All Forum Posts by: Elton Woods

1. Take control of your life. You've been laid off since January? That's your fault. The only reason you don't have a job is your daily choice to remain unemployed. You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react. You lost your job and chose to sit at home and collect unemployment. If I lost my job today, I would be hustling to have a new one by the end of the week, not waiting on a government check. 

2. Get any job you can and start building income. Don't quit a job until you have a new one lined up. My daughter just turned 17 and started waitressing in November. Her take-home pay is at least $750 a week working less than 30 hours a week. As an adult, you could work two jobs, 30 hours each, and easily earn $5,000 or more a month. 

3. Take a budgeting class and discipline yourself to control spending. Look for a "Financial Peace University" class hosted by a local church that will teach you how to budget. Talk to Dept. of Family Services to see if they have resources that can help you build a budget.

4. Need help with food? Bills? Family Services can point you to free food, mortgage assistance, utility assistance, and maybe even a free Obama phone. 

I'm just trying to wake you up. You are in control of your situation and there are a ton of resources available to help. Make the choice.

Start by getting a job-any job that will help you pay the bills.  It won't be your dream job, but something that pays more than $300 a week.

While you may not want a roommate, you may need to get one to help pay the bills until you are back on your feet.  Find someone who is working full time (perhaps one who works different hours than you do) to minimize the amount of time you are in the house at the same time.  Do you have a basement with a bedroom where they could stay?  Then you'd only have to share the kitchen.

Apologies, as I assumed you were in Georgia. If you are not there should be an assistance help line for The United Way in the state you are located.