Ramblings-n-Writings

Posts Tagged ‘freelance work’

Today is one of those days where I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place. I know I need to make some decisions about my work, but I can’t seem to figure out an answer.

Over two years ago, I started Skala Creative LLC to generate some extra income for my family. Since the work is freelance, it’s always been a sporadic income. Now with the husband gone, I need a more dependable, consistent income.

Besides my freelance business, I’ve been selling advertising for Two Lane Livin’ (you can read more about that job here). And in late August, I started working 3 hours a day in a small, home-based internet business office. With this office job, I keep gas in the car, purchase necessities, and pay for about 50% of my bills.

I’ve also continued tutoring for Tutor.com, but I’m usually so drained by the evening that it’s hard for me to put in the hours I need.

Right now I feel like I’m a gerbil running in one of those wheels that never goes anywhere. I wonder how much longer I’ll have the energy to keep doing these 4 jobs and if I’ll be able to make ends meet. At this point, I’m still not able to make ends meet entirely, mainly because of my mortgage payment. So here are the options I’m looking at. Give me your opinion …

A. Close up my freelance business and concentrate on tutoring. Tutoring is a reliable, decent income, but during school holiday times, it’s not enough to sustain me. In other words, December and January income will be noticeably lower than other months. The summer months are even lower than December and January. And the majority of this work is in the evening which makes it hard to have a social life.

B. Keep my freelance business, stop tutoring, and potentially give up the office job once I generate more freelance income. This is the option I’m leaning towards but I don’t know how feasible it is. I need the income now, but it may be months before I start generating enough from the freelance work to allow me to stop tutoring. However, I need to stop tutoring so I have the time needed to build the freelance business. Does that make sense? LOL

C. Give up all the little jobs and find a 40-hour / week office job somewhere. The problem with this is 90% of the possibilities for this work would require a 100+ mile round trip each day. By the time gas costs and travel time are deducted from my income, I wouldn’t be too much better off than what I am now staying close to home. And with winter coming, I’d prefer to stay closer to home.

I’m really thinking option B is my favorite choice, but option C makes the most sense as the solution right now. So, would you pray with me that …

1. I’ll know which option to work towards

2. If option C is the best choice, that something local would open up so that I wouldn’t have to drive far for work.

3. And that I’d keep my sanity through all this. LOL Seriously, I feel like I’m being pulled in a million different directions trying to balance 4 jobs, car shopping, divorce stuff, and the regular everyday things of life.

I know I don’t say this very often, but thank you for stopping by and reading my little blog. I know my blogging has suffered over the past months, and some of you have hung on as faithful readers. If you’re reading this, leave me a comment so I know who is still out there!