It just so happens that we lived in a city that really couldn't support my blooming career as a php developer. It's more of a Windows and .Net kind of city. I found that meant taking whatever contracts that I could take. Often times in other cities.
Ready or not, I was a freelance contractor. Working job from job with an infant daughter to feed.
It took a lot of effort and planning, but we did it. We made it through the hard times and now I run a successful freelance business from my home office.
How did I do it? It wasn't easy. I still don't get that much sleep. But with a newborn baby, that wasn't going to happen anyway!
When you have to rent a 2-3 bedroom apartment or worse pay a mortgage and buy diapers and baby formula, it gets a bit harder.
I was very fortunate that we were able to find a small condo and pay cash for it.
No rent or mortgage meant less required income.
We did the same for the cars. A cheap, bare bones new car can often times cost the same as a used car. Not only did we eliminate a car payment and higher insurance, but we save a lot on maintenance expenses as well.
I have found that not all job boards work for me. There are a lot of them out there. Do not waste time on all of them. Experiment and find the ones that get you jobs and stick with them.
Working from home also means you do not have to adhere to a strict 9-5 work day all the time. I'll take my older daughter out to the local game store and play board games with her all the time.
Even at home, it's nice to be able to take break and play Magic or Munchkin with the family.
Sometimes we will head out to Chik-fil-a or McDonalds and I work while the girls play.
Remember, just because you have a family doesn't mean you can not enjoy life as a freelancer. It just takes some preparation and a lot of hard work!
Posted by David Duggins
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