Obi Lotanna Patricia

THE FREELANCER'S GUIDE TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM In today's world, there is a large growing audience of freelancers. Many people are trooping into the freelance sector wanting to explore their skills, make a living for themselves, and become a boss of their own. The question is, how many people understand what it entails to be a freelancer? Yes! Freelancers make enough money for themselves but how many of them can sustain such wealth? Well, this article is here to help! PRACTICAL TIPS FOR BUDGETING, INVESTING AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE AS A FREELANCER 1.​ Write down your plans: Every freelancer should cultivate the habit of writing down their goals and plans for the year, and the month, and then breaking them down into daily tasks. It is not enough to have it all in your head. Write them down. Write down any and everything you have planned to spend your money on. 2.​ Set A Monthly Spending Limit: Now, after you have carefully mapped out everything you would love to spend your money on, set a monthly spending limit for each category. Example If you spend your money on: clothes, shoes, data, foodstuffs, etc. You could say that the maximum you want to be spending on data every month would be 4000 naira, and the maximum you want to be spending on new clothes every month should be 8000 naira. This system helps you get disciplined with the way you spend and reduce miscellaneous spending 3.​ Buy A Saving Box: As funny as this sounds, I would always recommend a saving box for every young freelancer out there who would love to discipline their spending habits. A saving box is a local way of saving money for the future but it is still very effective. It is more effective than creating a separate bank account to save your money in it. You can always still have access to that separate bank account even if you did not initially make a debit card for that account, all it takes is walking into the bank to withdraw your money. But unlike a saving box, you would have a rethink when you think about the stress you might have to go through to break it open. So set out a percentage of your income that you would love to be saving in your saving box. 4.​ Discipline yourself: Dear young freelancer, you can set the best goal ever, and buy the best savings box but everything would be a waste if you do not properly discipline your body to adhere to every plan you have mapped out. Discipline your flesh and make it your slave. Remember, it is one thing to set a goal and it is another thing to strictly adhere to them. So learn to discipline yourself.