Content Writer Question:

If a writer opens up with this question, without any others, keep looking!
We need to know what needs to be done within your budget.
With that being said, this is an important question that any freelancer will ask… but you need to pay attention to the context of how project budget is discussed.
Never give a freelancer full control over your budget limitations, because they will probably max you out. Instead, ask for an hourly or fixed rate proposal based on project details.
To be perfectly honest, I ask this question as soon as possible to eliminate the cheap bastards that want to pay less than minimum wage for my services. If nothing else, this question will save us both time and energy.