Advice for non-mustachians facing loss of income

[LateToTheParty]

Hello mustachians,

I am helping coworkers who are facing a possible prolonged (2-6 weeks) work stoppage.  I am working to compile a top-10 list of things to do to weather the temporary loss of income.

What suggestions do you think should make the list? 

I have the obvious ones on the list - ie pause/discontinue discretionary memberships, stop eating out, but don’t want to miss the more obscure ideas.
<please no comments about the work stoppage itself>

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

[Sugaree]

I work somewhere that has occasional stoppages and/or involuntary hour cuts.  A lot of my coworkers will pick up part-time jobs, mostly evening hours, in anticipation of these.  Some will even keep the second job for awhile after their "real job" picks back up.  It's not a great solution, but at least it's bringing something in.  Alternatively, in some states a 2-6 week stoppage will qualify for UI. 

[Omy]

Minimize use of credit cards. It will prolong the process of getting back to even.

We live in a gig economy. There are temp jobs just about everywhere. I would drive for uber, walk dogs, or do deliveries to make ends meet temporarily. There may also be items laying around the house they can sell.

Let them know this is an opportunity to restructure their lives to make sure they have an emergency fund and start saving in the future.

There has been no time in my life where a 6 week work stoppage would phase me in the slightest. If they are freaking out, show them there's another way to operate.

[slappy]

Can you provide any more info about their situation? How long until the work stoppage hits? Do they any extra money now? For example, could they buy a little more on each trip to the grocery store to minimize those expenses later? Could they pay an extra payment on something now, so they don't have to worry about it later? Of course, these suggestions only work if they have any extra money to work with now, or if the stoppage is still a little ways out.

In terms of second jobs, as others have mentioned, there is so much out there if they wanted to do something like that. I guess the issue would be the short term nature of the situation, so it's not like they can pick up a job at a local store. However, as others have mentioned, there should be plenty of opportunity for short term gigs out there. Maybe look at substitute teaching?

[terran]

Are you being asked to do this? Unsolicited frugality advice is usually not well received.
 
You could look into local food banks.

[Jenny Wren]

As someone that used to be paycheck to paycheck and below the poverty line, the single best advise I can give: Make the hard phone calls now.

Any bills that they may not be able to pay, from the car payment and mortgage to the electric bill -- call them before the payments are late. Creditors tend to have more things to offer to prevent you from falling behind, from moving a car payment to the end of the loan to spreading out an electric bill over a few months instead of demanding the full past due amount all at once, if you call before the payment is late. If something happens and they can make the payments on time, then no problem, but if not they may avoid some fees, bad credit marks, and a lot of stress.

My other bit of advice is they should plan something free/cheap and fun for that period. Something to look forward to. It could be a potluck picnic with friends/other coworkers in the same boat, a fall hike, a board game night - it really doesn't matter as long as they try to really build it up as something special in their heads. It's a psychological trick to avoid feelings of deprivation, really. Having something to look forward to can help alleviate that feeling of sacrifice that leads some people to make foolish decisions with their cash, like going out to a movie when the water bill is past due.

[LateToTheParty]

Thank you all for the thoughtful advice.

A bit more details - The work stoppage would be related to union workers going out on strike.  So this is not completely unexpected, but nonetheless still unsettling for many.   And it is looking like a very real possibility.

I was asked by the union to lead a conversation on financial preparedness. This is the second such presentation, with the last one approx 1 month ago, and with low workforce turnout.  The attendance this time is expected to be high, as the reality of the strike is sinking in.  Timeline would likely be mid-October.  Healthcare industry.

[myrrh]

I think a lot of people shop as something to do. Even thrift store shopping or window shopping encourages the wants, if that makes sense. Find things to do with your time that don't involve potential spending.

If you have more time available then you may be able to find some new recipes to try out. Or pull out the guitar that's been sitting there gathering dust for years. Or finally organize the back closet, or get your house and affairs in order (I've been dealing with throwing out and donating SO MUCH stuff from my in-law's house to prep it for sale because FIL is unable to stay there anymore.) You can be social without spending money at a restaurant, I've had a lot of fun at potlucks or clothing exchanges. The library is your friend.

Don't know if any of that is helpful, but throwing it out there anyway.

[bogart]

I remember reading a similar discussion @ some point (I forget where, don't think it was these boards) where someone pointed out that it's important to prioritize paying your rent over some other common and important purchases, like buying groceries, because it's relatively easier to get short-term help with food, e.g. food banks, but can be very difficult to get rent assistance, especially if it's needed quickly and/or in response to a recent change in income.

Thinking pro-actively about prescription drug needs, if any, and stocking up if possible/appropriate (or setting aside $$$ to cover costs), and/or talking pro-actively with a doctor or pharmacist about ways to navigate short-term hardship might also be worth considering.

[GreenSheep]

I think this is good stuff for all of us to keep in mind, because you just never know. I'm FIREd and have a working spouse, so I feel pretty secure, but I know that even in my case, it's still possible for the rug to be pulled out from under us.

If you haven't already, maybe consider sharing cheap recipes/food ideas, since that tends to be a big expense for people, after housing. How to turn a couple of bags of dry beans and rice into not only something edible, but delicious, how to avoid waste, what to do with leftovers, other cheap meal ideas (I realize beans and rice are almost a stereotype and definitely not the only option), etc.

Also maybe some thoughts on food for pets so the furry friends don't suffer. Maybe gradually switching to a cheaper food now so it's not an overnight change that could be upsetting to some, then gradually switching back when the crisis is over. Talk to the vet about what cheaper food might be appropriate temporarily, etc.

Since the holidays are coming up, some conversations with friends/family about gift expectations might be in order, too. I think for the general public, just having someone (you) tell them that it's okay to cut back on gifts or forego them altogether in tough times would go a long way toward feeling like they can do that without being the family Grinch. Or maybe discuss cheaper/homemade gift ideas -- plenty of threads here on that!

[GreenSheep]

Oh, and for the kids! Every family will approach this differently, but you might want to at least get people to start thinking about how they want to address these changes with their kids. Total honesty, some kind of sugar-coated honesty, etc.? That way they're not caught off-guard when their child asks a very blunt question, as kids are known to do!

And like someone mentioned above, it's especially important to have fun free/cheap things planned for the kids and to do what you can to continue their routines so they're not worried by all of this. If the kids are old enough to understand that this is temporary, then so much the better. Maybe even make it into a bit of a game with the kids if they're the right age/personality to find that fun.

[clarkfan1979]

Are you being asked to do this? Unsolicited frugality advice is usually not well received.
 
You could look into local food banks.

This is a good point about unsolicited advice. However, based on the thread it doesn't look to be the case. It seems like you will be offering general advice to a group of people, which is different.

One of my good friends got married in Las Vegas and invited friends (3-4 months notice). I told him that I couldn't go because I didn't have the money. I was a grad student at the time and living on $1500/month. A trip to Vegas around $1,000 was not in the cards at the time. 

He told me to buy a lawn mower and mow lawns to come up with the money. He might have been half-kidding, but it really rubbed me the wrong way.