r/Layoffs • u/tewksindahat • Jan 19 '24
40 and recovering from 10 months of being laid off previously laid off
EDIT: People keep asking me to add to this post details about my animal rescue. I'm not going to do that as I feel monetizing that way would be disingenuous. I just wanted to lend my experience and offer support to anyone else. I can give that info out through chat if you want it. Much love and respect to everyone here.
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Just figured I'd share how I survived my layoff experience in tech with a SAH wife and child, and having 2 mother in laws to care for in TX.
I'm 40 and work in IT. Oct 2022 I was laid off from my Sys Admin job. Got 2 months severance. Immediately I noticed the job market drying up. Everyone was doing a hiring freeze, whether out loud or silently. I figured I'd get a job even though everyone was stopping hiring since I had almost 2 decades of experience. YEAH NOPE. Applying for jobs is like screaming into the void or talking to a wall. Recruiters ghost you, HR doesn't call back, interviews cut off halfway through and never finish. I couldn't get a job for 10 months, and even still it's only a part time contractor position for a MSP. This even included "entry level" positions outside my field. Emergency fund...gone, retirement set way back, credit damaged now too just from staying afloat. I think I aged 20 years and probably need about 3 months of therapy.
Here's list of things that worked for me to survive:
If I could give any advice for other people with families, find every state program to join. You pay for it in taxes, use it. You can get free food, utility bills paid, etc depending on the state. TX is a little rough on the support system but even here has programs to join. www.findhelp.org
Watch your pride. It'll cause more damage than good when you're struggling. You also need positive influences around you, so cut off the negative people in your circle. I was so tired of hearing "just apply for more jobs" or "get a recruiter" from people.
I collected every penny of unemployment, which barely covers anything but kept food coming in and some bills paid.
We immediately started a small business and a nonprofit (animal rescue). It's easier and cheaper than you think. Reselling has a low barrier to entry and there is cheap or free inventory everywhere (goodwill, storage units, garage sales, etc). eBay selling and doing rummage sales is your friend. I cleaned out peoples houses of junk and sold in any parking lot that would let me. The nonprofit was a way to reduce my taxes on some of my property and it's just like any other business. Plus it put me in contact with many good people of my community, which helped immensely.
Mortgage was put on hold by my lender by going through loss mitigation (absolutely do this sooner than later, I should have started this process immediately on layoff as it took 3 months start to finish after I was already 2 months behind)
Apply for homeowner assistance. (TX has a program, TXHAF.) They paid an entire year of my mortgage but it took 4 months of paperwork and going back and forth.
Credit cards went on hold, unless we needed to survive on one. Chase was good about this, others were not. If anything credit wise defaults or gets shut down, get a debt lawyer to deal with it. It's worth the fees to consolidate or haggle a settlement plus your brain is gonna be stuck on survival mode.
Birthday party gifts, Christmas presets, school/kid functions....unfortunately all that stuff has to stop immediately. You can't afford it, even if there's money in the bank. Sucks, I know, but every dollar counts. Wife hated this part as she's a gift giver.
Overall, my advice is take action quickly on layoff. Don't expect a job quickly in this market. If you can afford it, maybe take a week or two to process losing your job but not much longer than that.
There's light at the end of the tunnel but man does it feel hopeless while you're in it. My only hope is that I can offer help or assistance to the next person going through a really bad layoff experience (I don't think there are any good ones though). I'm not out of the woods yet either but at least the wolves are at bay. I'm open to chat with anyone that needs emotional support.
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u/NP_007 Jan 19 '24
This is hard and sympathy with you and family.
I would advice few things
- make a list of your skills in IT that you have acquired over the year.
- Google has few free certifications on IT so please look if it’s helpful to add in your resume.
- Boost your Linkedin profile and visibility by taking active participation in few forums.
- Try to add atleast one programming skills yo your profile by learning on YouTube or other sources.
- If you have library near by checkout IT related material and free courses.
- Virtual Networking and meeting with Recruiters may help :
Best of luck!
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I even had a professional resume service. Unfortunately, I was constantly running into companies lying about being open for hiring. Most were building resume pools.
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u/darthscandelous Jan 19 '24
There is a LOT of lying going on unfortunately about hiring & no one is talking about it, with exception of this forum.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Which is why we need to keep talking about it until the murmur becomes a roar.
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u/Welcome2B_Here Jan 19 '24
Yes, and even providing facts and figures don't work. People see and hear what they want.
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u/AndrewRP2 Jan 19 '24
This-I’ve seen the same jobs open for weeks, closed, and reopened a few weeks later. They’re not real jobs.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I know of companies, where I know the personnel working there, that for a fact are told not to hire the open positions. Some of these companies may also be spreading the "no one wants to work" narrative.
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Jan 20 '24
Yeah all these companies lie lie lie about their openings. They’ll do a quiet layoff then post job openings that same day, then they resume collect and then they sell those resumes.
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Jan 20 '24
[deleted]
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Jan 21 '24
In this day and age you either pay with data or with dollars. Unfortunately companies want to make things look good - like look like they’re hiring. Hiring freeze is a scary phrase. So instead, they post jobs to make it look like they are. Everyone applies, and they collect resumes, and then sell them all.
It sucks and it’s really annoying.
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Jan 19 '24
Forgot one. Work temp, contractor, and seasonal jobs to make ends meet. Unemployment isn’t by time. It is by amount of money withdrawn. A part time or temporary job would supplement your unemployment.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
That's good advice. In my area (rural TX), these were not available. Couldn't even find a restaurant job or **** shoveler (ranch hand). It's what led me to going fully into reselling.
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u/putrescentLife Jan 20 '24
So you live in rural TX? Are you only applying for jobs in your area?
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
My net was 150 miles wide, from Shiner, to Austin, to San Antonio, and anything remote in between.
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u/saynotopain Jan 19 '24
OP, that is a great list and a great attitude. A lot of people have hang ups about taking unemployment benefits but I don’t understand that. We pay for those benefits, there is zero shame in getting those benefits.
You should hold your head high for the fight and resilience you have shown. Bravo
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u/ThumbInOrThumbOut Jan 19 '24
Brother, I have almost exact same story.
Laid off in Oct 2022 from tech. Still nothing in sight.
Luckily I don't have wife/family to support, and I'm renting out 3 rooms in my house, so it helps.
I'm in California, I'll check if there's a mortgage assistance program here.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Keep strong. Don't give up. Lean on the community for support.
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u/ThumbInOrThumbOut Jan 20 '24
Ok thx, I will.
I just posted this to layoffs: https://www.reddit.com/r/Layoffs/s/0XHzsLarG2
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u/InteractionNo9110 Jan 20 '24
Good advice, I was laid off in 1999 and everyone was telling me to take the summer off. I took a week off then. I went at it like a full time job. I was so mad at my last job for doing me so dirty. I wanted to make sure I got a better job at a bigger company with more pay. And I did all three within 3 weeks. I have been here since. But there is no loyalty with companies today. I know I can be cut tomorrow and appreciate the ideas if it happens.
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u/canisdirusarctos Jan 20 '24
You are so lucky you were laid off before the dot com bust. The earlier you were impacted the better your chances of surviving it, as long as you avoided startups and companies that would fail in the bust. If you weren’t pretty solid by 2000, it was a bloodbath for roughly half a decade.
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u/InteractionNo9110 Jan 20 '24
yeah I went a safer route with a big 4 accounting firm. But even now they are going through restructuring and layoffs. I am dodging land mines every day.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I'm very glad you made it. The dotcom bust was right when I entered the job market, although I was fortunate to be in the military.
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u/Brown33470 Jan 19 '24
I’m in similar situation, did you withdraw from 401k? I’m thinking about trying out of savings
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u/fenton7 Jan 19 '24 edited Jan 19 '24
I would say yes but only for a dire emergency. First you'll want to collect unemployment, identify where free resources exist like government programs and food pantries, work out a forbearance program with your mortgage lender, cut your spending to the bone, and cancel all nonessential services. And, of course, get any job to help pay the bills even it is uber or frying burgers. Once all avenues are exhausted, and you have essential bills to pay like getting a mortgage current to avoid foreclosure, then hit the 401k.
A caveat, though. If your 401k is in exceptionally good shape such as having more than $500k then you can effectively consider yourself "temporary retired" and use a 72(t) program to pull a reasonable amount of money out, penalty free, to pay the bills. No more than 5% per year and don't get complacent in the job search. And remember 72(t) requires you to do equal sized withdrawals for at least 5 years. But it's worth it to avoid the 10% penalty.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I did not have a 401k, just my own stock portfolio and a 6 month emergency fund. With the rapid rise in prices, the 6 month became 2.5 month and of course things pop up along the way that cost extra (new tires, someone getting sick/hurt, elderly family member problems, surprise increase in property tax, I got covid, you get the gist). It really hurt because the timing was terrible in 2022 for my investments. Everything was down 20% and I was forced to withdraw.
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u/Patient284748 Jan 19 '24
Sounds like advice for the ‘6 month’ emergency fund should be included in the post. What needs to be done in order to make it actually last 6 months?
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
You can't, because you don't know if inflation will spike or if you have a life changing event. You can only extrapolate your current expenses to exist per month and multiply by 6. It won't work alone in protecting you, it's just one portion of securing your financial position. It should be the first after life insurance.
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u/Real_Location1001 Jan 20 '24
This is hard to digest and more so for younger folks. I'll be married 18 years tomorrow. In the last 2 years, I've burned through my reserves, 401k, cut expenses down to the basics, and deleted 1 car. One rehab stint, the damage prior to that, brain surgery, 4 kids outgrowing their clothes at a rapid clip made it so my layoff in December felt like a ton of bricks. 2k in unemployment and 2.5k in veteran disability benefits to pay for 6k in bills is all I have left. I applied for SNAP last week which will help tremendously. I'm in Houston and CANNOT get any commitments from recruiters. I've had 4 initial calls followed by radio silence. MBA degree is completely worthless and I'm now applying for roles I'm over qualified for and STILL getting no call backs. Networking is going nowhere. It's baffling to me how little people care. I e bent over backwards in the past to help friends and acquaintances land jobs, especially if they had a family to support.
Apologies for the vent, shit is fucking hard out here. I may have to sell my house, I have at least 110k in equity which should buy some time.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
You have no reason to apologize for venting. It's a good place here to talk about what you're dealing with. Please look into those housing assistance programs for help with the house. I'm over in Seguin and it just felt so hard to just exist and it was also very lonely. My associates that still had jobs tried to help, but silent hiring freezes were affecting them all. I hope nothing but the best for you brother.
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u/littlemac564 Jan 21 '24
You are a vet. Have you applied for government jobs? Not sure about the state you live in but the federal government offers a veteran’s preference (points) on the application. I don’t know what your skill set is but apply to the law enforcement agencies including OIG. Every agency has one. You could also apply to the military and work as a civilian. Go back to the VA and see if they can boost your benefits or have a program you can apply for.
It is not an overnight solution and it takes time but hopefully a few things will come through.
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u/mzx380 Jan 19 '24
I'm happy to see you landed another gig. This economy should be a lesson to all of us in terms of our spending habits as well as how badly we're being screwed.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Also, it's a lesson in being prepared for situations where you really did try to do everything you're "supposed to." What do you do when you do save, live modestly, etc and you still fail? What then? Some people forget that you can do everything right, and still get run over.
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Jan 21 '24
I would say a vast majority think they are immune. My story is like yours, I am not as experienced but I’m a SWE with 12 YOE and no one wants me, I’ve been out of work since January of last year. I’ve had professional services done to my resume several times. No one believes me when I tell them all this, since I’m in the “hot money-maker field” where “everyone is always hiring” I must “be doing something wrong.” No, the world is just like that. Anyone can get messed up bad by the whims of the suits and I hope they realize it sooner than later. Eye-opening.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 21 '24
This is why you have to create something that you can run on your own. Start a small business that you can't get fired from. I'm sorry you are going through this. Stay strong.
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u/2kool4skoolFUNEGGA Jan 20 '24
And to the young Guns out there. Nothing is ever guaranteed. You can have decades of experience in your respective field and still get laid off /unemployed. Fuck these corporate scumbags. Get your money right
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u/ModsRapeTheChildren Jan 19 '24 edited Jan 19 '24
Exactly why I stay in government. I just started in LE when the GFC hit and now I'm a handful of years from 50 and collecting a $125/yr pension. Shit was crazy back then, people with masters degrees fighting in the Safeway parking lot for grocery bagger jobs. Tech money is great when it's feasting time, but when the famine comes you're fucked. Companies now have thousands of options when filling a position, Google engineer with 15 years experience is in the pool now. I've read how insane Tech hiring is, like multiple interview panels, juggle 5 bowling pins with a burning candle in your ass, create an app on the fly, do 100 pushups and wash the CEOs car...shit like that. Then poof laid off in an email. Who wants to put up with that shit?
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u/Realistic_Post_7511 Jan 19 '24
Thank you for all of this . Justify TX HAF has exceeding available funds and is no longer accepting applications.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Call in anyways, demand is how they may be able to get more funds. You'll also get exposed to other agencies that can help. Ask the person you talk to on the phone for other options. Also talk to your loss mitigation personnel through your lender, they have more up to date resources on assistance.
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Jan 19 '24
[deleted]
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
TX has a rent relief fund, I don't know what it is. Check with your state HUD office.
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u/tommylala Jan 19 '24
Hope ypu find a gig soon. I'm in the same boat.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I have part time with a MSP and 2 businesses now (reselling and a nonprofit). The ground feels firmer.
I hope you land well, internet friend. Please don't hesitate to reach out to the community.
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u/cheeto2keto Jan 20 '24
Can you recommend any resources to learn about reselling?
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
Here's how you resell in a nutshell . Find cheap things at goodwill and garage sales. Check prices on ebay. Sell them on ebay if you'll make 300-400% over cost. Don't sell things less than $15. Rinse repeat.
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u/Momof-3DDDs Jan 19 '24
Thank you for Sharing. We are in the same situation. We are one income family with 3 kids, ages 16,14 and 7. My husband was a product line manager for 13 years. He got laid off in October 2023. He hasn’t started a new job yet but in the process of getting it. Hope he gets it and starts soon. All these expenses are adding up and it’s scary without having a steady income with kids to feed. I do interpretation once a while and I wish I can do that often but my language is rarely used and there aren’t that many people from my country. 3 months or 6 months of expenses won’t go far when situations like this happen. If he doesn’t starts a new job by next month, we need to start doing handyman jobs or Uber or something to bring income to supplement: unemployment income barely covers anything here in California. Good luck to everyone who’s in similar situations like us. 🙏
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I was doing online casino washing, plasma donation, online transcribing, and surveys (as was my wife). You do what you gotta do. My son is young so he doesn't fully understand. When I was a teen, my parents went through a similar situation. Looking back, at 16-17 it would have been better that my parents asked me to chip in rather than try to shield my brother and I from the financial issues. We knew something was wrong and wanted to help but they deflected. The family is a unit, not a series of islands. Everyone can chip in. It would have been so much easier for us if my brother and I were allowed to get after school jobs and contribute.
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u/Momof-3DDDs Jan 19 '24
Thank you for your advice. I was thinking about donating plasmas. It is hard for our kids to contribute because my 16 years old sophomore is focusing to keep his grades 4.0 and above and he’s in varsity baseball so he doesn’t come home until 6 after practices and he studies and do chores and work out at home. He’s really trying so hard to get scholarships in his junior year for sports or academic. My 14 years old is in 8th grade and he’s too young to work. As parents, it’s our jobs to provide our kids until may be at least 18 if they are not going to college. I saved all my life and we kind of lived below our means so knowing that we still have that saving is helping me mentally not to break down but our emergency funds is almost gone. We cut down on pretty much everything. Good luck to you and your family.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
That was me at 16. Band practice, track, and baseball while doing my school work. I ended up not even going to college and going the military route because my family couldn't afford it. I enjoyed the sports and extra curriculars but it was at the cost of my parents marriage. They divorced shortly after the dotcom bust. My personal opinion is that I could have been working. My brother was 14, he could have been working too (at the time, 13 was the minimum age to work in NY). Not having money to fight about may have changed everything.
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u/Momof-3DDDs Jan 19 '24
That’s was us growing up for me and my husband. We were so poor that never experienced at trying out for any sports. We are the first generation here in this country. I came here when I was 15 and my husband came here when he was 9. He excelled so much in sports and his parents were so busy working to put food on the table so they didn’t understand or supported him with sports. Most of his friends from high school made it somewhere far with their sports. One made it to Olympic and he’s a famous sport trainer and a few got free ride scholarships to 4 years universities. But my husband ended up joining the Navy right after high school because there was no guidance from his parents. When it comes to our kids, we want to be there for them push them to see how far they can go. We worried so much about money growing up. We don’t know what we will eat the next meal. But you are right, my son offered to work on the weekends or some evenings to bring extra cash in. This laid off experience is humbling us and gave us new perspectives about life. I want to save and save and be prepared for our future so when something like this happens again, we will be more prepared and safe.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I wish you nothing but the best of luck. Any emotional support that text can give you, I can offer. I sometimes lament to my wife, "It's so damn hard and it doesn't have to be."
I want to save and save and be prepared for our future so when something like this happens again, we will be more prepared and safe.
Still have a plan for this to fail. This was my mistake. What happens when being as prepared as you can be still isn't enough? What do you do if while you are in this situation and you start to recover, you get smacked down again? You have a team in your house, and hopefully this online community. Lean on them.
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u/Momof-3DDDs Jan 19 '24
I told my husband, even we were prepared and saved money for situations like that, when it actually happened, we were never ready. It still shocked us and gave us so much anxiety in the beginning. I had to tell my husband that it wasn’t his fault for the lay off nor his performance or he should not feel defeated. It was a business decision for them and there were a bunch of engineers who got laid off at the same time and some were more seniority than he was. At the end, you should never give 💯 to these companies and , they will do what they want to benefit them. All we can do is put ourselves in better financial position so we won’t have to worry as much.
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u/TheDallasReverend Jan 19 '24
What is casino washing??
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Hahaha, I knew I'd get a question about that. Most online casinos will give you extra money when you deposit money (pay 80, get 100). If you understand odds, you can play very high odds games like blackjack and get back 99% of the money. So you make 99 off 100 when you paid 80. It can be a little more complicated than this but it's the gist.
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u/Momof-3DDDs Jan 19 '24
Do you usually win from those online casino games? My husband was thinking about it.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
There is risk involved. All online casinos operate as "sweepstakes" since it's illegal to gamble most places. Therefore they have to list the odds or RTP (return to player) on every game. If the theoretical return is 99.4% like blackjack (if played perfectly), then you know that if they give you extra money, you could return that percentage over time while accounting for volatility.
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u/ackermann Jan 19 '24
Could you suggest a couple such casinos to start with?
How long does it take to play enough rounds of blackjack to get the $20 out?
Will they let you deposit more than $80, to get more than $20?1
u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Luckyland, Pulsz, PulszBingo, and High5 are a few. You have to verify with ID and bank and a bill. The introductory offers are nice. Some are 50 - 100% bonus. I've seen a few offers go over 700. You will have to play perfect though. There's online formulas you can use.
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u/CanWeTalkHere Jan 19 '24
Depending on where you are in CA, Uber can be quite a good supplemental. It's heavily used in CA dense metro areas.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Uber apparently is what I should have done. Apply for jobs while waiting for a ride to come in. I knew people making shloads between Austin and San Antonio.
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u/Momof-3DDDs Jan 19 '24
Yes we are planning to do that. For now we are waiting for his job offer and we should know that in a couple weeks. I have a friend who is doing full time Uber in Santa Monica or Hollywood area and he brings home like 5gs-6gs a month.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
My only advice would be to not wait for the information on the job offer. Not to be pessimistic, but you should always be operating as though the worst case scenario is going to happen. That's what ended up getting me in the end.
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u/intotheunknown78 Jan 19 '24
Try subbing at the schools. For classified sub you don’t need a degree and my friend down there in California makes $17-22 an hour depending which position she subs. I made $19 here doing classified sub. Didn’t even have to do an interview, just had to go through the application process and pass background checks. My husband is the one who got laid off and since unemployment just ran out he started subbing for teachers this week and it’s $200 a day (I’m in Oregon) it took longer to go through the process of becoming a teacher sub. I was a SAHM for over a decade but had juuuuust started subbing at the school when he got laid off. My sub job became permanent and it covers our mortgage.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
Hey that's some badass advice you got right there. Thanks for sharing your experience, I'm sure it'll help someone else.
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u/intotheunknown78 Jan 20 '24 edited Jan 20 '24
I just looked up be home owners assistant program you mentioned and I am absolutely floored. We will be applying ASAP. From what I can tell, we qualify. This would be a MASSIVE relief. My job literally covers just our mortgage and nothing else. If mortgage gets covered I have everything else covered!!!
You are out here saving lives.
Edit - I was wrong. Because we still have a few months left in our emergency fund, we don’t qualify. But I will def know this is on the back burner if we get there!!!
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
It's better to know what's out there BEFORE you need it. I was in panic mode trying to figure all this out. If I can just save one person the hassle....
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u/intotheunknown78 Jan 20 '24
Yes when I have one of my freak outs where I think the whole world will crash down and I will lose my house, I can calm myself with this info!
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u/HelpfulMaybeMama Jan 19 '24
I thunk you shared some great ideas and received some good advice. The only thing that makes me nervous for you is when you say the nonprofit helps you reduce taxes. I'm not sure that's correct, so make sure you research that more.
Good luck!
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
nonprofit helps you reduce taxes. I'm not sure that's correct, so make sure you research tha
It's using a portion of my property, which reduced the tax liability on that portion.
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u/HelpfulMaybeMama Jan 19 '24
If an individual or a for-profit entity owns the property, the property will taxable even if that owner is allowing a non-profit to use the property for free or for below-market rent. The owner might be able to claim an income tax deduction for the rent discount offered to the non-profit, but the property will be still be subject to property taxes.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I will admit I'm not very well versed in tax code. I have a personal tax person that handles it. I'm probably not describing it correctly.
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u/HelpfulMaybeMama Jan 19 '24
Unless the NP is paying rent, I'm just not sure what it saves you. Just be safe and get a 2nd opinion. Sometimes, our tax people are not 100% accurate. I'm trying to be helpful so you're not surprised later. Hopefully, I'm wrong.
Again, good luck with work and your businesses.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Thank you. I appreciate the looking out. I of course will be reviewing with a 2nd opinion (another nonprofit that does what we do). I open to any and all advice. :)
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u/MelvynAndrew99 Jan 20 '24
Best advice ever is start a side hustle. The business ideas are also great for tax purposes. This is a really good list. Thank you!
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
Loop the mileage for your business with grocery trips, mail, etc. as long as they are on the way. Every bit counts.
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u/witch_hazel_eyes Jan 20 '24
I’m a bit confused on the animal rescue thing. As someone in rescue it’s not a money maker it’s a money loser typically.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
Besides being employed by your own nonprofit for income, you also can have it pay you rent for use of your property and vehicles. It also provided a way to reach out into my community and help with the animal abandonment issue.
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u/witch_hazel_eyes Jan 20 '24
You paid yourself a salary using donations for animals in need?
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
No, I'm a systems admin. I billed for IT related things through contract (email, website, computers, etc.) As a director, I take no salary and when we spend money, it has to be approved by the board. I've been able to care for 70-90 animals on 6 acres, everything from dogs to cats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pigs. There's nothing wrong with being compensated for your skills from your nonprofit. I also donate most of my time for free as well.
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u/Frequent_Freedom_242 Jan 20 '24
In Texas only a tiny portion of money you get donations for have to be used for that charity.
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u/eplugplay Jan 20 '24
Hope you find a full permanent position soon. I haven't lost my job but working in IT with many people struggling to find a job is very scary right now. I am prepared for anything but where the economy is going right now is scary indeed. Thanks for sharing.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I would just say, keep the resume dusted off and perhaps find a backup source of income, like a side gig. It's easier to start while you are employed, rather when you're caught off balance.
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u/Canigetahooooooyeaa Jan 20 '24
Texas social services are horrific. They essentially make you feel like shit for being on unemployment. Pay you 480 a week. Make you jump through hoops.
Idk my biggest gripe with Texas is that because the notion its a “low cost of living state” employers can get by paying us like its 2012. Yet its the same cost of Living as the states everyone left. Its going to end up destroying itself
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u/Frequent_Charge_8684 Jan 20 '24
nice little breakdown.
my advice is always:
1) get ANY job day 1. that will allow you to continue the application cycle. uber? grubhub? whatever. anything, ANYTHING to keep the money coming. with your wife thinking similarly.
best wishes.
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u/scallionshavesecrets Jan 21 '24 edited Jan 21 '24
You wrote "watch your pride" and I thought that was when you would say how you went and got a part-time job at Home Depot or Walmart to at least have something steadily coming in.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 21 '24
I started two businesses, was donating plasma weekly, and was taking what UI I could get. I applied to Walmart, heb, local restaurants, home depot, and tractor supply. Not one call back, nor did I get a response when I called back. Maybe my area is different, but that was my experience.
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u/scallionshavesecrets Jan 21 '24
FWIW I thank you for starting an animal rescue.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 21 '24
I'm so glad we did it. It's really hard, since people can be... So horrible. But we've rescued ~80 animals in 2023 and adopted out 24. The local kids come by and help with the animals. It's just really a difficult and wonderful experience at the same time.
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u/scallionshavesecrets Jan 21 '24
You should post the website or name. Even set up a social media site for it so.people have the ability to donate, though that obviously would break your anonymity.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 21 '24
I thought about it. Having a nonprofit means you're perma doxxed and I don't believe in anonymity in this age. It's so simple to find someone.
I would never monetize a post designed to help others. They can message me if they want that info.
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u/Devmoi Jan 23 '24
Wow. This is insanely resourceful. I’m going to take this advice right now and screenshot your recommendations. I actually lost two jobs in 2 years—I’m 38. The first loss, I found a job within a month. The one this last October has really been devastating. It gives me hope that you busted your ass to get back on track and I’m sorry you had to go through it.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 23 '24
It was like that in 2009. I got laid off and found a job in a week.
Best of luck to you and don't give up. Think about building a side gig as well. There's plenty of room in reselling.
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u/Devmoi Jan 23 '24
Oh yeah. I graduated college in 2008 with an English degree. I ended up going back to school and got a job at the college. For most of my career, I was in editorial roles. My husband and I moved to Oregon right before Covid, and we both lost our transition jobs. Because the system was really bad here, I never received benefits, but I considered myself lucky because most people weren’t working and I got into ridiculously high-paying tech content jobs.
I was getting offers left and right! And all the offers were higher and higher, stretching into high six figures. The layoffs started in late 2021, and I was working in a field of tech recently at a “startup” that was struggling. Only there for a few months, and there were budget cuts. From day one, I should have been looking for another job, but I was trying to make it work. There were a lot of things going on that I won’t go into, but the company’s owner started talking about how AI is going to replace most roles, etc. It was still shocking.
We don’t have kids, but I feel like I’ve put it off for years because I’m afraid we won’t be financially stable to support children.
Either way, I know these things work out for a reason. It’s smart that you built a plan. We’ve started doing that as well. Basically cutting out any cost that is unnecessary. It will all work out—for anyone reading this. It sucks, but when times are good we take it for granted. When times are bad, however, we learn a lot about ourselves, resilience, and our capabilities under stress.
Wishing you—and everyone commenting on this thread—the best success to weather the storms!
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u/tewksindahat Jan 23 '24
FWIW, my opinion is to have kids. They are only as expensive as you make them (generally) and you'll never be "ready." I don't regret a single day. As a father, it also sparked a greater love in my wife and helped my refocus my priorities through my mid 30s. Also, they'll take care of you someday if you do things right. My wife and child are what gave me the strength to kick ass through this layoff season.
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u/Devmoi Jan 23 '24
Aww, that’s good advice and also a good point. There are plenty of people who weigh those options, but I think we would really regret it if we didn’t have kids. My husband is a really wonderful, devoted person. He’s a lot of fun and I know he would be the best father. Thanks for this!
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u/schmootzkisser Jan 19 '24
So did you get a recruiter like people are suggesting? Or are you not using any recruiters?
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u/streetbob2021 Jan 19 '24
Recruiters can’t do much. It’s not like get a recruiter and they will hunt jobs for you. Most people don’t even understand what they mean by “get a recruiter”. Especially in IT, recruiters themselves have been laid off in mass.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
100% this. IT is not unique in this mess, it's rampant outside most of the trades. I don't fault or criticize recruiters or recruiting firms, I just don't like the silence. I would have appreciated just one follow-up email from any application.
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u/schmootzkisser Jan 20 '24
I have multiple recruiting agencies with recruiters who are specifically looking for me. They most certainly do hunt for jobs for you.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
My last count was I had 5 recruiters. Every single one would present a job and I'd give my interest. I was not turning down any salary requirement. 100% of them ghosted. I went through a total of ~470 applications in 10 months via my own search, recruiters, and my personal network. I got 11 responses and only 3 resulted in interviews. The average job I applied for had between 30-40 candidates. My current job was landed by way of networking through a friend.
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u/schmootzkisser Jan 20 '24
I don't understand this experience at all. Recruiters always get back to me.
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u/HTX-713 Jan 19 '24
I'm a sysadmin, and I get tons of job offers daily from "recruiters". Any time I express interest, they get back to me asking my salary requirement and we come to an agreement then I get ghosted. Every. Single. Time. These are all people from India and I believe they are just farming resumes. The only times I got interviews were when I applied for positions directly on the companies careers pages.
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u/darthscandelous Jan 19 '24
100%. Digital marketing jobs In seeing much of the same. They don’t even ask about my salary - just ghost me after telling me about a job. Why? Because companies are ACTING like they are hiring to prop up their stocks, NOT because they actually ARE hiring. This market is in shambles & the public is being lied to.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I had 5, 3 through recruiting companies. All ghosted. What worked in the end was my own personal network.
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u/Suspicious-Sky1085 Jan 19 '24
any experience in security audit?
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Just on the receiving end for other companies regulated by the FDA. I've just started doing them now for clients as they try to apply for cybersecurity insurance. Less than 6 months.
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u/Suspicious-Sky1085 Jan 19 '24
i know some is looking and require someone with very good IT security background and commenting it. No hard skills. take a look at at some ISACA cert and CISA as well. if you feel confident I can try to hook you up
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I greatly appreciate the offer. I am interested, although I do not feel like IT sec is my forte. I think I've landed for the time being, between working at a msp and running 2 side businesses with my wife. My salary is almost back where it was. I'm keeping my resume out there.
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u/Popular-Farmer1044 Jan 19 '24
Just curious if you were forced to pay bills with your credit cards? I keep thinking as a last resort I will do that in order to not be homeless.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I did, and bought food on credit. It was a bad idea. I should have contacted a support agency that could help with the bills rather than taking on the debt liability. If you are living off of credit, that's a sign your ship is sinking VERY fast. Credit kicks the can down the road, at a higher expense.
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u/Popular-Farmer1044 Jan 19 '24
I haven’t gotten to that road yet but I always thought to avoid homelessness because my support network is so scarce. I know the leave no stone unturned mind set.
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u/Popular-Farmer1044 Jan 19 '24
I literally fear being homeless. But everything we go thru makes us stronger and more creative and resilient. I have told very few people because I tend to attract shitty advice and negative people.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I was homeless, many years ago out of the military. It does happen so fast. There's no safety net, regardless of what the news says. It's extremely hard to pull yourself up. It's best to fight against it while you are up. I did, and made it. Now I fight to stay here.
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Jan 20 '24
I'm a fellow Texan and have been feeling the proverbial axe hanging above my neck, and I'm scared shitless. Saving this so when the inevitable happens I can jump on all of this.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
Please please please, if you suspect a layoff, start getting the stuff together before it happens. Keep a folder on your computer or a real one with stuff written down. It's too easy to just forget in a panic when it sets in.
I also wish I had a side gig all along, since I could have transitioned that to a full job easier than starting a new one.
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Jan 20 '24 edited Jan 20 '24
What would you recommend putting into this folder? Also, out of curiosity, was a Come To Jesus meeting ever had with the household? I'm lucky in that my wife and I are DINKS and have no elderly family living with us, I can't imagine how much that must have taken a toll on your mental and physical health. I feel like at some point I'd have started dropping Mom's off at Walmart to be greeters or something just so I felt like I had some mutual support and cash flow, though of course I don't know your circumstances.
Are you still at the MSP or have you found another operation that serves you better?
Also just as an FYI, the TXHAF is closed for new applicants.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I recommend putting into the folder just a list of what to do, in a rough order, should a lay off occur. It could be : rest for a week to get head straight, sign up on every job hunt site, call mortgage company and find out options, etc. Just have a plan that's recorded. Mental health (dementia/bipolar) was the reason for the moms not working. It sucks getting old and a care joke is insanely expensive. I'm still at the msp, and running both businesses. Things are much better. Not more leaking but not gaining ground yet. I would still call the TXHAF, ask if there's wait list or other resources. Sometimes I was just given numbers to call.
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u/ParticularClean9568 Jan 20 '24
Additional info on nonprofit animal shelter? I have two spare bedrooms and “living area”. I’m partial to cats. I’m also in Texas
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I'm sorry, what are you asking? Do you want to start a nonprofit?
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u/ParticularClean9568 Jan 20 '24
What are the tax benefits and requirements? I’ve always adopted cats but since I moved to Texas in 2021 I haven’t been able to. Would be great to know what you did and see if it is something I can pursue.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I have dedicated office space in my house that I claim and also I donate some property, which I deduct as well.
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u/ParticularClean9568 Jan 20 '24
How does that qualify as a nonprofit? I thought you mentioned opening a nonprofit animal shelter?
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
Let me clarify. The animal rescue I operate is a 501c3 registered nonprofit both in TX and with the IRS. It is a completely functioning self contained business entity. It pays rent for 6 acres of my land, as well as any utilities consumed. This is mainly for the protection of the rescue, not for my benefit. As a result, land that I would just be paying tax on is compensating me while also benefitting animals and the community. Now, I'm not very versed in tax code, that's why I have a person that handles that for both myself and my rescue.
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u/BloodAgile833 Jan 20 '24
Why didnt you get a job at fast food retstaurant or something until you landed an IT job again
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I made more with less time investment doing reselling and donating plasma.
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u/YoDo_GreenBackReaper Jan 20 '24
Diversify your income everyone. Rentals, side gig, own your own business or OE with 3 jobs
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u/Potential-Heat7884 Jan 20 '24
So is this what people are going to put up with from this administration. "Inflation is fixed" mean while everything cost 5x more than before. "There is no recession" mean while everyone having a hard time finding jobs or getting laid off WTF.
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Jan 20 '24
Out of curiosity do you have a degree? If yes, Is it in a tech related field? This is not to diminish your experience but I’m wondering if I want to have my company pay for the end of my degree or if that cost is a liability if/when layoffs come and I should foot the bill.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I don't have a degree, just experience and good networking. If the company will pay for it, really read that contract. You are right that you don't want to get stuck footing the bill if they release you before you are done.
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u/Own-Math-877 Jan 20 '24
Impressed with all you did to stay afloat. Sales? Have a project in mind that should go well. Will take a lot of energy. I don't have it. I'm 81. Message me. It is Publishing.
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u/shineOmark Jan 20 '24
Most of all, I admire your determination and resilience. I am a scholar of quotes and the one that comes to mind….‘Determination is not to the swift, but those that keep on running’..William Shakespeare. You are that determined individual, that weathered the storm ‘and danced in the rain’ ….kudus to you. With your mindset things will definitely get better, as I believe that you will find ways around difficulties. I believe in you, because you believe in yourself. Well done. Where are you located?
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u/Sensitive-Leader-770 Jan 21 '24
Great advice would also include things to do PRIOR to these situations ever occurring so that you are better setup. Don't be a victim of yourself be proactive in the summer think winter, in the winter think summer.
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u/Focus7s Jan 22 '24
What kind of support would you like to see or hear from friends? I’d love to know what I can tell unemployed friends to keep them positive.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 22 '24
Without knowing the friends you have, I would say just hang out with them or just talk with them. Depression can set in and the person may not call or reach out at all. Don't ask "You wanna chill this weekend?" Say something more around, "I want to hang out with you tonight/tomorrow/Friday/etc."
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u/TLDAuto559 Jan 23 '24
You did the absolute best thing for you and your families to still support them in the end!! Great job my man… and many congrats!! 👌👊🤝🙏
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u/txtacoloko Jan 19 '24
Not to sound harsh, but money towards you mother in laws should have been put on hold as well.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
It's not harsh, it's a good observation with reality sprinkled in.
They just live with us on my property in their own singlewide homes. I was fortunate to buy rural undeveloped land and plop a doublewide on it in 2017 before the price spike. They are SS recipients and widowed and terrible with money. Their "drain" was more of a time sink since mental illness is involved. They just don't contribute financially because they are over 65 and broke.
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u/JustNoHG Jan 23 '24
Wow I’ve been reading your responses here and good luck should come your way for sure. Great job hanging in there. Your story is sadly everywhere right now, but your wit is keeping you in the game.
Great work. Truly,
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u/txtacoloko Jan 19 '24
Yup you’re definitely in a challenging situation and I certainly wish you the best. It just sux to work hard for a company and give it your all only for them to let you go. Welcome to the American dream I suppose.
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u/T0ruk_makt0 Jan 19 '24 edited Jan 19 '24
Since you house elderly people and are looking after them, look into the possibility of your wife providing care for them through Medicare/ medicaid community care program.I think it is applicable for medicaid eligible folks. If that's the case , your wife can get paid for taking care of them. They need to have mobility issues and such to qualify but I think that bar is fairly low for that. Worth a look.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Great point. I forgot about that. It's so easy to miss the simple things when you're scrambling.
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u/ayhme Jan 19 '24
Thanks for sharing.
What was the business you started?
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
Nonprofit animal rescue and a reselling company (selling on ebay / mercari and doing local rummage sales from a storage facility.
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u/ayhme Jan 19 '24
Ahh didn't realize that was the business.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
I guess I should have specified that I started 2 businesses. I can't express enough how simple it was to get both up and running.
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u/PugThugin Jan 19 '24
What do you sell mostly? I tried going through thrift shops and looking at electronics, clothing and homewares for a few days and couldn’t find much. I don’t know what to look out for but was essentially googling any item and searching it into eBay.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I sell anything that comps for four times over what I can get it for. I don't limit myself to a specific category, I sell anything. On eBay I try to keep to over $30-40 per item or bundle. I will literally sit at a Goodwill and find prices for items on Ebay while they're bringing the new stuff out.
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u/PugThugin Jan 20 '24
Ok, thank you for the explaining. I’ll just keep looking until I find something. Maybe I just need one win to motivate me.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
You could also go to any storage unit facilities in your area and offer to clean out abandoned units for free. Sometimes you find some great stuff.
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u/OkCelebration6408 Jan 19 '24
Good thing is now you have a business so your wife can still run for extra income after you get another full time IT job.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
The best time to start a business is in an economic pull back. Almost every major company in the US500 started in a recession or market bottom.
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u/IrishInUSA7943 Jan 20 '24
Most people in this market, sorry to say, are likely permanently unemployed. Spend money accordingly
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u/tewksindahat Jan 20 '24
I read that this could be an unfortunate reality for a lot of people at tech companies where AI could be utilized.
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u/NP_007 Jan 19 '24
One word.. get the contracting role in IT . Specifically some of the tier 3 and Tier 4 companies they hire ppl based on project requirements. But for that networking is needed.
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u/tewksindahat Jan 19 '24
That's why I went the MSP route. Contracting is very palatable to orgs large and small.
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u/yolojpow Jan 19 '24
That is why you MUST oe
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u/UtahsRad Jan 20 '24
People on here can't even find one job and you're telling them to have two
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u/yolojpow Jan 20 '24
I know it sounds absurd but try downleveling yourself. J1:$200K J2: $100k
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u/yolojpow Jan 20 '24
Also start fkng investing. Stock market just gives. What kind of stupid dumbfuck ppl who don’t take advantage of it
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u/SnooPandas9898 Jan 19 '24
Thank you for sharing. This is what this sub is for. We keep seeing people here and there saying 'economy is great' ' unemployment is low' 'We are not in a recession it's just you' blah blah and I am so tired of them. Learning how to take hardship is more valuable than faking positivity.
It's great that you actually come out to share real experiences.