I remember as a little girl going to the circus. It was so exciting to see amazing feats performed by trained professionals. I thrilled to see the acrobats high up in the sky on the high wire. My stomach would drop as I saw them flip in the air and grasp the bar swinging towards them. I think that many of us manage our finances like that. We have no safety net below us as we balance precariously above the crowd. Our job is the only source of income that we have and without multiple sources of income, we would be doomed if something happened to that job.

Just the thought of me being in the air without a safety net sickens me. When I was single, I remember this feeling of impending doom because I only had one source of income. I constantly worried about what would happen if I lost my job. I began to look around for ways to have more income without having to work more hours. I had two roommates for a while and that helped me pay off my car loan. I still wanted another stream of income to assist me.

I welcomed high school girls into my home for a semester at a time while they completed an internship with the State of Illinois. It was a challenge to house between 2-4 girls each semester and all the drama that comes with it. I met some really great girls. I have enjoyed seeing them grow up, get degrees, find employment, get married, and start families. They nicknamed me Mama Laura. It was so endearing to me. I started it for the money, but I didn’t keep doing it for the money. That’s the thing about multiple sources of income, you look for ways to earn more money and then the reason changes.