Why Your Freelance Finances Feel Like a Dumpster Fire (And How to Fix It)

If you're a freelancer, consultant, or anyone who gets a 1099 instead of a W-2, you already know the feeling: that low-grade financial anxiety that lives rent-free in your brain.

"Did I set aside enough for taxes?"

"Wait, was that expense deductible?"

"Am I actually making money or just... busy?"

Here's the thing — you probably don't have a money problem. You have an organization problem. And that's actually great news, because organization problems are very solvable.

The 3 things every 1099 worker needs to track

Before you do anything else, you need a system for three things:

1. Income by client — Not just total income. You need to know who's paying you, how much, and when. This is how you spot which clients are worth keeping and which ones are more trouble than they're worth.

2. Tax set-asides — The IRS wants estimated quarterly payments. If you're not setting money aside as you earn it, you're setting yourself up for a very unpleasant January.

3. Business expenses — Every receipt you don't track is money you're giving away at tax time. Keep it simple: date, amount, category, done.

You don't need an app for this

Seriously. A well-built spreadsheet beats a $15/month budgeting app for most freelancers. Why?

• You own it. No subscription, no data lock-in.
• You can customize it. Add a column? Change a formula? Go for it.
• You actually understand it. When you can see the math, you trust the numbers.

Start with 30 minutes

Set a timer. Open a blank spreadsheet (or grab one of ours). List your clients, your last month of income, and your biggest expenses.

That's it. That's the starting point. You don't need to be perfect — you need to be started.

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The 1099 Money System template pack handles all of this for you, with built-in formulas, tax calculators, and instructions. But even if you build your own, the important thing is to start.