How Freelancers Can Stop Guessing and Start Planning Their Income
Freelancing promises freedom, but for many it comes with a monthly ritual of hope: checking the bank balance and wondering whether next month's bills are covered. The problem isn't talent — it's that most freelancers treat money planning like a salaried employee would. When your income arrives in lumps — a £3,000 month followed by a £400 one — "just budget what you earn" is a joke. Income planning is a skill, and it gets easier with a simple system. Stop planning around paydays, start planning around averages Salaried workers know exactly what lands in their account each month. You don't have that luxury, so stop pretending you do. Instead, work out your average monthly income across the last three to six months — that's your "planning income", the figure you base spending, savings and tax set-asides on. In a bumper month, the surplus goes into a buffer fund, not on treats; in a thin month, the buffer fills the gap. Over time, your finances sta...