Making Sacrifices for Self-Employment

Happy Financial Freedom Friday!

Recently I shared about being self-employed and mentioned it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. In the previous Financial Freedom Friday post I shared tips on Making Every Friday Payday, but things are a little different for those of us who are self-employed, freelancers & entrepreneurs. We are literally asking people to pay us to live our dream.  (click quote to tweet it) 

To be completely honest: Lately, I’ve been feeling the heat of the “self-employed kitchen” and even contemplated returning to the workforce.

Entrepreneurship is NOT for the weak of heart! (click to tweet)

No, that does not mean I am shutting down my blog! But I was feeling like I may go into Financial Distress.YES! The Head Damsel in Distress has been feeling distressed! The same woman who wrote about Marrying Your Savings Plan, Getting Your Financial Life and Hiring Yourself stresses about having too much month at the end of her money. Since I believe in authenticity, I’ve comprised a list of things I’ve had to sacrifice in order to continue living comfortably. Note: “Comfortable” is a term used VERY loosely here. This SHIT SUCKS! Buts its a cost I must pay to be the boss & live out my dreams!

1. Manicures: I know I’ve said this before, but I had to give up my manicure habit all together. Before I could go once in a pink moon. But not now, not ever.
2. Pedicures: Admitting to giving up pedicures in the summer is like saying “I don’t shave my legs” a HUGE NO NO! Don’t get me wrong, I have NOT been kicking it this summer with bare or janky tootsies, but I also haven’t afforded the luxury of going to have my feet soak & someone else scrub the dead skin off. * reaches for pumice stone & OPI polish*
3. Eyebrow waxes: Yes, I know its getting kind of a hairy situation up there, but I rather 2 small caterpillars than a botched DIY brow job.
4. Shopping: I’ve since picked up Livingroom Yoga to replace the low-intensity cardio of shopping. Livingroom Yoga really consists mostly of me watching videos of other people doing yoga, convincing myself there is no possible way I can twist my body that way and then laying there stretching on my yoga mat. It counts…  don’t judge me!
5. Sleeping! Ah YES! The ultimate sacrifice, beauty rest. Since I’ve become full-time self-employed I AM NEVER NOT AT WORK. Sometimes (like now eehhemm hello 4 am) I get an idea at midnight and simply can not stop until I can get it all out. Or I am up adding nickels, dimes & pennies trying to figure out how I am gonna pay rent this month. Either way, sleeping just IS NOT a luxury I can afford, TEMPORARILY because there is sooo much to be done! *sips coffee, turns on insomnia playlist*
6. Cable & Wifi: (Hey! Times IS HARD!) Like sleep, cable is NOT a necessity, in fact, if I can figure out how to get free internet I will be the first to sign up for it & share with all my subscribers. In the meantime (Since TGIT hasn’t started back yet) I don’t have time to sit & watch television all my “spare time” is spent empire building or playing with my kiddies!

7. Starbucks: This one should be a sin! But I’ve given up my “I’m a writer & so I should be at Starbucks all day using free wifi and drinking a $9.93 coffee with a $32.01 scone” habit. Instead, I’ve bought a box of organic coffee & I set up shop in my dining room or back porch wherever do my work offline then go to a free wifi spot and submit/post online. Or I use the WordPress App on my phone. I’ve always got internet access from that!
8. Did I mention giving up shopping? EVEN THRIFTING! No shopping WHATSOEVER! #thestruggleisreal No thrifting. No luxuries at the grocery store. Just toilet paper, toothpaste, and bread in my shopping basket. Jk there is some meat, fruits and veggies in there. But you get the gist.
9.Turning up with my girlfriends! I just wanna do hoodrat activities with my friends! The biggest problem is, the turn up costs MONEY! Money I would much rather use toward my light bill or cellphone bill or any bill really! Ps. This one is really a combination of “I am working on my salvation” and “I need not be taking body shots and dancing on couches!” But also how irresponsible is it for me to buy bottle service, but end up having no light service when I get home? #Priorities
10. My Uber account: Uber is so convenient that it very easily can be forgotten that you’ve actually gotta pay money when you get outa the car, because its all on your app. Since I do not drive (read: don’t have my own car) Uber is super more convenient for me to use than the bus, but pricy at the end of the month.
11. Vacation: A summer is not complete without the beach. Unfortunately, I’ve had 0 beach trips this summer. In fact, the only trip I’ve taken all summer was to Pittsburgh to see my awesome cousins for Pittsburgh Styleweek. Which also doubled as a business trip.
12. Alcohol: Bye Wine. Bye Jack Daniels. Bye Bye Bubbly! On this shoestring budget, my love for fancy beverages is all but a memory. The upside, I am saving on empty calories! Now THAT is what I call winning for loosing!
13. Shopping: Yea. It’s that serious. I refuse to “run to Target” now. We all know that means going for a planner and leaving with a desk chair, a bag, new sports bras, a bag of snack size snickers & earrings that were on sale. (May or may not be an actual end result of a Target run).
14. Eating out: This one is a no brainer. When your account balance is only $20 more than your bills NO WAY you’re gonna spend that last $20 on eating out when there is a fridge full of food.

My hope in sharing this is that someone ANYONE reads my #struggleisreal story and keeps pushing. In light of ALL of the sacrifices I am making, I am still LIVING MY DREAM!  I am my own boss. I set my own hours. I decide how hard I want to work. I even get to decide where I work. 

Keep pushing Self Employed Damsels & as always remember,

Distress

Want to join the
Damsel No Distress Newsletter?
click the link.