Battling Those Bills!

It used to be exciting to get your mail. You would find letters or a package inside, or postcards from friends in faraway places. You’d get bills, too. But it was fine because you were working.

When you’re unemployed, getting the mail just makes you nervous! All of the sudden, you start worrying about why your water and power bill is so high, and how many minutes you have left this month on your cell phone plan. You start paying more attention to your minimum monthly payments and due dates. You might get a postcard from a friend, but you may get depressed that they are “there” and you are not.

It’s never fun to pay your bills. But, don’t run away! The bills must eventually be paid!

Personally, I think the three most important bills to pay when you’re unemployed are your phone bill, your internet bill and your cable/satellite bill. (To save money on these bills, look into "bundling" them; if you use the same service for all three, you could get a better monthly rate!) You must have a phone…how else will you hear from potential employers. The internet is your connection to the outside world…and also, to this blog. Yes, you can get free internet service at your local public library or pay by the minute at Kinko’s, but it’s inconvenient…and you can’t wear your p.j’s there. Lastly, because you’re home a lot more, your T.V becomes one of your primary sources of entertainment and escapism while not working. Don’t give that up!

Here are a couple of reminders to help manage your bills: 1- you may want to try to cancel (or lower) your automatic bill payments you’ve set up with your bank. You’re out of work right now and need to be more in control of what goes in and what goes out of your bank account. 2- if you’re paying off student loans, call your loan companies to see about deferring your payments until you start working again.

These are some free websites that might also be helpful:

AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the site where you can get your legally mandated free credit reports -- you get one per year each from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Yes, it’s easier to live in denial and pretend everything’s great, but it’s necessary to monitor and protect your credit history.

Creditcards.com: This site lets you search for the best credit card offers. If your credit card companies refuse to lower, or start to raise your interest rates, you have every right to shop around for a better deal! You can compare different credit cards based on their rewards programs, interest rates, mileage programs, cash-back opportunities and more!

Billshrink.com: this site claims to get you a better deal on your credit card and phone plans. They ask you questions about your bills and then analyze your situation and present you with competitive offers. They also can tell you what gas station in your area charges the lowest price for gas for your particular car.

Budgetpulse.com: this site helps you easily track your spending and take charge of your finances. They eliminate the fear of identity theft because they don’t sync your account information with banks. You decide what information to input.

There’s much more free information on the web to help you manage your bills during these tough times. If you’re reading this and know of other good sites, feel free to post a comment!

No One Calling? Have Some Food!

When feeling stressed out, uptight and rejected, thank goodness we can turn to comfort food to lift our spirits and make us feel happy, safe and secure again…if only for a little while. Ah…comfort food. Just the name metaphorically provides that warm bear hug that we all need when feeling a little low. Now, I must state the obvious….food will not permanently solve your money troubles or find you a job. It does not take the place of what “you’re really hungry for”. However, a slice of warm cinnamon toast can momentarily make you forget why you have no job offers yet.
So, what to eat? Well, answers will vary. Remember, the unemployed need to be financially cautious, so an expensive meal at a 5 star restaurant is not an option. Instead, think back to your childhood… what foods made you feel happy? Here’s a partial list of mine:

1. Macaroni and Cheese. My mother makes the best cheesy, crispy Mac-n-cheese ever! Other options: most supermarkets make really tasty, ready-made versions. Koo Koo Roo, El Pollo Loco and other fast food places offer very affordable sides of this cheesy dish! And, don’t forget Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the box that costs next to nothing! Remember???

2. Cupcakes – I blame my friend, Laura, for reacquainting me with these delicious treats. Thankfully, their recent popularity has spawned dozens of cupcake shops all across the country! At around $2.50 – $3.50 each, they are a relatively inexpensive way to recall a fond childhood birthday memory. Red Velvet? Vanilla? Chocolate? Everyone has a favorite! Those who are watching their weight can opt for the mini versions…but be careful! It’s hard to only eat one!

3. A slice of pie – whether it’s a la mode or with a dollop of whipped cream…anyway you slice it (get it?) it’s delicious! It’s fun to bake a pie, and it takes your mind off your troubles. if you don't want to bake it from scratch, you can’t beat Marie Callenders$6.99 for a Whole Pie” deal!

4. A Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Smooth or Creamy. Whole wheat bread or sourdough. Toasted or with the crusts cut off. Grape or strawberry jam. It’s all good.

















5. Summer Fruit. If carbs and fatty foods are off-limits and you’re watching your sugar intake, a really good piece of fruit will work in a pinch! A cold, crisp apple or a juicy, sweet peach…even a chilled slice of watermelon could trigger some nice memories of summertime’s past.

Spaghetti, chicken soup, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese, chocolate-chip cookies, meatloaf, chocolate pudding (well, anything chocolate), ice-cream, Jell-O…well, you get the point. Whether they’re home-made or “already-made”, organic or processed, fresh or frozen…nothing eases the pain of resume rejection like some comfort food!

Where Does The Time Go??

“Gee, what do you do with your days now that you’re not working?” You will most definitely be asked this question…usually by someone who is not unemployed.

You might not be worried about the answer to this question if you’re part of the “fun-employed”. An article in the LA Times featured these 20-30 year olds who have been recently laid off but, instead of looking for a job right away, they are enjoying their time off. They are supported by “severance, savings, unemployment checks or their parents” and “do not spend their days poring over job listings. They travel on the cheap for weeks. They head back to school or volunteer at the neighborhood soup kitchen. And at least till the bank account dries up, they're content living for today.”

Sounds great…but what if you’re one of the “stun-employed”? What if you were so stunned when you were downsized that you are now frozen in fear and don’t know what to do next? If you didn’t get a severance or don’t have a savings, it might be hard to enjoy yourself while you sit stressing about the economy and your growing pile of bills…and why no one seems to be calling you for a job interview!

To you, I say: make a plan! Yes, you’ve got to look for work. But, after about 2 weeks of staring at your computer and looking for work in this tough job market all day every day, you will lose sight of the world around you…or make you feel like blowing your head off!

You can structure your days to keep yourself busy. Set aside a few hours every morning for your job search. Use that time wisely by looking for jobs, making networking phone calls and sending out your resume. Then, stop and do something else.

Get up and clean one room of your house each day. Go outside and take a walk! Exercise, go to the gym, run errands or go meet a friend for coffee. Take a class and learn something new. Be social and remain active!

Make a list of activities that you never had the time to do, and do them. Put yourself on a schedule and really try to stick with it! You never know...you just might find new resources for your job search! And, at the very least, it could take your mind off some of your troubles for an hour or two!

When you’ve got things to do, the time really does fly by!