---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the first few years we paid all the…"
description: "\"For the first few years we paid all the bills first and divided what was left as salary. Sometimes that was $50 a week.\" — Pink"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/pink-2472_bills_for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the_1162829.png"
---

#  For the first few years we paid all the bills first and…

![“For the first few years we paid all the bills first and divided what was left as salary. Sometimes that was $50 a week.” quote by Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/pink-2472_bills_for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the_1162829.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/pink-2472_bills_for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the_1162829.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/pink-2472_bills_for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the_1162829.png)

> “For the first few years we paid all the bills first and divided what was left as salary. Sometimes that was $50 a week.”

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Early financial struggles required prioritizing essentials before personal compensation.

**In simple terms:** Bills first, salary later.

Key Takeaway

Plan finances before expecting profit.

Themes

financial hardship prioritization entrepreneurship

Mood

pragmatic realistic

Type

advice business

When to use this quote

- startup founders
- freelancers
- small business owners

Key Concepts

cash flow management budgeting

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance survival and fair wages?
- What strategies ensure sustainable income?

A Different Perspective

Low pay can demotivate and reduce quality of work.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/)

## Related quotes

> [I worked in a factory for six months and was a firefighter in Cookeville for several years. They paid my tuition, and I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-froning-jr/i-worked-in-a-factory-for-six-months-and-was-a-firefighter-in/)

[Rich Froning Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-froning-jr/)

> [I have never planned anything. I have been doing this job for over 50 years. I have been paid to work with some wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-have-never-planned-anything-i-have-been-doing-this-job-for-over-50/)

[Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/)

> [Don't be afraid to take time to learn. It's good to work for other people. I worked for others for 20 years. They paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/don-t-be-afraid-to-take-time-to-learn-it-s-good-to-work-for-other/)

[Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/)

> [The fact is, there are a couple of years he may not have paid any taxes. Maybe he's concerned about that. But if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-scarborough/the-fact-is-there-are-a-couple-of-years-he-may-not-have-paid-any/)

[Joe Scarborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-scarborough/)

> [I don't get tired of playing "Margaritaville". It's paid my bills for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/i-don-t-get-tired-of-playing-margaritaville-it-s-paid-my-bills-for/)

[Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/)

> [I paid my own bills even when I was married and my husband could have easily paid them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-radziwill/i-paid-my-own-bills-even-when-i-was-married-and-my-husband-could-have/)

[Carole Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-radziwill/)

> [Waiting tables has never paid my bills, a fact which I prefer to hide from my colleagues with deep sighs about the price of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/waiting-tables-has-never-paid-my-bills-a-fact-which-i-prefer-to-hide/)

[David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/)

> [When I die, my epitaph should read: She Paid the Bills. That's the story of my private life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-swanson/when-i-die-my-epitaph-should-read-she-paid-the-bills-that-s-the-story/)

[Gloria Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-swanson/)

> [My parents taught me: Do not rely on a man. Not rely on it that you get married and it pays for you. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/my-parents-taught-me-do-not-rely-on-a-man-not-rely-on-it-that-you-get/)

[Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/)

> [If you work for the federal government, the average salary is $7,000 higher than the private sector. Something's wrong with that, when you're making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/if-you-work-for-the-federal-government-the-average-salary-is-7-000/)

[Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/)

> [I buy my own clothes. I have a teacher's salary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/i-buy-my-own-clothes-i-have-a-teacher-s-salary/)

[Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/)

> [“Employment is an employee’s kissing of an employer’s ass. A salary is the employer’s pretense to be cleaning his ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/employment-is-an-employee-s-kissing-of-an-employer-s-ass-a-salary-is/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [It's not about a salary, it's all about reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/it-s-not-about-a-salary-it-s-all-about-reality/)

[KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

## More by Pink

> [Gymnasts are short, stocky, muscular powerhouses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/gymnasts-are-short-stocky-muscular-powerhouses/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [I have to speak for myself. As far as videos go - casting, the artwork, everything - I'm completely hands-on. You have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-have-to-speak-for-myself-as-far-as-videos-go-casting-the-artwork/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [ I get a lot of flak for it... people saying \[my body\] is not normal for a girl... But I'm okay with it. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-get-a-lot-of-flak-for-it-people-saying-my-body-is-not-normal-for-a/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [People are always like, Why did you and husband Carey Hart get back together? Well, we weren't done. And now we have Willow, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/people-are-always-like-why-did-you-and-husband-carey-hart-get-back/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [I'm cool. I don't need to be skinny. I like to be strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-m-cool-i-don-t-need-to-be-skinny-i-like-to-be-strong/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [The last time I checked, the only difference between my gay friends and I is who we choose to love. I'm not sure how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/the-last-time-i-checked-the-only-difference-between-my-gay-friends/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [When I first appeared, people couldn't figure out whether I was gay, straight, black, white or whatever, and I loved that. I loved the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/when-i-first-appeared-people-couldn-t-figure-out-whether-i-was-gay/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [Change the voices in your head. Make them like you instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/change-the-voices-in-your-head-make-them-like-you-instead/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [I don't think imitation is the highest form of flattery, I think it's annoying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-don-t-think-imitation-is-the-highest-form-of-flattery-i-think-it-s/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [In my experience the best way to beat depression is to get involved in something inspiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/in-my-experience-the-best-way-to-beat-depression-is-to-get-involved/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [I have no idea why anyone likes me! I am very polarizing. It's either absolutely love or absolutely can't-be-around-for-more-than-three-seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-have-no-idea-why-anyone-likes-me-i-am-very-polarizing-it-s-either/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [I was extremefrom skateboarder to hip-hopper to rave child to lead singer of a rock band, I did it all, and all at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/i-was-extremefrom-skateboarder-to-hip-hopper-to-rave-child-to-lead/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [Seems it's my destiny for love to cause me misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/seems-it-s-my-destiny-for-love-to-cause-me-misery/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [My stage show is raw and unpredictable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/my-stage-show-is-raw-and-unpredictable/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

> [There are 50 new tabloids every year, and I'm in them, and I read them, and I do stupid things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/there-are-50-new-tabloids-every-year-and-i-m-in-them-and-i-read-them/)

[Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

[Explore all 163 Pink quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/)

## More Bills quotes

> [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/)

[John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/)

> [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/)

[Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/)

> [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/)

[Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/)

> [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/)

[will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/)

> [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [He's fat and a clown, Bill, a fat clown for all to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-dunphy/he-s-fat-and-a-clown-bill-a-fat-clown-for-all-to-see/)

[Eamon Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-dunphy/)

> [There's nothing nice about Steve Jobs and there's nothing evil about Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-peddle/there-s-nothing-nice-about-steve-jobs-and-there-s-nothing-evil-about/)

Chuck Peddle

> [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/)

[Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/)

> [The one thing the police cannot protect us from is a politician like Bill de Blasio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/the-one-thing-the-police-cannot-protect-us-from-is-a-politician-like/)

[Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/)

> [Bill Hicks - blowtorch, excavator, truthsayer, and brain specialist. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/)

[Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/)

Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "For the first few years we paid all the bills first and divided what was left as salary. Sometimes that was $50 a week.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pink"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the-bills-first-and-divided-what/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bills"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the-bills-first-and-divided-what/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/pink-2472_bills_for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the_1162829.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/pink-2472_bills_for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the_1162829.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/546/pink-2472_bills_for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the_1162829.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“For the first few years we paid all the bills first and divided what was left as salary. Sometimes that was…” — Pink",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Pink",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "For the first few years we...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the-bills-first-and-divided-what/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/for-the-first-few-years-we-paid-all-the-bills-first-and-divided-what/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
