How to juggle freelance writing with a 9-5 job
Today’s blog post is a guest post from Laura who runs Thrifty Londoner; an amazing blog all about millennial personal finance. She chats about how to make the most of your money whilst living in the capital, as well as how to make and save money online. Take it away
I’m Laura and have been freelance writing for the last 6 months alongside my demanding full time job as a Sales Manager. It’s certainly not easy to juggle freelance writing alongside a full time job, but I have found it to be a rewarding side hustle where I can charge a fair price for my time.
I decided to pursue freelance writing as a side hustle as it is something that I hope to make my full time career one day. However, whilst I live in London, with sky high living costs, I need to maintain my full time income to support myself without taking the risk of financial uncertainty and gaps in my income. It would also be difficult to meet my current salary as a relative newbie to the world of freelance writing- so for now, freelancing needs to remain as a side hustle and I will continue to juggle this alongside my other commitments.
If you are considering starting freelance writing as a side hustle alongside a full time job, I am going to talk you through what I have learned and the steps I have taken to make it work.
Productivity vs Procrastination
Alongside my full-time job, I also run an Etsy store, write my blog, and of course do freelance writing. Often, people will ask- how on earth do you find the time to do everything!? The answer is that I do make small sacrifices sometimes in order to meet deadlines for clients, and the deadlines that I impose on myself.
That said, these sacrifices are not huge- so instead of watching evening television I will usually be typing away, I don’t have as many long baths as I used to, and I get up a little earlier to accommodate my goals. For me, it’s all worth it to see my goals come into fruition.
For the most part, it is simply not procrastinating that allows me to get what I want done. It is certainly not for everyone, but by setting myself targets and time schedules for when I get home for work, I can get an hour of writing done before making dinner and before my partner gets home most evenings. This ensures that I am as productive as I can be, and means that I’m not just pottering around and scrolling on my phone for that first hour of the evening.
Planning is so important when it comes to managing my time well- every Sunday evening I will think about what work I need to do in the week ahead, and organise each day in my diary (with timing breakdowns if necessary!). I know that if I stick to the plan, I can get my writing done and enjoy the social time I have planned with friends and my partner on other nights of the week.
Is it possible to have a social life?
The reason that I plan my days to such a meticulous degree, is so that I can ensure that I have enough free time to enjoy myself. It IS possible to have a social life whilst juggling freelance writing with a 9-5, you just have to plan time for it.
It is also important to remember, that you should only take on what you can manage. The amount of work you decide to take on is completely up to you and your situation. I personally decided to cut back my freelance work recently after receiving a promotion at work. I would usually write 10 articles a month for my client- but with my promotion requiring an upcoming trip to China for two weeks, not to mention more ongoing travel, it would have been impossible for me to write everything that was needed, and to meet the deadline at the end of the month.
It’s important to be adaptable so that you don’t completely burn out, if you are struggling to find the time to write, or you find that you are having to make big sacrifices and cancel plans with your friends or family, it might be time to review your commitments and make some cut backs.
Does freelance writing clash with my job?
I personally choose to keep my freelance writing fairly under the radar amongst my colleagues at work. Luckily there is not any crossover between the job that I do full time and writing, but this might be something to consider if there would be crossovers for you- check your contract to see if there are any rules that you must abide by.
Although I would like to see money and personal finance to be less of a taboo subject, I am a little apprehensive about letting my colleagues know that I have another job on the side, and that I have a secondary income. I mentioned to a work friend that I was doing some freelance writing one evening, and when they asked how much I was paid I kind of froze up- it just seemed awkward to me for them to know how much I was earning on the side. This is just a personal feeling though- this could be completely different for you!
There are also times when I work late at my full time job, which does clash with my freelance writing as it messes up the time schedules that I mentioned earlier. Usually, when I know I’ll be busy at work, I figure out an alternative to make sure I can get both jobs done. For example, I’ll come into work an hour earlier and work through my lunch. Or I’ll get back home and my partner will do all of the jobs around the house so that I can spend the rest of my evening writing (he’s a good egg!). It’s definitely important to be as flexible as you can be to make sure that freelance writing works alongside your full time job.
It also goes without saying that I choose not to tell my colleagues that I hope to make freelance writing my full time career one day- for all they know, I am dedicated to sales for the rest of my working life!
So there you have it, my best tips on how to juggle freelance writing with a 9-5 job. It’s not easy, but if you have an end goal in mind, whether it’s becoming a full time freelance writer one day, or it’s adding a nice chunk of additional income to your savings pot every month- it’s worth it!
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