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  • Posted By: leener @ 05/06/2008 11:42:00 AM

    My 'benefits' are about to run out, & despite all the resumes sent, phone calls made, & searching, I've only managed to snag ONE interview. My father put it very well, "We're not in a recession, IF you have a job".

  • Posted By: summer4077 @ 05/06/2008 11:39:23 AM

    I know that people living pay check to pay check may find a 3 week wait difficult (not counting the first week b/c income was there), but really 3 weeks for a check is not that bad. When you start a job that's on a 2 week pay cycle, you wait 4 weeks before you receive your first pay check. Considering how slow the government runs, 3 weeks isn't all that bad. It must be frustrating for families that are on a tight budget, though.
    I think that's the problem--too many people are living too close to the edge. Get a secondary source of income, spend more frugally, and try to save for at least 3 months of living expenses. That way, the 3 week wait would be a minor annoyance instead of a financial catastrophe. I'm only 25 and have $3k saved in case I get laid off. I have $100 automatically transferred each month from checking to savings. I haven't missed it at all (I don't make all that much, either) and now I have a little bit of breathing room after 2.5 years of saving. People shouldn't buy houses they can't afford, have more kids than they can afford, buy cars and toys they can't afford, take vacations they can't afford, etc etc. I know there are some circumstances where they truly can't make ends meet, but the majority is people spending frivilously. You ALWAYS need to think ahead. You can't guarantee you will always have a job and must put aside savings.

  • Posted By: Aziline @ 05/06/2008 9:41:42 AM

    When my husband was laid off it was a month before we saw an unemployment check. He wasn't eligible the first week since he had 4 days of vacation paid out, the next week was his "probationary period". Finally he was elegible on week 3 but we didn't see the check until the end of week 4. We have been through all of this but I can only imagine the problems this causes for people living pay check to pay check. Maybe it needs to be extended for now but we really need to fix how long it takes to get a check.

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