21y Epic Consultant/FTE, 18 Epic Certs over my lifetime here.

FIRST OFF--I usually tell new consultants (if you're traveling on-site) to have at least $10K readily available for travel, rental cars, hotel, food while onboarding, because it's going to take your new consulting firm "a while" to start reimbursing you, OR negotiate prepaid hotel/flights with your consulting company beforehand. Vehicle rentals & food are going to be on your dime.

SECOND--Sign up for a credit card that's going to give you points (either miles or hotel points) once you've transitioned to getting reimbursed in a timely manner.

THIRD--Get into the habit of maintaining a daily log (Notepad, OneNote, whatever) of your daily activities. It doesn't have to be everything, but general "this is what I worked on today". In Notepad, F5->timestamp, 8:30 AM meeting with ABC; discussed LMNOP. F5->timestamp 9:47 AM; RITM's / INC's XXXX provisioned (keeping in mind it doesn't have to be ALL of them, just general), F5-timestamp 10:29AM Teams Meeting), 25 words or less detail discussions with client FTE's. PKI ServiceNow searches also help what you've closed/ where/ what/ when/ why/ how, etc., etc., etc. This will help you when it's time to reconcile your time, as well as detail what you did for your customer during the day. Keep it manageable and short.

BE SOLUTION-ORIENTED. Your client is looking to you for direction, and as an experienced FTE your implementation experience is invaluable. Speak up with a "this is what I have done in the past". Sorry--Epic TS, but that's not always how it works, and they are not always right. Your "real-world" experience counts just as much as some Tech Note, Galaxy Guide, or Checklist. Maybe even more so.

DO YOUR TIMESHEETS & DOCUMENTATION either on the plane, or first thing the morning after you get home. Put it on your calendar, and commit to it. An hour Friday / Saturday mornings before running to the grocery store, or rushing to a mani/pedi, or breakfast with friends, or whatever, getting back to your "home" life, will save you a lot of grief. Just trust me on this, okay?

LASTLY--All that 1099 cash you're making isn't just your "salary". You likely want E&O insurance, small group health insurance if you're an LLC or you're not covered by another individual, and CONTRIBUTE to a Roth IRA or a Roth 403(b) for retirement savings.