My advice? Go for it. Let's break it down: (1) Don't let fear rule your life (2) Given your ability to earn, your needs are modest (3) From your post, you se

My advice? Go for it. Let's break it down: (1) Don't let fear rule your life (2) Given your ability to earn, your needs are modest (3) From your post, you seem to have a reasonable perspective (4) The added paperwork may be annoying (1) Fear will tell you to stick with your "reliable" salaried position. I am unfamiliar with Scandinavian employment laws; however, in the US, job security simply doesn't exist. What I tell folks: "Everyone is a freelancer -- some people realize it and most don't". What I mean: you are responsible for your career and for marketing your skills. You can't count on other people to do it for you. You want to mitigate as many risks as possible to reduce fear. * You already have a nest egg. * You know how much you need to earn each month * Do you already have clients lined up? If possible, I'd recommend having more than one at a time. This can get complicated, trying to satisfy 2 or more clients' needs while leaving time for your own (bootstrapping, et al). However, if you tell each client up front that "I can allocate up to 15 hours/week for you" and they're on board with that then you only need 2 clients. This will help keep the income steady. * Even with a nest egg, burning savings while sitting on the bench is not good for the stress level (see the latter part of my previous bullet). (2) Are Scandinavian businesses able to find (enough) full time hires with your skill set? If not, the market is ready for you. If so, you may need to be a little more flexible. (3) You don't come off as an arrogant jerk (quite the opposite). WIN! ;-) (4) Be prepared to do more paperwork. You will be your own business. Find out what this entails in your country. In the US, it means more taxes, finding and paying for my own health insurance, invoicing, and other tedium. This can take up 5-10 hours/week of your time at first. It gets better over time. About me: I've been freelancing for a couple of years in the US and have been in the industry perhaps a little longer (just over 16 years). I tend to act as a "consultant" in addition to a "contractor": beyond just slinging code, I also providing "coaching" to individuals and teams. I've coached/mentored several friends as they've transitioned from salaried work to becoming their own business. Heck, maybe I should make a business out of that myself but I enjoy helping people. Feel free to drop me a line.