Found my old rate sheet from 2019 tucked in a book today

I was looking for a recipe card and pulled out a dog-eared notebook with my 2019 rates - $35 an hour for web content. It's wild how I was making that work for so long, and now I'm at $65 and still feel like I'm guessing. Anyone else ever do the math on what you missed out on by not raising rates sooner?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseywalker8d ago

Goodness gracious, that is a huge jump in five years. Going from $35 to $65 is a serious leap, and I bet you left a lot of money on the table before you made the change. It is really easy to get comfortable and not realize how much your work is actually worth. I'm glad you finally made the move, even if it feels a little scary.

samreed8d ago

I read somewhere that most freelancers leave 20-30% on the table by not raising rates every year or two. It really hit me how much that adds up when you factor in inflation and the experience you gain. Glad you made the jump, it's a hard but necessary step.

kevin_williams8d ago

Oh man, "leaving 20-30 percent on the table" hits way too close to home. I did that math once for my old rate and almost choked on my coffee. It's like you're working for free for a few months every year just because you're too chicken to send a simple email. And the inflation part is the real killer, your $35 today buys you a sandwich and a bus pass while five years ago it got you a full meal. Casey is spot on about getting comfortable, I get that scared feeling too but then I remember my landlord doesn't accept "I'm nervous about asking for more money" as payment.