Sciencelovers - As an ordinary employee who works in a private company, you usually don't have to bother with taking care of health ins...
But what about someone who works as a freelancer? Is it really necessary for a freelancer to have an insurance?
Income is not fixed, it does not mean you are not a professional worker, and that means it is very reasonable if you have health insurance and even other types of insurance as a form of self-protection like employees who work in a company.
The Type of Insurance a Freelancer Needs
Here are some types of insurance also needed for a freelancer:
1. Health Insurance
Illness can come to anyone. Working from home with very flexible working hours does not mean that freelancers are in much healthier physical condition than regular employees. A lot of workloads and often sudden deadlines sometimes make freelancers have a slightly messy lifestyle.
Office employees have regular working hours and eat meals, while the time table for a freelancer is unpredictable. Freelancers are free to do their work anywhere and at any time as long as it is finished on time. Of course, things like this can trigger an unhealthy lifestyle such as staying up late and eating late, so that your immune system decreases and you get sick easily.
For that, in addition to learning to better manage working hours, having health insurance is also important so that if you get sick suddenly when your finances are tight, you don't have to worry because there is health insurance that will cover it.
2. Life Insurance
Not all types of freelance work are only done at home. There are also freelance jobs that require high mobility and move around frequently. Like being a courier, online motorcycle taxi or event organizer. That's why life insurance is really needed by a freelancer who works a lot from moving places like the example above.
Unexpected things such as small or large accidents can be very draining if not backed up with life insurance. So having life insurance is no longer something that can be considered but mandatory for freelancers who work more in the field than at home.
3. Vehicle Insurance
In addition to life insurance, vehicle insurance is also very important for freelancers whose jobs move a lot. Especially if the job requires you to travel far to get out of town like a photographer who often hunts for interesting photos to sell.
Not to mention going to places with terrain that may be a little difficult to pass by a private vehicle, of course, it will certainly make the car need vehicle insurance for accidents and damage. So for freelancers who use private vehicles a lot and move places while working. You should start thinking about buying car insurance so you don't spend too much money on repairs if things go wrong.
4. Employment Insurance
As long as you earn, you have the right to register for Employment Insurance ownership. Employment Insurance provides the same benefits for ordinary employees including care and medical facilities in the event of an accident at work, death insurance and the same easy way of paying either directly to the Insurance office or through an online platform.
In addition, there are 3 programs from the government that exist in Employment Insurance for freelancers as well as Employment Insurance for employees, namely Old Age Security, Work Accident Insurance, and Death Insurance.
Financial Management Tips for Freelancers Who Have Insurance
Therefore, in order for the monthly insurance payment to be smooth, it is also necessary to be smart in managing finances for freelancers. Here are some tips for managing finances for freelancers:
1. Always set aside income as an emergency expense
Not every month a freelancer gets the same number of project bids. Sometimes it's crowded, sometimes there's no offer. That's why saving for emergency money is so important.
If you are busy and your income is large, the amount of money that must be set aside must also be added just in case when there is no offer and cannot set aside money for savings.
2. Be Smart in Choosing Freelance Projects
If you already have enough experience, give a price for your services like a monthly salary if you work for a company on one of the project offers offered, especially if the project being offered is a long-term project and if it's a little more difficult, try asking for an additional price. This is so that monthly income can be stable even though in the following months the offer is not as much as usual.
3. Always Save
Because income that cannot be measured is always prioritized for a frugal lifestyle. Because like trading, you don't know when your merchandise is full of buyers and when it's quiet from buyers. So if you get a lot of money, don't use it to be extravagant but use it to save more.
4. Always put primary needs first
Being consumptive is something to avoid when you decide to become a freelancer. Try to always set aside money to buy basic necessities first before anything else when you receive payments, for example, paying electricity, water and internet bills, monthly shopping and paying for insurance.
Choose an Insurance Product that is Pocket Friendly and According to Your Needs
Of the three types of insurance for freelancers above, not all types of insurance must be owned. Adjust to your type of work. If you are fully working at home, then health insurance and life insurance are enough. But if you travel a lot then all three of course need to be owned.
In addition, try before buying an insurance product, first look at the complete product information, policies and benefits. And most importantly, choose an insurance product that fits your budget and doesn't charge your monthly income as a freelancer.
