Building an Emergency Fund as a Freelancer (The Deeply Unsexy Truth About Quitting Your Soul-Sucking Job) 💰

The EXACT steps I took to go from $60K in credit card debt to buying a Jeep with cash last week

🧡 Quick heads up! This was created when FWE was brand new. Since then, we've grown into a thriving beginner freelance community on Skool with multiple courses, trainings, q&a calls, coworking, tools/resources and an incredible group of people just getting started.

You may hear references to "free" in the video — everything now lives inside the community where access begins at just $9/mo or $79/year.

Let's talk about the thing NOBODY wants to talk about when it comes to freelancing—the deeply unsexy, utterly unglamorous, makes-you-want-to-take-a-nap-just-thinking-about-it topic of...

FINANCIAL PREPARATION. 💤

I know, I KNOW. You clicked on this thinking we'd be talking about landing dream clients and charging $500/hour while sipping margaritas on a beach.

Instead, I'm about to hit you with some REAL TALK about emergency funds and expense tracking.

Sexy, right? 😅

But STICK WITH ME, because this is the stuff that makes ALL the difference between:

• Successfully transitioning to self-employment

• Slowly losing your will to live (and your health) at a soul-sucking job

(Ask me how I know.)

The Fantasy vs. The Reality Check That Slapped Me in the Face 👋

I understand FULLY that when you're stuck in a job that’s slowly killing you, it's SO easy to fantasize about your grand exit:

• You'll start freelancing 💻

• It'll take off like a rocket 🚀

• You'll quit in a blaze of glory 🔥

• Your boss will BEG you to stay 😭

• You'll laugh maniacally as you walk out 😈

You've probably already mentally written that resignation letter:

"Dear Boss Who Makes My Life Miserable,

I QUIT.

P.S. I'll be making triple my salary from a beach in Bali.

XOXO, Your Former Wage Slave"

I know this feeling IN MY BONES, because I lived that fantasy. I tried freelancing MULTIPLE times over the years and spent well over a decade fantasizing about being self-employed.

Narrator: It did not, in fact, happen like that.

Let Me Be Your Dream-Crusher for a Hot Second 🔨

Do I think YOU can replace your entire income with freelancing? ABSOLUTELY.
Double it? YEP.
Even triple it? 100% YES.

I'm walking proof that it's possible.

I went from making $50/hour in my healthcare position to charging $300+/hour for certain projects.
My husband hasn't worked in years because my business supports us both.
We now travel full-time in our RV as digital nomads.
Life is GOOD.

BUT...(and this is a Sir Mix-a-Lot sized BUT)...

It didn't happen in 2 minutes. Or 2 months. Or even 2 years.

In fact, it was a VERY long road with:

• A lot of heartache and struggle

• MANY failed attempts

• THOUSANDS of dollars wasted

That's partially why you'll hear me position what I teach as a way to make EXTRA INCOME, rather than painting this dream that you'll be handing in your notice by next week.

Because the truth is—getting established as a freelancer is almost the EASIER part. (I know! Plot twist!) 🤯

But the DEEPLY UNSEXY part? The part nobody wants to talk about?

THE PREPARATION.

Why Most Freelancers Fail (And How We're Going to Make Sure You Don't) 💪

When you move into self-employment (especially at the beginning), there's a LOT of volatility:

• Dry spells where you send 50 proposals and hear NOTHING 🦗

• Clients who take 2 weeks to approve that milestone 🐌

• Economic uncertainty affecting demand in your niche 📊

• That fun thing where you're counting on a BIG project and the client ghosts 👻

Take the U.S. economy right now:

One week the markets are up.
Next week? Down — thanks to tariffs.
Wait, nope — nevermind, slashing tariffs. RALLY!
👀 — how does chat feel about a war?
Nope again — back to tariffs.
Hold up — we’ve got peace!
Scratch that — maybe not. 🤡

The back-and-forth doesn’t just affect Wall Street bros — it trickles down to folks who are self employed.

Businesses get cautious.

Budgets tighten.

And the next thing you know, you feel it in your bank account.

You need to build yourself a NICE FIRM STABLE BASE to operate from—so you're not running a business out of panic and stress, but out of CALM SECURITY. 💅

(I promise this makes a MASSIVE difference in how you show up in your business, with clients, and in the income you make over time.)

And you don't get calm security by faking it ‘til you make it or posting inspirational quotes on Insta. You get it by ACTUALLY CREATING a stable place to operate from.

"But Erica, I'm BROKE. How Can I Build Stability When I Can't Even Pay My Bills?" 😫

I KNOW some of you are reading this thinking:

"Don't you think if I COULD do that, I'd BE doing that?!"

I KNOW things are tough right now. I know many people are hurting financially. That's EXACTLY why I'm teaching you how to freelance for just $19/mo or $129/year.

I WANT you to not only have extra money to pay bills but ALSO enough that you can begin building that financial peace and stability for yourself.

So what does that look like?

Buckle up, my friend. We're about to get REAL practical. 🎢

My Multiple Freelance Failures (And What They Taught Me) 📚

Remember how I mentioned I'd tried freelancing (and other self-employment ventures) in the past and failed MANY MANY times?

(In hindsight, I just gave up too early. Classic Old Erica move.) 🤦‍♀️

But I'm a reverse engineer/problem solver by nature. So with every failure, I'd look back and ask:

Where did things go wrong?
What could I have done differently?

The common thread EVERY. SINGLE. TIME?

I would overload myself trying to do THE MOST:

• Full-time job ✅

• Full-time mom ✅

• Full-time pet owner ✅

• Full-time wife ✅

• Household needs ✅

• Side hustles ✅

• Mental breakdowns ✅✅✅

When I REALLY dug into it, the answer was sitting right in front of me. It wasn't a lack of time—it was a lack of RESOURCES. Specifically, MONEY.

I was tied to my full-time job because I NEEDED that paycheck. Despite being a high earner, we lived paycheck-to-paycheck with:

• $60K+ in credit card debt 💳

• $50K in student loans 🎓

• A mortgage 🏠

• 2 Car payments 🚗

• Allllll the regular bills 📱

• PLUS we were busy trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses’

And all those time-eating tasks?
I couldn't afford help because... paycheck to paycheck.

I was stuck in a self-perpetuating cycle of DOING THE MOST simply to survive.

✨ But here's the thing about being well and truly fcked—sometimes it's EXACTLY what you need to finally get your shit together. ✨

So there I was, on a random Tuesday back in 2017, building The Spreadsheet of Doom™ (aka finally getting my arms around our finances) with the kind of determination usually reserved for Black Friday shoppers or people trying to get Taylor Swift tickets.

And the numbers were... not great.

I stared at those numbers like they might rearrange themselves if I just believed hard enough. (Spoiler: They did not.)

And then something weird happened. Instead of my usual spiral into despair (followed by emotional DoorDashing), I got... angry?

Not at the numbers.
Not at my employer.
Not even at myself.

I got angry at the SYSTEM.

This whole ridiculous setup where we trade our health for wealth, then use that wealth to try to buy back our health.

Where we're so exhausted from working that we pay premium prices for convenience.

Where we're so stressed about money that we spend money to feel better about not having money.

The call was coming from inside the house, and the house was on fire, and I'd been paying someone to fan the flames.

The Goal That Changed Everything 🎯

I realized if I wanted to make SPACE to build a successful business, I needed to CREATE space. I needed TIME. And to get more time (without burning myself out), I needed financial breathing room.

So I set myself a goal:

Get our monthly expenses down to where my husband's income could cover EVERYTHING, with enough in savings that my income became monthly overflow.

Was it easy? HELL NO.

But here's exactly how we did it...

The 6-Step Financial Freedom Formula 📝

Step 1: Face Your Financial Reality 😬

It starts with being willing to look at the mess. REALLY look at it.

Not the quick glance you give when you check your bank balance after a night out. The deep, uncomfortable, "oh sh!t this is my actual life" kind of looking.

I pulled up the last couple months of bank statements and listed EVERY recurring expense:

• Mortgage payments

• Car payments

• Netflix subscription (yes, even Netflix)

• Utility bills

• Cell phone

• That random app you bought 4 years ago and keep forgetting to cancel

Then I pulled the last 12 months to find quarterly/annual expenses:

• Property taxes

• Insurance

• Annual subscriptions

Pro tip: Divide quarterly expenses by 3, annual by 12 to get monthly amounts.

My total? TERRIFYING. But you can't fix what you won't face.

Step 2: The Categorization 📊

I categorized every expense into two columns:

MUST HAVE vs. NICE TO HAVE

• Mortgage? Must have.

• Netflix? Nice to have. (RIP Big Mouth + Stranger Things)

• Car Payment? Must have.

• Furnace maintenance agreement? Nice to have.

• Student Loans? Must have.

• DoorDash subscription? Must have Nice to have. 😭

Be REAL honest with yourself.

Emotions get involved when you're looking at potentially cutting things you enjoy. But cable/TV subscriptions, lawn service, Spotify—these are NOT keeping you alive or a roof over your head.

Step 3: Find the Hidden Money 💰

Total up your "Nice to Have" column. For us? Several hundred dollars a month.

(Which it's easy to dismiss as "not enough to matter," but I assure you EVERY PENNY counts.)

Every "Nice to Have" subscription? CANCELLED.
Every service I'd forgotten about? GONE.
Every membership gathering dust? ELIMINATED.

Then look at your "Must Haves" and ask:

1. Is this TRULY a must have?

2. Can I reduce this cost?

Some real examples from our journey:

We had two cars.
Jeff worked from home.
In the age of Uber, did we really need two cars?

🚗 Two car payments → Sold one car

• Saved $450/month payment

• Saved $100/month between insurance + gas

• My husband could Uber if needed

• Total savings: $550/month

📱 Cell phone bill → Switched carriers

• Old AT&T plan: $250/month for 2 lines

• New T-Mobile plan: $130/month for 2 lines + internet

• Our separate internet plan: $100/month

• Total savings: $220/month

🎓 Student loans → Changed to a graduated payment plan

• From $350/month to $150/month

• Savings: $200/month

Step 4: The Flex Spending Reality Check 🛍️

Look at those bank statements again and now total your flex spending:

• Grocery runs

• Eating out (guilty!)

• Target hauls (SUPER guilty!)

• Ulta splurges (don't judge me)

• Medical expenses

• Movies, travel, random Amazon purchases

For us, food was the BIGGEST money suck and we saved almost 1K a month by cutting back:

• DoorDash & eating out 2-3 times a week → 1-2 times a MONTH

• Whole Foods → Aldi or Costco

• Even cut back on my Diet Coke consumption (THE SACRIFICE!) 😱

Step 5: Make Extra Money (Hello, Freelancing!) 💻

This is where 10 Days to Paid comes in!

But PLEASE learn from my mistakes:

• ❌ DON'T spend $2,000 on a course promising you stupid easy money

• ❌ DON'T work 16-hour days burning yourself out

• ✅ DO aim for 10-20 extra hours/week MAX

• ✅ DO focus on sustainable, realistic goals

The goal? This extra work is TEMPORARY so we can get you from a 50-60 hour week down to a 20-30 hour week that makes MORE money than your 8-5 ever did.

Step 6: Track Everything Like Your Life Depends On It 📈

TRACK. IT. ALL.

Every dollar saved.
Every extra dollar earned.
EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

(It's easy to spend "extra" money if it's not already allocated.)

If you have $0 in savings, get $1-2K saved first for emergencies. Then ATTACK that debt like it owes you money. (Which technically, it does.)

PRO TIP: I used an app called YNAB (You Need a Budget - NOT an affiliate link) that became my financial BIBLE. It’s built around a concept called zero-based budgeting, which means every single dollar in your account gets a job.

Instead of just staring at your balance and guessing what’s “safe” to spend, you assign that money to things like debt, bills, or savings the moment it hits your account. Game. Changer.

I still use it to manage our finances still to this day.

The Debt Avalanche That Changed My Life 🏔️

List all your debts from smallest to largest balance, as an example:

Klarna Payment → $500/month → $1,500 balance

Care Credit → $125/month → $2,500 balance

Capital One → $205/month → $5,550 balance

Car Payment #1 → $600/month → $7,500 balance

Student Loans → $250/month → $10,000 balance

Car Payment #2 → $550/month → $23,000 balance

Mortgage → $1,300/month → $125,000 balance

Pay minimums on everything, then ATTACK the smallest balance with everything extra you’ve found through savings or that you earn through freelancing.

Once Klarna is gone?
You've got an extra $500/month to throw at the next debt.
AND IT SNOWBALLS FAST.

The Timeline That Shocked Even Me ⏰

For us? It took a little over two years to become COMPLETELY DEBT FREE. (It starts SLOW but escalates QUICKLY if you stick with it.)

That sounds long, but it was SO MUCH SHORTER than it felt like it would take when staring at those massive balances.

The key? DISCIPLINE to keep putting that money toward debt instead of:

• Getting my nails done 💅

• Target runs 🛍️

• Random pizza nights 🍕

We set milestones and rewards:

• Paid off first card? Nice dinner out

• Paid off car? Weekend trip

• Completely debt free? Took a cruise and splurged on the corner deck room!

What Life Looks Like on the Other Side 🌈

EVERYTHING shifted once I had control of my finances.

There's something POWERFUL about showing up to work knowing you don't NEED that paycheck. When my chronic illness peaked and my employer told me to "just close my door"?

I. PEACED. OUT. ✌️

You know who walks away from a six-figure salary on the spot? People who have built a STABLE and SECURE BASE to operate from.

Fast forward to today:

• We paid cash for our RV (no $1,000/month payment!) 🚐

• My husband got his dream Corvette (Not a bad trade-off for going without a car the past couple years, right?) 🏎️

• We keep 6 months of expenses in savings and now can focus on retirement💰

• We travel full-time because we CAN 🏖️

• I just bought a Jeep Wrangler (#RVLife) with CASH last week 🚙

I know there’s a major recession of trust online right now — and bold claims like these can feel sus at best. So I added LITERAL receipts at the end for you.

My husband hasn't worked in years. We travel full-time in our RV. When my chronic illness flares, I take the day off without panic. When family needs me, I can take off on a moment’s notice without checking my PTO balance.

This isn't about the money. It's about the FREEDOM.

The girl in my 20s with a 500 credit score would NEVER have believed this was possible.

The girl in my 30s, constantly failing at online businesses, would be SHOCKED.

And it all started with being willing to look at that terrible, horrible, no-good spreadsheet and say: "Okay. Let's stop avoiding and finally fix this sh!t for good."

Your Turn to Build That Foundation 🏗️

I know you're reading this thinking either:

a) "Must be nice to have a six-figure salary or double-income household to work with"
or
b) "I could never be that disciplined"
or
c) "But I NEED my Netflix/Starbucks/Target runs to survive"

Here's what I need you to understand: I was making good money and STILL living paycheck to paycheck. The amount doesn't matter as much as the system.

And that discipline you think you don't have? That's just a muscle you haven't exercised yet.

I get it. Those older versions of me wouldn't believe it either.

The only thing standing between them and their dreams? The BELIEF they could do it and the ACTIONS (consistently, with discipline) that matched that belief.

If you want to:

• Quit your job ✅

• Work for yourself ✅

• Make a bajillion dollars ✅

The FIRST step is building your STABLE FOUNDATION:

1. Reduce monthly expenses

2. Pay down debt

3. Grow savings (6 months ideally)

4. THEN make the jump

Getting started with freelancing NOW—even if that jump is years away—brings in extra income to fuel this stage. By the time you're ready to leap, you'll have:

• Rave reviews

• Earned badges

• Returning customers

• Premium rates 3-5x your current salary

The LITERAL Receipts from Last Week

Yes, I really did have a 500 credit score in my 20s.

👇

Yes, I did pick this one because it matches my bright orange brand colors perfectly. I. Can’t. Even. 😍

AND Yes, I really did pay cash for my new Jeep last week. 👇

The journey between those two points? That's what I'm here to help you navigate.

Ready to Start Building YOUR Foundation? 🚀

If you haven't started 10 Days to Paid yet, this is your sign.

I know you've been trained to be skeptical of anything "free." But this is a FULL-BLOWN COURSE with EVERYTHING you need, affordable.

This is my way of giving back during a time when so many people are hurting and struggling. At $19/mo, it's a fraction of what similar programs charge.

Take me up on it and let's change your financial trajectory TODAY.

Because that soul-sucking job? Those money worries? That constant stress?

It doesn't have to be your forever. 💪 You've got this! 🧡

P.S. That fantasy about quitting in a blaze of glory? Keep it. Just add a foundation under it first. The resignation speech hits different when you've got 6 months of expenses in the bank. Trust me. 😉