in october, i began the freelancer profile series, in order to help myself (and hopefully other readers out there!) assess whether or not the freelancing lifestyle really was for me.  what might i learn from fellow personal finance bloggers who happen to already freelance?

FWP’s first guest interview was with mary @ simplyforties.  a virtual assistant, she is happy with her choice of work arrangements.

in early november, i interviewed ms. micah, of finance for a freelance life.  in addition to her steady jobs as a librarian and newborn hearing screener, she also freelances as a blog consultant and web designer.  my, what a bundle of responsibilities!

i first heard about ms. micah when i came across the finwikian, where she is the founder/’librarian’.  i contacted her upon reading that she freelanced at her site, and requested an interview.  here is our november freelancer profile.

1. when did you know that it was time to go freelance ?  how did you know?

Choosing to freelance was more a leap of faith and a desire for change than anything else. I knew that I didn’t want to be where I was and since I had experience as a research assistant (similar to some freelance work) I thought that I’d be able to handle the responsibility.

2. what was your biggest trepidation about going solo ?

Figuring out exactly what it was I was going to do. Near the beginning, I did more writing and editing but I’ve found that I prefer web/blog work. I discovered what an annoying handicap my mild dyslexia is to writing/editing. At times, I was also scared we would die in a gutter. Even though I knew that I could always go to a temp agency and find work doing something (I have experience as a receptionist, for instance), I sometimes felt paralyzed by this fear.

3. can you describe what your life was like for the first few months of going solo ?

It was marked by periods of elation over having found and done a gig I really enjoyed and despair when either I wasn’t finding gigs or I was just feeling pessimistic in general. The whole starving in a gutter thing.

4. how long did it take you to achieve the minimum level of income you desired?

Well, we had a freelance cushion fund, which was great because it took me a while to get there. Maybe 4 months to really feel out what I was doing and get settled into it. Until then, I was sometimes meeting the minimum and sometimes missing it. Depended on the week. As it is, I’ve still got a way to go before I hit the level I’d really like to make, but I make enough now that we do just fine.

5. how much time lapsed between the time you left your full-time job to when you began to actually freelance?

Virtually none. In fact, I’d started doing some freelance writing in November before I’d left my old job. I wanted to be sure about what I was doing. It wasn’t that great, especially while working a full-time job, but it helped me know that I really could do it.

6. were there serious moments of struggle?  if so, what were they like?  what did you do, say, or think during those times?

Definitely. I’ve written a few times about Imposter Syndrome on my site. Sometimes I’ve felt like a complete fraud, like my work isn’t worth paying for, I can get really down on myself. I often ask Micah to help me talk through that.

I know that a) not everyone has the skills that I have and b) not everyone wants to take the time to learn how to do things and then do them. They’d much rather pay a professional. When I frame it as saving people time learning things they don’t want to learn or don’t have time to learn, then I can better-understand why I’m valuable.

7. were your family and friends supportive of this endeavor?

Pretty much. Micah was extremely supportive. He saw how miserable I’d been at my old position and he felt that anything which made me even a little bit happier was a good plan. I’m sure he wishes I didn’t have my down moments with freelancing, but they’re fewer and farther between than in my old job.

8. when do you think you started to feel a sense of freedom, peace, or contentment with your new path?

That’s a tough question. The feeling comes and goes. I think that early on I felt a huge sense of relief. I think I started feeling happier overall about 6 months in, in June.

9. if you had to do it all over again, would you still?  do you anticipate or see yourself joining a fulltime employment (not self-employment) anytime in the near future?

Yes I would. Working freelance has helped me discover what I want to do for a living. Even before, I had a strong pull towards libraries, but now I believe that I would like to be a tech-librarian. There have been a lot of little pulls along the way which led to my realizing how much I’d like to follow that career path. I had that realization about 3 months ago. Since then, I’ve been figuring out the best way to pursue it. I hope to get a junior reference job before going to library school.

However I don’t think I’m ever going to stop doing freelance work even if I’ve got a full-time job. I probably won’t be able to do very much, but I really enjoy it.

10. what is your favorite feature of being a freelancer?

Learning. I love facing new challenges, building off what I’ve done before, taking the time to learn independently (like on my local Wordpress install), and even being paid to learn something for clients. I also love teaching what I’ve learned, which is one reason I put a blog on my consulting site.

11. what do you do now that you weren’t able to do before, when you were employed fulltime?

I’m able to pick times of the day when I’m free. I love going for walks in the morning or afternoon. It’s something I missed a lot when working 9-5. There were days when I only saw sunlight on the way to work and maybe at lunch, because my company’s office had no windows!

12. is there anything you miss at all about the full-time employed/salaried life?

I really miss the structure. When you’re freelancing, you can choose your hours but you also end up working more hours than you would otherwise. I also often feel pressure to spend my free time working on a project because if I don’t work when I could I end up feeling guilty about that. With a 9-5 job you leave when you leave and you’re gone. Obviously some jobs blur that line more than others, but libraries aren’t too bad about it.

13. how/what did you tell your boss when you were giving notice?  how much time did you give?

I told her the basics. That I’d found something I preferred, I didn’t give too much detail since I didn’t want to tell her how unhappy I’d been at the old job. She was nice, but also sensitive and very pessimistic which made it an awkward atmosphere. I gave 3 weeks notice because she was going to be out of town one of the two weeks before I left, so I figured she should have a full 2 weeks to look for someone.

14. how have things been going lately?

Pretty well. I’m a bit stressed because I’d really like to hear back one way or the other about a library position I applied for. It’s potentially a huge change in my life and I just want to know whether or not it’s going to happen. How I plan to grow my work from here depends a lot on whether or not I get the position.

* * *

thank you for sharing this with us, ms.micah!

if you have a question for ms.micah, please feel free to post it here in the comments!

please be sure to visit ms.micah’s site at finance for a freelance life to learn more about her adventures as a freelancer!

other resources:

• freelancing within the law
• 101 essential freelancing resources
• the monster list of freelancing job sites
• how to be a rockstar freelancer

a few months ago, i was in a meeting at work. my supervisor was sitting nearby.
“i’ve been having some problems with my back”, he commented something to that effect.

“oh. why is that?” some of us inquired.

“because”, he replied, as he reached for something in his pocket. “my huge wallet!” as he plunked down an average sized folding leather black wallet on the table.

except that the wallet was HUGE. it was stuffed like crazy with papers and money and cards and gosh know what else. it was so bulgy that it might eventually get round! i suspected it must have been quite heavy.

why do some people carry such crazy giant wallets?? what is the point of carrying around the receipts from your purchases from the past month for another month or more in your wallet? must you really carry all those business cards you’ve collected? do you actually regularly use the bank account cards, rewards cards, etc. that you have been carrying around for years?

surely having an extra 5 pounds on only one side of your back pants pocket isn’t healthy? every morning when you pick up your wallet from the dresser, do you actually force that thing to fit into the pocket??  how is it that the pocket hasn’t been torn off yet?

i found an article online on potential health problems associated with gigantic wallets:

“Wallet sciatica is the medical term for leg and back pain caused by sitting on a wallet for too long, causing the pelvis and spine to contort slightly and putting pressure on the sciatic nerve.

It might seem slight, but chiropractor Micheil Hanczaryk said the effects add up from the pelvis and spine getting thrown off by what’s essentially a speed bump on your backside.

“It’s like if you tried to walk but put quarter- or half-inch shims in one of your shoes … something’s going to go the wrong way,” he said. “Any amount of stuff back there is no good because even a little wallet will cause you to shift, but the bigger the wallet is, the more of a problem we have.”

yikes!

sort of as a joke, in response to my supervisor’s comment i responded,“maybe you can get a second identical or similar wallet, take out half of the weight from your first wallet, and carry the second wallet in your other back pocket.  then you can be more balanced?”

i found it hilarious that i found this ’solution’ has already been similarly implemented, according to a post online:

“Do you remember George Costanza’s mammoth wallet? It was so enormous, he had to stuff napkins in his other back pocket to keep himself balanced when sitting down.”

when you go to the store, can you actually find anything in your wallet, and quickly at that?

when i come home, almost daily i take out anything i won’t need to use the next day from my wallet — receipts, business cards, extra cash, miscellaneous pieces of paper, mega change. in my wallet, i only regularly carry the following:

• my main checking atm debit card account
• emergency credit card
• motorcycle insurance card
• health insurance card
• dental insurance card
• somewhere between $1-40 in cash (usually less than $20)
• some change for meters, etc.
• motorcycle association towing card

and that’s about it.  no pictures, no store memberships or gift cards, not 10 credit cards.  no business cards from colleagues 5 conferences ago.

when i know that the SO and i will be going to a particular business, then i bust out a relevant card for it (if available), and take it along with me that day.  some examples:

• costco membership card (in case the SO misplaces his somehow)
• jo-ann fabrics’ coupons
• local public library card
• a shopping/errands list

otherwise, these type of things are on my desk, on my whiteboard, or in my drawers.

i’m relatively organized and neat, but i’m also lazy.  i think that is actually one of the reasons i prefer not to drag so much around.  i dislike dragging stuff around if i don’t have to.  perhaps it comes from being a motorcyclist and finding less to carry around less of a burden.

for a while last year, i used a minimalist jimi wallet that i received as a birthday gift.  before that, i used a minimalist leather kawasaki motorcyclist wallet, which i sadly lost in southern california during a trip.  before that, i had been using a simple, cheap, plastic, clear white business card holder (maybe fit about 12 cards?) that i had bought in japan.  at some point in between, i was using binder clips or rubber bands (which meant no carrying change for me during those times).

currently, i use a black vinyl inexpensive simple ‘normal’ wallet until i find something that is similar to my lost motorcyclist wallet that i can really like.

if you’re looking for a minimalist wallet, check out the responses from a thread started at 43folders, what’s your favorite minimalist wallet? slim wallets don’t have to be expensive at all, while doctor visits or prescriptions to enormous-wallet-induced-back-problems might later be!

in the secrets to a super-slim wallet, the author offers excellent advice on how to slim down.

there are other advantages though, to slimming your wallet down:

• less complexity
• less time wasted scrounging around for stuff
• minimizing financial resources (eg, from not having (m)any credit cards) may minimize your spending!

what about you?  what is your wallet situation like?

this article is part of the wellness wednesdays series.  to receive more entertaining stories and useful advice for your wealth, consider subscribing to the rss feed.

i last week, i had a doctor’s appointment about 10 in the morning before work.  the hospital was about 10-15 minutes away.

i arrived breathlessly and a bit late, and presented myself to the receptionist.

“ah,.. we tried to call you about 8am this morning.  we wanted to let you know that the doctor is ill today.”

“oh really..?” i replied disappointed, reluctantly.  great.  just great. i had been looking forward to this appointment, albeit anxiously.

i had heard the phone ring this morning, but when i didn’t recognize the number, i didn’t answer.  i’ll check the voicemail later, i thought, per usual.  i’ve got to get ready for the doctor’s appointment.

i procrastinated in listening to the voicemail, and the drive down cost me wasted time i could have been working (or doing something else), and money spent on gas.

sigh.

there are many ways procrastination can cost us $ (and time) in our day-to-day behavior and through the choices we make.  below, i list the main ones that i have encountered.

1. not flossing, or brushing my teeth

ok, i know this is kind of gross.  not brush my teeth or floss?  well, to be honest, i brush my teeth pretty much daily, skipping only if i was particularly exhausted and passed out inadvertently before preparing properly for bed.  or was too depressed to care that day.

on the other hand, it is much easier to pass up on flossing.  many of us don’t believe it’s actually necessary.  but apparently it is!  if you don’t do this daily (or close to daily), many bad things can happen!

• gums recede!  might have to get gum grafts!  yikes!
• food chunks might wander into gum pockets (if any) and infect!
• cavities!  gingivitis!  plaque!

i speak from experience.  after not flossing for months, my upper right gum got infected a few weeks ago.  now i must go to the endodontist and gum doctor.  any procedures not covered fully by insurance are sure to cost me some hundreds of dollars.  the last time i got a root canal, my insurance only covered about 60% i believe.  the hundreds of dollars beyond that, i had to pay out of pocket — ouch.

recent expenses, as a result:

• antibiotics (amoxycillin) — $5 at costco pharmacy (with costco prescription insurance)
• vicodin — $10?
• gas spent on driving around for tasks related to this — at least $5
• hydrogen peroxide — $1

2. sleeping late, waking late

i’ve been having mental and attitude problems towards my work lately.  as a result, i have been seeking extra refuge in my writing (blogging) and crocheting.  at times, this might happen until about 2 am.  i should be at work before 10am.  dreading going in to work, i find myself awakening about 9-9:30, barely have enough time to throw my clothes on, throw some snacks together, and jump onto my motorcycle for my 25-30 minute ride into work.

the irony that i recently wrote, sleep is good for your wealth.  ahem.  anyways!

in waking up so late, i don’t have or make the time to prepare breakfast or lunch.  no breakfast means problems focusing in the morning, and spending money on coffee and possibly a pastry, or $2-5.  no lunch means spending money dining out, or $5-8 on a substantive meal.  i might waste $7-13 in one day for having slept in.

if i awoke an hour to an hour earlier, i would not have to waste money on breakfast or lunch from the cafe.

3. not doing work at work

as mentioned above, i have been having a mental block, a motivation problem at work lately.  as a result, i might goof off on the web.  perhaps i’ll blog, check e-mail, or look up more crochet patterns.  i procrastinate.

hours later, i have not done much work.  as a result, i am falling behind.  i then may need to come back in over the weekend to make up for wasted time.  i then must spend a few dollars or more in gas money and wear and tear on the motorcycle in order to head into the office the extra day.

i am also causing my boss to lose money on me.  i my eventually lose my job.  i would then lose money that was coming from my salary.  i may also need to pay exorbitant amounts from my pocket for a while paying for doctor appointments and prescriptions for when i no longer have health insurance.  i lose out on the 3% matching i currently have through my work’s simple IRA.

i could potentially lose hundreds of dollars from my destructive behavior.

4. not checking or responding to e-mails, voicemails

in case a friend cancelled or rescheduled an appointment for lunch or some other activity with me via e-mail, it is probably a good idea to check my e-mail at least twice a day — in the morning and night.  or perhaps if i have access to it, before i leave for an engagement.  this is a poor way to communicate at the last minute, but there might be mitigating circumstances (lost phone?).

unaware, i could be again wasting gas money (and time) heading out for an appointment that is no longer happening.

my checking account lets me know if i run into an overdraft for having underestimated or miscalculated with my expenses.  if i don’t see this e-mail, i may not know.  i may then allow the overdraft to remain for an extra day or two, incurring some amount of interest in penalty for the amount ‘borrowed’.  this is a waste of money, simply from being too lazy to check my e-mail.  yes, it’s only a few cents over say, a week.  but small change can add up for sure.

if i’m too lazy to see that i’ve received coupons lately via e-mail for the crafts store, and i find myself going to the store later in the day, i may end up paying full-price for something i could have paid only 50% of instead.

5. not checking my calendars

i had a dentist appointment on several occasions several years ago that i missed.  i forgot to check my calendars.  i may not even have put the event in my calendar.  if not in my calendar, i would receive no e-mail reminders.  (if i didn’t check my e-mail, that would have lost its purpose!)

perhaps the receptionist left me a voicemail.  but i haven’t checked my voicemails in awhile.

i incur a $40 fee from not having shown up for my appointment, or calling 48 hours in advance to cancel.  what a waste!

i borrow several library books at a time, each batch at different times.  hence, my checked out books tend to have varying due dates.

if i don’t check my calendar (or my e-mail with reminders to self), then the books become overdue.  i could have easily renewed them online a day or two before.  i incur a penalty of .20 per book per day.  yes, this is small change, but again, that can add up.

the whole borrowing library books thing is actually a problem i have.

6. not being prepared with cash

sometimes, i know i don’t have much cash.  but i’m too lazy to go get the cash from an atm.  i say, ‘i’ll get some later’.  later comes, but the atm visit didn’t happen.  hours or days later, i will find myself needing cash, only to remember that i postponed going to the atm!

a case in point was a haircut i had.  they took only cash, or personal check.  i had to come back the next day to pay the stylist.  i was amazed that she trusted me enough to come back, given i had never gone there before!

i wasted gas going back and forth.

7. not paying bills when due

i’m sure some of us know this one well?  at least i do.  when i hadn’t been paying attention, or said ‘i’ll do it later’, i have had incurred late fees averaging about $20 each time.  this might include bills for the following:

• car registration
• credit card payments

8. not being the early bird, or preparing, thinking ahead

when you take advantage of time sometimes, you can save money.  for instance, a conference pass might cost $10 more if bought after a certain date.  the airline tickets’ price can get jacked up if you buy within 7 days, or 21 days, of the flight departure date.  a passport that needs to be rushed ordered might incur 10-20 dollars on top of the normal cost.

on many occasions, i know that on the way to work, or on the way out from work, it would save me some money to refuel the bike.  how?  well, if the gas station is on the way, you don’t have to make a special trip or go out of the way later, thereby wasting extra gas money.  if you wait until the last minute when your vehicle is really needing fuel desperately, you may have to buy whatever you see, which very well may be the most expensive gas around!

also, should your vehicle run out of gas, that would be potentially lost money on a tow truck (unless you’ve got that covered through your insurance), money to pay for damages or injuries if you have an accident because you ran out of gas while driving (this has happened to a friend once.  yikes!)

not having insurance such as health, automotive, life, can turn out quite scary financially (and of course, otherwise!).  for instance, i was quoted today that a tooth extraction procedure could cost me about 2,000-3,000 if out of pocket!  omg!  with dental insurance, assuming i was looking at the right benefits info, it might cost me 300-600 instead.

the other weekend i missed an opportunity to hang my clothes out to dry in the sun, because i waited too long.  before i knew it, the day had gone by, the laundry was still in the washing machine, and the sun was going away.  i had said, “i’ll do it in a bit”, but that didn’t happen that day.  i was too engrossed in my crocheting!  in the end, i had to use the dryer (which i have been avoiding), which added to the month’s energy bill.

say you postponed, forgot to write up your shopping list.  “i’ll do it later.”  you return from a trip to the grocery store, and realize you have to go back to pick up some butter.  wasting gas (assuming you drove).  hmm.. note the gas motif.

i’m sure there are many, many more scenarios and categories you can think of too that i’ve missed.

lesson: procrastination is NOT good for your wealth!

..generally speaking.  there could be exceptions for sure, such as my SO likes to point out.  he procrastinated looking for a job for months.  then finally when he began to apply, he was offered the first job he interviewed for, and now happily works there.  great timing.  or, he hadn’t picked up some tires out-of-town (”maybe later!”) for months.  it was too out of the way, a waste of gas just for that 1 excursion.  well it turned out that he now works in that out-of-town, so he swung by there conveniently on the way to work one day, without wasting that much extra time or gas money.

undoubtedly, many of these situations will not only cost you money, but also time and energy.  in this post however, i have chosen to emphasize the effect on our wallets.

do you have any procrastination stories to share, that cost you money, large or small?

what do you think?

this article is part of the wellness wednesday series.  to be sure you don’t miss a wellness post, be sure to subscribe to the FWP rss feed !  thank you for visiting and reading.