In the car…running errands last week. “Do you think the government is going to shutdown on Tuesday?” my wife BerNadette asked. “No.” I replied confidently. “But if they do…[pause]…what are we going to do?” she worriedly asks. Then I go on this logical, right-brained explanation about why we shouldn’t worry because…blah…blah…blah… And if they do, then we’ll just…blah…blah…blah.
Both Bernie and I work for the government. And she does the bills for our family. She’s the type of person that likes everything to fit neatly in its place – especially the bills. I…on the other hand…allow for a varying degree of flexibility of where things fit – including the bills.
“So you know…if that happens…you are going to have to take over because you know me…[pause] I [pause] cannot [pause] do that [sigh]!” At that point, I knew I was going to have to put on my leadership hat and not only guide us financially through this malaise, but also guide us through it emotionally as well.
So with less than 24 hours before the government shuts down, things aren’t looking good for the home team. We can swing one or two shutdown days. Beyond two days, we’ll be facing a 20%+ cut in our next paycheck. Then it dawned on me that if we both missed an entire paycheck, we are in a bad situation – along with millions of other people.
For those in like circumstances, here’s my game plan should the clock run out and we are two or more days into a government shutdown.
- Reduce Driving. Walk, ride a bike (like in Europe) limit outings, only use one car.
- Don’t Eat Out. This should be a no brainer.
- Groceries. Fatty, starchy, and unhealthy foods are cheaper than healthy foods. Don’t buy-it if you can help it. Find local farmers markets. Their fresh foods are cheaper than the grocery stores’.
- Cancel Gym Membership. Not the one you go to 2-4 times a week, keep that one. But the one you haven’t been to for 6 months but have been planning on going ‘next week’ for the last 5 months. Yeah…that one. Cancel it!
- Don’t Watch TV. Keep the TV off during the day. Be productive around the house doing those things that you want to do but never have time to do it. Or catch up on some reading.
- Pay (some) Bills. Not every bill is equal. I do discriminate. Here’s how I break them down:
- Those that affect my credit score – pay them.
- Those that might cut something off – pay-something-on them. Ask for a reduced payment or make a payment arrangement. They will be flexible.
- Those that will just get mad – ask-for-forgiveness-from them. Be like, “Sorry, but you’ll get it when I get it.”
- Don’t Pay Bills From Savings. What I’m not going to do is pay my bills from my savings. This might seem illogical…because that’s what savings are for – right. Yes! But…I learned from the housing crisis. You can empty your bank accounts and retirement just to stay in your house one more month, only to be foreclosed-on the next month. Now you’ve lost your house and you’re broke. I’m not going to dip into my savings until this crisis is over and I can calculate the final cost. Just because the government wants to go broke…doesn’t mean I have to.
- Give Frequent Updates. For my wife, security is high on her list of needs. That includes financial security. So this is going to be stressful for her. I’ll reduce her stress by providing frequent updates. Even if the situation doesn’t change…even if I have to repeat myself… I must do this because she’s not like me. She needs reassurance. So I have to proactively and frequently give her updates – to the degree that she will never have to ask what’s going on. She will already know.
This is mine. What is yours? Share your strategies for post-shutdown survival? Let’s help each other get through this debacle together.
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Umm, Mr. Heath . . .you are now stomping all up and down my street! Great article and I do so appreciate you acknowledging the part about addressing and RE-addressing the issue of security! It is just part of what we females need — and it is part of the duty of the “head” to provide.
Great listing of cuts (I won’t say which one almost got me running up the wall!). Gives me more to think and plan over.
Really appreciated this article and so GET what you are saying!
This one let me KNOW I’m growing…and RiRi’s got a MAN at home! Great article/advice…I was being BerNadette in the theater version!
Not dipping into your savings makes perfect sense. I know people who depleted their savings and still ended up homeless, when they could just used the money to pay a few months rent in advance on an apartment while they waited out the storm. My husband works for the government too and I have to admit that while this shutdown is affecting us yet, there has been talk that if it lasts until the end of the month, they could be reducing pay and then stopping pay all together at his job.
It scares me more than a little bit because we have two young kids, but I’m confident and trusting that God will work it. We’re smart with our money and have been a tight spot before. So, at the end of the day I know that this too shall pass.
Thanks for your comments K. Elizabeth. In the absence of assurity, faith and hope are the support systems on which we can rely. Now…faith and hope don’t predict outcomes. But they do guarantee access and utility of resources – outside our control – to provide for us…that which we couldn’t provide for ourselves.