Life can be funny sometimes.
You go about your days as usual. You read your Bible every morning and give quick half-hearted prayers of thanks before moving on to the next thing on your to-do list. You even find yourself complaining about little things, like how you really want a new couch soon, or how your husband is working late. Again. And you really wanted to have a night out to yourself.
And then life hits you like a truck when your husband suddenly shows up before lunchtime without a job.
Unfortunately, we’re reliving this scenario again. In 2016 we faced the same situation and John was without a job for 4 months. We’re living out the unknown again, walking in blind faith that God will get us through this as He has many other times.
Before I go anywhere else with this, I want to let you know that we’re okay. We’ve been following Dave Ramsey’s baby steps and thanks to his suggestions, we’ve built up an emergency fund that will last us awhile. We’re not hurting for money, but we are taking precautions and using what we have very carefully. We’ll receive unemployment but choose not to receive any other kind of financial assistance.
So, where do we go from here? We have a few things that we want to keep in the front of our minds during this time, to help us focus on what’s important.
Pray
Praying is the first thing we do daily. First of all, we just thank God for constantly providing for us. We’ve never had to go without, and we’ve always gotten exactly what we need at just the right time. There’s no way we could do this by ourselves; it’s only by the grace of God that we’ve gotten through 5 job losses.
Stop unnecessary spending
I had gotten pretty comfortable with buying lots of little things here and there. Nothing huge; just things like going out for sodas/ICEEs, getting treats at Kings Island, and random visits to Dollar Tree. Now I’ve stopped the thought of having disposable income and we’re being a lot more careful.
At the moment, we’re still keeping random things like Netflix and my gym membership. If for whatever reason John hasn’t found a new job in several months and the money’s starting to dwindle, we’ll obviously cut out all the luxury memberships.
Cut our grocery budget
Here’s one of the big ones, especially since it affects our every day life. Once again, I’ve chosen to lower our grocery budget from $75 a week to $30 a week. We probably don’t have to; but in order to make our money last as long as possible, I feel we need to cut back a little on the “luxury” groceries. No more stockpiling, no extra snack purchases, and less meat, in addition to maintaining as healthy a lifestyle as possible. I’m going into more detail next week on how I plan to feed us for $30 a week, so look forward to Monday to see my new frugal shopping and menu.
Supplement our income
While we have a good emergency fund, it’s still nice to know we can do a couple extra things on the side to make a little money.
First of all, I’m making a partial income from this blog. It’s definitely not enough to support the family, but it’s something that we can tap into if absolutely needed. The way I keep my content free for you is through ads, so thank you for supporting me by visiting my blog every day! I also earn money through affiliates; so if you click one of my links to purchase something or sign up somewhere, I may earn a small commission.
Grocery-wise, I’m really stepping up my game with Swagbucks. I run the Swagbucks TV app on an old phone, and I’ve committed to doing at least one survey a day; and my goal is to earn $50 a month in gift cards instead of my usual $25. I redeem my Swagbucks for Sam’s Club gift cards, which is a total help if I need large purchases like maple syrup, honey, string cheese, shredded cheese, or paper goods (But hopefully we’re good on those for a few months).
In the end, it’s all about trusting God and what He has in store for us next. Walking blindly in faith has become part of our life; and while it never gets easier, our confidence in God is never shaken. We’re going to be okay, and I’ll be sure to give updates as much as I can!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
Toni
Sunday 8th of September 2019
One little thing I’ve been doing lately is getting a freebie at dollar tree by using the occasional dollar off coupon on toothpaste brands they sell for a dollar. Can you say free??. YES!! They now sell other brands you might find manufacturers coupons for so keep your eyes open for the free stuff! Have a blessed day everyone.
Jaime
Sunday 8th of September 2019
I've heard you can use coupons at Dollar Tree! That's awesome! =)
Stacy
Friday 1st of February 2019
Thank you for all the articles about living on such a frugal budget. While I am blessed to have a full time job and my daughter works part time, this is the situation we're in. The first two weeks of the month we might have $10 for groceries, if that much. The last two weeks we might have $50. Depends on which bills are due each week and if there are any unexpected expenses.
Your determination and optimism is clearly grounded in your faith, and that's exactly what I needed. God has been faithful, but I admit to feeling a bit panicked since the start of the year. I realize that I've been focused on not having enough, rather than on what we do have. We have enough to pay our bills (which have already been trimmed of excess without having to resort to drastic measures like turning off the heat/air). We went into this season with a well stocked freezer and pantry. We may not have an Aldi's or discount bread store or anything like that, but we do have a Dollar Tree that I have not been taking advantage of, and we have a Walmart and another grocery store that has clearance sections.
At the beginning of January I set up an Excel workbook containing an overview of the year. It has each payday and what bills have to be paid from each paycheck, so we can easily see how much will be left for gas, pet supplies, and groceries. Then I have an itemized ledger where I record every purchase. It's divided into major sections, like utilities, daily living, pets, insurance, etc., and then each section is divided into sub-categories - for example, daily living is divided into groceries (food only), household (paper products, cleaning supplies, etc.), personal products, and so forth. The ledger is linked to a monthly budget sheet which updates the totals as purchases are entered in the ledger. It has been interesting to look over the budget sheet and see just how much was spent in each area, and why it was over or under budget. However, I am now challenged to keep a record of exactly what we buy for groceries and such, so I can better track what and how much we eat/use.
Your articles have also reminded me that this is a season, not the rest of my life. And I am reminded of a recent Sunday School lesson - I am not the provider for my family. God is my provider. I am only a steward of His provision.
Jaime
Saturday 2nd of February 2019
Stacy, I can see all the excellent steps you're taking in this hard situation! I'm so sorry you're going through this, but I know we serve a big God who takes care of us in every aspect of life. He's got you and will show up in amazing ways, I just know it!
Stacie M.
Friday 6th of July 2018
So sorry about your husband's job loss. I know you guys can make it through, though! Good luck and although the circumstances are cruddy, I look forward to your small budget grocery posts.
Jaime
Friday 6th of July 2018
Thanks, Stacie! It sounds weird, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. =)
Kristen
Thursday 5th of July 2018
Sorry to hear this! It can be scary when things get tight. We have no experienced job loss but have had gaps between jobs where we needed to be super careful with spending. Thank you for the reminder that God always provides enough. Needed to hear that today! :) good luck with everything.
Jaime
Friday 6th of July 2018
Thank you, we appreciate that! God will make a way for us.
Michelle
Thursday 5th of July 2018
Sorry to hear this. Wishing you all the best. Long time reader :)
Jaime
Thursday 5th of July 2018
Thank you, I appreciate that. =) We're looking forward to what God has next for us!