10 Smart Money Saving Tips for Every Designer

Choosing a career path that involves creativity is most definitely a challenging thing to do. A major challenge faced by creative people is with finances. Be it web designers, graphic designers or writers, it is important for them to be financially stable so that they are able to operate within their decided budget and also, save money to ensure security. In believe, saving money should be important for everyone however, today, we will be giving away some smart money saving tips for all sorts of designers i.e., freelancers and professionals. The tips are quite practical and easy to follow.

Smart Money Saving Tips for Every Designer

Wise selection of Software

To begin with, the most important thing for web designers is computer software and obviously they are the most expensive purchases for a web designer. If you don’t select the items wisely, you can totally disturb your budget. Computer and software applications are indeed important but make sure you try your level best to save as much as you can.

You do not have to purchase these applications from leading brands, thanks to the independent developers. Now, you can find free applications, which provides almost the same results as any expensive application. In fact, sometimes the result is much better. You should start off with online research and I can assure the fact that you will find a lot of sources offering free quality software. If you do not find what you are looking for in free software, you can always purchase the ones at lower prices, instead of going after a brand name. Remember, spending wisely on software will save you a lot of money that can be spent on other goods.

Operate from home

Yes, having a huge and well-furnished office gives away a great impression however, at the end of the day; people will hire you only if they like your work not because you have a great office. Remember one thing, your biggest asset is your skill and you should highlight only that. So, instead of wasting a lot of money on a separate office and commuting, I would recommend you to operate from home.

Set up a small office within your home and you will be saving not only money but also your time and hassle of commuting.

From Landline to a Mobile Phone

Landlines are hardly used these days as staying in touch via mobile phones is a lot easier. In order for cost cutting, you should completely drop the idea of using landlines and move your mode of communication to mobile only. Also, work on lowering your supplies cost. These are very minor changes however you will be amazed at how much you save from these minor changes in your work routine.

Go for Freebies

As a web designer, you will have to find images for your website or create various elements for your ongoing project. These things are available online however, they will cost you a lot for sure. Instead of buying stuff from paid websites, you should search for websites offering freebies. I can assure you that there are plenty of websites out there offering free images, icons and other design related stuff. So, why pay if you can find that stuff for free and like I said before, quality is sometimes ever better that the paid stuff. Wandering on the internet is all you need.

Now that we are talking about freebies, be a person who avails freebie stuff instead of providing freebie services. Put an end to any favors you are offering to your relatives, friends and don’t feel bad about it. Saying NO is good.

Haggle/Negotiate/Barter

Web designers are way too lucky to be blessed with a talent that can prove to be really beneficial for all kinds of businesses. With the kind of talent you have, you always have an option to haggle your service. For instance, if you want a writer for content writing, look for a writer who is willing to trade his services. You can always design his blog and he can write content for your website. This way, you are not only saving money but also, building relationships in the professional world and they prove to be very fruitful in the long run.

However, value your services and trade them away only when you are getting something of an equal caliber.

Search for offers/discounts

Exploring your options is always good. While you are finding stuff online, do not purchase things instantly. Give yourself some time and search as much as you can so that you can find some offers and discounts on the product you have been looking for. On the internet, you can surely find good discounts so, never purchase an expensive software by making a hasty decision. If you are unable to find discounts, you can always opt for trial periods offered by most of the software.

Take online classes

Education for designers can get very expensive because they have to learn a new thing every now and then. Instead of spending a fortune on taking classes, I would recommend you to attend seminars OR take online classes. You can even purchase books over Amazon and they are not very expensive.

Be an expert in changing roles

If you are working as a freelancer, you might have to wear many hats because you will be responsible for each and every task. Instead of hiring people in the beginning, you should prepare yourself for changing your job role every now and then. As a freelancer, you are no longer a web designer only; you should be an expert at being a sales person, customer service guy, an accountant and a lot more. This will save you from spending extra money on the people you were planning to hire for these jobs.

Internship

If you have extra time, I would strongly recommend you to start an internship with a known or skilled designer. It is indeed a great way to learn and you can make some extra money as well.

Join Hands with other freelancers

Find some likeminded professionals and join hands with them in order to set up an office. Since you all will be dividing costs of stuff, you all will be saving money and at the same time, utilizing resources as well.

Conclusion

Strong finances are very important in a business. While starting off, one should make a wise investment and you should try your level best to save as much as possible. This money will help you a lot in future.


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3 Comments

  1. Sandra says:

    Thanks for a good food for thought, Humaira:)

  2. angelica says:

    one of the best asset that designer can’t buy is time. even we’ve save money, we can’t return it (time). that’s important to save money, but the most important is how to get money. 😀

  3. Jake says:

    Great article, always a good idea to save as much money as you can in this industry. Good read, thanks – Jake.