[mrooney7828]

I feel like I addressed that pretty clearly, as that number takes into account healthcare and paid vacation and sick time. You do pay a self-employment tax, but I think that's made up for by the numerous deductions including home office that can be made. I work from home so it doesn't cost me any more for office space / cleaning / utilities, in fact, as mentioned, I get to deduct a percentage of all those things! I also no longer commute or have to order / eat lunch out, so that's a significant monthly savings as well.

Also, since my stated goals were to work less and take more vacation, the flexibility advantages you mention for an employer are precisely the flexibility advantages for ME that I was looking for! I love the ability to, every 4-8 weeks when a contract is done, decide how long to take off before the next one if I'd like to, or decide which project to pursue next.

I don't want to be sitting bored in an office getting paid because they bought my time "in bulk", like I've done before. If you find that an enjoyable way to spend your finite amount of time alive, that's honestly great as you'll likely face less obstacles, but it wasn't for me.