It’s never fun to lose your job. There are so many emotions that you go through, but the most prominent is usually worry.
You worry about how you will survive between jobs. What if you can’t find another job right away? How will you pay your bills?
It helps to cut back on your expenditures until you know you will have another paycheck on the way.
Here are seven ways you can survive off less income after losing your job:
1. Stick to a Budget
If you didn’t have a budget before, now is the perfect time to start. Since you’ll be living off whatever little you have saved, you’ll need to be very careful with your money.
Look at what you have, how long you think before you can expect to have more income and do the math. Whatever you have, divided by the time you need, will give you your monthly or weekly budget.
Next, find a way to fit your needs into that budget. The word NEEDS is stressed.
2. Check Your Subscriptions
In this digital age, there are plenty of opportunities to subscribe to a service that is helpful.
Between the many tv streaming platforms, music streaming services, and other online subscriptions, you can spend much more money than you expect.
Try to cut out any of these subscriptions that you can live without for the next few months, and you may be putting over a hundred dollars back in your pocket each month.
3. Open an Interest-Free Credit Card
To keep your debt from piling up from interest now is the time to transfer your debt into an interest-free credit card. Many of these promotions give you at least the first 90 days without accumulating credit.
Transfer all your credit cards into just one and pay the minimum payment each month. This will save you money in interest and combine all your credit payments into one.
This will buy you some time until you find your next job.
4. Start Using a Meal Plan
When you had a full-time job, it may not have been a big thing to pick up dinner from your favorite restaurant, but since you’ll be strapped for the unforeseeable future, you need to think about how you’ll eat in a different way.
You can save a ton of money by eating at home. You can save even more money if you plan your weekly meals by what’s on sale.
While this may seem old-fashioned, desperate times call for desperate measures.
5. Cut Back on Your Utility Use
You can save tons of money on your utility costs by changing up a few habits in your home.
Instead of using the dishwasher, wash your dishes by hand. You’ll use less water and less electricity.
Try hanging your clothes instead of using the dryer. Use energy-efficient lightbulbs. Set your thermostat at a reasonable temperature.
There are many ways to save money on utilities. For a full list, check here.
6. Use Cash
There is something to be said about the psychology of handing over cash. A debit card seems so easy, but you can feel the loss when you spend cold hard cash.
Also, you can spend more than you expect when you use your debit card. If you only take out the amount of cash that you want to spend for the week, you can easily see when you are getting low.
This will make you think harder on each purchase to see if it’s really necessary or if you can wait until your finances look better.
7. Shop Around
When it comes to things that you must pay for, such as car insurance, toiletries, groceries, and things such as these, do your best to find the cheapest deals.
Now isn’t the time for brand names and the cream of the crop. You just need the items to keep you going.
Conclusion
If you’ve lost your job due to a disability, you wouldn’t have to worry about your finances if you had purchased disability insurance beforehand.
Physicians Thrive knows the best companies to look to for a reliable disability insurance policy.
Remember, you’re just trying to survive until you find your next job. That will happen eventually, so don’t despair. Just keep being smart with your money.
