When Last Did You Pay Yourself?

There’s nothing like the security of having a cheque arrive every month, but when you’re a freelancer, you just don’t have that security any more. Instead, like many work at home professionals, payment for your labour may be erratic and intermittent, and sometimes you even have to hunt down the money that should be yours by right.

One of the results of this is that you spend a lot of time juggling, with the result that when money comes in it may go straight into the household budget to handle any necessary expenses. You can feel good about making a contribution, but there are days when you might like to have some money to spend on yourself.

Just because your income is irregular, it doesn’t mean that you have to forego the treats you allowed yourself when payday rolled around. I remember that at the end of the month, my friends and I would go out for dinner and I would treat myself to a few new books. That was my way of reminding myself what I was working for — and I still need to do that now. I may not spend quite as lavishly as when I was a single woman without dependants, but I still need to pamper myself from time to time — and some of that pampering takes money.

Even if my income is irregular, I believe it’s essential to set aside a small percentage to pay for a couple of non-essentials — my gym membership (actually, that’s essential for health), lunch with the girls, the occasional massage and seeing a movie with my DH. Those things make life worth living. Sure, there will be months when you’ll be waiting for clients to pay up and may cut back on the treats, but when the payment comes in, pay yourself a small amount to do what YOU want to do.