Y’all: I’ve successfully been blogging full-time for about 6 months now, and I still can’t believe this is really my life at the moment. Overall I absolutely love, love love it and I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s truly amazing to wake up and do what you love everyday and be your own boss!
If you’re thinking about making the leap, or just curious about what life is like as a full-time blogger, here’s the five most important things I wanted to share about this huge career jump.
Save As Much As Possible Before Making the Jump
So, I was kind of thrown into blogging full-time after getting laid off from my last job. I always wanted to do it, and I had started saving up a bit, but as soon as I got laid off I knew I just had to do it now rather than getting another full-time job and being stuck in that position for another year or so. Ideally, I think you should save up 3 months of income just as a cushion — it’s a huge lifestyle change to go from two jobs to one!
You Don’t Have Benefits or Sick Days
One word, my friends: healthcare. Honestly, paying out of pocket for health insurance is one of my least favorite things to do as a self-employed person. I have some pre-existing conditions as well, so I personally can’t go for the cheapest health insurance plan since I do have to go in for check ups pretty regularly. Needless to say, I’m paying a pretty penny for insurance at the moment.
You also don’t have the luxury to call out sick for blog campaigns either. I’ve dragged myself out of bed for shoots when I was feeling under the weather because I had deadlines, and this is literally my job. Unless you’re insanely sick with a fever or in the hospital, if you don’t finish your work, you don’t get paid.You’re Going to Work More Than 40 Hours A Week
You know what was cute? I really thought I would have so much more spare time when I left my full-time job. In reality, I wake up pretty early, and I’m on my email by 8am at the latest. Since I don’t have a proper office and work either from home or coffee shops, it’s hard for me to stop working and end my workday at times. Often times, I find myself on the couch at 9pm still answering emails, editing photos and drafting posts. It’s rare that I only work 8 hours a day, and I still have a bad habit of working on projects over the weekend.
Consider Adding Other Freelance Projects
Since I’ve started blogging full-time, I’ve actually taken on a few freelance photography, social media and writing assignments. Those are my three favorite things to do, so I’m happy to do them for another brand on a case-by-case basis. Just be careful to not take on too many projects: know what workload is manageable for you!
It’s A Great Decision
Guys. I love my life. I never really found a full-time job in marketing that fit all of my career needs, and blogging does it for me. Yes, sometimes it sucks when you don’t land a campaign, or if a company is taking forever to pay you, but overall it’s pretty crazy to have stumbled into my dream job and become my own boss at the age of 27. Pinch me!
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