Moonlighting Freelancers – 20 Success Tips to Help Balance the Family Budget

Moonlighting freelancers are often working full time as well. Are you doing this and struggling to balance the family budget? This is common these days.

Many people moonlight to earn extra money to help ends meet. Around 8 percent of Australians hold more than one job currently, but this will change rapidly if housing loan interest rates go up and household expenses continue to rise while wages stagnate.

20 tips for Moonlighting Freelancers' Success

Here are 20 tips to help achieve your goals.

1. Set Priorities

It is important to set priorities before taking a second job. These need to be realistic and achievable to create a realistic schedule.

2. Set Achievable Goals

Look at how much extra money you need, so you can set achievable financial goals. You can look at these goals when working two jobs gets too tough. This will help for extra motivation.

3. Tell Your Bosses

Be honest with your bosses. Tell them you are taking on extra freelancing work so they are aware of your employment situation. Some employers require staff to notify them when taking on outside work. But, your full-time job should always take priority over freelancing.

4. Stay Focused On What You Are Doing

Stay focused on one job at a time. Trying to do two things at once can result in failure, and affect your quality of work and productivity. Keep your jobs separate from each other or you could have problems with your employers. 

5. Select Your Freelancing Work Carefully

Make a conscious decision to select your freelancing work carefully, join a website to get regular work. Choose jobs that reflect your skills and interests, which can help your professional career.

6. Be Super Organized

To succeed you need to be super organized. Keep a list of things you need to do each day at work and at home. Set reminders and mark each task off as you complete them to help you stay on track. Use an organizer like ToDoIst.

7. Review Your Progress

Review your progress at regular intervals. Look at your achievements to ensure you can achieve your goals. If you not doing well, you will need to make changes.

8. Use Your Support Network

Use your support network to vent when the stress builds up. You cannot achieve very much when you are stressed, and it will affect your performance and relationships when you bottle it up.

9. Look After Yourself

Look after yourself because you are no good to anyone if you get sick. Coming down with a simple cold can be enough to bring your schedule to a halt. 

10. Get Enough Sleep

It is important to get enough sleep. Being tired will affect your performance at work. Grab a power nap when you get a chance. 

11. Avoid Junk Food

It is easy to resort to junk food when you are busy. This is a big mistake and will not nourish your body. Have healthy snacks on hand, and cook up a batch of nourishing meals ready to eat during the week. 

12. Exercise When You Get A Chance

Make sure you exercise once a day although it is hard to fit regular workouts into your schedule it is essential for keeping healthy. Try walking the dog or a 15-minute workout each day to clear your head. 

13. Work From Home

The great thing about moonlighting as a freelancer is most jobs you can do from home. The last thing you want is to be traveling between two jobs as it takes up too much time. 

14. Take Time Out

Take a day off every week to help you recharge. It is important to achieve some sort of work life balance and to spend time relaxing with friends and family.

15. Reward Yourself Sometimes

Reward yourself sometimes. Working hard all the time becomes tough when that is all you do. Rewarding yourself with a special treat can help you achieve your goals. 

16. Take Responsibility

If you make a mistake, take responsibility for it. The last thing you need is to lose work because you cannot admit to mistakes and learn from them. 

17. Customer Service Is Important

Customer service is important. Both employers deserve to get the best from you. Things can go wrong, but it is the way you deal with them that matters. 

18. Pursue Your Passion

Moonlighting as a freelancer gives you the opportunity to pursue your passion and assist in building your professional profile.

19. Ask For Feedback

Ask your freelance clients for feedback to help you improve what you do. You want to be the best you can be so you need to hear what people say. 

20. Grueling Schedules Are Only Temporary

Grueling schedules are only temporary and they are great for self-improvement. Remember, you are doing this to achieve your goals and it will not be forever. 

Use these tips to help you achieve your financial goals. The last thing you want to do is burnout, get sick, and fail to hit your targets. Review your progress regularly for extra motivation.