I’ve been tucking away a little bit from each project payment. It’s not always easy, especially with fluctuating client work.
Right now, I’ve got around six weeks of expenses saved up, and that’s a big relief compared to starting from scratch last year.
I round every payment up to the nearest hundred and throw the extra into savings.
Client pays $2,350? I live off $2,300 and bank the $50. Adds up quick and you won’t even feel it.
Six weeks is solid progress. Many people struggle after missing one payment.
Six weeks is solid progress. You’ve got a decent cushion already.
Hitting two months was a game changer for me. The stress drops when you know you can handle a client vanishing or a project getting pushed back.
Here’s what helped me get to three months:
That last month saved faster than I expected. You’re closer than you think.
Yeah six weeks is pretty good honestly.
Three months feels long, but you’re halfway done. Stick with what’s working.
When I started building mine, I treated it like paying myself first. Every invoice - 15% went straight to emergency savings before anything else.
The tough part? Those lean months when I wanted to skip it. Instead of stopping completely, I’d adjust the percentage. Some months 5%, others 25% when a big project hit.
Once I hit three months saved, I could actually negotiate better. Having that runway meant I could walk away from lowball offers and nightmare clients.
You’re already crushing it. Six weeks is massive compared to where most people start.
Keep your emergency fund in a separate business account. You won’t accidentally dip into it when cash gets tight. I made the mistake of mixing mine with operating funds and lost track during slow months. Six weeks saved is solid. That last stretch gets way easier. You’ll stop stressing about late payments once you’ve got a real cushion.