As a single mom in the 1980s and 1990s, I always struggled
to pay the bills. At the time, I was a secretary making less than $30,000, but
wanting to provide a decent lifestyle for my daughter and myself. I
moonlighted, selling Avon to co-workers and friends. I had a whole cigar box
full of coupons, sorted by category with little tab dividers. Back then,
coupons either didn’t expire for months, years, or not at all. I spent hours
clipping and sorting coupons. It seems like now, by the time I get around to
clipping them, they’ve already expired!
I also learned a lot (sometimes the hard way) about credit
cards. I’ve learned to live within my means. I became a college student in my
40s and earned an MBA. And boy, has all of that paid off. I’ve advanced in my
career, saved a bunch of money, and am now retiring from my day job at 61 so I
can focus all of my attention on my three small businesses (as an Avon
Representative; my Etsy shop, Pamela Murphy Vintage; and as a freelance writer
and copyeditor). I am my own boss. I can work in my pajamas, whatever hours I
want.
Here are some of the strategies I’ve used to get here.
Anyone can do these things. All it takes is determination and will power.
