All about the Benjamins

Read Time: 3 minutes

Who can forget when Tom Cruise (and Cuba Gooding Jr.) in Jerry Maguire says:

“Show me the money!”

When you become unemployed, that quote gains new meaning.

Money is top of mind for you. It becomes a major source of anxiety, pain, and frustration:

• How will I pay my rent or mortgage?

• How will I provide for my family?

• How will I save for retirement?

It’s a seemingly endless list.

Thankfully, there are ways that you can take control.

Everyone tells you to make a budget and cut out unnecessary expenses. While well-intentioned, I find that this kind of advice doesn’t truly move the needle when you need it most.

Frugal is my middle name (or so my friends like to say!), so I’m here to help you out with 3 big ideas.

Fitness

It’s February, so if you live in a cold climate like me, it can be tough to workout outside.

One of the best free options I’ve found is following fitness influencers on YouTube. There are thousands of free fitness videos available and many of them are quite good. The best part? No subscription is required! If you have a yoga mat and a couple of sets of hand weights, you’re good to go!

My personal favorites:

• 305 Fitness: Dance cardio

• Move with Nicole: Pilates and Yoga

• growingannanas: HIIT, Tabata, Strength Training

• fitbymik: Sculpt, Cardio, Barre, Strength Training

• Yoga with Adrienne: All-level yoga with fun themes

You may also want to consider supplementing with a low-cost gym. It’s important to leave your house sometimes after all! Planet Fitness, Blink, Crunch, and your local YMCA can all be good inexpensive options.

Pro Tip: If you’re considering a new gym membership, go on the last day of the month. They have monthly sales quotas to meet, so they’ll be more likely to give you a discount or extras.

Food

We’ve all gotta eat! Regularly being able to put food on the table can be one of the most stressful pieces of unemployment, so I know how important it is to leverage low-cost stores and discounts.

Groceries

Grocery apps are a great way to incur regular savings if you frequent certain stores like Walmart or Whole Foods.

I’m a regular Target shopper, so I can tell you there are a few ways to save hundreds of dollars annually:

• Download the Target app. Every Sunday they launch their Circle offers. Tap the + sign next to the deals you’d like to use.

  • Important: Make sure to scan the barcode in the app when you check out!

• Buy store brands like Good & Gather (they make a great La Croix knockoff!) and Favorite Day.

• Stock up on bigger purchases during Circle Week (their version of Amazon Prime Day)

• Get their Red Card (credit card) for 5% savings on every purchase

Restaurants

It can be exhausting to cook all your meals at home. But if you’re like me, it’s hard to rationalize spending money on eating out when it feels frivolous.

Thankfully there’s a global food app called Too Good to Go (I’m obsessed!). The company is all about preventing food waste.

How it works:

Usually 30-60 minutes before closing time, the restaurant or grocery store offers surprise bags that include an assortment of fresh food they didn’t sell that day. Because they’ve run out of time to sell that food at full price, they can offer it to you for a steep discount (usually $4.99-$5.99)!

I can’t tell you how many times Too Good to Go has been a lifesaver! I get a healthy serving of delicious food at a cheap price.

Books + Libraries

I’ve always found it difficult to prioritize time for reading. But now that you’re probably not going out as much as you used to, this is a great time to read more often!

The challenge is that online booksellers can be pricey. Even a Kindle book can be $14.99 (or more).

Thankfully, your local library is a great resource!

I’m based in NYC, and there is a library app called SimplyE where you can access thousands of free e-books and audiobooks. You can even find recent releases from prominent authors! So wherever you’re located, check to see if your local library offers something similar.

Your local library can also serve as a free coworking space! I realize this may be a stretch, especially if you’re used to a fancy, modern tech office. But you’d be surprised at how some libraries offer modern amenities!

For example, New York has the Stavros Niarchos library which has had a state-of-the art renovation and tech investment by Bloomberg. It even has a rooftop deck that you can work from during the summer!

Even if you’re not based in NYC, there are many really nice local libraries that can provide a change of scenery to supercharge your job search routine.

You see, there are a ton of low-cost or free options to help you maintain a great lifestyle! Saving money on everyday items can really help you to stretch your financial runway.

Big hugs, Jenny

Were these money-saving tips helpful? I love to hear from Layoff Lemonade subscribers. I reply to every email :)