Pay yourself a steady salary, not whatever happens to be sitting in the account this month. That one shift is what turns freelance income from an emotional roller coaster into something you can actually plan a life around.

A 3-month cash cushion is what turns irregular freelance income from a source of constant dread into something you can actually plan around. This walkthrough shows you how to size the cushion, where to keep it, and how to fund it during your strong months so the slow ones stop meaning debt.