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.

According to the site (which compares their plan with a solo 401(k), a SEP IRA, and an IRA), there is a minimum contribution of $0, with a maximum of $16,500, along with an automation aspect that would allegedly make investing in your future even easier.

I’m impressed by the fact that Freelancers Union is stepping up to the plate with an easy plan for freelancers but, as Thursday Bram mentions in a post on her own blog, “there are many freelancers who will be able to save more money with a SEP IRA or another account. It will simplify retirement savings for many people, but I do think it’s worthwhile for freelancers to talk to a financial planner before deciding one way or the other.”

I’m pretty clueless when it comes to these things myself, but I would like to share some additional resources for those looking to start investing in their own retirement:

The Motley Fool: This site, dedicated to providing financial solutions to all sorts of investors, includes 13 steps in order to retire in style, and an IRA Center.

Internal Revenue Service: Ah, yes. The IRS can be our friend. This government site has an entire Retirement Plans Community, along with a page on the different types of retirement plans.

360 Degrees of Financial Literacy: This site is chock full of helpful articles, such as “Understanding IRAs,” and also has a shitload of available tools, such as a comparison of traditional and Roth IRAs, a Roth IRA Calculator, a Traditional IRA Calculator, etc. FAQs also cover IRAs and other retirement saving options extensively.

Bankrate.com: Bankrate.com is a media hub of information for all sorts of financial queries. Their section on retirement includes news articles and tips, a variety of retirement calculators, a search engine for certified financial planners, and more.

The Money Therapi$t: I’ve already mentioned this book here and here, but it bears repeating: This is a great resource for those looking for a one-stop-shop for all their financial questions. Plus, author Marcia Brixey will be able to point you toward even more great resources, both online and in print!

Related: Home-Schooled: 20 Books To Build Your Freelance Life Upon, My 5 Favorite Things In: The Money Therapi$t, How to Give Yourself a Sweet Benefits Package

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.

What About That House/Baby/Hot Tub We Were Saving Up For?

Since the beginning of time, my husband and I have been saving up for a house (we now live in a one-bedroom condo) so that I can start popping about babies (not too many!) without having to worry about space. While it’s been (very) slow going, we do have a small chunk of change socked away. When you’re part of a couple where either one or both of you is planning on going freelance, it’s only right that you have a discussion first about the major goals you share. If that leap is made, will it still be possible to save money for that house/Aeron desk chair/newborn? My own personal request: If we need to fall back on savings, our house savings do not qualify. As far as we are concerned, those savings DO NOT EXIST.

Where Does Our Bottom Line Lay?

For my first full year of freelancing, I was able to continue contributing to the bills as I always had. When I hit a rough patch (one I’m still struggling to get past), it was a given that Michael would pick up the slack, and be responsible for the lion’s share of our expenses. It made perfect sense: He was bringing in exponentially more than me, and though I felt guilty placing so much financial stress on him, you can’t bleed a stone (stone = me). Now, we need to take a closer look at our budget, and figure out our bottom line: How much do we need to be making — at the very least — in order to meet our monthly expenses.

What Will Happen If We Fail Miserably?

Since our savings account DOES NOT EXIST, we need to create a new savings account…one that contains at least six months’ worth of living expenses before he makes the leap. File this one under Things Stephanie Should Have Done Before She Left Her Corporate Job.

What About Our Health Insurance?

Michael likes to constantly remind me that I’m “not a survivor.” I have chronic sinus issues, chronic fatigue syndrome, issues with weak enamel, depression/anxiety…in short, I’m a bit of a wreck. While health insurance will be a bitch no matter what provider we decide to go with, we need to take special care to find a provider who can meet our specific (and extensive) needs. For example, I require good dental coverage, mental health coverage (I am crazy),  and good maternity benefits (so I can start spawning and stuff). Thank god for such great resources as Freelance Switch, AHIRC, eHealthInsurance, mediabistro, and Freelancers Union.

Will I Want to Kill You if You’re Around All Day?

This is, admittedly, a much smaller concern when compared to the ones above, but just as legitimate. While I dream of someday having my own office (with both door and lock), for now I have to rely on laptops, wireless headphones, compromise, and a whole lot of patience. Perhaps a talk about logistics is in order.

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What am I missing here? Freelance couples: What other issues have you come up against, and how have you dealt with them? Are there ways in which freelancing as part of a couple can make life more…awesome? Please share!

My husband battled his fears of eventual bankruptcy by supporting my decision to leave my staff job and pursue freelancing full-time. And when I succeeded in bringing in my former staffer income within half a year as a freelancer, I sort of wanted to wiggle my butt and point and scream “In! Your! Face!”

The only thing that kept me from doing so was the knowledge that I still had a lot of debt to manage…debt that I probably should have taken care of before leaving my job.

There have been some awesome finance-centric posts floating around the blogosphere lately. April Borbon wrote about the 10 Items You Absolutely Need For Financial Security over at Freelance Switch, and I immediately began implementing some of her tips (better late than never!), such as throwing 30% of each paycheck into an interest-bearing savings account for quarterly tax purposes, and working harder on becoming debt free. Jeffrey Way helps out over at Freelance Folder with a simple budget how-to.

I’ve since transferred all of my credit card balances to two 0% interest rate credit cards, and have been throwing chunks of money at them monthly. I’ve also signed up for Mint as a means to track my finances. Most drastic of all, I’ve locked my credit cards away and now pay for everything with cash.

While this means that I’ve placed an embargo on pretty-dress-shopping (sad), it also means that I will most likely be debt-free (student loans aside) in one year’s time.

Any money-saving, debt-smashing tips to share with the masses?