Advice on surviving a job loss

When my husband lost his job in May of 2017, it was just eight months after we got married and just one month after my father died.  We’d accrued some credit card debt between travel, honeymooning, and wedding planning and, as a result, our savings were pretty much non-existent.  While he job searched and took part-time work to make ends meet, I got to work channeling hard-scrabble pioneer women to cut expenses and get us through the long months ahead. 

Getting strict with your budget

A strict budget was in order! Rent, utilities and paying our credit card bill were of the utmost importance.  We switched to the health insurance offered by my employer. Since I work for a small non-profit organization, my take-home pay took a big hit, but we were grateful for the coverage when I needed unexpected surgery and my husband injured his shoulder in a bike accident. With our already tenuous finances becoming even more fragile, we had to look for other ways to cut back. 

We started by cutting cable and our streaming expenses – just like Ma Ingalls would’ve done, I reckoned.  Farewell, HBO, Netflix and Amazon Prime! We split YouTubeTV with another couple and bummed logins for Netflix, Hulu, and HBO from family and friends.  (Hit me up if you wanna share your Amazon Prime info – I haven’t seen Season 3 of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel yet!) At first, I was hesitant to take folks up on their offers, but I quickly learned to appreciate the kindness and generosity of our community.  

“We started by cutting cable and our streaming expenses – just like Ma Ingalls would’ve done, I reckoned.”

Then, we slashed our extra-curricular activities.  I took a break from my Spanish classes and my husband bowed out of his rec-league soccer team. Nights out became few and far between, and instead of visiting a new bar or restaurant, we’d invite friends over for a cozy dinner at home. 

Saying no to social engagements was a bit of an adjustment for my social butterfly husband (I, on the other hand, enjoy nothing more than staying home), but those things cost money we did not have. Morning coffees, meeting for lunch, and grabbing a drink after work quickly became out of the question. Occasionally, declining an invitation for financial reasons meant a friend would offer to cover it.  We consider ourselves lucky to experience such generosity and have since worked to pay it forward. 

Tightening the belt another hole

When it became clear that full-time employment was more than just a few months away, we tightened our belts even further.  We transferred our credit card debt to a card with a lower interest rate, talked our families into drawing names instead of buying Christmas gifts for everyone, and cut all extraneous spending on everything that wasn’t absolutely critical. 

I’ve always been a thrifty shopper but my inner Ma Joad flourished when the coffers came up empty.  I would probably clean up on The Price is Right because I can tell you which grocery stores have the best prices on eggs, milk, bread, veggies, and canned goods. (Jewel-Osco with the MyMixx app, Aldi, Aldi, Trader Joes, and Aldi.) Grocery shopping went from a weekly chore to a thrilling hunt.  

How little could I spend for two people to be fed three times a day each week? ($32 is my record.) I shopped our pantry and freezer and created (sometimes weird, yet) filling meals that kept us from becoming the Cratchits in Mickey’s version of A Christmas Carol. 

Job loss and marriage

My husband’s part-time work meant that our schedules were the opposite of one another. Quality time and celebrations were scarce but we did carve out a little money for the truly important things.  A quick weekend getaway to celebrate our anniversary and a dinner out every once in a blue moon went a long way to keep us happily married. Throughout the two-year job hunt, we learned a lot about each other and our marriage is stronger as a result. I wouldn’t wish financial hardship on anyone but it can serve as a crucible – strengthening those “for richer or for poorer” vows. And at the risk of sounding obvious, patience and communication go a very long way when times are hard. 

Now that we’re both employed full-time again, we’re able to continue to chip away at the debt we kept at bay, enjoy an occasional night out with friends, and take advantage of corporate-provided (read: free) health insurance. But we haven’t returned to our free-wheeling days of spending. Ma Castro now knows a thing or two about the value of a dollar, the importance of saving for a rainy day, and the unrivaled sweet satisfaction of roasting a whole chicken you got at Aldi for under $4.