American singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger used to give blood just to get money.

The former Pussycat Dolls singer’s family couldn’t afford to pay for her to go to college, so she took on a lot of low-paid jobs, and found other ways to boost her income.

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“To put myself through college, I did everything from working on a make-up counter to singing opera at an Italian restaurant called Macaroni Grill. The poorest I’ve ever been was at college, and I used to give blood to get money,” Scherzinger told Cosmopolitan magazine.

“For food, I used to make these pancakes where you just added to water, because they were filling,” she added.

The 39-year-old feels very proud of the lengths she went to in order to follow her dreams.

“We couldn’t afford for me to go to vocal or dance lessons, so in primary school, I found out that if I went to a specific secondary school that was in the projects in Kentucky, I could get into the performing arts school I wanted to go to,” Scherzinger said.

“I love my family and they have lots of love, but I never had anybody to buy me a car or put me through school. I did all that myself by working, so that’s gratifying in itself, making it happen on your own,” she added.