Budget - loss of income - how did you handle it?

[Wish2Be]

Have you ever been in a situation where your spouse or yourself lost a job? How did you provide for your family?

I am about to become a stay at home mom....and this is very unexpected. I have to leave my job and it will cost our family $1600 a month that we cant afford to loose. *long story*

How did you work on your budgets?

[TheBabyFactory4]

we are going through it right now, i just lost my job, we have cut out ALLLLL eating out, made do with food in our house, i have started clipping coupons, and cut our tv service. my parents and his parents have given us some food and i dont go any where unless i really have too.

[TheBabyFactory4]

oh, you should join the group frugalistas. its a great group

[lalasmama2007]

This happened to us when I had my dd and i became a SAHM. I actually made more money than my SO did and he ended up losing his job at Merrill Lynch shortly after. We got rid of cable, our house phone and cut out all unnecessary spending. We get our blu-rays, books, video games, cds, etc for free from the library. I clip coupons, do a lot of comparison shopping, etc.

[dusky_rose]

Well, I did quit my job when I had my youngest son because he was breastfed and refused to take a bottle (at 3 months). I was on family leave and then I went back to work and he wouldn't cooperate. So it wasn't like that money was coming in before that. Good luck on figuring out your budget!

[Delirium003]

We are actually in the situation as we speak.

We had $4k saved in the bank for a house downpayment. I'm a SAHM, and dh was management at a local store.

In June, he had a mental breakdown. His boss put him on medical leave. Since then, we've drained most of our savings for bills and such. I've been looking for jobs, but have thus far found no luck. :(

We shop frugally. Cut WAY back on expenses. We have phones on my mom's line, so she has been letting us slide for that $45/month. We have Internet only because I use it for school.

*sigh* I wish you luck!

[Madelaine]

That is what happened when I became a sahm.  I go to thrift stores, co-ops for veggies and fruit, lots of day old or close to it markdown bread, Goodwill, yard sales etc.  IT will work out fine but you have to change your perspective.

[Bob192]

I was working part time when we decided that I would stay home.  We had to cut back on on extras and money is still really tight.  You learn to adjust.

[Wish2Be]

Thanks for giving me hope ladies.

[mamivon2]

If you can try to put some money aside now. also see if you can get fs and wic for the time being.. it might not something you want to do but something that might help..

[goddess99]

I haven't been in that exact situation but just to help save money we cancelled everything we didn't Need: cable ( don't miss it at all), cell service (we just have tracfones now $13 a month for 2), meal plan, got rid of all the extra crap a landline phone service offers. We probably save about $300 a month.