I've been freelancing for at least ten years now, and longer, if you count the brief period of time I spent playing poker online for real money, and living off the earnings.
It was almost 20 years ago, but for the most part, the majority of my freelance work has been supplemental income, meaning that I already had a job, and the freelance income was extra money.
Now let's fast forward into the future.
2024 is the first year in my life that I've ever attempted to survive entirely from freelance income.
Well, it's been a struggle, and some would say a complete disaster, because in this time my savings has been getting smaller and smaller and not growing at all.
I had one month where I made significantly more than my previous 40 hour a week job. Then I had another month that I made less in a month than I had previously made in a week.
It's been a roller coaster.
Of course, it doesn't help that I don't really have a professional skill to fall back on. I'm not a computer programmer, or a graphic designer, or a public accountant. And I'm obviously not a construction worker, plumber, or electrician. I'm just someone with above average intelligence who has scraped by doing jobs that I really don't care about doing, but am able to do with above average performance.
Doing freelance work may sound emancipating at first, but I guess it depends on what work you do and the people you work for, but in my case what I'm doing right now puts me at the mercy of people and organizations that I have absolutely zero influence over.
I'm just a cog in the machine, even worse than before when I actually had some job security, and if they can find someone else to do the job more cheaply than you do, and are able to do it at a minimum level of performance without completely screwing things up, well then, I guess you won't be making any money from them anymore.
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