need help with saving ideas-hubby laid off 2 yrs and unemp$ ran out!

[wbh1964]

ok guys- I need some help with how to save money on the basics. My hubby was laid off almost 2 years ago...things are REALLY bad in our area and he can't find anything but still searches everyday. We found out (this week) that his unemployment $ will run out in 2 wks and there is not more tp apply for (this was a shock as we thought the Pres had extended it but not for his time group. I am looking for anyway I can to save $. We normally grocery shop at Walmart and buy mostly walmart brands. Any help with cutting spending is GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!! We had so wanted to go to Disney this year as we have 4 huge celebrations in 2011....we celebrate 25 yr anniv. dd turns 16. ds turns 21 and dh turns 50...but now I am just trying to keep food on the table. Thanks for any and all comments!

 

[disneymarie]

ok guys- I need some help with how to save money on the basics. My hubby was laid off almost 2 years ago...things are REALLY bad in our area and he can't find anything but still searches everyday. We found out (this week) that his unemployment $ will run out in 2 wks and there is not more tp apply for (this was a shock as we thought the Pres had extended it but not for his time group. I am looking for anyway I can to save $. We normally grocery shop at Walmart and buy mostly walmart brands. Any help with cutting spending is GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!! We had so wanted to go to Disney this year as we have 4 huge celebrations in 2011....we celebrate 25 yr anniv. dd turns 16. ds turns 21 and dh turns 50...but now I am just trying to keep food on the table. Thanks for any and all comments!

How long has he been out? I have had extensions several times, I am currently on mail in claims. It was 8/8 when I was laid off. I do work pt as my checks are only $70.

There were many several extensions so even when a claim exhausted I could refile.
We just lost our largest income, dh UC. When he reopened his claim in Jan. they used his pt employment and we lost over almost $400 a week of our UC. He would have been better off not working.

I am in similar situation as you, gosh how do we cut though? The UC will not even cover our mortgage...as a senior citizen it is hard for him to find anything but the as need security he has been working.

That may be a field your dh would find something. Also Aldi pay's really well, SAM's I heard too.
For food cost, I never ate so much rice, beans before. This time of year, the slow cooker with soups and stew, use the bread machine, Two Chickens at SAMs they are $4,99 a piece but I can clean the bones for chicken salad too.
AND they are already roasted.

When I make a meatloaf, everything left over goes in; veggies, applesauce, I will cook noodles and add them to make it go further.

When I make chile I put it over rice,, or add noddles and make it like a befferoni.

I unplug everything I can. Use the low watt lamps. turn down the heat

I was thinking of selling my rings and necklaces. I was in law enforcement and have two guns I can sell.

I do not use paper towels anymore, I had microfiber towels I bought. Do the laundry off peak hrs. I had coupon stocked up on washer detergent needs. Thinking about making my own.

combine trips out, no running to the store for one item...Eat what is on the shelves.I am not picking up anything that I can substitute with.

I hate to give up the cable but it will be cut off.
The car insurance I cut all I could. Will not remove tort.
I need two snow tires, I am looking at a friends fathers business that used tires.

I will be interested in seeing the tips here too.

 

[DisneyCrafter]

I suggest making sure you plan out your meals in advance. I find when I do that, I buy much less at the grocery store. Also, do your research and make sure that Walmart is where you will find the best deal on your groceries. I sometimes make 4 stops on my weekly grocery shopping trip if the deals align that way, but I'm also not driving all over town as we're lucky enough to have multiple grocery stores off of the same road. Stock up on meat when the price is low. Prepare meals that produce large amounts for a small amount of money. Also, buy clothes in the off season and search the clearance racks!

 

[ah1126]

Check out www.southernsavers.com . She has several grocery stores and drug stores that she matches adds and coupons. She has a ton on info the site is very easy to use!

 

[4parkers]

www.hotcouponworld.com also matches up coupons to sales.. many free items..
www.hillbillyhousewife.com
also i highly recommend going to the library and getting the tightwad gazette.
I also wanted to add that we also add brown rice to everything we make to stretch it.. we quit using the dryer and hang clothes, we found out what day our grocery stores meat gets marked down and only buy it that day and freeze it. I try to cook multiple meals when turning on the oven. I use freecycle constantly first if i have a need.
I have made my owN LAUNDRY DETERGENT (SRY BROKEN KEYBOARD MEANS EITHER ALL CAPS OR ALL LOWERCASE..UGH)
SIGN UP FOR CIGARETTE COUPONS AND TRADE/SELL THEM SAME WITH BABY FORMULA COUPONS... MYCOUPONS.COM OR HOTCOUPONWORLD.COM
START SWAGBUCKING..WWW.SWAGBUCKS.COM EARN THOSE AMAZON GIFTCARDS AND USE THEM OR SELL THEM. I HAVE YET TO LOSE MONEY ON THEM YET.
PEOPLE ALSO BUY THOSE BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION
BASICALLY SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE DOWN TO THE BARE BONES. HUBBY AND I DID THIS WHEN WE FIRST GOT MARRIED AND FLOODED.. WE FOUND OURSELVES WITH 2 KIDS AND OVER 50K IN DEBT..IF EVERYONE IS ON BOARD YOU WILL BE SO SUPRISED AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO.
DON'T FORGET THAT TIGHTWAD GAZETTE. SHE HAS A TON OF IDEAS! GOODLUCK AND I HOPE THINGS TURN AROUND FOR YOU!

 

[weluvdizne]

First off, best wishes to you and your family.

I made my own laundry detergent. There was a huge thread on this board about it. It really does work great, and I will do it again when this batch runs out.
Clean with vinegar and baking soda.
Shop Goodwill for clothes.
Look around your house for things to sell. I would save your important jewelry for last, but I'm sure you've got other stuff to sell. Try E-bay. Even after you pay the fees, you are still making some money. It's truly amazing the stuff that people will pay to buy!

 

[kydisneyfans]

I would strongly consider relocation as an option as we were in the same boat in 2003, made the difficult decision to move from family, and both of us landed jobs with days. We sold the old house at a $20,000 loss after a year empty, but we had to look at the big picture. We are now worry free financially.

Could your husband take a job elsewhere, get a cheap hotel/apartment during the week and commute home on the weekends? Could he expand the job search-many drive 2 hours each way to work at Toyota here.

What stores are in your area? Walmart is the most expensive of the 3 chains here (Meijer/Kroger/Walmart). Aldi is a decent source for fill in items. There are coupons for many items out there, some areas double.

Kroger builds up points for gas discounts-not only could you save a few pennies over Walmart shopping there (esp mega sales and double coupons), but your gasoline expense would drop some too. Meijer has great prices for produce/vegetables-strawberries, grapes and organic lettuce are more than 50% less at Meijer than Walmart this week.

If your husband cannot find work, are you working? If DS turns 16, he could also work part time if he can find a job. Could someone deliver phone books for some cash?

It's tough being in that spot, hard decisions have to be made, but sometimes you have to have faith and make a change.

 

[Lisa_M]

Call your utilities company to see if you qualify for heating, electric, or telephone assistance. I know they offer it because I see things in my electric bill about it and I have a friend who works for the telephone company who mentioned they have programs for that too.

For shopping, I agree that Aldi's is cheap, but shopping the other stores for the loss leaders is cheaper. It's more work and time going between the stores, but I like their meats better and the prices are much better. Also, if your Target sells food, I would check them out. I'm amazed at their food prices and often there are additional coupons on the items and you get a catalina when checking out.

My DH has been working only 2 days per week for a year and a half now and I've finally brought him around to the idea to look for a job ANYWHERE and not just within our state. I'm more marketable in my career, so I can look for a job there after he already goes.

I'm so sorry OP, Marie and the other umemployed/underemployed Diser's. It is just a lousy lousy time. Good luck to all!

 

[Nayan]

First, look at what kinds of food you buy at WalMart. Is it boxed, processed? If so pass it up. Learn to cook from scratch using beans, rice, pasta and veggies. Look on the internet for recipes using these ingredients. I usually wouldn't tell anyone to stay away from meat, chicken, etc. but with the prices of these things going up they are a huge budget buster. Use coupons when you can! Hotcouponworld is a great place to start (check with your stores to make sure they take printed coupons. Some stores do not).

If you can, start de-cluttering. Look though what you have and can part with and then sell it. The PP is right, people will buy pretty much anything! Do you have any extra's you can cut, like cell phone, cable, subscriptions? Can you go to a lower package on your internet or phone? Can you lower your utility usage if you pay for that (water, gas, electric)?

Can you look for part-time work? Would you be willing to? I know folks will say your DD could get work when she turns 16 but if it's as bad as you say job-wise as it is here, places are not hiring teens anymore and you'd stand a better chance then she would.

 

[snowywhite89]

ITA with the following post. I currently work aWay from home. I took the job so I did not have a huge gap in my employment. I was not laid off very long so I had plenty of unemployment left.

I would strongly consider relocation as an option as we were in the same boat in 2003, made the difficult decision to move from family, and both of us landed jobs with days. We sold the old house at a $20,000 loss after a year empty, but we had to look at the big picture. We are now worry free financially.

Could your husband take a job elsewhere, get a cheap hotel/apartment during the week and commute home on the weekends? Could he expand the job search-many drive 2 hours each way to work at Toyota here.

What stores are in your area? Walmart is the most expensive of the 3 chains here (Meijer/Kroger/Walmart). Aldi is a decent source for fill in items. There are coupons for many items out there, some areas double.

Kroger builds up points for gas discounts-not only could you save a few pennies over Walmart shopping there (esp mega sales and double coupons), but your gasoline expense would drop some too. Meijer has great prices for produce/vegetables-strawberries, grapes and organic lettuce are more than 50% less at Meijer than Walmart this week.

If your husband cannot find work, are you working? If DS turns 16, he could also work part time if he can find a job. Could someone deliver phone books for some cash?

It's tough being in that spot, hard decisions have to be made, but sometimes you have to have faith and make a change.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm real sorry that you're in this situation. You're the type of person that temporary aid was designed to help. I would also apply for food stamps in addition to applying for the energy assistance programs.

If your children are in school then apply for the free or reduce lunch.

Don't be too proud to go to a food pantry.

If Angel Food Ministries has a church in your area, buy some of your food from them. You might even qualify for free or reduced price food from them.

Is your son in college? If so, are there any work-study jobs that he could get to help? Or if worse comes to worst, could he take a semester off in order to help with finances at home?

Does your 16 yo have a job? I know. It sounds harsh to ask the kids to contribute when the adults are supposed to be the ones taking care of them. But tough times take drastic measures. My siblings and I all had to work whenever my dad was laid off. I never resented it. It's what family does.

Check the thread about eating from your pantry. Taking a week off from grocery shopping can help a lot if you can get creative.

You've gotten a lot of great suggestions on how to stretch those food dollars. I hope that they can help. Best of luck to you and your family.

 

[hsmamato2]

cut off non-necessities-cable,etc. you don't need that,or even internet,unless it's phone too,usually you can get just a phone for much cheaper.
stop buying precooked chickens, in my experience, they're tiny. Buy whole chicken uncooked on sale, and use it for 3 dinners. You can get much more food for your money by cutting out all pre-cooked/processed things-(recipes to follow)
eat according to sales at the store-if it's Italian week- buy and eat sauce,pasta that week- whatever is on sale, make a weeks menu with the cheap stuff,stock it up while on sale so you don't have to buy reg. price.
Get creative, no dry boxed cereal, too $$$ - get a large canister of oatmeal,cook and eat!
rice and beans, with a good recipe,this is one of the easiest and cheapest foods available,and good for you!
use meats sparingly,stir fries,etc. I can use one pork chop sliced thin(very thin) tossed with veggies and rice,with excellent flavors,the fam loves it! and it's actually healthier.
don't buy bottled drinks- drink tap water. again,healthier than sodas,etc.
don't buy small yogurts,cheese,etc- buy LARGE sizes of your items and split up-much cheaper.
my fam. eats a lot of cheese- I usually keep LARGE blocks stocked,for shredding,slicing,etc. at our WM< I usually found 2-3 pound block of cheddar (real) for 8.00 or less.
go to your library and get a few 'cook simple and cheap and good' cookbooks.'
others in your home should look for p/t work too......

 

[hsmamato2]

Oh, also, for those celebrations.....put them on hold (at least in a big way) keep everything small till you get back on your feet- then do one big massive 'celebrate it all' party at Disney when you can afford it! (one more reason to celebrate)
your kids need to look for work- probably you too. maybe someone will get hired!
CHICKEN_
buy a whole chicken preferably on sale- make it a big one-
at home- put it in BIG stockpot,add an onion and some spices- boil for an hour or so.
strain liquid into another bowl or soup pot- keeping clear liquid-reserve whole chicken of pieces in a separate baking pan.
put liquid stock back on stove, add whatever veggies/spices look good to you- rice,potatoes,etc.
take maybe one whole thigh section of the chicken, remove meat from bone,dice and add to soup. (no more than 1/2 3/4 cup meat)
let simmer, feed your family!
Put chicken in fridge-
next day,leftover soup with bread-
when soup is gone-
for dinner put the chicken that was boiled in the oven for about 30-45 minuted ,roast that sucker till it's nice and browned..... serve with whatever sides you like- at this point you should still have some meat left.
remove all meat from the bones,and discard.
either make a stir fry with what's left,or add diced chicken to spaghetti sauce,or make a chicken salad for dinner,either over lettuce or on bread......

 

[wbh1964]

Thank you all for your tips!!! To give you a little more background on us...my dd is 15 but has a muscle disease and will never be able to drive or work and she was turned down for disability benefits becuase she is a minor and get this...we have too many assets...which means 2 cars and a house...go figure! We also got turned down for food stamps becuase I own a small reatail store. We make no money at the store but can't get out of our lease becuase we had to sign a personal guarantee. (I have a 5 yr lease) I feel that if you have lived your life the way you should and do things like you should like have life ins, 401k (which we have depleted paying for cobra which has now expired) that you are penalized and the government will NOT help!!!! I am in such dispair! I am a firm Christian and trusting God to see us thru each day but each day gets more difficult and I kinda just needed to vent...thanks everyone for listening!

 

[Marionnette]

Oh, also, for those celebrations.....put them on hold (at least in a big way) keep everything small till you get back on your feet- then do one big massive 'celebrate it all' party at Disney when you can afford it! (one more reason to celebrate)
your kids need to look for work- probably you too. maybe someone will get hired!
CHICKEN_
buy a whole chicken preferably on sale- make it a big one-
at home- put it in BIG stockpot,add an onion and some spices- boil for an hour or so.
strain liquid into another bowl or soup pot- keeping clear liquid-reserve whole chicken of pieces in a separate baking pan.
put liquid stock back on stove, add whatever veggies/spices look good to you- rice,potatoes,etc.
take maybe one whole thigh section of the chicken, remove meat from bone,dice and add to soup. (no more than 1/2 3/4 cup meat)
let simmer, feed your family!
Put chicken in fridge-
next day,leftover soup with bread-
when soup is gone-
for dinner put the chicken that was boiled in the oven for about 30-45 minuted ,roast that sucker till it's nice and browned..... serve with whatever sides you like- at this point you should still have some meat left.
remove all meat from the bones,and discard.
either make a stir fry with what's left,or add diced chicken to spaghetti sauce,or make a chicken salad for dinner,either over lettuce or on bread......

I second the idea of buying a large chicken and using it for multiple meals. But I would reverse the above process. Boiling the large bird will toughen the meat and remove most of the flavor. If you do this first, then you're eating a rubbery, tasteless bird when you roast the remains.

Try this recipe:
Combine:
4 tsp, salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Rub in the chicken cavity and all over the surface. Remove the skin from a small onion and cut in half. Place both halves in the cavity. Wrap chicken in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours). Roast at 250 for 4-5 hours until internal temp reaches 180. Use pan drippings to make gravy.

Carve the bird up and serve the white meat with one meal. Reserve the skin and the carcass for soup. The seasoning that are still on the skin surface will season the soup. Save the thigh and leg meat for chicken salad but use the bones for the soup.

Three meals from one bird.

 

[leadfootlevi]

Sell plasma
Stop buying "throw away" items at the grocery store - paper plates, paper towels, ziploc baggies, etc
Can you increase insurance deductibles and/or decrease coverage (auto and home)? I know this isn't ideal, but it will save you some money.
As others have said, clean with baking soda and vinegar and make your own laundry soap.
Only do dishes and laundry if there is a full load (might be less expensive to wash dishes by hand than to run the dishwasher).
Unplug all electronics - it takes some electricity to keep those little lights on.
See if you can get a mortgage modification to get your interest rate reduced.

I'll add more later if I think of anything. Best of luck to you!

 

[minnie1928]

Someone mentioned dropping the Internet, I would not do that because that's a huge source for employment and coupons. However, I would drop cable tv and instead watch shows on hulu or through the network websites. Have you looked into your car & homeowners insurance? Are you getting the best rates? Call all your service providers and confirm you ar getting the best deal possible. Do you have anything worth selling? Can you lower the coverage on one of your vehicles, since I'm assuming there isn't a strong need to drive both cars full time?

 

[arihillfarm]

If you have an Aldi's close by, buy what you can from there. I shop both Aldi's and Wal-Mart and find that Aldi's beats the Great Value Wal-Mart store brand prices by about 25-30% on most items and the Aldi's items are generally better quality. I only had time to run to Wal-Mart yesterday for a few things and ended up passing on a lot of not needed right items because they were so much more expensive there.

-Astrid

 

[jam217]

One way that I save big on fresh fruits and vegetables is at my local farmers' market. It is only open Thursdays to Saturdays so my son and I go about an hour before it is ready to close. The merchants are trying to get rid of the produce because it won't keep until the next week, and they really slash the prices.

For example, last week, I got pineapple for $1 each. Cantalopes were 2 for $4. Half a watermelon is usually $1. If you have something like that in your area, you may want to check it out. We find that we save quite a bit by going at that time, and we're able to eat healthy.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

I would strongly consider relocation as an option as we were in the same boat in 2003, made the difficult decision to move from family, and both of us landed jobs with days. We sold the old house at a $20,000 loss after a year empty, but we had to look at the big picture. We are now worry free financially.

Could your husband take a job elsewhere, get a cheap hotel/apartment during the week and commute home on the weekends? Could he expand the job search-many drive 2 hours each way to work at Toyota here.

What stores are in your area? Walmart is the most expensive of the 3 chains here (Meijer/Kroger/Walmart). Aldi is a decent source for fill in items. There are coupons for many items out there, some areas double.

Kroger builds up points for gas discounts-not only could you save a few pennies over Walmart shopping there (esp mega sales and double coupons), but your gasoline expense would drop some too. Meijer has great prices for produce/vegetables-strawberries, grapes and organic lettuce are more than 50% less at Meijer than Walmart this week.

If your husband cannot find work, are you working? If DS turns 16, he could also work part time if he can find a job. Could someone deliver phone books for some cash?

It's tough being in that spot, hard decisions have to be made, but sometimes you have to have faith and make a change.

I agree with this. I know it's not easy or fun to relocate (as a military family we do it every 3 yrs) but if there is a job somewhere else than you have to do it. Your DH may even find a job in a state where the cost of living is less and has no state income taxes like Texas.

My dad also, up until he retired recently, took jobs out of state and would travel home every other weekend to see my mom. And he hasn't fully retired yet but works with my brother doing home repair/remodel/building. My dad was in construction for over 40 years doing project management before he decided he was over and done with it. But he wasn't ready to completely retire.

Good luck!