They did not have children of their own and used personal funds and efforts to receive grants to help others. In a 2010 interview, Ostrom noted that because they had no family to support, “I was not ever concerned about salary, so that’s never been an issue for me.
In a 2010 interview, Ostrom stated that because they did not have children of their own and relied on personal funds and efforts for grants, "I was never worried about my salary, which has never been a concern."