As a freelancer I have tonnes more freedom than when I was employed in a 9-5 position. I can get on a plane tomorrow without having to answer to anyone (well, maybe my mum), and I don’t have to try and squish my yearly travel into a set amount of days.

Great, right?

Sure! Absolutely. This was one of the main draws of going freelance for me in the first place, and I’m enjoying not having to sign a form asking if I can have a day off.

But there are downsides that come with the freedom of freelancing. Yes, I can hop on a plane tomorrow and take a jolly around some far-flung place for a month, but for every day I’m not working, I’m not making money.

Most employees get paid even when they’re on holiday, so there’s no underlying worries about how they’ll pay their bills when they’re back from Barbados.

For freelancers, it’s different.

The freedom to travel is there for the taking, but you have to weigh this up with the effect it’ll have on your work calendar.

That being said, I’m experimenting with a variety of different ways to keep travel in my life whilst not sacrificing money. So far? So good.

 

Trick #1: Travel Midweek

 

I don’t know about you, but my schedule usually runs by the week, especially for long-term clients. For most, I have a set amount of articles to write each week, and once they’re written that’s it.

This means I usually know what work I need to complete each week and can spread it out day-by-day. It also means that I can cram if I need to, and that’s exactly what I do when I have a trip planned.

I’ve found that booking a trip on a Wednesday to return on a Saturday is ideal, because I can cram my weekly work into the first two days of the week. No, it’s not much fun, but it means I don’t have the work looming over me whilst I’m away. It also means I can reply to emails and get myself ready for the next working week on the Sunday when I’m back.

If you want to go away for longer than a few days (and, let’s face it, who doesn’t?), you can always cram the week before if you know what articles you have to write for whom. It gets a little tricky if you pick up work on a week-by-week basis but, for the most part, cramming is your friend.

 

Trick #2: Can Your Trip Help Your Work?

 

I’m not a fan of working whilst I’m away. I know people who are really disciplined and can carve out time away from exploring to whack out a few words, but I like to lend myself to the moment and go with the flow. I can’t fully enjoy myself if I know I have to complete a piece for a client by X date or if I’m worrying about finding WiFi somewhere so I can send an email.

I learnt this the hard way. Struggling to finish work and struggling to enjoy a trip means you get nothing good out of the experience – only stress and a missed opportunity.

However, I often think of ways in which my travels can help my work (and whether or not I can get paid for it). As a travel writer, this is easy enough. Yes, I might lose out on a bit of money, but when I’m back I know I’ll have a tonne of new story ideas to write for this blog or for outlets that pay.

Sometimes I’ll reach out to clients who I think might be interested in my trip. More often than not, they’ll be interested in a piece about the place I’m going and will expand my weekly quota when I’m back to include a few timely pieces about my trip.

It’s all about getting creative with your thinking. If you’re a photographer, get in touch with magazines and sites beforehand to see if you can interest any buyers. If you’re a writer, research a couple of unique stories that you can look into whilst you’re away.

 

Trick #3: Consult Your Diary

 

Freelancing isn’t the most stable of jobs, and most people won’t know what they’re doing from one month to the next.

That being said, there are occasions where you’ll have a big job come in in a few months’ time, or a busy rush when one of your clients is launching a new product.

Work with these surges!

You have the freedom to go away when you want, so time it to fit in with your schedule. Head away before that big job, or treat yourself to a trip when it’s over. Freelancer pay is notorious for fluctuating month to month, but you can make the most of it by travelling when you’ve had a windfall (or when you know one’s coming).

To execute this well, it’s good to keep a month-by-month diary on your wall so you know what you’ve got coming up in the not-too-distant future.

 

Trick #4: Double the Time of Your Trip

 

I know, I know – I literally just advised you against working whilst you’re away. But there is a way you can fit your freelance work into travel (though bear in mind this only really works for online freelancers and if you’re in a place with good WiFi).

Instead of hitting the road for a week, go for two, and alternate sightseeing days with days of work. It’s not the most ideal situation, but it gives you just the same amount of time to get to know a place as it would have done travelling for half the time and not working.

---

Freelancing is great for the freedom it provides, but it can also be stressful when you can’t do the things you want to do because you miss out on a large chunk of income. Hopefully this shows that it is possible to get out there and see the world without having to compromise on your earnings. You never know, it might even help your freelance work!

 

[disclaim]Don’t forget to check out the new resources page I put together over the weekend, which features a wealth of tools, job boards, blogs, and books for all you freelance writers out there! [/disclaim]

 

How do you fit travel into your freelance lifestyle? Do you struggle or have you found the perfect solution?