I used to say that all the time when I was a freelance scenic artist. You never know how much is coming in. You can't make a financial plan. Arts are always on the cusp of losing funding. One year I worked regularly. Then the state cut arts funding and my regular clients closed down. I had to scramble for work.
Too stressful.
And now I find myself in that position again. My recession-proof job is proving to be not so proof any more. I may have to break down and get a regular job. Working from home has been great. It gives me time to work in the garden and write. But those nasty bills still need to be paid. So, I need to make a plan to increase my income. Which may mean less time for writing. Bummer.
I've read all the self-help books on money. The wish-yourself-rich kind and the live-within-your-means kinds. Not much help.
The wishing hasn't worked.
And for the other kind - I've lived as a starving artist for so long that I couldn't trim my expenses any harder. They always make me laugh when they list the incidental purchases that can eat up your discretionary income. I don't buy newspapers or magazines. I rarely eat out. I buy clothes when the old ones fall apart. I don't spend money without being aware. I count my pennies. I keep the thermostat low and turn out lights when I leave a room.
I'm just not good with earning money. When it comes down to it, I'd rather take a fun, low paying job than a high-stress, high-stakes, high-paying job. And I'm an empathetic dope when it comes to employers telling me they can't afford to pay me more.
I have to admit it. This is my fault. And this is a bad time to be in such a condition. Maybe 2012 will have to be a year of 9-5-ing it for me. It's been awhile. But it's definitely time to put some nuts away for the winter.
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