From Bunny Slippers to Business Plans
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My husband and I are…different.
He is rational, while I am emotional. He is cautious and conservative, while I preach the necessity of taking risks in order to move forward. He worries about immediate income — ensuring that we don’t go homeless or hungry — while I give him an ulcer by concerning myself with the future.
Last night, our differences sparked a major argument.
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Last week, I found myself saying yes to a job I desperately did not want to do.
It was an on-site gig with full-time hours. The work was outside of my comfort zone. And the pay was not great. Even worse, despite being among people for the first time in awhile, I felt completely cut off from the contacts and the work that mattered to me.
I did not make life easy for my parents.
During my toddler years, they worried over my introversion. During my junior high/high school years, they worried over my fiery temper. During my college years, they worried throughout the course of an abusive relationship I couldn’t bring myself to leave, and then worried some more when I fell into a deep depression and dropped out of college. (I eventually went back to [a different] school and earned my degree.) Post-college, they passed me onto a possibly masochistic husband with a sigh of relief, but still couldn’t help but worry over all my ups, downs, and interminable plateaus.
Throughout the duration, they’ve (for some wild reason) continued to support me in everything I do.
I’ve always been a firm believer in the idea that a bad economy shouldn’t doom a freelance career, as long as you’re doing the hustle.
Apparently, I’m not hustling enough.
My income first took a hit when the New York Sun folded almost a year ago, and was hit again when Nerve.com revamped their site about a month ago. Despite several copy editing projects and magazine assignments (both in print and online), my income has failed to recover.
Which is why I’m researching additional sources of supplementary income. After the jump, I share 10 side job ideas for freelancers:
A week ago, I posted here about an invoicing error I had made, mentioning that I was lucky to have covered my ass in the service agreement I had drawn up.
Because I hate to bring up a problem without providing a concrete solution (and because my contract advice probably leaves much to be desired), here is a roundup of sites that offer sample contracts and contract-related advice:
The other week, I agreed to copy edit a manuscript for someone.
When asked for a cost estimate, I used my past experience proofing book manuscripts to figure out how long it would take me to get through a 90-page manuscript. Then, I took that number and multiplied it by my hourly rate.
Three and a half hours into the project, it became clear to me that I had drastically miscalculated. The project could actually cost up to three times more than I had previously projected.
I was mortified.
Ah, Tax Day. We’ve made it (but just barely).
Now it’s time to figure out how to spend the returns.
Saving money can be difficult even at the best of times. When your paychecks pop up irregularly, and at odd times, it can be downright frustrating.
Lately, I’ve been struggling to pay down my credit card debt and cover all my bills. I’ve been unable to contribute to the mortgage since October, and I’m desperate to save up money for both a house and my career coaching certification. With so many things to save for, retirement can seem miles away.
Lord knows, though, I don’t want to be living paycheck to paycheck like this into my 90s. Which is why Freelancers Union’s announcement of a freelancers retirement plan is so intriguing.
As a freelancer, I’m pretty darn lucky. While my husband also freelances, doing web developer/design work in the evenings and on weekends, he still has a full-time job, which provides the two of us with both health insurance and some semblance of financial stability. It’s a luxury that I know many freelancers don’t have.
So my feelings were understandably mixed when, just the other week, Michael laid out his grand, master plan for leaving his job and starting up his own business with a fellow web developer. “We could probably have this set up within the next few months!” he said.
While I’ve been urging him to make such a move for what seems like eons (for the sake of his own sanity and happiness), my initial excitement was quickly tempered by sheer terror.
The items listed after the jump are concerns many of you have already had to take under consideration when planning your transition into full-time freelancer. Those of you who are freelancing as part of a pair may find my list especially applicable.
Since money became especially tight about four months ago, my mother has been suggesting that I become a substitute teacher. My response? I’m the type of person who can’t even control 4-year-olds. An entire classroom full of any age would eat me alive.
Still, as far as side jobs go, teaching is a good one for freelancers, and I don’t mean subbing. Those who teach classes and workshops in their area of expertise can bring in a good amount of extra cash, in addition to extending their brand, establishing themselves as an expert in their field.
