My Frugal Story- Part Three

The Tuesday after Labor Day weekend my Husband was laid-off! After 10 years with his company and a phenominal track record there (everyone always raved about his work), he was suddendly and unexpectedly laid-off. We had never anticipated this, and we were screwed!

Suddenly my "extra" income was our ONLY income. He was out of work for almost 6 weeks. In that time we lived on what little savings we had, my small income and unemployment. We were only making payment to the bills we deemed "Must Pay", things like our morgtage, home and car insurance, the electric bill and phone/cable bill, the rest of our money put gas in my car so I could get to work and food on the table. It was tight, and such a set-back. Most of what we had paid down on our credit cards was now piling back on in interest and fees. We weren't charging anything and yet our balances after only two months of no-payment were back where they were prior to our 4 months of hard savings. How depressing.

To add insult to injury, we needed a car. We had a company truck from his old job and just one car in our name. So when he was laid off, we needed a car for him to go on interviews and eventually use to drive to his new job. Our one car, a 6 year old minivan, was dying. And 4 weeks into "unemployment" the entire transmission went and had to be relaced at the cost of *gasp* $2800!

But when God closes a door (and boy, did I feel like the door SLAMMED shut on me and hit me in the a** as I went out!) he opens a window. We have been very blessed in the last year and half. A neighbor, who was about to donate an old car they had, offered to give us the car at NO charge! It was just the answer to our prayers. It wasn't pretty,but I worked. My grandmother generously gave us the money to fix the minivan. The next week my Husband found a new job.

And the adventure continues....