HOULTON, Maine — After years of struggling to make ends meet, and coming up with new and creative ways to balance her budget, Houlton resident Cathy Estabrook has put her ideas down on paper in the form of a new book.
“Living on Less and Loving It” is Estabrook’s first book and details a variety of tips to help readers save money and live a debt-free life. A book signing and meet-the-author opportunity will be held Wednesday (today), from 6-7 p.m. at the Cary Library.
“It has been a pretty long process,” Estabrook said. “I wrote my book two and a half years ago and then began searching for an agent.”
Once she was able to secure an agent, Estabrook spent the next eight months refining her book, adding things like recipes, and shortening some of the chapters to make it a quick read for people.
While working with an editor, Estabrook was surprised to learn there were several things unique to this area of the country that others may not understand. For example, she included a recipe for whoopie pies, but the individual editing her book had no clue what a whoopie pie was.
“Little quirks like that were funny,” she said. “It never occurred to me that someone who is not a Mainer would not know what a whoopie pie was.”
Published by Gazelle Press, Estabrook’s book is also a personal account of the ups and downs she faced in her life. Estabrook said she felt compelled to write a book based on her experiences to help others who may be struggling. She went through her late teenage years with heavy responsibilities, having three of her four children by the time she was 20.
Despite some challenges along the way, she earned a degree in elementary education and after much research, effort, and growth, Estabrook has transformed her financial pitfalls into a bright fiscal future.
Ironically, Estabrook said it wasn’t until both she her husband, Wade, had jobs that the financial troubles really began.
“We were both working, which led to credit cards, and we really got ourselves in debt,” she said. “I had to take on a second job because we just couldn’t pay our bills.”
Estabrook said she read many self-help books on how to get out of debt, but most of them simply did not apply to her family’s situation. “I didn’t have millions in lost money,” she explained. “The problem was my paycheck was gone before it arrived. So I researched how to change that and every little bit we saved, I put it away and didn’t touch it.”
Once her family emerged from debt, Estabrook said she decided to write the book she wished had been available for her so that she could help others save money.
“The most important thing for people is to live below their means, regardless of income,” she said. “That is the key to succeeding.”
Her book is available on Amazon, as both an electronic book or a paperback, and is also available at BAM online and Barnes and Noble online.
Estabrook resides in Houlton with her husband Wade. They have four adult children, Valerie, Kerriann, Wade Jr. and Krystal. She can be contacted at cathyestabrook6@gmail.com.
