Freelance Finance

Personal finance for freelancers is, essentially, what this site is about. But in truth, “freelance” is much too limiting a word for the audience that this site seeks to serve. It offers personal finance musings (and, we’d like to think, some useful advice) to anyone who does not have the financial advantage of a salary and benefits. That’s a pretty big chunk o’ folks. Of course, Muck and I are both suckers for rhyme and alliteration, so the name “Freelance Finance” stays.

However, today I was again reminded of how many people find themselves scratching their exhausted noggins when it comes to making sense of their finances while earning erratically or living off of a non-salaried, no-benefits-included income.

Exiting the YMCA today, I asked the desk manager about volunteering to teach some of the personal finance classes that the Y offers free of charge to people in need. A casual conversation ensued in which I mentioned this site. Both of them lit up. One is currently holding down two part-time jobs, neither of which provide any benefits whatsoever. The other is a one-time lawyer who is now a membership coordinator at the Y. (Don’t ask why—I don’t know.) The former barrister spent years never needing to budget and now finds that reduced pay and benefits have meant taking charge of finances in a whole new way.

We are a growing population, people. More and more individuals are going into business for themselves or working from home. But larger still is the group comprised of folks like the guy working two part-time jobs. The majority of established financial savings systems are not designed with us in mind. Well, so what. There’s no time for belly-achin’. We just have to get real, get organized, and make it work for ourselves. To battle! Huzzah!