‘How-to’s and explainers relating to specific aspects of personal finance for those working in the creative industries
- Student budget spreadsheet: how to make your loan lastIt can be tricky to get a clear picture of your finances when you’re living away from home for the first time. This student budget spreadsheet will help you to make your student loan last and see where the money goes. It will help you for life… I’ve spent the past few weeks talking to… Read more: Student budget spreadsheet: how to make your loan last
- Investing for freelancers: what types of investment can I buy?You’ve done the steps, you think you’re ready to go, so what types of investments are out there for the DIY investor? I’ve spent the past few posts untangling the basics of investing for freelancers and self-employed creatives, I’ve already discussed what investment is and why you should bother and how to get ready to… Read more: Investing for freelancers: what types of investment can I buy?
- Coronavirus financial help for UK creative workers
Want to know what’s available in your sector? Start here… This piece was first posted in July, 2020. However, the pandemic has dragged on and with it the devastating impacts on the lives and livelihoods of many of those in the creative industries. This is now the second third fourth fifth update of this page.… Read more: Coronavirus financial help for UK creative workers - Investing for freelancers and creative workers: getting ready to investGetting ready to invest? There are some things you should ask yourself In my first piece about investing for freelancers, I tried to usefully define the process of investing, but how do we go about getting ready to invest? What do we need to do first? This time I’m going to dive into some of… Read more: Investing for freelancers and creative workers: getting ready to invest
- Investing for freelancers: what is it and why bother?A jargon free guide to investing for freelancers and self-employed creative workers You’re given three wishes. What’s the first thing your inner wise-ass asks for? That’s right: more wishes. When it comes to finances there is an option that comes pretty close to this scenario – it’s called investing… I’ve said it before and I’ll… Read more: Investing for freelancers: what is it and why bother?
- Finances for first-time freelancers: tax and self assessmentNewly self-employed? Self-assessment can seem confusing. Let’s try to simplify things… Whether you’re a tour manager or vocalist, designer or dancer, it often seems that the one thing all new creative freelancers have in common is a sense of confusion around tax and self assessment. When you first approach it, self-assessment can be frustrating, confusing… Read more: Finances for first-time freelancers: tax and self assessment
- Getting ready to graduate? 5 tips for new creative workersFrom understanding student loan repayments, to calculating if you’re ready to move out, here’s what you need to know It’s late April and those of you in higher education will currently be torn between a looming fear of final assessments and a looming fear of entering the workplace and post-graduation life. Finding your way in… Read more: Getting ready to graduate? 5 tips for new creative workers
- Mentoring and the creative industries: How can a mentor help you?We talk mentoring for creative workers, with I Like Networking’s Isabel Sachs There has been an increasing awareness around the concept of mentoring in the creative industries for the past few years. The pandemic has only supercharged this trend. I spoke to Isabel Sachs, founder of I Like Networking, about the benefits of mentoring, how… Read more: Mentoring and the creative industries: How can a mentor help you?
- How I keep track of money in roughly 30 minutes a monthKeeping track of money doesn’t have to be hard and complicated. In fact, it should be just the opposite. One thing I’ve learned from running sessions on money management for creative students is that a fear of checking the bank balance is really common. “If we don’t know what’s going on with our money, we’re… Read more: How I keep track of money in roughly 30 minutes a month
- How to sort out your personal finances in 5 stupidly simple stepsKeeping track of your personal finances can be confusing and painful, so let’s try to layout a path that’s easy to follow The problem with money is that it’s everywhere. It is in your fridge. Your shoes. Your education. The very screen you are reading this on. It is zapping from your smartphone in myriad… Read more: How to sort out your personal finances in 5 stupidly simple steps
- Can you buy happiness? 5 principles for happier spendingTrying to buy happiness itself is unlikely to work, but changing the way you spend and consume can help you to get more of it No one gets into creative work for the money. However, as I started to discuss last week in my How to spend money piece, the resulting limitations on our funds… Read more: Can you buy happiness? 5 principles for happier spending
- How to spend moneyNever have enough money for the things you actually want? Try thinking about your happiness, instead… Most of us think that we know how to spend money – it’s the one thing we don’t need help with. Yet adopting an approach where we question why we’re spending is the principle that will, over the long… Read more: How to spend money
- The best budgeting apps for UK creative workersUntangle your personal finances with our guide to the best budgeting apps for UK creative-types Working in the creative industries has its ups and downs – and not least when it comes to our cashflow. This can make it really hard to budget effectively. The best budgeting apps make this process much less painful, taking full… Read more: The best budgeting apps for UK creative workers
- How does Patreon work for artists and creators?Wondering how to start a Patreon page? Our in-depth guide takes you through the dos and don’ts, with expert insights from UK podcasters RedHanded. Patreon is becoming an important platform for creatives looking to fund their work. Based in the US, the service launched in 2013 when YouTuber Jack Conte teamed-up with former college roommate… Read more: How does Patreon work for artists and creators?
- How to start saving (when you don’t think you can)You know you should start saving but you don’t. Can we change that? Everyone knows they should be saving, but while this painfully obvious advice is wheeled-out ad nauseam, the bigger issue is HOW to start saving in the face of personal limitations, whether they’re financial or mental. Here are five tips to help you… Read more: How to start saving (when you don’t think you can)
- UK arts funding, grants and development opportunitiesHere you’ll find a list of UK arts funding opportunities, split into sectors. Also included are other grants and selected development or training opportunities relevant to the creative industries. Current opportunities will usually appear first in the Creative Money newsletter and then filter through to this page. The newsletter is totally free, so sign-up below… Read more: UK arts funding, grants and development opportunities
- How to manage your money on a variable incomeAre you self-employed, freelance, or a contractor with a variable income? Here’s how to cope with the financial peaks and troughs Nearly half of creative workers (47%) are freelance or self-employed (source: ONS, 2017). Chief among those are writers, producers, artists and directors – it’s a large and significant part of almost all creative industries.… Read more: How to manage your money on a variable income
