I think you should figure out what salary you want to make and charge yourself that. It might be that you are happy with $2k/month as long as you get to do you

I think you should figure out what salary you want to make and charge yourself that. It might be that you are happy with $2k/month as long as you get to do your own projects. It might be that you want $80/hr (~13k/month); maybe you want $20k/month. If you have a number that you are aiming for, you will have a better idea of whether you are succeeding. For instance, if you want $10k/month, and after N months/years you find you are getting $2k/month, you would then have solid information that you are not achieving your goals with the given strategy. In which case maybe you get a job, maybe you do contracting/consulting, maybe you switch to project with better prospects, etc. Or maybe you find that your trend will achieve your goal in M years, so you know to stay on track even though things aren't looking that good right now.