Freelance Finance

Saving money as a freelancer, independent contractor or whatever you choose to call yourself if you don’t happen to have a full-time job with bennies, is tricky. We’ve discussed this before: Saving regularly is more challenging when your income is constantly changing. This is why Muck and I stick with percentages, which has worked like […]

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Last week we did some traveling, sharing the Freelance Finance System with some new friends and acquaintances. One question that came up often: Will people really be disciplined enough to save money this way? The question is rooted in the notion that people are by nature bad savers, that they will routinely spend their cash […]

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The problems that arise with money and the freelance life are often ones of organization. If you set up your financial accounts properly, your financial goals will be right in front of you every time you check your finances. The way I see it, every independent worker should have at least FOUR bank accounts:
1. The […]

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When I first went freelance, I took the advice of a friend who had been doing this longer than I had. As each check came in, she socked away a third (roughly 30 percent) in a separate account intended for taxes. Each quarter, when she needed to pay her estimated taxes, she dipped into the […]

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Your savings will only grow if you establish a savings plan and stick to it religiously. Employed folks have 401k’s and other options that allow them to pay themselves first, before they get their hands on their money. This reduces the chance that they will spend it before they save it. A self-employed person can […]

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I’ve been told I’m hard to surprise. I’ve alway wanted one of those great surprise parties, one you have no idea is coming, one that brings together all your favorite people, favorite foods and favorite expensive gifts.
But when it comes to bills, I hate surprises. What I hate more is that—even though I know it’s coming—our health […]

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We read everything we can about personal finance, and I have to say, it usually disappoints us. Eighty percent of the time, writers, editors and gurus make the assumption that they are talking to an audience of people who have a steady paycheck, health insurance and a retirement plan at work. If you are, in […]

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