Get rich by wondering where next week's money is coming from

[igthebold]

:)

I'm a freelancer, so my level of work ebbs and flows. Right now it's in an ebb cycle, but I've been holding off on following up on leads, etc. Rather, I'm forcing myself to look at the expenses side of things.

So, this month, I'm
- doing a minimal spending month: conservative grocery spending, no discretionary, yes bills
- reminding myself I have many options: cash in the bank, savings, HELOC, CC.. it's not an emergency
- reevaluating all my spending in light of the minimal spending
- reminding myself I don't want to be doing this kind of revenue generation for the rest of my life

Any other things I should be doing?

[Gerard]

Assuming less freelance work means more free time, I would consider mindfully doing something that's time-consuming but excellent for yourself. Something free, obviously. Read a library book on a totally new subject. Visit that park or museum or hiking trail you've been meaning to check out. Cook something amazing that's time-consuming but cheap. Plan an evening of massage and love (ideally with a partner).

The idea is to remind yourself that a month with less paid work in it is not a down cycle in all respects.

[igthebold]

The idea is to remind yourself that a month with less paid work in it is not a down cycle in all respects.

Thanks Gerard, these are excellent suggestions, especially the concept behind them. My inclination is to spend all my time on sales, and that's not the best use of time in the grand scheme of things. Teaching myself to be comfortable with idle time is valuable indeed.

[gooki]

And if you can afford such a lifestyle you are essentially FI already.

[igthebold]

And if you can afford such a lifestyle you are essentially FI already.

I can afford it for a few days. Just not indefinitely. :)

I got more work, starting a new project today. I'm happy in a way, but disappointed as well. I'm going to make a point to take time off to do some of these things. I'm a family man, so it'll look different from Gerard's suggestions, but the concepts should be the same.

Interestingly, though, it is worth realizing that FI is a gradient. If you're in debt and unable to cover it, you're enslaved. If you can live off assets indefinitely, you're fully FI. But somewhere in the middle, you're more free than many.. you have the ability to take chunks of time off. You'll eat into your assets, but not as fast as someone with barely enough.