Dump the extra car payments, cut the cable tv, slash your entertainment budget and create a lean budget. Conserve your cash because job hunting is at a minimum a six month project. Be flexible and adaptable and be willing to move where the jobs are... look nationally; don't just lock yourselves into the OkC market.. If you look more broadly you'll improve your chances for success. Good luck with your search.
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That is exactly what we did in 1986. Cut everything out of the budget. We got this lesson at a young age and it was the best lesson we ever learned about personal financial management.
Dig a hole in the backyard instead of flushing the toilets. Dog meat tastes like chicken. Candles smell good and are good sources of light. Landlines are cheaper than cell phones. Cold showers feel good. Bean burritos from Taco Bell are nutritious. Used paper towels double as TP.
Start you own business and control your destiny. Don't wait for things to happen make things happen
Probably not a good idea to renew your Thunder tickets.
Anybody out of work that has a mowing crew doing their yard is an idiot.
And Ramen noodles. It's not that they are bad for you, it's all the salt in the "flavor packet."
Get some spaghetti sauce and use the Ramen noodles to make a real cheap plate of spaghetti.
A good reminder. Few people realize they need to change their lifestyle and conserve and it's something that needs to be done immediately. That second car in the garage costs a lot in insurance, car payments, etc. and should be the first thing to move off the books. Church tithing? .. speak to your minister about your situation. Trying not to affect the kids should be the last thing; the dance lessons, swim lessons, etc. Have a stay at home mom? This is a time of family financial crisis and it's time for the spouse to also start looking for employment. Just prudent things to do ...
"...be willing to move where the jobs are... look nationally..."
These days, mobility is critical, and it is the reason I have no interest in owning a home until I am no longer dependent on having a job and can buy my home with cash. To hell with Big Banking.
Grow a garden, compost your trash including recycling your feces, and tampons (a little bleach goes a long way). There are a couple of companies, one in Canada and one in Japan, that have developed two different processes to create fuel from dirty diapers.