I now consider paywalls part of my annual business expenses. But, when I was getting started, I couldn’t afford that and would try and game the system by using different browsers to get more free articles. I’ve found that if I need an academic article, most of the time if I contact the author and explain why I need their article, they can send me a free version. If I need something behind a paywall that I don’t subscribe to, and it’s essential for the client, I ask them to get it for me. Often clients already have a paywall subscription or are willing to invest in something they’ll use often. FWIW, I believe paywall are a superior business model to advertising when it comes to making sure writers get paid what we’re worth, but that it’s hardly a perfect system.