ASK US WEDNESDAY: “Is it even worth freelancing part-time?”

by Rachel Smith
05 September 2018

Hi there. This is a question for Rachel who I know works part-time due to her son. I am in a similar position – my little girl is 2 – and I work 2 days a week and at nights if I can. I just find after childcare and other costs, I have zero. Nothing. I literally make no money. My partner keeps us afloat financially. I like what I do, but I wonder if I should just jack it in while my kid is young given I’m basically not getting anywhere in terms of earnings. What do you and others think – is it worth freelancing part-time? Joy

I hear you, Joy. Childcare is SO expensive when your kids are as young as ours are and it can swallow up the majority of your income. My son is going to pre-school next year and the daily rate is so low, I almost can’t believe it – I may make some money yet!

But seriously, while you are of course working to earn an income, that’s not the only reason to do it at this time in your life.

Here’s why working – even part-time – is important for me:

• I love writing and go bonkers when I can’t do it (and I need time alone to think and write)
• My work time is essentially my time out as well, and I enjoy it hugely
• I’m future-proofing my career, shoring up contacts and building relationships for the coming years when my child will go to school and I’ll be back relatively full-time
• I’m not missing out on years without super contributions (even though I’m notoriously bad at paying those)
• I get to keep my hand in with industry changes, upskilling where necessary and staying relevant.

On that last point, I’ve done a great deal of SEO work this year, and I feel really confident pitching for those projects now. I also spend a lot more time marketing myself and pitching for new clients. While some mums can and do want to stay home with their kids until they go to school, I needed a mix of work and time with the toddler – and also felt very strongly that it was important to keep up with our industry (both for Rachel’s List and for my own freelance work).

Although I’m not contributing hugely on the financial side – like you my partner brings home the bulk of the earnings – I get a kick out what I do, what I make and the fact that it’s on the increase (which tells me I’m getting better clients and becoming more efficient working part-time). So it’s really important, I think, to factor in all of the above, rather than making it just about bringing home the bacon.

Listers, what’s your opinion? If you can’t make good money working part-time are you better off being a stay at home parent – or do you freelance partly to future-proof your income as well? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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Rachel Smith

As a kid, Rachel used to carry around a little suitcase of pens and paper so she could stop and write stories whenever inspiration struck. These days, she writes for a living, in between running the show at Rachel's List. Some of you may actually believe she looks like a megaphone in real life, but it's not the case. Honest.

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