Why I’m Choosing to Freelance Instead of a New Nine-to-Five

To be honest, when I first heard of the concept of Online Freelancing, I wasn’t the biggest fan. So many questions popped up: Is it stable? Who are you going to work for? Where do you get projects? How are you going to get paid? These concerns are still very true to this day.

I tried my hand at a freelance writing project around six years ago. I wrote 5 very short articles for $7.  It was quick, painless, and opened up an avenue to a new world. Unfortunately, my circumstances at the time took me away from freelancing and I focused on what I believed to be a more-stable source of my income.

Yet, every now and then, I would peek at my oDesk (now known as Upwork) profile and sift through the projects that people offered to me–all of which, I turned down. I knew that there was something about the idea of freelance writing that appealed to me and beckoned at my heartstrings.

What was it about working freelance that just seemed so seductive? .

After giving it a lot of thought, I think I’ve narrowed down the main reasons why I’m choosing to Freelance.

1. I get to work from home.
   There’s no denying the appeal of working from the comfort of our homely little apartment. There would be no need to rush in the mornings to get to an office on time. Instead, I get to plot out my day as I see fit.
2. I get to earn more.
   As I’m using Upwork, the primary currency used for payment is in USD. Given that the exchange rate that $1 converts to the Philippine Peso is rather hefty, I’ll be able to earn a significantly larger amount that I would have in an office with my particular skill-set.
3. I get to pick what writing jobs I want to pursue.
   It’s no secret that when I did my little stint as a Creative Writer for a certain company in Davao City, the topic was quite challenging as my boss was primarily focused on the Supply Chain and Logistics branch of business. I poured hours upon hours trying to learn what I could about a topic that I should appear to be an expert at (at least when I wrote his articles and blog posts for him).

   Upwork has a lovely search section wherein I could type out a topic like “mom” or a specific service like “proofreading” and chances are, there’s someone there looking for an article writer at offering a cool $50-$200 for the project.

4. I get to save more.
   Working from home means that I won’t have to dole out money for a commute or a child-minder. Sure, there might be some concerns about the usage of electricity but that can be remedied by being mindful of what’s plugged.
5. I get to spend more time with my family.
   I’m particularly happy about this point. I get to wake up early and make Caleb his bento (lunchbox for work). I would be able to kiss him goodbye and wave him off at the elevator with our daughter. I would have the chance to spend my days with our daughter in this precious age where she isn’t yet school-bound. She and I would be here and waiting for her dad to come home at the end of his office day with dinner at the ready.

   Togetherness. Spending quality moments in the time available. This is one of the major things that I want to cultivate in my nuclear family.

Of course, I do still have worries about my choice. That’s pretty much the norm whenever there’s a big decision to make. However, at least I know that I’m grabbing this new opportunity with both hands and with both feet firmly planted.

Now, my dear readers, what reasons do you have for choosing to freelance online? I would love to hear from you. I’ll update more on a later date about my freelancing journey. Do wish me luck!