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Last Updated on August 9, 2024
When you are self-employed, managing your finances and bills the right way is crucial. As an independent contractor, you have the freedom to choose when and how you work, but this also comes with enormous responsibility. You may not have a consistent paycheck coming in every couple of weeks, so planning how you use your money is necessary.
Make a Budget
The budget is your foundation for handling your finances successfully. You should create a monthly
Your budget should include all of your income, expenses, and savings. Not only should you add all the bills, but you should also make sure monthly subscriptions are on the list. You want an accurate picture of your earnings and spending habits.
Experience a life free of financial stress and transform your relationship to money with this indispensable guide—the first book based on You Need A Budget’s proven method that has helped hundreds of thousands of people break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and live the life they want to live.
As a freelancer or independent contractor, being self-employed means your income will fluctuate, so your
Track Business Expenses
You also want to track
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Some freelancers prefer to collect and send all of their expenses to an accountant without sorting them first. Others prefer to have a more hands-on approach and sort their own
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Create Separate Business and Personal Accounts
When you are self-employed, having separate business and personal accounts can make it easier to manage your money. You will be able to see your income stream by looking at the right accounts. This also makes it simpler to see business
Although it is not a requirement to separate personal and business accounts, it can be beneficial. One advantage is that you can set up a
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Keep an Emergency Fund
When things are going well, it may be tempting to either stop contributing to an emergency fund or dip into it and take money out. However, self-employment means that you should always have a fully-funded emergency fund and avoid using it unless there is an actual need.
In general, you want to keep three to six months of
One option is to keep the money in an online savings account for easier access. Look for accounts with no monthly maintenance fees and competitive rates. Some banks allow you to organize a
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Prepare for Taxes
In addition to setting money aside for an emergency fund, you should prepare for taxes. Self-employment taxes may be higher for some people than regular employment taxes, so you have to plan ahead. Taxes can be complicated even for single individuals, and it is important to seek guidance from professionals such as accountants.
Many self-employed workers have to pay quarterly taxes every year. This means they make four payments throughout the year to avoid owing a large amount at the end of the year and paying penalties. Since you are not paying taxes with every paycheck, quarterly payments can help you stay ahead of what you owe.
Some freelancers prefer to set money aside for taxes with every payment they receive, while others do it every month. There is no right or wrong way to save for taxes. The goal is to make sure you do it enough, so you are not caught off guard at the end of the year and have to scramble to come up with a huge amount of money.
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Change Your Money Mindset
Although following specific tips for setting up a budget and saving for emergencies is important, you also have to consider your entire money mindset. How you think about money affects every aspect of managing it. Do you approach your finances with fear and scarcity? Or do you embrace abundance and flow?
Many people, including the self-employed, have deep-set ideas about money buried in their subconscious. They may think that earning money should be hard or that they do not deserve it. They may create their own income ceilings based on what they think their work should pay rather than what others are willing to give them.
If you approach your finances and bills from a place of fear, it will show up negatively. When you are afraid of money, you cannot manage it well. You will avoid looking at your income and
Being self-employed can be difficult at times, but remembering that money is abundant can help. There are always more income sources and clients for you to have. There is always a need for the products and services you offer. Money is an endless source that people have created.
As a self-employed individual, you have to stay on top of your finances since you are in charge of all of your money. Keep in mind that the freedom of freelancing comes with enormous responsibility.
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