Do you Spend Money on your Freelance Writing Career?
One of the nicest things about being a freelance writer is that you do not have to spend a lot of money to get started or to maintain your career. That being said, you should be spending some money along the way. I don’t want you to think you should blow through your money, but there are definitely times when you should lay out some cash.
As a general rule of thumb I only spend money on my freelance writing career when I feel that it will bring a nice return. For instance, I recently hired a designer to help with several of my niche blogs as well as a new service site. This is money well spent because it will help me to earn more in the long run. When there is a chance for a return I don’t mind spending money.
Of course, there are times when I spend on supplies as well. This can be everything from a new computer to stamps and paper clips. Even though it is not always fun to buy office supplies, they are necessary to keep things running smoothly. If you are smart about when, where and how you buy these supplies you should be able to get what you want at a reasonable price.
Don’t be afraid to spend money on your freelance writing career. Even though you can go many months without spending too much, there will come a time when you have to part with some cash. As long as you spend your money on something that will improve your career you don’t have anything to worry about.

March 22nd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Good post Chris. I have a similar approach to spending. I’ll buy things like my recent laptop purchase if I think it will help my writing overall (and it’s increased my productivity quite a bit), and I’ll spend on basic office supplies like printer ink and paper. I think my biggest expenses though have actually been domain registrations and renewals (which really add up when you’re running a lot of sites). But as you say, it’s about the return.
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Jenn – Good point on the domain registrations. I have been adding to my network as well, and this cost can add up. Fortunately, making back the $10 is not usually that hard!