Member-only story
How Much Should Freelancers Work?
Lessons learned from tracking my time.
How much should freelancers work?
Obviously, this is a subjective question with multiple variables. Desired lifestyle, personal/family needs, availability, rates, volume — just to name a few.
A single parent with a mortgage and two kids has to work a helluva lot harder than a debt-free digital nomad bouncing between low-cost-of-living areas. Similarly, a freelance consultant who specializes in financial software can probably charge a much loftier rate than a generalist freelance writer who just began their entrepreneurial career.
Long story short: There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. That said, if I had to offer a general one, it’s to work enough to accomplish your goals while satisfying your rules. Otherwise, the best I can do for you is share my experience.
I started tracking my time in December 2020, so I have about 2.5 years of data.
First, some necessary background:
- I’m married, so I’m not solely responsible for our financial health. My wife has a stable, well-paying corporate job at a Fortune 500 company.
- We’re debt-free and don’t have kids (or even pets), so we aren’t digging ourselves out of any holes or responsible…
