Illustration: Sari Cohen

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My Exit Strategy
"I stockpiled savings and earn side income from freelance work so my husband and I can sail for a year on our boat."
—Melody DiCroce, 41, St. Petersburg, Florida

"I sold almost all my possessions and lived for free in a dorm at the University of Mississippi, where I wrote most of my first book."
Suzanne Kingsbury, 47, Guilford, Connecticut

"After not taking a vacation for five years, I cashed out my vacation and comp days and never went back. Now I run my own PR agency."
—Amy Prenner, 44, Los Angeles

Farnoosh Torabi is a personal finance expert, the author of When She Makes More, and the host of CNBC's Follow the Leader and the award-winning podcast So Money.

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