Britain is on the brink of a biscuit crisis. Don’t let it crumble your freelance business
OPINION
For a freelancer, a good day is like a perfectly golden digestive biscuit – light, satisfying, and fuels your hustle. But here in the UK, thanks to the weather’s penchant for precipitation, biscuit supplies, and by extension, our bottom lines, are under threat.
As a recent BBC report suggests the relentless rain has wreaked havoc on crops like wheat, a key ingredient not just for bread and beer, but also for those all-important biscuits. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) predicts a potential 17.5% drop in harvests, translating to a potential rise in biscuit prices.
Why the biscuit obsession, you ask? Because freelance work is a feast-or-famine affair. On good weeks, it’s celebratory flapjacks all around. But on slow weeks when you’re pitching for work or approaching potential clients, a dependable pack of rich teas becomes the cornerstone of your working lunch. A rise in biscuit prices would be a crumbly blow to any freelancer’s precariously balanced budget.
Beat the Biscuit Blues: 5 Savvy Strategies
The price of your favourite biscuits is on the rise? Here are some battle-tested tactics to keep your biscuit jar full without breaking the bank:
Become a Biscuit Boss: Whip up a giant batch of homemade biscuits. You can always freeze the dough and use it for future batches. Shape into a tube and wrap in cling film, that way you can defrost slightly and cut into biscuit medallions when you want to throw a batch of biscuits in the oven. Not only will you save money, but you’ll have a delicious (and potentially Instagram-worthy) supply on hand. Plus, baking can be a great stress reliever, perfect for deadline-induced stress eating.
Skill Swap: Remember the bartering days of childhood? Revive that spirit. Reach out to fellow freelancers and propose trading services – web design for graphic design, and social media management for copywriting. You’ll be able to afford your biscuit fix while building valuable connections.
Level Up Your Rates: When it comes to client fees, don’t be afraid to confidently ask for what you’re worth. Frame it as “maintaining your exceptional quality of work,” which, fuelled by those homemade biscuits, will surely be the case.
Get Scrappy: Get creative with your food to avoid waste. I mean like everything – you’d be amazed about what your vegetable scraps can do for you. Follow influencers such as PlantYou also known as Scrappy Cooking for ways to use daily scraps in your meal planning. Iléna Tovia, another content creator, infuses her sweetness and self-deprecating humour while filming and sharing her yummy family recipes, that use leftovers and what’s already in your fridge. She even makes a breadless cheese and pickle wrap.
With a little planning, resourcefulness, and perhaps a dash of good old British stiff upper lip, freelancers can weather this oncoming biscuit price rise.
