Live Without a Salary in the USA
Almost anyone can wind up experiencing a period of time when they have no salary. You may have been laid off or fired from a job, or you may come to the point when you can't take your job any more and had to quit, without another job to go to. Here are a few ways that can help you live, primarily in the USA, without a salary.
Contents
Steps
- Apply for unemployment insurance. They may give you enough cash for food and shelter. If you got laid off you can have a longer period using unemployment insurance. But if you quit, they will give it to you for a short period of time (unless they find the reason you resigned is valid).
- If you usually buy unlimited metro cards, buy only the rides you are going to use instead. Unlimited metro cards are too expensive if you are not going to use it that much. If you have a car try to have control over where you go. When you step out, be determined about where you are going so you dint waste money on fuel.
- Don't eat out. Always eat meals at home. You can save a minimum of US$1,700.00 per month preparing your own food.
- If circumstances make you move, trying moving in with a family member while you get a new job or until you accomplish the plan to earn enough cash again to be independent. Explain your situation to them, and most of the time they will understand.
- Help as much as you can while you are staying with family. You don't need to go wild cleaning, or kissing their backsides. Just show a positive attitude. And respect them so they can respect you. Adapt to their environment, especially with their schedule. Don't come home after everyone is already sleeping, or be otherwise inconsiderate, or they may kick you out!
- Be honest with your loved ones about your situation. They will understand sooner or later. Talk to them about it. You will need their emotional support.
- Seek financial help. If you are in New York, look in to www.nyc.gov for help with food, searching for jobs, shelter, temporary cash assistance, health insurance and others. For those living in other places or states search your state website for help.
- Invest time applying for jobs online, in the local newspaper, talking to close friends about what you are interested in, go to career fairs and go to seminars.
- Cut all the unnecessary expenses. Don't spend on cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. It is wasted money. Replace what you used before with something else. For example: If you had a cell phone, call the cell phone company and change your plan to a vacation plan. This will help you save cash because this plan costs about US$20.00 The down side of this is you can't use your cell phone while on vacation plan. And it only gives you six months to stay like that. Ask for permission to use a residential phone instead. Use the internet at the library–it's free!
- Many church organisations offer help to anyone who needs it. They can help with accommodation, food, and have lots of contacts to help you find a job.
Tips
- Take a vacation. Thanks to the unemployment insurance assistance you might be able to go to another country, explore new things, take photos, meet new people. This is a good time to meet someone special.
- It's okay to feel down for a moment. But shake that off and put a smile on your face. Nothing is forever. And things happen for a reason. Usually it takes a crisis for us to be more disciplined and more cautious with our decisions. This means we learn from our mistakes and then become better persons.
- Get surrounded by optimistic people. This is contagious and you may start feeling the same way after a while. Being optimistic is really important in North American culture, as it shows in your eyes during an interview.
- Talk to yourself positively. Be nice to you. No one is perfect.
- There is help out there. Just ask the Human Resources Administration of your state.
- Have a purpose. This time of not working is a useful time to spend reading books that go with your purpose. Borders and Barnes and Nobles offer books with several weeks for return. So you can read the book and then return them. Its only going to be a few times. After all your financial situation will change soon.
Warnings
- Don't stay home doing nothing all the time. The worst thing is to never act. This can put you in to depression. And dwelling in bad thoughts is not healthy. Go out and talk to positive people who can encourage you to move ahead in life.
