Birthday Parties and Bounced Checks: The Five Situations Every Freelancer Dreads

Being a freelancer is kind of like being the hero of an old western: you ride into town, wrangle a hog or two, and then leave as suddenly as you'd arrived. It's not for everyone, but freelancing can be a rewarding path for those with a bit of elbow grease and a whole lot of personal drive. After all, you get to choose your schedule. You select the projects you want to take on. You spend two straight months eating Easy Mac and playing Call of Duty when the job market is slow.

But along with increased personal agency, there are a number of situations unique to the freelancing life that other workers don't have to deal with, especially on the social front. But fear not: with a bit of tact and good sense, most of them can be easily overcome. No hog-wranglin' required.