My Many Jobs

Being chronically ill with blood cancer for so many years has taught me that as an employee I can't always be super reliable. Years of infections, surgeries, cancer, and cancer treatments have left my body weaker than I feel it should be.

I don't have the stamina I used to have

Even though my immune system is back to normal I feel like after being sick for so long, my body just isn’t as sturdy as it used to be. I feel like I have to rest more to bring my stamina back up. So I figured doing freelance work would be the best for me. There are some perks but there are also some setbacks.

The perks of freelance working

My time is my own time. I can sleep in almost anytime I want to. If something comes up I can stop what I’m doing and tend to it. I can even rest if I’m feeling sick. These are all great perks, especially for someone who is chronically ill. I have many jobs and with most of them, I get to choose my hours, save one.

Going through chemo made me extremely nauseous. I couldn’t do anything except lay in bed or on the couch most days. And that’s not evening mentioning the other side effects. A lot of cancer patients deal with this. It makes working rough and that’s an understatement!

Doing this kind of work also allows me to enjoy more of life. I can go on trips and work wherever I am. I can explore more of the country and schedule more time to spend with my loved ones.

The downsides of being a freelancer

There had to be a catch right?

Taxes are the first thing that comes to mind. When you are a freelancer you have to pay your taxes. You put aside a percentage of what you make and pay the IRS quarterly each year. My taxes are way higher now because of this.

Pay isn’t always constant either. At a regular W2 employee job, you would know exactly what you’d be making an hour and what your paychecks will look like. So you can plan accordingly. I have a good idea of what I’ll make monthly but it can change a lot depending on the month.

I also have a lot of wear and tear on my car from Door Dashing and doing Mermaid parties around town. I have more expenses because of this. Gas, oil changes, car maintenance, make-up, etc.

Wearing many different hats

It can also be confusing having so many jobs. Doing freelance work in my experience means you have to wear a lot of different hats to make enough to pay bills.

A lot of freelance work is not full-time and doesn’t always pay very well. Door Dash for example just started paying hourly. So I can make $11.25 an hour. Which isn’t horrible, but also could be way better. But I also get tips on top of that. But that means I’m at the mercy of the customer as well. Sometimes I get tipped and sometimes I don’t and I have no control over that.

It’s also tough to be your own boss. You have to be able to motivate yourself to get your work done. It’s so easy to slip into, “I’ll do it later.”

For me, freelance is worth it

So is it worth it? I think so. I’m also very lucky though. My acting experience got me a mermaid gig, I’ve been very blessed working here with Blood-Cancer.com, I’m able-bodied enough to Door Dash and my car is reliable enough, and I manage to get some work doing surveys as well. But this allows me the freedom to live my life the way I need to.

What are your thoughts on this? Is freelancing something you think you’d want to do given the choice?

Warm wishes, Katelynn