For some people their wage goes up every year in line with inflation but for lots of people this simply isn’t the case and they instead have to ask if they can have a pay rise. If you are self employed you will have to decide when you want to put your prices up. People that are self employed often find it hard to put their prices up as they will have to contact each one of their customers to tell them about the increase. Often, they feel bad about putting their prices up but as the cost of living rises we all need to be earning more and people usually understand this.
If you are struggling and have been on the same wage for a number of years in your employment, then now is the time to see if you can get a little more. It may be that you need to request a review meeting with your manager to discuss it. You should try and gather evidence of work you have done that you believe warrants a rise. For example, if you have won new contracts, increased a clients spend or simply learn new processes at work, you could mention this to your employer.