If you lost your job today

[Squatch]

and if you were the only working member of your family, could you support yourself, your family, and meet your financial obligations for the next six months without tapping into your retirement savings?

[fasttense]

1. What retirement savings? n/t

[Maine-ah]

3. bwahhaahha

that's what I was thinking.

we're already down to a one income house basically. I waitress 2 nights a week, the rest of the time I am a sahm. My husband works anywhere from 50-70 hours a week. Now, if he lost his job...well, we have a back up plan, but I'm not sure how long that would last.

[Squatch]

6. We're kinda in the same boat.

I am in the military, so despite the fact that I typically work 60 hours per week, I still get paid the same as somebody who works fewer hours.

My wife is a SAHM with #2 on the way. She does some contract work for her business every now and again, and any money she makes from that goes to our emergency fund.

When #2 arrives, I anticipate that we're going to lose all of that income for quite some time, which is cool.

[Warpy]

8. No kidding, most of us can't save, period.

I did manage to save enough to survive for a little over 2 years. I did it by living out of thrift shops and buying nothing new but food.

There is no way I could have saved enough to retire on out of a nurse's pay.

The tiny pension added to Social Security would have allowed me a retirement living on beans and rice until I got sick.

[sandnsea]

17. It's all geared to the top 10%

No wonder 50% of the country doesn't vote.

[LSK]

2. yes as long as no serious medical conditions came up

Probably a year. Then sell the house and a few more years after that.

I never take it for granted that I will always have a job so I am a serious saver and try to live debt free and cheap even thou I have a good job right now.

[AlCzervik]

4. i'd be selling my house as well and we bought when prices here were pretty low

if we had no medical problems come up than we'd be ok for a few years. We still live pretty much the way we did when we were making less money, no big car payments and the only trips we take are by using frequent flier miles and a house that cost about 25% less than we could afford at the time.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Other

I would have to tap into my retirement money, but after 10 years working at a brokerage firm I have enough of a nest egg that, with luck, I could survive at least a year, possibly two if I'm very careful.

[tech3149]

7. I haven't worked for profit in five years

It hasn't always been easy or fun, but I just got fed up supporting an economy that would screw me without thinking twice. I'm good for a couple more years without dipping into retirement savings. I consider myself pretty damned lucky.

[raccoon]

11. So, how do you make it? nt

[tech3149]

12. I got a pretty good payback from my home in NJ

The downside is I only sold because of divorce. I can get by on about $10k a year(except for unexpected medical expenses or car repairs). I'd do better if I gave up drinking and smoking, but you have to deal with the madness as best you can.

[Extend a Hand]

9. other, we're less than 4 years from planned retirement

so we'd retire early. Almost all of our savings are in retirement plans.

[BluePatriot]

10. Bwahaha.

This just brings to mind the smug speech from our HR lady - -

"Why does over half of this company not opt in to the 401k? You are all turning down free money and need to be more responsible!"

As we sit around wondering about how to fill up the tank and try to stretch out our work for some OT so maybe we can do something fun and/or replace something broken or worn out...

My pants are too short, my shoes scuffed, I need a haircut...

I am becoming re-acquainted with ramen.

Don't get me started on medical expenses. I have had $20k worth of claims since July. Thank God I have decent insurance and I know I am LUCKY to have it at my job this young. But, the $400 in copays and deductibles still stung.

I would have gone bankrupt...

"Why, our still paying for your insurance in full, it's like getting a raise, since the premiums go up every year!"

Yeah, the "same" benefit being a "raise."

I worry about my car dying.

Yeah I am going to invest, bringing home $2k a month at age 23. Sure.

I managed to save like $10k after 2 or 3 years and it would disappear in a heartbeat if something happened.

Managers are so damn out of touch.

[bunkerbuster1]

13. I'm in the 4-5 months club.

We've got some non-retirement funds and savings that could be tapped. It'd be tough, though

[MrCoffee]

14. we'd be massively screwn.

[AZBlue]

15. You and me both.

And it happened to me once in 2000 - I will do whatever it takes to not have it happen again.

[Blue_In_AK]

16. I am self-employed

but if my work dried up, we would depend on my husband's pension. If that went, we could last a few years on his retirement money, assuming the economy didn't collapse and our investments got shredded.

I lived paycheck to paycheck most of my life. I used to be an expert at floating checks back when you could get away with that. I never feel too comfortable even in my new life. It could all "go south" in a heartbeat.

[KillCapitalism]

18. No... :(

I suppose I could go live under a bridge (until the cops evict me).