So you're sitting in the same gray cubicle, thinking the same thought - “some day, I'll start my own business, and break away from this hell.� But then you start to realize how much it costs, and if you're really serious, eventually you come up with a figure - “if only I had $200,000, I could start a business.�

The truth is – you don't need any money to start a business. I dropped out of the rat race completely 4 years ago with hardly a dime to my name, but I have managed to survive and even live my ideal lifestyle the entire time.

The biggest key to successfully running a boot strapped business is having a very low overhead – and dropping expenses is a big stumbling block for most would-be business owners. The best advice I can give you is cut all your expenses, and cut them now, according to your chosen lifestyle.

I enjoy travel, so obviously everything I do to cut expenses has to be in the interest of being portable. Obviously not everyone can go without a car or sharing an apartment – but this is why it is best to start a business before you have a family.

I don't have a car, which forces me to live in places with public transit, but it's cheaper in the end. I also live with room mates whenever possible, cutting the cost of an apartment in half or thirds. I also own very little, so if and when I move, it doesn't cost much.

My phone is through Skype, which gives me unlimited calling all across the U.S. for $60 a year (not per month – per year), so I don't have to bother with a cell phone. All told I only have to make about $500 a month in order to survive.

Even though I make a lot more than that now, I keep my expenses low just in case. Until I can throw a hundred grand at a problem without flinching, my expenses will stay this way too.

You can find out more about Patricia Mayo and her other projects at Mayobrains.com or ComHacker.org.