Don't forget gas mileage
A few weeks ago I made a huge mistake.
A new client called and asked whether I was available for an assignment that afternoon. Business was slow and the pay sounded fine, so with a deadline looming off I went. It wasn't until I filed my invoice a week later that I discovered my mistake.
I forgot to negotiate the pay rate for gas mileage.
With gas prices climbing this is an expense we can't afford to overlook. It often is a small expense, $5 for a drive across town for an interview, one that is tempting to let go during a busy week to save us the work of filing an invoice. But these small expenses add up, and if you're driving across the state for an interview you should be paid appropriately.
I've been paid anywhere from 38 cents to a dollar a mile. Fifty cents a mile feels about right. In 2007 the IRS increased its deduction for business-related miles to 48.5 cents a mile. But with gas prices expected to climb even higher in the coming months we need to remember to negotiate for rates that reflect the surge. This is only fair.
Make sure you talk this over with your editor at the start of an assignment. Don't make the same mistake I did and wait until you're filing your invoice. You may end up getting paid an appalling 28 cents a mile. Bleh.