Good advice. To smooth it with variable income set a simple skim rule: automatically move 15–20% of every payment into a separate bare bones fund until you hit three months, then drop to 10% until you reach 4 to 6 months. Keep a dedicated rent runway of two months inside that fund so housing is always covered, and pause contributions in thin months. Once you hit your target, cap it and redirect the skim to other goals so cash flow doesn’t feel tight.
