How to Get by when You Are Temporarily Short on Cash

If you are looking at this situation to last longer than a month or so; make sure you know what "your" priorities are and do not adapt someone else's ideas of what you are going through. If you are looking for a job, you need to make sure you have internet and phone service. Now, even though years ago it was easy to go to a library and use the computers and internet there, these days in most large cities you have to wait in line most of the time because that is now where everyone heads when they don't have internet at home. Also WIFI is free in some areas, but sometimes you have to pay a fee to get registered (Starbucks $5.00) so you need to check the fees out first.

Borrow, borrow, borrow, most of your friends or loved ones will help you out with a small loan or some gift cards if this is just a temporary situation and they know you are good for it. If you need to borrow money from anyone, don't make the mistake of then using it to go out and party, people usually want to know you used the money for necessities not for entertainment.

Forget what you learned about buying everything in bulk; if you only have $5.00 it doesn't help to buy only laundry soap. You want to find the best price range within a dollar, so you can buy 5 of the items you need not 1 big bottle of mustard or mayonnaise.

Oh, the value menus: As long as you don't have to resort to eating fast food for the rest of your known days, it's ok to temporarily resort to becoming a regular customer at all of the places with value menus. If you are forced to eat there quite frequently just mix it up a bit and also try to add some salad and yogurt, etc. so you are not just eating burgers all the time.

Cut back: we are all prone to thinking we can't live without something when in essence if you pulled your cable or HD radio subscription and those are not life support plugs. You actually would still be able to function; less entertained and brain dead, but still functioning.

Co op: If you live with roommates sometimes it can and does work for you all to go in on some purchases or extras. Just be very clear from the beginning which person is responsible for what so there are no surprises when the bills or receipts come.

Mass transit: Again, this is an individual thing; it helps some people and some people it is just not practical for, but check it out to see if you can make it work for you.

Hopefully your situation is only for a short while; and then you wind up appreciating everything that comes your way tenfold.