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To me, when somebody is "literally loved" it means they're getting help with their bills, being brought gifts and taken places, and having lots of time spent with them. Sometimes it also means sex is involved. The business of one meal a day after a three-mile walk to pick up only small supplies of the bare necessities smacks of drama as well. (There's such a thing as generic brands and warehouse stores.) Recognizing histrionics and over-(re)acting will hopefully be something the OP can do before deciding on drastic steps that likely aren't needed.
I missed the part about the paid off mortgage. You need to slow down and rethink things. Can you get a roommate or two? Rent the house if you go somewhere else? Do any work from the house?
To talk about selling a paid-for house and living in your car sounds extreme and overly dramatic.
Drive to your local Labor Ready early in the morning and you'll stand out in the crowd if you aren't drunk or on drugs. They will put you on an assignment that day.
The person you are working for may even like you and hire you permanently.
Day labor sucks and pays peanuts, but it's better than starving.
OP, do not even consider selling your paid-off house unless you've already got a job in another state and you know you won't be moving back. Taking in a renter will pay off all of your monthly bills unless you live in an insanely-high-property-tax district; find some nice quiet young professional to fill an empty room and then breathe a big sign of relief.
I second the opinion of the other posters who are pointing out how you're being penny-wise and pound-foolish with some of this stuff. Internet providers do not generally charge by the minute, so you don't have to reduce time spent online; these days you can't really look for work without it. Don't drive short distances? Sure. Cut down on AC usage? Great. But selling your home and sleeping in your car, living one step above a homeless person? Don't do this. Your paid-off home is something that an awful lot of unemployed people would love to have. With it, you've always got a roof over your head. Hang on to that and just look for a job that will keep the bills paid for now.
You only had that job a few months. You act like your life has been torn apart.
It can be a big deal because it wrecks your job history. It's another one of those short periods you have to explain. In a way it's almost equivalent to an employment gap.
No savings? Pretty drastic moves here to sell the paid for house and get a minimum wage job abandoning a career field that you have experience in.
I agree with this.
OP, slow down and think about this. You have a paid off asset that can possibly generate income. You also have a paid off vehicle to get you to interviews, etc. It may not seem like it to you, but you are really in a better position than a lot of people.
It can be a big deal because it wrecks your job history. It's another one of those short periods you have to explain. In a way it's almost equivalent to an employment gap.
make something up then ( sick family member, started own business, etc) No biggie.
OP, DO NOT SELL YOUR HOUSE! That is a safety net you cannot afford to get rid of. Even if you opt to move, KEEP THE HOUSE and rent it out and pocket that money as income or use it to pay rent in whatever place you opt to move to. I repeat: DO NOT SELL THE HOUSE.
I got laid off from a job in 2009 and I was devastated and went into panic mode. But then after a few days I calmed down and my husband and I put together a plan to get through the layoff without losing the house. We cut everything that we could - cable TV, trash pickup, gym memberships, took the kids out of after school daycare (since I was now home all day), etc. We also cancelled our very old whole life insurance policies (not TERM, but WHOLE) and used the money to pay the mortgage while I looked for work. I signed up on oDesk and eLance and started getting transcription work to make some side money. I found a part-time office job working 12-15 hours a week.
In your case, consider getting a housemate. Apply for Medicaid. Apply for food stamps. And, most importantly, spruce up your resume and go to 3-4 headhunters in town and see if they can help get you placed into jobs even on a temporary basis. Back in the mid 1990s I was laid off from a job and signed up with two headhunters - they kept me working solidly for two years with various contract/temp jobs until I was finally ready to bite the bullet and re-enter the permanent workforce. The flexibility of contract work allowed me to scheduled interviews whenever I needed them.
You have a lot of options without the worry of not having a roof over your head some day. Don't move, don't freak out - just make a plan and get to it. But most importantly, and I can't say it enough: DO NOT SELL YOUR HOUSE.
Interesting posts. I'm sorry you lost your job, but I've never seen such a fatalistic view with such drastic responses after only one week. Limiting Internet use because of the power savings from not running your computer is absurd. You still have to live and getting some enjoyment out of your daily grind is critical to your mental health. Am I safe to assume you have no savings? What did you do before this job since you were only recently hired? People get fired every day. Ive been let go before and it sucks. But for most people with reasonable skills and a good attitude, they wind up in a better position with a new job.
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The business of one meal a day after a three-mile walk to pick up only small supplies of the bare necessities smacks of drama as well. (There's such a thing as generic brands and warehouse stores.) Recognizing histrionics and over-(re)acting will hopefully be something the OP can do before deciding on drastic steps that likely aren't needed.
