When I Spent All My Money on an Apartment, a Leaky Pipe Taught Me an Essential Business LessonWhen something is truly your problem, you figure out how to fix it.

I spent all my money buying my first flat — which meant I had no money to fix my first homeowner's problem. This was 2007, and I was a broke 20-something who'd pushed himself to the limit. I was sleeping on an air mattress because I couldn't afford furniture. Boxes were everywhere. Then I noticed a leaky pipe under the bath, which created a soggy puddle. I couldn't afford a plumber but didn't want to introduce myself to the neighbors by crashing through their wet ceiling.

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