PET PEEVES: Misconceptions and Insulting Comments I Get About Being a Freelancer
What do these people think I do all day -- sit around and watch t.v.? Do they think the money for the bills just magically appears in my bank account?
I may have just screwed myself out of that place, because although I tried to be nice about it, I did set her straight on the fact that freelancing is a LEGITIMATE career choice, and just because I get to choose how much or how little I work, and I don't get a set amount in a paycheck on a regular basis, I DO work -- sometimes 60-70 hours a week when necessary.
In August, freelancing will have made me enough money to move not once, but TWICE in three months, plus to buy furniture and kitchen appliances I need. Do I make a killing freelancing? No, I do not, but I CHOOSE to live a very frugal lifestyle so I don't have to.
It's actually more about lifestyle than career choice, though. People who have bought into the conventional materialistic system don't understand why I don't want big houses, cars, boats and gadgets. They can't imagine their lives without all of this, and to be honest, at one point, I couldn't either. I let go of some things very reluctantly, thinking I would regret it in the future, but you know what? I don't. All those things fit into my old lifestyle, but they don't fit into it now.
I loved my house, but I will love my newer, smaller place just as much. I don't need a big house and a 1/4 acre yard to be happy. Yes, using public transportation can be a PITA sometimes, especially during really hot or really cold weather, but no more of a hassle than paying all the expenses of having a car. I may have a car again one day, and I may not. I'm considering a scooter.
More people are downsizing and learning to live with less every day, and there is nothing wrong with that. For all the consumeristic, materialistic people who support China, not our workers, I say you ought to try it sometimes. If we stopped buying all this foreign-made stuff and foreign oil, maybe -- just maybe -- this country could come back to where it used to be.
But I digress. According to The Guardian, America has become a nation of freelancers. If I made $50,000 a year freelancing, which according to Carol Tice, is completely possible, people would not think twice about what I do. I could do that, but it would involve working a lot harder, and I don't want to. I'm not asking anyone to agree with my life and career choices, but I do ask that you not insult me by saying I don't have a job.
I've brought a lot of people into freelancing, and they are all grateful. Some did it temporarily to fill a gap in employment, some do it part-time to fill a gap in low wages, some do it full-time, but all of them are happy with it. Whether they are writing, blogging, doing affiliate marketing, or churning out hits on Mechanical Turk, they are happier than they are any their corporate jobs.
No, most of us don't have the benefits and perks you have, but then, we don't have to set an alarm clock and rush off to work. Our office is sitting on our laps while we have our morning coffee and check our emails and social networks. I kinda like that.
Like the old Native American saying goes, before you judge a man, walk a mile in his mocassins. I can wear mocassins to work. Can you?
Deb, I completely agree with you! The conversation I have with people usually goes like this:
ReplyDeleteThem: "So, what do you do?"
Me: "I'm a freelance writer."
Them: "Oh, that's so neat! But, what do you do for a living?"
Me: "Sigh."
I bought a home last year, and had to provide just about everything but my firstborn child to get it. Tax returns and a decent credit score helped, but I'm amazed how people shy away from freelancers - even though I've been in this same "job" for 20 years.
With all the b.s. that's occurring with the economy and how many people have been laid off in recent years, freelancing is actually becoming more stable than traditional work in some cases. I may have clients that come and go, but there is always work available - and since I work for myself, I can't ever be fired! :)
I have a question for you, and if it is to personal then I apologize and don't answer. But you mentioned tax returns. I just started freelancing in January, so I have yet to file my first tax return from this. It is my understanding that the sites I write for don't take money out in taxes, so I will just end up owing a ton of money at the end of the year. Do you have a method set up so the people/websites you write for do take out money in taxes? If so, can you share? The idea of not paying taxes all year and then owing a bunch come next tax season is the one major pitfall of freelancing, in my opinion.
DeleteMaria, you are considered self-employed, and as such must pay double FICA taxes quarterly. The general rule is that you must file a quarterly return if you will owe $1,000 or more in taxes. Most freelancers save back 30% of what they earn to pay taxes. The IRS has a special section on their site just for self-employment. It has everything you need to know.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Self-Employed-Individuals-Tax-Center