![]() ![]() It's we parents that have decided that we have to spend a bunch of money for something to be fun. "I mean, it's amazing what a kid can turn into a game if you let them. ![]() "The kids are the hardest place to cut because they are so sweet and they've got those big eyes and they look at you," he said, but added children don't need gifts to have fun. "It makes me sad to have it not be a possibility," she said, but agreed that it was necessary.ĭave Ramsey's Expert Advice for the Bell Familyįor the Bell family, Ramsey said it was important for them to discuss the situation with their children and introduce the word "no" to their vocabulary. But in this window, every dollar, every nickel that we can squeeze out of this, matters."įor Anita Wiggins, the thought of not sending gifts to her children and grandchildren was tough to swallow. I'm not suggesting you never give again, that you never pay a kid's rent again, that you never help out again with seven kids. That means that all of those little cuts matter. Ramsey said, despite the cuts the family had already made to their expenses, "if we are trying to balance a budget, you've got to win death by 1,000 cuts. I mean, I can do carpool, I can cook, I can do a million things at once as far as, you know, I can answer phones, but you know, my computer skills aren't great."īut she said, despite her hesitation, she's worried about her family and willing to look for work. "I don't have a resume, that's, you know. Everybody put their shoulder to the wheel and push this thing and you can get past this rough spot."Īnita Wiggins said she wasn't sure how to get back into the job market after spending time taking care of her children. Anything anybody in this family can do to bring in some money is a great idea. "We've also got to work on getting the household income up," Ramsey said. Work Together to Increase Household Income "If you can refinance that first mortgage and get the overall payment down, we will get this thing where you can breathe a little bit more." "The first thing I saw when I looked at your numbers was the refinance is necessary," he told the Wiggins family. "Our new grandbaby was born I so wanted to get just, like, little blankets and, you know, just fill my cart up to take things and go get my daughter a new outfit or, you know, things that she would like," said Anita Wiggins, choking up. Brad said "it sure feels like" his finances are running his life, and his wife agreed. It took us a while to adjust."ĭespite making significant household budget cuts, Brad and his wife Anita are still almost $1,700 a month over budget, with little savings left to live on. ![]() "We really didn't know how we were going to make it. "When the pay cut came, we were in shock," he said. For two families, pay cuts and unemployment mean making behavioral and lifestyle changes that aren't easy.īrad Wiggins, 53, an attorney, father of seven and grandfather of two who lives in Santa Clara, Calif., has taken a substantial income hit - 62 percent. June 18, 2009— - The economic recession has changed the lives of millions of Americans, but adapting to a new financial situation can be easier said than done. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |