We bought a bookstore and live on $209,000 a year in Washington

Paola Merrill, 29, and her husband, Luke Garing, 37, are the owners of Trail's End Bookstore in Winthrop, Washington. In 2025, the couple brought in $209,000, primarily from Merrill's work in content creation on YouTube. They purchased the bookstore late last year as Merrill aims to transition away from the creator economy and build a sustainable business offline.