[jaredcwhite]

(almost never happened as a freelancer)

You mean you almost never got paid every month?! Well, I hate to sound callous but that's on you as a business owner who got into some bad deals. I've been freelancing off and on, and mostly on, for much of my long career in web dev, and I've found ways to find and hold onto clients that (a) appreciate my work, (b) pay well, and (c) pay on time. Was that hard?! Yes, very! But I'm thankful I was able to get to where I am now.

Speaking generally:

The #1 problem people face getting into freelancing is still thinking they "work for somebody". You don't. You work for yourself. You have your own business, with your own goals. Your own schedule. Your own growth trajectory. You *seek out* the clients you *want* to work with to help you achieve your goals as the owner of the business. The fact you help your clients achieve _their_ goals is a side-effect of your business plan, not "the plan". If you end up with a client who isn't a good fit for your business plan, fire them and hire a different client. You're the boss. You are.