Regarding insurance, shop around. Look to the government healthcare exchange, but also check with your credit union, home insurance provider, local agents, etc.

Regarding insurance, shop around. Look to the government healthcare exchange, but also check with your credit union, home insurance provider, local agents, etc. Ask agents about the pros and cons of low/high deductible, coinsurance, maximums, etc. Regarding pricing, price based on value, not cost. Don't come up with a rate by saying, well I used to make the equivalent of $30 an hour at my day job, so I'll change $40! Instead work on finding projects where you can build something that makes or saves a customer many thousands of dollars, and charge based on that value. As you gain business/industry knowledge, develop a pitch that communicates this. As you become more experienced with scoping and delivering projects, switch to weekly pricing or project pricing, in the $X0,000 range. The other reason not to come up with a rate based on your day job is that you now need to cover insurance, time off, dry spells, non-paying customers, etc out of your own pocket. Make sure whatever rate you do settle on accounts for all of this. Finally, talk to an accountant and a lawyer. You're going to want to know what's coming before tax season, and you're going to want to have signed agreements (preferably with cash down) with customers.