Following up on the thread on deductions-in-force (like calling a janitor a custodial technician), what would you do if you were almost certain either you or your spouse were going to be laid off shortly? What would you do afterwards to try to avoid financial disaster?

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 16, 2001

Answers

Pray. After that, tighten ye old belt. A&P Frosted Flakes taste suprisingly like the the 'Tigers', only for 3 dollars less! I'm serious, little things mean alot and add up in a big way! I managed to save a whopping $100 dollars from my last pay period (every 2 weeks)by cutting coupons, buying smart and bringing my lunch to work every day. Now, the question is-should the money go towards a car, a clothes washer, dental work, this winters oil bill, vet bills, vacation, etc..................................................?

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), August 16, 2001.

In my area there always seem to be plenty of low-end jobs available (fast food, convenience stores, pizza delivery, etc.) so the first thing I would do is get another job, ANY job, to keep some cash coming in. (Example of this- my former roommate had a job in the tech sector earning about $40k/yr. He had personality problems with co workers, so announced to me he was going to quit and get another job. I advised him to get another job FIRST. He did not, instead quit his job and subsequently spent 3 1/2 months without a job. He spent his entire savings, refused to take what he called a "menial" job, moved out of my house when he could no longer afford the rent, and then wound up taking a "menial" job for $8/hr anyway). Once I had secured some kind of income I would start looking for a "better" job, or at least one in my field. I would absolutely not sit back and live off my savings for any amount of time, as I have seen people try that and wind up with nothing. Then, as stated above, I would make sure that I reduced spending to the absolute minimum, I would sell off some of the "stuff" I've got laying around here that I don't really need. If I really had to I would sell my paid for vehicle and buy a cheaper, used model till I got back on my feet. I would take a long hard look at what constitutes luxury versus necessity and spend accordingly. If I were really desperate I would set up a scrap metal and aluminum route to bring in extra cash- around here shop managers will have their employees seperate aluminum if someone offers to pick it up regularly. I might also drive around the suburbs with my lawn mower in the truck and see if I could make some money doing yardwork. And, if I thought the layoff would be more than a short-term situation I would get rid of all non-producing livestock standing around eating their heads off.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), August 16, 2001.

I get laid off EVREY year,, sometimes more than once a year (IM laid off now,, a bit early), I plan for it,, so its not a problem,, pay my mortgage early,, a few months ahead,, get more than caught up on bills,, save save save,, and start unemployment as soon as I can. What I get off of that,, is WAY more than I would make at McD's

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), August 16, 2001.

After applying for unemployment,I would do what I do everyday now. Evaluate all bills, eliminating all luxury ones, unless the penelty is greater than keeping it (example: $200 early termination on cellphone with 6 mo left at $18 per month), cancelling after end of contract or going prepay. Step 2 Turn phone into local service only , use long distance prepay cards and reduce ISP costs to as low as possible (phone and net no longer count as "luxury " items as our society is so communication and information centered. Conserve water and electric Step 3 : send out resumes and job hunt. During free time at home, do lawnmower repair and other skills to get by and plan the spring crops to add to current food stores. And of course demand even more devotion and dedication from my worms.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair@yahoo.com), August 16, 2001.

I think on-going debt-free living is the best insurance against financial disaster there is. We only buy what we can pay for and save for the big things for quite a while. Consequently, the few times we have experienced those sort of things, we have weathered the storm very well. I ALWAYS stock for at least a year of most everything we need............did it long before y2k. We immediately only insured one vehicle and did a couple other short-term belt tightening things until the situation was remedied, but other than that noticed no real change in our standard of living.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), August 16, 2001.

Kathy and Elizabeth offer some great advice. I'd only like to ad that getting another job NOW is the way to go. Too many people hold forty hours as somehow sacrosanct. There are one hundred sixty-eight hours in a week which leaves plenty of time for a second job.

Consider looking for something on the weekends. Lots of places are crying for weekend help. Some even pay a handsome premium for working those hours. If you don't already have a pickup truck, get one. Very few people can make money with a car. Almost anyone can with a truck.

If the layoff is imminent, it's probably too late to learn a new skill. Take stock of what you can do and see what you can convert into income producing activities. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), August 16, 2001.

Hello Ken, There is plenty of "little jobs" available for anyone that can do basic household repairs and yard work. Just run a small ad in the local paper and wait for the phone calls to come it. I would charge what ever the average wage is in your area plus about 10% more to cover expenses (gas and maintenance for vehicle). A layoff is sometime an oppertunity to start a home business that may even make more money than the job you got laid off from. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), August 16, 2001.

Planning, paying cash and reducing your debt is key. For those that are in debt and live week to week, things will be tough. It takes just one bump in the road for things to go sour. Paying cash has two (maybe three) major advantages. The first being no interest, the second being that you know exactly how hard you've worked for that money and certainly won't spend it foolishly. Cash in certain situations is also worth more money.

-- Nospam (Yup@nospam.com), August 16, 2001.

I agree with the above information. Handy man services such as lawn can pull down some needed money, especially in communities having a large population of retired people. House painting is another possibility; if you can get the owner of the house to purchase the paint and brushes, you have no overhead. And no complaints that you didn't get the color right.

Gary especially has a good point in owning a vehicle you can use for your job. Pickups, vans or at least a station wagon is required for hauling some stuff around.

Eat simply, minimize the cost in clothing, quit cable / satellite services, the list goes on and on.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), August 17, 2001.

Ken, Scary question. I have heard that many people are two or three months away from losing their homes if their income stopped. Do not know who they surveyed. I think a lot of us could go without extras. Just how much we can eliminate is a different matter for each person. I would have to make the house payment! Any job that could make that would be great. If selling produce helped then do that as well. Have five money generators if possible!! Eggs, meat, produce, PT job, etc. I can go without elect., without phone, etc., have washed clothes in the tub, etc. but you need your place to grow the food and raise the animals to make up for it all! (I need a hand pump for the well) I guess besides getting a new job, etc. the other advice of prioritizing the bills is a good one. AND PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!! :o) ~Brenda~

-- Brenda (brenclark@alltel.net), August 17, 2001.

A couple "before' things that I try to notice is listen to, but don't believe rumors. Instead go online and read articles at the state and national level pertaing to my industry or employer and compare these stories to the rumor mill. Local media sometimes over sensationalizes the story and is therefore inaccurate at times. Second, try to observe operational inventories, overtime requirements, overhead reductions (less paper towels in restrooms,less breakroom supplies,shortage of paper/pens, etc). Company vend machines can sometimes be a good indicator as the vendor may be informed of a pending lay off and reduce perishable product. If overtime is mandated , yet no new supplies are being ordered, it could indicate a "floor sweep and ship' maneuver by management. If you all of a sudden feel as if your working in an empty warehouse, you probaly won't be for long.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 18, 2001.

Most financial advisors, I just found out recently, consider it a must to have three months income saved up for just that reason.

Personally, I have got to be the biggest tightwad I know, except for the Lady who did Tightwad Gazette. (which you should read and find at your local library)

Most people don't take into account how much their favorite brand names cost. Seriously. Why buy Charmin unless it is on sale? You can get twice as much of a lesser known brand for the same price. Besides all of the above suggestions you might want to try some of these:

Stock up on dry goods such as rice, beans, flour and cornmeal, macaroni and noodles, if you don't grow your own. Also, consider toiletries such as toilet paper, feminine napkins, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc.

Stock up on any animal feeds you presently buy.

Start cutting back on the utilities now.

Make sure that you have enough money put back to continue paying your health insurance premiums until this can be replaced. Also, put money back for taxes and insurance on cars, homes, etc.

Got toys? Motorcycles, ATV's, sell them prior to Christmas.

Is there a local farm nearby that would like to lease part of your property for crops? There's a lot of that going on these days.

As stated before, pray, pray, pray.

-- stephanie nosacek (pospossum@earthlink.net), August 18, 2001.

Good answers above. Here are some of my ideas (beyond living frugally beforehand and having savings): Cancel all subscriptions, vacations and all entertainment items that cost more than 1 cent! No video rentals. No booze or cigarettes!(stay healthy--it's really important now).

You'll need a phone for job prospects--ditch the call waiting, don't make long distance calls.

Jobs easily found that don't require tax deductions or endanger unemployement or future job prospects: Cut lawns, babysit, deliver groceries for elderly, deliver newspapers. At holidays--put up and take down decorations. Clean houses. take care of pets.

Feed pets scrap food. buy day old bread. Make all food from scratch.

Turn off air conditioning. Reduce electricity use by unplugging secret wasters that are always plugged in and sucking up power (clocks in appliances, etc.)

Living accomodations: Offer to housesit, be caretakers, be caretakers for real estate companies who want a property lived in and upkept.

Dumpster dive. Have a yard sale with your things and your new found things. Sell your house and live in a travel trailer or car before you lose both the house AND your credit rating.

Sell your possessions before you lose your credit rating. Pay your bills even if you have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a month (once did this myself for three months).

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 20, 2001.

Thought I might expand my thoughts with a few more ideas.

Finding another job, short term or in finding a new niche in life, will depend on where you live. If you live in the the city, for example, the job market is much more diverse. Jobs like window washing commercial businesses, painting parking lot striping, a moving service, a newspaper route, or working as a "gofer" for a retired person or couple will be much easier to find in a city. Other lines of potential wrok may include finding a job in a landscaping / nursery business, a convenience store clerk (they are ALWAYS hiring), fast food restaurant, or the temporary job services.

In the country, trapping animals for fur, beekeeping, finding work as a temporary farm hand, seasonal work picking various fruits / vegetables, or the ability to forage for specailty food or products for restaurants and/or florists is something you will not find in the city. Other options may include tutoring students in academics or music. If your skills include handyman, construction or pond excavation may be in your future.

Short term saving ideas:

1). NEVER buy retail; only buy used or heavily discounted.

2). Reduce spending money on vehicles. Use one car or if able to, switch to bicycle use.

3). Acquire "free" food as much as possible. Fishing and trapping in the right territories have great potential for lowering your food bills at the grocery store. The cost of licenses may be one limitation.

4). No more credit card purchases. Pay all debts as fast as possible. Who needs the extra worry of wondering if you have payed all your bills?

5). DO NOT CLAIM BANKRUPTCY. Much better to call or see a company represenative and explain your situation. Businesses are not interested in taking you to court; they are interested in getting paid. Negotiation will probably allow both parties to set up a payment schedule both can live with.

6). Stay healthy. Cut excessive eating and drinking (saves money there). No more health clubs; exercise is free if you walk, jog or do yard work.

7). Sell excess livestock on your homestead. This saves two ways; more money coming in, less feed / medicine costs.

8). Try to barter for what you need, versus using only paying for it. Labor for services can be negotiated for many parties.

9). Liquidate excess possessions in your home. Get rid of your "junk"; life is much easier when you have the minimum to watch after.

10). Sell or rent part of your acreage for use by others.

11). Cut your utilities. This one is for the truly desperate; the major hit is NO REFRIGERATOR / FREEZER.

12). Rent your present home, moving possessions to a storage facility, and live in a cheap rented apartment.

13). Sell your home or car(s); move into a much cheaper residence or buy a used vehicle.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), August 21, 2001.

Sure do wish i had read this thread when it first appeared. we got the call today. No savings, bills,2 kids, and I am scared. We have a months notice. So, besides all the usual stuff...how do you conquer the all consuming terror that you are going to be homeless by christmas? How do you quell the gut wrenching guilt that you frittered away money trying to enjoy a bit of this life we are given rather than squirrelling it away as we obviously should have? Saving on the frosted flakes helps a bit but in a time like this it seems like its all but a drop in the ocean.

-- n'shock (anonymous@nojob.com), August 21, 2001.

n'shock:

I know nothing about your particular position, plus I am not a financial advisor or councilor, so take this for what it is worth.

Absolutely the first thing to do is to stop wringing your hands and start to take some action.

The next is to cut up all, every last one, of your credit, debit, phone or any other similar cards. As the saying goes, “When you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is to stop digging.” Trying to live off of them will only make your situation worse. Should your situation eventually reverse, you can obtain new ones, but perhaps the lesson learned may stop you from doing so. Learn to live on a cash payment basis.

Sit down and analyze your current financial position. You have a month’s period, so start looking for another job NOW! Perhaps it will be you, rather than your spouse, who will become the family bread winner. Don’t pay as much attention to the salary or wage as to the benefits which come with it, particularly family health insurance. Use your official notice to file for unemployment insurance. You have paid in the system, use it.

What do you have which you can sell, including the PC you used to post if it is yours. Most public libraries now provide limited Internet access so you can still access it.

What can you do without? Maybe it is a cell phone. Perhaps a second car can be parked and taken off your insurance policy – or maybe just sold. Perhaps new homes can be found for non-incoming or productive animals, even the family dog – which costs about $600 per year to support. Fishing boat – sell it. Fish from the bank. ATV, snowmobiles, etc. – sell them. School lunches – send them with a cheap sack lunch.

Economize until it almost becomes an obsession. Try not to spend a penny unless it is absolutely, positively necessary. Instead of Wally World, make yard sales and thrift shops your primary source of any replacement clothing. Also make cooking from scratch using the cheapest ingredients available an obsession, as well as a severe drop in your energy consumption. Fans are a lot cheaper to operate than air conditioning.

Try to protect your credit rating by working with your creditors. Have a mortgage. Perhaps, given your situation, your lending will let you refinance at a lower monthly payment. Hey, for them, it is better than having to repossess.

If you have neighbors who will let you use their phone (and they will take messages for you) consider disconnecting your phone service.

Family entertainment – not unless it is free. Perhaps your kids can borrow VCR tapes from their friends. Make the concept of 'eating out' the back yard.

Brainstorm with your family on how what can produce income and what can you can do to greatly reduce expenses.

Overall, don’t let pride stand in your way. If you attend a church, let your situation be known and ask for help. If you will meet Welfare and food stamps requirements, apply as soon as possible in consideration of the paperwork lead-time.

I hope others will provide additional suggestions.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 21, 2001.

Believe it or not, stores around here are starting to gear up for the holidays already. Most are hiring people to get the Halloween stuff out, then the Thanksgiving stuff, then the Christmas stuff - all within a few weeks of Sept. 1! Seriously though, there is a large local catalog sales place and they are running ads on TV for seasonal workers, they are so hard up.

Does your state have a CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) program for children? When we were relocating and between jobs, we signed our daughter up for that. It is a health insurance program for children. I was worried that a little child who was just learning to walk was just a little too accident prone to let her go uncovered for what we thought could have been several months. Yes, it was a government program and yes, they wanted too much information, and yes, it was taking a "handout". But yes, if she had fallen off the porch and broken her arm, our meager savings wouldn't have been completely wiped out. Actually, in Ohio, they had even more services that they offered like rent assistance and some other stuff, but we were staying with family and only took that which we really thought necessary to protect our child.

Hang on and ride it out. This too, will pass. Learn from this so you will be able to manage things better when your situation improves again. You really do have a lot of blessings, even though they are hard to find right now. At least you have a month's warning-many get none. You're in a good time for hiring. You have family to support you and give you a reason to continue on. And you have hundreds of us to brainstorm and give you the best advice we can come up with!

-- Lori in SE Ohio (klnprice@yahoo.com), August 21, 2001.

Okay, I agree with a lot of things said above; HOWEVER, I would disagree with cutting up the credit cards. Did you get insurance on those credit cards in case of a layoff??? If so, it will help hold down the interest and will in some cases make your minimum payment.

I know that without the one credit card we have, we wouldn't have this job right now and we would be homeless.

I had to use the credit card and even ask for an extension when we found this job. Then, we had to stay in motel for one week while we were in training (plus eating out) and then move to another area. Without the credit card there would have been no way we could have made it.

But, one thing I did stress...we did not use the credit card except for the purposes of getting and training for this new job.

You can go to a credit repair agency and get them to suspend all interest while you are unemployed.

Next, do you have rooms to rent??? Single people are often willing to rent a room at a decent price, since you homestead you have a lot to offer someone who wouldn't otherwise move out in the boonies by themselves.

Your property may also have assets that you never thought of...For instance, If you've been wanting to get a couple of acres cleared so that you can turn it into pasture, now would be a good time to clear it. Sell the trees to someone buying timber, or sell it for firewood.

Have space in the barn for storage??? OR have some extra pasture space? You've got eggs? Rabbits (with furs available if tanned properly), got goat milk cheese? How about home smoked hams, sausages for the local tourist industry? Think BIG

Now, is the perfect time to start a new business.

Make a list of all your assets and skills and then see what they can be applied to.

God Bless!

-- stephanie nosacek (pospossum@earthlink.net), August 21, 2001.

When this happened to us we cut back every which way we could. Give up cable TV, cut back electric and water use as much as possible. Sell anything that isn't necessary to feed/clothe/shelter you. Talk to your creditors, if you have any, and arrange a payment schedule. Close any costly accounts. If it costs to have an ATM card or other services, cancel them. Cancel any extras you can think of in your life. You can always wash your hair with a bar of (homemade) soap, etc. We managed to keep both cars (we owned them) but really only used one. Eat simply. Apply now for unemployment and other benefits. Consider other jobs temporarily. You might want to deliver newspapers on a rural route and you may not earn enough that way to affect unemployment benefits.

THINK about every dollar spent. Agree as a couple re: the bills. Play games with the kids re: saving money. Be honest with your family as you face the future. Don't just scare them sometime in the future at the moment of ruin.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), August 21, 2001.

I'm in much the same financial boat, but for different reasons. The one thing that I don't TOTALLY agree with is the "settle down and get going NOW" advice. Yeah, you need to settle down and get your head together - tomorrow. Just for today, run around like the sky is falling, Cry. Rant. (Take the kids to granny's for the night, or just go into another room where they won't be disturbed by this activity). Envision worst case scenarios. Have a glass of wine. Get stupid about how you're going to end up on the street, living out of a VW Bug. Get it all out of your system NOW - you won't have the time or luxury to do it later and if the fear and worry's still there while you try to patch things up, like a sniper in the woods waiting to hit you whenever your guard is down, it'll sap of vital energy needed to deal with the situation.

So spend the day and night morosely haunting the house like a lost soul. Wear yourself out with the horrors upon horrors that is your future. By the end of the night, your worst case scenarios will begin to seem a tad bit excessive (no one is going to come and take your kids because you got laid off), you will have worked a month's worth of strees out of your body in a few hours, and really, wasn't that wine getting a bit past its prime anyway?

This may not work for everybody, but most people I know who try to "suck it up" and soldier on without missing a step end up on drugs (prescribed or otherwise) to cope with this stuff a few months down the road. Not me - after a few hours of gibbering terror, it all seems a bit overdone and ridiculous, and I can concentrate on what REALLY has to be done and what were just figments of my grotesquely overworked imagination. But not right now - I'm too worn out from all that crying to do anything but sleep (another great side effect as well)!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 22, 2001.

Soni's got a point - so do many or all of the others. Except - yes, don't destroy the credit cards - but don't use them either, without good reason, and probably a dual vote - i.e. either partner to have a right of veto. There could be times when there is a total disaster, and you absolutely must make a payment or have people die - not likely, but if you've got the cards you've got an option. Might even be a situation where you've got a new job, but you've got to stretch things a forthnight until the first pay comes in. Total openness about financial matters, and no major financial decisions without thorough discussion first - and that includes the children. Explaining to them what the problem is, how much you owe, how much you've got to pay, may help the adults get the situation - and their heads - straight too.

Absolutely make any applications you can RIGHT NOW, or as soon as possible - delaying will only delay when you start getting money you're entitled to because you've already paid in insurance or tax or excessive interest. They won't back-pay you - it's up to you to get the applications in. Find out, too, when the ones you can't get in now can go in - no use finishing up on Thursday, then finding on Monday that the application you can put in on Tuesday should have gone in on Thursday. Look for alternative work - even if it's subsistence level stuff, subsisting buys you time to do better, and in fact opportunities can open up from lower levels too - but you've got to be there or they won't open for you. Use the time you've got - you need time to look for work, but you also may be able to start a part-time job in advance. Also find out whether they'll give you time off from the job that's ending up, to look for another. If there's anything you can get from the current job, get it now - you can't get it later, and they owe you something for the inconvenience (at best) they're putting you though. USE EVERY BIT OF TIME YOU'VE GOT to find alternative employment while you've still got a job - it is so much easier to get a job if you've got a job already.

Reduce your expenditure to match your income. This may very well mean negotiation with lenders to reschedule repayments. They'd much rather hear in advance, than after things have gone sour for several months. You may well be living on milk, eggs, potato or rice or pasta, cabbage and carrots; with barbecued sausages if you're lucky as a Sunday treat. If so, so be it. Live within your means.

If you have spare money, not committed to any particular thing at the moment, put it toward higher-interest debts first.

Don't forget family. You can't reasonably expect them to pay your debts, but you'd probably give them a hand if they were in trouble, and they'll probably be happy to do the same for you. This sort of thing does, or should, bounce back and forth within a family as hard times strike different members. They may just come through with the occasional meal, or bag of rice or potatoes or minced meat. However, every little helps, and what helps even more is the fact that they know, sympathise, and are backing you. That morale boost can be incredibly important.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 22, 2001.

And as hard as it seems right now, keep a positive attitude. Lots of bad luck is undeserved as good luck. If your company is closing down due to foreign competition, you have no right to feel bad; hundreds of Americans have already felt this before. You might even find that this layoff is a blessing. A former co-worker was fired because he was unable to maintain his responsibilites here. He quickly found a better paying job because his skills were better suited and was better qualified to do that job.

You didn't mention if your present job was the only one of its type in town. Is there a competitive firm that does the same type of work? Would they be willing to interview you? Some jobs, like office managers / salesmen are very able to switch jobs and maintain the same job description.

Keep your family informed as to what is happening. Don't sugar coat it to the kids; explain that money at the moment might be a little harder to get in the near future. Bring the family together; you will be surprised at how much closer a crisis like this will pull your family closer than ever.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), August 22, 2001.

If you are going to keep your cards, then (unless you already have a stellar deal) consider applying for a new card that has one of those ubiquitous balance transfer/low interest rate deals. You can then transfer the balances of your other cards (up to your new credit limit) onto your new card, usually at nifty low rates. This way at least you will be paying less interest charges on what you already owe, and any late payments, etc on the other cards will not apply to the new card's rate.

Now, you must absolutely check to make sure that the new card has a decent interest rate on new purchases (no sense going back to a higher "normal" rate than you already have, unless there's a dang good reason) and make sure you look out for gotchas like high annual fees and so on.

These introductory offers only last about a year. I tend to switch cards (and transfer balances) when they run out, so as to keep the most part of my balances at low rates. Then again, since my car broke down, I have a lot of free time :)

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 22, 2001.

I concede the point on keeping at least one credit card for emergencies.

n'shock: Please keep up posted on your progress. Your experience may well become lessons for others.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 22, 2001.

Well its been a day and a half. Things have ranged from positive thinking and plan making to tears of anger, frustration, fear, and just plain old hurt feelings. We know we will overcome because my husband is a very qualified man in his industry so even if it means moving there will be a job in his future. We have a month (2 paycheques) to pay down the cards (thank god for bonuses)plus a bonus owed him on top of that. He has already strted the job hunt and is calling around, checking websites and doing up resumes between bouts of despondancy. Sort of combining Soni's advive with Ken's! Working so far. We won't starve at all because we have months and months worth of meat out in the fields/pens and if necessary I will cancell our customers orders to fill our own larder. The next two paydays/grocerydays will be basics and plenty of 'em. (flour, sugar,rice, canned goods....I am going to have to sit and think this all out. i've gotten out of practice) If it comes down to going on the dole then I will get a job and he will job hunt/look after the kids while I work. Lets hope he finds a job because the kids make him nuts for all his good intentions and efforts. Thank you all so much for your advice and support. As you can see I am hiding behind a fake name partially from embarrassment and partially because..well..I don't want others to think less of us because we will soon be out of a job ..maybe. Irrational I know. How wierd the human psyche. Just so you know I am not some lurker playing you. I regularly post here. Its odd how crisis and adversity make us learn about ourselves. I have usually considered myself the weaker of us(lose control at the drop of a hat, mood swings, flighty, impractical by times..at least I am honest) but when the going gets tough I become the strong one. Hubby prides himself on being able to take care of us finacially but its often me who does the emotional support. I had my tears when he and the kids weren't around and was the one to hold him tight and tell him everything would be ok. And it will. Thank you all so much. Its hard to lean on the people we have here so I truly appreciate all these cyber shoulders.

-- n'shock (anonymous@nojob.com), August 23, 2001.

Just remembered there is an article on "Laid off! Now what?" on page 93 of the July/August 2001 issue. It is from The Dollar Stretcher.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 23, 2001.

n'shock,

No need to feel embarrased. When we lived in WI, my husband got layed off every year to year and a half. At one point we quailified for everything. We never took food stamps because we had our garden, eggs, chickens, goats and steers, but we received payment for our winter wood (heated and cooked with it) and the electric company had to insulated our home.

Even before we moved to WI, my husband was laid off from time to time. For years I would cry and worry about the bills etc. I finally took his attitude and figure, as corny as it may sound, as long as we are together and the family is healthy, we will survive and eventually a job will turn up.

In the area we were in in WI jobs were hard to find. My husband is a master mechanic and even then, no jobs. Once he was off for nine mo. We collected $135.00 a mo. unemployment. Well you know how far that went. But we had our food out in the garden and the barn and we had each other. I do have to say that the children were in college but I was pregnant. Well, he was laid off for 9 mo.!!!

Looking back on those times, they were learning expierences. And I really enjoyed having him around all the time. Looking forward to that in retirement next year.

Keep looking on the positive side even when it looks like there is none, because there always is. I have been told that God never closes a door that he doesn't open another and I have learned after all these years that that is very true.

Wishing you enough.

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), August 23, 2001.

When shopping for your basics, don't forget the ethnic grocery stores. Even if you have to make a special trip, it's usually worth it. At the Chinese grocery store about 1/2 hour from my house, I can buy brown rice by the burlap sack (many, many lbs!) for virtually nada, plus they are very low on things like spices and dried mushrooms (shitakes at $7/lbs!) that make plain food S T R E T C H out and taste better. Most of the spices there go by the big bag for less than FOOD WONDER charges for the tiny little bottles of old dead stuff. Ditto the Mexican shops for beans, tortilla flour, etc. Plus you also find strange and unusual foods that can really spice up a menu that can get old quick, healthy though it may be, and the prices are generally low (a little chocolate mole on enchiladas will really wow them at the church potluck!)

"Slightly" unethical way of saving gas. Drive into town, park at a store near a lot of car lots and "test drive" a vehicle to do your errands for the day. Who knows, you may one day decide to buy a new or recent model car and all this "research" could prove handy then! LOL Rotate car lots and times so that it doesn't become obvious if you have to keep it up. Yeah, its a little in the gray area, but if you're down to quarters for gas money and you still gotta get groceries and pay the bills regardless, you do what you gotta.

On that last note, sign up for instant bill pay straight from your account. It's free, saves stamps and envelopes and you never have to worry about late payments and their attending fees, no matter how scattered you may be. Just keep your account current.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 23, 2001.

Oh Soni, you are killing me! So perfectly imaginative and pRACTICAL! :o) Cordy, thank you so much. we have never been without work before so this is a blow but we know that everyone's gotta go through it sometime and this is our turn. I think I will like having him around if it comes down to that...there are some things I want done around here! Wood stacked, barn worked on (the lumbers out there!), fence posts cut.......all the things he never has time or energy for. My friend Donna always say "Everything happens for a reason and in its own time. Be patient and all will be well!" This doesn't mean sit back and wait but to carry on and get through it and maybe at the end you'll come out smelling like a rose or enriched in some other way (experience etc). She has her very Zen like moments. ;o) We are making lists and checking twice (assets to sell, things to do to prepare for winter etc)and that helps alot actually! Keeps my mind occupied and gets us moving in the right direction. Ken, I will be looking up that article. You would know I cancelled Dollar Stretcher when we started not having to stretch them as much. That will teach me!!!!!

-- n'shock (anonymous@nojob.com), August 23, 2001.

See, there is already a bright side. Things around the house will get fixed!

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), August 23, 2001.

Hi.Just to offer an update about our status and again to thank everyone for their support... Husband has had one interview so far and has 2 more in the coming week (one a follow up and one for another place) so we may not be in such dire straits after all. Whew! Thank goodness he is mega qualified in his field. This has been quite a month! We have all had colds in the house that we just could not shake...turns out its pneumonia! No wonder we weren't getting better (thought the stress was inhibiting our recovery or something). Looks like we won't be selling the homestead anytime soon and its a relief since we just really got going in the last year or so. I'm going to keep on with the emergency plans just icase these job interviews don't pan out though. Better safe than sorry and don't want to count eggs before hatched etc.:o)

-- n'shock (anonymous@nojob.com), August 31, 2001.