Evolving Personal Finance » self-employment
My First Self-Employment Paycheck
I have decided to start paying myself every single month. I’m going to get a paycheck! Well, not a paycheck, an auto-transfer from my business account to our personal accounts. But still. Regular money coming in. Here’s how things have been running so far: I let my business income build up in my business account and sporadically take distributions from it as needed (e.g., when we incur childcare expenses so I can work) or if December … Read entire article »
Filed under: income, self-employment
Why I Still Side Hustle Even though I’m Self-Employed
I’m a solopreneur; I inspire and empower stipend-receiving grad students and postdocs to make the most of their money through speaking engagements at universities, online resources, and (coming soon!) coaching services. This is my passion business that grew out of my own experiences with personal finance while I was in graduate school. But I also have a side hustle: I’m a contractor for a scientific services company. I accept short assignments that have a fixed amount … Read entire article »
Filed under: income, self-employment, side income
Finding an New Balance Between Working and Caregiving
Six weeks ago, an acquaintance approached Kyle and me about a possible childcare swap. The other couple wanted to trade full days looking after one another’s children so that the primary caregiver could work per diem occasionally. They couldn’t afford to pay for childcare (childcare in Seattle is expensive, people!) so a swap was a good fit for them. I debated (with myself and with Kyle) whether to accept this offer for quite some time. The … Read entire article »
Filed under: family, marriage, parenthood, self-employment
Trading Money for Time: Our First Babysitting Hire
Those of us working jobs and earning an income are “trading time for money.” This is explicitly obvious if you are an hourly worker, but it’s still largely true for salaried workers. The alternative to trading time for money is to have money come in based on your investments – monetary, property, or perhaps time. It’s a less direct exchange of time for money, and sometimes frees you to spend little to no time on … Read entire article »
Filed under: choices, parenthood, self-employment
I Learn Something New about Taxes Every Year
My dad loves to encourage me to “learn something new every day,” and that’s certainly a great way to grow. Kyle and I submitted our tax returns last Saturday, and I realized that we learned quite a bit about taxes this year for our personal return. (I additionally learned a lot about grad student taxes, but that was more academic for me.) This year was our most complicated tax return to prepare to date, and we did … Read entire article »
Filed under: debt, giving, investing, self-employment, taxes, transitions
The Pleasure of Finishing Something
I recently won a battle with my perfectionism – or perhaps limped to the finish line is a more accurate illustration! I became aware of how my perfectionist nature was holding me back during grad school, so I knew that as I finished my PhD and transitioned into entrepreneurship I would have to keep it in check. The upside to being a perfectionist is that whatever you do manage to push out the door is … Read entire article »
Filed under: grad school, self-employment
How I Work on the Road
As a solopreneur who is also a bit of a homebody, I don’t have a typical off-site office from which I work. Most of the time, I work from my living room – at my standing desk, at our table, or on the couch. However, I also travel (fly) for work. I am a professional public speaker on the topic of personal finance for early-career PhDs, and delivering talks at universities almost always involves 2+ … Read entire article »
Filed under: self-employment, travel
Lessons Learned from My First Year Building a Public Speaking Business
A bit over a year ago, I gave my first presentation as a (future professional) public speaker. Last month, I received a speaking fee check that was – for the first time – in the full amount that I had requested from my host. While I have certainly grown as a speaker in the intervening year, the biggest lessons I’ve learned have been as a new entrepreneur in this arena. Today I’ll tell you the top … Read entire article »
Filed under: self-employment
Running a Location-Independent Business from the Same Room Every Day
When I stumbled into self-employment, I accidentally created what is apparently a very coveted form of entrepreneurship: running a location-independent business. Nearly all of my time spent working could be done anywhere (with an internet connection). On a day-to-day basis, I don’t have to be anywhere in particular, and I spend my time writing, producing videos, talking to people over the phone/Skype, rehearsing my presentations, and interacting with people through social media. On a few days … Read entire article »
Filed under: self-employment
What We Did in Graduate School to Enable Our Risky Career Decisions
Since our move to Seattle, Kyle and I have been meeting lots of new people as well as updating our friends and acquaintances about the changes in our life. These conversations often go as follows: new person: So what brought you to Seattle? Kyle: I got a job at a small biotech start-up. new person: Oh, wow! That’s great. And what do you do? me: I’m self-employed. I’m starting a business teaching graduate students about personal finance. new person: A … Read entire article »
Filed under: career, choices, savings, self-employment
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