Losing your job is very scary, no doubt about it. Here are expenses you can cut immediately to make living on your savings (or one paycheck) a little easier.
Cable TV, car insurance mileage (they may be able to lower your rate if you are driving less), clothes, day care, gardener, gym membership (ask if you can suspend it), home improvement projects, iTunes downloads, maid, meals out (including Starbucks!), Netflix, salon services, satellite radio and vacations.
What not to cut:
Internet service – you will need it to send resumes and search job ads
Car payments – depending on where you live, no car = no job
Cell phone – especially if you have given out the number to contacts. But call and ask your carrier if there is anyway to reduce your contract temporarily.
If you lost your job, what would you cut – and what would you keep?
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
You can cancel internet. Libraries usually have free internet as well as wi-fi. Most coffee shops do too if you buy something. Try regular coffee, tea, or a bottle of water and you should be under 2$
Good call, Dan. Libraries are a great source of free Internet service. You can also find free WiFi at http://www.wififreespot.com/ and http://hotspotr.com/wifi
Up yor exemptions on your w4 at work. Why give the government an interest free loan. Shop at Valley Produce in Simi Valley for your produce. If you can, cut your landline phone. I still have mine but Im old. Have garage sales, get rid of second cars. Insurance, maintenance, add up.
Great ideas, Rick. In warmer areas, year-round garage sales are a quick way to make more spending cash.
Be careful about increasing you exemptions on your W4 at work. Last thing you need is a big tax bill to Uncle Sam!
well you cant cancle cable unless you got a converter box or a newer tv i know if i cancle mine i wont be able to see anything but snow
get skype! then ucan downgrade your cell plan to almost non exsistant- unlimited calls to land lines and cell phones in the u.s. is only 2.95 and you can get a number for people to call you… much cheaper than a cell or a land line!
I can’t imagine cutting my gym membership! It keeps me healthy and reduces my stress which then keeps me out of the doctor’s office. My gym membership costs me $17 a month. This is a small price to pay for good health. I should probably add salon services. I can cut back but not out. If I don’t look good no one would hire me for a job. Hair is an important component of looking good. The rest I can (although painfully!) do without.
$17 a month! That’s ridiculous. How do you have such a good deal? What gym do you belong to?
Here’s another take on this – what would you do/spend more on to get more work? As a self-employed person, in this recession I have:
– Spent more on advertising to replace lost clients – placed a newspaper ad, business cards, auto door signs (Thanks, VistaPrint.com!)
– Tried to network more, going to events, local groups who could need my services
– Looked into offering other services related to what I currently am doing
I suppose other things would include updating one’s resume, wardrobe/personal care (within reason – only one good outfit needed for interviews) , website, etc…
24 Hour Fitness – it’s a GREAT deal that I would never give up. Plus I can work out at 3:00 a.m. IF I feel so inclined. 🙂
Welcome to your own site and leaving the corporate world behind. I’m excited for you.