Economy Talk

Freelancers: the boring tax pot habit that saved my sanity

I'm a freelance photographer and for years I'd get paid, feel rich, spend, then panic when the tax bill came. What finally fixed it was dull: the moment any invoice is paid, a fixed percentage goes straight into a separate savings account I mentally label "not my money".

It's not clever and it won't make anyone rich, but it ended the January dread completely. If your income is uneven, I'd also suggest a second small pot for quiet months, so a slow summer doesn't feel like a crisis. Happy to share how I worked out my percentage if anyone's interested.