Things I Cannot Live Without: Freelance Edition

(Free + Paid Resources)

Let’s be real: freelancing is 50% creative genius, 50% staying organized so you don’t spiral into chaos. Over the years of running my own design business, I’ve found a toolkit of resources that keeps me sane, on track, and—bonus!—feeling like an actual pro. Some of these gems are paid, some are free, but all of them are non-negotiables in my freelance life.

Whether you’re just starting out or knee-deep in client work, I hope this list helps you build a smoother, more inspired workflow!

💸 Paid Resources I Swear By

QuickBooks
I’ll admit—tracking expenses and sending invoices isn’t the sexy part of design life, but QuickBooks makes it (almost) painless. I can send invoices, track expenses, and peek at my monthly revenue without breaking a sweat. It’s my go-to for keeping my business legit and my tax season less terrifying.

ChatGPT
Yes, I’m biased, but this tool is my brainstorm buddy, copy-polisher, and idea-generator. From writing proposals to whipping up social captions, it’s become part of my daily creative toolkit.

Death to Stock
Shout-out to one of the coolest stock imagery sites around! Death to Stock partners with indie photographers to deliver fresh, real, and not-cheesy images. Perfect for when I need stock visuals that actually feel on-brand and unique.

Adobe Creative Cloud (bonus addition)
The holy grail for any designer. Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign—the works. Pricey, yes, but worth it when you need pro-level tools to bring your vision to life.

Free Tools That Keep Me Going

Asana (Free Version)
My brain can only hold so much. Asana helps me organize projects, set deadlines, and check things off with satisfying little animations. Even the free version is packed with what I need.

Toggl Track (Free Version)
Time tracking, but make it easy. Toggl helps me see where my hours actually go—super helpful for pricing projects and making sure I’m not overworking (or undercharging).

Canva (Free Version)
Sometimes you just need to whip up a quick graphic or social post without opening Illustrator. Canva’s free tools get the job done and keep things looking polished.

Google Workspace (Free for basic use)
Docs, Sheets, Slides—classic, simple, collaborative. I use Google Workspace daily to share files with clients, track ideas, or draft proposals on the fly.

Unsplash / Pexels (bonus addition)
When I don’t have a Death to Stock image handy, these free stock photo sites have saved my butt more times than I can count.

📌 The Cheat Sheet: My Essentials

💸 PAID:

• QuickBooks

• ChatGPT

• Death to Stock

• Adobe Creative Cloud

• Flodesk

🆓 FREE:

• Asana (free version)

• Toggl Track (free version)

• Canva (free version)

• Google Workspace (free for basic use)

• Unsplash / Pexels

🚀 Your Turn

If you’re freelancing or thinking of jumping in, I’d love to know: What tools can you not live without? Drop a comment, share your go-tos, or connect with me on Instagram—let’s help each other build our dream freelance toolkits!

If you'd like, I can also help design a graphic for this post or prep this for your website/blog platform. Let me know!