Brooklyn Florist Navigates NYC Costs on $23,000 a Year

Molly Culver, owner of Molly Oliver Flowers in Brooklyn, keeps her floral business afloat by reinvesting earnings and drawing a tight salary of about $23,000 while dipping into savings. She lives in a $600-per-month room in Ditmas Park with roommates, spends part of the year in her mother’s Connecticut home to save on rent, drives a used Prius, and groceries around $100 a week. She recently opened a new floral studio with a $2,800 monthly rent share and aspires to make $75,000 a year, illustrating how New Yorkers balance passion and cost in one of the world’s most expensive cities.