I am currently a full time freelancer/consultant. The best thing I've ever done is to put myself (and my family) on a flat, fixed budget. All the money from my work goes into my business account, and I write myself a check for our personal account on the 1st of each month that's always the same, just like a salary. This is the trick to making a variable income feel like a stable one. Just pay yourself a salary and ignore the rest. At the end of the year, chances are you'll have a good bit saved up that you otherwise would have spent if your budget changed every month like the author suggests.