F
28

Rant: My 'best week ever' as a freelancer was actually the worst

Everyone talks about that one huge payday that changes everything, but for me it was a week where I landed three big contracts and then spent 60 hours fixing a database migration I misquoted because I was too excited to say no. Has anyone else had a windfall week that actually set them back?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
carr.luna
carr.luna1d ago
The same thing happened to me once with a client who wanted a website redesign in three days... I charged them double my normal rate thinking I'd pocket the extra cash but ended up having to subcontract half the work and eat the profit just to hit the deadline. Plus I was so fried after that week I messed up a smaller job for a regular client and they didn't rebook with me for months. Those big weeks always seem to come with hidden costs you don't see until it's too late.
2
ray_burns
ray_burns1d agoTop Commenter
Wait, you actually subcontracted half the work and still lost money? That's insane. I figured if you charged double, you'd at least break even after farming stuff out. Sounds like you got eaten alive by the rush fees and your own stress.
1
emma_lee22
emma_lee2215h ago
Learned that lesson too. Started padding my estimates by 40% for rush jobs.
7