by BlondieWrites on April 8, 2010
Laid Off from Work? How to Stay Afloat Financially
If you find yourself one of the millions of Americans without a job due to a layoff, you may start to worry about your finances. Even if you collect unemployment benefits and are lucky enough to get a severance package, they don’t come close to what you were making before. Most importantly, they will not last forever. So, how can you ensure you stay afloat financially when laid off from work?
The single most important thing to know and always remember is the phrase “live within your means.” First, you must know what they are. Take your weekly unemployment check and add any additional income, like from a working spouse. Times that by four. This total is what you must live from each month. Since you are making less, you need to spend less. Continue reading on for a few good ideas.
If you had health insurance through your job, do not fret right away. You have the option to extend your coverage through COBRA. Unfortunately, it can be very expensive. Check your options first. Would it be cheaper to get COBRA or purchase insurance directly through a provider? If you are married, can you get health insurance coverage through your spouse? Also, check with your state. Since you are making much less, you may qualify for government sponsered programs, such as Medicaid or Health Plus.
Reduce your use and the cost of paid services. Paid services include everything from house cleaning to childcare to getting your nails done twice a month. Yes, you may get an affordable rate, but that rate will significantly add up overtime. If you do not anticipate finding a job in a month or two, discontinue childcare. Watch your kids and rely on friends and family to help you for job interviews and errands. Other moneysaving tips for paid services include mowing your own lawn, doing your own nails, and having a friend cut or highlight your hair.
Do not rely on credit cards to survive. This will not only save you money in the long-run, but also help you avoid debt. Now is the time to cut up multiple credit cards. It is just too risky to have them. One credit card is good for emergencies, but know how to use it properly.
Lower the cost of your car. Start with the car itself. Is it paid off? If so, you are good. If not, can you afford the monthly payments? If not, now is the time to consider selling and buying a cheaper used vehicle. Don’t wait until your vehicle is about to be repossessed due to non-payment. Then, focus on car insurance. If you have a good driving record, call around to get a cheaper rate.
Reduce the cost of necessary utilities. For the heat, turn it down a few degrees in the winter. In the summer, be cautious with air conditioning. Keep your air conditioner turned on at a reasonable temperature, run only when needed, and use fans too. For water, work on shortening the length of your showers, do not leave the water running when doing dishes, and only run the dishwasher when full. As for electricity, keep all lights, the television, and computer shut off when they aren’t in use. Also, look for a cheaper phone, internet, and television package.
The above mentioned steps are just a few you can take to avoid debt after a job layoff. Your goal is to live within your means. That involves cutting costs. Spend less and do not rely on credit cards; you should survive this financial complication unscathed.
by BlondieWrites on December 1, 2009
If you were recently laid off from work, you need to make cutbacks. Are you drawing unemployment benefits? If so, this weekly check is nice, but it likely does not even come close to what you were making before. That is why cutbacks are important. Luckily, you can take many steps. You can reduce the cost of your phone, internet, and television. You can temporarily stop buying new clothes or new toys for your children. These are all great moneysaving tips, but the easiest way to save money is to be cautious with food. Food is a necessity, but also something many Americans overspend on.
How can you lower the cost of food after a job lay off?
Choose the stores you shop at wisely. For food, shop at a grocery store. For non-food items, such as toilet paper and home cleaning products, avoid the grocery store because you will find higher prices. These items are best purchased at department stores and discount stores, like Dollar General or Wal-Mart. As for your grocery store, make sure they have the lowest prices in town. View a weekly sales flier or visit other nearby stores. Closely examine their products, sales, and everyday prices. The easiest way to save money is to shop at a grocery with low prices.
Try the store brand or off brand products. Name brand products are nice. Many Americans must have a certain brand cereal, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. If operating with limited financial resources, you may not have a choice. Here is a good test, try one store brand or off brand product a week. Each week you shop, try something new. Make sure it is low priced and only buy one or two, don’t stock up. If you like the cheaper version, great. If you don’t like it, you didn’t waste much money, but at least you tried. On average, store brand products and cheaper off brands cost $1 less!
Grocery shop alone and leave the kids at home. If you are a parent who takes your children grocery shopping, you are likely to spend unnecessary money on impulse purchase. Your kids have been good the entire shopping trip and they give you that cute little look, how can you possibly resist letting them get a candy bar or a bag of cookies? It is hard and most parents can’t resist. If you are one of those parents, leave the kids with family, friends, or a part-time babysitter. Not only that, but stick to your list. Whether you spend $5 on unnecessary impulse purchases each week or $50, the savings will be high at the end of the year.
Limit your purchase of junk foods and special treats. For parents, these items are often bought at the suggestion of their children. If you aren’t a parent, you have a sweet tooth. Unfortunately, that sweet tooth can cost you money. You may be use to having cookies each week, but cut back. Instead, only buy two packages for the entire month. If you regularly consume junk food, it will be a transition. Work on cutting back your intake and then try to eliminate. You should notice an increase in savings, an increase in energy, and a decrease in weight.
Use coupons. Aside from shopping at a grocery store with low prices, the next easiest way to limit the cost of food after a job layoff is to use grocery coupons. These coupons are found in Sunday newspaper inserts, as well as online. As for online coupons, you have two choices. Online coupon websites, like Coupons.com, post a wide range of coupons. You can also perform a standard internet search to find the websites of your favorite products. Some post printable coupons right on their websites. Regardless of how you find grocery coupons, be sure to use them. Small-time coupon users can easily save $5 a week. Avid coupon users can easily save $50 or more!
by BlondieWrites on December 1, 2009
Were you recently laid off from work? If so, you may be in financial distress. Even those who collect unemployment benefits barely find themselves scraping by. If you are one of those individuals, you need to make significant cutbacks. What might those cutbacks entail?
Sell your house. If you live in a home with an expensive mortgage that you cannot afford and if you do not anticipate finding a job in the next two or three months, get out now. Try to sell your home before your credit is severely impacted. Luckily, the housing market is starting to slowly improve in many areas of the country. Layoffs are increasing in frequency, but many Americans still have their jobs and can get a loan. List your home for sale based on its last appraised value or fair market value. Don’t sell yourself short, but middle class family homes, in the $75,000 to $150,000 range are easier to sell.
If you have been trying to sell your home and cannot, do you have extra room? If so, rent out a room. Do backgrounds check and check references. This can help offset the cost of a mortgage you cannot afford. In addition, right now many Americans have steady income, but poor credit. These Americans cannot get a home loan, even though they could likely afford one. For that reason, consider renting your home. This is ideal if your house is too big, but do not feel comfortable living with a stranger. Use the incoming rent to pay the mortgage. Use your spouse’s income or your unemployment check to pay rent on a much smaller and cheaper apartment.
Find a new apartment. If you are renter, as opposed to a homeowner, is your rent too expensive? Can you no longer afford it or will you barley be scraping by? If so, look for a new place to live. If you have children, you may want to keep them in their same schools. This is good, but live where you can afford. A city may have an average rent of $1,000. However, fifteen minutes away a smaller town may have an average rent of $500 a month. Due to the poor economy, many landlords are releasing tenants from their contracts with appropriate notice, such as 30 or 60 days.
Sell your car and buy a cheaper one. Your best avenue is to sell the car outright yourself. List it for sale in newspaper classified sections, Craigslist.org, and other places online. Consider the value of your car. Set a fair selling price, but make sure you have enough to payoff the rest of your automobile loan and buy a cheaper, used car. Driving around a used “old clunker,” may not be what you had in mind, but you can find quality used cars for $1,000 to $5,000. Right now, you need something that runs and gets you from point a to point b. As for just selling you car, this isn’t recommended. Even if there is public transportation in your area, remember the poor job market. When find a new job, it may be two or three town away.
Look at the cost of your landline and cell phone. Do you have both? Many see success with replacing their landline phones with cell phones. If you can’t, practice talking on your cell phone less and lower the minutes. If you can get out of your cell phone contract without large fees, do it. Get a prepaid phone and use it for emergencies only.
Lower the cost of your internet. Many times, internet access is considered an extra. Yes, it technically is. However, it is now a job search tool for you. If actively looking for a new job, you need internet access. Don’t cancel yours. Instead, look for cheaper lower speed packages or opt for dial up access instead.
Lower the cost of your television. If you have internet access, consider doing away with your television altogether. You can get your local news and weather online. If you want television, get the local channels only. You don’t need one hundred or more channels, many of which you never watch. Luckily, most shows are now streamed online for free. In addition, the season DVD will soon be released on Netflix. Speaking of Netflix, if you do away with television, consider a subscription. For less than $20 a month, you can get unlimited movies with three movies at a time!
The above mentioned lifestyle changes may sound significant and impossible to make, but remember your financial situation. You were laid off from work. It may be one month before you find a new job, but it may be one year or more. Don’t fall victim to debt, take charge now.
by BlondieWrites on November 12, 2009
If you have concerns you may be laid off, there are certain steps you can take now to alleviate the pressure and stress should this eventuality occur.
1. Put away enough money to cover expenses for the next 18 months.
2. Pay down credit card debt.
3. Re-visit your household budget and make necessary adjustments to save money.
4. Continue and/or increase contributions to your 401K Plan.
5. If you own a home outright, look into an equity loan. However, note that home equity have decreased as much as 20%.
6. Obtain your credit reports and check them thoroughly.
7. Check your insurance coverage for health, life, and auto to ensure you have the appropriate coverage. Make certain all policies are up to date.
8. Contact credit card companies and request a reduction in interest rates.
9. Call either your cable or telephone provider and ask what the price is for cable, telephone, and internet usage.
10. If you have both a landline and a cell phone, consider dropping the landline.
11. If you have internet service, check into utilizing Vonage, VoIP, or Skype as alternatives.
12. Research online coupon sites and bookmark them for later use. There are coupon sites available for groceries, household, and non-household items that offer discounts, printable coupons, and rebates.
13. Do not renew magazine subscriptions or subscribe to new ones.
14. Buy groceries in bulk.
15. If you buy clothes, choose those that do not require dry cleaning.
16. Winterize your home.
17. Conserve energy by lowering the thermostat and unplugging appliances when not in use. Shut down the computer instead of keeping it in sleep mode. Purchase energy-efficient light bulbs and ceiling fans that utilize less wattage. Clean air conditioner filters frequently, and keep blinds open during daylight hours to heat your home instead of raising the thermostat.
18. Select one day to shop and complete all errands, thus saving on gas.
19. Use public transportation whenever possible.
20. Refrain from buying coffee, snacks, lunch, lottery tickets, scratches, and any other non-essential items that you purchase on a daily basis.
Now is the time to save money and not spend it in a wasteful and impulsive manner. We will all have to make difficult choices and sacrifices during this recession. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
