New Job!

[Space]

So I'm a graphic designer and the place I had been freelancing at for the past few months hired me on full-time and this past week was my second full week. This is the first time in 8 years that I've had benefits! haha but it's also the first time in 8 years I've had taxes taken out of my pay check...eesh. It's weird not seeing a full check. but whatever tax time will be easier.

but yeah now I'm nine-to-five sell-out working for the man. woo!!

now I gotta get an apt because I spend 3 hours a day on public transit

 

[DavyRay]

Congratulations!

 

[CoachClassRow13]

Congrats! Welcome to the world of giving 40% of your money to the government so they can tax you again when you buy things! But that's the price you pay for being able to readily get things like Mama Bear's!

 

[mretzloff]

Congratulations. Good luck with your new job.

 

[ShavelockFoams]

Congratulations and good luck with the new job. Benefits like health insurance are nice, and this is speaking as someone who had to have emergency surgery.

 

[jwhite]

Congratulations and good luck!

 

[C Reed]

So I'm a graphic designer and the place I had been freelancing at for the past few months hired me on full-time and this past week was my second full week. This is the first time in 8 years that I've had benefits! haha but it's also the first time in 8 years I've had taxes taken out of my pay check...eesh. It's weird not seeing a full check. but whatever tax time will be easier.

but yeah now I'm nine-to-five sell-out working for the man. woo!!

now I gotta get an apt because I spend 3 hours a day on public transit

as a freelancer did you 1099 your employers or set up your own LLC?

I've been using my own LLC and quarterly taxes are a pain but the set up is much easier.

Also FYI to the "40% of my income in taxes" guy freelances pay 2-3x more in taxes then traditional employees and receive far less benefits.

 

[Space]

I had a 1099 every year. I was supposed to do quarterly but I never did, it was such a hassel. the penalty for not paying quarterly is next to nothing anyway.

I found that the taxes for freelance were about equal or less. just get a good accountant. I mean you could write so much off. but the paper work is annoying, I had to buy a business license every year for $50 for one county, and I had to buy one for philly for like $300. and then there is a business privelege tax or something like that. ugh then I worked in another state too. then I'd have to pay taxes in three counties across two states....

but yeah benefits are non existant, and health insurance can cost around $200-400 dollars a month depending on your age and gender. that's insane

 

[firehydrant]

Congratulations!

I was self employed once, but my boss was such a jerk that I quit.

 

[BladeRunner001]

Congratulations (on new job) and condolences (on taxes upfront) . As a freelancer, I bet you could even have more interesting tax deductions. But benefits do count for something

 

[RayH]

Yeah getting those bennies can be a good thing. And all those various taxes can suck the life out of a paycheck. But the health benefits can be crucial. As for getting an apt, what are you comfortable with? Do you need a lot of space? It's all YMMV of course but I found that I could function rather well in a small one bedroom. If you look at the Japanese style of living space, you can get some ideas as to what can be done in small spaces. Of course price is big factor also. You have to get what you can afford. Lotsa luck on that.

 

[DFrancis]

Congrats on the job, benefits make life a lot better.

 

[SRock]

Congrats!

 

[peacefrog33756]

WTG - Congrats!

 

[Space]

Yeah getting those bennies can be a good thing. And all those various taxes can suck the life out of a paycheck. But the health benefits can be crucial. As for getting an apt, what are you comfortable with? Do you need a lot of space? It's all YMMV of course but I found that I could function rather well in a small one bedroom. If you look at the Japanese style of living space, you can get some ideas as to what can be done in small spaces. Of course price is big factor also. You have to get what you can afford. Lotsa luck on that.

unfortunately I'm limited to a few small expensive neighborhoods because philly is a giant ghetto/warzone.

So at first I was looking at getting a 1 bdr for around 1,100-1,200 a month. Then an old friend of mine moved into the same neighborhood just a few weeks ago and got a 2-bdr for $850. so I started looking at much nicer 2 bdr apts and they are much cheaper. So now I've been looking at 2bdr apts. Whatever, I'm not complaining.

 

[kwk285]

Now that you have been on the payroll for a little while I think it is time to ask for a raise.