The $175 Apartment (Missing Wall, Half His Income)

1993 — College town — first apartment

Master Registry #23 | Humble Beginnings, Why $5 Matters

Setting: Post-expulsion, first apartment

“I rented a one bedroom with a missing wall (covered with a taped tarp) since the landlord, a professor at the school, was still working on the house. It was $175 per month, which was about half of the money I made.”

Key Details:

  • One bedroom apartment
  • Missing wall covered with taped tarp
  • Landlord was a professor, still renovating
  • $175/month = approximately half of income
  • First real housing after sleeping in Jeep

Key Lesson: A roof with a tarp wall is still a roof. Start somewhere.

Best Used For: Humble beginnings, empathy with struggling members, why $5 matters