I can relate to this article. When I went into business for myself (writing an app, similar to his situation), I had 6 months+ of expenses, and stupidly, I was

I can relate to this article. When I went into business for myself (writing an app, similar to his situation), I had 6 months+ of expenses, and stupidly, I was even willing to go into retirement money ($10k savings, $10k retirement). I was very foolish with money, and did not cut down lifestyle at all(after leaving a higher paying job). I regretted this, but have since made peace with it. After 6 months, I had a series of days where the realization that I would not make it in time and needed to find a way to make money washed over me like a sea of fear. I quickly was able to find freelancing, cancelled my expensive lease I had just renewed(luckily and thank you to my property manager). I was making a small, but consistent amount of money per month. I cut expenses by 2/3 and had to move back home for a while, where I stabilized. It's been over a year since this happened, and I've been making enough doing freelancing to pay the bills, and not much more, without taking unneeded time away from writing the app. I spend about $1300/month to live, all-in. During the first 6 months, I think I was spending $3k+/month. If I had it to do all over again, I would have cut expenses, day one, freelanced day one(to remain neutral spending), and would still have some retirement and some savings in the bank. $10k savings was my emergency fund, but the only the only emergency I had was a "what to do next" crisis, where I treated it like a business runway. All that being said, even without profitability yet, I am very happy I went this route, and I see so much profit and value for all involved, that I am just thankful things worked out, and are still working out, as well as they are. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! Also, just a random, jokingly stylistic note: > My girlfriend realized what's going on and said: "Babe, you need to get a job. You won't make it". In the article, his girlfriend talks in all italics. He should have only italicized "won't", being the operative word. It doesn't really take away from the article, but I just think it's funny if she actually talks in italics all the time. Maybe he's trying to say she was being forward, which it is quite a forward statement, which she is in her right to say, if he's living with her. Very not ideal situation for him.