Let’s cut through the fluff.
So you’ve quit your 9-to-5 (or thinking about it), you’ve dipped your toes into the world of freelancing, and now you’re wondering: “How much should I actually be earning?”
The problem is, most of the income advice out there is either too idealistic (“manifest six figures!”) or too corporate (“make a 5-year career plan based on quarterly KPIs” — uhm, kalma lang po).
What freelancers in the Philippines really need is a realistic, data-backed, no-BS framework — one that works even if your only client right now is your cousin’s small business and you’re still figuring out what “Upwork connects” are.
Here’s how to set freelance income goals that are not only doable, but designed to grow with you.
Contents
Step 1: Start with Your “Non-Negotiables” — AKA Your “Kailangan Ko Talaga ‘To” Budget
Let’s get brutally honest: If you’re not clear on your baseline expenses, you’re freelancing blind. Your income goal needs to cover:
- Rent or contribution to your household
- Utilities + Internet (aka your lifeline to clients)
- Food
- Health contributions (PhilHealth, SSS, HMO if possible)
- Buffer for emergencies (even P500/month helps!)
💡 Pro Tip: Add a 10–20% buffer to your monthly expense total. Freelance payments don’t always come on time — and your budget shouldn’t fall apart when a client ghosts you for a week.
If your total monthly living cost is P20,000, your absolute minimum income goal is around P22,000–P24,000/month. That’s your “bare minimum to survive” target — not ideal, but it keeps the lights on.
Step 2: Define Your Comfort Zone and Dream Zone
Once you know your baseline, create two additional layers:
- Comfort Zone: Covers your needs and allows for savings, fun money (yes, even freelancers deserve milk tea), and maybe a small business investment
- Dream Zone: Your long-term vision. This could mean hitting P100k/month, buying your own lot, or funding your kid’s tuition without stress.
Example tiered goals:
| Tier | Monthly Income Goal | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Bare Minimum | P24,000 | Survival mode |
| Comfort Zone | P40,000–P60,000 | Savings + lifestyle upgrades |
| Dream Zone | P80,000+ | Full freedom & future planning |
Step 3: Audit Your Skills and Time
Let’s say your goal is to earn P50,000/month. Divide that by 4 weeks = P12,500/week. Now break it down by your actual working hours.
If you can reasonably work 20 hours a week (factoring in breaks, admin tasks, and creative burnout), then:
👉 You need to be charging at least P625/hour
or
👉 You need to land 3–4 clients at P12,500/month each
If those numbers feel impossible, don’t panic. It just means you might need to:
- Niche down and raise your rates
- Offer packaged services (not hourly)
- Add higher-paying platforms to your mix
- Upskill and target international clients (USD, please!)
Step 4: Work Backwards From Your Goal
Once you’ve set a goal, ask: How many projects do I need to hit this?
Let’s say you’re a freelance writer charging P1,000/article. To hit P50,000/month, you’ll need to write 50 articles.
Exhausting, right?
Now imagine increasing your rate to P2,000/article. Suddenly, you only need 25 articles to hit the same income.
That’s why goal-setting isn’t just about numbers — it’s about strategy and sustainability.
Step 5: Track, Tweak, Repeat
Setting a goal isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. Check in monthly:
- Are you hitting your target?
- Which clients or projects pay the most for your time?
- Is it time to raise your rates or scale back low-paying gigs?
Use simple tracking tools like:
- Google Sheets or Notion (budget templates)
- Toshl Finance or Goodbudget (for tracking inflows/outflows)
- Airtable or Trello (to visualize workload vs income)
Final Words: You Deserve More Than “Sakto Lang”
Many Filipino freelancers aim just to get by. But you didn’t start freelancing to feel stuck — you did it for freedom, control, and growth.
So don’t be afraid to set bold, strategic goals. Hindi ka demanding — you’re just done settling.
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