@nurturingman this week I had about 20 session hours, this does not include travel time, consultations, correspondence, doing laundry for my office space (Every session requires a clean set of sheets and blanket which is two loads of laundry) etc.
Thanks, @xandriarain , for sharing that, and for all the other details you shared before.
In over three decades of interpreting, I’ve averaged 25 billable hours a week, so I know what it’s like to charge a lot per hour with a two-hour minimum and < 24-hour pay-in-full cancellation policy but have to field job requests, do my billing, pay my taxes, health insurance, professional liability insurance, conference travel, continuing education, et cetera. The past 8 years I’ve added college teaching to it. When all my expenses are taken out, I still qualify for an Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidy.
Some interpreters work more hours, work overnights to earn the higher hourly rate, and make a lot more money, but I won’t sacrifice my physical and mental health for money. Between the driving, the repetitive motion injury, and the mental and emotional labor, I chose to limit myself to about 25 hours a week. I’m not rich but not poor, and I love what I do.
I don’t need to cuddle for the money or because I hate my day job, but I do need to keep up my billable hours, so as much as I substitute my interpreting and teaching work, I’m going to need to charge for it. I really feel called to cuddling, and even though I haven’t booked any clients in my first month of coming out pro, I’m willing to be patient. If I don’t get any cuddling work, I’ll just do it for fun, but for now I’m giving it a go.