When the job is gone and the money runs out!

One man I know was laid-off in mid November and has nothing saved. I don't know how long he can get unemployment, $252.00 a week, but he told me that when that is gone, he is done. He has already stopped paying his credit card and TV cable. Next will be his utilities and phone, then rent $450.00 a month. I don't know what he can do and I'm not in a position to help him. I wish I could tell him something that would help. He isn't really a friend, I just know him.

I just got my property tax bill. I guess I can be glad that it is a tax bill and not an eviction notice.

The job picture around here don't look very good. I'm not going to panic but I am getting concerned. On Thursday this week I'm going to try and find out how long I can draw unemployment. If it is 26 weeks then I have until the second week of April. I don't plan on using any of my savings to live on. I will take any kind of a job before I will do that. I have to bring home $600 a month or give up something. I have a debt that I am trying to pay off. Min. payment on that debt is $280 a month. I own my house so everything else is adjustable.

I'm not really planing on wefare or food stamps. I have enough food to last at least a year. I could live without utilities if I have to. It is just my debt that I don't know about. Min. payment on that is $280 a month and the intrest rate is 6.2%. If I get behind the intrest rate jumps way up there. I don't think it would be good to fall behind on that. This being unemployed is cutting into my 5 yr. plan to move to the country. I need to put back $200 a week to keep that plan on track. It cost me about $150 a week to live without giving up something. $600 a month don't sound like much but without a job that will be a lot when the unemployment runs out. I applied for a job today that starts at $10.82 and advances to $14.48. I could make it on that.

This afternoon, I talked to another fellow that was laid-off the same time I was. He is broke, drinking alot more and spending his days down at some bar. He has a wife and at least one child to think about but obviously he isn't thinking. I tryed to tell him that drinking up his unemployment money is not going to help.