What r/freelance keeps coming back to
Complaints raised here by more than one person. One-off posts are not included.
29 recurring problems · 72 threads read · read since September 2026 · Reddit
Raised more than once here
Most people first.
- 47how do I get my first client?“how do I get my first client?”
- 29How to figure out how much to charge for freelance work“To be honest, I'm still pretty new to the whole freelancing thing so I don't really know how much I should be charging.”
- 28How to handle clients who demand refunds and bully you“I recently had a gig go really bad, as I had completed my end and got paid, only to have the client call me this morning demanding a refund because the files were not right.”
- 20Clients who ghost after you finish the work and don't pay“She said that she'd pay me the remaining $500 on Monday, which would have been August 25th. Well, Monday came and went and I didn't hear from her.”
- 18How to respond when a client says your rates are too high“I'm working for a much larger company, and they sent an updated contractor agreement. A lot of the updated language is to protect them (I get it), but nothing really benefits me. In fact, I have to do more to list them as an insured and such on my general liability insurance.”
- 11How to work on low energy days without feeling guilty“I find that keeping a 'buffer day' in every week has helped immensely.”
- 11How to save money with unpredictable freelance income“I do a mix of photography and digital art, so my income is all over the place. Some months are stacked with shoots, edits, and commissions. Other months it’s quiet in a way that makes you question every life choice.”
- 11How to handle constant scope creep in project management“A project can start with a clear list of deliverables, but additional requests sometimes appear as the work progresses.”
- 10Why are clients replacing freelancers with AI?“It feels like a lot of the work that used to be available to freelancers is either being replaced by AI or clients are expecting one person to do what used to take several people in less time and for less money.”
- 9When is it time to go all in on a business?“I keep seeing full time corporate job postings that I *should* apply to because 5 years ago they would’ve been dream roles- but I can’t get myself to apply. Thinking I must still be struggling with corporate burnout”
- 8How to stop working when your office is at home“I've been freelancing from home for a while now and one thing I didn't really expect was how easy it is for my entire day to be revolved around my work.”
- 7Are paid freelance job board communities actually worth it?“I've been considering joining an online community that has a job board–specifically looking at Freelancing Females for about $350/year–but I know that there are many out there. Are these worth it? Does anyone really get quality work and clients from joining something like this?”
- 6How to tell a client their bookkeeper is incompetent“I don't know how to deal with him!”
- 6How to bill clients for API costs and software licenses“How do you all bill clients for AI API costs on their projects?”
- 5Lost my biggest client, now what?“I just got a message from my biggest client saying they'll be pausing work till further notice, I've been in the trade for long enough to know this means it's done.”
- 5What to do when a client refuses to pay without a contract“Boss missed payday and told me he’s busy and to be patient.”
- 5Is it legal for interviewers to ask about family planning or kids?“I had a freelance interview where the interviewer asked if I was married.”
- 5Why do old clients expect the same discount for new projects?“The one client who tried to negotiate me way, way down is one of the few clients I refused to work with, because it was clear they were going to be a headache right out of the starting gate.”
- 5How to follow up with a client who picked a cheaper vendor“Since we are approaching the one-year anniversary, should I follow up again or just give up? Feels like an opportunity to go, "Your guy was cheaper, but looks like you aren't getting any results."”
- 5Client ghosted me after I handed over the completed work and unpaid invoice“We do deposits upfront now, no more full work first, invoice later and hope for the best.”
What this forum worries about more than the rest
How much more often a topic shows up here than across every forum we read.
client billing208.3×revenue growth208.3×difficult clients208.3×agency growth208.3×