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One thing that self-employed people struggle with at the best of times is the holiday season, regardless of whether it is Christmas time, Easter, or you just need a break, the difficulty in taking time off, whether self-imposed or not, is that you don’t get paid for it. So, the self-employed group of workers needs the same amount of time off like everybody else, but because of the nature of the work, this is seldom the case. And as nice as it would be to give yourself those four weeks off, you know deep down that it’s not plausible. So, what can you do to lessen the burden of not being paid, but while also having a good time yourself?
Plan Ahead
Yes, this is, unfortunately, the most sensible solution. You know your working patterns, and you know when you are liable to burn out, so you should structure your finances accordingly. Lots of people make the mistake of taking one job after another, and before they know it, they have worked 6 months straight without a break. While you may be rolling in the monies, your health reserves are very likely at an all-time low. You may have thought instead it’s worth taking a loan out to help cover those free dates in the calendar that you have set aside, but if you get into the habit of taking a loan out so you can enjoy yourself, the burden of debt will very likely rear its ugly head. But while there are resources online on how to deal with debt, the best approach is to plan your finances accordingly. If you’ve been self-employed for some time, you know the peak and off-peak seasons so you can plan your breaks around those.
Holiday With The Family
This may not sound like a great sounding option, but the one thing about taking a vacation back at your parents’ house, or in your hometown, is that it will be a lot cheaper than going to the Algarve for two weeks. And besides, your parents would be happy to see you, even if they didn’t show it! And, time it around peak holiday seasons, like Christmas, and you will get fed! This means that minimal money will be spent on your part and you get a decent break. If this doesn’t appeal, then it’s a Netflix box set, your pajamas, and some chocolates for a week. Again, cheap and cheerful, and it achieves the desired effect!
Being A Social Butterfly
Wild nights out are incredibly expensive, instead, why don’t you propose to have a gathering at your home, or someone else’s? Dinner parties, parties, or any type of social gathering which doesn’t require you to go anywhere, is very cheap, and you will be grateful for the break away from your self-employed life. No doubt, you have been slaving away, day in and day out, for months on end. So, make the most of your time off, and socialize!
Being self-employed doesn’t mean constant vacations where you have no money, but if you find yourself in these trappings consistently, not only should you have a reassessment of how you tackle self-employment during the holiday season, but also how you tackle your finances.