is worth it!